Welcome to Delaware Today’s arts blog, the spot to dish on the many cultural opportunities available to Delaware audiences. We’ll cover as many genres as possible, and note cool events offered by organizations large and small, in all three counties.
It’s getting chilly. Visit a museum.
Prom Night
On October 24 City Theater Company presents “Prom Night!,” an evening of music, dancing, food and fundraising. The audience is invited to dress in prom attire, since it will become part of the show—perhaps even the prom dates of wacky cast members. City Theater folks are serious about what they do. When they say to come dressed for the prom, they mean it.
There isn’t much to the plot, but this should be a good time. Guests will relive (or tweak, if they were horrible) their high school days with the CTC cast. The troupe will portray students of The Thomas Shade Charter School for the Creatively Impaired.
“The evening offers the four Ds: dinner, drinks, deejay, and dancing,” says spokesperson Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald. “Expect catfights, dance-offs, break-ups and make-ups.” CTC actors will be performing improv games throughout the night. “For a crew known for their in-your-face style of doing theater, it’s truly a night made in heaven.”
Last year, the audience had to go vintage. People showed up in ’70s and ’80s dresses, ruffled-shirt tuxes, jeans with leather jackets and feather boas.
“Prom Night” is a fundraiser. Tickets are $50 in advance, and $60 at the door. All proceeds benefit CTC, now in its 16th season. City Theater produces alternative theater, black comedy, and interesting interpretations of classic musicals. “Prom Night” should be a one-of-a-kind event.
“No high school cliché is left unturned,” says Kramer-Fitzgerald. “And true to our motto, ‘It’s all about having one hell of a time.'”
Contact info: “Prom Night!” takes place at Wilmington’s Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, 200 S. Madison St. Visit city-theater.org.
Page 2: Nashville via Dover
Nashville via Dover
Ever wonder who writes mega-hits for country stars like Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, George Strait, Shania Twain, Toby Keith, Sawyer Brown and Reba McEntire? Visit the Schwartz Center for the Arts on October 24 to find out.
In “Nashville Backstage Pass,” award-winning songwriters Georgia Middleman and Tony Haselden will perform their current hits and tell the stories that inspired them. The duo is also expected to pluck out a few future hits.
The Schwartz is an excellent venue for this type of intimate show. But let’s be real. We wanna’ hear the dirt, and Middleman and Haselden are planning to dish. Country music is a universe all its own, and we’re expecting juicy stories from these “connected” writers.
Contact info: Visit schwartzcenter.com, or call 678-5152.
Page 3: Classical Newark
Classical Newark
You know how I feel about the word “amateur.” I don’t like it. So when I say that the Newark Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra, it simply means that none of its 80 musicians get paid. My definition of “community” is a group of people working collaboratively. NSO performances are full of passion and heart, and absolutely worth hearing and seeing.
On October 25 guest conductor Nicole Aldrich leads the following: Camille Saint-Saens’ “Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila;” Brahms’ “Concerto for Violin & Cello,” featuring violinist Kathleen Hastings and Cheryl Everill on violoncello; and Rachmaninov’s “Symphonic Dances.”
Aldrich is a soprano soloist, collaborative pianist, educator conductor, and a doctoral fellow in conducting at the University of Maryland. She has sung in the choral faculty at the University of Delaware and directed numerous choirs. And she’s fun to watch.
Contact info: The NSO Symphony Series concerts are held at the Independence School, 1300 Paper Mill Road. Visit newarksymphony.org, or call 369-3466.
