{"id":32369,"date":"2019-08-15T10:45:56","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T14:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=32369"},"modified":"2019-08-15T10:46:07","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T14:46:07","slug":"on-stage-willie-nile-is-still-rockin-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=32369","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Willie Nile is still rockin’ it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

Willie Nile<\/p><\/div>\n

The name \u201cNile\u201d is associated with superlatives.<\/p>\n

The Nile River is the longest river in the world at 4,130 miles and has a drainage basin that covers 11 countries.<\/p>\n

Willie Nile is an internationally acclaimed rocker whose career spans 40 years.<\/p>\n

His debut album, \u201cWillie Nile,\u201d was released by Arista Records in early 1980 to critical praise. The album immediately created a buzz among critics and quickly drew the attention of other rock stars such as Pete Townshend and The Who, who invited Nile to join them on their 1980 stateside tour.<\/p>\n

Now, almost 40 years later, Nile is still going strong \u2013 and still rocking hard. He is on tour in support of his most recent album \u201cChildren of Paradise\u201d —\u00a0 a tour that will bring him to the area on August 15 for a show at the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always writing,\u201d said Nile, during a phone interview Monday while visiting friends in Wilmington, Delaware. \u201cI write as I go. I just write songs as they come \u2013 whatever is on my mind. When I have a collection of songs that work together, I\u2019ll do an album.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs on \u2018Children of Paradise\u2019 were pretty recent. I had two tracks \u2013 \u2018Seeds of Revolution\u2019 and \u2018Children of Paradise\u2019 — that were older, but they stood the test of time. They fit and they work together with the new songs. And, they\u2019re relative to today\u2019s world.<\/p>\n

\u201cI put songs that fit together in a cohesive way. I have another record already written. I just keep writing songs. I\u2019m at the top of my game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s topical leanings are reflective of today\u2019s society.<\/p>\n

Co-produced by Nile and Grammy-winner and longtime collaborator\u00a0Stewart Lerman\u00a0(Elvis Costello\/Patti Smith\/Norah Jones), the album features such timely compositions as \u201cSeeds of a Revolution,\u201d \u201cAll Dressed Up and No Place to Go,\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d \u201cEarth Blues,\u201d and \u201cGettin\u2019 Ugly Out There.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Nile. \u201cI made this album because I needed a pick-me-up from the blues that\u2019s all around us. The music always lifts my spirits, and that\u2019s what these songs do for me and it\u2019s why I wrote them. Hopefully they can lift others\u2019 spirits as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought from the time I started putting this album together that it was going to be something special. It\u2019s full of fire and passion and spirit, and it feels like real life to me. The songs come out of the box roaring and rocking, yet there are also songs of intimacy and tenderness.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got all the power and promise of what I love best about rock and roll. It\u2019s heartfelt, pissed off, in love, on fire and out of its mind all at the same time. A perfect recipe for a good party and a great album. It\u2019s one of my personal favorites for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with Nile on acoustic and electric guitars and piano, the record features Nile\u2019s longstanding live band.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis band I have on the road for my shows is on fire,\u201d said Nile. \u201cI\u2019ve got Matt Hogan on guitar. Joe Webber is the drummer and Johnny Pisano plays bass. Anything they play is pretty much torched. It\u2019s nice to be able to go onstage with players you know and love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Willie Nile \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/jZuV6L428NA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater, which has Greg Farley as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 and $29.50.<\/p>\n

Nile\u2019s show looks at a career that goes back a long way into the past. On August 16, the Sellersville Theater hosts a show that goes back an even longer way into the past. The name of the show is \u201cWith Love, Marilyn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

With Love, Marilyn<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWith Love, Marilyn\u201d stars Erin Sullivan in a special tribute to one of America\u2019s most iconic romantic ingenues. This intimate behind-the-scenes evening transports audiences back in time to that \u201cwhat if\u201d dress rehearsal as Monroe prepares to entertain with songs such as \u201cI Wanna Be Loved By You,\u201d \u201cMy Heart Belongs To Daddy,\u201d and \u201cDiamonds Are A Girl\u2019s Best Friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

