{"id":33853,"date":"2023-07-06T09:18:06","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T13:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=33853"},"modified":"2023-07-06T09:18:07","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T13:18:07","slug":"on-stage-moulin-rouge-comes-to-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=33853","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Moulin Rouge comes to Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Moulin Rouge! The Musical<\/p><\/div>\n

Area fans of music theater have been waiting a while for \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical\u201d to arrive in Philadelphia. The wait ended this week.<\/p>\n

July 5 was \u201cOpening Night\u201d for the hit show \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical,\u201d which is being presented by Kimmel Cultural Campus (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia,\u202fwww.kimmelculturalcampus.org<\/a>) and The Shubert Organization.<\/p>\n

The show, which is making its Philadelphia debut, announced that \u201cKimmel Cultural Campus and The Shubert Organization was initially scheduled to run from July 5-30 at the Academy of Music. But, because of scheduling changes with national tour routing, the Philly run of \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical\u201d\u00a0will take place from\u00a0July 5-23.<\/p>\n

The lively musical takes place in a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory. It is a world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment.<\/p>\n

Part of the 2022-23 Broadway series,\u00a0this larger-than-life musical tells the story of star-crossed lovers who fall in love at the\u00a0Moulin\u00a0Rouge, a place where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows while relishing the electrifying entertainment.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Moulin\u00a0Rouge of Paris is a dazzling and spectacular universe, the symbol of the Parisian way of celebrating since 1889. Starting life as a popular cabaret and dance hall, the venue became an iconic music hall in the Roaring Twenties and then a theatre where numerous famous French and international artists stepped out into the limelight.<\/p>\n

Audience members can dive into the world of celebrating truth, beauty, freedom, and most importantly, love, as this musical-remix extravaganza comes to life in front of their eyes.\u00a0\u201cMoulin\u00a0Rouge! The Musical\u201d\u00a0is more than just a musical, it\u2019s a state of mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoulin\u00a0Rouge! The Musical\u201d is set in the\u00a0Montmartre Quarter\u00a0of Paris, France, during the\u00a0Belle Epoque\u00a0at the turn of the 20th century. The musical relates the story of Christian, a young composer, who falls in love with cabaret actress Satine, who is the star of the\u00a0Moulin Rouge. Similar to the film, the musical’s score weaves together original songs with popular music, including songs that have been written in the 17 years since the film\u2019s premier.<\/p>\n

John Cardoza plays the role of Christian while the role of Satine is performed by Courtney Reed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe company has been out a little over a year,\u201d said Cardoza, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Cleveland.<\/p>\n

\u201cI joined three months ago. It came up very suddenly. I was ready to get back to the city and I got an e-mail asking for a tape. They called me back for a work session and then they offered me the part.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had already seen the show a few times. It\u2019s a huge role. It\u2019s really challenging. I feel really lucky to have gotten the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a monster. It asks so much of you \u2013 mentally, physically and emotionally \u2013 eight times a week. Doing something like this, you realize that you really have to take care of yourself \u2013 eight hours sleep, no alcohol, sessions at the gym, careful with diet and don\u2019t talk much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christian has the heaviest role \u2013 and the most demanding role.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has this brutal inescapable honesty \u2013 he and Satine both,\u201d said Cardoza. \u201cChristian serves as both the protagonist and as a narrator.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s proud of what he\u2019s done with the pillars of the Bohemian lifestyle. He sees a lot of beauty in falling in love and creating art \u2013 and being part of the community. He\u2019s very empathetic when dealing with people. Christian can be a bit na\u00efve and ignorant. He\u2019s young and very excitable.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristian is touted as one of the greatest songwriters ever. This is his journey from beginning to end and there is a lot of music. The original movie used music of the times. This show uses music of our times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the songs featured in this version are \u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got to Do with It,\u201d \u201cWe Belong,\u201d \u201cSympathy for the Devil,\u201d \u201cI Wanna Dance (with Somebody Who Loves Me),\u201d \u201cEvery Breath You Take\u201d and \u201cI Will Always Love You.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s many of the greatest hits spanning decades,\u201d said Cardoza. \u201cThe audience gets to hear the music in a new way. It\u2019s fun to take these songs out of the Top 40 and use them as conversations. People love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/kRYamIZWK-M<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoulin\u00a0Rouge! The Musical\u201d\u00a0is running now through July 23 at the Academy of Music.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $20.<\/p>\n

