‘The Little Mermaid’ at SALT

07_Ariel.jpeg

The Little Mermaid comes to SALT Performing Arts with two casts March 27 – April 27, 2025. 

“The Little Mermaid” is based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid. It is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.”

The Little Mermaid will be performed by two casts: Acting Antics All-Abilities performers and actors from SALT Performing Arts.

In 2018, a group of leaders at SALT Performing Arts sat around a table and talked about dreams for how the vision for SALT’s theatre company could grow and make a larger impact in the community. One idea that was generated was to start a program whereby people of all-abilities could have the chance to experience the magic of storytelling in community with others through a stage production. After this idea was announced to the community, it was brought to SALT’s attention that an organization doing exactly that was already in existence in Chester County, and had been for over a decade, but they needed a new home for rehearsals and productions. This birthed the partnership between SALT and Acting Antics.

Acting Antics was founded in 2007 and offers unique opportunities for children, teens, and adults who have difficulty with social skills or a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, or who simply want to make friends in a safe and truly welcoming environment. They believe in using the creative arts to encourage social skills and communication growth. For the past 5 years, SALT has opened its doors for Acting Antics to rehearse their show in the Fall and Winter, and then partners to help produce the show with a set and the technical aspects of lights, sound, and special effects in the Spring.

If You Go:

  • This production takes place at the West Chester location: 19 Hagerty Blvd., West Chester PA 19382

  • Show runs March 27 – April 27, 2025.

  • Show schedule:

    • Friday, April 4, 7, 7 PM | Dressy Attire & Champagne Opening Night

    • Saturday, April 5, 2 PM, 7 PM

    • Sunday, April 6, 2 PM

    • Friday, April 11, 7 PM

    • Saturday, April 12, 10 AM & 3 PM

    • Sunday, April 13, 10 AM & 3 PM

    • Friday, April 18, 7 PM

    • Saturday, April 19, 2 PM, 7 PM

    • Saturday, April 26, 10 AM & 3 PM

    • Sunday, April 27, 10 AM & 3 PM

    Show schedule ACTING ANTICS: 

    • Thursday, March 27, 7 PM

    • Friday, March 28, 7 PM

    • Saturday, March 29, 2 PM

    • Sunday, March 30, 2 PM


    Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.saltpa.com/littlemermaid

  • All ticket sales are final.

  •  If you need handicap accessibility, please choose seats in the Front Row D for handicapped accessible seating (ground level) and email jelliott@saltpa.com to confirm.

  • Due to the “in the round” seating setup, latecomers cannot be seated right away. Once the show has begun, there are limited opportunities to be seated until the ship docks at intermission. Please plan to arrive at SALT West Chester early enough to be seated prior to showtime.

  • If you book your tickets on a mobile device, the system will choose the best available for you. If you book your tickets on a computer, you have the option of choosing your own seats.

  • SALT is mask-optional for audience members. Performers will not be wearing masks.

  • As part of a 10-year partnership with Chester County Food Bank, SALT will be collecting canned/pouch tuna in water for the Chester County Food Bank at every performance, as we believe everyone in Chester County should have “SALT” on their table. $1.00 from every ticket sale is directly donated to the Chester County Food Bank.

April Events at Tyler Arboretum

It is a busy spring season at Tyler Arboretum. Click on the links below for information on these upcoming events. For more information, visit tylerarboretum.org/calendar/ or click on the links below

Nature Connection Hike: Move, Breathe, Discover – April 10

Nature Journaling (Single Class) – April 1118 or 25

Gentle Flow Yoga (8-Week Series or Single Class) – April 12 thru June 7

Spring Ephemeral Hike – April 12

Family Explorers: What Lives in the Pond? – April 12

Full Moon Hike – April 12

Vinyasa Flow Yoga (8-Week Series or Single Class) – April 13 thru June 8

A Walk Through Tyler North – April 13

Richard’s Rambles: The Blue Trail in Bloom – April 17

🔥 Spirit of Spring Fireside – April 17

Weekend Bird Walk with the Feminist Bird Club – April 19

Family Explorers: Hop, Slither, and Splash! – April 19

Painter History Tour – April 20

Trail Hike with the Chester County Trail Club – April 24

Family Explorers: What Lives at the Arboretum? – April 26

Richard’s Rambles: Hike to Pink Hill Serpentine Barrens – May 1

The annual Plant Sale be open to the public on Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4. The Plant Sale offers a wide variety of plants that not only beautify your garden but also provide essential resources for local wildlife. Be a part of the solution by choosing plants that play a vital role in supporting native wildlife populations and fostering a thriving ecosystem. By shopping at Tyler Arboretum, you’re helping our mission of connecting people with the natural world and conserving our historic landscapes.

