Philadelphia Daily Record

Vol. II No. 101 (261)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

July 15, 2011

Philadelphia Daily Record

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The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar Jul. 14Michael Meehan and Republican City Committee hosts fundraiser for Karen Brown for Mayor at Vesper Club, 223 S. Sydenham St., 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets $250.

Jul. 15Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell celebrates her birthday with 14th annual Celebration and Health Fair for Homeless on City Hall’s Dilworth Plaza, 12 m.-3 p.m.

Jul. 15Councilman Curtis Jones celebrates his birthday with White Linen Party at Centennial Café, 4700 States Dr., Fairmount Pk., 811 p.m. Donation $50. For info (267) 912-1420 or email SamanthaJoyWilliams@gmail.com.

Jul. 15, 16Arts Bank Theatre hosts Classic Concert entertainment. $20.

Hosted by Miss Black Penna. For info (267) 281-3521, Jul. 16G.O.P. Republican Motorcycle Riding Club launches 1sr annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride honnoring 20th annivdfsasy of passing of Mayor Frank L. Rizzo. All invited. Meet at Holy Sepulche Cementery, Cheltenham ave. and Easton Rd. Jul. 19Fundraiser for Council candidate David Oh at McGillin’s Ale House, 1310 Drury St., 6-8. Free buffet, open bar. Contribution $50. Cash or money order. No Corporate checks.

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

13 JUNE, 2011

Nutter Attends Freedom Rings Partnership Mayor Nutter is this afternoon attending the opening of a “Freedom Rings Partnership” computing center, 4233 Chestnut Street, a Media Mobilizing Project, one of 77 computer centers opening across the City.

Digital literacy and workforce

training opportunities will be provided to the public at these locations, which will be overseen and managed by the City and its partners from the nonprofit and education communities.

The “Freedom Rings Partnership” is being funded through the Fed-

eral American Recovery Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) Broadband Technology Opportunity Program.

To learn more about the “Freedom Rings Partnership” visit http://www.freedomringspartnership.com

Lone Philadelphia Contestant in “Delco Idol Jr.,” Meghan Rossi, Advances into Second Round the singing competition’s second round, to be held at the Media Theatre in central Delaware County on Sunday at 7 PM. This critic served this past Sunday night as a revolving “celebrity” judge for the five-Sunday-evening (through August 7) third edition of “Delco Idol Jr.” This writer was thoroughly impressed by the combination of natural vocal talent, stage presence and production efforts on display at the Media Theatre for the Performing Arts. a member of the casts of the Media Theater’s two most recent professional productions, Annie and Tommy: The Musical, emceed the show. The theater’s artistic director, Jesse Cline, while serving as one of the four judges, offered occasional polite-versionof-Simon-Cowell on-stage feedback.

Mariani’s Chairman-of-the-Board persona seemed to extend to off the stage. After the show, this reviewer commended him and asked him if people ever told him that he reminded them of a young Sinatra.

Mariani nonchalantly shrugged while giving a response of “yeah.”

It was as if he was almost exasperated by the ridiculousness of being asked a question with such an obvious answer.

One memorable performer was 11year-old Paul Mariani III, of Ard-

Other vocal performances which

JP Dunphy,

Battling For Idol, Jr.

by Adam Taxin Philadelphia’s Meghan Rossi, 13, the only Philadelphia resident among the 41 contestants in this summer’s third edition of “Delco Idol Jr.,” was one of the 35 advanced who, at this past Sunday’s first-round show, was invited into 13 JUNE, 2011

more, who sang Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” while playing piano. The crowd joined in enthusiastically. It was easy to wonder whether Mariani might have received even more overwhelming enthusiasm from the audience had he performed “High Hopes,” a staple of Phillies, as opposed to Boston Red Sox, games. (Mariani actually did perform “High Hopes” during last year’s competition.)

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stood out as particularly strong were those of Aidan Cole, 12, of Wallingford (“Electricity” from Billy Elliott) and Alexandra Zeh, 12, of Wayne (“Reflection” from Mulan).

Jason Hayes, 13, of Media, kept the attention of the audience with a version of “My Girl” which offered, in several places, vocals that were significantly different from the well-known Four Tops version.

Most performers were accompanied on piano by Tom Fosnocht, the theatre’s resident music director, However, Blake Jelus, 12, of Broomall, played guitar while singing Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors,” about a childhood light on luxuries but heavy on a mother’s love. Teddy Rosenbluth, 12, of Swarthmore, went one step further than merely playing guitar: Rosenbluth sang “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You,” which she wrote.

(For what it is worth, when judging, this reviewer kept in mind that the competition was judged on the categories of “vocal ability” [song interpretation and ability to hit correct notes] and “stage presence” [personality and attire] and did his best to avoid awarding extra points for accompanying oneself with an instrumental performance.)