When musicians from the Philadelphia area relocate elsewhere, they never completely sever their ties to the Quaker City.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Mary Scholz<\/p><\/div>\n

Mary Scholz is a singer\/songwriter\/actress who grew up in Havertown and moved to Los Angeles more than a dozen years ago. This weekend, she is returning to the Philly area to be one of the performers at \u201cLove Fest 2023,\u201d which will be held July 7 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cLove Fest\u201d is billed as a celebration of good music and great energy featuring some of the region\u2019s best artists. This year\u2019s lineup also includes John Faye, BoyWonder (celebrating his 20th anniversary), JJX, Kelvin Cochrane, Calico Catbird, Autumn Luz, Chris Gennett and Sterling Spencer.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s always fun to come back and play in Philly,\u201d said Scholz, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. \u201cI always enjoy the town.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scholz grew up in Havertown and graduated from Archbishop Carroll High in Radnor. She then attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI majored in musical theater,\u201d said Scholz. \u201cI got my degree in theater. I also studied various instruments including guitar, piano and flute. I had been studying piano since I was small.<\/p>\n

\u201cOriginally, when I first went into theater, my desire was always to play music. I also wanted to learn musical theater. It allowed me to study performance as a whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cI pursued musical theater for a while, but it wasn\u2019t my first choice. I preferred being in front of a camera.\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually, Scholz pursued a lot of genres of performing arts when she was still here in Philly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did local theater, and I did a Fringe show,\u201d said Scholz. \u201cI did opera in Philadelphia. I\u2019m a mezzo-soprano. But I focused on films when I started in Philly \u2013 indy films and short films. My first feature film was in Philadelphia \u2013 \u2018The Matter with Clark.\u2019 In L.A., I was in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scholz also got her start in music in the Delaware Valley.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of my early club shows were at The Point, the World Caf\u00e9 Live, Tin Angel, Burlap & Bean and MilkBoy Ardmore,\u201d said Scholz.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first EP was \u2018Philadelphia Nights\u2019 and then I released my first album, \u2018The Girl You Thought You Knew,\u2019 in 2014. I\u2019ve also released a bunch of singles and EPs over the last 10 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy second full-length was \u2018California\u2019 in 2017. I put out an EP called \u2018Lonesome\u2019 in 2012. Then, I released my third LP, \u2018Begin Again,\u2019 in July 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album at the producer Jonathan Wilson\u2019s studio in Topanga Canyon. The album came out on KZZ, a subsidiary of Blue Elan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been touring \u2018Begin Again\u2019 for the last year. It\u2019s been interesting coming back after the pandemic. It\u2019s nice because it gives a longer time to promote a record.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doing a few shows this July \u2013 including Friday in Philly. I\u2019m looking forward to it because it\u2019s BoyWonder\u2019s 20th anniversary and we\u2019re old friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Mary Scholz — https:\/\/youtu.be\/zoIFBN1yw5M<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live on July 7 will start at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the World Caf\u00e9 Live are Eilen Jewell on July 6, Steal Your Face on July 8 and EM on July 12.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) is continuing to bring high caliber tribute bands to Chester County.<\/p>\n

The hits keep on coming this weekend when the Uptown presents Countdown to Ecstasy on July 7.<\/p>\n

Based in the Delaware Valley, Countdown to Ecstasy is considered one of the nation\u2019s most authentic Steely Dan tribute bands with setlists including \u201cReelin\u2019 in The Years,\u201d \u201cMidnight Cruiser,\u201d and \u201cDo It Again,\u201d from Steely Dan\u2019s 1972 album \u201cCan\u2019t Buy A Thrill\u201d and several songs from the band\u2019s 1973 album, \u201cCountdown to Ecstasy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Countdown to Ecstasy, which was formed by bassist Glenn Marrazzo, is well into its second decade of recreating Steely Dan songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the summer of 2009 when it all came together,\u201d said Marrazzo, during a phone interview from his home in Langhorne.<\/p>\n

\u201cMyself and three other original members were just fooling around\u2014getting together on Wednesday nights to play classic rock music.<\/p>\n