Tyler Arboretum is at 515 Painter Road, Media, PA

Act II Playhouse Presents ‘Dial M For Murder’

Act II Playhouse announces its latest production, “Dial M For Murder” adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the Frederick Knott original. 

The classic thriller, which originally premiered in 1952, finds disgruntled husband Tony Wendice convinced that this wife, Margot, is having an affair. In his jealousy, he will concoct a scheme to commit the perfect murder. His plan goes horribly awry guaranteeing edge-of-your-seat suspense in this tale of deception and murder. The play was memorably adapted to film in 1954 by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Grace Kelly. 

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher adapted the original with a scrupulous eye for detail, using Frederick Knott’s original notes to put a modern twist on the 70-year-old play. “The Frederick Knott Estate was particularly moved by my adaptation,” said Hatcher. “I was well acquainted with the original play and the film and it was a pleasure to find new plot twists in this time-honored material.”

Dial M For Murder is being performed in the tradition of last season’s sumptuous production of ‘Gaslight’ at the Playhouse. Playhouse audiences will delight in untangling the mystery of this suspenseful thriller and find themselves pushed to the edge of their seat.” – Act II Artistic Director, Tony Braithwaite

Several members of the “Gaslight” production team reunite for this production including director Kate Brennan who also directed Act II’s beloved production of “Eleanor” (2022). On stage, Jessica Dalcanton (Mrs. Manningham in “Gaslight”) returns to the Playhouse in the role of femme fatale, Maxine Hadley. 

The cast is rounded out by Jamison Foreman as Tony Wendice, Anna Marie Sell as Margot Wendice, Mark Swift as Captain Lesgate, and Paul L. Nolan as Inspector Hubbard. Sell, Swift, and Nolan are all making their Act II Playhouse debuts.

 

If You Go

  • Previews begin Tuesday, March 25, 2025
  • Opens Friday, March 28, 2025.
  • The production closes on April 27, 2025

Ticket prices start at $32 and are available online at act2.org, by calling the Act II Box Office at 215-654-0200, or in-person at the Box Office at 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, PA. The Box Office is open Mon-Sat, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Student tickets are $15 and group discounts are available.

 

 

Conversations And Articles About Music

‘What time is it?’

By Steven Brodsky

… some of us will be asking this question after daylight saving time goes into effect on Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 2:00 a.m. local time.

This question is likely to be more persistent and pressing for anyone who will be eagerly looking forward to getting together with a romantic interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9kPilrNBxY

Posted 3-4-25

‘I’m just a long-haired son of a sinner’

By Steven Brodsky

… sings Jelly Roll in “Son of a Sinner” (one of my favorite Jelly Roll songs):

We’re all children of sinners.

And all of us have sinned.

Nonetheless, God loves us.

Romans 5:8 KJV: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

This post appeared at: Conversations About Faith – delcoculturevultures.com.

Posted 8-20-24, Revised and Reposted 12-6-24

Saying ‘hello in there’

By Steven Brodsky

… can be a helpful start to alleviating loneliness.

It’s not uncommon for people to experience loneliness, and some other difficult emotions, more intensely during the holiday season: in some appropriate circumstances, sincerely extending and receiving expressions of “hello in there” may be especially beneficial at this time of the year.

As we know.

Posted 11-24-24

Nefesh Mountain releases the official lyric video for ‘Milestoned,’ the second single to be released from Nefesh Mountain’s upcoming double album titled ‘Beacons’

By Steven Brodsky

… The official lyric video for “Milestoned” was released today, as was a press release about the single and the double album.

