By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Steve Priest’s Sweet
There was a band that formed in London in 1968 and went on to log a series of top-rated singes such as “Fox on the Run,” “Block Buster!” and “Ballroom Blitz.”
Right from the very beginning, the was a confusing element to the band’s name. On all its record issues, the band was billed as “The Sweet.”
Founding member Andy Scott referred to the band as “Sweet” and in liner notes talked about “Sweet” albums and “Sweet” compositions.
Now, almost 60 years later, there is still confusion about the name – and two bands playing the music of “Sweet/The Sweet” onstage.
The “classic” lineup featured: Brian Connolly – lead and backing vocals (1968–1979; died 1997); Steve Priest – bass, backing and lead vocals (1968–1982; died 2020); Mick Tucker – drums, backing and occasional lead vocals (1968–1982; died 2002); and Andy Scott – guitar, keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1970–1982).
In January 2008, Steve Priest assembled his own version of Sweet in Los Angeles.
Steve Priest’s Sweet — Steve Priest – backing and occasional lead vocals, bass (2008–2020); Stuart Smith – guitar (2008–2012); Stevie Stewart – backing vocals, keyboards (2008–2020); Richie Onori – drums (2008–2020); Joe Retta – lead vocals (2008–2017) – ran from 2008-2020.
In June 2020, it was announced that Steve Priest had died. This left Andy Scott as the sole living member of Sweet’s “classic line-up.”
Andy Scott’s Sweet — Andy Scott – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1985–present); Paul Manzi – lead vocals (2019–present; substitute 2014, 2015), bass (2015, 2019), keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2014); Lee Small – bass, backing and lead vocals (2019–present); Tom Cory – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2019–present); Adam Booth – drums, backing vocals (2023–present) – is still out on the road delivering the glam rock pioneers’ greatest hits.
But this band is not the only Sweet band on the road. Steve Priest’s band continued on without Priest.
On July 28, this version of Sweet will visit the area for a show at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com).
The band’s lineup includes drummer Richie Onori and bassist/vocalist Stevie Stewart along with guitarist Jimmy Burkhard, keyboardist Dave Schultz and vocalist Are Kamin.
“In 2007, I was the drummer with Keith Emerson’s band,” said Onori, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Woodland Hills, California.
“I was playing at an event on Sunset Boulevard raising money for Hurricane Katrina relief. I became the drummer and backed everybody including Slash and Steve Lukather. I knew Steve Priest would be performing – so I learned a couple Sweet songs.”
A match was made.
“Steve came out of retirement after 30 years,” said Onori. “He didn’t like the way Sweet was being portrayed. Stevie (Stewart) and I put a new band together. We rehearsed, got an agent and played our first show in 2007.
“We’ve had pretty much the same band for 19 years. That’s longer than any other version of the band. Steve Priest passed away four years ago. Before he died, he told me that he wanted me to keep the band going – to keep Sweet’s legacy alive.
“The band has released several singles in recent years – “Little Miracle’ in 2024, ‘Insane’ in 2024 and ‘In the Sky’ in 2025. We’re releasing a new song in 2026 that had Steve Priest on bass – ‘Sweet Dreams.’
“Sweet had over 30 Top 10 hits worldwide. In our show, we do all the big hits. And we do the album tracks that people love – ‘Set Me Free,’ ‘Sweet FA,’ ‘No You Don’t’ and ‘Done Me Wrong.’ Some singles like ‘Ballroom Blitz’ and ‘Fox on the Run’ are songs we absolutely have to play.”
Video link for Sweet – https://youtu.be/mrsBHBLa1dA.
The show at the Sellersville Theater on July 28 will start at 8 p.m.
Tickets start at $45.
Other upcoming shows at the Sellersville Theater are Abe Partridge and Jack Barksdale on July 24, Double Vision – The
Foreigner Experience on July 25, Kanin Wren on July 26, The Divine Hand Ensemble on July 26, The Lovin’ Spoonful on July 27, Sam Morrow with The Jeremy Edge Project on July 29 and Beaucoup Blue and Stacy Mitchhart on July 30.
Renovations at the Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, 302- 475-2313, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org) have been completed.
Like a phoenix, the popular dinner theater sprang back to life on July 12.
The new show is the musical hit “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville.” The show will run now through August 24.Featuring Jimmy Buffett classics with book by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley, “Escape to Margaritaville” tells the story of Tully, a smooth-talking singer/bartender whose laidback, no-strings-attached lifestyle is turned upside down when he falls for Rachel, a career-minded environmental scientist visiting the island as a tourist n a bachelorette vacation.