The other three members from back then that are still with the band are guitarist Tony Winkler, trumpeter David Laich and trombonist Nancy Kribbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cTony asked if we knew any Steely Dan songs. I wanted to challenge myself. So, the four of us did some Steely Dan songs. A light bulb went off. I realized I wanted to form a Steely Dan tribute band.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steely Dan\u00a0was founded by core members\u00a0Walter Becker\u00a0(guitars, bass, backing vocals) and\u00a0Donald Fagen\u00a0(keyboards, lead vocals) in 1971. Blending elements of rock,\u00a0jazz,\u00a0Latin music,\u00a0R&B,\u00a0blues\u00a0and sophisticated\u00a0studio production\u00a0with cryptic and ironic lyrics, the band enjoyed critical and commercial success starting from the early 1970s until breaking up in 1981. Initially the band had a core lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired the band from live performances altogether to become a studio-only band, opting to record with a revolving cast of\u00a0session musicians.<\/p>\n

Since reuniting in 1993, Steely Dan has toured steadily and released two albums of new material. The band has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the\u00a0Rock and Roll Hall of Fame\u00a0in March 2001. Becker died on September 3, 2017, leaving Fagen as the sole official member.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the summer of 2009, I started adding more members to the original four,\u201d said Marrazzo. \u201cMy concept was to have 11 players. I was playing in a wedding band, so I had access to horn players.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe following spring, we had our first show. After that, it was off to the races.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s current lineup also features Chelsea\u00a0ViaCava\u00a0(vocals), Michael Kernicky (drums), Ned Sonstein (vocals), Tom Winkler (guitar), David Laich (trumpet, trombone), Kevin Coltri (saxophone), Nancy Kribbs (trombone), Khrista White (vocals), Dan Smedile (keyboards), Naeemah Harper (vocals), Vahe Sarkissian (guitar), and Mark Schreiber (percussion).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had this lineup together for a while,\u201d said Marrazzo. \u201cDan and Kevin came in about nine years ago. Our singers have been with us about five years. Mike has been around for seven years and Vahe for six. Mark has been with us for about five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou set the bar high when you\u2019re a Steely Dan tribute band. I never built the band to be a clone of Steely Dan. We interpret it as close as we can.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are musicians in stage playing tribute to the music. We\u2019re definitely true to the music. We play Steely Dan\u2019s music as accurately as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stick to the script. We can play 70 Steely Dan tunes \u2013 including all the hits. And, if we\u2019re playing two sets, we will go to deeper cuts. We\u2019ll be playing two sets at the Knauer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Countdown to Ecstasy —\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/B28E9kb3voE<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Uptown! Knauer on July 7 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

Metal music is a huge genre \u2013 one that has a seemingly endless supply of sub-genres.<\/p>\n

Several of these sub-genres will be featured on July 7 when MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com<\/a>) hosts the \u201cQuiescence Tour featuring Cognitive, Analepsy, Wormhole and\u00a0NecroticGoreBeast.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives, Cognitive are technical death metal\/metalcore and Analepsy are brutal melodic slam death metal. NecroticGoreBeast are slam brutal death metal and Wormhole are technical death metal\/metalcore.<\/p>\n

Wormhole — Julian Kersey, Vocals; Sanil Kumar, Guitar; Sanjay Kumar, Guitar; Basil Chiasson, Bass, and Matt Tillett, Drum — has a more direct name for its style of metal music\u2026tech slam.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeepness isn\u2019t in the name, it\u2019s in the music,\u201d said Sanjay Kumar, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from his home in Baltimore.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis band is all about the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, you have to be able to tech-slam. Nobody aced the term. We were the ones who brought together tech and slam.<\/p>\n

\u201cWormhole has a huge, huge melody part. We put in a lot of rare flavors, and you\u2019ve never heard this combination before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band is based in the Baltimore area and the core of the band is the brother duo \u2013 Sanjay and Sanil Kumar (who is one year older).<\/p>\n

\u201cOur love of metal started with hip-hop \u2013 hard music like Lil John,\u201d said Sanjay. \u201cSanil and I have always been into online gaming. We spent a lot of hours playing Metroid and Doom games. I was really into Counter-Strike. We liked sci-fi and horror films and games.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of us play guitar and in 2015, we formed Wormhole. We said, let\u2019s do these sci-fi\/horror songs for a band called Wormhole.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kumars fused online gaming and metal music and tech slam was the result.<\/p>\n

