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FeedFunny Lady
Susan Stroman meets Mel Brooks on Broadway again. Plus, Punkin Chunkin's new launching pad, Dover Downs in the desert, a special bar and more.
Wilmington native Susan Stroman,
a celebrated New Yorker for some
time now, once again teams with Mel
Brooks on Broadway.
Photograph by Paul Kolnik
www.paulkolnik.com
Funny Lady
If 'Young Frankenstein' the musical is as funny as the movie, thank Sue Stroman'again.
Wilmington native Susan Stroman and comedy legend Mel Brooks are yucking it up again. And why not? The ridiculously talented duo did pretty well with their last collaboration, the 12-time Tony Award-winning smash, "The Producers."
Buckle your seatbelts. This month their newest musical monster will pounce on Broadway. "Young Frankenstein" opens November 8 at the Hilton Theatre. "Of all the things Mel has accomplished, "The Producers" was his most fulfilling," Stroman says. "All of a sudden he called and said, "Let's do it again." How could I refuse?"
"Young Frankenstein" premiered in August in Seattle to huge laughter. The star-studded cast includes Roger Bart as Frederick Frankenstein and Megan Mullally (of "Will and Grace") as Elizabeth. Sutton Foster is an amazing Inga. Shuler Hensley is The Monster. Stroman directs and choreographs.
That's a tuner with mega marquee value. "Young Frankenstein" is one of the biggest deals headed to Broadway, according to Variety. The top ticket price is $120. The advance hit $15 million by August.
Stroman started tapping at Delaware's Anna Marie Dance Studio and James Jamison's Academy of the Dance. She keeps in touch with some of her early mentors. "I've had a passion for theater since I was 5," she says. "As for those studios in Delaware, well, that was my life." -Maria Hess
UofD (left) Junior Andrew Veit demonstrates
the Blue Hens' drum corps style on his snare.
Del State (right) Sophomore Justin Robins,
percussion section leader, and his fellow drummers
are the eye of the Approaching Storm.
Photograph by Christian Kaye
www.transitdesigns.com
Tattoo Review
Two college drumlines. More excitement than you can stand. Here's how they roll.
University of Delaware
Drummers in the University of Delaware marching band are so insanely focused on playing together, it's a miracle they don't breathe in unison.
UD's drumline plays and performs in a drum corps style, which emphasizes military precision and uniformity.
"The style is very detailed," explains drumline instructor Jim Ancona. "It's musically and visually oriented so that when you see us, you will hear us playing every single note together clean. You will see the exact same stick heights, the exact same stick angles, the exact same technique and grip. Really, the ultimate goal is to create a mirror image from player to player."
While marching, the drumline moves in a low, rolling step from heel to toe, which gives the appearance of gliding. After halftime at UD football home games, the drumline taps out various beats, cadences and show music under the bleachers.
"It's getting to be such a big thing that you will see hundreds of people crowded around the drumline with their children on their shoulders just to watch the guys huddle up," Ancona says.
Delaware State University
If the Delaware State University marching band is the Approaching Storm, the drumline is the eye.
"They're in the middle of that hurricane," says band director Randolph Johnson. "Without the eye, you wouldn't have the storm."
DelState drummers might be the flashiest section in a band where dance routines, paratroopers and magic acts are the norm.
"People who come out expect some sort of surprise in our show, something they've never seen before and when they go home, they say, "can't believe they did that," Johnson says.
Bands at most historically black colleges and universities employ high-step style of marching, a dance team, and song arrangements cribbed from pop and hip-hop stations. Snare players beat on drums slung low near the knees and off to the side, allowing for free range of motion-a necessity when dancing, flipping sticks and otherwise sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"It's been the culture since the 1960s," Johnson says. "It's all about turning the crowd on and psyching them up. At HBCUs nobody goes to get hot dogs and popcorn at halftime." -Matt Amis
Cleveland Morris returns to Wilmington this month.
Photograph by David Steinberg
Leave it to Cleveland
A favorite son returns-as an experienced painter with a fresh perspective.
