A Traditional Christmas Love Story, the Walnut Street Theatre Presents Irving Berlin’s Holiday Classic WHITE CHRISTMAS

By Catherine J. Barrier



Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin was born Israel Baline in the town of Tyumen, the first Russian outpost in Siberia, Eastern Russia, in 1888.  His very strict Jewish family immigrated to the U.S. in 1893, and after his father died, Berlin began to help support his mother and family on the streets of New York City at the age of 8. He later became a singing waiter.  He only went to school formally for 2 years, and it was while working as a waiter that he began to write songs.

Although Berlin never learned to read and write music, he was a prolific writer.  He wrote more than 900 songs, 19 musicals, and 18 movies.   His first world-famous hit song was “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (1911), from his musical of the same name.  The song became internationally popular almost over night, and it got people enthusiastically dancing.  But Berlin also created simple and romantic ballads based on his own life and sadness, such as the sadness he felt after the death of his first wife, Dorothy Goetz, who died less than a year after they were married.  He later married the Catholic heiress Ellin Mackay—in 1926—and the couple had 3 daughters.

Among his many songs are numerous patriotic songs, such as “God Bless America”, introduced to the public on the 20^th Anniversary of Armistice Day 1938, by Kate Smith, and “This is the Army, Mr. Jones” from his morale-boosting WWII-era musical This is the Army (1943).  Some of his other well-known classic tunes include: “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “Angels of Mercy”—written for the American Red Cross, “Easter Parade”, “Puttin’ on the Ritz”, and of course, “White Christmas”. 



Julie Reiber as Betty Haynes
--Photo by Mark Garvin--

 “I think people come to see the show partly because of the season (Christmas), . . . and because of the White Christmas movie—the iconic movie that’s brought to life on stage,” said Julie Reiber, who plays Betty Haynes, one of the leading female characters.  “A lot of people have sentimental connections to the movie, and I think that will bring some of them to the show.”  The 1954 movie White Christmas starred Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen and was directed by Michael Curtiz.

“Many people come with their families,” said Reiber.  “The story just brings out feelings, and love, and helps the connecting with family.”

“I saw White Christmas in New York at the Marquis [Theatre], and I saw the tour [last year], and I went after the rights right after I saw it,” said Bernard Havard, the Walnut Street Theatre’s President and Producing Artistic Director, when asked how and why White Christmas was chosen to be part of the Walnut Street Theatre’s season this year.  “The rights became available when the tour closed.”

“One hallmark of our work is honesty,” said Havard.  “We strive to be very honest with the piece, and there are 3 love stories in it, and it has a happy ending.  It’s about the holiday.  I saw it and liked White Christmas, and I thought the audience would like it as well.  So far, I’ve been proven to be right.  The show has broken 2 [ticket sales] records already.”  Early in the third week of November the show set a record for weekly ticket sales and then set a daily ticket sales record shortly thereafter.

Now, through January 9^th, The Walnut Street Theatre, now in its 202^nd season, presents Irving Berlin’s White Christmas on its Mainstage.  The Walnut, the oldest theatre in America, is located at 825 Walnut Street (at 9th), in Philadelphia (19107).  The intimate venue provides excellent acoustics and good views from virtually every one of its 1,100 seats, all of which are within 80 feet of the stage.  Tickets: $10-$95 (prices vary by performance); Premium tickets are available for $130 and include a tax deductible donation.  For dates and times of specific performances, or for additional information, including parking, see www.walnutstreettheatre.org.  For tickets, call (215) 574-3550 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (10 p.m. on performance nights), 7 days a week, or Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787.  Tickets are also available at the Walnut Box Office or online at the Website.  The ticket price includes a $2.50 historic facility fee, and the show runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The holiday classic White Christmas is full of song, dance, and romance, and is set in a Vermont lodge owned by the leading male characters’ former Army commander, General Henry Waverly.  Bob Wallace (Jeffrey Coon) and Phil Davis (David Elder), two former war buddies are now a successful entertainment team and become romantically interested in a two-sister act, that of Betty Haynes (Julie Reiber) and her sister, Judy Haynes (Vanessa Sonon).  This production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is a musical based on Paramount Pictures’ 1954 film of the same name, which was written for the Screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank.  Its incredible score contains songs, such as “Blue Skies”, “I Love Piano”, “How Deep is the Ocean?”, and of course, the title song.  Of this last number, Berlin once said, “[It is] the greatest song I have ever written.”

“I’m one of the sisters, the eldest, in this show,” said Reiber, who acted in her first show at 12 and has been acting professionally since she got out of college.  “I play the part that Rosemary Clooney played in the movie [version] (Betty Haynes).  Betty’s given up on love and is all business.  The whole story’s about Bob and Betty and about how these 2 people have given up on love, but how they find they need each other.  It’s about how they can find love again.”

“My first experience at the Walnut Street Theatre was in Curtains, their previous show, and I just had a great time doing that, and I was asked to stay on, so I did,” said Reiber, who played Niki Harris in that previous production. Reiber has lived in New York for some time and has been involved in 3 Broadway shows to date, most recently playing Elphaba in Wicked, and previously appearing as Natalie in All Shook Up and as Brooklyn in Brooklyn.  “[Working at the Walnut Street Theatre is] a great gig when you’re out of the city (New York City).  I felt like part of the family there.  Now, with this show,. . . it’s a great role, . . . and there are great tunes.  I like the holidays, and I was happy to stay on and have another experience with the Walnut.”

Vanessa Sonon, David Elder, Jeffrey Coon & Julie Reiber
and the Cast of White Christmas at the Walnut Street Theatre
--Photo by Mark Garvin--

“I love this character—of Betty—because she’s a little close to me,” said Reiber.  “She has an ‘edge’ to her, and she’s a little sassy at times.  I like her realism, the fact that she’s grounded in the reality of the world.  But love loosens her up, and she gets to sing some great songs, such as “Love You Didn’t do Right by Me”, a type of nightclub number in the show, like in the movie.  This production does something a bit different though.  In this show, there’s a combining of that song with [the character Bob] singing ‘How Deep is the Ocean’.  [And then we get to do] the whole classic Christmas thing at the end.  We wear read dresses and sing.  It’s really a feel-good role I get to play.”

“And the audience is jumping to their feet [during the performances] and singing along,” said Reiber.  “They seem to be having a wonderful time.  Around the holidays, with this music, you just can’t help but feel good.

“And vocally, it’s a nice break from some more challenging roles I’ve done.  It’s more traditional, and I can have fun with it,” said Reiber.