According to Sanjay, \u201cThe tech slam imagery is based on Metroid lore, Doom lore, and we haven\u2019t written a song about it yet, but Alien as well. Those three things are brutal sci-fi universes, so we\u2019re trying to embody that sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe slam riffs, you can connect the brutal killing of stuff with the brutal chunky riffs; that\u2019s been a match that\u2019s existed since the nineties. So that\u2019s the slam part, and then the tech part was harder to fit that vibe, so we kind of do it differently. I lean into very dissonance-vibe stuff, like Artificial Brain and Dysrhythmia. I think disso-death and heavy, they aren\u2019t usually paired together, even though they should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanil added, \u201cAnd then as far as chasing the vibe, I kind of go about it two ways. With the Metroid soundtrack or universe, that vibe, there\u2019s some dark and gloomy atmosphere, but there\u2019s a lot of pretty imagery as well. We wanted to find a way to match that very pretty, kind of out-there sound cohesively in songs with a very aggressive and guttural approach.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brothers are not only the core of the band, they are also Wormhole\u2019s songwriters. It\u2019s an equal process as shown on the band\u2019s new album, \u201cAlmost Human,\u201d which will be released on September 22 by Season of Mist.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanil and I split the songs,\u201d said Sanjay. \u201cI\u2019ll have my demos and he\u2019ll have his. It\u2019s rare for us to have input on the other\u2019s songs.<\/p>\n

There are eight songs on \u2018Almost Human\u2019 and we\u2019ve each written four of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Wormhole — https:\/\/youtu.be\/tkHUIPisC5Q<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Quiescence Tour featuring Cognitive, Analepsy, Wormhole and\u00a0NecroticGoreBeast will start at 7 p.m. on July 7.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $16.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at MilkBoy Philly are Matt Pless and the Cheap Shots on July 6, Loma Prieta on July 8, Esther Rose on July 11 and Liturgy on July 12.<\/p>\n

On July 8, Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts (9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr,<\/a>\u00a0brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com<\/a>), will present a very attractive twin bill featuring Liz Longley and Jesse Ruben \u2013 two musicians with local roots who both are graduates of the Berklee College of Music.<\/p>\n

Longley is a Chester County native who has been living in Nashville for years. Ruben grew up in Maple Glen, graduated from Upper Dublin High and now lives in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n

Best known for her stop-you-in-your-tracks voice, Longley is an accomplished singer-songwriter based out of Nashville. With her deeply emotional music, Longley has earned accolades from some of the most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country, including the BMI John Lennon Songwriting Scholarship Competition.<\/p>\n

Her self-titled debut album received critical acclaim, being described as \u201csomething more; a cleverness, a wit and a mix of musical styles\u201d (Dallas Morning News) and \u201cstunning\u201d (HuffPost). Her follow up album, \u201cWeightless,\u201d released in 2016, was praised as \u201ca thing of beauty\u201d (Pop Dose) and \u201cpacked with instantly memorable pop rock songs\u2026\u201d (Popmatters).<\/p>\n

The Berklee grad worked alongside five-time Grammy-nominated producer, Paul Moak, on her much awaited sixth album, \u201cFuneral For my Past.\u201d<\/p>\n

The journey of her self-release made music industry headlines when her devoted fanbase raised over $150,000 to help her purchase the rights to and independently release the album. Longley became the #4 most funded solo female musician in Kickstarter history — a story covered by Billboard Magazine.<\/p>\n

Embraced by the press and music fans alike, \u201cFuneral For My Past\u201d was described as a \u201c\u2026stunning new album!\u201d (Forbes), \u201c\u2026from Americana to gospel-flavored soul to shimmering pop anthems\u201d (Billboard) and included in \u201c100 Albums Released in 2020 to Put on Your Radar\u201d (Newsweek).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always enjoyable to get back to Pennsylvania,\u201d said Longley. \u201cI play there several times a year. It\u2019s good to get back to my roots.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from Downingtown, Longley moved north and earned a degree in songwriting at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She stayed in New England for a while after finishing at Berklee and then headed south to Nashville.<\/p>\n

