By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times
When an actress auditions for a role in the hit musical “Nunsense,” it is to her advantage to have familiarity with the show, first-hand experience in dealing with nuns or both. Back in April, Erika Flanick auditioned for a role in “Nunsense” with neither.
Flanick, a West Chester University theater major, did not let it hold her back. As a result, she is playing the role of Sister Mary Leo in the current production of “Nunsense” at the Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org).
“I didn’t know very much about ‘Nunsense’ when I went to audition,” said Flanick, during a phone interview Wednesday morning from her home in West Chester.
“Chris Trombetta, a friend of mine at WCU, was in ‘Young Frankenstein’ at the Candlelight Theater and he loved it. He recommended that I audition for a show there.
“I auditioned back in April. I wasn’t familiar with the show very much. I did go on YouTube and watch Rue McLanahan’s version and thought — this is hilarious.”
The hit musical is a laugh-a-minute spoof that is fun for everyone — even for those whose younger years did not include the experience of surviving school days with nuns in charge. Flanick had no experience with “Nunsense” or with nonsensical nuns.
“I had no Catholic school background,” said Flanick. “I’m not Catholic so I had no experience with nuns. I did meet a few when I was younger but that was about all.
“It provided an extra challenge trying to figure out what nuns are like.
“With this play, I had to figure out all the jokes. It took me a little while to comprehend nuns and to comprehend these nuns — that they are sisters. Together, we are a team. This play shows the relationships between them. I have my best relationship with Sister Mary Hubert because I’m a Novice and she is the Mistress of Novices.”
“Nunsense,” which features book, lyrics, and music by Dan Goggin, won four Outer Circle Awards, including Best Off-Broadway Musical. The original Off-Broadway production opened December 12, 1985, ran for 3,672 performances and became the second-longest-running Off-Broadway show in history.
The story features five of the 19 surviving Little Sisters of Hoboken, a one-time missionary order that ran a leper colony on an island south of France. The nuns discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, accidentally killed the other 52 of the convent’s nuns with one of her dishes.
Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior, started a greeting card company to raise funds for the burials. The greeting cards were an enormous success and, thinking there was plenty of money, the Reverend Mother bought a Smart TV for the convent.
Financial miscalculations resulted in the convent having insufficient funds to pay for the last four burials. With the dead stashed in the freezer, the five nuns decide to stage a variety show in the Mount Saint Helen’s School auditorium to raise the necessary amount.”
“Playing a nun has become easier as time has gone on,” said Flanick, who hails from Lebanon County. “Once we put the habits on, we are no longer who we were five minutes before.
“Still, wearing a habit is odd — very odd. There are a lot of safety pins everywhere. And, it’s very warm with all that clothing. Another thing that was hard to get used to was having my ears covered. It’s hard to hear yourself sing.
“I like Sister Mary Leo. I love the fact that she’s always trying to do the right thing but also has a playful side. She is also very sweet and kind — always trying to please. She will do anything the older sisters tell her to do. I was the same way with my older sister when I was growing up.:”
Despite its very definite Catholic story, “Nunsense” is a show with universal appeal — a funny show that has a real human feel.
“Audiences love the show — especially Catholics because they are familiar with nuns,” said Flanick. “It’s funny to see nuns in a different light — like when Sister Mary Regina gets high.”
The last time “Nunsense” hit Delaware was 11 years ago when the 20th Anniversary All-Star Tour of the original “Nunsense” had a one-week run at the DuPont Theatre in Wilmington. The all-star cast featured Kaye Ballard (“Mothers-In-Law”), Georgia Engle (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”), Mimi Hines (singer and comedienne), Lee Meriwether (“All My Children” and former Miss America) and Darlene Love (lead vocalist on “He’s a Rebel” and “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”).
“Nunsense” has become a timeless classic of comedic theater. The show has since been adapted for television, starring Rue McClanahan, and has spawned six sequels and three spin-offs. The Candleight’s version of the show is running now through August 22.