“Psychologically, it’s good to laugh, and this show will definitely put you into the holiday spirit if you aren’t in it already,” said Havard, who has been in theatre all his life and who, during a nationwide search, was headhunted out of Georgia, where he was the Managing Director at The Alliance Theatre, to become the Walnut’s Artistic Director.  This past November 15^th, he celebrated his 28^th year at the Walnut. “Seeing the show is a good way to get into the Christmas spirit.”

“It makes me very proud [to be the Artistic Director of the State Theatre of Pennsylvania],” said Havard.  Pennsylvania House Resolution No. 197, passed by the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, made the Walnut Street Theatre the State Theatre of Pennsylvania a number of years ago.

The Walnut Street Theatre opened on February 2, 1809, with its first theatrical production: Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals.  In 1964, the Walnut Street Theatre was designated a National Historic Landmark.  The Walnut became a self-producing, non-profit regional theatre when Havard arrived in 1982, founding the Walnut Street Theatre Company.  Its Mission Statement is “. . . to sustain the tradition of professional theatre and contribute to its future viability and vitality”. Over the years, the Theatre has undergone a number of renovations, including a remodeling of the Mainstage area in 1998.  Today, the Walnut currently has more than 56,000 subscriptions annually, more than any other theatre in the world, and is the most active theatre company in the region.

The Walnut is a non-profit (501)(c3) institution, relying on contributed income to reach into the community.  It does 5 productions each season on its Mainstage and is one of only a few remaining “hemp houses” in the country, which means the theatre uses the original grid, rope, pulley, and sandbag system used 200 years ago.

“We’ve been challenged technically [with this production],” said Havard.  The show requires a revolve and a lift (elevator), as well as snow machines.  “But we’re getting everything to work.”

Most known American actors of the 19^th- and 20^th-centuries have played at the Walnut, actors such as the Barrymores, George M. Cohan, Will Rodgers, Fanny Kemble, Lilly Langtry, The Marx Brothers, Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Lauren Bacall, Robert Redford, Julie Harris, and Edwin Forrest, after whom the Forrest Theatre is named, just to name a few.  The curtain call, now a regular theatre tradition, started at the Walnut Street Theatre with the post-play appearance of noted 19^th-century actor Edmund Kean.

This production of White Christmas’s creative team includes the multi-award-winning Director and Choreographer Marc Robin, who is the current Artistic Director of the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA, and Vocal Director Douglass G. Lutz, who has been involved with a number of Walnut productions in the past few years.  The show’s designers are: Scenic Designer Robert Andrew Kovach (Curtains, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers, Hairspray, Peter Pan); Lighting Designer Paul Black (The Producers, Hairspray, and Peter Pan); Costume Designer Colleen Grady (a recent Barrymore Award Winner for Fiddler on the Roof) and new-to the-Walnut Sound Designer Ray Nardelli.  Moreover, most of the members of the supporting cast and the ensemble have either strong ties to Broadway and/or to the Walnut Street Theatre.

“We create a family relationship [at the Walnut], and everyone is made to feel very much at home,” said Havard.  “We house all the actors at The Windsor [Suites], at 17^th and the Parkway, and we have what I call our ‘floating ensemble’.  For example, Jeff Coon is creating his 19^th role with us [in White Christmas], and this is the 6^th role with us for David Elder.  So, the audience recognizes the actors.  [The actors] have had a long relationship with us.  It’s like a family getting together for the holidays, and the fun and feelings that exist backstage flow out to the audience during the performances.”

But the Walnut Street Theatre is not just about theatrical performances.  It also has a Theatre School and is involved in numerous community outreach programs.

“I founded the Theatre School at the end of the second year I was at the Walnut (1984),” said Havard.  “And it’s non-accredited for a reason.  I wanted to hire actors, stage managers, professional workers to teach young people.  I also wanted to surround myself with artists, and many of the teachers have been with us for the whole time.  Then when we hire kids for [our productions, such as] Peter Pan or Oliver, which we did last year, many of them we’ve trained ourselves.”  Last year, enrollment in the School was up to 1,200.

“The School is very much a holistic approach to theatre,” said Havard.  Students at the Theatre School get involved in every area of theatre—working behind the scenes, as understudies, and in small parts.  “There’s a continuity; they move from one thing to another in the theatre,” said Havard.  “There’s the idea of a family.  There are lots of children at the Walnut.”

Courses are normally offered evenings and weekends throughout the year:  Fall Session – September to December; Spring Session – January to April; and Summer Session—May to August.  Weekday classes begin January 31^st and weekend classes on February 5^th.  For more information, or to register online for the Spring 2011 Session, go to www.walnutstreettheatre.org or call (215) 574-3550, ext. 510 or 511.

“Our community outreach is very important to us,” said Havard.  “As you know, the schools in Philadelphia are stressed financially, and many of the students are African-Americans or people of color.  The school audience is very important to us.  We’re going into the schools and providing programs for the students, and our instructors are from a mixture of races.”

“The programming has a lot to do with overcoming conflict,” said Havard.  “We’ve addressed that issue and take it into the schools, and our work’s been well received there.  One of our programs is about bullying, which has, as you know, reached catastrophic proportions.”

“We adopt a school every 2 years; currently, we’ve adopted the [small, K-8] Chester A. Arthur School, [located in Southwest Philadelphia (19146)]” said Havard.  “Theatre is integrated into every course in the school, and we get tangible results for attendance.  The attendance rises when we’re there.  Havard would like to believe that academic performance is improving as well but admits that assessing that accurately is somewhat harder to do at this time.”

“And we have several requests for scholarships,” said Havard.  “One of the programs helps identify a challenged youth, and we offer him/her a scholarship to attend the Theatre School.  The scholarship is made possible from an endowment fund.  One young girl in our Theatre School died tragically, and her parents started the endowment fund at the Theatre.”

“There’s another aspect of White Christmas I’d like to mention—the men and women in the Armed Forces,” said Havard.  “The timing of White Christmas is 1944, and there’s a scene with the soldiers and the general celebrating Christmas, and then another [scene, from several] years later, when the soldiers have a reunion, so our Armed Forces are ‘included’ in the celebration.”

“And there’s an audience sing-along in the show, as if [the members of the audience] were members of the Armed Forces,” said Havard.  “It’s amazing to have hundreds of voices singing in the theatre.  It’s really great!”




