{"id":29213,"date":"2024-02-29T08:26:15","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T13:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=29213"},"modified":"2024-02-29T08:26:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T13:26:15","slug":"on-stage-elkton-music-hall-to-feature-familiar-acts-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/?p=29213","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Elkton Music Hall to feature familiar acts this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Quinn Sullivan<\/p><\/div>\n

Two music acts sharing the bill at Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Md., www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) on March 1 are no strangers to area music fans.<\/p>\n

The Gretchen Emery Band has played many venues around the area including Kennett Flash, Jamey\u2019s House of Music, Stoney\u2019s English Pub and Bellefonte Cafe<\/p>\n

Massachusetts native Quinn Sullivan has played a lot of clubs around the region and has found a home away from home at the Sellersville Theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played the Sellersville Theater a lot over the last six years,\u201d said Sullivan, during a phone interview from his home in the New England whaling town of New Bedford.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last time I played there was summer of 2022. I really like performing there. It had great people working there and really good fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sullivan first performed there in July 2017 and played dates later that summer with blues legend Buddy Guy. Three weeks earlier, Sullivan was sitting in class as a student at New Bedford High School in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

Sullivan\u2019s history with Guy goes back almost 20 years \u2013 which is pretty impressive considering Sullivan just turned 24 in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cI first saw Buddy Guy play in a video of the Crossroads Festival in 2004,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cI was playing a guitar but wasn\u2019t into blues yet. Prior to that, I was playing rock. Blues came into the picture after I saw Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started playing guitar when I was really young. My parents were music lovers, and my dad was a drummer. I dabbled with a lot of musical instruments but no guitars at first. Eventually, I just gravitated toward guitar. I loved the way it made me feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was three, my parents got me a guitar as a Christmas present. A few years later, I started taking guitar lessons. It seems that playing guitar is something I\u2019ve always been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sullivan first gained national media attention at age six when he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I saw Buddy Guy and how he played his guitar, I said to my family \u2013 we have to go see this guy play,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cIn 2007, he came to New Bedford to perform at the Zeiterion Theater.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe made friends with the people at the theater and got to go backstage. I went to his dressing room, and he was very welcoming and signed my guitar. I was seven or eight at the time. He asked me if I could play. I played a few licks for him, and he looked at me and said \u2013 be ready when I call you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe called me out onstage to play with him that night at the Zeiterion Theater,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cThat started the journey I\u2019ve been on for the last 16 years. In July 2007, he came for a show in Lowell, Massachusetts and I got to jam with him for a second time. That was when it clicked for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe kept going to see him every time he came to the area. Eventually, he asked me to open some shows for him. The first time I opened for him was in Arlington, Kentucky when I was 11. It got to a point where we were opening a lot of shows for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sullivan has released four of his own albums \u2013 \u201cCyclone\u201d in 2011, \u201cGetting There\u201d in 2013, \u201cMidnight Highway\u201d in 2017 and \u201cWide Awake\u201d in 2017.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded the \u2018Cyclone\u2019 album in Nashville in 2010 and it came out in 2100,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cThat was my first time in the studio, and it taught me so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was working with Buddy Guy\u2019s producer Tom Hambridge. He pushed me a lot \u2013 which was needed. I\u2019ve worked with Tom on all four albums. We recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville which is a legendary studio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sullivan has been touring the world since he was 11 years old, playing storied venues such as Madison Square Garden, the Hollywood Bowl and RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., as well as India\u2019s Mahindra Blues Festival, Eric Clapton\u2019s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and three Montreux Jazz Festivals.<\/p>\n