Video link for “Nunsense ” — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xscpTLQmrck.
Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m./show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m./show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $59 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).
Delaware is also a good destination this weekend for music fans — especially music fans who love the blues. This weekend, it’s time once again for the annual Riverfront Blues Festival which is being held July 31-August 2 at Tubman-Garrett Waterfront Park (Water and South French streets, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-576-2139, http://riverfrontbluesfestde.com).
As always, at least one of the headline acts is an Alligator Records recording artist. This year, it’s Li’l Ed & The Blues Imperials, which is co-headlining the bill on July 31 along with Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues.
Li’l Ed is Ed Williams, Chicago-born blues guitarist, singer and songwriter who has risen to fame on the strength of his standout slide guitar work. His backing band — The Blues Imperials — are bassist James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton.
“I’ve always used a four-piece band — two guitars, bass and drums,” said Williams, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as he rode through western Pennsylvania on his way to a show in Wheeling, West Virginia. “Kelly, Mike and Pookie are my guys. This is a really tight band. These guys have been with me for about 30 years.”
Williams and his half-brother Pookie Young, received childhood encouragement and tutelage from their uncle, blues guitarist, songwriter and recording artist J. B. Hutto.
“J.B. would come and play for my family,” said Williams. “Slide guitar was the instrument for me because it shimmied. J.B. would play his slide and the 40-watt light bulbs in our house would dim.
“I started playing guitar when I was 11 or 12. J.B. would always play songs by Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed and Elmore James. The Muddy Waters songs always had a lot of slide guitar. That’s what I really liked a lot.”
It’s been almost 30 years since Li’l Ed & The Blues Imperials released their debut album “Roughhousin’” on Alligator Records. The band’s most recent album is “Jump Start” in 2012. All of Li’l Ed’s records over the last three decades have been on Alligator Records, a Chicago-based label specializing in blues music.
“Back around 1985, I was playing a North Side club here in Chicago and Bruce (Iglauer, producer and owner of Alligator Records) heard me play,” said Williams. “He invited me to play a couple tracks on a compilation album called ‘The New Bluebloods.’
“I went to their studio and did 15 songs. Then, we kept going. We cut 32 songs in a couple hours. That was where all the songs from ‘Roughhousin’ came from. I signed with Alligator Records then. Bruce and I shook hands and we’re still together 30 years later.”
Williams has started working on his next album for Alligator but no release date has been set.
“I kind of write as I go because I write about things that I see or little things people say,” said Williams. “A good example is my song ‘Icicles in My Meatloaf.’ My wife had made meatloaf — some of it was for dinner and she froze the rest for later. When she defrosted it and served it, it wasn’t heated up all the way. My mother-in-law started to eat it, came across a part that was still frozen and said ‘there’s an icicle in my meatloaf.’
“You get that kind of vibe going. I look around me. I try to focus on what’s going on around me in the world — all the things that happen in everyday living in all our lives. That’s why people relate to my songs.
“I have a little studio in my house. I’m always sitting down plucking on my guitar. I get a groove going and then decide if it’s a heavy song or as happy song. It’s been a little while since my last album so I’m working on new stuff. I’ll be touring for awhile and then hope to get back in the studio in September or October.”
In 2013, the band was awarded the Living Blues Critics’ and Readers’ Awards for Best Live Performer. The band won this same distinction in the 2012 and 2011 Living Blues Critics’ Poll. The group won the coveted 2009 Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year, the same honor they received in 2007.
In his live shows, Williams presents fans with an overview of his career — and a heavy dose of the blues.
“I’ve got so many songs that I can play,” said Williams. “Every show, I try to mix up the material — old songs from 25 years ago along with newer songs. I also throw in some covers — Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Elmore James — all the good ones.”
Video link for Li’l Ed & The Blues Imperials — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fU4aw907pT4&list=PL9A2DC920F3A6D813.