Nashville, which has been the \u201cMusic Capitol\u201d for country-and-western music, has evolved into a primary destination for musicians from a wide variety of genres.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great city for music, and I wanted to be part of the scene,\u201d said Longley, who was introduced to music at a young age by her jazz musician father. \u201cThere is a great Berklee community here. Actually, it\u2019s just a great community of musicians from all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Liz Longley — https:\/\/youtu.be\/23Llu4DAJ5w<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For Brooklyn based singer\/songwriter Jesse Ruben, his show on May 12 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia,\u00a0www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) is a much-anticipated homecoming.<\/p>\n

Ruben, who moved to New York 12 years ago, earned a degree in songwriting at the Berklee College of Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came from a musical background,\u201d said Ruben, during a phone interview from his apartment in Brooklyn. \u201cMy dad, Peter Scott Ruben, was a musician who used to do Sinatra shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I graduated from Berklee, I moved to Nashville. It was a fun place to visit but I didn\u2019t want to live there. With the music business, it\u2019s L.A., New York or Nashville. For me, New York was the only place to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruben started his professional music career in New York. The city also held an attraction for his wife Jen Jacob, an actress who has done theater, voice-overs and TV. Recently, she played Dennis Leary\u2019s wife on \u201cLaw and Order: Organized Crime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruben is now on the verge of releasing his third album sometime later this year.<\/p>\n

Ruben\u2019s songs have gotten more than a dozen placements in the US and abroad and have been featured on shows like \u201cOne Tree Hill,\u201d \u201cTeen Mom,\u201d \u201cSwitched at Birth,\u201d Germany\u2019s \u201cThe Bachelor\u201d and the recent Disney+ series \u201cDiary of a Future President.\u201d \u00a0All of his albums have reached the Top 10 of the US iTunes Singer\/Songwriter charts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be my third album,\u201d said Ruben, who is known for his lyrical storytelling and engaging live shows. \u201cI\u2019ve also released three EPs and a smattering of singles. My last EP was \u2018Hope\u2019 in 2019 and my last full-length was \u2018Thoughts I\u2019ve Never Had Before, Part 1.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs from the new album were written before the pandemic. The last EP was more electronic and poppy. For the new music, I wanted to get back to acoustic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the album at Dwight Baker\u2019s studio in Austin \u2013 Matchbox Recording Studio. I was there for 12 or 13 days. Dwight, who is in The Wind and The Wave, did the production.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the songs were about political stuff, and some were about getting older. Some were about mental health, and some were about family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Health has played a major role in Ruben\u2019s music.<\/p>\n

Ruben has run the NYC Marathon three times for The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the largest non-profit devoted to spinal cord injuries, and five times to raise money for Lyme disease research. He is a co-founder of\u00a0Generation Lyme<\/a>, a community built to empower people facing Lyme disease through sharing patient stories and hosting online Meet-ups.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had Lyme disease starting in 2013,\u201d said Ruben. \u201cIt was a tough time for three years. Now, I\u2019ve been in remission since 2016. With Generation Lyme, I wanted to help people with Lyme disease. We\u2019ve had more than 10,000 people participate in Meet-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Ruben is the founder of\u00a0The We Can Project<\/a>, an initiative for young students designed to help them discover their passions and give back to their communities. To date, more than 800,000 young people have participated. To promote the program, he was personally invited by Hoda Kotb to perform live on The Today Show.<\/p>\n

His single\u00a0\u201cWe Can\u201d\u00a0from\u00a0\u201cThoughts I\u2019ve Never Had Before, Part 1\u201d\u00a0gained popularity due to its inspirational lyrics. After an elementary school reached out to him and told him that they had played the song to inspire their students, he started\u00a0the We Can project\u00a0to encourage students to make a difference in their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started that project at an elementary school on Vancouver Island in 2013,\u201d said Ruben. \u201cI just did a 10th anniversary show there. The whole project is based on the song. It\u2019s about kids learning new things and giving back to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Jesse Ruben \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/59Aj9E5lCn0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show in Bryn Mawr on July 8 will start at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts are Jeffrey Gaines and Mutlu on July 15, David Wilcox on July 22, Trout Fishing in America on July 23, John Gorka on July 29, Livingston Taylor on August 5, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience on August 12, Susan Werner on August 19, Dar Williams on August 26, Carsie Blanton & Marielle Kraft on September and Jon McLaughlin on September 8.<\/p>\n