An excerpt from that press release:

NASHVILLE – November 20, 2024  “Milestoned,” a glorious Americana/psych-folk ode to Southern Rock from the genre-defying band Nefesh Mountain, celebrates the spirit of living life on the highway. Co-written by band founders Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, it is the second single to be released from the electrified Americana half of the band’s upcoming double album titled Beacons, set for release January 31, 2025.
While its two full-length albums are distinctly different, both sides of Beacons clearly exude what makes Nefesh Mountain unique in the first place—a vast musical knowledge and equally vast curiosity, paired with impeccable musicianship. One disc is pure bluegrass, while the other radiates unadulterated Americana.
Beacons is also the band’s first foray into the electric/jam world, and while the sonic shift may be new for some fans, it’s actually old terrain for guitarist Eric Lindberg, who cut his teeth playing electric guitar in his formative years as a studio musician and hired gun on New York’s music scene.
“I’ve been on the road and slugging it out for the better part of the last two decades,” says Lindberg, “and it feels like whatever phase of life I’m in, I can always count on this completely organic high that I get from music, travel, and being in the flow night after night on the road. We tried to express this feeling of being literally mile-stoned by infusing the lyrics with all these little “druggy” surprises. It was a really fun song to write and play with the band, and finally stretch out a bit on the tele too!”
“Being a part of Nefesh Mountain has put me on the most adventurous journey of music, love, and life,” exudes Zasloff. “This song is all about embracing these magical and mystical parts of life and being on the road, getting to soak in the vast landscape of America.”

Nefesh Mountain

Posted 11-20-24

The song that’s as iconically representative of Americana as apple pie

By Steven Brodsky

… Don McLean’s “American Pie,” embedded here in celebration of Don McLean’s 79th birthday:

Don McLean was born on October 2, 1945 in New Rochelle, New York.

Happy birthday wishes go out to Don McLean!

Tour | Don McLean

Posted 10-2-24

This’ll be the day

By Steven Brodsky

… to commemorate Buddy Holly’s birthday by listening to:

Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936, 88 years ago.

Posted 9-7-24

‘Mercy,’ indeed

By Steven Brodsky

… Roy Orbison’s ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ was released 60 years ago.

Released on August 29, 1964:

Posted 8-29-24

‘Pride and Joy’

By Steven Brodsky

… shared here on the 34th anniversary of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s passing away on August 27, 1990:

A helicopter crash took the life of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie Ray Vaughan was 35 years old.

Posted 8-27-24

Paul Simon heard Jessy Dixon perform ‘The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling’

By Steven Brodsky

… in Radio City Music Hall in 1972, which prompted Paul Simon to invite Jessy Dixon to sing with him on Saturday Night Live. The two would go on to tour together in the U.S. and overseas for eight years.

Enjoy this video of Jessy Dixon singing “The Wicked Shall Cease Their Troubling” at The Dome:

 

Job 3:17: “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.”

Jessy Dixon passed away on September 26, 2011 at age 73. This post appeared in the Conversations About Faith section of the Entertainment, Culture and More column. 

Posted 1-10-21, Reposted and Revised 8-19-24

How meeting Livingston Taylor at a concert affected the career of John Flynn

By Steven Brodsky

John Flynn has been interviewed several times for this column. In a 2011 radio interview, John and I spoke about Livingston. We did so again last year in this interview for this column.

John, where and when did you first meet Livingston Taylor and how old were you at the time?

Gene Shay introduced me to Livingston back in the ’80s. It was prior to one of his appearances at the old Bijou Café in Philadelphia. I was in my early twenties and just starting out. I was a big fan of Livingston’s and I had just appeared on Gene’s radio show on WMMR. I heard Gene mention that he was going to host Livingston’s show, so I asked for an intro. Gene was just too nice to say no.

What was going on in your life?

I was playing some bar gigs, writing songs and mailing demos to Nashville. This was a few years before I got signed to my first publishing deal down there.

Describe what took place. What did Livingston tell you?

To begin with, Livingston was incredibly gracious. As a performer, I really see that now in hindsight, because usually the last thing I want to do before a show is to meet new people and have them sing their songs to me. Actually, I don’t think I’ve met anyone before or since who would have extended themselves in this way to a stranger. But that’s exactly what happened. Gene apparently bragged about me enough to get Livingston to hand me his guitar and sit down directly in front of me. He asked me to play him a song and listened with an almost unnerving, totally focused attention. When I was done he asked if I had any more. I did a second song and he asked for another. I was only too happy to oblige, figuring that if he’d listen to three songs he must be hearing something he liked. When I finished singing, Livingston kind of scrunched up his face and got real thoughtful. There was a long pause. Then he said, “John, there are so many wonderful ways to spend your time in this life. Take a walk, read a good book, spend some time with someone you love. Please do ANY of these things rather than write any more mediocre songs.” The rest was a little bit of a blur. He talked about Cole Porter and Yip Harburg, writers I didn’t really know much about at that point. He really challenged me to study the greats. He spent like ten minutes talking about song structure, and he played me these long-forgotten but really beautiful introductions to popular old standards. – Unknown (at least to me) musical salutations from bygone eras, that had been intended by their composers to set the mood and put the listener in the proper frame of mind to receive the coming song. He even explained that he would be doing relatively few of his own songs in his show that evening because great songs are rare, and a song should be great if you’re gonna sing it. That was the bottom line. If you weren’t going to try to write a great song, then why write one at all?