Edwin Forrest in 1836

The Walnut’s Edwin Forrest Award was established in 1990 and is awarded in recognition of a long-term significant contribution to American theatre by an individual or organization.  It was named in honor or Edwin Forrest (1802-1872), who is often described as America’s first great tragedian.  Forrest made his debut in 1820 at the Walnut Street Theatre and later did much to encourage the development of a truly American theatre.

“I hope people will come and have a good time; I can almost guarantee [them] a wonderful time,” said Reiber.

During his lifetime, Berlin wrote incredible music.  He also supported not only Jewish charities and organizations but a lot of other charitable work, and he raised millions of dollars for both the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts.  He died in his sleep in 1989, at the advanced age of 101.  His music lives on, and Christmastime is an ideal time to enjoy it—perhaps by attending a performance of White Christmas at Philadelphia’s own Walnut Street Theatre.

* Photos of Walnut Street Theatre White Christmas cast by Mark Garvin, Courtesy of the Walnut Street Theatre

© 2010 by Catherine J. Barrier.  All rights reserved.

Bucks County Winemakers Continue a French Tradition, Crossing Vineyards and Winery Festively Celebrates the Release of its Le Nouveau 2010

By Catherine J. Barrier

Wine in Pennsylvania?  Most definitely!  And the Pennsylvania wine industry is prospering—in Bucks County and elsewhere.

According to the Pennsylvania Wine Association’s Fact Sheet, Pennsylvania actually ranks 4^th nationally in the production of grapes, most of which are used for juice, but the state ranks 7^th nationally in the production of wine from grapes.  There are currently 123 wineries in Pennsylvania and more in Pennsylvania than in most of the other individual states in the Union.  And Pennsylvania’s tasting rooms were already receiving more than half a million people per year throughout the state’s 7 wine regions and 4 wine trails in 2003.  Today, there are 11 wine trails throughout the 7 wine regions of the state.

The Winery at Crossing Vineyards

This weekend, both Saturday and Sunday afternoons November 20 & 21, from Noon to 6 p.m., Crossing Vineyards and Winery, located at 1853 Wrightstown Road, in Washington Crossing, PA, will celebrate the first fruits of the season’s grape harvest with the release of its Le Nouveau 2010—just in time for Thanksgiving.  Live entertainment will be provided both days from 1-5 p.m., and wine tastings, by the glass and bottle, will be available for purchase.  For more information, see www.crossingvineyards.com, call (215) 493-6500, ext. 19, or e-mail to info@crossingvineyards.com.

“The Festival is a [Bucks County] Wine Trail event,” said Chris Carroll, one of the principals of Crossing Vineyards and Winery and its Director of Marketing/Public Relations.  “Maybe not all the vineyards [on the Trail] are making a new wine, but they’re all participating in the event in some way.  People should check the individual vineyards for the event schedules.”  To do so, see www.buckscountywinetrail.com.

 “What we are doing is to draw from the tradition in France, where they release the Beaujolais Nouveau each year—on the third Thursday in November,” said Carroll.  “We’re doing a wine that represents the first fruits of the vine for the year.  It’s typically not a wine geared for aging, although it can be aged.  It’s a very fruity, refreshing wine, lower in tannic structure and lower in alcohol content—about 11-1/2% to 12%.”

“On Friday night [November 19], we are hosting a special event for our Wine Club members,” said Carroll.  “The members are invited to a private event, where we offer them a tasting of the Le Nouveau wine.  It’s a kind of pre-release party and is complimentary to our Wine Club members.  We’ll serve hearty hors d’oeuvres with the wine.  [The Wine Club members are] good customers, and they know our wines.  This is something special we’re doing for them.  Of course, we offer special wine-purchasing discounts to our Wine Club members throughout the year. ”

“We’ll release the Le Nouveau wine to the public on that Saturday (November 20^th), and it’s a celebration of all our hard work over the growing season; it’s our ‘baby’, and we’re very proud of it,” said Carroll.

“Our 2010 Le Nouveau wine is made 100% from [our] estate fruit, that is, all the fruit used to make it is from our vineyards (15 active acres),” said Carroll.  “The name of the grape that the Le Nouveau wine is made from is chambourcin.  French winemakers whose wine bears the Beaujolais Nouveau appellation use gamay grapes to make their wine.  This Le Nouveau 2010 event, it’s our way of honoring the French tradition.”

The Harvesting of the Grapes in the Vineyard

Crossing Vineyards is dedicated to creating world class wines from the finest Pennsylvania fruit.  At Crossing Vineyards, the winemaking begins with fresh, hand-picked grapes that are processed within hours of being harvested.

“The method we use to make our wine is the French traditional method,” said Carroll.  “It’s called macération.  It’s basically a beaujolaise macération carbonique.  It’s a natural process of fermentation.  You don’t add any yeast.  In America, winemakers typically use yeast, but we use the French method.”

“Here’s the beauty of it for Thanksgiving,” said Carroll.  “It’s the perfect wine to pair with Thanksgiving dinner.  This wine is perfect, fruity, light, a ‘sauce’ for your turkey.”

“We are having live music [at the Le Nouveau Festival],” said Carroll.  “On Saturday, Karen Rodriguez’s Latin Jazz Ensemble will be performing between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m.  They’re great—so entertaining!  We have them for summer events, too.  We use her [and her Ensemble] for a lot of things.  On Sunday, Café Duo will perform, also from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.  They play flute and accordion, and it’s very French—like in a French café.  It’s a perfect match with our event.  The live music always makes the event very festive.”

On Saturday afternoon, the Karen Rodriguez Latin Jazz Ensemble returns to Crossing Vineyards for this festive event.  The Ensemble, which plays a lot of the jazz venues in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, features Karen Rodriguez, who can sing in Spanish, English, and/or Portuguese.

The Karen Rodriquez Latin Jazz Ensemble

“We’ve been together since 2000, and we play a lot of different kinds of music, such as the Salsa and the Cha Cha,” said Karen Rodriguez.  “We do some Brazilian rhythms, such as the bossa nova, but we also do Cuban rhythms.”

“For the 20^th [of November], we’re going to be in a trio arrangement,” said Rodriguez.  “We’re usually a 5-piece ensemble, but we’ll still do a mix of our Latin, Brazilian, and Cuban rhythms.”

“Crossing Vineyards has had us there numerous times over the past year and a half,” said Rodriguez.  “The property is gorgeous, breathtaking, and the people, Chris and Tom, are welcoming of all kinds of music.   It’s fantastic there!  We [always] have a wonderful time.  They just make us feel like family.  We just love it!” 

