On Stage: Pocopson’s Trombetta breaks out in Young Frankenstein

Also: Jack Hanna gets wild in Del., and for duo it is all about the bass

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

“The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein” is a very funny show.

It is a Broadway musical with a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks. It is based on the movie “Young Frankenstein,” a comedy film written by Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder and directed by Brooks that came out in 1974.

Described by Brooks as his best film, it is a parody of the horror film genre — especially the 1931 Universal Pictures adaptation of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” After the success of the movie, which has been named to the “Top 50” lists of comedy films by a number of organizations , Brooks teamed with Thomas Meehan to write and produce a stage version of the show.

“The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein” opened on Broadway in November 2007 and was directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman, a native of Wilmington, Delaware. Now, the show is enjoying a special run at one of Delaware’s top theaters.

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.nctstage.org) is presenting “The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein” now through February 22. Tickets, which include a tasty buffet dinner, are $59 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).

Three of the main roles in the show are Dr. Frankenstein, Igor (pronounced EYE-gor) and The Monster. Chris Trombetta, a Unionville High graduate from Pocopson, has the role of Igor.

“When I saw they were auditioning for ‘Young Frankenstein’ at the Candlelight Theater, I knew I wanted to play there,” said Trombetta, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.

“I had recently seen the musical at the Ritz (Ritz Theatre Company, Haddon Township, N.J.). A friend of mine played the role of Igor. I really loved the role. And, I had seen the movie so I was familiar with the show.

“I auditioned in November and got the role after one audition. We started rehearsals in December. The show officially opened on January 17 and the audiences have been great every night.”

The show tells the story of Frederick Frankenstein, a New York doctor who is ashamed to be a Frankenstein and insists his name be pronounced “Fronkensteen.” His grandfather Dr. Victor von Frankenstein, a mad scientist, passed away so the younger Frankenstein has to travel to Transylvania to settle the estate.

In Transylvania, Dr. Frankenstein becomes involved with a variety of zany characters including the hunchback Igor, the yodeling lab assistant Inga, the mysterious Frau Blücher and, of course, The Monster.

“They took the idea of the movie and expanded it,” said Trombetta, who is in his final year at West Chester University as a theater major with a dance minor.

“They added music and jokes so it connects with the audience on a deeper level. In this production, we use audience participation. We have scenes set in the audience. We use these things to bring the audience into the show.”

The show has been an audience favorite ever since it made its debut on Broadway seven years ago.

“One big reason people love the show is Mel Brooks,” said Trombetta, who was most recently seen in the West Chester University’s production of “The Wedding Singer” as “dance captain.”

“‘Young Frankenstein was such a hit when it was a movie so people like the opportunity to see it live. It’s pretty much the same as the movie. For the most part, it follows the movie to a ‘T.’

“Igor is a very exciting character. Playing him is an eye-opening experience. I like how Igor thinks. He’s fast on his feet. He thinks really quickly and can change moods in an instant.

Trombetta had no trouble bonding with Igor.

“I do see a lot of myself in Igor,” said Trombetta. “He has a song-and-a-dance for anything that can happen. I’ve been becoming more like Igor in my everyday life. I think I’m getting more like Igor all the time.”

Fortunately for Trombetta, he has yet to grow a hump.

“Igor is a big role,” said Trombetta. “I’m more involved than I realized I would be. I’m onstage a lot and I also do a lot of backstage. I have some costume changes — and I have to switch my hump.

“One of the scenes that fans really like is ‘Transylvania Maniac,’ which is the closing number of Act One. It’s a big production number that really gets the audience’s attention. Another big number is ‘Putting on the Ritz’ with The Monster doing a tap dance.”

Different acts have a wide variety of onstage support when performing live. It could be backup singers, a myriad of props, light shows with huge LCD panels, choreographed dancers or video presentations.

Jack Hanna’s onstage support is totally different — and truly unique.

Hanna, who will present two shows on January 31 at Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com), will be joined onstage by a live menagerie of exotic animals.

“Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live,” which has a matinee show scheduled for 3 p.m. and an evening show slated for 7 p.m., features a baby cheetah, a sloth, a penguin, an armadillo, a kangaroo, a civet, a serval, a raven, a snake, a lynx, a macaw, a binturong, a beaver, an alligator and a young black leopard.

“I started doing theater speeches a few years ago,” said Hanna, during a phone interview Sunday morning from his home in Columbus, Ohio. “I tried one and it was a lot of fun. This year, we’ll do 40-plus shows in the United States and Europe.

“It all started when some people from Mills Entertainment saw me speak somewhere and wanted to book me. It worked out great. My speech is for everyone — from two years old to 100 years old.