He has shared the stage with Carlos Santana on several occasions. Sullivan\u2019s performance experience includes appearances on leading national television programs such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy music is a lot more than just the blues,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely started to expand with other styles of writing. My writing hasn\u2019t changed but it has progressed. \u2018Wide Awake\u2019 was an opportunity to explore other styles. It\u2019s guitar-driven and bluesy but it\u2019s not just traditional blues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are elements of rock-and-roll, indie and alternative. It\u2019s always been my goal to write songs I love and to bring more diversity to them. I was still in high school for my first three albums. \u2018Wide Awake\u2019 was an introduction to Quinn Sullivan. The album title was a metaphor. To get a younger generation into it, I needed to expand and have more variety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s 2024 and time for new things for Sullivan. He has recorded a new album with a new producer in a new city.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Wide Awake\u2019 came out in June 2021 and now another one is in the can,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cIt\u2019s coming out next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded it in Minneapolis with producer John Fields. We wrote and did the whole thing at his studio at Creation Audio. He came to mind when I was thinking about a producer to use. And my manager knew his manager. We set up a time to write together and it went well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just finished it a few weeks ago. It\u2019s very expansive. It\u2019s another record with a variety of different styles \u2013 and some blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Quinn Sullivan \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/nKFU6O3rTnQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Both acts have new albums looming on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Sullivan\u2019s new LP, \u201cSalvation,\u201d is scheduled to be released on June 7 while the Emery release is scheduled for later this year.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Gretchen Emery<\/p><\/div>\n

Vocal powerhouse Emery\u00a0was recently honored with the 2023 award for \u201cBest Lead Singer\u201d by Delaware Valley Hometown Heroes. Her husband Kenny Windle is the band\u2019s guitarist and Emery\u2019s co-writer. The band also features Randy Waters (bass), Mike Leger (drums), and Frank Donato (keys).<\/p>\n

The Gretchen\u00a0Emery\u00a0Band has toured steadily in the Mid-Atlantic region over the last four years. The band released its debut EP, \u201cIf Love Were Enough,\u201d in July 2022.<\/p>\n

The EP, which was released on a\/i\/r records, has been described as a \u201crootsy, soul-fueled mix of rockin\u2019 R&B\u2026. blending both traditional and contemporary influences, creating something that feels instantly familiar yet excitingly fresh at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, they are working on a new release on a\/i\/r records. Their most recent area show was at Stoney\u2019s Pub in Wilmington back on Thanksgiving Weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took a break and sort of hibernated the last two months,\u201d said Emery, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Newark, Delaware. \u201cWe didn\u2019t play any shows from mid-December until now because we\u2019ve been working on our new album.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band is moving in style with a trip planned to one of the most respected recording studios in the world \u2013 FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.<\/p>\n

FAME, an acronym for Florence Alabama Music Enterprises, is a studio that has been the recording home for such acts as Otis Redding, Duane Allman, Aretha Franklin, Oak Ridge Boys and Jason Isbell.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to Muscle Shoals in May to record at FAME,\u201d said Emery. \u201cThis is a bucket list for Kenny. He always wanted to record at FAME.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re taking the whole band to Alabama along with producer Derek Chafin, who produced our last album. It\u2019s like everything lined up just right.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also have musician friends down there \u2013 The Dirty Rain Revelers. We\u2019ll be doing some shows together when we\u2019re down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dirty Rain Revelers features husband\/wife duo, Matthew and Melissa DeOrazio, both on guitars and vocals.\u00a0 The music they make has a kinetic energy that connects to roots and blues, and weaves in the human experience through the songs they share.\u00a0Both lifelong musicians, they\u2019ve been playing together for 16 years under various guises and lineups.<\/p>\n

Both groups focus on husband\/wife teams that write and play together.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy husband and I write together,\u201d said Emery. \u201cHe comes up with the chord structure and I develop the melody. Then, I take care of the lyrics.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018If Love Were Enough\u2019 was the first one where we achieved the result that we were really happy with.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it at BarnSound Studio in Newtown Square. It\u2019s Derek Chafin\u2019s studio which he has now moved to Chester Springs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used Derek Chafin as our producer for the EP. He made all the difference for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe brought him the song \u2018If Love Were Enough\u2019 to listen to. He liked it and agreed to produce us. We had never used a producer before. Now, we\u2019re working on a full-length with him. The new album won\u2019t be out until? \u2013 when we\u2019re all done.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Emery and her husband grew up in Dover, Delaware.<\/p>\n

