On Stage: Gillian Grassie comes home

Also:  Orpheus Supertones, Genesis’ Steve Hackett and more on local stages

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

Chadds Ford’s globe-trotting musician Gillian Grassie is coming home — at least for a few weeks. Grassie, who now lives in Berlin, Germany, will be performing on November 26 at The Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org).

“I’ve been playing a lot in Europe,” said Grassie, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Austin, Texas. “I’ve done tours of Germany and Italy and did a festival in Poland. I first went to Berlin for two months in 2009. I came back to live here for awhile because I really like the city. Berlin is like the Austin of Germany.”

Grassie, who is a vocalist and harpist, traveled over 25,000 miles back in 2009 as she trekked around the globe on a musical exploration.

“I left on my trip on July 30, 2009 and returned home on July 30, 2010,” said Grassie, who was a member of the Unionville High Class of 2005. “When I was finishing my degree at Bryn Mawr College, I applied for the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. I got it and that’s what made the trip possible.

The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship offers college graduates of “unusual promise” a year of independent, purposeful exploration and travel — in international settings new to them — to enhance their capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership and to foster their humane and effective participation in the world community. The stipend for the fellowship year is $25,000.

“There were very few rules,” said Grassie, who holds a dual citizenship (United States and Switzerland). “It’s completely independent. The main rule is that you can’t return to your home country so I couldn’t come back here or go to Switzerland.”

Grassie started in France and spent time in Paris and Normandy. In Germany, she lived for awhile in Berlin, visited Freiburg and did a concert tour with Joseph Parsons. Then, it was off to Mumbai, India where she did musical collaborations with a number of top Indian musicians including Mithavan and Ranjit Barot.

A variety of adventures greeted Grassie when she was in Djakarta, Indonesia including having to deal with a broken harp, performing at a jazz festival, being exposed to gamelan music and recovering from rabies shots after being bitten by a stray cat.

“After Indonesia, I went to Hong Kong,” said Grassie. “Then, I traveled to China and spent time in Shanghai and Beijing. When I crossed the border into Russia, I had my bag confiscated in Krasnoyarsk. Finally, I just got on the Trans-Siberian Express and traveled on without it.”

Grassie travelled around Russia teaching kids English through traditional American folk music as a part of the ESL Folk Project. At the tail end of her trip, her wallet and passport were stolen in St. Petersburg. She finally got an exit visa, took a bus to Helsinki (Finland) and a two-day ferry ride to Rostock (Germany). Then, she headed back to Berlin.

The versatile musician/world traveler began playing Celtic harp when she was 12 and started as a singer-songwriter a few years later.

“When I was in high school, I spent a semester in Switzerland,” said Grassie. “I had all this free time so I decided to start writing songs. Once I started, I knew that was the way I wanted to go. I found it much more fulfilling.”

Grassie released an EP titled “To an Unwitting Muse” in 2005 and followed two years later with her first album — “Serpentine”. Her song “Silken String” took second place in the 2008 New York Songwriters Circle Competition. Her third — and most recent release — is “The Hinterhaus,” which came out last year.

“I recorded the album in Oakland (California),” said Grassie, who in recent years has toured South American and done two U.S. State Department tours in Russia. “I did a Kickstarter campaign that overfunded. I had planned on D.I.Y. but with the extra money. I looked at who I wanted to work with.

“I really liked the work Todd Sickafoose did as a producer — especially the ‘Hadestown’ album by Anaïs Mitchell and the albums he made with Ani DiFranco. I asked him if he would produce my record and he agreed. So, I went to Oakland to work with him.”

Grassie explained why she has released just two LPs and one EP in almost 10 years.

“The main thing about making an album is that it’s expensive,” said Grassie. “It takes some funding. Making the record is only half the job. Getting the word out is a Herculean task. I don’t think I did a good job with letting people know about ‘The Hinterhaus.’ It takes a lot of planning.”

Grassie’s energy is directed more to being an artist than being a manager, promoter or publicist. She is happiest when she is performing for people.

“The fun thing about touring Europe is being able to draw crowds,” said Grassie, who has performed in 16 countries so far. “Even though the audiences in Europe don’t know me, they’re very enthusiastic — especially in Italy. I don’t know how it happens.