When Cleveland Morris moved to the Shenandoah Valley 10 years ago to pursue a quiet life of painting, Delaware's theater world felt the loss. As founding artistic director of the Delaware Theatre Company, Morris was a tireless advocate for the arts. Few spoke as eloquently or passionately.
Those qualities remain, and they'll go on display when Morris returns to Wilmington this month for "Cordially Yours," his seventh show at Carspecken Scott Gallery, beginning November 1.
Gallery owner Fred Carspecken says the paintings are Morris' best work. And they'll likely sell out, like they always do. The difference this time is why.
"In the beginning, people were buying Cleveland's paintings because he was Cleveland Morris," says Carspecken. "But younger patrons have no idea who he is. They just like his work."
Nothing makes Morris happier. He moved to Staunton, Virginia, to escape an exhausting career. "I didn't know a soul," he says. "And that's the way I wanted it." But living in Virginia has rendered a fresh perspective on Delaware. "It has given me an even greater esteem for the privileges and good luck I had," he says. "When I come home and walk along the Riverfront, it's my wildest dream come true. We had envisioned something like it, but nowhere near the level of excellence and vitality that's been achieved."
What is most remarkable about Morris is his insistence on keeping it real. Art may have gotten lost in the money game, yet Morris talks of painting as a humanistic endeavor. He's not rich. He teaches at two schools. He's a part-time librarian. He rents an apartment. And he's happy. It shows in his work.
"I am a very lucky man to have found two careers that are absolutely all-absorbing," he says. "To begin a new career at the age of 50, you have all of the curiosity, the verve and the impetuousness of a 20-year-old. But now I also have this incredible sense of serenity and contemplative spirituality." -Maria Hess
Founding chunkers (from left) John Ellsworth,
Chuck Burton, Bill Thompson, Bruce Heal and
Trey Melson in 1995. Melson's air cannon,
Universal Soldier, once landed a shot in the
parking lot of a church more than half a
mile away.
Photograph by Scott Hewitt
www.scotthewitt.com
Nomadic Pneumatics
The wandering air cannons of Punkin Chunkin find another new home. Strap on your hard hat.
Tens of thousands of spectators agree that World Championship Punkin Chunkin is outstanding in its field. The question is, which field?
The chunk has been held in four locations since 1986. This year (November 2-4) it moves to the Wheatley Farm near Bridgeville. Punkin Chunkin was forced to vacate its first two locations-Bill Thompson's backyard near Georgetown and the field at Eagle Crest north of Lewes-after machines fired pumpkins off the premises.
The notion of gourds traveling farther than the length of eight football fields was amusing in the early 1990s-until ever-evolving air cannons began propelling their payloads out of sight. Wind-blown projectiles at Eagle Crest forced State Police to close an adjacent stretch of Del. 1 during each throw. Despite the precaution, one winning shot, in the form of a 10-pound pumpkin, landed inches from a police cruiser parked in the highway's median.
One year the good-natured congregation of Lewes Church of Christ, whose sanctuary stood about 3,500 feet from the firing line, placed a bull's-eye on the roof'which was amusing until the late Trey Melson's Universal Soldier blasted a pumpkin into the parking lot.
The Chunk was soon moved to Bill Hurdle's bean field near Millsboro. It was there in 2003 that Second Amendment set a world record at 4,434 feet. The Hurdle property provided ample space but, alas, the chunk was forced to move again. This time chunkers didn't flee because their ammunition threatened the well-being of worshippers. Like wildlife and a growing list of iconic restaurants, the event was rousted from its habitat by a housing development. (One can imagine the future subdivisions' names: Punkin Chase, Flying Gourd Farms, Jack O'Lantern Runne.)
The Punkin Chunkers Association struggled to find another suitable site and almost moved the event to'horrors'Maryland. The group finally struck a 10-year agreement with the Wheatley family. Now favorite cannons such as Chunkin Up and Big 10 Inch will hurl onto Bridgeville's future wastewater spray irrigation site. The land provides ample room for large crowds and long shots. "The field will be able to handle a mile-and-a-half shot easy," says association president Frank Shade. "All it takes is a good tailwind and a light pumpkin."