\u201cI stayed in Dover for college and went to Wesley College,\u201d said Emery, who spent more than two decades as a pediatric nurse. \u201cMy mom was a professor there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to nursing school and got my degree. I worked as a nurse for a long time. Now, I work for the V.A. in Philly. I\u2019m in administration so fortunately I can work from home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was growing up, music was obligatory in our home. Everyone is musical. My mom has been a singer since she was really young. My dad played the clarinet and his brother played organ and piano. I started singing in church. In school, I played flute in the band and sang.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emery, who has been involved in quite a few bands over the years, now has found the right sound and the right mixture of players.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a band called Gretchen Emery Band and Dirty Boots,\u201d said Emery. \u201cWe competed in the IBC (International Blues Competition) in 2013 and then broke up a year later.<\/p>\n

\u201cKenny and I stopped playing for a while. Then, we realized we can\u2019t not play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for the Gretchen Emery Band \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/yUWijOc-OuM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Elkton Music Hall on March 1 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $31.<\/p>\n

Selwyn Birchwood headlined a show in Sellersville late last summer and now is making a return appearance this week.<\/p>\n

Birchwood, who is touring in support of the release of his highly acclaimed fourth Alligator Records album,\u00a0\u201cExorcist,\u201d will perform at\u00a0the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com<\/a>) on March 6.<\/p>\n

The young guitarist, lap steel player, songwriter and vocalist sets a course for the future of the blues with his visionary, original music. He calls it \u201cElectric Swamp Funkin\u2019 Blues,\u201d an intoxicating mix of deep blues, blistering, psychedelic-tinged rock, booty-shaking funk and sweet Southern soul, played and sung with fire-and-brimstone fervor.<\/p>\n

With his fiery guitar and lap steel playing, his trailblazing, instantly memorable songs and gritty, unvarnished vocals, Birchwood is among the most extraordinary young stars in the blues. His deep familiarity with blues tradition allows him to bust the genre wide open, adding new sounds, colors and textures, all delivered with a revival tent preacher\u2019s fervor and a natural storyteller\u2019s charisma.<\/p>\n

On\u00a0\u201cExorcist,\u201d Birchwood delivers the most far-reaching, musically adventurous album of his career. Recorded in Florida and produced by Grammy Award-winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone \u201cKingfish\u201d Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) each of the 13 vividly detailed songs was written and arranged by Birchwood. The soul-baring tracks all hit with lasting rhymes and unexpected rhythms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished recording \u2018Exorcist\u2019 in December 2022 and finished mixing it in January 2023,\u201d said Birchwood, during a phone interview while travelling to Chicago for the fifth gig of the tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut it in Florida. We recorded it at Fat Planet \u2013 the same studio I used for my last three albums. We did about a week of tracking and a few days of overdubbing and background voices. Then I flew up to Nashville to do the final mixing with Tom Hambridge.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new album definitely shows growth. Musically, it\u2019s the most expansive album I\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award-winning Florida bluesman first hit the blues scene in 2011 with the self-released, self-produced, \u201cFL Boy.\u201d After winning the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis (beating 150 other bands), Birchwood found doors swinging open. He took a giant step forward in 2014 with his Alligator Records debut album,\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Call No Ambulance<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album won both the\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0Award and the Blues Music Award (BMA) for Best New Artist Debut. He followed in 2016 with fan favorite\u00a0\u201cPick Your Poison\u201d\u00a0and, in 2021, with the groundbreaking \u201cLiving In A Burning House.\u201d He won the coveted BMA Song Of The Year Award for that album\u2019s\u00a0\u201cI\u2019d Climb Mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Birchwood is in full-scale touring mode \u2013 bringing his impassioned music to his fans.<\/p>\n

According to Birchwood, \u201cMy goal is to be sure you cannot listen passively. We\u2019re going to make you dance, and we\u2019re going to make you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood\u2019s previous album, \u201cLiving in A Burning House,\u201d was released in 2021 on Alligator Records.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album won two Blues Music Awards,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cIt got the award for \u2018Contemporary Blues Album\u2019 and for \u2018Song of the Year\u2019 and my band member Reggi Oliver got one for \u2018Best Horn Player.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWe finished making the album in December 2019. It was set to be released in May 2020. Obviously, 2020 had different plans. It finally came out in January 2021. I was ecstatic with the reception it got.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe released the new album in 2021. Even with so much uncertainty, we decided to put it out. We did two shows in January 2021 when the album came out \u2013 shows with social distancing. We didn\u2019t do any concerts outside the state until mid-2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t get to tour the album too heavily. But I always try to stay busy. COVID was a trying time. Music was a release for me. It\u2019s a different landscape since 2020. But people seem ready to come listening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t write any songs about the pandemic. For people, it\u2019s an escape from reality so I don\u2019t think anyone wants to hear songs about COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood has found much better paths for expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my music, I\u2019m really trying to straddle the line between contemporary and traditional,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to find my own stuff. I think people would be hard-pressed to name another band like us. When I\u2019m asked to describe my music, I use four words \u2013 electric swamp funk blues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut,\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Call No Ambulance,\u201d Birchwood has made a meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages.<\/p>\n