“In Berlin, sometimes I just play on the street. I’m a perfectionist and busking is a great way to test drive new songs. I’ve been writing some songs lately. I’ve also started messing around with banjo and ukulele. But, I’m more of a one-trick pony.”

Grassie’s show at The Flash will start at 8 p.m. with opening act Ross Bellenoit. Tickets are $16 in advance and $20 day of show. Grassie will also perform on December 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the London Grove Meeting (500 West Street Road, Kennett Square, 610-268-8466,http://www.londongrovemeeting.org).

Other upcoming shows at The Flash are Mason Porter and New Sweden on November 21, Orpheus Supertones on November 22 and One Alternative on November 23.

Each member of the Orpheus Supertones is a spectacular musician and tradition-bearer. Together, they are even greater than the parts — twin fiddles, banjo, guitar and bass plus great vocal harmonies.

The Orpheus Supertones are Pocopson’s Clare Milliner on fiddle, Oxford’s Pete Peterson on banjo, Avondale’s Walt Koken on fiddle (and some banjo live), Oxford’s Kellie Allen on guitar and Lincoln University’s Hilary Dirlam on bass.

“We took our name from the manufacturers of our instruments,” said Koken, during a phone interview last week. “Pete plays a Supertone banjo and I play an Orpheum banjo. Our group has three CDs out — all of us playing old-time music.

“There is a pretty fair-sized community for this kind of music. We used to run into each other at musical gatherings. Then, a guy was looking to make a film and needed some Pennsylvania music. Four of us got together to make music to try and get the gig. We didn’t get the gig. But, we did use the music for our first CD back in 2003.”

The band’s three albums — all of which have been released by Mudthumper Music — are “Bound to Have a Little Fun,”“When the Roses Bloom in Dixieland” and the most recent release “Going to Town.”

“When the Supertones started, the gigs were waiting and we just snapped some of them up,” said Koken. “It was pretty easy. Now, we do about 10 festivals a year along with some club gigs like the one coming up at The Flash.

“Probably about 99 per cent of what we play is traditional public domain old-time music — most of which was created back in the 1920s. Some of the songs were composed in the 1890s and early 1900s. It’s traditional folk music.

“A lot of the songs were handed down orally. The Carter Family did a lot of this music in the ’20s with RCA. A.P. Carter didn’t write a lot of the songs they sang — he collected them. What we play mainly comes from Appalachia and the Midwest — and occasionally some Northern stuff.

“When we perform our live show, it’s all acoustic with two microphones. Not much of the music is later than the ’20s. We occasionally do songs from the ’30s like ‘Who’s Sorry Now?,’ which was a hit for Connie Francis in the ’50s.”

Tickets for the Supertones’ show at The Flash are $20 in advance and $24 day of show. The concert is slated to get underway at 8 p.m.

Does the name “Gabbii” sound familiar to you?

If you’re into the world of nature, you might know “Cicindela Gabbii” (an American tiger beetle), “Chlosyne Gabbii (a bright orange-brown and black butterfly), “Bassaricyon Gabbii” (a relative of the raccoon) or “Penitella Gabbii” (a bivalve found in the Pacific Ocean).

But, if you’re into the world of pop music — especially musicians from the Philadelphia area — then the name “Gabbii” should bring to mind Gabbii Donnelly, a talented young singer who will have a CD release party on November 22 at Chaplin’s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110, http://chaplinslive.com). Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

“I’ve started working on my debut album but for right now I just have an EP that is coming out this weekend,” said Donenlly, during a phone interview last week from her home in Schwenksville. “The EP has three original tracks — ‘Look Twice,’ ‘Mannequin’ and ‘Circles.’

“My real name is Gabrielle but I changed it to Gabbii with an unusual spelling because I wanted it to stand out. I started making music two years ago. My mom had gotten me a guitar from a pawn shop but I didn’t start playing it at first. It was just gathering dust.

“Then, I decided to do something with it. I knew my neighbor Nick Filone gave guitar lessons so I went to him. I began taking lessons. He taught me the basic chords and then gave me some ideas for cover songs to work on. I chose the songs I liked as covers.