Nearby churches beware.
For those not familiar with the back roads of western Sussex, the event's website provides directions, complete with GPS coordinates, for high-tech rednecks. Check it out at www.punkinchunkin.com. -Drew Ostroski
Chuck Treece has played on tracks for Sting
and Dr. Dre, among others.
Photograph by Chuck Pegot
Long Live Rock
A local punk legend's new CD may be angry, but the artist says music is love.
Chuck Tree is a walking jukebox.
The one album by his band, McRad, helped define punk rock music in 1987. He then released a solo album in 1991. An accomplished studio musician, he's played on tracks for Amy Grant, Sting, Mariah Carey, Dr. Dre and Ricky Martin. Unlike the rest of the planet, he has nice things to say about Courtney Love.
A Wilmington native and 1981 graduate of John Dickinson High School, Treece grew up in Meadowood, cruising Main Street in Newark and skateboarding at All Saints Cemetery. He made his name as a pro skater in Philly, then started McRad in 1982.
"I just wanted to be in a band. We all liked punk rock and we all liked to skateboard," says Treece. "What's cool is something that started in '77 still makes sense in 2007."
So much sense that Treece has released a new CD of McRad cuts collected from nearly two decades' worth of material.
McRad's music was characterized by its break-neck speed and angry lyrics. It wasn't pretty or popular, but its raw'often violent'nature and honesty left a mark. McRad may have released just one album, "Absence of Sanity," but they appeared on countless compilation records over the years.
Though McRad was Treece's first love, he also spent time as the touring drummer for D.C.-based group Bad Brains, one of the most influential punk bands of the day.
Which made Treece an anomaly. Most punkers relied on their fists instead of musical skill, but Treece was a real musician, proficient on the drums, bass and guitar, who'd been performing since age 8. His talent and connections in Philly led to abundant work as a session musician; he played bass on Billy Joel's 1993 hit "River of Dreams," which peaked at No. 3 on the U.S. charts.
C'mon. A furious punk rocker laying down smooth bass lines for Billy Joel?
"Ilove everything I get a chance to do in the studio." Treece says. "Ilove the feeling of being involved in what's real to me.' -Matt Amis
Pet Peeve
Few would disagree that raising money to help our furry friends is a good cause. But must we turn to our pocket pun pamphlet every time we hold a "fun-raiser?"
The word play was amusing at first, producing such clever titles as Muttini Mixer, a benefit for the Delaware Humane Association, and Faithful Friends' Barkitecture Gala. Even the Whiskazz and Pawzz Howl-o-ween shindig drew a chuckle. But our lexicon has become littered with pet puns. At the risk of seeming catty, we quibble a bit with this abuse of paronomasia. It's time to put the muzzle on all pet puns for, say, about nine lives. Let's resist the urge to misuse words such as mutt and furry. Neuter all canine references, including the substitution of "ruff" for "rough" and any bastardization of the words "paw" (let's pawty) and "yap" (yappy hour, yappetizers).
With scads of animal lovers around these parts, we realize we could be barking up the wrong tree. But the idea is not that far-fetched. We beg you to obey. Throw us a bone.
Now, let's shake-
-Drew Ostroski
Mad Max
One must be crazy to spend three hot months on narrow scaffolding. Such is the life of a public muralist.
Most folks will never know what it took to produce Wilmington's largest public painting. Muralist Max Mason will never forget.
Mason was commissioned to create a scene on the wall of the Wilmington Fire Department Station 1 at Second and West streets. "Fourth of July, Wilmington" celebrates the history of the city fire department, serves as a tribute to September 11 firefighters and promotes fire safety.
The project was designed to unify the community by involving volunteers. That meant 300 strangers, most untrained as artists, would have access to Mason's cinderblock canvas. Would Michelangelo have handed over his brush to anyone who wandered into the Sistine Chapel?
"How can I make this sound diplomatic?" Mason says with a laugh. "Ihad to paint over everything they did."
Better try again, Max.
