October 20, 2013

Theater review by Terry Conway

“Lend Me a Tenor” is just plain fun– loads of fun for the uber-talented cast, and for the audience too. It’s a classic farce with six doors slamming, women stuffed in closets, mixed signals, mistaken identities, gags and hysterical hijinks. It’s a madcap romp with physical comedy and split-second timing working overtime.

The year is 1934, handsomely reflected in Dirk Durossette’s impeccable art deco set of an upscale hotel suite with side-by-side rooms with those six doors for well-timed slamming. Tito “Il Stupendo” Merelli is the Luciano Pavarotti of his time. Merelli is scheduled for a performance of Verdi’s “Otello” playing the lead in a one night appearance at the Cleveland Opera Theater. The play also tells the story of Max, who dreams of being a professional opera singer. An assistant to the puffed-up opera director Henry Saunders, Max is charged with picking up Merelli, but then Tito goes missing.

Once the bombastic Merelli shows up with his hot-blooded wife Maria at the hotel suite all hell breaks loose. Everyone is star-struck. The bellhop wants an audition. Saunders’ daughter Maggie wants a fling. Never mind that Max, the company gofer, has proposed to her. Also working her wiles is Merelli’s Desdemona, Cleveland’s leading dowager.

Bud Martin’s fast-paced and hilarious production of the popular Ken Ludwig farce opened last Saturday evening on the Wilmington Riverfront. “Tenor” hits all the right notes. But beyond all the laughter, this play is about hope, Max’s hope, who at the end has the guts to take on the role of Othello.

The farce is the work of Ludwig, who hails from York, Pa. He penned the show in 1986. It premiered in London and came to Broadway three years later where it received nine Tony nominations, won two Tonys and picked up four Drama Desk Awards. It has proven to be one of the most popular comedies of the past twenty years.

Martin, a native of Drexel Hill (Delaware County) is a singular theater man. After a 25-year career as an investment banker and venture capitalist, Martin returned to his true love. By crunching numbers, serving up an energetic approach and starting to bring a parade of stars to the Riverfront site, Martin has seriously raised the Delaware Theater Company’s profile in his first season (2012-’13) as artistic director and executive director.

Producing plays on Broadway and London’s West End, Martin has worked with his share of luminary actors and theater moguls. Last fall he directed “Outgoing Tide,” a funny yet searing exploration of dementia and its effect on a family. He was able to corral the beloved “Waltons” matriarch Michael Learned and Emmy-Award winners Peter Strauss and Ian Lithgow to perform at the intimate theater. The show later traveled to New York.

John Plumpis plays the wonderfully pompous, non-stop womanizer opera singer in “Tenor.” He went through the curriculum that is now the University of Delaware’s Professional Theater Training Program. Plumpis is the “other guy” in Barrymore starring Christopher Plummer, which will air on PBS’ “Great Performances” this season. A resident of New York City since 1989, Plumpis played Luther Billis in “South Pacific” that was directed by Martin last spring. In “Tenor” Plumpis teams up again with actress Sarah Litzsinger, who played Nellie Forbush in “South Pacific.” She is Broadway’s longest running Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Lend Me a Tenor” runs through November 3. Tickets range from $35 to $50. For more information call (302)594-1100 or visit www.delawaretheatre.org

About Terry Conway

For the past fifteen years I’ve been a contributing writer to a variety of national & regional magazines, prominent daily news-papers and web sites. Currently my work appears in Blood Horse magazine, Long Island Boating World magazine, The Hunt magazine, and Pennsylvania Equestrian as well as the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Delaware County Times and the Montgomery County Newspapers. I am a regular contributor to JustSayGo, GallaghersTravels and SeeTheSouth -- topflight travel websites - and have contributed travel articles to IFWTWA.com -- the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association website. While many of my articles have spotlighted the world of art and special travel destinations, many folks ask, why horse racing? Well, it was America’s first sport. Andrew Jackson kept a stable when he was in the White House (1829-1837). Only four sportswriters have won the Pulitzer Prize and all of them wrote at one time or another about horseracing. It is all about chasing dreams, the fiercest rivalries, the wildest flukes and larger-than-life personalities, equine and human. The stories are personal, often laced with humor. And, unlike most professional athletes when you show up, the horse’s connections are pleased to talk with you. Bio RanchCreekRide I have been a regular contributor to The Blood-Horse magazine since 2003, and I have been a racing correspondent to ESPN.com, where I focus on historical racing stories. My work also appears on America’s Best Racing - the website of the Jockey Club, Equidaily.com, and TheRacingBiz.com. I have covered racing for Pennsylvania Equestrian since 2006; wrote a Sunday column on racing for several years for the Chester County (Pa.) daily newspaper; and write about racing and the horse world for The Hunt magazine in the mid-Atlantic region. I represented clients for nearly a decade in the areas of marketing and publicity such as the Kahunaville restaurant chain, Baldwin’s Book Barn and Thoroughbred Charities of America. In a former life I was the editor, publisher and owner of Life Sports Magazine. Smarty XmasCard My wife Jane, our toller retriever Smarty and I live in the historic neighborhood of Wawaset Park in Wilmington, Del. A century ago it was the state fairgrounds, home to a top-tier standardbred racetrack. Today, the grand old track can be visualized on a stroll along a pair of crescent-shaped roads that together circle the inside of the park. A couple of hitching posts still remain and occasionally, a time-worn horse shoe is dug up. Life sure does turn circles.