“Then, I started writing. At first, I wasn’t comfortable with it. The first song I wrote was titled ‘Wishes’ and another was called ‘Gone.’ When I played one of my originals for Nick, he said I should play it out — play it at a show.

“I’ve written about a song a month since then. I’m up to around 15 now. The way I write songs varies. On some, I’ll have one line of a lyric. That takes longer because I have to revolve the whole song around that lyric. If I come up with a melody first, then I can write the song around it.

“Most of the lyrics when I start a song tend to be random. If I come up with a melody and it’s sad or has a down tone, I’ll make sadder lyrics. If it’s more upbeat, I tend to make lyrics that are more happy and outgoing. With some of the sad songs, I’ll up the tempo so they don’t seem sad. The song ‘Look Twice’ is like that.”

Some of the musical acts that have influenced Donnelly are He Is We, Colbie Caillat, Demi Lovato, 5 Seconds of Summer and One Direction.

“My favorite song right now is ‘Amnesia’ by 5 Seconds Of Summer,” said Donnelly. “I think I’ll play a couple covers in my show at Chaplin’s — maybe A Great Big World’s ‘Say Something’ and Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball.’ The rest of the show will be all songs that I’ve written.”

Ironically, Nick Filone will be the opening act at Saturday’s show at Chaplin’s. Other shows scheduled for Chaplin’s over the next week are Loss of effect, Take Back, Gov. Of Sheep and Somebody’s Problems on November 21 and HONOR on November 26.

Without question, Genesis was one of the all-time best progressive rock bands — and was a true pioneer of the genre. The band broke up quite awhile ago and prospects of any type of reunion are virtually zero. Fortunately, the band’s guitarist Steve Hackett is keeping the timeless music of Genesis alive.

Hackett has returned to North America for the final portion of his highly successful “Genesis Extended Tour,” a tour that touches down for two shows at the Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650, www.keswicktheatre.com).

Tickets for the November 20 show are $49 and $75. The November 21 show sold out almost immediately. Both shows feature an 8 p.m. start time. The Keswick will host another act with roots in the past when former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley performs on November 26.

The “Gensesis Extended Tour” is a continuation of the 2013/2014 “Genesis Revisted II Tour,” which broke box office records in the UK, Europe and Japan. The set list features all Genesis material and the performances include a specially-designed light show.

Hackett’s band features an all-star line-up — Nad Sylvan (vocals), Roger King (keyboards), Nick Beggs (bass), Gary O’Toole (drums, percussion and vocals) and Rob Townsend (sax, flute and percussion).

“We’re several shows into the tour,” said Hackett, during a phone interview Monday evening from a tour stop in Boston. “Our New York shows went really well. Bruce Willis came to the show. He came backstage and told us how much he enjoyed it. He’s a lovely guy.

“This tour grew out of the last two. It was brought back by popular demand because the last two tours went really well. I think the music is the star of the show. The songs of Genesis were very good musically but they also succeeded because most of them were stories.”

Genesis was a band with a lot of talented musicians — and a lot of diverse opinions all along. That’s one reason a reunion falls into the “almost impossible” category.

“I’ve always said that I would be up for a reunion tour,” said Hackett. “I’m an extremely reasonable person. I know that fans want it and that it would be a huge success. But, I also think it’s highly unlikely.

“There are a ton of agendas at work. It would be tricky in 2014 to put together people who worked together from 1971-1977.  From my standpoint, if they think they’d get the same character back from then, they’d be mistaken.

“I told (former Genesis keyboard player) Tony Banks that I do nothing but practice every day. I make noise every day — I don’t know if it’s practice or not. It’s all writing. I’ll practice my right hand using nylon strings. Then, if you’re playing different chords, it’s a whole different game — whatever it takes.”

Hackett is keeping busy with this project and his solo career. He has a new album completed that will be released early next year.

“I’ve finished work on my solo album,” said Hackett. “It’s mixed in 5.1 (surround sound) and in stereo. I’m very pleased with it — a proud father. It has lots of different styles of music — lots of complementary opposites. I’ve been trying to marry up styles — Tchaikovsky and Grieg to the Beatles and about every guitarist out there.