“And the wine is fantastic!” said Rodriguez.  “I’ve sampled the wine, and if one hasn’t done so, I’d say you should.  It’s well worth the trip there [to do so].”  For more information about the Karen Rodriguez Latin Jazz Ensemble, see www.gigmasters.com/latin/KarenRodriguez/ or www.myspace.com/karenrodriguezlatinjazzensemble.

On Sunday afternoon, Cathy Block on flute and Dallas Vietty on accordion, as Café Duo, will create a European atmosphere for the festival.

“[As] Café Duo[, we perform] French and Italian music,” said Cathy Block, an accomplished flutist, in both classical and jazz music.  “They are popular melodies that most people recognize and often get very excited to hear again.”

Café Duo has been together for about 5 years, and both Block and Vietty work with several other ensembles as well.  Cathy Block graduated magna cum laude from the Berklee College of Music with a degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging.  She has also studied at The Boston Conservatory of Music and has orchestrated for symphonic orchestra, big band, and small combos.  She is a music educator on faculty at Solebury School, and is the director of the jazz ensemble.  She also teaches songwriting and composition, and some of her songs have been recorded by well-known artists such as Diana Ross, Kool & the Gang, and Al Jarreau, just to name a few.  For more information about Café Duo, see www.buildingblockmusic.com/cafeduo/ or call (215) 794-2517.

“We help create a fun, European, and romantic ambience,” said Block.

“And we enjoy the people who visit Crossing Vineyards, as well as the staff there, who have always been very friendly,” said Block.  “We have performed [at] Crossing Vineyards many times and are always happy to return.”         

At Crossing Vineyards, music and wine mix to create a pleasant, festive afternoon.    



The Wine Tasting Room at Crossing Vineyards & Winery

 “We offer several wine-tasting options,” said Carroll.  “For our Standard Wine-Tasting option, we offer a sampling of 8-10 different wines.  The cost is $8.00.  Our Premium Wine-Tasting option offers a sampling of between 12 and 14 different wines, some, such as sparkling wines, not included in the Standard option.  The cost for the Premium Wine-Tasting option is $15.00.  Then we always have a wine and chocolate-paired tasting for $20.00.  It includes a box of chocolates, all arranged and paired with the wines.  That’s very popular!”  These tasting options are available this weekend and throughout the rest of the year.  The tasting room is open daily, seven days a week.  Private tastings with a certified wine educator can be arranged.

“We have a big variety of wines: our American Originals Series is our fruity wines, and then there are several other categories organized by pricing and the complexity of the wine,” said Carroll.  “There’s our Vintner’s Select [Series] wines, which are the medium-tier of wine, including some blends and some less complex wines.  We then have our Signature [Series] Wines, made with vinifera—these are the European wines, the wines with the European names that people recognize and are accustomed to; and then we have our Premium [Series] Wines, which are the estate wines.”

“Our Chardonnay ’08 won a Silver [Award],” said Carroll.  “Our Chardonnay is probably our most popular wine.  It has won all over—in California, in the Finger Lakes, and in regional competitions.  It doesn’t have too much of an oak taste.  It’s a good wine and a good value at $18.00.”

“We’ve done very well in competitions,” said Carroll.  “One of the most interesting recently is an award for our 2008 Riesling.  It won a Top Gold Award in a California competition in the spring of last year.  There were consumer judges, which means a lot to us because they are the kinds of people who come out and buy and drink our wine.  It’s a really good, ‘off-dry’ wine, and we still have some left.”  To date, Crossing Vineyards and Winery has won more than 90 awards for their wines.

“The winery is on the property of The David Barton Taylor House, which is on the Bucks County Registry of Historic Places,” said Carroll.  Crossing Vineyards and Winery is located less than one mile from where General George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776.  One man who participated with the General in that historic crossing was Benjamin Taylor, and the house belonged to his son, David Barton Taylor.  While the exact age of the house, an excellent example of the Federal architectural style, is not known, the original farm was known as “Longmeadow” and was part of the King of England’s land grant to William Penn.  It has been listed as a County historical home since 1983, and Crossing Vineyards and Winery uses a picture of The David Barton Taylor house on its label.



Crossing Vineyards

 “We moved to the property in 1986, and when our then 10-year-old son Tom looked out the window one day, he just said, ‘Wouldn’t this make a great vineyard and winery’,” said Carroll.  “We don’t have a winemaking tradition in our family, and Pennsylvania is not really known for wine, but he just never forgot about that.  In his mid-twenties, he called us and said he wanted to come home and be rooted in the area.  He wanted to plant vines and start the vineyard and winery.  Mom and Dad were not sad to hear those words.  So, it’s a family business, but it’s his dream.”

“We incorporated in 2000 and opened in ’03, so we just celebrated our seventh year,” said Carroll.

Tom Carroll, Jr. the Crossing Vineyards and Winery’s vintner was born in 1975 and graduated from Vassar College in 1997 with a double degree in English and Film.  He subsequently lived in California for 3 years, during which he learned as much as he could about viticulture—the science, production and study of grapes—and enology—the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking except vine-growing and grape-harvesting.  Then he came home and, in partnership with his parents, realized his dream.

“This gives the wine a story,” said Carroll.  “And I’m interested in the story [of the wine], sometimes even more than the wine itself.

Crossing Vineyards launched its Wine Institute in September 2004 and offers a number of wine courses.

“We do a variety of things to educate people about wine,” said Carroll.  “First, we have our ‘Wine 101’, which is a 6-week course offered twice a year.  The instructor, Eric Cavatore, is French-born and educated.  It’s a great course!  It’s perfect for beginners.”

“We also have a ‘Wine-Tasting for Dummies’, which is held once a month,” said Carroll.  “My husband, Tom [Carroll, Sr.], teaches that.  He’s funny and entertaining.  There’s a lot of wine, and we offer cheese with it.  It’s always a lot of fun!”

“Then newly offered, in the spring of 2010, is our ‘A Tasting Tour of Spain’, a course on Spanish wine,” said Carroll.  “It’s very popular [,too]!”

“And new this winter will be our ‘Pairing Wine with Dessert’,” said Carroll.  “Our event manager, Kate Sielski, is teaching that.  We’re going to talk about what kinds of wine to serve with desserts.  In this struggling economy, people might have a dessert and wine party instead of a dinner party.  A dessert and wine party makes a lovely presentation and is less costly and less work.  Kate organizes our events and is very knowledgeable about food, wine, and entertaining, so she’s the perfect one to teach this.”