For this production, Sullivan is accompanied by a three-piece band with arrangements by Henry Aronson, who is one of Broadway\u2019s finest musical directors with a CV that includes \u201cRock of Ages,\u201d and \u201cTommy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a theater brat as a child,\u201d said Sullivan, during a phone interview last week from her home in New York. \u201cI started when I was six. I auditioned for my first Broadway show when I was 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born in Connecticut and grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. When my family moved to Wilmington, there was a great arts scene there. There are non-stop theater shows in North Carolina. I was able to be brought up in an arts community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I got older and was doing summer stock and regional theater, I fit a type \u2013 dumb blondes and sex bombs. In Christmas shows, they always wanted me to do \u2018Santa Baby.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Sullivan\u2019s journey with Monroe began with her originating the Monroe role in a new play — Mark Medoff\u2019s \u201cMarilee and Baby Lamb: The Assassination of an American Goddess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got involved in the reading for \u2018Marilee and Baby Lamb: The Assassination of an American Goddess\u2019 and it was life-changing,\u201d said Sullivan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did a trial run in Las Cruces, New Mexico that went really well. Then, when they took the show to New York, they wanted a celebrity in the role. So, they bumped me. It was hard to take.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sullivan wasn\u2019t about to let her relationship with Marilyn Monroe come to a halt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started researching Marilyn\u2019s life,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cI really became well-versed in the deep hidden secrets of Marilyn Monroe\u2019s life and wanted to develop my own piece.<\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately, some producers believed in me. I spent two years developing the show. Mark\u2019s piece was a darker piece. I wanted to make my show lighter and more upbeat, so I incorporated music. I took 11 songs and threaded them into a storyline. The show is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe \u2013 an homage.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are many acts and shows that are tribute acts to performers such as Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday and Barbra Streisand. Sullivan\u2019s piece is not a \u201ctribute act\u201d show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a play with music,\u201d said Sullivan. \u201cI\u2019m not an impersonator. I\u2019m an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cWith Love, Marilyn\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/vimeo.com\/280018182<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Sellersville Theater will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and $39.50.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the venue are Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on August 17, Mipso on August 18, John Mayall and Rory Block on August 20 and Ten Years After on August 21.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Another show in the area that goes back in time even more is the top-flight production of \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d by the Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>). The comfortable dinner theater in northern Delaware is presenting the classic musical now through August 25<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Pacific\u201d is a musical composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The work premiered in 1949 on Broadway and was an immediate hit, running for 1,925 performances.<\/p>\n

The story is based on James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book \u201cTales of the South Pacific\u201d and combines elements of several of those stories. Rodgers and Hammerstein believed they could write a musical based on Michener\u2019s work that would be financially successful and, at the same time, send a strong progressive message on racism.<\/p>\n

The plot centers on an American nurse stationed on a South Pacific island during World War II, who falls in love with a middle-aged expatriate French plantation owner but struggles to accept his mixed-race children. A secondary romance, between a U.S. lieutenant and a young Tonkinese woman, explores his fears of the social consequences should he marry his Asian sweetheart.<\/p>\n

The issue of racial prejudice is candidly explored throughout the musical, most controversially in the lieutenant’s song, \u201cYou\u2019ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.\u201d Supporting characters, including a comic petty officer and the Tonkinese girl\u2019s mother, help to tie the stories together. Because he lacked military knowledge, Hammerstein had difficulty writing that part of the script. The director of the original production, Logan, assisted him and received credit as co-writer of the book.<\/p>\n

The original Broadway production enjoyed immense critical and box-office success. It became the second-longest running Broadway musical to that point (behind Rodgers and Hammerstein\u2019s \u201cOklahoma!\u201d in 1943) and has remained popular ever since. The piece won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950. Especially in the Southern U.S., its racial theme provoked controversy, for which its authors were unapologetic.<\/p>\n

The show is well-known for its timeless music. Several of its songs, including \u201cBali Ha\u2019I,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,\u201d \u201cSome Enchanted Evening,\u201d \u201cThere Is Nothing Like a Dame,\u201d \u201cHappy Talk,\u201d \u201cYounger Than Springtime,\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m in Love with a Wonderful Guy,\u201d have become popular standards.<\/p>\n

The show won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Libretto, and it is the only musical production to win Tony Awards in all four acting categories. Its original cast album was the bestselling record of the 1940s<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Pacific\u201d has enjoyed many successful revivals and tours as well as a 1958 film and television adaptations. The 2008 Broadway revival was a critical success. It ran for 996 performances and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival.<\/p>\n