“When I was young, I listened to Hank Marvin (guitarist of the Shadows), Django (Reinhardt), (Andres) Segovia and all the blues guitar heroes of the 60s who lived in London — Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Peter Green. John Mayall was an important part of my life and it’s great to see him still touring at 80 years old.”

Ironically, there are still new rock bands — not electronic bands — that are making solid music without a guitarist in the line-up. One of these new bands is Wildcat! Wildcat!  which is performing on November 20 at Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 267-639-4528,bootandsaddlephilly.com).

Wildcat! Wildcat!, a band from Los Angeles, features Jesse Taylor on bass and vocals, Michael Wilson on keyboards and vocals and Jesse Carmichael on drums. The trio just released its debut album “No Moon At All” on Downtown Records.

“We’re all from L.A. originally and we all still live there,” said Carmichael, during a phone interview Monday while travelling from Indianapolis to Columbus. “Me and Jesse live downtown and Michael is in Long Beach.

“We grew up together in Thousand Oaks and all went to Westlake High School there. We started playing music together about three years ago. It was informal at first. We started writing together and then got offered a show at Harvard & Stone, a club in East Hollywood.

“That went really well and we got asked to keep playing shows there. We started doing other shows and were playing a few times a week. Then, we started recording and putting songs on line on Soundcloud.

“At a certain point, it became obvious that we should give full attention to the band.

We did a Midwest/East Coast tour in August and we’ve toured the West Coast three or four times. We just had a party at Harvard & Stone celebrating our 100^th show.

“We put out a self-released EP about a year ago and then put out our first full-length in August. The album was recorded at Bronson Island Studio in L.A. We did a lot of writing in our home studio and then went into the actual studio for three weeks to do pre-production and recording.”

All three members play and sing — and all three write the songs.

“Each song is different in the way it’s written,” said Carmichael. “Each has its own journey. It starts with the initial idea and then goes on its own direction. We all use the same recording program — Logic. That way, we can send files to each other to be worked on.

“Some songs we actually write together. We’re all songwriters. We’re all producers. And, we’re all musicians. There is a lot of vocal layering. It’s pretty rare when just one person is singing onstage.

“When asked what kind of music we play, we say indie-rock or indie-electronic. We use a lot of different samples. We’re all into sampling. Actually, all three of us are guitar players so it’s ironic that we don’t use guitars in this band.”

The guitar is the instrument that is the foundation for the music of singer-songwriter Christine Havrilla, who will perform with her band Gypsy Fuzz on November 21 at Burlap & Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427- 4547, www.burlapandbean.com) .

“I grew up playing music,” said Havrilla, during a phone interview Monday from her home in West Chester. “My father and my aunt played guitar. Music was one of the things that was always there.

“When I was really young, I used to sneak in and get my dad’s guitar from under his bed. I read his chord books and taught myself how to play. I was around five at the time. It was a big guitar so I sat on the floor and had it on my lap.

“I never studied music — never took lessons. I grew up playing guitar in church. I was always playing with adults. I learned how to harmonize and interact with other instruments.”

Before long, Havrilla’s love of music — especially guitar — evolved into a career in music.

“I put out my first album in 1996 — back when independent artists were putting out their own CDs,” said Havrilla. “It was self-titled. I went to a studio on Ardmore with a full band. I did fundraising and pre-order sales. It was all home-grown.

“By 1999, I was doing music full-time. Since then, I’ve made seven studio albums, two demo EPs and a collection. Before I made the Gypsy Fuzz album (‘Searching. Finding. Living.’), I released a sampler of earlier stuff.  I’ve also put out two live CDs, one of which was recorded at Morning Star Studio (East Norriton) with a live studio audience.

“The show at Burlap & Bean this weekend will also be a live, multi-track recording. It will be just me and Gretchen Schultz on percussion and backing vocals. I like live sessions for several reasons — financially, it’s easier; it’s a different vibe when you’re playing live with an audience — I don’t do songs the same way every time; and having people be a part of it.

