{"id":28849,"date":"2023-12-08T09:23:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T14:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=28849"},"modified":"2023-12-08T09:23:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T14:23:55","slug":"on-stage-mary-fahl-sings-the-songs-of-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=28849","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Mary Fahl sings the songs of the season"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"

Mary Fahl<\/p><\/div>\n

Once you\u2019ve heard\u00a0Mary Fahl\u00a0sing, you have her voice etched permanently into your memory bank. From that point on, if you hear a song by Fahl, you immediately know who is singing.<\/p>\n

When Fahl performs her annual Christmas shows, which she has been doing for more than a decade, those in the audience hear holiday music in a whole new way.<\/p>\n

On December 10, Fahl is returning to the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com<\/a>) with \u201cMary Fahl: Wintersongs Holiday Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just got back from doing a show in Seattle,\u201d said Fahl, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from her home in Upper Bucks County.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis weekend, I\u2019ll be in Old Saybrook, Connecticut on Friday, North Andover, Massachusetts on Saturday and Sellersville on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s my annual holiday show. I do a lot of Christmas shows every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Christmas show focuses mainly of her holiday album \u201cWinter Songs and Carols,\u201d which was released in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Christmas record \u2013 I didn\u2019t want to do it,\u201d said Fahl. \u201cMy husband made me do it. Now, it\u2019s become my favorite album.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made a Christmas record for people who don\u2019t like Christmas with songs like Joni Mitchell\u2019s \u2018Urge for Going\u2019 and a song by Sandy Denny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the album\u2019s other songs are \u2018In the Bleak Mountains,\u201d \u201cAve Maria,\u201d \u201cWexford Carol,\u201d \u201cWhat Child Is This,\u201d \u201cWalking in the Air\u201d and \u201cOh Holy Night\/Silent Night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my current tour, the first half is holiday music,\u201d said Fahl. \u201cThe second half is mainly songs from \u2018Can\u2019t Get It Out of My Head.\u2019 I also do songs from my previous albums, and I still throw in one or two October Project songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl has honored her favorites by making an album of special tunes — a collection of songs that she calls \u201cessential\u201d to her development as an artist.<\/p>\n

The album, which is titled, \u201cCan\u2019t Get It Out of My Head,\u201d was released on July 22, 2022, on her own label, Rimar Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made it in Syracuse with my band and my producer Mark Doyle,\u201d said Fahl, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon while returning from a gig in Maine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished it in early 2022. We mixed and mastered it in March 2022 and then released it in July 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are the album\u2019s 10 tracks and the artists who made the original versions — \u201cCan’t Get It Out Of My Head,\u201d ELO; \u201cRuby Tuesday,\u201d Rolling Stones; \u201cTuesday Afternoon,\u201d Moody Blues; \u201cRiver Man,\u201d Nick Drake; \u201cGot A Feeling,\u201d Mamas and Papas; \u201cDon’t Let It Bring You Down,\u201d Neil Young; \u201cComfortably Numb,\u201d Pink Floyd; \u201cSince You’ve Asked,\u201d Judy Collins; \u201cBeware Of Darkness,\u201d George Harrison; and \u201cThe Great Valerio,\u201d Richard and Linda Thompson.<\/p>\n

According to Fahl, \u201cOn top of all the madness that was happening in the world, I was grappling with the loss of my mother and sister this past year and was feeling completely rootless. In an effort to find an anchor, a link to the past, a sense of home, I began to immerse myself in the comfort of music from my youth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese were such essential songs for me\u2026 like old friends\u2026 my musical home in many ways. I fell in love with each of them at the quintessential coming-of-age moment when music goes straight into your heart with no filter and these songs became part of my musical DNA\u2026 I learned to play guitar with several of them \u2013 especially the early Neil Young songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of these covers come from the first albums I ever bought using one of those Columbia House \u2018get 12 free albums for a $1\u2019 mail order programs. I played these records endlessly\u2026 and the lyrics on many of these songs still have a powerful resonance for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u00a0knew exactly where she was going.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make a record that was special to me,\u201d said Fahl. \u201cI wanted to live in a place with all the music I grew up with. I learned guitar with Neil Young albums. I learned songwriting with Richard and Linda Thompson songs. Each song on this record has a very special meaning to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lost my mother and my older sister in the same year \u2013 lost a link to the past. I chose these songs because I still sing them and love them. They are part of my musical family. They got me out of a funk.\u201d<\/p>\n