How did you respond to this at the time?

I guess I was disappointed. But disappointment wasn’t all I took away from the encounter, because Livingston could have easily tossed me a few compliments. He was probably never gonna have to see me again so that would have been the easy thing to do. But I sensed that he respected songs and songwriters too much for that. He chose the harder path and told the truth. He threw down the gauntlet. And, in my way, I accepted the challenge that night. I determined to work much harder at my craft. To really try to write great songs. I’m not saying that’s what I’ve always accomplished. But he got me to aim there. I’ve always been grateful for that.

How did the encounter impact your life?

I’m here forty years later answering questions about music.

Author’s note to readers: Livingston Taylor is a professor at Berklee College of Music.

John Flynn’s website address is: http://johnflynn.net/.

Posted 3-29-19, Reposted 8-6-24

Thinking about Solomon Burke

By Steven Brodsky

… after recalling this morning that the City of Philadelphia had honored Solomon Burke by having declared that July 19, 2002 would be “Solomon Burke Day.”

Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was born in Philadelphia.

Posted 7-19-24

Non-botanical ‘poison ivy’

By Steven Brodsky

… The kind of “poison ivy” that appears in a song written by Leiber and Stoller that was recorded by The Coasters 65 years ago (on July 16, 1959) wasn’t botanical.

The song: “Poison Ivy.”

A species of poison ivy (and other plants) is pictured here:

Photo by Steven Brodsky

Posted 7-16-24

Wouldn’t be prudent to dance till a quarter to three

By Steven Brodsky

… nowadays, if you were listening to Gary U.S. Bonds’ recording of “Quarter To Three” when the single went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first of two weeks, 63 years ago, on June 26, 1961.

Many of you will be singing and/or dancing while listening to the Gary U.S. Bonds recording, and while watching the following embed of Springsteen covering “Quarter To Three” in concert:

 

Posted 6-26-24

‘Blue,’ Joni Mitchell’s fourth studio album, was released 53 years ago

By Steven Brodsky

… on June 22, 1971.

One can get a bit blue realizing that so much time has transpired since this monumental album was released.

Enjoy!:

Posted 6-22-24

The ‘bright elusive butterfly of love’

By Steven Brodsky

Photo by Steven Brodsky

… will be fluttering into the lives of some people in the coming months.

Enjoy!:

Posted 5-10-24

Let’s hope

By Steven Brodsky

… that the first-person character in Simon & Garfunkel’s “I Am a Rock” has emerged from social isolation, and that he is now enjoying beneficial relationships.

Community can be invaluable.

 

Photo by Steven Brodsky

Posted 11-24-24

Anyone Who Had A Heart’

By Steven Brodsky

… to commemorate Dusty Springfield’s birthday:

Dusty Springfield was born 85 years ago on April 16, 1939.

Posted 4-16-24

Remembering Solomon Burke (March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) on Solomon Burke’s birthday

By Steven Brodsky

Solomon Burke, Grammy-winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, was born in West Philadelphia. His records and concerts influenced some of the greatest artists in soul, rock, and other genres.

Enjoy:

“Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmkeyzZ91sI

“If You Need Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PllNSSUz3gk

“Cry to Me”: Solomon Burke – Cry To Me (Live at Montreux 2006) (youtube.com)

Mary J. Blige inducting Solomon Burke into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmyRq09cTIs

… and read the chapter “The Song of Solomon: A Triptych” in Peter Guralnick’s excellent Looking to Get Lost: Adventures in Music and Writing. 

On July 19, 2002, the City of Philadelphia honored Solomon Burke by declaring the day to be “Solomon Burke Day.”
I had the honor of doing a longform radio interview with Solomon Burke. The interview aired live on May 21, 2010.

Posted 3-21-24

Whether or not the song character in ‘I’m Not in Love’ was in love

By Steven Brodsky

… 49 years after 10cc’s The Original Soundtrack album was released, “I’m Not in Love” (on one of the album’s tracks) continues to be loved by many people.

The Original Soundtrack was released on March 11, 1975.