“I haven’t made the set list for the show yet. I know I’ll do ‘Ride’ from the ‘Velocity’ album that came out in 2006 and ‘Superstar,’ which is from the same album. And, I’ll do some of the new songs but they’ll sound different — more like the way they were written.

“I mix it up all the time when I’m playing live — solo, duo, trio, Gypsy Fuzz. If I’m hitting venues in the Philly area, I don’t like to do the same show all the time. We just played a show with the band in New Hope and we were very spontaneous — a lot of left turns. We really read each other well.

“I like to be in the moment and feed off the audience. It doesn’t matter — solo, duo, trio — I like to vibe off the room. I like to go with it. Solo stuff is the most free-form. I have two more live sessions that I’m doing this year. Doing it this way is great for me creatively. I’m totally buying this live session thing.”

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 day of show. The concert will start at 8 p.m. with Robinson Treacher as the opening act.

Several other really good female artists are performing at Burlap & Bean this week — Jess Klein and Natalia Zuckerman on November 20 and Heather Maloney on November 22.

Maloney is in the process of making a new album but is taking time off to do a few live shows. Showtime is 8 p.m. with Jesse Thomas opening. Tickets are 412 in advance and $15 at the door.

Thanksgiving is coming next week and Thanksgiving usually means it’s time for homecomings and reunions. On Sunday, there will be a very special reunion.

On November 23, the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389, www.ardmoremusic.com) is hosting a special charity event billed as “The Return of Huffamoose.”  It also features three other long-time Philadelphia music favorites — Jim Boggia, Ben Arnold and the Fractals.

The event, which is sponsored by EMS, will have 100 per cent of its ticket sales donated to “Dan’s Voice Memorial Fund for The Treatment and Research of Head & Neck Cancer; Chapter of the Board of Associates of Fox Chase Cancer Center.”

Huffamoose, a quartet of Philadelphia alternative rockers, has enjoyed an enthusiastic cult following in the Delaware Valley since the early 1990s. The band, which was known for off-center and somewhat abstract songs, was formed in 1992 when singer Craig Elkins, guitarist Kevin Hanson, bassist Jim Stager and drummer Erik Johnson teamed up.

“The event this weekend was the brainchild of our friend Paul Reitano, who is a cancer survivor,” said Hanson, during a recent phone interview. “He wanted to have a music benefit for ‘Dan’s Voice’. And, he wanted to hear Huffamoose play again.”

Huffamoose released its debut album in 1993 and a few years later signed with Interscope. The band’s sophomore album “We’ve Been Had Again” was critically acclaimed but Interscope still opted to drop Huffamoose from its roster.

In 1999, Huffamoose signed with Shanachie Recvords and released its third album “I Wanna Be Your Pants.” The group is best known for its hit single “Wait”, which reached Number 34 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts in 1998.

“We did one reunion gig in 2008 and another a few years ago,” said Hanson. “I’ve been in touch with Craig steadily over the years. We’ve always entertained the idea of another reunion show. But, he lives in L.A. so there is the logistics of getting him here.

“The rest of us are still local. Jim is a studio musician and Erik and I teach music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. We also do quite a bit of freelance work. I’ve worked as a producer and have used Jim on the sessions. We’ve made a couple records with the Fractals, who are also on this show.”

For the members of Huffamoose, playing the band’s material onstage is like riding a bike — once you’ve gotten down how to do it, you never forget.

“We’ll do one rehearsal for this show,” said Hanson. “With our first reunion, we were concerned how we’d pull it off. But, we’ve played these songs so many times, it all came together really easily.

“We all have good memories of our time in Huffamoose. And, we like playing reunion shows. The door is left open. We’ll probably do it again — if we can get our schedules to align.”

Tickets for the Huffamoose show are $20 in advance and $25 day of show. The evening’s music will get underway at 6 pm.

Over the next week, the Ardmore Music Hall will also present Janis Ian on November 20 (7:30 p.m.), Splintered Sunlight on November 20 (10 p.m.), Hezekiah Jones & Mutlu with Sean Hoots on November 22 and the Heavy Pets, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Montoj on November 26.