Pennsylvania Grapes Make Delicious Wines

 “The more people know about wine, the more open they are to wine from Pennsylvania,” said Carroll.

“In the summer of ’08, we opened our wine and cheese store (Crossing Vineyards Wine and Cheese Shop) in the Mohegan Sun Casino [at Pocono Downs],” said Carroll.  “Table gaming has been approved recently in Pennsylvania, and the casino’s been there for awhile, but there’s a new building.  We’re beginning to see more interest there.  We don’t have the emphasis on wine and cheese pairing at our main location that we have at Mohegan, although we do sell cheese at the winery.”

“Four times a year, we hold winemakers’ dinners,” said Carroll.  “These are 5-course meals.  This year, between Christmas and New Year’s, on December 28^th, we will hold a winemaking dinner called ‘A Colonial Christmas’, with special guest speaker ‘General George Washington’.  Washington will be talking about colonial Christmas traditions and will bring a few of his military men.  These events are ‘first come, first served’, and sadly [for many who are interested in attending] they sell out quickly.”  For more information, see the Web site at www.crossingvineyards.com.

“People like to taste and drink wine, but they also like to learn [about wine],” said Carroll.  “We’re very passionate about it, and I think that’s why they come back.”

“Since we’ve been making the wine, the thing that I enjoy the most is the different cultures, learning about geography, and the meeting people,” said Carroll.  “Every year it’s a brand new thing.  It’s just fascinating!  It’s interesting to me that an agricultural product can lead to all that.”

“[The release of the Le Nouveau wine] is a very festive time!” said Carroll.  To join in the festivities, head out to the celebration at the Crossing Vineyards and Winery this weekend.

*   Photos of the Vineyards and Winery are "Courtesy of Crossing Vineyards & Winery"
** Photo of the Jazz Ensemble is "Courtesy of the Karen Rodriquez Latin Jazz Ensemble"

© 2010 by Catherine J. Barrier.  All rights reserved.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra Comes to Town, Bringing Hope and Christmas Spirit through Music—and So Much More

By Catherine J. Barrier

With our busy lives and the weakened economy, some find it difficult to remain positive much less get into the Christmas spirit, but that should be easier to do in Philadelphia in just a few days, when the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) comes to town.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra
on Stage at Christmas time
Photo by Mark Weiss

“It’s a very active, intense show!” said Steve Jimmo from Malvern, PA, who, with his wife Cindy, has attended the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s winter concerts in Philadelphia, at the same venue, for the past several years.

“The first thing I’d like to say about the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is that the music and the different voices are incredible!” said Cindy Jimmo.  “They have some of the best songs you’ve ever heard.  [In past shows we attended,] the narrator’s voice in the first part [of the show], … he has a very engaging voice.  [And the Orchestra’s members] were playing the instruments and moving all over the stage; it was so ‘cool’ to watch!”

“The first part of the show is Christmas Eve & Other Stories, and then in the second part, we play strait numbers [of other works] or previews of music we’re working on; for example, Romanov, Gutter Ballet, Night Castle, or Beethoven’s Last Night,” said Derek Wieland, one of the musical directors and a keyboardist with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  “Those last pieces are from the show that’s usually done in the spring.  But we always bring new things into the first part [the Christmas part] of the show.  There’s always something new.”

“In the shows (concerts), there is narration, original music, classical music, blues, . . . there’s something for everybody in the show,” said Wieland.

“There [are] no second-class seats at a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show,” said Paul O’Neill, TSO’s founder, producer, and head composer and lyricist.  “I want people to walk out of our shows speechless and . . . still not believing what they have seen was possible.”

On Saturday, November 20^th, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be appearing for two performances—at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.—at the Wells Fargo Center (formerly the Wachovia Center), located at 3601 Broad Street, in Philadelphia (19148).  Tickets: $25, $36.50, $47.50, and $59 (plus processing fees).  For tickets, or for more information, please see www.comcastTIX.com , call 1-(800)-298-4200, or visit the Wells Fargo Center Box Office at the Center.

“The first part of the show was telling a story about Christmas, and the story they [told was] poignant and moving, a real lesson for all,” said Cindy Jimmo.

A Sample of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Pyrotechnics
Photo by Mark Weiss

“[Both parts of the show] had very unique pyrotechnics, with the fire changing colors,” said Steve Jimmo.  “When you’re sitting near the stage [on the lower section], you can feel the heat on your face, the heat from the colored flames.  We were just about at stage level, but I’m sure that even those in the back could feel it.  And at one point, it started snowing in the audience, and you could feel the cold in the room.”

“There were several stages, on several levels, probably being raised and lowered on cabled motors, and [the musicians] take turns moving around from one [stage] to another.” said Steve Jimmo.  “And so, the lighting was above, raised up, and then lowered.  The lights were constantly moving [, too].”

“All the time I’m watching [the show], my mouth is just open in awe,” said Cindy Jimmo.  “Sometimes you don’t know where to look. Your eyes are constantly moving; they aren’t just on the stage.  You find yourself looking everywhere, just enjoying what’s going on.  You’re listening to the music, but [the concert] is so much more than that!”

TSO's Founder, Paul O'Neill
Photo by Mark Weiss

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra was founded in 1996 by Paul O’Neill.  At the time, O’Neill, a prolific writer and producer originally from New York City, had already been in the music industry for decades.  His music is inspired by a myriad of diverse musical groups, genres, and artists: Yes, Queen, Broadway musicals, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Harry Chapin, The Who, Jim Croce, Pink Floyd, and Classical music, just to name a few.  O’Neill played in high school rock bands and played folk guitar in clubs.  He was a guitarist on a tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and then with a production of Hair.  He has worked with a well-known management company (Leber-Krebs, Inc.), and has been a major rock promoter in Japan and a promoter of the biggest rock festivals in the industry.

In 1996, after having produced some of Savatage’s recorded work, O’Neill formed the core of TSO with Robert Kinkel, a former music student at and graduate of Hamilton College who went on to work as an assistant engineer on productions for artists such as The Who, The Police, Genesis, and Savatage (with Paul O’Neill), and Jon Oliva, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist who founded the rock band Savatage in Tampa in 1981.  Al Pitrelli, a former student at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, who recorded and toured with groups such as Alice Cooper, Asia, and Megadeth and is considered one of the most innovative guitarists of our time, joined Savatage in the mid-1990s, working with Paul O’Neill.  He later joined the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, completing the 4-member team of co-composers for the group.