Posted 3-11-24

Fifty-one years ago, Bruce Springsteen performed a concert at Villanova University’s St. Mary’s Hall auditorium

By Steven Brodsky

… That concert took place on January 16, 1973 before an audience of only fifty or fewer people because advertising for the concert could not run in a campus newspaper (because of a newspaper strike) and because The Boss was young in his career.

How young? Springsteen’s debut studio album, Greetings from Asbury Park, was newly released; the album was released on January 5, 1973.

“Spirit in the Night,” a track from Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ:

Posted 1-16-24

There weren’t many attendees at Bob Dylan’s Carnegie Hall debut performance

By Steven Brodsky

… nearly 62 years ago, on Saturday, November 4, 1961. Reportedly, 53 people purchased tickets to see the then 20-year old Dylan perform in a small auditorium that was located in Carnegie Hall. Tickets were priced at $2.00.

Bob Dylan did not perform “Blowin’ in the Wind.”

The song hadn’t been released nor had it been recorded.

Bob Dylan recorded “Blowin’ in the Wind” on July 9, 1962 at Columbia Recording Studios.

The recording was released on the A-side of a single on August 13, 1963 (the B-side is “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”); it appears as a track on the album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963.

Bob Dylan’s Philadelphia debut didn’t draw much of crowd either, as this concert too was performed prior to the release of “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Gene Shay invited Dylan to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to perform the concert. The concert took place on Saturday, May 3, 1963 at the Philadelphia Ethical Society building on Rittenhouse Square. Approximately 45 people were in attendance. Tickets were priced at $1.50.

A few months before Bob Dylan’s Philadelphia debut, Dylan performed “Blowin’ in the Wind” on a television show:

Gene Shay told me that Dylan’s Philadelphia debut concert almost didn’t take place: the sound system components for the concert were inaccessible.
Gene Shay passed away from COVID-19 on April 17, 2020. He is greatly missed.

Posted 10-4-23

There’s a bluebird in many hearts

By Steven Brodsky

… whose presence may be more apparent today, the birthday of Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994).

A recitation of Charles Bukowski’s “Bluebird”:

Miranda Lambert co-wrote and recorded “Bluebird.” The song was penned with some inspiration from the same-named Bukowski poem.

The 2020 CMA Music Video of the Year:

Charles Bukowski’s birthday was referenced yesterday in this section of the Entertainment, Culture and More column: Conversations With Writers And More delcoculturevultures.com.

Posted 8-16-23

Shel Silverstein’s ‘A Boy Named Sue’ was released by Johnny Cash 54 years ago, on July 26, 1969

By Steven Brodsky

Shel Silverstein, a creative genius, wrote many other songs. He was a children’s book author, a cartoonist, and he was a poet. Read about the life of Shel Silverstein in the book A Boy Named Shel, by Lisa Rogak.

Posted 7-26-23

‘I was glad to get it over with, and I thought that would be the last of it.’

By Steven Brodsky

… said Freddy Fender about recording “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.”

Of course, it wasn’t the last of it: many millions of people would hear and adore the record.

“Before the Next Teardrop Falls” was released on February 1, 1975.

It arrived at the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on May 31, 1975 (and would remain on that chart for a total of 21 weeks).

On the 48th anniversary of the record reaching the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, enjoy:

Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerta, in 1937, in a Texas border town. He was the son of migrant workers.

Freddy Fender served in the U.S. Marines for three years.

After his discharge, he achieved recognition as a singer of Spanish translations of rock and roll and other songs.

In 1960, his release of “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” took off in the U.S. This national breakthrough was soon tamped down by a prison sentence. He served nearly three years of a five-year sentence in a very tough Louisiana prison for possessing two marijuana joints.

After his prison release, there was a long period of time working various jobs—with music a part-time endeavor.

While Freddy Fender was at work in a car wash, a record producer heard him singing and recognized his voice. Freddy was handed the producer’s business card. The encounter resulted in Freddy returning to recording.

Posted 5-31-23

An unfortunate ‘truth’

By Steven Brodsky

… was learned at seventeen by the song character in this iconic Janis Ian song: Janis Ian – At Seventeen (Audio) – YouTube.

Janis Ian, born in New Jersey on April 7, 1951, turned 71 years old today.

Happy birthday wishes to Janis Ian.

The song begs the question: What “truths,” dear readers, did you or will you learn at seventeen? There are some “truths” that are best unlearned.