The show’s music consists of songs previously recorded by Buffett, and written by him and various other songwriters, with one exception, the original song “Three Chords.”
The La Jolla Playhouse presented the musical in a limited engagement from May 9-July 9, 2017. Following its run in La Jolla, the musical had limited runs in New Orleans, Houston and Chicago until December 2017.
The musical premiered on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in February 2018. The musical closed on July 1 of the same year, after 29 previews and 124 regular performances. The musical performed on the PBS A Capitol Fourth TV special on July 4, 2018, in Washington, D.C.
“Escape to Margaritaville” has been performed at several area theaters but this is the show’s Candlelight Theater premiere.
The two key roles in the Candlelight’s production are filled by two talented young actors – including one making a Candlelight debut.
Giacomo Fizzano plays the male lead, Tully. Rachel is played by Molly Hofstaedter.
“This is my first time doing anything here,” said Fizzano, a media native and Penncrest High grad. “I saw a post on Theater Philadelphia. I thought – I like this show. I’ll go for an audition.”
The Candlelight liked Fizzano — and the University of the Arts alumnus liked the Candlelight.
“I’m really impressed with the Candlelight Theater,” said Fizzano, who now lives in West Chester with his family. “It’s a really professional theater.
“And I really like this show. I saw it at the Walnut Street Theatre a few years ago. It’s a lot of fun.”
Fizzano is no stranger to Buffett’s music.
“I’m a big Jimmy Buffett fan,” said Fizzano. “For the last couple years, I was playing piano bars on cruise ships, so I played a lot of Jimmy Buffett.
“My last cruise ended in January. I spent a couple years playing piano bars on the Holland American line. I’ve seen a lot of interesting places on these cruises including the Amazon River and the Caribbean.”
When asked why audiences like this show, Fizzano replied, “It invites a wide net – people who like musicals and also Parrotheads who enjoy it. It has a great sense of humor. And it has a lot of heart.”
When asked what he likes about Tully, Fizzano said, “I really enjoy him. I need to be more like him at times – need to be more laid back. It’s a really fun journey to go through every night.
“And it’s early great to work with Molly, who plays Rachel. Whatever the temperature the scene needs, she sets the thermometer.
“When she sings ‘It’s My Job,’ he realizes that this is more than another one-week fling. He gets her to relax and let her hair down and she gets him to use his heart.”
Other key roles in the show are played by Aaron Shown (Brick), Gabrielle hinds (Tammy), Dan Healy (J.D.), Adriana Devine (Marley), Avery Hannon (Jamal) and Nathan Fitch (Chadd).
The show’s Director/Choreographer is Jessical Bostock and Julia Kershetsky is the Music Director.
“Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville” show will run now through August 24 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m.
From July 23-26, Brandywiners, Ltd. (brandywiners.org) are moving into their summer home at Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, www.longwoodgardens.org) where they will perform a four-show run of “Something Rotten.”
Under the guidance of top-notch directors — Stage Director S. Lee Lewis and Music Director Betsy Conner — “Something Rotten” is an outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce.
Two brothers set out to write the world’s first musical in this hilarious mash-up of 16th-century Shakespeare and 21st-century Broadway.
Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, “Something Rotten” garnered 10 Tony nominations. It was lauded by audience and critics alike as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.”
Nick and Nigel Bottom, two struggling playwrights in Renaissance London, need a hit. As the brothers and their acting troupe rehearse their latest work, “Richard II,” the Bottoms’ patron, Lady Clapham, arrives to announce that William Shakespeare has also written a new play. The title:” Richard II.”
Clapham issues an ultimatum: if the Bottom brothers don’t deliver her a hit play “on the morrow,” their working relationship will come to an end.
When Nick’s wife, Bea, is forced to find work, Nick takes their meager savings to Soothsayer Alley.
There he finds Thomas Nostradamus, nephew of the famous soothsayer, who gazes into the future and foresees a new entertainment phenomenon: “The Musical,” a play where actors suddenly burst into song.
Nick has his million-pound idea. The Bottom brothers begin work on a musical about the Black Death, but when Shakespeare gets wind of their idea, he steals Nigel’s notebook.