The production at the Candlelight Theatre features Colleen Clancy in the pivotal role of Ensign Nellie Forbush and Jared Calhoun in the role of petty officer Luther Billis. Renee Dobson is the Director and the Music Director is Douglass Lutz.<\/p>\n

Clancy, a versatile actor from Ellicott City, Maryland who is now based in Newtown Square, turns in a sparkling performance as the USN Ensign who falls in love with the French ex-pat Emile de Becque (played by Peter Campbell).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my first Candlelight show,\u201d said Clancy, during a phone interview Monday evening. \u201cI had friends who worked there before ands they all loved it. I respected the work of the directors and choreographers. So, I answered an audition call a few months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was somewhat familiar with \u2018South Pacific\u2019 because my mom was in the show in the 70s. But, I had only seen it once when the Walnut Street Theatre did it. I\u2019ve always loved the music.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got the role at Candlelight, I started watching the movie and then stopped after \u2018A Cockeyed Optimist\u2019 in the first scene. I didn\u2019t watch the whole thing because I tend to like going into things fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clancy graduated with a degree in musical theater from DeSales University, a school in the Lehigh Valley known for its Shakespeare program.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter DeSales, I spent two years in New York,\u201d said Clancy. \u201cI did the usual things actors do \u2013 taught dance classes and waited tables. Then, in 2016 and 2017, I spent six months in the National Tour of \u2018Amazing Grace.\u2019 After that, I came to Phillly \u2013 to Newtown Square where I\u2019m managing a spa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Clancy is playing the role of Nellie Forbush and singing iconic songs such as \u201cI\u2019m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing I love about Nellie is her positive spirit and outlook,\u201d said Clancy. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine bandaging soldiers every day and remaining positive like she does. She\u2019s a bright spirit in a dark time. She has such a strong moral presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne challenge in playing Nellie is not getting too melodramatic. It\u2019s a fun role to play. She\u2019s very free. The favorite song I sing is \u2018\u201cI\u2019m in Love with a Wonderful Guy\u2019 but my overall favorite is \u2018There Is Nothing Like a Dame.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cAudiences are drawn to this show because I think people crave the classics. We do cater to an older audience and they have a true connection to this wartime era.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Candlelight Theatre\u2019s production of the classic musical \u201cSouth Pacific\u201d is running now through August 25. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $63 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Joey Callahan<\/p><\/div>\n

On August 15, it\u2019s time for Candlelight Comedy Club\u00a0at the Candlelight Theatre. The headliner will be veteran comic Joey Callahan.<\/p>\n

From the first time Callahan saw Dick Van Dyke trip, he knew he wanted to work in comedy. As a comedy writer, Callahan has worked for Jay Leno, Jimmie \u201cJ.J.\u201d Walker, Harry Anderson and the national bestseller \u201cIf Women Ran Things.\u201d Callahan has also won the Cable Ace Award.<\/p>\n

As an entertainer for corporate events, Callahan views the corporation or group he is performing for as part of his writing staff. He includes every aspect of the group’s personality as well as everyone in attendance he can. His humor is clean, energetic, friendly and funny.<\/p>\n

As a standup comic, Callahan has been seen on Comedy Central, and ESPN\u2019s \u201cLighter Side of Sports\u201d and Fox TV. He has headlined comedy clubs and comedy festivals all over the world.<\/p>\n

Video link for Joey Callahan — https:\/\/youtu.be\/hemV227rRa0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Callahan\u2019s show at the Candlelight Theatre also features Joe Fernandes as the opener and Josh Ryan as the MC. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and include complimentary light fare buffet, cash bar, and free parking.<\/p>\n

On August 19, the venue will present \u201cCandlelight Quizzo,\u201d which is hosted by Dan Healy.<\/p>\n

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and games get underway at 7 p.m. The $5 admission\u00a0fee includes entrance to the event and snacks. Participants can bring food or order in.<\/p>\n

Another good reason to visit Delaware on August 15 will be to check out this month\u2019s edition of the \u201cMusic on Market Series,\u201d which is presented by the Delaware History Museum (504 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, dehistory.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The show on Thursday evening features Nalani & Sarina. Already this season, the talented twins from central New Jersey have made the trek to Delaware to headline the prestigious Ladybug Festival and the Delaware Art Museum\u2019s Backyard Bash.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Nalani & Sarina<\/p><\/div>\n