Predictably, given the ages involved, the maturity of the performance styles varied. Beada Briglia, 8, of Media, opened the show with an adorable rendition of Connie Francis’s “Stupid Cupid.”

Briglia carried herself as professionally as the child performers in the Media Theatre’s excellent production of Annie from this past winter. Chadds Ford’s Josh Feldman, 7, was a hit with the audience with his performance of 4|

“Can’t Wait To Be King” from The Feldman seemed the youngest of all performers.

Lion King;

In contrast, to someone viewing from the middle of the back of the audience, Lauren Grajewski, 12, of Newton Square, who sang “All That Jazz,” might well have been a member of the chorus in a professional production of Chicago (a show which, incidentally, will run at the Media Theatre starting September 28 and will feature Justin Guarini,

runner-up in the initial addition of American Idol).

The only performer who earned perfect scores of ten in both categories from this reviewer was Makenna Mink, 9, of Glen Mills.

Mink sang Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” a hit song in early 2011.

That song was also performed

by Brookhaven’s Alex Buonapane, 11, and Ridley’s Mikyah Mott, 13.

“Rolling in the Deep” was the only song chosen for performance by three different contestants. The songs performed twice were “Part of Your World” (from The Little Mermaid) and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ The lyrics of “Rolling in the Deep” include lines such as “go out and sell me out, and I’ll lay your ship bare” and “there’s a fire starting in my heart, reaching a fever pitch, and it’s bringing me out the dark.” Nevertheless, two other performances stood out even more acutely in terms of songs’ lyrics relative to performers’ ages.

Andrew Loper, 13, of Springfield, performed “House of the Rising THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Sun,” the Animals’ regretful ode to New Orleans bordello life.

Michael Walczak, 13, of Glenolden, lamented the lateness with which “Catholic girls start” in his rendition of Billy Joel’s “Only The Good Die Young.”

Two performances seemed as if they were good-naturedly mocking the incongruity of song meanings and performers’ ages. Essington’s Teanna Rico, 11, sang Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter” while wearing a “No Boyfriend, No Problem” shirt. The most laughter at any point was generated by Media’s Emily Smith, 9. Her rendition of “I Hate Men” from Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate contained generous helpings of sighs, grunts, purposeful campy overacting and overall drama.

Smith’s brothers also competed.

Christopher Smith, 10, sang Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” while playing the piano. Gregory Smith, 12, sang “Stay” (originally popularized as a doo-wop Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs and known additionally as the send-off song of Jackson Browne concerts).

The Smiths were not the only siblings who advanced together. Sisters Brianna Mazzola, 10 (who sang “Wizard and I” from Wicked), and Paige Mazzola, 8 (who sang “Don’t Stop Believin’“), from Glen Mills, gave the impression that they would both be lasting well into the competition. Additionally, Beada Briglia’s brother Dan Briglia, 11, of Media, performed “Oh Darling” by the Beatles.

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As might be expected in a show whose performers’ ages range from 7 to 13, lyrics were occasionally forgotten. The most memorable of such cases was at the start of the performance of Taylor Swift’s “Mean” by Kerry Collins, 8, of West Chester. Collins quickly did a successful reboot, to the delighted applause of the relatively full audience.

As for other quaint missteps, Wallingford’s Noah Mendell, 13, displayed an element of forgivable naivete when introducing his performance, which included himself on guitar. He described Don McLean’s insufferably-ubiqutiouseven-forty-years-after-its-release “American Pie” (a song whose level of airplay was significantly attributable to the usefulness to 1971 FM disc jockeys of an 8:33 running time) as something he could not imagine anyone not liking.

All of the aforementioned performers advanced to the second round.

Six performers were not quite as

fortunate.

The end result of Media 11-yearold Abigail Schwartz’s performance of “Part of Your World” was that she would have to wait until next year to compete further. Nevertheless, her father, Alec Schwartz, was not at all bitter. According to him, “It’s important to learn the lesson that everyone does not get a trophy just for participating. Media Theatre teaches that lesson while preserving dignity rather than feasting on disappointment.”

He continued, “Although it is certainly tough on a young child to be eliminated in the first round, over time, looking back, I am sure ‘Delco Idol Jr.’ will be a valuable learning experience. Overall, the event provides an excellent platform for young performers to express themselves in a safe and nurturing environment.”

The initial contestants for both competitions were selected during tryouts in May. The “Idol” contests

meet once a week for rehearsal with Fosnocht prior to performing each week.

The contests feature an element of online voting (for a $2 donation per vote).

