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Hello, dahlings. Gabby is here to tell you that when the circus comes to town, it really puts on a show. This month we visited The Night of all Nights and dropped in on Northern Lights of Life.
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Making the Cirque
The flawless Lucinda Williams, executive director, and Mark Mobley, director of community engagement, were both atwitter over the Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s opening night at The Grand Opera House—especially the surprise finale featuring an abdominally gifted aerialist named Angel. “We usually have the spirits of former performing greats flying about the theater,” Lucinda said. “Tonight we have an angel.”
DSO’s opening night is always an event, but this year’s, billed as “The Night of All Nights,” by all accounts surpassed its promise. DSO and principal sponsor ING Direct presented an original, collaborative program that melded the talents of the symphony—led by ever-popular conductor David Amado—guest soloist Jeremy Denk on piano, and the dazzling performers and artists of Cirque Productions.
On Market Street outside The Grand, guests including Tatiana and Gerret Copeland were greeted by circus tents, The Johannes Brass band, body-distorting funhouse mirrors, and large, balloon sculpture clowns—all a hint of the fun and frivolity to be had inside.
The excitement was expressed perfectly by an effervescent Synthia Wong, co-chair of the evening’s design committee and wife to ING CEO Arkadi Kuhlman, as well as Nicholas Cerchi, a former DSO president. Gala co-chairs Ann and David Hamilton emphasized that such creative events are an integral part of Wilmington’s social and cultural renaissance.
Once inside the lobby of The Grand, attendees were greeted by servers clad in pink sequins who offered Cirquetinis and adult snow cones in two yummy flavors. Judging by the duration of the audiences’ standing ovation, their perseverance at the symphony-hosted after-party, and the many who strolled a block up Market Street to the Exchange on Market Restaurant to dance the night away with several of Cirque’s friendly and fabulously fit stars, the evening was truly a night of all nights.
Page 2: Lighting it Up