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Longwood Gardens Autumn’s Colors features Garden Railway, Pumpkin Playground and spectacular Chrysanthemum Festival.

Autumn’s Colors abound at Longwood Gardens now through November 24. Highlights of the colorful seasonal display include the Garden Railway featuring the return of the popular miniature Longwood landmarks made of natural elements. Outdoors, as the days turn cooler, the foliage colors the landscape in brilliant hues of orange, gold and red. Brilliant chrysanthemum blooms fill Longwood Gardens Conservatory when the annual Chrysanthemum Festival opens October 26.

Longwood will showcase more than 20,000 colorful, blooming Chrysanthemums flourishing in the palatial conservatory beginning October 26. A highlight of the display is the Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum, a single chrysanthemum plant grown to produce more than 1,000 perfect blooms.  The display runs October 26–November 24 from 9 am – 6 pm.

In 1981, Longwood turned its annual chrysanthemum display into a month-long festival featuring a variety of chrysanthemums grown in unique ways. Longwood’s team of experts have meticulously grown and groomed these fall favorites into a variety of unusual forms ranging from cascades that drape the Conservatory walls, to columns that flow like flowery waterfalls, to floating cloud forms, to gigantic orbs hanging from above, to towering single-stemmed mums, to miniature varieties.

The showstopper of the display is the elaborate “Thousand Bloom” mum, which this year boasts a record number of 1,416 perfectly placed, uniform blooms on one plant. A dying art form that originated in Japan, Longwood is one of the few places in the world where this growing technique is still practiced. The Thousand Bloom takes 18 months to grow and involves meticulous pinching and training to grow into the desired form. In addition to its own Thousand Bloom, Longwood is also growing a Thousand Bloom for display at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, which will feature approximately 500 blooms and be on display October 26-November 17.

In addition to the Thousand Bloom at Longwood, guests will encounter shield-shaped chrysanthemum forms, towering chrysanthemum arches to walk under, and a mum formed into a pagoda style.  Don’t miss the unusual horticultural feat of the Wonder of the World mum. This is a single chrysanthemum plant onto which more than 100 different cultivars of mums are grafted and then grown to bloom simultaneously.

The Chrysanthemum Festival is free with Gardens admission.

Visitors of all ages can enjoy Longwood’s model Garden Railway that travels past miniature Longwood landmarks made from natural elements. Featuring more than 500 feet of track, the railway fancifully depicts the Brandywine Valley and includes miniature landmark buildings constructed of natural materials, from roof tiles of magnolia leaves to handrails of honeysuckle vines.  The display includes a 1/24-scale version of Longwood’s Conservatory glazed with panes of resin glass contained by mullions of reed grass. Three G-scale electric trains traverse more than 500 feet of track and cross expansive handcrafted bridges and trestles. The railway is open daily, weather permitting.

Children of all ages will enjoy the Pumpkin Playground, on view September 28-November 1. Young guests are invited to roll, pickup, move and play with a variety of pumpkins in this interactive area. Don’t miss the chance to have your picture taken with the largest pumpkin in our display—topping 800 pounds!

About Longwood Gardens

In 1906, industrialist Pierre du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, PA, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber. Today, Longwood Gardens is one of the world’s great horticultural displays, encompassing 1,077 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ and 4.5-acre conservatory.  Longwood continues the mission set forth by Mr. du Pont to inspire people through excellence in garden design, horticulture, education and the performing arts, through programming that includes exhibitions, musical performances by leading artists, renowned horticulture education programs, horticulture research, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Visitor Information

The outdoor gardens and Conservatory open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 pm through November 24. The Terrace Restaurant is open daily for full- and self-service dining. The Gardens Shop is also open daily. Admission is $18 for adults; $15 for seniors (62+); $8 for Students ages 5-18 or with valid student ID; and free age 4 and under. Longwood Gardens is on US Route 1 near Kennett Square, PA. For more information, visit www.longwoodgardens.org or call 610-388-1000.

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