The songs provide a comfort level for Fahl\u00a0and her fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best compliment that I\u2019ve been getting is that it brought people a lot of joy,\u201d said Fahl.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople really like my cover of \u2018Tuesday Afternoon.\u2019 That song gets the best audience response of anything I\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still like singing these songs — and the band loves playing them. It\u2019s more rock and roll. It gives the boys in the band an opportunity to rock.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u2019s band features Mark Doyle and his Syracuse musician friends \u2013 drummer Josh Dukaney, \u00a0keyboardist Jim O\u2019Mahoney and bassist Edgar Pagan.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Fahl\u00a0recorded her own version of one of rock\u2019s all-time classics \u2014 Pink Floyd\u2019s \u201cDark Side of the Moon.\u201d Fahl\u00a0re-interpreted the songs on an album she titled \u201cFrom the Dark Side of the Moon.<\/p>\n

Fahl, who was a member of the October Project 20 years ago, went solo in 2001. Prior to this year, her recorded output as a solo artist has been slim \u2014\u00a0\u201cLenses of Contact\u201d EP in 2001, \u201cThe Other Side of Time\u201d album in 2003, \u201cClassics for a New Century\u201d in\u00a02003 and \u201cFrom the Dark Side of the Moon\u201d in 2011.<\/p>\n

Fahl\u2019s solo releases include \u201cLove and Gravity,\u201d \u201cFour Songs,\u201d \u201cWinter Songs and Carols,\u201d and \u201cMary Fahl: Live from Mauch Chunk Opera House,\u201d which is a project that included a live album, a performance DVD and a PBS special.<\/p>\n

Many of Fahl\u2019s fans have been with her ever since her time with October Project which lasted from 1993-1996.<\/p>\n

For many artists, the task of re-inventing songs from an album as iconic as \u201cDark Side of the Moon\u201d could have been too much of a challenge. Not so for Fahl\u00a0who crafted a disc that honored its roots but established an identity all its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter making the Sony classical album (\u201cClassics for a New Century\u201d), I wanted to do something that was fun,\u201d said Fahl. \u201cAn independent filmmaker I knew wanted to use me in a performance piece. I wanted to do something that I didn\u2019t have the ability to write.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when I decided to do the \u2018Dark Side\u2019 recording. It\u2019s like a classical piece of music. I did not intend to make a cover record. It\u2019s my version and it doesn\u2019t sound at all like Pink Floyd\u2019s version. But a lot of die-hard Pink Floyd fans have responded well. They like the album \u2014 and my live versions of the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u00a0has written and performed songs for several major motion pictures, including the lead song (\u201cGoing Home\u201d) for the Civil War epic \u201cGods and Generals.\u201d Her music can also be found on the original soundtrack of the 2003 movie \u201cThe Guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fahl\u00a0is a singer, a guitarist and a songwriter. More than anything,\u00a0she\u00a0is a performer.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerforming is my primary form of self-expression,\u201d said Fahl. \u201cWhen I do a show, I want to take you on a complete journey. I want to transform you.<\/p>\n

Video link for Mary Fahl\u00a0\u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8AOaV5Af2ZM?list=OLAK5uy_lhTOW8-IiA3wOw4iwXFbd5OVj46vjfNEw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater on December 10 will start at<\/p>\n

Ticket prices range from $35-$59.50.<\/p>\n

Back in August, indie\/folk band The Lone Bellow\u00a0announced a special series of fall and winter tour dates.\u00a0The shows celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album as they perform back-to-back dates in\u00a0the intimate rooms they used to frequent over a decade ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Lone Bellow<\/p><\/div>\n