That album received the Blues Music Award and\u00a0Living Blues\u00a0Critics\u2019 Award for \u201cBest Debut Album of 2014,\u201d and Birchwood won the 2015\u00a0\u201cBlues Blast\u00a0Rising Star Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood\u2019s follow-up was \u201cPick Your Poison\u201d in 2016.<\/p>\n

Birchwood wrote and produced all 13 songs on his latest album \u201cPick Your Poison,\u201d which was released in 2017 on Alligator Records. The album is a testament to Birchwood\u2019s overflowing talents as a blues master \u2013 despite his young age of 36.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 album was nominated for two Blues Music Awards,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cWe started making \u2018Pick Your Poison\u2019 in May of 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood is one of the top acts to emerge in the world of blues music in recent years. In 2013, he won the world-renowned International Blues Challenge \u2014 beating out 125 other musicians from the U.S. and abroad.<\/p>\n

He also took home the Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award. After that, it didn\u2019t take long for Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer to offer Birchwood a contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cBruce heard me play at IBC (International Blues Challenge) in Memphis,\u201d said Birchwood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave him some of my tracks to listen to. I was just hoping to get his opinion on them. Instead, he asked me to make an album for his record label.\u201d<\/p>\n

Birchwood was born in 1985 in Orlando, Florida. He first grabbed a guitar at age 13 and soon became proficient at mimicking what he heard on the radio. But the popular grunge rock, hip-hop and metal of the 1990s didn\u2019t move him, and he quickly grew bored.<\/p>\n

Then he heard Jimi Hendrix. By the time he was 17, Birchwood was deep into the blues \u2014 listening to Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Lightnin\u2019 Hopkins and especially Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was young, I decided I wanted to play an instrument and landed on guitar,\u201d said Birchwood. \u201cI was bored with just hearing the stuff on the radio in the late 90s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time, I was blown away. It was like a spaceship had landed. Then, I started listening to Hendrix\u2019 roots \u2014 Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuddy Guy was one of my favorites. He was coming on tour to the House of Blues in Orlando when I was 17 and living there. I went to his show and was completely floored. I said \u2014 what I\u2019m feeling coming off this stage is what I want to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just trying to write the best songs I can and have the strongest live performances. I want to just make sure we\u2019re doing everything right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for\u00a0Selwyn\u00a0Birchwood \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/NcxdptrFQCc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The opening act on March 6 will be Katie Henry.<\/p>\n

Henry is one of the bright new prospects in America\u2019s flourishing blues scene — a talented and versatile blues guitar player. Ironically, neither blues nor guitar were her starting points.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up playing piano,\u201d said Henry, during a phone interview. \u201cI also played clarinet in middle school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Henry\u2019s musical journey began when she was six and started taking piano lessons. She quickly became the \u201chouse\u201d piano player for all night family singalongs and very soon began crafting her own songs in the back of her school notebooks. Heavily involved in school band, her passion for music continued to grow in college, where she also picked up the guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved being in bands,\u201d said Henry, who grew up and attended high school in Vernon, New Jersey. \u201cI also loved playing for family and other gatherings. It was the best way to bond with other people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to Manhattan College in the Bronx. I graduated in 2014 with a degree in education. I was a teacher for three years in Riverdale in the Bronx.<\/p>\n

\u201cI joined a jazz band in college playing piano and also went to open mics. It was just a way for me to continue playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne night, I was at an open mic at the Bitter End and met Antar. We had similar interests, so we started a blues band. I was playing piano at the time. He put a guitar in my hand, and I stared playing chords. He opened the door, and I stepped through. That was five years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy first guitar was a Strat and then I got an SG. Now, the Atele Guitar is my favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n

