By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Area fans of music theater have been waiting a while for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” to arrive in Philadelphia. The wait ended this week.
July 5 was “Opening Night” for the hit show “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” which is being presented by Kimmel Cultural Campus (250 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, www.kimmelculturalcampus.org) and The Shubert Organization.
The show, which is making its Philadelphia debut, announced that “Kimmel 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 “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” will take place from July 5-23.
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.
Part of the 2022-23 Broadway series, this larger-than-life musical tells the story of star-crossed lovers who fall in love at the Moulin Rouge, a place where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows while relishing the electrifying entertainment.
The Moulin Rouge 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.
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. “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is more than just a musical, it’s a state of mind.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France, during the Belle Epoque at 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 Moulin 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’s premier.
John Cardoza plays the role of Christian while the role of Satine is performed by Courtney Reed.
“The company has been out a little over a year,” said Cardoza, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Cleveland.
“I 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.
“I had already seen the show a few times. It’s a huge role. It’s really challenging. I feel really lucky to have gotten the role.
“It’s a monster. It asks so much of you – mentally, physically and emotionally – eight times a week. Doing something like this, you realize that you really have to take care of yourself – eight hours sleep, no alcohol, sessions at the gym, careful with diet and don’t talk much.”
Christian has the heaviest role – and the most demanding role.
“He has this brutal inescapable honesty – he and Satine both,” said Cardoza. “Christian serves as both the protagonist and as a narrator.
“He’s proud of what he’s done with the pillars of the Bohemian lifestyle. He sees a lot of beauty in falling in love and creating art – and being part of the community. He’s very empathetic when dealing with people. Christian can be a bit naïve and ignorant. He’s young and very excitable.
“Christian 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.”
Some of the songs featured in this version are “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “We Belong,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “I Wanna Dance (with Somebody Who Loves Me),” “Every Breath You Take” and “I Will Always Love You.”
“It’s many of the greatest hits spanning decades,” said Cardoza. “The audience gets to hear the music in a new way. It’s fun to take these songs out of the Top 40 and use them as conversations. People love it.”
Video link for “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — https://youtu.be/kRYamIZWK-M.
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is running now through July 23 at the Academy of Music.
Ticket prices start at $20.
When musicians from the Philadelphia area relocate elsewhere, they never completely sever their ties to the Quaker City.
Mary Scholz
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 “Love Fest 2023,” which will be held July 7 at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com).
“Love Fest” is billed as a celebration of good music and great energy featuring some of the region’s best artists. This year’s lineup also includes John Faye, BoyWonder (celebrating his 20th anniversary), JJX, Kelvin Cochrane, Calico Catbird, Autumn Luz, Chris Gennett and Sterling Spencer.
“It’s always fun to come back and play in Philly,” said Scholz, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. “I always enjoy the town.”
Scholz grew up in Havertown and graduated from Archbishop Carroll High in Radnor. She then attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
“I majored in musical theater,” said Scholz. “I got my degree in theater. I also studied various instruments including guitar, piano and flute. I had been studying piano since I was small.
“Originally, 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.
“I pursued musical theater for a while, but it wasn’t my first choice. I preferred being in front of a camera.”
Actually, Scholz pursued a lot of genres of performing arts when she was still here in Philly.
“I did local theater, and I did a Fringe show,” said Scholz. “I did opera in Philadelphia. I’m a mezzo-soprano. But I focused on films when I started in Philly – indy films and short films. My first feature film was in Philadelphia – ‘The Matter with Clark.’ In L.A., I was in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie.”
Scholz also got her start in music in the Delaware Valley.
“Some of my early club shows were at The Point, the World Café Live, Tin Angel, Burlap & Bean and MilkBoy Ardmore,” said Scholz.
“My first EP was ‘Philadelphia Nights’ and then I released my first album, ‘The Girl You Thought You Knew,’ in 2014. I’ve also released a bunch of singles and EPs over the last 10 years.
“My second full-length was ‘California’ in 2017. I put out an EP called ‘Lonesome’ in 2012. Then, I released my third LP, ‘Begin Again,’ in July 2022.
“I recorded the album at the producer Jonathan Wilson’s studio in Topanga Canyon. The album came out on KZZ, a subsidiary of Blue Elan.”
“I’ve been touring ‘Begin Again’ for the last year. It’s been interesting coming back after the pandemic. It’s nice because it gives a longer time to promote a record.