“It’s fun. It’s not negative. I get out there and talk. I talk to the public and show them where my daughter and I live in Africa — where we work with the mountain gorillas. I show live animals and talk about my research with bears. All our videos deal with serious issues.”

Hanna has homes in Ohio, Florida and Rwanda. He became well-known to American television audiences through his appearances on “The David Letterman Show” and “Good Morning America” along with his own television series “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures,” “Jack Hanna’s into the Wild” and “Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown.”

“I’ll be on with David Letterman again on February 2 and then one more time right before the end in May when David retires,” said Hanna, who is Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium.

“This is my 30^th year with the Letterman show and I’m the longest running guest on the show. I’ve also been on ‘Good Morning America’ four-to-six times a year for the last 32 years. It’s been something else to talk about these animals on TV. But, I never expected it.

“I came to Columbus in 1978 and the Columbus Zoo was almost closed down. I was hired as Director and did shows on local TV and cable to get support for the zoo. The zoo had 30 employees back in 1978 and was ranked second from the bottom of 160 zoos in the country. The budget was under $400,000. No-one cared about the zoo.

“Today, it is one of the largest zoos in the country. It went from 90 acres to 580 acres. Two-and-one-half million people visited the zoo last year. It has more than 2,000 employees and the budget is $69 million.”

Hanna brought the Columbus Zoo back to life and his work in Rwanda has saved the lives of hundreds of mountain gorillas. His shows at the Keswick will give audiences a glimpse into his wondrous nature worlds.

Tickets for Hanna’s shows at the Keswick are $35 for adults and $25 for children ages 12 and under. On February 4, the Keswick will host Jamie Cullum’s “Interlude the Jazz Tour” at 7:30 p.m.

, two highly-regarded bass players, met each other at a music camp a few years ago and started a friendship that has evolved into an ongoing project that has produced some great music.

Slick, who is from Philadelphia originally, and Machera, who lives in Italy, recorded their first album together (“Fourth Dementia”) last year and have a second one (“Le Fil Rouge”) in progress. The two are joining forces for several dates on a brief North American tour — a tour that brings then to the Hard Rock Café (1113 Market Street, Philadelphia, 215- 238-1000, www.hrcphillymusic.com) on January 30.

The duo will be accompanied by legendary drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr. Mister, XTC, Stick Men) and Philadelphia guitarist extraordinaire Tim Motzer (Ursula Rucker, David Sylvian,  DJ King Britt, Burnt Friedman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jamaaladeen Tacuma). Designer Dejha Ti will accompany the music with her stunning visuals.

“I joined Adrian Belew’s band in 2006,” said Slick. “A few years later, I attended the “3 of a Perfect Pair Camp” — a summer music camp put together by Adrian, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto. Mario was there the first year and he came back for the second year. We became friends and texted each other a lot

“Last year, I was touring Europe with the Crimson ProjeKCt, which was a double trio made up of the Stickmen and the Adrian Belew Power Trio. I posted that I was still interested in doing some solo shows in Europe after our tour was done. Mario texted me and said we could do some shows in Italy.

“He was a bass player so I thought we’d just play some of each other’s songs. We got together for a rehearsal in Bologna and started jamming. We just plugged in and started playing. Seven weeks later, we had an album done. We knew we had to strike when the iron was hot so we were doing a song a day.

“Then, I went to visit a friend in Belgium and set up a mobile studio in her house. Marco and I exchanged ideas and finished the album. I got back here and mixed the album in Philly. I did the production and engineering with Todd Mecaughey at his studio.”

“Fourth Dementia” is not a rock album with super-sized bass elements. It is a melodic disc filled with well-constructed rhythmic patterns — a record that is billed as “a captivating combination of loop music, ambient soundscapes and interlocking bass patterns, always melodic yet aggressive and edgy at times.”

“Marco came over here recently and we finished our second album,” said Slick. “It’s more thought-out — more arranged. The songs have a common thread. I wanted to make an album rather than a collection of songs.

“We’ll be playing mostly the songs from the first album. They’ve changed since we recorded them. Playing with a full band opens up the arrangements — especially with Tim Motzer’s guitar.”

The doors open at 8 pm. and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. with Out of the Beardspace. Tickets are $15 at the door.

In January 1990, a young band was formed in Pittsburgh by singer-songwriter-guitarist Michael Glabicki. Now, 25 years later, that band is still going strong.

Rusted Root, which still includes founding members Liz Berlin (percussion, drums, vocals, hand drums), Patrick Norman (percussion, bass guitar, vocals) and Glabicki (guitar, vocals), will visit the area for a show on January 29 at the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com).