King Of Prussia\u2019s live outdoor music series\u00a0Concerts Under the Stars\u00a0(Upper Merion Township Building Park, West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com<\/a>) returned to Upper Merion Township Building Park for its 37th season back in May. The summer-long concerts will include live music for all ages, a beer garden featuring local craft brews and cocktails and local food truck options. Events will take place from 7-10 p.m. on select weeknights and 6-9 p.m. on select Sundays.<\/p>\n

Concerts Under the Stars\u00a0will be co-presented by\u00a0Upper Merion Township\u00a0and\u00a0Rising Sun Presents\u00a0\u2013 the event producers at venues including\u00a0Ardmore Music Hall,\u00a0Underground Arts,\u00a0MilkBoy Philly and\u00a0118 North.<\/p>\n

Upcoming shows in the 2023 Concerts Under the Stars series are Unforgettable Fire (U2 tribute) on July 7, Keller Williams and KellerGrass ft. The HillBenders on July 16, Lisa Loeb on July 22, Tommy Conwell & The House Rockers with Soraia on July 28, Don McCloskey and Hoots & Hellmouth on August 5, Donna the Buffalo on August 12, Start Making Sense (Talking Heads tribute), Al Stewart & The Empty Pockets on August 26, Splintered Sunlight (Grateful Dead Tribute) on September 2, and Easy Star All\u2010Stars on September 16.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,\u00a0www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) continues its tradition of presenting top quality blues music this weekend.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music is a prime destination to hear folk, jazz and blues music every Thursday through Sunday.<\/p>\n

The \u201cThursday Night Jazz Jam\u201d and the \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d are regular features on Jamey\u2019s calendar while Friday and Saturday night shows feature national and regional acts.<\/p>\n

On July 7, the headline act will be Drivetime All-Stars — Bernie Capodici (Congas\/Percussion\/Producer), Jimmy Dell\u2019Orefice (Keys), Gene Terramani (Guitar), Nick Terramani (Bass) and JJ Zeller (Drums).<\/p>\n

The band has done collaborations with jazz-related artists such as Andrew Neu, Bob Baldwin, Phyllis Chapel and Justin Guarini, and many others.<\/p>\n

The Drivetime All-Stars show on July 7 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

On July 8, the stage at Jamey\u2019s will belong to Swing That Cat.<\/p>\n

Swing That Cat is a sonic cocktail of jump, jive and wail — Jump Blues, Horny Swing, Cabaret and Bourbon Street. This female-led band can shake it all up with rhythm, rumble and writhe that is guaranteed to make audiences dance.<\/p>\n

Over the last few years, Swing That Cat has emerged as one of the most unique, original, and engaging live acts in the Tri-State area. The City of Philadelphia Office of the Arts has twice selected Swing That Cat as a Top 5 PHL Live act in 2018 and 2022.<\/p>\n

The show on July 7 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

The \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d is scheduled for every Sunday from noon-3 p.m. with the host band\u2019s set from noon-1 p.m. followed by an open mic from 1-3 p.m.<\/p>\n

The first, third, fourth and fifth Sunday sessions are hosted by the Philly Blues Kings while the hosts for second Sunday sessions are the Girke-Davis Project.<\/p>\n

The play \u201cLettie\u201d had its premiere in Chicago in 2017. The show received rave reviews and appeared destined to have a long and successful \u00a0Broadway run. Then, COVID-19 changed all that \u2013 a pandemic that closed everything down.<\/p>\n

When the original production ran at the Victory Playhouse in Chicago, Broadway World described the show as \u201cprofoundly heartbreaking and brilliantly conceived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Variety magazine offered this description \u2013 \u201c\u2018Lettie,\u2019 a family drama about a woman emerging from prison and addiction with a desire to reclaim the teenage kids who have barely seen her in seven years, is that rare play that manages to be both pessimistic and hopeful, with a central character simultaneously deeply sympathetic and infuriating.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, \u201cLettie\u201d is coming back to life and is being staged in various cities around the United States.<\/p>\n