“I’m doing a few shows this July – including Friday in Philly. I’m looking forward to it because it’s BoyWonder’s 20th anniversary and we’re old friends.”
Video link for Mary Scholz — https://youtu.be/zoIFBN1yw5M.
The show at the World Café Live on July 7 will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10.
Other upcoming shows at the World Café Live are Eilen Jewell on July 6, Steal Your Face on July 8 and EM on July 12.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) is continuing to bring high caliber tribute bands to Chester County.
The hits keep on coming this weekend when the Uptown presents Countdown to Ecstasy on July 7.
Based in the Delaware Valley, Countdown to Ecstasy is considered one of the nation’s most authentic Steely Dan tribute bands with setlists including “Reelin’ in The Years,” “Midnight Cruiser,” and “Do It Again,” from Steely Dan’s 1972 album “Can’t Buy A Thrill” and several songs from the band’s 1973 album, “Countdown to Ecstasy.”
Countdown to Ecstasy, which was formed by bassist Glenn Marrazzo, is well into its second decade of recreating Steely Dan songs.
“It was the summer of 2009 when it all came together,” said Marrazzo, during a phone interview from his home in Langhorne.
“Myself and three other original members were just fooling around—getting together on Wednesday nights to play classic rock music.
The other three members from back then that are still with the band are guitarist Tony Winkler, trumpeter David Laich and trombonist Nancy Kribbs.
“Tony 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.”
Steely Dan was founded by core members Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals) in 1971. Blending elements of rock, jazz, Latin music, R&B, blues and sophisticated studio production with 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 session musicians.
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 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2001. Becker died on September 3, 2017, leaving Fagen as the sole official member.
“In the summer of 2009, I started adding more members to the original four,” said Marrazzo. “My concept was to have 11 players. I was playing in a wedding band, so I had access to horn players.
“The following spring, we had our first show. After that, it was off to the races.
The band’s current lineup also features Chelsea ViaCava (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).
“We’ve had this lineup together for a while,” said Marrazzo. “Dan 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.
“You set the bar high when you’re 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.
“We are musicians in stage playing tribute to the music. We’re definitely true to the music. We play Steely Dan’s music as accurately as possible.
“We stick to the script. We can play 70 Steely Dan tunes – including all the hits. And, if we’re playing two sets, we will go to deeper cuts. We’ll be playing two sets at the Knauer.”
Video link for Countdown to Ecstasy — https://youtu.be/B28E9kb3voE.
The show at Uptown! Knauer on July 7 will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.
Metal music is a huge genre – one that has a seemingly endless supply of sub-genres.
Several of these sub-genres will be featured on July 7 when MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 215- 925-6455, www.milkboyphilly.com) hosts the “Quiescence Tour featuring Cognitive, Analepsy, Wormhole and NecroticGoreBeast.”
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.
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…tech slam.
“Deepness isn’t in the name, it’s in the music,” said Sanjay Kumar, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from his home in Baltimore.
“This band is all about the music.
“In the end, you have to be able to tech-slam. Nobody aced the term. We were the ones who brought together tech and slam.
“Wormhole has a huge, huge melody part. We put in a lot of rare flavors, and you’ve never heard this combination before.”
The band is based in the Baltimore area and the core of the band is the brother duo – Sanjay and Sanil Kumar (who is one year older).
“Our love of metal started with hip-hop – hard music like Lil John,” said Sanjay. “Sanil 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.
“Both of us play guitar and in 2015, we formed Wormhole. We said, let’s do these sci-fi/horror songs for a band called Wormhole.”
The Kumars fused online gaming and metal music and tech slam was the result.
According to Sanjay, “The tech slam imagery is based on Metroid lore, Doom lore, and we haven’t written a song about it yet, but Alien as well. Those three things are brutal sci-fi universes, so we’re trying to embody that sound.
“The slam riffs, you can connect the brutal killing of stuff with the brutal chunky riffs; that’s been a match that’s existed since the nineties. So that’s 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’t usually paired together, even though they should be.”
Sanil added, “And then as far as chasing the vibe, I kind of go about it two ways. With the Metroid soundtrack or universe, that vibe, there’s some dark and gloomy atmosphere, but there’s 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.”
The brothers are not only the core of the band, they are also Wormhole’s songwriters. It’s an equal process as shown on the band’s new album, “Almost Human,” which will be released on September 22 by Season of Mist.