“That collaboration [of Paul, Jon, Robert, and Al] is such a seamless one,” said Wieland.  “They bring different backgrounds and styles, and that gives so much creative force to the records and the show.”

“Al goes way back and brings an extraordinary dimension to the shows and the recordings,” said Wieland.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Stage
Photo by Mark Weiss

 “I wanted to take the very best of all the forms of music I grew up on and merge them into a new style,” O’Neill says.  “Basically I was building on the work of everybody I worshipped; the rock opera parts from bands like The Who; the marriage of classical rock from bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Queen; the over-the-top light show from bands like Pink Floyd . . . I always wanted to do a full rock opera with a full progressive band and at least 18 lead singers.”

“I’ve always believed that music has the power to transport and transform,” said O’Neill.  “The original concept of Trans-Siberian Orchestra was how to make music have the most emotional impact.”

“The whole idea was to create a progressive rock band that would push the boundaries further than any group before, . . .” said O’Neill.

“Basically, I met the guys about 8 years ago and started playing [with them], and I was very thrilled to be a part of this,” said Derek Wieland.

“Paul’s vision is really amazing!” said Wieland.  “His stories are interpreted through the visuals and the music.  And he’s really able to bring people together.  We have this combination of people from diverse [musical] backgrounds—at the top of their craft—and we’re able to do this together.  It’s really exciting!”

“Paul is always developing new stories; for example, the recent Romanov, and we’re in the recording studio in between concerts,” said Wieland.

“Paul is very inspired by history, ideals, and the positive message of hope,” said Wieland.  “What’s really important to the band is the message of hope.”

“I think that the story in the show—the Christmas show—[is why our shows are really successful],” said Wieland.  “There’s something in it that reaches people at a deep level and gives them hope.  Many keep coming back to the concerts every year.  It’s a combination of the show and the music.  There’s something special there.”



TSO's Artistic Director & Keyboardist Derek Wieland
Photo by Bob Carey

 “[What I enjoy most about being involved with TSO], it’s working with Paul and the musicians and singers,” said Wieland.  There’s a thrill to performing on that stage and working with people at this level.  It’s a wonderful experience.  I love it all!  It’s hard to pin it down.  There’s so much in the show.  I have fun doing it—those moments on stage, feeling that feedback.  And there’s the reaction from the fans to some parts [of the show].  It thrills you!”

“[Each time we’ve gone to see them], they’ve said ‘This (Philadelphia) is where we got our start, and we’ll always be here’, said Cindy Jimmo.  “That makes the audience go wild.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is most famous for its critically acclaimed concerts, which take up to 15 hours to set up and combine elements from classical, orchestral, symphonic, progressive, hard rock, and heavy metal music.  These incredible concerts have full orchestra, choirs, massive light shows, pyrotechnics, moving “stages”, and lasers—and charity work.

“We normally donate $1.00 per ticket sold to a local charity,” said Wieland.  “There are different [charities] chosen for every town.  We present the check(s) to the charities at the beginning of the show.”  The concert presenting area radio stations normally choose which local charities become the recipients of these checks, as they are more familiar with the area.  For the Philadelphia shows, B101 will be presenting the 3:00 p.m. show and WMGL the 8:00 p.m. show.

“We like to put out our appreciation to the military [, too],” said Wieland.  “That’s something we do at every show.

“And we’re very aware of the times, and that’s one reason we have tickets starting at $25.00,” said Wieland.

The winter Christmas tour is among these incredible concerts and includes music from TSO’s Christmas Trilogy Box Set (2005).  The Christmas Trilogy contains Christmas Eve & Other Stories (1996)—which went double platinum, The Christmas Attic (1998), and The Lost Christmas Eve (2004).  Their other albums to date are Beethoven’s Last Night (2000) and Night Castle (2009).  The Orchestra has also released a DVD, with the Christmas Trilogy Box Set: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, a presentation of their 1999 TV special.

TSO first began touring in 1999—in Philadelphia.  Today, it consists of 2 touring groups: TSO East and TSO West, which each tour and perform TSO’s Christmas-themed music from the beginning of November through the first week in January. 

One of the songs on Christmas Eve & Other Stories, TSO’s debut album, is “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”.  Perhaps one of TSO’s most-known works, the song is actually a former Savatage piece (from their 1995 concept album Dead Winter Dead).  Paul O’Neill realized at an early age that Christmas is a special day, a day when people tend to be kinder, more compassionate, to one another.  This kindness, or compassion, can be seen on the streets at Christmastime, and even historically, sometimes when during times of war, members of opposing armies have been reported to have ceased fighting on Christmas Eve—and on occasion have even shared a peaceful Christmas meal together before resuming the fighting the following day. This fact was the inspiration behind “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, one of the most requested radio songs at Christmastime.  The song tells a story of hope amidst the bombing of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War.  The orchestra represents one side in the war and the rock band the other.  The single cello represents one individual attempting to spark hope in the living spirit of humanity despite the war going on.

To date, TSO has sold more than 7 million albums and played to more than 7 million people in over 80 cities.  During its 2009 Winter Tour alone, TSO played to more than 1.2 million fans.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Known for its Rock Operas
Photo by Mark Weiss

Night Castle, Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s newest, 2-CD album, produced by Paul O’Neill, was released on October 27, 2009 and debuted at #5 on the Billboard Charts.  By the end of last year, it was certified gold.  A rock opera, it was years in the making and contains 26 songs in a wide range of musical genres, spanning from rock to classical.  Its content covers various points in human history and reveals the successes and follies of man.  At its core, however, the work is an epic focusing on transformation and love.  The Orchestra is currently recording its next album, but it is uncertain when that will be completed.

“[Night Castle] is Paul’s vision; he’s always writing, and we develop the shows and the albums that interpret those shows,” said Wieland.  “We’re always evolving.”

“I feel lucky,” said O’Neill, “that we get to do what we love for a living.  The arts have incredible power, and with that comes incredible responsibility.  Someone once said that if you want to change the world, [ . . . ] write a book, write a great song.  I believe in that, and that’s what Trans-Siberian Orchestra is about.”

“When someone goes to a TSO concert, we don’t want them to walk away saying ‘that was a great show’ or ‘that was worth it’ or even ‘that was the best show I’ve seen in a long time’.  We want them to say, ‘Man, that was the best show ever; we just ripped that band off’,” said O’Neill.

“I had one of their CDs, but, actually, our neighbor’s sister told us about [the TSO concerts], and we went one year,” said Steve Jimmo.  “We’ve gone back every year since because it’s just so great!”