Posted 4-7-23

On the 83rd anniversary of Woody Guthrie penning the lyrics to ‘This Land is Your Land’

By Steven Brodsky

Woody Guthrie wrote the lyrics to “This Land is Your Land” on February 23, 1940 in a hotel that was located on the northwest corner of 43rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan (Sixth Avenue is now also known as Avenue of the Americas).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cs2woIb2fY&ab_channel=BruceSpringsteen-Topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol0rRdF5L1c&ab_channel=WoodyGuthrie-Topic

Posted 2-23-23

He was the ‘Jackie Robinson of television’; on his ‘show rode the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of people’; his show debuted nationally on November 5, 1956

By Steven Brodsky

… He was Nat King Cole, the first African American to host a television show on nationwide television. That show was The Nat King Cole Show. Today is the 66th anniversary of the national debut of the Nat King Show on NBC TV.

Nat King Cole ranks among the most acclaimed jazz and pop musicians of all time. Born as Nathaniel Adams Coles in Montgomery Alabama in 1919, he would go on to achieve recording and concert performance success that was nearly unmatched by others of his generation. “Mona Lisa,” “Unforgettable,” “The Christmas Song,” are among the nearly 700 songs that he recorded. Well over 100 of Nat King Cole’s records charted. He was a prominent presence on national television shows (he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on six occasions).

The Nat King Cole Show was popular and attracted some of the most sought-after entertainers, but it could not secure a national sponsor (other than a few sponsors for brief periods of time before the show expanded from 15 minutes to a half hour). There were 30 sponsors with cooperative arrangements supporting the show across the country on local stations, but nationwide—not one.

In an essay in the February 1, 1958 issue of Ebony titled “WHY I QUIT MY TV SHOW” by Nat King Cole (as told to Lerone Bennett Jr.), Nat King Cole said, “For 13 months, I was the Jackie Robinson of television… On my show rode the hopes and fears and dreams of millions of people.”

Posted 11-5-22

On a Sunday mornin’ comin’ up

By Steven Brodsky

… Let’s hear from the character in Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” in this performance by Johnny Cash:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja0X-ZGDFzs&ab_channel=LiveFromAustinTX.

Yes, “there is something in a Sunday that makes a body feel alone” (or feel in communion with others).

Those twelve words in the lyrics masterfully express the loneliness of the character and deepen the relatability of his experience.

Posted 5-15-22

 

 

 

April DelArt Film Screenings

DelArt’s commitment to learning adds another avenue for education with the expansion of its curated film programming and the launch of the DelArt Film Society. The DelArt Film Society will continue to offer weekly screenings for anyone looking to catch a movie on a Saturday afternoon.

Starting in March, every Saturday screening will offer a short lecture + post-film discussion. Aimed to offer the community a place to discuss films on a deeper level. Examining genres, eras, and filmmakers with the world around them.

 

April – Shakespeare on Screen

Join the DelArt Film Society in celebrating The Bard with a month of films adapted from his plays. World cinema has seen many incredible adaptations of his works; from keeping every line as it was written by Shakespeare himself to keeping the foundation and expanding in the filmmaker’s own unique ways.

4/5 – West Side Story (1961) *12 pm screening time*

4/12 – Coriolanus (2011)

4/13 – The Lion King (1994)

4/19 – Julius Caesar (1953)

4/26 – Throne of Blood (1957) *12 pm screening time*

Delaware Art Museum is at 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Del.

Inis Nua Collaborates for ‘Granny Jackson’s Dead’

Inis Nua is collaborating with Big Telly, Northern Ireland’s most exciting company for devised theater, and Tiny Dynamite to bring you “Granny Jackson’s Dead”.

This immersive performance drops you into the wildest wake in town, featuring three Belfast-based performers alongside local actors, including Inis Nua favorites Taylor Congdon, and at select performances Michael Stahler or Satchel Williams

From April 17 through April 20, you can see the show at a private home in Collingswood, N.J.. The home is a five-minute walk from the Collingswood PATCO station; there is ample street parking available. Ticket link: AudienceView Professional

From April 24 through April 26, see the show at the American Irish Historical Society in New York City as Big Telly Theatre Company, along with Inis Nua and Tiny Dynamite, return to Origin 1st Irish Festival with “Granny Jackson’s Dead” – named one of The Stage’s Top 50 Shows of 2024. Ticket link: AudienceView Professional

This performance uses flashing lights, loud noises and immersive technology. There are themes of death and grief. In the Collingswood private home, stairs are required. Please also note that at her Collingswood home, Granny Jackson kept a cat; the cat will not be present at the wake, but he has been in the rooms.