{"id":23672,"date":"2017-04-01T08:41:44","date_gmt":"2017-04-01T12:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=23672"},"modified":"2017-04-01T08:41:49","modified_gmt":"2017-04-01T12:41:49","slug":"on-stage-extra-lawrence-offers-two-shows-in-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=23672","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Extra): Lawrence offers two shows in one"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>There once was a series of commercials for Certs mints that features this slogan — \u201cIt\u2019s a breath mint\u2026. it\u2019s a candy mint\u2026. It\u2019s two, two, two mints in one!\u201d<\/p>\n

A take-off on that slogan could be used for shows on April 1 at the Broadway Theater of Pitman (43 South Broadway, Pitman, New Jersey,www.thebroadwaytheatre.org<\/a>, 856-384-8381) — \u201cIt\u2019s a Vicki Lawrence show\u2026. it\u2019s a Mama show\u2026. it\u2019s two, two, two shows in one!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing a version of this show since 2002,\u201d said Lawrence, during a phone interview last week from her home in long Beach, California.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s morphed over the years. I try to keep it topical. I\u2019m pushing that crazy old lady into this world. She can actually have an opinion that Vicki can\u2019t. Audiences love her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great part-time job for me. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d ever call it a tour. I can do two weeks a month \u2013 two weekends actually. It\u2019s fun for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Audiences love Vicki Lawrence and they really love Mama.<\/p>\n

\u201cMama has been around since I was 24 so that\u2019s 40-some odd years,\u201d said Lawrence. \u201cIn this show, I open for her. I know how everyone loves her. They especially love seeing her live.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vicki half of the show is largely autobiographical \u2013 talking about questions people ask. I used to do talks. Now, it\u2019s more. When you get old, you\u2019ve earned the right to not mince words. I put the first half of the show together that way \u2013 especially talking about how Mama happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawrence\u2019s long and varied career provides a lot of subject matter to discuss.<\/p>\n

From 1965-1967, Lawrence sang with the Young Americans musical group and, also, appeared in the feature film \u201cThe Young Americans,\u201d which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary.<\/p>\n

During her senior year of high school, Lawrence sent Carol Burnett a letter which included a local newspaper article mentioning their resemblance. She She invited Burnett to the local fire department\u2019s \u201cMiss Fireball Contest\u201d in which she was performing. Burnett came to the event and the rest is television history.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Carol Burnett Show\u201d premiered in the fall of 1967 with Lawrence as a key cast member. It was this show that saw the origin of the Mama character. After the Burnett show ended, Lawrence went on to star in her own TV series, \u201cMama\u2019s Family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mama character was written by two of the writers on the Carol Burnett Show,\u201d said Lawrence. \u201cThey wrote this beautiful homage to their messed-up families.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarol didn\u2019t want to do Mama. She wanted Eunice. First of all, the writers were very upset that Carol didn\u2019t want to play her. They were doubly upset when she said she wanted me to be Mama. They were even more upset when she said \u2018Southern.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cCarol said \u2013 I think if you take some of the sketches from the show, I think it would be a great experience to do it perfectly straight the way it was written and then turn it on its ear with accents.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mama from the Carol Burnett Show morphed a bit when it was time to be Mama from \u201cMama\u2019s Family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it went to a sitcom, they had to change her from this hateful woman. In a sitcom, you can\u2019t expect people to keep watching this cranky old woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarvey (Korman) was responsible for Mama becoming the character she became. She became fun. That\u2019s the character people love. Actually, young people don\u2019t even remember the cranky old lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

After \u201cMama\u2019s Family\u201d ended, Lawrence continued to add new projects to her versatile career.<\/p>\n

She became one of the few successful, female game show hosts when she took on the daytime network-version of \u201cWin, Lose or Draw\u201d and then had her own daytime talk show for a few years in the mid-1990s.<\/p>\n

Lawrence also took to the stage and appeared in numerous productions, including \u201cCarousel,\u201d \u201cSend Me No Flowers,:\u201d \u201cNo, No, Nanette,\u201d \u201cHello Dolly,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road\u201d and \u201cAnnie Get Your Gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other TV credits of note include playing Greg Warner\u2019s mother in a recurring role on \u201cYes, Dear\u201d and,playing Miley Cyrus\u2019 grandma on \u201cHannah Montana.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, Lawrence travels all over the country speaking to women’s organizations about her life and career, women\u2019s health, and being a woman in a man\u2019s world.<\/p>\n

Still, the most significant entry on her resume is her part in the success of \u201cThe Carol Burnett Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The Carol Burnett Show\u2019 was just such a well-oiled machine,\u201d said Lawrence. \u201cIt ran perfectly. It had all the right people in the right positions. It was very close to the Golden Age of Television.<\/p>\n