“[The show] really gets you into the Christmas spirit,” said Cindy Jimmo.  “With the way the world is today, it’s hard to get into the Christmas spirit, but they get you into it.”

“It’s kind of a show for the whole family,” said Steve Jimmo.  “I remember seeing people of all ages there.”

“It doesn’t matter where you sit—on the side, up top, on the floor; there isn’t a bad seat in the place for this show,” said Steve Jimmo.

“No one gets up; no one moves [during the concert],” said Cindy Jimmo.  “It’s too interesting!”

“Yeah, they keep you on the edge of your seat,” said Steve Jimmo.

To get into the Christmas spirit, or just to have a phenomenal concert experience, don’t miss the Trans-Siberian Orchestra when it comes to our area.

* Photo credits as marked.  All photos used with permission.

© 2010 by Catherine J. Barrier.  All rights reserved.

Rodgers and Hart’s BABES IN ARMS, an American Standard Comes Alive at the Narberth Community Theatre This Month

By Catherine J. Barrier

Life in the 1930s was different than it is today, but a good musical never goes out of style, and such is the case for Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s fun-filled, original version of Babes in Arms, being produced anew this month in Narberth.

Babes in Arms is a family-friendly story of a group of teenagers who are left without adult supervision when their vaudeville parents go on summer tour.  To avoid the local sheriff sending them to a work farm, they negotiate with him to allow them 2 weeks to put together their own production and show off their talents and abilities, and a wealthy man with Southern roots agrees to fund the production (with one condition).  What follows is a mix of social reaction, reconciliation, comedy, romance, tap dancing, ballet, and great music, all in a story that lets us see talented teens growing up, having fun, and involved in self-discovery.

“Babes in Arms is a fabulous show!” said Cheryl Chewkanes, the Narberth Community Theatre’s (NCT’s) historian and the Stage Manager for Babes in Arms.  “It’s not a known show, but once people come, they’re going to really enjoy it.  There’s a lot of singing and dancing, and the choreography is great!”

“The show is the 1937 version and we’re doing it with a full orchestra (22 musicians),” said Raquel Garcia, the show’s musical director, who has been with the NCT for the past 5 years and who has been their musical director for 5 previous shows, including Jane Eyre, West Side Story, Children of Eden, Beauty and the Beast, and Seussical.

“It’s a classic show, a standard in the American repertoire,” said Garcia.  “It’s a toe-tapping kind of music. And the theater is quite equipped and very versatile—for the lighting, the stage, and the sets.  It allows us to do a lot.”

“I think the music in Babes in Arms is some of the best music ever written for musical theater,” said Robert Marsch, the show’s director, who has been directing for the past 25 years and has been in the cast of a number of shows at NCT, including Sweeney Todd. “It’s got music people will recognize—like ‘My Funny Valentine’ and ‘The Lady is a Tramp’—music that they might not realize that they know.  They’re classic songs.”

“It’s a ‘campy’ show, like The Little Rascals set to music,” said Mark Thompson, who has been acting for more than 15 years, since he was 13, and plays the lead male role of Valentine LaMar.  “You can just go out there [on stage] and be a kid again.”  Thompson acted in high school, was in Assassins in college, and has been with the St. Bernadette Players for the past 8 seasons.  He will be making his NCT debut in this role.



Brenda Pretko and Mark Thompson in
Babes in Arms at the
Narberth Community Theatre

On Friday and Saturday evenings, November 5 and 6, 12 and 13, and 19 and 20 at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays November 7 and 14 at 2 p.m., the Narberth Community Theatre will present its season’s opening production, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s musical Babes in Arms (1936), on the lower level of the United Methodist Church of Narberth, located at Price and Essex Streets (206 Price Avenue; Price is right off of Montgomery Avenue), in Narberth, PA, Adults: $17; Senior/Youth: $14 (3-show season tickets are available).  For tickets or more information, call (610) 352-4823 or see www.narberthcommunitytheatre.org.  At times, tickets are still available at the theater box office beginning at 7:00 p.m. on performance nights.

“It means a lot to me to have the lead in this show.  It means the director trusts me to carry out his vision for the character,” said Brenda Pretko, who plays Billie Smith in the show.  “And I feel extremely fortunate to get to sing some of the most beautiful music ever written for musicals, music that has become standard pieces in many musical genres, such as pop and jazz.”  “My Funny Valentine” has become such a classic jazz number that it has appeared on over 1,300 albums, performed by over 600 artists.

“I love to sing, and I’m a vocalist.  I get to sing ‘My Funny Valentine’.  I think what I like best about this show is that I get to sing these amazing songs,” said Pretko.  “I also like that I get to flex my acting muscles to play a character with such a strong sense of herself.”

Pretko, who works at Drexel University as an instructional designer, offering support to professors and instructors, helping them put their courses online for distance learners, has been acting for about 10 years.  Most recently, she has played Laura in Oklahoma!, with the St. Bernadette Players.  She has also had the role of Babette in the St. Bernadette Players’ production of Beauty and the Beast, and the role of one of the silly girls in that same show.  She was a silly girl in the NCT’s Beauty and the Beast and played the part of Sour Kangaroo in their production of Seussical last year.”

“What’s challenging to me [about this role] is having to get into the mindset of someone from the 1930s that has to fend for herself,” said Pretko.  “Billie [Smith] is a survivor, a very thoroughly independent character in a 1930s setting.  I’m used to the modern creature-comforts.  I’ve never had to live her kind of life.”

“I grew up watching musicals and loved them, and I’ve always wanted to perform in them because they looked like so much fun,” said Pretko.  “With the encouragement of some friends, I decided to pursue [my dream]; they persuaded me to start acting.”

“This cast is young, fun, and energetic,” said Pretko.  “They’re a very talented group.”

“We have a whole array of ages in the cast, and two of them are really talented dancers who are featured in the show,” said Garcia.  “There are also high school students and a few adults.”

“Rodgers and Hart seemed to like to do a lot of dance music, and sometimes we’ve had to cut out some of the dances, in previous shows, but this time we don’t,” said Chewkanes.  “We have the dancers for this show.”

“It’s a great honor to be working with this cast, to be sharing the stage with them; I’m just part of the group, going out there and doing what we have to do,” said Thompson, who earns his living bartending at the Iron Hill Brewery.  “It’s an unbelievably talented group.  It’s been a delight to work with them.”