When Giulia Millanta takes the stage at Melodies Café (2 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, 610-645-5269, www.melodiescafe.com) on November 20, her fans can be assured that they will hear a much different show that what they heard last time she toured back in the spring.

“My first album was ‘Giulia and the Dizzyness’ back in 2008,” said Millanta, during a phone interview Tuesday night from a tour stop in Boston. “I don’t even hear myself in that anymore. It was folk-experimental. I like real stuff — not electronic. That doesn’t resonate much for me. I like real instruments.

“My next album was ‘Dropping Down’ in 2011. I arranged the whole thing and produced it myself. But that one seems far away too. Right now, everything seems so far away — even my last album.”

Millanta, a native of Florence, Italy, released her latest album “The Funambulist” earlier this year. A funambulist is a tightrope walker.

“’The Funambulist’ isn’t even a year old and I’m already working on new stuff — playing new stuff,” said Millanta, who moved to Austin, Texas a few years ago. “Even yesterday seems so far away.

“I recorded ‘The Funambulist’ in Austin and co-produced it with Eddy Hobizal. Now, it’s time for new stuff. I’m always somehow growing. I can’t do the same thing twice because I’d get bored.

“In my live show, I do perform some songs from ‘The Funambulist.’ I also do some covers because there are so many great songs out there. I play things people like. But, I like to play new stuff. I use the audiences as guinea pigs. I also use myself as a guinea pig — my own reaction to the songs played live.”

Millanta will never be accused of being predictable. She is a graduate of Università degli Studi di Firenze (University of Florence) but not with a degree in music.

“I have a medical degree to be a doctor,” said Millanta. “Before finishing my degree, I was sure I didn’t want to be a doctor. In my family, everyone is a doctor. My dad is a surgeon.

“I like writing. I like writing songs. I also write a column for an Italian magazine Tutta Firenze. It’s a magazine about Florence. Its name means ‘everything about Florence.’ I’m also writing a piece for theater.”

Not surprisingly, the name of her column for Tutta Firenze is “La Funambola” which is Italian for “funambulist.”

“The show at Melodies is a co-bill,” said Millanta. “I’m touring with Susan Cattaneo, a singer-songwriter from Boston. We’ll each do an acoustic set and then we’ll perform some songs together.”

Showtime is 8 p.m. and tickets are priced at $10.

Other upcoming shows at Melodies are Kevin Manning with Alex DiMattia and Frank Viele on November 21 and Jasmine Tate, Paper Hearts and Max Seidman on November 22.

The show “Cinderella” is coming to the Academy of Music (Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia, 215-893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org) for a six-day run from November 25-30 as part of the Kimmel Center’s ‘Broadway Philadelphia” series. Ticket prices range from $20-$105.50.

The National Tour production tells the tale of the Cinderella we all know and love — but with a slightly different twist. With a fresh new take on the beloved fairy tale, Cinderella is now a stronger, spirited character who fights for her own dreams. Additionally, she helps the Prince open his eyes and realize his dreams. The lively script also adds humor to the tale.

The two stepsisters are also portrayed differently than in the original fairy tale, where they were the two evil stepsisters.  Gabrielle, who is played by Ashley Park, actually gets along quite well with Cinderella. Charlotte, who is portrayed by Aymee Garcia, is still very self-absorbed but is now more of a clown — and always the last one in on the joke.

“It’s an updated script — updated for the 21^st century audience,” said Park, during a phone interview last week from West Palm Beach, Florida. “The stepmother is a little nastier and even crueler that before.

“I play Gabrielle and she is just as passionate and kind as Cinderella. She’s a bit of an outsider. She and Cinderella become friends. They become true sisters. But, our version still has the rags-to-riches story with the glass slippers.

“It’s very much the same story but I think it’s easier to follow. The characters are more accessible. It’s set in 17^th-century Europe and there is a political revolution. But, with the updated script, it’s more modern. The theme of this show is rooted in kindness. Cinderella is a modern-day heroine.”

The current show definitely has a different vibe.

“Gabrielle is quirky, lovable and wants to be helpful and kind,” said Park, who graduated with a theater degree from the University of Michigan. “Our creative team really let us bring ourselves to the character so this journey is fun for me to take every night. My character wears glasses and always wears big hoop skirts.