Li’l Ed & The Blues Imperials will perform on the Main Stage on July 31at 6:45 p.m. — sandwiched in between Brandon Santini (5 p.m.) and Billy Branch (8:30 p.m.). The Side Stage on July 31 will feature Judy Sings the Blues along with Garry Cogdell & The Complainers.
The Main Stage roster for August 1 includes The Peterson Brothers Band, Wayne Sharp & The Sharpshooter Band, Albert Castiglia, Mississippi Heat, Kenny Neal Family Band and Walter Trout while the Side Stage will host Johnny Never & Zep Harpo, Kona Shame, Nadine Ray, George Bonds and Gary Allegretto.
On August 2, the Main Stage will feature Biscuit Miller & The Mix, Mark Hummel’s Golden State Lonestar Revue featuring Little Charlie Baty, Anson Funderburgh, RW Grigsby, and Wes Starr an d The Lowrider Band and the Side Stage will present Octavia and Roger Girke.
Tickets are $30 for July 31 and $35 for August 1 or 2.
Fans of the blues will also like the music of Jimbo Mathus. Formerly a member of Sqiurrel Nut Zippers, Mathus, who is performing July 31 at XO Lounge (1439 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-735-7351, xoloungephilly.com), has been on his own for the last 15 years.
“The Zippers broke up in 2000,” said Mathus, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon as he headed through upstate New York on his way to a show in Manhattan.
“It was a good challenge for me after that — a challenge to regroup and re-invest in what I’m all about. I started working with (blues great) Buddy Guy in 2000 and also began making solo albums. My new album ‘Blue Healer’ on Fat Possum Records is my 12th solo album.
“I recorded ‘Blue Healer’ over the course of the last year. Bruce Watson, who owns Fat Possum, has a nice studio a few miles from my home — Dial Back Sounds in Water Valley, Mississippi. I go in a couple times every month and record tracks. It’s a pretty cool way to work.
“This is the third record I’ve done for Fat Possum and I’m working on a new on right now. That will be four albums in four years for Fat Possum. I’ll be touring Europe soon with Ironing Board Sam and then will get back to work on the new album when I get back.”
In 2014 Mathus released “Dark Night Of The Soul,” a southern rock album which he described as “less sepia tone, more ultrachrome.” In 2015 Mathus released “Blue Healer,” which he described as “pretty hard hitting’ southern rock with elements of psychedelia.
“Blue Healer” is a concept album with room for acid-fed, supernatural visions, vulnerable love songs, Saturday night brawls, bad-boy regrets and youthful celebrations — all embellished by Mathus’ abilities as a natural raconteur and straight-from-the-heart singer.
“Both albums were recorded under similar circumstances,” said Mathus. “I was able to go in the studio and experiment.
“’Night’ got some twisted things and a real feel for working them. ‘Blue Healer’ is an extension of that — with a little more control. It’s tightened up more — and a little anarchic. I’m always looking to catch that wild moment of madness.”
To catch Mathus in his true element you need to hear him play in one of the hundreds of roadhouse venues in rural Mississippi.
“In Mississippi, there are bars and churches on every street. It’s that perpetual battle between churches and roadhouses. I love playing roadhouses. When I’m not touring, I play every weekend at barbecue joints, country bars, roadhouses and catfish joints. That’s where I’m most comfortable.”
Video link for Jimbo Mathus — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TiArgBVNMhQ
Mathus’ show at XO Lounge will start at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15.
Megan Slankard, a talented singer-songwriter from San Francisco, has just released her fourth album “Running on Machinery” and is now on a national tour.
She will be performing songs from her new album on August 1 at Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com). But, the songs will not sound like they do on the album.
The show is billed as the “Bose Troubadour Tour.”
Jeff Campbell, Jamie Kent, Matthew Szlachetka and Slankard have joined forces for this national tour Presented by BOSE. These four songwriters from around the country will share songs and stories in an in-the-round format. The four all met through their relationship with Bose, have been collaborating on shows, songs, and recordings ever since.