One challenging part of the production is the [long] ballet, which includes the whole cast.  “We’re using a scrim, a sheer piece of material that can be seen through with certain light,” said Chewkanes.  “Behind that will be some actors holding cut-out pieces, and all that is used to communicate the passage of time.  The challenge is getting the right lighting and the logistics of everyone moving correctly.”

“The challenge, and probably the most interesting part of the show for me, was that ‘ballet’, or dream sequence, called ‘Peter’s Dream’,” said Diane Hodgkiss, who has been performing and/or choreographing shows at the NCT since 1996.  Over the years, she has choreographed such shows as You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Singing in the Rain, and more recently, Beauty and the Beast.  “In that era, those types of shows always had a longer dance part, and trying to come up with a story line that fits the show and includes certain dance styles that fit the music, that was probably the most artistically challenging thing.”  That particular dance scene runs for about 10 minutes of the show.

“There’s a lot of tap dancing, and in the ballet sequence—‘Peter’s Dream’—the music for that part of the show is more like Gershwin’s music,” said Garcia.  “There are a lot of different tempos and a lot of different styles [of music] in just [that] one number.”

“[The members of the cast] are all very energetic,” said Hodgkiss.  “This particular show requires that the actors be ‘over the top’.  It’s a time period—the Great Depression—that none of them can relate to, and to see their personalities come alive on stage—in the acting and dancing—that’s what I enjoy about it.”

“The biggest challenge is the actual script,” said Marsch.  “It’s a comedy, but it’s really corny, and it needs to be played ‘over the top’ to make the comedy work.  And it has huge musical and dance numbers.”

Babes in Arms first opened on Broadway—starring Mitzi Green, Ray Heatherton, Alfred Drake, and the Nicholas Brothers—at the Shubert Theatre on April 14, 1937.  At first, it was somewhat ignored, being more of a family-friendly show and not being plush or having any nudity or show girls.  But then suddenly, every other Broadway show folded, and on July 17 that year, it was the only musical still playing on Broadway.  As a result, its greatness “got noticed”.  In October 1937, Babes in Arms was transferred to the Majestic Theatre, where it ran until it had run on Broadway for a total of 289 performances.

The original production was choreographed by George Balanchine (1904-1983), one of the 20^th-century’s foremost choreographers, a man who pioneered ballet in the U.S. and co-founded the New York City Ballet.  Several songs from the show have become pop and jazz standards, including not only “My Funny Valentine”, but “The Lady is a Tramp”, “I Wish I Were in Love Again”, “Johnny One Note”, and “Where or When”.  A later movie version in 1939 starred Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1936

The team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) began in 1919 and continued for 24 years—until Hart’s death in 1943.  Together they wrote several hundred songs and did 28 stage musicals.  In 1919, as Columbia University students, they met and were asked to write an amateur club show.  In 1925, they had their first successful Broadway musical, The Garrick Gaieties, and by the end of the 1920s, they were among the most popular songwriters in America.

Rodgers and Hart claimed that they employed a “commercial instinct” in their creative process that set them apart from many in the show-producing circles of their time, and Hart’s lyrics moved away from the then-more-standard eternal rhyming into an easier, more vernacular and sometimes playful use of language, which ended up raising the standard for Broadway songwriting.  They focused on the integration of story and music in their shows and often included a lot of dance music in them.  After Hart’s death, Rodgers teamed up with Oscar Hammerstein II, and the two continued providing audiences with high-quality musicals.

Narberth Community Theatre is a not-for-profit theater company made up of actors, musicians, and production crew members of all ages and walks of life.  The company produces a wide-range of theater productions and family-friendly programming, normally offering 3 professional productions per season.  Now in its 51^st season, the theater company has gone through numerous venue changes over the years.

“We started the Theatre as an offshoot of the Narberth PTA,” said Cheryl Chewkanes, who has been a member of the group since 1966.  “After the Narberth PTA formed in the late 50s, it did a Follies show every year for a few years.  It then started doing shows (plays and musicals), and we’ve done 2 or 3 shows a season ever since.”

“One of the first musicals [we did] was Fiorello, and that’s how I got involved,” said Chewkanes.  “My parents were the musical directors for that production, and I played the violin in the orchestra.”

“In the beginning, we had just a few alternating directors—for example, Bill Gray and Bob Penrose, both of whom still come to our performances,” said Chewkanes.  “Now, we’re bringing in new people, like director Robert Marsch.  This is his first show with the Narberth Community Theatre.” 

“We had our 50^th anniversary banquet earlier this year, and in gathering and looking at all the pictures from our productions over the years, . . . well, . . . it was really exciting to see how we’ve grown,” said Chewkanes.

“We started giving the performances in the Narberth Elementary School a few blocks away, and we were there for the first 10-15 years—until the school closed,” said Chewkanes.  “Then we were going around to different schools—to Bala Cynwyd High School, to Lower Merion High School; every show we did, we had to find another location—and we had to store all our stuff in Bob and Ann(e) Penrose’s garage.  They were lifesavers for us, but each time we did a show, we had to go to their garage and pull out everything we needed—and go put it all back when the show was over.  It’s amazing that we just kept going!”

“Ten years ago, we were fortunate enough to get the space in the basement of the Church,” said Chewkanes.  “We built a larger stage out front of the small one they had and added lights and curtains, and now we have a permanent home with ample space to store all our stuff.  We were very fortunate to find this space to rent.”

“Every show we do is just as fresh and alive as the very first show we did in 1959,” said Steve Arcidiacono, the 2010-11 President of the Theatre’s Board of Directors and the producer, along with Susan Davit, for this production of Babes in Arms.

“We have people from all walks of life getting involved,” said Chewkanes.  “They have their own careers, and they love to act.  It’s amazing how much talent is out there!  And our shows have been selling out.”

“This cast is mostly young people,” said Marsch.  “It’s fun watching them bond together.  I’ve worked with a number of them before, and I’m pretty easy to work with.  I take pride in the fact that people like to work with me.”

“If people want to just sit back and be thoroughly entertained for a few hours—and escape their problems, which we all have, they should come see the show,” said Hodgkiss, who is also a firm believer in supporting the Arts at every level.

“People should come and see the show for a fun, family-friendly experience, and they’re sure to leave with smiles on their faces,” said Pretko. 

“It’s a great show!” said Thompson.  “For the price of the ticket, it’s awesome entertainment.  There’s nothing to think about.  It’s just a fun show.  It’s one of those shows you can just enjoy.”

* Photo of Brenda Pretko and Mark Thompson Courtesy of Robert Marsch and the Narberth Community Theatre

© 2010 by Catherine J. Barrier.  All rights reserved.