The Lone Bellow \u2013 Zach Williams, Brian Elmquist, Kanene Pipkin \u2013 are on the road with tour stops in Evanston, Madison, Minneapolis, DC, Boston,\u00a0Philadelphia, and their hometown NYC among others.<\/p>\n

On December 8 and 9 at Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a>) will host \u201cIt\u2019s (Still) Alright: The Lone Bellow 10 Year Anniversary Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a two-week tour and we\u2019re a week in,\u201d said Elmquist, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in Rochester, New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cAm I surprised that we\u2019ve been together for 10 years \u2013 yes and no. \u201cIt can be hard working with friends but we do all right. Our kids are growing up together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lone Bellow began as a songwriting project for Williams, whose wife Stacy had suffered temporary paralysis<\/a>\u00a0following a horseback riding<\/a>\u00a0accident.\u00a0During his wife\u2019s recovery, Williams coped with the experience by writing in a journal. At the urging of his friends, Williams learned how to play the guitar and turned his journal entries into songs. Following his wife\u2019s recovery, the couple moved to New York City.<\/p>\n

Previously, Williams had been performing as a solo act around Brooklyn and New York City, occasionally being backed by a hired band. Williams recalls when he and old friend, Brian Elmquist met at Dizzy’s Diner in Park Slope<\/a>. Williams invited fellow singer Kanene Pipkin to join them at the diner and it was then that the trio was initially conceived.<\/p>\n

Initially known as Zach Williams and the Bellow, the band shortened its name to The Lone Bellow before putting out any official releases.\u00a0In 2012, the group signed with Descendant Records, a newly formed imprint of Sony Music<\/a>,\u00a0and, in January 2013, released its self-titled debut, produced by Charlie Peacock<\/a>. It was recorded at local NYC venue Rockwood Music Hall<\/a>\u00a0over the course of three days.<\/p>\n

\u201cZach was making a name for himself in New York,\u201d said Elmquist. \u201cZach and I had been friends since we were 18. I lived with him for a summer in a guest apartment at his parents\u2019 house. Kanene came back from China, and we got together.<\/p>\n

\u201cKanene had been in New York studying to be a culinary chef. She been in China to do a show. She is an insanely good pastry chef. Her macarons are the best I\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got together as a band. Our first show was at the Rockwood Music Hall in New York. Four months later, we were making a record with Charlie Peacock.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lone Bellow made their auspicious debut in 2013 with the self-titled, Charlie Peacock-produced album featuring the breakout\u00a0singles \u201cGreen Eyes and a Heart of Gold\u201d and \u201cBleeding Out.\u201d It reached #64 on the Billboard 200 as well as #5 on\u00a0the Folk\/Americana Chart, #13 on Alternative Albums, and #19 on Top Rock Albums.<\/p>\n

It earned widespread critical acclaim from\u00a0The New York Times,\u00a0NPR Music,\u00a0Rolling Stone,\u00a0Entertainment Weekly, and\u00a0Paste Magazine\u00a0among many others. The band also\u00a0made appearances on NPR\u2019s\u00a0Tiny Desk\u00a0as well as\u00a0The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,\u00a0The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,\u00a0and MTV\u2019s\u00a0Big Morning Buzz.<\/p>\n

In 2015, the band released \u201cThen Came The Morning,\u201d produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner. The album was nominated for an Americana Music Award and took the band to numerous late night shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Show With David Letterman and Later…with Jools Holland, among others. In 2017, The Lone Bellow returned with \u201cWalk Into A Storm,\u201d produced by legendary music producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson), followed by 2020\u2019s \u201cHalf Moon Light,\u201d an artistic triumph the band worked toward for years.<\/p>\n

Last fall, The Lone Bellow released their fifth studio album\u00a0\u201cLove Songs for Losers\u201d\u00a0through Dualtone Music Group. Their first self-produced effort as well as their most expansive and eclectic body of work to date, the trio stepped outside the familiar studio\u00a0setting and recorded over the course of eight weeks at Roy Orbison\u2019s former home in Nashville.<\/p>\n