“The other three were already BOSE artists,” said Slankard, during a phone interview Wednesday morning. “BOSE is very supportive of musicians. The live department of BOSE is made up of all musicians.
“Jeff, Matthew, Jamie and I all knew each other. The seed was planted and it actually came together. I became a BOSE artist by hanging out with this group at SXSW. Now, we’re touring together and performing in an in-the-round format. We’re not doing separate sets. It’s one long show. In-the-round is entertaining because the artists play it by ear.
“And, it gives us a chance to showcase new material. It gives me a chance to play my new songs in an acoustic format. The songs definitely take on a different attitude — but they also hold on to their essence. It keeps me on my toes. I enjoy playing the new songs acoustically as well as with my band.”
“Running on Machinery” features 11 strong songs — songs that can rock out or be delivered with just the accompaniment of acoustic guitar.
“We recorded the album at the end of last year,” said Slankard. “We recorded it in San Francisco at a great old studio called tiny Telephone. It has incredible gear — tons of analog equipment. We recorded a lot of the songs live. We then did overdubs in Nashville and mixed it in L.A.
“I spent two months last year just writing songs — no gigs — just writing songs every day. I wrote a lot of stuff that was horrible but also wrote some songs I really liked. I followed whatever path each song took — mostly as a first-person observer.
“I ended up with about 20 songs I took to my band. I was very inspired. I also did some co-writing on a few of the songs and that was a great experience. After this tour, my goal is to go out on a national tour with my band. I’ve been playing with these guys for eight years and we work really well together.”
Video link for Megan Slankard — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WV2g4h8MYmQ.
The “Bose Troubadour Tour” will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. On July 31, Burlap and Bean will host Wise Water Music and Brett Harris.
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California that featured the trio of Bradley Nowell, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh. Formed in 1988, Sublime screeched to a halt when Nowell died of a heroin overdose in 1996.
In 2009, Sublime rose from the ashes in the form of Sublime With Rome.
Sublime With Rome, which is playing July 31 at at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing (601 North Columbus Boulevard at Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, 215- 629-3200, www.festivalpierphilly.com), started as a musical collaboration featuring Wilson, Gaugh and singer/guitarist Rome Ramirez.
Ramirez began performing with Gaugh and Wilson in 2009, where they played under the name Sublime. Then, Nowell’s estate issued a legal challenge to the use of the trademarked name for a venture not including Nowell. As a result, they changed their name to Sublime with Rome in January 2010.
“I met Eric in a studio a few years ago,” said Ramirez, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour top in Cincinnati. “We became friends and started jamming together all the time.
“After about a year, he asked me if I wanted to join Sublime with him and Bud. Sublime was my favorite band in the world ever since I was 11 so I was thrilled to be asked to join them. It was like a dream come true — a great big dream come true.
“We made the ‘Yours Truly’ album six months after we got together. The luxury of time is important — time to dive into the songs. We only had three weeks to record the album. So, we didn’t have enough time to get into the zone. The album still definitely had some badass songs.”
On July 17, Sublime With Rome released its sophomore record “Sirens” on BMG Chrysalis.
“Definitely, ‘Sirens’ was a lot different than our first record,” said Ramirez. “We recorded it at Sonic Ranch in El Paso, Texas. We went there in December and then went back there again in February to finish it. The album was very organic. Some songs were older and some were new jams. But, nothing was really settled until we dived into the recording.
“We went to Texas because it was crucial to get away from distractions back home — to get away and focus on the music. The majority of the tracks were recorded live in a big room at the studio. We had just finished a tour of South America so we were on a super-creative high. That’s why we went right into the studio.”
The current tour will not just be a showcase for the new songs — a tour designed to support the new album.