\u2018I just did a small part on a sitcom called \u2018Great News.\u2019 It was produced by Tina Fey and it will premiere on ABC on April 25.\u201d<\/p>\n

There also is another facet to Lawrence\u2019s multi-tiered career as an entertainer.<\/p>\n

Do you remember the hit single \u201cThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia\u201d?<\/p>\n

Lawrence received a gold record as a recording artist for the international hit single \u201cThe Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,\u201d which was released on Bell Records in November 1972. It sold over two million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in April 1973.<\/p>\n

And, if you\u2019d like to revisit \u201cMama\u2019s Family,\u201d the show airs on the\u00a0MeTV cable network Monday through Friday during the 6 p.m. hour.<\/p>\n

Video link for Vicki Lawrence and Mama \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/VCVz7RnCrXo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The shows at the Broadway will start at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $40.<\/p>\n

There is a Broadway show touring across the states right now that has a strong local connection.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lily Caputo<\/p><\/div>\n

Chadds Ford\u2019s Lily Caputo is a cast member of the Grammy-winning musical \u201cOnce,\u201d which has a three-day, five-show run through April 2 at the Playhouse on Rodney Square (10th and Market streets, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-888-0200, www. duponttheatre.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Caputo, a nine-year-old actress who is the daughter of Pat and Alicia Caputo, has been on tour with \u201cOnce\u201d since September. Now, she will be able to sleep in her own bed in Chadds Ford for a few days.<\/p>\n

Alicia Caputo has been on tour with Lily and her 10-year-old brother Kevin. The touring production, which is playing mostly split-weeks and one-nights, has already touched down in 52 states since September.<\/p>\n

Lily Caputo has been a dance and musical theater student at the Anna Marie Dance Studio in Wilmington under the tutelage of actor-choreographer Sonny Leo. In “Once,” she plays the role of Ivanka, the daughter of the lead female character ‘girl.’<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce\u201d features an ensemble of actor\/musicians who play their own instruments onstage.<\/p>\n

It tells the tale of a Dublin street musician who is about to give up on his dream and the chemistry that takes place when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs.<\/p>\n

Over the course of a concentrated one-week period of time, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance that is intensified by the raw emotion of the songs they create together.<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cOnce\u201d \u2013 http:\/\/oncemusical.com\/about<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Playhouse will have evening shows on March 31 and April 1 and 2 with matinee performances on April 1 and 2. Ticket prices range from $40-$85.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>There is a special show being presented by the Kennett Symphony (http:\/\/kennettsymphony.org\/<\/a>) on April 1 \u2013 and it\u2019s no joke.<\/p>\n

The show\u2019s title is \u201cMendelssohn, Mimosas, and More.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kennett\u2019s Symphony\u2019s description is \u2013 \u201cThe show is a brand new, informal, hour-long concert event. Seated in the round, you will experience the music and the orchestra as never before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith fascinating musical insights, and food and drink available during the concert, it will be a relaxed and engaging event — perfect for all who want a fun new symphonic experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Kennett Symphony\u2019s Conductor and Music Director Michael Hall will lead the orchestra in a performance of Felix Mendelssohn\u2019s \u201cSymphony No. 4\u00a0Italian.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a full title of \u201cSymphony No. 4 in A Major, Op. 90,\u201d the orchestral work by Mendelssohn, which premiered in London<\/a> on March 13, 1833, was named \u201cItalian\u201d because it was intended to evoke the sights and sounds of Italy<\/a>. Its final movement uses the rhythms of Neapolitan dances.<\/p>\n

The event will get underway on April 1 at 1 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Mendenhall Inn (Route 52, Mendenhall). All seating is General Admission and\u00a0seating at the\u00a0Mendenhall Inn\u00a0is first-come, first-served.<\/p>\n

Video link for Kennett Symphony — https:\/\/vimeo.com\/210340185<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on April 1 will start at 1 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of concert with $10 tickets for students up to age 18. Ticket price includes your first mimosa and hors d’oeuvres with cash bar available on site.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Meghan Cary<\/p><\/div>\n

Meghan Cary usually performs a lot but this month only has two shows on her schedule \u2013 one of which is April 1 at the Mermaid Inn (Germantown Avenue and Mermaid Lane, Chestnut Hill, 215-247-9797, www.themermaidinn.net<\/a>).<\/p>\n