It featured their latest chart-topping single \u201cHoney,\u201d which hit career highs at #4 on Triple A and #2 on Americana Radio. The album earned praise from NPR\u2019s\u00a0World Cafe,\u00a0Relix,\u00a0People Magazine,\u00a0No Depression, PopMatters, and\u00a0American Songwriter\u00a0who called it a \u201cstunning record.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded our second and third albums in Nashville,\u201d said Elmquist. \u201cOur fourth album was done in upstate New York at Long Pond. \u201cWe moved around because we were just trying to chase the inspiration. We matched producers to the kind of sound we wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith our latest album, my friend reached out to the owner of Roy Orbison\u2019s house. We asked if we could borrow it for eight weeks and he agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were writing a lot of songs during the pandemic and got a lot of love songs. The mansion is on a lake in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and we brought a studio into the old pool house.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe borrowed it for eight weeks and made three recordings there. One was a thing for Ralph Lauren, one was an album we did for a friend and one was our album.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe acoustics were different there. We had to find the right spots. We always wanted to make the house part of the record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five albums over 10 years and The Lone Bellow is still firing on all cylinders.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the reason we\u2019re still a band is that we still like each other,\u201d said Elmquist. \u201cAnd we never put ourselves in a box with the sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Lone Bellow \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Z5hed5L-_Uw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The shows on December 8 and 9 at Johny Brenda\u2019s will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

This weekend, Ophira Eisenberg will bring her comedy to the Arden Gild Hall (2126 The Highway, Arden, Delaware, ardenclub.org<\/a>) for a show on December 9.<\/p>\n

Eisenberg, a native of Calgary, is a standup comic and host of NPR\u2019s nationally syndicated comedy trivia show\u00a0\u201cAsk Me Another,\u201d and\u00a0a regular host and teller with\u00a0\u201cThe Moth.\u201d Her\u00a0stories have been featured on\u00a0\u201cThe Moth Radio Hour\u201d\u00a0and in best-selling books, including the most recent \u2013 \u201cOccasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible.\u201d Eisenberg\u2019s comedic memoir, \u201cScrew Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy,\u201d was optioned for a feature film.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing comedy a long time \u2013 almost 20 years,\u201d said Eisenberg, during a phone interview from her home in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started in Toronto. I left Calgary after spending a year in college at the University of Calgary. I went to Magill University and was in Montreal for four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I was living in Vancouver for four years and Toronto for five years. I made my way to New York slowly. I\u2019ve been in New York since 2005. It took many years to feel like I was living here.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I always wanted to do stand-up, but it took a few years until I realized that it was really what I wanted to do. I took ballet when I was growing up and won \u2018Miss Personality\u2019 with the company \u2013 which probably meant I wasn\u2019t a very good dancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI only went to a comedy club once with my parents when I was a kid. Later, when I was in Vancouver, I volunteered with the Vancouver Comedy Festival as an usher. That got me interested in doing stand-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cI signed up for an open mic 20 years ago in Toronto at the Laugh Resort. I had 15 minutes and I talked about my family and my name. I still talk about my name along with my mother and being single.\u201d<\/p>\n

Slowly and surely, Eisenberg established her career in comedy in Toronto.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a little different in Toronto in terms of trajectory,\u201d said Eisenberg. \u201cThere was a small group of us starting out and only a few women at the time. A couple years into it, I had the opportunity for paid guest spots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my comedy, I\u2019ve always been autobiographical \u2013 what do I have in my life that is funny. Over time, you build up confidence. Now, I talk about what is going in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eisenberg\u2019s show with special guest Marc Kaye will start at 8 p.m. on December 9.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $30.<\/p>\n