Henry\u2019s musical world had expanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I started playing guitar, I was listening with new ears,\u201d said Henry. \u201cI had listened to the Allman Brothers Band. Now, I was tuning in to Dickie Betts. I like simple melody lines \u2013 like the playing of Robbie Robertson. I consider myself a melodic guitarist. Some of my biggest influences have been Freddie King and Susan Tedeschi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Katie Henry \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/Br9hoDnQrjY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater on March 6 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are\u00a0Fleetwood Mask on March 1, G.E. Smith on March 2, D\u00e0imh with Seasons on March 3, and Heirloom \/ Illusion of Solace \/ easternfault on March 5.<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Doubtfire\u201d and \u201cHello Dolly!\u201d just closed their respective runs in Philadelphia and Wilmington \u2013 but when one or two doors close, another one opens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Starting this week, Ensemble Arts Philly and The Shubert Organization\u00a0are presenting \u201cThe Girl From The North Country\u201d now through March 10 at the Forrest Theater (1114 Walnut Street, Philadelphia).<\/p>\n

This is the Philadelphia premiere engagement of the Tony Award\u00ae-winning musical, which was written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and features Tony Award\u00ae-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale.<\/p>\n

\u201cGirl From The North Country\u201d reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan\u00a0as they\u2019ve never been heard before, including \u201cForever Young,\u201d \u201cAll Along The Watchtower,\u201d \u201cHurricane,\u201d \u201cSlow Train Coming,\u201d and \u201cLike A Rolling Stone.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the key roles \u2013 Kate Draper \u2013 is performed by an actress from the Deware Valley \u2013 Chiara Trentalange, a graduate of Gwynedd Mercy Academy and native of Southampton.<\/p>\n

\u201cI auditioned in September 2019 and got the call in October that I got the part,\u201d said Trentalange, during a recent tour stop in Greenville, South Carolina. \u201cI was the understudy for Kate Draper on Broadway and was dance captain for the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had rehearsal in the winter. Then we spent a week on Broadway before COVID closed everything down. That was a crazy time. We expected to be back in two weeks but that never happened. Now to be on the road with this show is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fortunately for area theater fans, the show has found new life.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll I knew was that it was written by an Irish playwright and had music by Bob Dylan,\u201d said Trentalange, who graduated from Emerson College with a B.F.A. in Musical Theater. \u201cThe show is set in Duluth, Minnesota in 1934. The story is not about Bob Dylan. It just uses his music to tell the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

The setting takes place on the shores of Lake Superior<\/a>\u00a0in Duluth<\/a>\u00a0in the winter of 1934 and America is in the grip of the Great Depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The story is narrated by Dr. Walker, physician to the Laine family. Nick Laine is the proprietor of a rundown guesthouse. The bank is threatening to foreclose on the property, and he is desperate to find a way to save his family from homelessness.<\/p>\n

His wife, Elizabeth, is suffering from a form of dementia which propels her from catatonic detachment to childlike, uninhibited outbursts which are becoming difficult to manage. Their children are Gene, who is in his early twenties, and their adopted daughter, Marianne, who is 19.<\/p>\n

Marianne is five months pregnant, and the identity of the father is a mystery she guards carefully. Nick is trying to arrange a marriage between Marianne and a local cobbler, Mr. Perry, in order to secure her future.<\/p>\n

The social awkwardness is complicated by the fact that Marianne is a black girl living with a white family. She was abandoned in the guesthouse as a baby and brought up by Nick and Elizabeth.<\/p>\n

Gene is unable to get a grip on his life, and veers between ambitions of becoming a writer and debilitating alcohol binges, a situation not helped when his sweetheart, Kate, announces she is marrying a man with better prospects.<\/p>\n

Nick has become involved in a relationship with a resident of the guest house, Mrs. Neilsen, a widow who is waiting for her late husband’s will to clear probate. They dream of a better future when her money comes through, although she scolds Nick for his constant pessimism.<\/p>\n

Also staying at the house are a family, the Burkes. Mr. Burke lost his business in the crash. His wife, Laura, and his son, Elias, share a room upstairs. Elias has a learning disability and the family struggles to come to terms with their reduced state.<\/p>\n