“Sanil and I split the songs,” said Sanjay. “I’ll have my demos and he’ll have his. It’s rare for us to have input on the other’s songs.
There are eight songs on ‘Almost Human’ and we’ve each written four of them.”
Video link for Wormhole — https://youtu.be/tkHUIPisC5Q.
The Quiescence Tour featuring Cognitive, Analepsy, Wormhole and NecroticGoreBeast will start at 7 p.m. on July 7.
Tickets are $16.
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.
On July 8, Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts (9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com), will present a very attractive twin bill featuring Liz Longley and Jesse Ruben – two musicians with local roots who both are graduates of the Berklee College of Music.
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.
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.
Her self-titled debut album received critical acclaim, being described as “something more; a cleverness, a wit and a mix of musical styles” (Dallas Morning News) and “stunning” (HuffPost). Her follow up album, “Weightless,” released in 2016, was praised as “a thing of beauty” (Pop Dose) and “packed with instantly memorable pop rock songs…” (Popmatters).
The Berklee grad worked alongside five-time Grammy-nominated producer, Paul Moak, on her much awaited sixth album, “Funeral For my Past.”
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.
Embraced by the press and music fans alike, “Funeral For My Past” was described as a “…stunning new album!” (Forbes), “…from Americana to gospel-flavored soul to shimmering pop anthems” (Billboard) and included in “100 Albums Released in 2020 to Put on Your Radar” (Newsweek).
“It’s always enjoyable to get back to Pennsylvania,” said Longley. “I play there several times a year. It’s good to get back to my roots.”
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.
Nashville, which has been the “Music Capitol” for country-and-western music, has evolved into a primary destination for musicians from a wide variety of genres.
“This is a great city for music, and I wanted to be part of the scene,” said Longley, who was introduced to music at a young age by her jazz musician father. “There is a great Berklee community here. Actually, it’s just a great community of musicians from all over.”
Video link for Liz Longley — https://youtu.be/23Llu4DAJ5w.
For Brooklyn based singer/songwriter Jesse Ruben, his show on May 12 at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, www.worldcafelive.com) is a much-anticipated homecoming.
Ruben, who moved to New York 12 years ago, earned a degree in songwriting at the Berklee College of Music.
“I came from a musical background,” said Ruben, during a phone interview from his apartment in Brooklyn. “My dad, Peter Scott Ruben, was a musician who used to do Sinatra shows.
“After I graduated from Berklee, I moved to Nashville. It was a fun place to visit but I didn’t want to live there. With the music business, it’s L.A., New York or Nashville. For me, New York was the only place to go.”
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’s wife on “Law and Order: Organized Crime.”
Ruben is now on the verge of releasing his third album sometime later this year.
Ruben’s songs have gotten more than a dozen placements in the US and abroad and have been featured on shows like “One Tree Hill,” “Teen Mom,” “Switched at Birth,” Germany’s “The Bachelor” and the recent Disney+ series “Diary of a Future President.” All of his albums have reached the Top 10 of the US iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts.
“This will be my third album,” said Ruben, who is known for his lyrical storytelling and engaging live shows. “I’ve also released three EPs and a smattering of singles. My last EP was ‘Hope’ in 2019 and my last full-length was ‘Thoughts I’ve Never Had Before, Part 1.’
“The 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.
“I recorded the album at Dwight Baker’s studio in Austin – Matchbox Recording Studio. I was there for 12 or 13 days. Dwight, who is in The Wind and The Wave, did the production.
“Some of the songs were about political stuff, and some were about getting older. Some were about mental health, and some were about family.”
Health has played a major role in Ruben’s music.
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 Generation Lyme, a community built to empower people facing Lyme disease through sharing patient stories and hosting online Meet-ups.
“I had Lyme disease starting in 2013,” said Ruben. “It was a tough time for three years. Now, I’ve been in remission since 2016. With Generation Lyme, I wanted to help people with Lyme disease. We’ve had more than 10,000 people participate in Meet-ups.”
Additionally, Ruben is the founder of The We Can Project, 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.
His single “We Can” from “Thoughts I’ve Never Had Before, Part 1” gained 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 the We Can project to encourage students to make a difference in their communities.
“I started that project at an elementary school on Vancouver Island in 2013,” said Ruben. “I just did a 10th anniversary show there. The whole project is based on the song. It’s about kids learning new things and giving back to the community.”