The mainstage show at Candlelight Theatre is \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life,\u201d which is running now through December 23.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a Wonderful Life\u201d\u00a0is a 1946 American Christmas<\/a>\u00a0supernatural drama film<\/a>\u00a0produced and directed by\u00a0Frank Capra. It is based on the short story and booklet\u00a0The Greatest Gift\u00a0self-published by\u00a0Philip Van Doren Stern\u00a0in 1943, which itself is loosely based on the 1843\u00a0Charles Dickens\u00a0novella, \u201cA Christmas Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n

The film stars\u00a0James Stewart\u00a0as\u00a0George Bailey, a man who has given up his personal dreams in order to help others in his community and whose thoughts of suicide on Christmas Eve bring about the intervention of his\u00a0guardian angel,\u00a0Clarence Odbody. Clarence shows George all the lives he touched and what the world would be like if he did not exist.<\/p>\n

Today,\u00a0\u201cIt’s a Wonderful Life\u201d\u00a0is considered to be one of the\u00a0greatest films of all time\u00a0and among the best Christmas films.\u00a0It was nominated for five\u00a0Academy Awards, including\u00a0Best Picture, and has been recognized by the\u00a0American Film Institute\u00a0as one of the\u00a0100 best American films ever made.\u00a0It was No. 11 on the\u00a0American Film Institute’s\u00a01998 greatest movie list, No. 20 on its 2007 greatest movie list<\/a>, and No. 1 on its list<\/a>\u00a0of the most inspirational American films of all time.<\/p>\n

Capra revealed that it was his favorite among the films he directed and that he screened it for his family every Christmas season. It was one of Stewart’s favorite films.<\/p>\n

In 1990,\u00a0It’s a Wonderful Life\u00a0was selected for preservation in the United States\u00a0National Film Registry\u00a0by the\u00a0Library of Congress\u00a0for being deemed as \u201cculturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story starts on\u00a0Christmas Eve\u00a01945 in\u00a0Bedford Falls,\u00a0New York,\u00a0with George Bailey\u00a0contemplating\u00a0suicide. The\u00a0prayers\u00a0of his family and friends reach\u00a0Heaven, where\u00a0guardian angel\u00a0second class\u00a0Clarence Odbody\u00a0is assigned to save George in order to earn his wings.<\/p>\n

Clarence is shown flashbacks of George’s life. He watches 12-year-old George rescue his younger brother Harry from drowning, leaving George\u00a0deaf\u00a0in his left ear. George later prevents the\u00a0pharmacist, Mr. Gower, from accidentally poisoning a customer’s prescription.<\/p>\n

In 1928, George plans a world tour before college. He is reintroduced to\u00a0Mary Hatch, who has been enamored with him since childhood. When his father dies suddenly, George postpones his travel to settle the family business, Bailey Brothers\u00a0Building and Loan.<\/p>\n

Avaricious board member\u00a0Henry Potter, who controls most of the town, seeks to dissolve it, but the board votes to keep the Building and Loan open if George runs it. George acquiesces and works alongside his uncle Billy, giving his tuition savings to Harry with the understanding that Harry will run the business when he graduates.<\/p>\n

Harry returns from college, married and with a job offer from his father-in-law, and George resigns himself to running the Building and Loan. George and Mary rekindle their relationship and wed. They witness a\u00a0run on the bank\u00a0and use their\u00a0honeymoon\u00a0savings to keep the Building and Loan solvent.<\/p>\n

Under George, the company establishes Bailey Park, a housing development surpassing Potter’s overpriced\u00a0slums. Potter entices George with a $20,000\/year job but realizing that Potter’s true intention is to close the Building and Loan, George rebuffs him.<\/p>\n

On Christmas Eve 1945, the town prepares a hero’s welcome for Harry, who, as a U.S. Navy<\/a>\u00a0fighter pilot, was awarded the\u00a0Medal of Honor\u00a0for preventing a\u00a0kamikaze\u00a0attack on a troop transport. Billy goes to Potter’s bank to deposit $8,000 of the Building and Loan’s money. He taunts Potter with a newspaper headline about Harry, then absentmindedly wraps the cash in Potter’s newspaper. Potter finds and keeps the money, while Billy cannot recall how he misplaced it.<\/p>\n