Nalani & Sarina are no strangers to Chester County audiences having headlined shows at Kennett Flash and the Eagleview Concert Series in Exton. The rocking sisters, who are in their early 20s, have already established themselves as top-flight vocalists, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists.<\/p>\n

They have self-released several well-crafted albums and singles. Their latest album is called \u201cThe Circle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was released a year ago on our own label \u2013 Telepathy Records,\u201d said Nalani Bolton, during a recent phone interview from her home in central New Jersey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took about two years to complete the album. We\u2019ve been getting great responses. It\u2019s great to actually hear people respond after waiting so long to get the album out. We just kept writing songs \u2013 songs that kept changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The album was recorded at their engineer Julian Herzfeld\u2019s studio in Wayne and also at Carriage House Studio in Stamford, Connecticut.<\/p>\n

Sarina Bolton said, \u201cWe\u2019ve been recording a lot. We\u2019ve taken a pretty relaxed approach \u2014 doing it piece-by-piece\u2026song-by-song. With the songwriting, we had a new approach this time. It is observational writing geared to people our age. It\u2019s a combination of first person and third person.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re writing about people our age \u2013 observing other people\u2019s stories. It\u2019s like a story about kids\u2019 lives from their early to late 20s \u2013 love, first relationships, work. But, people of all ages can relate to these songs. We\u2019ve had older people tell us that they can identify with these songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nalani said, \u201cThe vibe of the album is very mature. We think the sound and the material has matured. Our early stuff was all about relationships. Now, we are more worldly. We look at the world the way it is today \u2013 especially for people our age. We always like to challenge ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sisters graduated from high school with honors but never looked to continuing their education on in college.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe graduated early from Hunterdon Central High a few years ago and we\u2019ve been doing music ever since,\u201d said Nalani.<\/p>\n

With roots based in rhythm-and-blues, soul, rock and especially funk, the sisters create vocal harmonies that only twins can make.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re identical twins,\u201d said Nalani. \u201cWe both started playing classical piano when were six and then studied operatic vocals when we were in sixth grade. Classical music and opera provided good basics for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur mom was a folkie, so we listened to a lot of folk music when we were young \u2014 great songwriters like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. And, we\u2019ve listened to a lot of classic rock.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we play shows with just the two of us, it always sounds more singer-songwriter. When we do shows with our band, it gets funkier. We\u2019ve been finding ways to combine all our styles. With this record, we\u2019ve meshed the styles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tonight, Nalani & Sarina will perform at Music on Market Series with their band.<\/p>\n

Video link for Nalani & Sarina \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/Xvryc5W3JpY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The concert will run from 5:15-6:45 p.m. in Willington Square, the courtyard across Market Street from the Delaware History Museum. The show is open to the public and admission is free.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present D Corridori Band on August 15, \u201cShenanigans & Sorcery \u2013 Magic, Mentalism, Comedy & More!\u201d with Chris Fabiano on August 16, Lower Wolves and Unloveable on \u00a0August 17, Open Mic with guest host Angelee on August 18, and Ben Arnold on August 20.<\/p>\n

Chaplin\u2019s (66 North Main Street, Spring City, 610-792-4110,\u00a0http:\/\/chaplinslive.com<\/a>) will present R. Douglass Davey, The Narrows and Canyon Flower on August 17.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host Woodstock 50th Anniversary Celebration: Roosevelt Collier plays Jimi Hendrix, Kensington Clearwater Revival plays CCR, Chelsea ViaCava & Friends play Janis Joplin<\/a> on August 15, Davy Knowles<\/a> on August 16, Splintered Sunlight<\/a> on August 17, and Jazz is PHSH (All-Star instrumental tribute to Phish ft. Bob Lanzetti of Snarky Puppy)<\/a> on August 21.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents Little River Band on August 15 and Extreme on August 16.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The name \u201cNile\u201d is associated with superlatives. The Nile River is the longest river in the world at 4,130 miles and has a drainage basin that covers 11 countries. Willie Nile is an internationally acclaimed rocker whose career spans 40 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[6518,11430,5324,11429,8753,11428],"class_list":["post-32369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-joey-callahan","tag-nalani-sarina","tag-south-pacific","tag-willie-nile","tag-with-love-marilyn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32369","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=32369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32370,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32369\/revisions\/32370"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}