"It was a challenge to find ways for everybody to contribute to the overall result," he says, "but I'm very proud of the fact that so many people could be involved."
That's better.
But inexperienced artists weren't Mason's only nemesis. He painted during May, June and July, when temperatures were often in the 90s. His ears were barraged with sirens each time an emergency vehicle left the station.
Despite the difficulties, Mason completed his work in early August. Time has given him perspective. "It's like a hiking trip," he explains. "You think about those bugs, the sweat in your eyes and the blisters on your feet. But in the end, you think you had the greatest time of your life"
"Not that I'm ready to start another one of these projects yet." -Drew Ostroski
And Caesars Doesn't Have a Monster Mile
As Delawareans, we were proud when Dover Downs Hotel & Casino announced that readers of a popular consumer gaming magazine had voted it the Best Overall Gaming Resort in the country.
We thought: Take that, Steve Wynn.
It turns out the headline on the press release was partially correct. Dover Downs indeed received 16 first-place honors in Casino Player magazine's annual Best of Gaming readers survey'in the racino division.
That means Dover Downs beat out 42 other casinos that offer the combination of slot machine betting and wagering on horse or dog races. Still, the recognition, which came from customers, is something to make CEO Ed Sutor and the gang mighty proud.
Dover Downs has come a long way. Remember when it was just a harness racing oval inside a stock car racing oval? Which got us thinking: After a few more expansions, Dover Downs could rival its high-rolling cousins in the Nevada desert.
If you squint at Dover Downs at night, it resembles a mini Bellagio. But the similarities between Dover's racino and the Vegas Strip's big boys don't end there. Dover Downs is doubling the size of its hotel to 500 rooms, opening a luxurious full-service spa and adding more slot machines. You can even rent a suite that features a pool table. Caesars recently added a 36,000-square foot nightclub and spent $376 million on an expansion that includes the 950-room Augustus tower. We're not sure about the availability of pool tables.
At Caesars' 4,000-seat Colosseum, regular performers include superstars Celine Dion, Elton John and Jerry Seinfeld. Dover's 1,600-seat Rollins Center has welcomed superstars such as Tanya Tucker, Little Richard and Sinbad.
One item we hope Dover will consider during future expansions: an elegant water fountain. But rather than sacrifice precious parking spaces in the process, we suggest Dover Downs annex the stormwater retention pond in front of neighboring Dover Mall. With some phragmites mitigation, Dover Downs could create its own famous dancing fountains. Perhaps Arkadi Kuhlman of ING Direct might be willing to persuade Robbie Knieval to jump the thing on his motorcycle.
Did we mention Dover Downs' casino offers a complimentary soft drink service?
-Drew Ostroski
Emilie Ninan
Barring None
A new organization of attorneys meets the needs of a special group.
The South Asian Bar Association of Delaware is the first minority bar association in the state. Its president, Emilie Ninan, is the first South Asian partner to be appointed in a major local firm, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll.
"Having an association like this shows that Delaware is finally getting a critical mass in terms of ethnic attorneys," says Ninan.
There are 30 practicing attorneys of South Asian descent in Delaware, says Ninan. "There were only five when I began practicing in 1995. If the fact that five South Asian attorneys were admitted to the bar in '06 is any indication, then the numbers will increase quite a bit in the next 10 years."
Established in May, SABA-DE is the 24th chapter of the North American South Asian Bar Association, which includes 5,000 attorneys. Locally, the group will help voice the concerns of South Asian legal professionals and law students. SABA-DE also aspires to ensure diversity in judicial appointments.
South Asian descent is not to be confused with Asian descent, says Ninan. South Asians are primarily descendents of the Indian subcontinent, which includes Bhutan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and parts of Afghanistan.
That said, SABA-DE is not exclusive, and people from all cultures are welcome, says Ninan. "But what it boils down to is the fact that you have to create your own network."
Gregory Williams, chair of the Delaware State Bar Association's Multicultural Section, says, "Minority bar associations such as the South Asian Bar Association of Delaware enhance the diversity of the Delaware legal landscape and serve to make Delaware a more attractive destination to students of color."
-Maria Hess