Late at night, during a storm, a self-styled reverend bible salesman, Marlowe, and a down-on-his-luck boxer, Joe Scott, arrive looking for shelter. The arrival of these characters is a catalyst, changing everything for everyone in the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cGirl From the North Country,\u201d which had its Broadway run cut short a month in due to the pandemic, reopened at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway in October 2021.\u00a0It was the first Broadway show to reopen after the Coronavirus pandemic forced theatres to close in March 2020.<\/p>\n

Even Dylan himself is a fan of the show.<\/p>\n

In an interview with\u00a0The New York Times, Dylan said, \u201cSure, I\u2019ve seen it, and it affected me. I saw it as an anonymous spectator, not as someone who had anything to do with it. I just let it happen. The play had me crying at the end. I can\u2019t even say why. When the curtain came down, I was stunned. I really was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cGirl From The North Country\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/8YsFznBBLfo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show will run now through March 10 at the Forrest Theater,<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $45.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) is continuing its love affair with tribute acts this weekend with a show on March 2 featuring Whammer Jammer: J Geils Tribute Band.<\/p>\n

Before that, there will be a concert on March 1 showcasing the West Chester Jazz Orchestra with Joanna Pascale.<\/p>\n

Lyric is paramount for Philadelphia-based vocalist Joanna Pascale, who insists that she cannot perform a song unless she can connect personally with its lyrics. A singer of sophisticated taste, profound expressiveness, and raw emotion, Pascale is also a gifted educator who is a member of the vocal faculty at both Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

She has been featured on recordings by Jeremy Pelt, Tim Warfield, Orrin Evans, Larry McKenna, the Temple University Jazz Band, and Garry Dial and Dick Oatts. Pascale made her recording debut with 2004\u2019s\u00a0\u201cWhen Lights Are Low,\u201d followed by the 2008 CD\u00a0\u201cThrough My Eyes\u201d\u00a0and a 2010 duo recording with pianist Anthony Wonsey. With the 2015 release of\u00a0\u201cWildflower,\u201d she revealed her most personal and diverse collection to date.<\/p>\n

Video link for West Chester Jazz Orchestra — https:\/\/youtu.be\/uB-59M_7ENQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Uptown! on Friday will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n

Whammer Jammer \u2013 Boston\u2019s own tribute to the J. Geils Band is billed as \u201can experience not just a show.\u201d<\/p>\n

The band presents faithful performances dedicated to keeping the sight and sounds of the J. Geils Band in the hearts of the fans old and new.\u00a0 It features six dedicated professional musicians from the Boston area with a singular goal — to share with audiences the timeless music and non-stop live action stage shows of the J. Geils Band.<\/p>\n

Video link for Whammer Jammer \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ceZpwKMuz_s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Uptown! on Friday will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $35.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is presenting \u201cTHE ACOUSTIC JAM\u201d hosted by Bruce Richards and Wes Davis on March 1 followed by Koh Show Show Live Live on March 2 and Open Mic Night with Todd Chapelle on March 3.<\/p>\n

On March 2, the Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) will present Total Mass Retain YES Tribute Band<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985,www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) has a pair of attractive main stage shows on tap for this weekend.<\/p>\n

On March 1, the Delaware County venue will present the Larry Price Quintet.<\/p>\n

Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

The show on March 2 will feature Stevie and the Bluescasters.<\/p>\n

Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.<\/p>\n

Every Sunday, Jamey\u2019s presents \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH & JAM\u201d featuring the Philly Blues Kings. Another weekly event at the venue is the \u201cTHURSDAY NIGHT JAZZ JAM\u201d\u00a0featuring the Dave Reiter Trio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Two music acts sharing the bill at Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Md., www.elktonmusichall.com) on March 1 are no strangers to area music fans. The Gretchen Emery Band has played many venues around the area including Kennett Flash, Jamey\u2019s House of Music, Stoney\u2019s English Pub and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4357],"tags":[3162,11485,5850],"class_list":["post-29213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-gretchen-emery","tag-quinn-sullivan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29213","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=29213"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29213\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29215,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29213\/revisions\/29215"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/29214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/downingtowntimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}