Online purchase is available for both Delco Idol and Delco Idol Jr.. For both competitions, tickets are $12 for children, $15 for adults, except in the final round, when tickets are $15 for children, $20 for adults.

The second round of “Delco Idol” will take place Wednesday at 7 PM at the Media Theatre. The Media Theatre’s summer camp program will offer its first of sixteen performances of RENT: Student Edition tonight at 7 PM. -----------------(Aimee Rubin contributed to this article, of which a different, much longer

version appeared in the “Philadelphia Jewish Culture Examiner” column on examiner.com .)

Wilma’s No Regrets Delights, Piques Interest In “Little Sparrow” Édith Piaf JOHN JARBOE crosses gender lines to perform the role of Edith Piaf in “No Regrets: A Piaf Affair” at the Wilma Theater. Credit: Wilma Theater website

by Marianna Salz and Adam Taxin The two-week engagement of No Regrets: A Piaf Affair resumed last night (appropriately enough, given Bastille Day) at Center City’s Wilma Theater. The show offers two more performances, tonight and tomorrow night, with doors open for first-come-first-serve seating at 10 for the 10:30 show.

The torchsong-style show features the five-female, three-male Bearded Ladies ensemble performing eleven of the most well-known songs of Édith Piaf, a 15 JULY, 2011

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major French singer and cultural icon in the 1940s and 1950s. Born as Édith Giovanna Gassion into humble beginnings (her father was a street acrobat; her mother was a cabaret singer and brothel manager of French-ItalianBerber origin), she acquired the nickname “La Môme Piaf (The Little Sparrow)“ due to her 4’8” height.

Later known as “Édith Piaf,” she eventually became regarded as France’s greatest popular singer, especially of ballads.

The show turned out to be the surprise highlight of the last several months at the Wilma. It was a grand affair combining colorful costumes, a modest but effective set, and characters (two male, three female) who summoned different aspects of Piaf’s persona.

The intimacy of the Wilma’s lobby as the performance venue facilitated interaction, often flirtatious (in keeping with Piaf’s style), among performers and audience members. Numerous men found themselves recipients of winks and affectionate rubs as the singers sauntered through the audience.

John Jarbue is not only No Regrets‘ director but serves as the main Piaf, while wearing a not-particularlygaudy drag costume. One might wonder how such casting might have gone over with those in the family of Piaf’s maternal grandmother, Emma (Aïcha) Saïd ben Mohammed, but Jarbue is quite effective. At times bringing to mind Joel Grey’s semi-androgynous emcee in the 1970 film version of Cabaret, Jarbue also provides plenty of biographical information about Piaf, drawing from Piaf by Simone Berteaut and Piaf’s own books, The Wheel of Fortune and My Life.

Regular Philadelphia theatergoers may recognize performer Mary Tuomanen from her role as the title character in the Philadelphia Shakespeare Company’s recent unorthodox production of Hamlet. The Bearded Ladies’ two instrumental musicians, Heath Allen (piano and accordian) and Kristen Bailey (harp) are given numerous opportunities to join in the singing.

The musical highlights of No Regrets, both of which featuring Liz Filios on lead vocals, are “L’Accordéoniste

(The Accordianist)“ and “Padam Padam (a made-up term to describe a tune in one’s head).” “La Vie In Rose (Life in Rosy Hues),” probably Piaf’s best-known song in the U.S., is, predictably enough, part of the program; its arrangement includes an angelicsounding chorus. The staging of “L’Hymne À L’Amour (The Hymn To Love)“ is excellent, with the performers handing out heart-shaped pins to audience members.

Another highlight is “Milord (My Lord).” On the surface, to a nonfrancophone, that song may suggest Liza Minnelli’s “Mein Herr” in Cabaret (yes, there we go again).However, “Milord” is actually about a prostitute’s crush on an upper-class Englishman, rather than a peripatetic lover’s dismissal of a mate.

The show concludes with Piaf’s last major hit, the nostalgic “Je Ne Regrette Rien (I Regret Nothing).” In the end, that song’s title serves as a fitting description of how most audience members will feel about their decisions to purchase tickets to this spirited and often-comical tribute.

Al-Bustan Awards Winner Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is the 2011 winner of the prestigious George Bartol Arts Education Award. Al-Bustan is currently presenting its Arabic language and cultural arts day camp, which is open to children and teenagers of all backgrounds. Students from across the city, representing diverse cultures will be learning the arts and culture of Lebanon through music, dance, art, drama, poetry, science, and video-making, led by a team of accomplished teaching

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artists and educators. There will be many opportunities for visuals and sound, in addition to interviews with children, artists and staff.

The day camp is being held from July 11-29 , 9 to 4, at Springside School, 8000 Cherokee St. in Chestnut Hill.

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