Video link for Jesse Ruben — https://youtu.be/59Aj9E5lCn0.
The show in Bryn Mawr on July 8 will start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15.
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.
King Of Prussia’s live outdoor music series Concerts Under the Stars (Upper Merion Township Building Park, West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com) 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.
Concerts Under the Stars will be co-presented by Upper Merion Township and Rising Sun Presents – the event producers at venues including Ardmore Music Hall, Underground Arts, MilkBoy Philly and 118 North.
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‐Stars on September 16.
Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) continues its tradition of presenting top quality blues music this weekend.
Jamey’s House of Music is a prime destination to hear folk, jazz and blues music every Thursday through Sunday.
The “Thursday Night Jazz Jam” and the “Sunday Blues Brunch & Jam” are regular features on Jamey’s calendar while Friday and Saturday night shows feature national and regional acts.
On July 7, the headline act will be Drivetime All-Stars — Bernie Capodici (Congas/Percussion/Producer), Jimmy Dell’Orefice (Keys), Gene Terramani (Guitar), Nick Terramani (Bass) and JJ Zeller (Drums).
The band has done collaborations with jazz-related artists such as Andrew Neu, Bob Baldwin, Phyllis Chapel and Justin Guarini, and many others.
The Drivetime All-Stars show on July 7 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
On July 8, the stage at Jamey’s will belong to Swing That Cat.
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.
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.
The show on July 7 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.
The “Sunday Blues Brunch & Jam” is scheduled for every Sunday from noon-3 p.m. with the host band’s set from noon-1 p.m. followed by an open mic from 1-3 p.m.
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.
The play “Lettie” had its premiere in Chicago in 2017. The show received rave reviews and appeared destined to have a long and successful Broadway run. Then, COVID-19 changed all that – a pandemic that closed everything down.
When the original production ran at the Victory Playhouse in Chicago, Broadway World described the show as “profoundly heartbreaking and brilliantly conceived.”
Variety magazine offered this description – “‘Lettie,’ 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.”
Now, “Lettie” is coming back to life and is being staged in various cities around the United States.
Now through July 13, Malvern-based theatre People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, www.peopleslight.org) is presenting the regional premiere of “Lettie,” which was written by Boo Killebrew.
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.
Lettie has two teenaged children who have been in the care of her sister Carla and Carla’s husband, Frank. Lettie hasn’t seen her kids for years and is eager to reconnect with them, but Carla and Frank are wary.
The couple are uptight Christians. They had to clean up Lettie’s mess when she was addicted to drugs, and they do not trust Lettie’s competence as a mother.
Lettie’s daughter Layla is an effervescent 14-year-old who is a top academic student – 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.
Lettie makes a friend at her work – Minny, also an ex-con who is struggling to get her life back together.
“There is not an unhappy ending – and not a happy ending,” said director Abigail Adams during a phone interview last week from her home in Swarthmore. “It gives the audience a lot to think about.
“Zak (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.”
Zak Berkman is the Producing Artistic Director at People’s Light. Adams is Senior Director of Special Projects and Executive Artistic Director Emerita at People’s Light.
Adams has been associated with People’s 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’s Light, including “The Children” and “Our Town.”
She established the New Voices Ensemble at People’s 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.
“Two things I liked were the ambiguity and the lack of stereotypes in all the characters,” said Adams. “There is a lot of room the playwright has given to individual actors.”
The play was written by Boo Killebrew, a notable playwright, actress, and TV writer for the hit Emmy Award-nominated Netflix series, “Longmire.” Her work as playwright has been presented at theatres around the United States, including The Roundabout Theatre in New York City, Boston Playwright’s Theatre, and Portland Center Stage.
“There are six actors, and they are all well-developed,” said Adams. “These characters defy the stereotype. Lettie is a character who gts in her own way all the time. She’s a very difficult person.”
The story is set in 2017. It starts in late winter and ends eight months later around Thanksgiving.
“This is just a good story,” said Adams, who grew up in Media and graduated from Penncrest High. “It’s engrossing.
“One of the themes is – how do you recover lost time…especially with kids and the time you didn’t have with them. The play explores that. You don’t recover – but you can start again. Lettie is the story line. She’s in every scene.”
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).
“This play really does have great writing,” said Adama. “All of the characters are developed so well.”
“Lettie” is running now through July 13 at People’s Light’s Steinbright Stage, an intimate, flexible 140-seat theatre. Ticket prices start at $47.