There is a very good reason why Cary is not spending much time on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m working on a new album right now,\u201d said Cary, during a phone interview last week from her home in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re totally immersed with this record. We did this acoustic trio EP the summer before last. Now, we want to capture this full band flavor with Analog Gypsies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Sing Louder Festival\u2019 EP was a trio with Stacy Weather on banjo, Bob Beach on harmonica, flute and vocals and my husband Peter Farrell on keyboards and vocals. The full band has five people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been playing together a long time. We have a signature sound. We went into the studio with a bunch of new songs. It\u2019s the next phase. The subject matter is different \u2013 more universal\u2026speaking to the times. I\u2019m not going to sing about my heart getting broken at a party on a Saturday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe song \u2018Sing Louder\u2019 is a fan favorite \u2013 and very uplifting. The song that feels like it is the heart of this album is \u2018River Rock.\u2019 It\u2019s more a social statement than a political one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cary has chosen a good path to follow in recording the album \u2013 a path that leads to Morning Star Studio in East Norriton.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been recording the album at Morning Star with producer Glenn Barratt,\u201d said Cary. \u201cGlenn\u2019s input on production is amazing. \u00a0We even used a gospel choir while making the album.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the time, when Cary spends an evening entertaining her fans, it\u2019s as a singer-songwriter \u2014 a talented guitarist\/vocalist with a pleasant voice and interesting songs.<\/p>\n

Recently, there have been times when Cary has taken the stage in a different role \u2014 when she has entertained audiences as an actress performing a one-woman play she wrote called \u201cOn the Way to the Waterfall!\u201d<\/p>\n

This autobiographical play with music\u00a0was originally created as a short piece for E.A.T.\u2019s One-Woman Standing play festival in NYC in 2013, and was developed into a\u00a0full-length play this past summer by Hypothetical Theatre Company. In September, she performed it in the Boulder International Fringe Festival\u00a0and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the both the audience and the critics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I lived in New York, I used to help this playwright Tina Howe,\u201d said Cary. \u201cShe heard me playing my music and told me \u2014 you have to write a play. I didn\u2019t know how to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The play she was about to write was based on a personal tragedy.<\/p>\n

While performing in the musical \u201cPump Boys and Dinettes\u201d years ago, Cary met and fell in love with Matthew Black, one of the show\u2019s musicians. Cary performed with Black as his backup singer with occasional solos. The pair became engaged and things were going great. But, Black died suddenly in 1995 and Cary\u2019s life path took another unexpected twist.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic carried me through that time period,\u201d said Cary. \u201cMatthew and I made music together. When he died, I lost everything I had for the future. Music was something that I could keep. I wanted to keep making music. But, I was writing songs with no intention of ever playing them for anyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I thought about the play, I knew had already written the story in songs. I had written music as a way to heal through this traumatic experience. The play is about going through the same thing \u2014 getting knocked off-course and ending up somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Cary graduated from Hershey High a few years back, she headed off to Duke University to major in biomedical engineering. But, the path of life goes through many twists and turns and that\u2019s why Cary now wears a guitar instead of a lab coat. She switched majors at Duke and finished with a bachelors’ degree in drama.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I wanted to be a biomedical engineer,\u201d said Cary. \u201cI looked at Cornell, but it was freezing up there so I chose Duke instead. I was on a pre-med track and then got interested in theater. I finished Duke with a degree in drama with a minor in chemistry. Then, I got my MFA (Masters in Fine Arts) in acting from Florida State University.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized back then that I wanted to perform. When I started, I wanted to do regional theater. I also did Off-Broadway shows and I’m a charter member of New York’s Actor’s Shakespeare Company. I love Shakespeare\u2019s work. I love the way he used words.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Cary has established herself as a singer, actress, songwriter, and playwright. She is also the mother of two musical kids who have already participated in making music with their family.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a mom of two kids in elementary school \u2013 Clara in fifth grace and Quinn in second grade — means I inhabit two entirely different worlds in a given week\u2026or day,\u201d said Cary. \u201cAnd, I was thinking how important it is for me to have both.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no surprise that sometimes trying to figure out the business of music can be pretty anxiety provoking – you know, how to afford to make records, if and how to sell records, and (most important for me) how to get the music out there so people fall in love and want to connect to and be a part of the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, for me, even the creative part of music-making can be less than peaceful at times. I sometimes suffer from writer\u2019s block, lack of inspiration, over self-editing or just plain self-doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019ve been blessed (challenged?) with this other side of life that balances it all out. When I\u2019m with the kids and just being and doing whatever it is we\u2019re doing together, the drama that can be a part of the DYI musician\u2019s world seems really inconsequential.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, the fact that both of our kids are musical and inspired to make music is really a gift. It means I don\u2019t have to keep the two parts of my life so compartmentalized.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got this bug just the other day to start working up songs with Clara that we could sing and play together. She has a strong voice and a great ear, and she can play just about anything she hears on the keys.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, when Ernie Tokay asked if I could work up a song from \u2018Tea for the Tillerman\u2019 to perform as part of a set he\u2019s hosting at his backyard festival we\u2019re playing, I thought: that\u2019s where we\u2019ll start. So Clara and I are working up our very own version of \u2018Wild World.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cMeanwhile, Quinn has been working his butt off on the drums because he wants to join us on stage behind the kit. And the truth is, he\u2019s almost there. He started playing last August. He\u2019s just got rhythm in him. We don\u2019t have the multi-colored bus, and we don\u2019t have enough of us to be the Jackson Five, but we are printing up t-shirts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Meghan Cary \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/4JNEBzl5i1Q<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Mermaid Inn, which also features Sarah and the Arrows, will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 (suggested donation).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mayflower Madame<\/p><\/div>\n