The band has released just seven albums over a quarter of a century — the most recent of which is “The Movement,” which came out on Shanachie Records in October 2012.

In a press release that accompanied the album’s release, Glabicki said, “‘The Movement’ means a new work ethic to me. It’s going from the industrial age to the individual spiritual age. I feel everyone should devote all their actions to all that is love, healing and pragmatic. We’re seeing the growing pains of this right now…the world is split…some people are fearful and fighting it with all their might… Rusted Root is trying to help with this…this is our movement!!”

In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from a tour stop in Syracuse, Glabicki said, “There is always a personal element in every song. ‘The Movement’ was a culmination of everything we learned in the last 25 years. The next album will be the foundation for the next 25 years — to put it on the right trajectory. I definitely can see Rusted Root being around for another 25 years.

Rusted Root fans will be happy to know that a new album is in the works.

“I’ve been writing for the next album for a while now — working out arrangements with the band on the road,” said Glabicki. “Probably about 90 per cent of our songs are road-tested before we record them.

“At this point, as a songwriter and producer, I kind of know what is going to go over well. At times, we’ll play a new song live that doesn’t get that undeniable hurrah. That’s why we play it in front of a live audience. We’ll work it out in sound check the next day. It’s very intuitive.

“Right now, I have seven new songs ready to record. We’ve played five of the seven so far. The new songs are more personal and emotional. Each album takes its own time. If you’re doing a lot of experimenting and trying to take the band in new directions, it takes longer.”

Glabicki described his take on the band’s longevity and 25 years of success.

“It all starts with songwriting — an honest approach to songwriting and the joy of songwriting,” said Glabicki. “There is a real ritual to what we do. It works and it continues to work.

“The band just continues to get more intuitive onstage. Worlds continually open to us — roads for exploration. With the new album, there is definitely a funk element — a new kind of funk. There are new mixtures of music. One song features a percussion ensemble and, at the same time, is very intimate.”

Placement of Rusted Root songs in movies and commercials also has been a factor in the band’s ongoing popularity.

“Having our songs used in ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Matilda’ definitely brought in a new generation of younger fans,” said Glabicki. “And, other people heard our music in an Enterprise Rent-A-Car commercial, looked to find out who was playing it and then started listening to our other music.

“Over the years, we’ve also been blessed to have our heroes ask us to open for them when they were touring — acts such as the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.”

And, through all this time, Rusted Root has stayed true to its geographical roots and has continued to call Pittsburgh home.

“Our families are in Pittsburgh and our new families are in Pittsburgh,” said Glabicki. “I can’t find any place better.”

The upcoming schedule for the Ardmore Music Hall also includes Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb and Bird Watcher on January 30 and Donna the Buffalo and The Bros. Landreth on January 31.

Most music fans familiar with Elisa Ambrogio know her as one-third of the Magik Markers. The trio from Connecticut, which features Pete Nolan on drums and John Shaw on bass, plays music that is loud, aggressive and frequently referred to as “noise rock.”

In late 2014, Ambrogio released a solo album titled “The Immoralist.” On first listen, her fans might be surprised at the soft hazy vibe on most of the disc’s 10 songs. On subsequent listens, they begin to hear some of the agro aspects they have come to expect from the iconoclastic guitarist-vocalist-songwriter.

The songs have an ethereal quality but the dreamy state is underscored by tension and a feeling of unsettled matters. It’s like an aural version of a hard right uppercut to the chin delivered by a fist wrapped in fluffy cotton.

On January 30, Ambrogio will debut live versions of her new songs when she performs at PhilaMOCA (531 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, 267-519-9651, www.philamoca.org).

“The vibe of the album is sort of like the music of the Shakers (religious sect) — songs with very physical rhythms — pre visceral expression through verse and rhythm,” said Ambrogio, during a phone interview Monday from a tour stop in Nashville.

“The songs in my brain — I made a line of demarcation between serious and silly. I wanted music that bridged those two worlds. The songs are different when I play them live. I feel like the way I arranged the songs in the studio was detailed with micro choruses — making it as beautiful as I could. Live — beauty is not my nature.”

If you listen to the songs in the comfort of your room with headphones on, you can easily tap into the beauty of the songs. When the rocker from New England delivers the same songs in a live setting, you better be prepared for a sonic blast.

The music shows definite signs of the Velvet Underground in its DNA — both extremes of the Velvets from Lou Reed’s snarling guitar lines to Nico’s soft, haunting vocals. There are also DNA strains that could be traced back to the dreamlike soundtrack for the TV show “Twin Peaks” with Angelo Badalamenti’s spacey instrumentals and Julee Cruise’s cotton candy vocals.