With a bank examiner reviewing the company’s records, George realizes scandal and criminal charges will follow. Fruitlessly retracing Billy’s steps, George berates him and takes out his frustration on Mary and their children. George appeals to Potter for a loan, offering his\u00a0life insurance\u00a0policy as collateral. Potter scoffs that George is worth more dead than alive, refuses to help, and phones the police.<\/p>\n

George flees Potter’s office, gets drunk at a bar, and prays for help. Contemplating suicide, he goes to a nearby bridge. However, before George can jump, Clarence dives into the freezing river, and George rescues him. When George wishes he had never been born, Clarence shows George a timeline in which he never existed.<\/p>\n

Bedford Falls is now Pottersville, an unsavory town occupied by sleazy entertainment venues, crime, and callous people. Mr. Gower was imprisoned for\u00a0manslaughter\u00a0because George was not there to stop him from poisoning the customer. George’s mother does not know him.<\/p>\n

Uncle Billy was\u00a0institutionalized\u00a0after the Building and Loan failed. Bailey Park is a cemetery<\/a>, where George discovers Harry’s grave<\/a>. Without George, Harry drowned as a child, and without Harry to save them, the troops aboard the transport ship were killed. George finds Mary, now a spinster<\/a>, and when he grabs her and claims to be her husband, she screams and runs.<\/p>\n

George flees back to the bridge and begs Clarence for his life back. The original reality is restored, and a grateful George rushes home to await his arrest. Meanwhile, Mary and Billy have rallied the townspeople, who come into the Bailey home and donate more than enough to cover the missing money.<\/p>\n

Harry arrives and toasts<\/a>\u00a0George as \u201cthe richest man in town.\u201d Among the donations, George finds a copy of\u00a0\u201cThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer,\u201d a gift from Clarence and inscribed, \u201cRemember, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings!\u201d<\/p>\n

When a bell on the\u00a0Christmas tree\u00a0rings, George\u2019s youngest daughter, Zuzu, explains that \u201cevery time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.\u201d George looks upward smiling and says, \u201cAtta boy, Clarence!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d is running now through December 23 at the Candlelight Theater with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees.<\/p>\n

Tickets, which include a buffet meal, beverages, dessert, and free parking, are $71.50 for adults and $33 for children.<\/p>\n

Another theater production with a lot of history is currently visiting Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will present Drivetime with Andrew Neu and Jason Long on December 8 and John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers on December 9.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $25 at the door on Friday and $40 at the door on Saturday.<\/p>\n

A special event is scheduled for December 10 \u2013 \u201cThe Memphis Stomp.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the venue\u2019s website \u2013 \u201cThe Memphis Stomp is A blues benefit extravaganza with top groups to raise funds to help send off our friends Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis to Memphis for The IBC Competition!\u201d<\/p>\n

The IBC is The International Blues Challenge, which is a music competition run by the\u00a0Blues Foundation<\/p>\n

Tickets for the event, which will run from noon-3 p.m., are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

Now through December 10, The Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Shubert Organization is presenting the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim\u2019s and George Furth\u2019s\u00a0\u201cCompany\u201d at the Forrest Theatre.<\/p>\n

Winner of five 2022 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, this is the revival\u2019s premiere in Philadelphia as part of the 2023-2024 North American tour starring Britney Coleman as Bobbie. The Kimmel Cultural Campus, as a member of the Independent Presenter\u2019s Network, was a producer of the original Broadway revival production and shares in the Tony Award win.<\/p>\n

The tour follows the critically acclaimed, sold-out engagement in London\u2019s West End and Tony Award-winning run on Broadway. The most honored musical of the 2021-2022 Broadway season is directed by three-time Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott (War Horse,\u00a0The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,\u00a0Angels in America).<\/p>\n

\u201cCompany\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0musical\u00a0with music and lyrics by\u00a0Stephen Sondheim\u00a0and book by\u00a0George Furth. The original 1970 production was nominated for a record-setting 14\u00a0Tony Awards, winning six.\u00a0\u201cCompany\u201d\u00a0was among the first\u00a0book musicals\u00a0to deal with contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce, and is a notable example of a\u00a0concept musical\u00a0lacking a linear plot.<\/p>\n