“We do play some of the new songs but only five or six per show,” said Ramirez. “Sublime has so many great songs to draw from. It’s hard to figure out which ones to play each night. But, we can go all the way back and play the early stuff. I know even the older songs because I’ve been listening to them for years.”
Video link for Sublime With Rome — https://www.youtube.com/v/a6RAr7k2MDo?version=3&hl=en_US;autoplay=1
The show at Festival Pier starts at 6 p.m. with opening acts Rebelution, pepper and Mickey Avalon. Tickets are $45.
The world of EDM (electronic dance music) is dominated by male artists but there are some female acts which have shown that they are able to hold their own. One of these acts is Duelle, which will perform July 31 at Soundgarden Hall (520 North Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, http://www.soundgardenhall.com).
After six months spent hard at work in the studio, Miami-based DJ duo Duelle — sisters Danielle and Gabrielle Verderese — is out on the road. The sisters are taking their music to their steadily growing legion of fans
Duelle’s style varies from euphoria-inducing melodies to fiery rap skills in their unforgettably energetic performances, which feature live vocals mixed with DJing.
They will be playing alongside Caked Up on the current tour.
“We’re from Florida,” said Danielle, during a recent phone interview. “We grew up in Jacksonville. We’re living in Miami now but we’ll be moving to L.A. sometime in the near future.”
Since they burst onto the EDM scene last year, the sisters have reached the Top 20 on Beatport’s Dubstep chart and have collaborated with artists like Protohype and ETC!ETC!
“We actually started out in the dance world,” said Danielle. “We were students of all types of dance. But, it was mainly ballet — classical and modern. We did musicals when we were young and always knew we wanted to get into music.
“We did our first record demo six years ago. At that time, it was more pop. Then, we moved to electro-pop then hip hop and now to EDM — trap, rap and house. We could do all we wanted with vocals.”
Gabrielle said, “We got caught up in the EDM scene and started DJing a few years ago. About a year ago, we started DJing on our own. EDM has been a platform for us. We’ve been co-producing all our tracks.
“We started out as vocalists and now we’re learning more how to produce. We’re blazing our own trail. With our live shows, we’re DJing, mixing, doing live vocals. And, we’ll be bringing dance in at times.
“I mainly write for us. Then, we both sit down to listen to the tracks and come up with concept ideas together. It’s cool because we sue life experiences as we go. We use all that inspiration in our music. We just create — create as we go.
“Whenever we’re working on a track, it is all influenced by what we’re going through at the time. That’s why we’re open to a lot of different genres — trap, rap, future house, electro house, hardstyle and some twerk. We play a little of all of it in our sets.”
Video link for Duelle — https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-YqH0-YM5iY.
The show at Soundgarden Hall will get underway at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.
The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will present an Open Mic Night hosted by Sam Kwietniak on August 2.
The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will The Process and the John Hufford Band on July 31 and Sidney Joseph &the Organic Reverb on August 1.
Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com) will present Skys Edge, Percolator, Jean Claude’s Damn Van on July 31 and Brooke Slemmer and Miguel Morales on August 1.
The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) will host Shuggie Otis and Nik Greeley on July 30.
Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) will host Rittenhouse Triangle on July 31 and The Black Moons, A Fistful of Sugar, Alex DiMattia, Maitland and Jason Ager on August 1.
Doc Watson’s Public House (150 North Pottstown Pike, Exton, 610-524-2424, docwatsonspublichouse.com) will present Funk Force Five on July 31 and Brian Fitsy on August 1.
The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) will present its current house production “Inspire” on August 1 and 3 Doors Down on August 3.
Rainbow’s Comedy Playhouse (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, http://rainbowcomedy.com) is presenting “Too Many Cooks” now through August 8.
Matinee performances are every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays with an 11:30 a.m. lunch and a 1 p.m. curtain. Evening performances are every Friday, Saturday and selected Thursdays with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show following at 8 p.m. There will also be “Twilight Performances” on selected Sundays with dinner at 2:30 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $30-$55.