Now through July 13, Malvern-based theatre People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, www.peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting the regional premiere of \u201cLettie,\u201d which was written by Boo Killebrew.<\/p>\n

The play opens with Lettie, a woman in her mid-30s, being released from prison after serving a seven-year sentence. Now trying to put her life back together, Lettie is living at Spring House, a halfway house for ex-cons, and she’s enrolled in a training program to become a welder.<\/p>\n

Lettie has two teenaged children who have been in the care of her sister Carla and Carla\u2019s husband, Frank. Lettie hasn\u2019t seen her kids for years and is eager to reconnect with them, but Carla and Frank are wary.<\/p>\n

The couple are uptight Christians. They had to clean up Lettie\u2019s mess when she was addicted to drugs, and they do not trust Lettie\u2019s competence as a mother.<\/p>\n

Lettie\u2019s daughter Layla is an effervescent 14-year-old who is a top academic student \u2013 and a drama queen. Her son River, who is 17, is a moody record collector and aspiring producer. Layla wants to re-engage with her mom while River wants nothing to do with Lettie.<\/p>\n

Lettie makes a friend at her work \u2013 Minny, also an ex-con who is struggling to get her life back together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is not an unhappy ending \u2013 and not a happy ending,\u201d said director Abigail Adams during a phone interview last week from her home in Swarthmore. \u201cIt gives the audience a lot to think about.<\/p>\n

\u201cZak (Berkman) gave it to me, and I read it. This is only the second production I have read in years. I sent it back to Zack to read and then we agreed to do the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zak Berkman is the Producing Artistic Director at People\u2019s Light. Adams is Senior Director of Special Projects and Executive Artistic Director Emerita at People\u2019s Light.<\/p>\n

Adams has been associated with People\u2019s Light for over 40 years, serving as artistic leader for over two decades and chief executive for the past 10 years. Adams has directed more than sixty plays at People\u2019s Light, including\u00a0\u201cThe Children\u201d and \u201cOur Town.\u201d<\/p>\n

She established the New Voices Ensemble at People\u2019s Light in 1990, which received the White House Coming up Taller Award in 2000. Adams served for 10 years on the faculty of Swarthmore College and has also taught at New York University, Bryn Mawr College, Carnegie Mellon University, and The Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario. She holds an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Ursinus College.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo things I liked were the ambiguity and the lack of stereotypes in all the characters,\u201d said Adams. \u201cThere is a lot of room the playwright has given to individual actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play was written by Boo Killebrew, a notable playwright, actress, and TV writer for the hit Emmy Award-nominated Netflix series, \u201cLongmire.\u201d Her work as playwright has been presented at theatres around the United States, including The Roundabout Theatre in New York City, Boston Playwright\u2019s Theatre, and Portland Center Stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are six actors, and they are all well-developed,\u201d said Adams. \u201cThese characters defy the stereotype. Lettie is a character who gts in her own way all the time. She\u2019s a very difficult person.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story is set in 2017. It starts in late winter and ends eight months later around Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is just a good story,\u201d said Adams, who grew up in Media and graduated from Penncrest High. \u201cIt\u2019s engrossing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the themes is \u2013 how do you recover lost time…especially with kids and the time you didn\u2019t have with them. The play explores that. You don\u2019t recover \u2013 but you can start again. Lettie is the story line. She\u2019s in every scene.\u201d<\/p>\n

This production also features strong acting by Danielle Skraastad (Lettie), Kevin Bergen (Frank), Melanye Finister (Minny), Teri Lamm (Carla), Bryanna Martinez-Jimenez (Layla) and Jacob Orr (River).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis play really does have great writing,\u201d said Adama. \u201cAll of the characters are developed so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLettie\u201d is running now through July 13 at People\u2019s Light\u2019s Steinbright Stage, an intimate, flexible 140-seat theatre. Ticket prices start at $47.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Area fans of music theater have been waiting a while for \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical\u201d to arrive in Philadelphia. The wait ended this week. July 5 was \u201cOpening Night\u201d for the hit show \u201cMoulin Rouge! The Musical,\u201d which is being presented by Kimmel Cultural Campus (250 South Broad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[3912,12080,12079],"class_list":["post-33853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-mary-scholz","tag-moulin-rouge-the-musical"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33854,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33853\/revisions\/33854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}