Desperate for revenge, Nick pays Thomas for one more prediction — the name and plot of the greatest play Shakespeare will ever write. Thomas answers, “Omelette,” setting the stage for the Bottom brothers’ own masterpiece – “Omelette, The Musical.”
For Brandywiners Ltd., there’s no place like home – as long as home is Longwood Gardens.
Every summer, the company presents a large-scale musical production at Longwood Gardens and contributes the proceeds to cultural, educational and civic causes throughout the Delaware Valley.
Brandywiners have entertained at holiday and retirement parties at the Wilmington Country Club, the DuPont Country Club, the Newark Country Club, Delaware Art Museum, Hagley Soda House, Winterthur Museum and Garden, and the Chase Center on the Riverfront.
Performances at Longwood Gardens are set for 8 p.m. each night.
Tickets are $38 for general admission ($33 for youth) and include all-day Gardens Admission.
People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, www.peopleslight.org) has been celebrating its Golden Anniversary season for the last 10 months.
The theater, which has been a cherished Chester County attraction for 50 years, is closing its landmark season with a heavy hitter – the cult musical “Little Shop of Horrors.”
The show was a smash hit both as a Broadway production and a movie.
“Little Shop of Horrors” is a horror comedy rock musical featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman. It tells the story of a hapless florist shop worker who grows a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh.
The musical, which traces its roots to a low-budget 1960 black comedy film, “The Little Shop of Horrors,” premiered off-off-Broadway in 1982 before moving to the Orpheum Theatre off-Broadway, where it had a five-year run. It later became a Broadway production.
An owner of a florist shop on Skid Row, Gravis Mushnick has two employees — Audrey and Seymour. When Seymour fouls up a floral arrangement for a dentist customer, Mushnick fires him.
Hoping to change his boss’ mind, Seymour talks about a plant he has grown from seeds that he got over on Central Avenue. Seymour has also unwittingly cultivated a singing botanical menace. To the delight of Audrey, he names the plant “Audrey II.”
Mushnick is unimpressed and gives Seymour one week to revive the plant. The usual plant food does not nourish it, but when Seymour accidentally pricks his finger, he discovers that the plant craves blood.
Fed on Seymour’s blood, Audrey II begins to grow. Audrey II continues to grow and that means more blood. The plot continues to get darker from that point.
The celebratory “50 Years of People’s Light,” has Zak Berkman as Producing Artistic Director and Shonali Burke as Managing Director. “Little Shop of Horrors” is directed by Molly Rosa Houlahan.
Video link for “Little Shop of Horrors” — https://youtu.be/kKc_31M7Rzo.
“Little Shop of Horrors” is running now through August 3. Tickets are $57 ($52 for youth).
This weekend, David Wilcox will be heading north from North Carolina to perform for another year at the Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts (9 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com) with a show on July 25.
He is no stranger to the event.
“I’ve played there many times – at least 20,” said Wilcox, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from his home in Asheville, North Carolina. “I’ve been playing the event since the early 1990s.”
When Wilcox played at the venue two summers ago, he performed new songs from a soon-to-be-released album. The LP “Good Friends” was released in August 2023 on his own label, Fresh Baked Records.
Time for a bit of déjà vu.
In just about three weeks, Wilcox will release his new album, “The Way I Tell the Story”
Fans of the veteran singer/ songwriter can hear a preview of some of these songs when Wilcox headlines a show at the Bryn Mawr Gazebo.
There are songwriters who chronicle life, and then there’s Wilcox — an artist who metabolizes it. He has long been a quiet force in American folk music; a musician’s musician, a writer’s writer, and a seeker whose gift lies in making the personal feel universal.
With the upcoming release of “The Way I Tell the Story,” Wilcox proves, yet again, that resilience isn’t just a survival skill — it’s an art form. The record shimmers with musical sophistication but leaves just enough space for the listener to feel what Wilcox has always done best — tell the truth, gently but without apology.
“Some songs are five years old, and some are one year old,” said Wilcox. “This process gave us a lot of opportunity to re-listen and re-think. We had three years to do that.
“I realized that I had been through some stuff and these songs reflect this.
“I love these songs. They shed light for someone you love. They deal with addiction. They deal with keeping optimistic during trying times.
“The song ‘How I Tell’ is about stories in the back of our minds and how we navigate through tough times.
“For example, the singer/songwriter life. You hear a lot of people talking about how difficult it is. You pick a task, and the adversity of this path is the best part. It gives you a life worth writing about.”
The music he’s creating now comes from a place that can’t be faked.