“I cut the album in May of last year,” said Ambrogio. “It was produced by Papercuts’ Jason Quever in his studio in San Francisco — Pan American Recording Studio. Donovan Quinn from Donovan Quinn & the 13th Month is one of my best friends and he had recorded with Jason before. Donovan wanted me to get some songs recorded with him.

“I was in California visiting my partner’s family. I had a few days free so I called to see if Jason was available and it worked out. The sessions were mostly me and Jason. Donovan Quinn also played a riff on one of the songs. We recorded for six days in San Francisco and then spent three days mixing.

“About half the songs were written before we started recording. Then, when we were in the studio, my brain just kicked into gear and I wrote more songs between the two sessions. A cool thing about writing between sessions, your head is in it. So, all the songs fit together well.”

Even though Ambrogio is blazing new trails with her solo project, she is still very much a member of the Magik Markers and the trio is still very much an active band.

“We still play about once a week — when I’m not on the road,” said Ambrogio. “John is a dad with two toddlers and 40 acres of land in Vermont. Pete has a thriving business with his wife designing jewelry. So, touring isn’t that easy. We still do some short tours but our last real tour was in 2013.

“My shows this weekend in Philadelphia and Brooklyn wrap up the tour that started at the beginning of the month. I’ll be touring more in the spring and then I’ll start working on my new record. I’m writing songs already.

“When I’m in the studio, I play guitar, piano, drums, bells, some keyboards, harmonium and cello. On this tour, I’m playing guitar and singing. Nathan Bowles, who will open with a set of his banjo music, is also playing drums with me in my set.”

The show on January 30 starts at 9 p.m. with Bowles’ set. Ambrogio will take the stage at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Motion City Soundtrack, which is performing on January 29 at the Electric Factory (421 North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, 215-627-1332, www.electricfactory.info), has released five albums since its formation in 1977.

The Minneapolis rockers favorite LP obviously is “Commit This To Memory,” which was released in June 2005 on Epitaph Records.

The album became the band’s breakthrough and the lead single “Everything Is Alright” became the band’s signature song. The video for the single received a lot of airplay on MTV and the band toured alongside Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco on the Nintendo Fusion Tour.

In June 2006, Motion City Soundtrack released a special Deluxe Edition of “Commit This To Memory,” which included an extra track, a DVD with three hours of footage containing a documentary, a live show and five of the group’s music videos.

Now, the pop-punk band from Minnesota is crossing America on a special 10-year anniversary tour of “Commit This To Memory.” The band, which includes Matt Taylor (bass), Claudio Rivera (drums), Jesse Johnson (keyboards), Joshua Cain (guitar) and Justin Pierre (vocals, guitar), will perform the album in its entirety along with songs from its other four albums.

“Our first album ‘I Am the Movie’ came out in 2002,” said Pierre, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Pittsburgh. “The original ‘Commit This To Memory’ came out on 2005 and the Deluxe Edition in 2006. Most people on a large scale found out who we were when this album came out.

“Josh and I wrote the songs for the first album and then it was recorded with a band. ‘Commit This To Memory’ was the first album where all five of us wrote the entire album together from scratch.

“It was a new beginning for the band. And, I was going through a new beginning in my personal life. It was also our first album with Epitaph. There were a lot of first associated with this album.”

Motion City Soundtrack’s first album was self-released twice. “Commit This To Memory” and “Even If It Kills Me” (2207) were on Epitaph. The band moved over to Columbia Records with its fourth album “My Dinosaur Life” (2008) and then returned to Epitaph for its most recent release “Go” (2011).

“Our deal with Epitaph expired and Columbia wanted us,” said Pierre. “We did one album with them. Then, for a number of reasons, it didn’t work out with Columbia. We’re really glad to be back with Epitaph. ‘Go’ was on Epitaph and our next record will be too.

“With this tour, the main thing is that we play ‘Commit This To Memory’ from front to back. When ‘Commit This To Memory’ came out, we only had one record. Oveer the years, the guitars and vocals from ‘Commit This To Memory’ morphed. So, I went back and listened to the album. I heard the songs as they were recorded. The changes were only subtle changes. We’ve always tried to stay as close to the records as we can.”

Motion City Soundtrack’s fans can look forward to a new album from the band sometime this year.

“The new album was recorded last June and we mixed it in the fall,” said Pierre. “We’re still debating on a release date — hopefully this summer. On this tour, we’ve been playing one of the songs from the new album — a song called ‘Anything at All.’ We might play others too. It’s more spur of the moment than anything we’ve planned.”