In a series of\u00a0vignettes,\u00a0\u201cCompany\u2019\u00a0follows\u00a0Bobbie, a single woman, interacting with his married friends, who throw a party for his 35th birthday.<\/p>\n

Furth wrote 11 one-act plays planned for\u00a0Kim Stanley.\u00a0Anthony Perkins\u00a0was interested in directing and gave the material to Sondheim, who asked\u00a0Harold Prince\u00a0for his opinion. Prince said the plays could be a good basis for a musical about New York marriages with a central character to examine those marriages.<\/p>\n

In the early 1990s, Furth and Sondheim revised the\u00a0libretto, cutting and altering dialogue that had become dated and rewriting the end of act one. This synopsis is based on the revised libretto.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompany,\u201d the musical comedy masterpiece about the search for love and cocktails in New York, is turned on its head in Elliott\u2019s revelatory staging, in which musical theatre\u2019s most iconic bachelor is now a bachelorette.<\/p>\n

At Bobbie\u2019s 35th birthday party, all her friends are wondering why isn\u2019t she married? Why can\u2019t she find the right man? And why can\u2019t she settle down and have a family? As Bobbie searches for answers, she discovers why being single, being married, and being alive in the 21st-century could drive a person crazy.<\/p>\n

This smart musical comedy, given a game-changing makeover for a modern-day Manhattan, features some of Sondheim\u2019s best loved songs, including \u201cCompany,\u201d \u201cYou Could Drive a Person Crazy,\u201d \u201cThe Ladies Who Lunch,\u201d \u201cSide by Side,\u201d and the iconic \u201cBeing Alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sondheim and Elliott collaborated to update\u00a0\u201cCompany,\u201d bringing Bobbie\u2019s array of friends and lovers into the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Paul is waiting patiently for his fianc\u00e9e Jamie to get over his frantic wedding day jitters.\u00a0Sarah and Harry try jujitsu to keep their marriage alive.\u00a0Joanne is on her third husband with younger man, Larry.\u00a0Peter and Susan seem to have the perfect marriage, until perfection proves impossible.<\/p>\n

Jenny and her square husband David can\u2019t understand Bobbie\u2019s perpetually single status and are not shy about telling her.\u00a0All while Bobbie juggles three men — sexy flight attendant Andy; small-town boy Theo trying to find his way in the big city; and P.J., the native New Yorker who is more in love with his hometown than Bobbie.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompany\u201d\u00a0began preview performances on Broadway on March 2, 2020, and, following the shutdown, resumed previews on November 15, 2021. The production was in previews when on November 26, 2021, Broadway suffered the devastating loss of the titan of the American musical, composer Stephen Sondheim.<\/p>\n

This production of\u00a0Company\u00a0was the last Broadway production of his work that he saw to fruition before his passing at the age of 91 on November 26, 2021. \u201cCompany\u201d\u00a0played its final performance on Broadway on July 31, 2022, having played 300 performances.<\/p>\n

The National Tour opened on October 8, 2023, at the\u00a0Proctor’s Theatre\u00a0in\u00a0Schenectady, New York\u00a0and is slated to close on August 18, 2024, at the\u00a0Pantages Theatre\u00a0in\u00a0Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cCompany\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/qd3ztClLQr0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompany will run now through December 10 at the Forrest Theater.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $58.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will host Lenape Brass Ensemble on December 8, and John Flynn on December 9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Once you\u2019ve heard\u00a0Mary Fahl\u00a0sing, you have her voice etched permanently into your memory bank. From that point on, if you hear a song by Fahl, you immediately know who is singing. When Fahl performs her annual Christmas shows, which she has been doing for more than a decade, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4357],"tags":[3162,2397,11388],"class_list":["post-28849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-mary-fahl","tag-the-lone-bellow"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28849"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28850,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28849\/revisions\/28850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}