“Getting to find my quirky, inner nerd was fun for me. I think I brought a sense of youthfulness. I’m much younger than the other sister — and than Cinderella. As Gabrielle, I have a sense of curiosity and wanting to learn.

“Gabrielle is not nasty at all. But, the older sister is in the same mindset as their mother. Cinderella never has any conflict with the stepsisters. She just wants somebody to love her. The sisters don’t understand each other very much. But, by the end, they find out that they can.”

The current show features Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic songs, along with other Rodgers and Hammerstein songs from their vast repertoire of theater standards.

“This show has all the songs from the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein score — and more,” said Park. “They have added songs from other Rodgers and Hammerstein shows. For example, there is the song ‘Now Is the Time’ from ‘South Pacific.’ I love it because Rodgers and Hammerstein is where my heart is.”

Tony-winning costume designer William Ivey Long (who won the Tony for his costumes in this show), designed 330 spectacular period costumes for the show, including a magical morphing of Cinderella’s “rags” to gorgeous ball gown.

Both of the leads in this national tour were in the Broadway production of “Cinderella.” Paige Faure (Cinderella) played the title role on Broadway, and Andy Jones (Prince Topher) was a member of the original Broadway cast. Additionally, Kecia Lewis is the first African-American ever to play The Fairy Godmother.

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) frequently features the blues. This week, the focus is on the Browns.

On November 20, the venue presents Greg Brown with Pieta Brown as the opening act. On November 21, the headliner is Junior Brown.  The Seldom Scene will perform on November 22 and Danielia Cotton will headline on November 23 with Adam Kowalczyk as the opening act.

The Steel City Coffee House (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, 610-933-4043,www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com) will present Suzie Brown & Scott Sax with Jesse Terry on November 21, the Tom Guest Band on November 22 and Thrifty Discount DJs on November 23.

Suzie Brown & Scott Sax with Jesse Terry will also perform at the World Café Live at the Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 302- 994-1400, www.queen.worldcafelive.com) on November 20 on the Downstairs Stage.

The schedule for Downstairs also includes Phillip Joseph on November 21, Alia, Butch Zito, Greg Jones, Jason Webb, Jon Garcia and Scott Birney on November 22 and Danielle Cuocco and Alex Saad on November 26.

The Queen’s Upstairs Stage will feature Kindred the Family Soul on November 20, Greg Brown on November 21, Ben Leroy & the Snap on November 22 and Spokey Speaky and Friends on November 26.

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org) will host Trace Adkins on November 21, the Time Jumpers on November 22, Lewis Black on November 23 and Dino Light (Lightwire) on November 23.

Tellus 360 (24 East King Street, Lancaster, 717-393-1660,www.tellus360.com) will have Hannah Fair with the Meadow Brothers on November 20, The Rose & Shamrock Festival on November 22, Dave Pedrick on November 23 and Corty Brown, Steely Jam and Bardledoo on November 26.

The schedule for the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http://www.chameleonclub.net) features Bobby Bare, Jr. and Cult Choir on November 20;

They Were Only Satellites, Atlas Road Crew and Kris Margiotta Band on November 21; The Piranhas on November 22; In This Moment, Starset, Twelve Foot Ninja and 3 Pill Morning on November 23; Chris Webby, Jitta on the Track, Dubby, C4 and LOWE on November 25; and Halestorm, New Medicine and The Dead Deads on November 26.

The American Music Theatre (2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, 800-0 648-4102, www.AMTshows.com) has its holiday show running now through December 30. The show features spectacular vocal harmonies, lively musical arrangements, impressive dancing, elaborate scenery, elegant costumes and the music of the AMT Orchestra. Tickets are $42.

The Rainbow Dinner Theatre (3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise, 800-292-4301, www.RainbowDinnerTheatre.com) is presenting its holiday production “Burglar’s Holiday” now through December 28.

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 $48-$54.

The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.nctstage.org) is presenting the holiday classic show “A Christmas Carol” now through December 23. Tickets, which include a tasty buffet dinner, are $59 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).