The show on January 29, which features Early November and Citizen as the opening acts, will get underway at 8 p.m. Tickets are $27.

The Funeral Portrait, which is visiting Philly for a show on February 1 at the Fire (412 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, 267-671-9298, thefirephilly.com), is a five-piece pop-rock from Atlanta, Georgia.

The new group, which features vocalist Lee Jennings, guitarist/vocalist Juergie Landstrom, guitarist AJ Pekarek, bassist Chris King and drummer Stephen Danzey, just celebrated its anniversary on January 28 — its seven-month anniversary.

“All five of us are from Atlanta,” said Jennings, during a phone interview last week from his home in Georgia.  “Stephen, Juergie and Chris were in a prog-rock band — a band like Coheed and Cambria or Opeth — very prog-ey.

“They were tired of playing that stuff. They came to my studio and said they wanted me to sing with them. AJ was their best friend — and a good guitarist. We caught the attention of Shawn Milke from Alesana. And he asked us to do a showcase.

“At first, we were called Cosmoscope. After a few months, we came to the conclusion that we needed a name change. With a name like Cosmoscope, people expected a jam band and we’re not a jam band. We’re a pop metal band. The name change was a good thing.

“When we were Cosmoscope, we did a broad genre — pop-punk and more theatrical metal. Once we started working on our first EP, we realized that we definitely needed a new name. With The Funeral Portrait, people could figure out what we sounded like.”

One hint to the music behind the name could be found with the origin of the band’s name. “The Funeral Parlor” is the sixth track on the album “Blackwater Park” by the Swedish metal band Opeth.

“When we became The Funeral Portrait, it gave us a fresh start,” said Jennings. “We felt more accomplished with our new sound. Our music is very theatrical. It could be the soundtrack to a Batman movie.”

The band’s debut EP “For the Dearly Departed” has just been released on Revival Recordings. Produced by Milke, it is billed as “a blend of rock and roll, heavy metal and theatre all under a blanket of pop sensibility.”

“We had a bunch of songs ready for the EP,” said Jennings. “We pre-demo’ed it in my studio and then went and worked with Shawn (Mile). We hadn’t played any of the songs live before going in the studio. So, they were really fresh.”

The all-ages show on February 1 at 7 p.m. also features Cortana, Far Beyond the Sunrise, Blakeslee and Vanity Strikes. Tickets are $10.

The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will host Francis Dunnery on January 30 and James Maddock on January 31.

Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com) will present Gabbii Donnelly, Dylan Andre, Melo Hippy and Neisha Grace on January 30 and Honor and Emma Cullen on January 31,

Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427- 4547, www.burlapandbean.com) will feature The Sea, The Sea with Sean Hoots on January 31 and Chelsea Berry and Matt Cussin on January 31

Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) will present a show featuring Danielle and Jennifer, Wave Radio and Hot Breakfast! on January 30.

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) will have Marshall Crenshaw and the Bottle Rockets on January 29, Earl David Reed on January 30, Reflections on January 31 and Peggy King and the All-Star Jazz Trio on February 1.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043, www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will present storytellers Jim Williams, John Valerio, Amy Faden and Tim Goodwin on January 30 and Chestnutt Grove and Todd Fausnacht on January 31.

The World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com) has the following acts on its Downstairs Stage — “Pete Seeger: The Storm King” on January 30 and “Bruce in the USA” on January 31.

The schedule for the Upstairs Stage includes Barnaby Bright and Caleb Hawley on January 29, the Billy Penn Burger Band and Vinyl Shockley on January 30 and The Sea, The Sea and the DuPont Brothers on January 31.

Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660, www.tellus360.com) will have Aortic Valve on January 30, Bumper Jacksons on January 31and Meg and the Right Sound on February 3.

The roster of acts slated to play the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http://www.chameleonclub.net) includes Mount Falcon, Elizabeth Fulmer, Mechanical Fox and Face for Radio on January 30, The Casual, The Big Time, Josh Morgan, Saving Apollo, Heart For Hire and DJ Cream on January 31 and Cherub, Mystery Skulls, and ForteBowie on February 3.

The Rainbow Dinner Theatre (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, www.RainbowDinnerTheatre.com) is presenting its new production “Squabbles” now through March 21.

Matinee performances are every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and selected Saturdays with an 11:30 a.m. lunch and a 1 p.m. curtain. Evening performances are every Friday, Saturday and selected Thursdays with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show following at 8 p.m. There will also be “Twilight Performances” on selected Sundays with dinner at 2:30 p.m. and the show at 4 p.m. Ticket prices range from $30-$55.