The Norwegian band Mayflower Madame\u00a0recently announced its debut US tour \u2013 a tour that kicked off on March 31 in Providence, Rhode Island and touches down locally on April 2 at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Specializing in a dark and haunting blend of post-punk, shoegaze and psychedelia, the Oslo-based band\u2019s debut album,\u00a0\u201cObserved in a Dream,\u201d\u00a0received\u00a0praise from international press\u00a0earning them comparisons to The Jesus & Mary Chain, Bauhaus,\u00a0The Gun Club and A Place To Bury Strangers.<\/p>\n

Mayflower Madame — Trond Fagernes \u2013 vocals, guitars; Petter Gudim Marberg, bass; H\u00e5vard Haga, guitars; Bj\u00f8rn Marius Kristiansen, drums (tour drummer); Ola J. Kyrkjeeide, drums (studio\/live drummer) — was formed in Oslo during the winter of 2010-11.<\/p>\n

They started rehearsing in a desolate industrial building where they had to share the space with a carwash company. Amidst the gritty surroundings, they instantly found their dark, post-punkish sound and soon recorded a four-track demo.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe met at a party and discovered a mutual love for Sonic Youth and a Norwegian band called Motorpsycho,\u201d said Tagernes. \u201cAnd we were all looking to form a new band, which was pretty amazing. That was all that we needed to realize that we were meant for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early career breaks were winning the award Unsigned Band of the Week on one of Norway\u2019s biggest radio channels and performing at the Norwegian Wood Festival.<\/p>\n

\u201cNRK P3, one of the Norway’s biggest\/most popular radio channels, honored us as best unsigned band. Playing at the Norwegian Wood Festival was kind of like a \u2018quality stamp\u2019 from the music industry people. First and foremost, it helped us to get booked for bigger\/better shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it ourselves in our rehearsal space in 2011. I would describe it as post-punkish shoegaze. Or as shoegazers trying to play post-punk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018Into the Haze\u2019 EP was also recorded by ourselves in our rehearsal space. We like to be in control of everything and not worry about studio rent etc. It was recorded the same year it was released — in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sent the \u2018Into the Haze\u2019 EP around to some record labels and Custom Made Music jumped at the bait.\u00a0Then, \u2018Lovesick\u2019 was our first true “radio single.\u2019 The inspiration for the song was experiencing love as a drug — o sometimes vice versa.\u00a0We still play it — unless we are in a bad mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Mayflower Madame is touring in support of its new album \u201cObserved in a Dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we were making the new album, we just did the \u2018our thing\u2019 \u2013 just as we did with \u2018Into the Haze.\u2019 We did not have a predestined plan or anything. I guess it was just the result of a gradual development. We also recorded the album ourselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded it in Norway and it certainly has its own vibe \u2013 a dark and haunting vibe, sometimes ecstatic and noisy, yet always indulgent to the soothing charms of melody.<\/p>\n

Our major influences are extracts from late 70\u2019s\/80\u2019s post-punk, 90\u2019s shoegaze and newer neo-psychedelia \u2013 and Syd Barrett and George Michael\u2026together they would be dynamite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur band\u2019s sound is a dark and distinctive blend of post-punk, shoegaze and psychedelia.\u00a0Now, we\u2019re touring America for the first time. It\u2019s exhilarating and a bit scary at the same time. We are not sure what awaits us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Mayflower Madame — https:\/\/youtu.be\/e_GxuOfy74U<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Kung Fu Necktie, which also features Heavy Flow, Hidden Lights, and Tannins, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times There once was a series of commercials for Certs mints that features this slogan — \u201cIt\u2019s a breath mint\u2026. it\u2019s a candy mint\u2026. It\u2019s two, two, two mints in one!\u201d A take-off on that slogan could be used for shows on April 1 at the Broadway Theater of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[6518,1229,8717,8718,6114,8716],"class_list":["post-23672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-kennett-symphony","tag-lili-caputo","tag-mayflower-madame","tag-meghan-cary","tag-vicki-lawrence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23672"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23672\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23673,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23672\/revisions\/23673"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}