In recent years, Wilcox’s life has been shaped by his wife’s Parkinson’s diagnosis — a shift that reordered his priorities and redefined his sense of time, love, and presence.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually, and non-motor issues become more prevalent as the disease progresses.
On July 22, legendary rocker Ozzy Osbourne died from Parkinson’s at the age of 76.
“The topics of one of the new songs is my wife’s Parkinson’s,” said Wilcox. “It’s a powerful song. It’s about a garage sale – giving away all the athletic equipment – letting go of the past.
“The past three years have been really rough for my wife and me. It’s awful. It’s also definitely an adventure.
“Another new song is ‘I Wish You Enough.’ It’s a beautiful song – kind of what you wish for others – trading compassion for fear and anger.”
More than three decades into his career, Wilcox continues to push himself, just as he always has. Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.
It’s the result of a man giving himself over in gratitude and service to something bigger than himself. After an early 80s move to Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, Wilcox started playing guitar and writing songs, processing his own inner workings and accessing his own inner wisdom.
Wilcox’s career began in earnest in the late 1980s, when his self-released debut, “The Nightshift Watchman,” caught the attention of A&M Records. His major-label debut, “How Did You Find Me Here” (1989), became an unexpected hit, selling over 100,000 copies largely by word of mouth and live shows alone — an unheard-of feat for a debut folk record.
Critics took note of his deft guitar work and emotional clarity, but it was the unassuming wisdom threaded through his lyrics that truly set him apart.
What followed was a string of acclaimed albums – “Big Horizon” (1994), “Turning Point” (1997), “What You Whispered” (2000) — each one refining his reputation as a songwriter who knows how to say hard things in soft, lasting ways.
Wilcox has continued to display his impressive craft as a songwriter – especially with the songs on “The Way I Tell the Story.”
“In my set this weekend, I’ll be playing four or five new songs – maybe more,” said Wilcox. “I know I have to do good balance with new songs and old favorites.”
Video link for David Wilcox — https://youtu.be/-Y7ng-Uz1qg.
The show on July 25 will start at 7 p.m. Cheryl Wheeler, who was supposed to co-headline, has cancelled and been replaced by Avi Wisnia.
Tickets are $18.
Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http://www.kennettflash.org) will present Jimmy Vivino on July 25 in the club and Trey Wellington Band on July 26 on the Rooftop.
Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org) is presenting 33 1/3 LIVE’s Killer Queen Experience on July 26.
On July 24, Jamey’s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com) will host AC Steel and the Perpetrators.
The show on July 24 at Jamey’s will start at 8 p.m. with tickets priced at $15.
Misty Blues will headline Jamey’s on July 25. Tickets are $30.
On July 26, Jamey’s will host Bluestime! Tickets are $25.
The Philly Blues Kings with Clarence Spady will perform at the Sunday Blues Brunch & Jam on July 20.
This free event features many of the top regional and national players every week and welcomes amateurs and weekend warriors to join on stage to celebrate the beautiful heritage of the blues.
The open mic jam runs from 1-3 p.m. with the featured band playing a set from noon-1 p.m.
“Brother John: Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis” will make two visits to Kennett Square this weekend.
On July 25 from 7-10 p.m., they will perform at Letty’s Tavern (201 State Street, Kennett Square, www.lettys.com).
On July 26, the acoustic blues duo will play at Braeloch Brewing (225 Birch Street, Kennett Square, https://braelochbrewing.beer).
Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com) will host Hurray for the Riff Raff on July 24 and The Nighthawks on July 25.
Presented and produced by Rising Sun Presents!, the 2025 Concerts Under the Stars series will again take place at the scenic Upper Merion Township Building Park (175 West Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, www.concertsunderthestarskop.com).
The 2025 Concerts Under the Stars series July schedule will feature: Grace Potter, 24; Tom Hamilton, 25; “Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew: Remain in Light,” 27; and Rachel & Vilray, 30.
The Rose Tree Summer Festival (Rose Tree Park, Route 252, Media, www.delcopa.gov/departments/parks) is a summer-long series of free outdoor shows now through August 10 at the scenic park just north of Media.
The following is the July schedule for Delaware County’s 50th Annual Rose Tree Concert Series: 24, Merion Concert Band; 25, Barry Harris; 26, Van Halen Nation; 27, The Discoteks; 30, Lolly Hopwood & Friends; and 31, Mysterious Ways U2 Tribute —
Six-String Soldiers.
