{"id":38283,"date":"2021-11-25T10:13:57","date_gmt":"2021-11-25T15:13:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=38283"},"modified":"2021-11-25T10:14:01","modified_gmt":"2021-11-25T15:14:01","slug":"on-stage-willie-nile-thankful-to-be-playing-lives-shows-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=38283","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Willie Nile thankful to be playing lives shows again"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"<\/a>

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

Six months ago, Willie Nile — much to his delight — started playing live shows for live audiences again after a year-and-a-half of pandemic restrictions.<\/p>\n

Back in May, he visited the Main Line for a show at the Ardmore Music Hall.<\/p>\n

This weekend, he\u2019s coming back to Main Line. This time, it\u2019s to perform in concert at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing a lot since March,\u201d said Nile, during a phone interview Monday afternoon from his home in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started playing in April in New York. We just did a Midwest tour in the middle of October.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are coming out. Not as much as normal but we\u2019re still playing to good audiences. <\/p>\n

\u201cI have two shows in Buffalo next month. The next night, I\u2019m doing a show with Steve Earle \u2013 a benefit for his autistic son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steve Earle\u2019s seventh annual John Henry\u2019s Friends Benefit Concert will be staged at New York City\u2019s Town Hall on December 13. Presented in partnership with City Winery, the event features a lineup with\u00a0Steve Earle\u00a0& the Dukes along with special friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are three singers featured at this concert \u2013 Bruce Springsteen, Roseanne Cash and me,\u201d said Nile. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a great concert.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nile, who is 73, is an internationally acclaimed rocker whose career spans 50-plus years.<\/p>\n

Back in the spring, Nile\u00a0was champing at the bit to shake off the effects of the pandemic shutdown of live music. Clubs were re-opening and Nile\u00a0was ready to rock.<\/p>\n

Nile\u00a0has tapped into his own lockdown experience as a source of inspiration for the set of haunting new songs that comprise his emotion-charged new release, \u201cThe Day the Earth Stood Still.\u201d The album was inspired by the sight of\u00a0Nile\u2019s beloved hometown temporarily turned into a desolate ghost town, thanks to COVID-19 safety precautions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor more than a year, New York was like a ghost town,\u201d said\u00a0Nile, \u201cI have a storage space near the Holland Tunnel, and normally on a Friday night at rush hour, it can take an hour to move five blocks. One night at 6 p.m., I was on Varick Street. I looked in both directions and there wasn\u2019t a car in sight. I could have laid down in the middle of the street without anyone noticing. It was like a science fiction movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nile\u2019s debut album, \u201cWillie\u00a0Nile,\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\u00a0Nile\u00a0to join them on their 1980 stateside tour.<\/p>\n

Now, more than 40 years later,\u00a0Nile\u00a0is still going strong \u2013 and still rocking hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just did an album within the CDC guidelines,\u201d said\u00a0Nile. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded this album in January 2021. We all wore masks the whole time and did our best to keep things safe.<\/p>\n

In the studio, if someone was singing in a room, we couldn\u2019t go in until an hour after they finished singing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole band, except me, had actually caught COVID on our last gig before the pandemic hit — February 29, 2020 at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Everyone recovered and, for some reason, I never got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Co-produced by\u00a0Nile\u00a0and Grammy-winner and longtime collaborator\u00a0Stewart Lerman\u00a0(Elvis Costello\/Patti Smith\/Norah Jones), the album features such timely compositions as \u201cSanctuary,\u201d \u201cExpect Change\u201d \u201cWay of the Heart,\u201d \u201cOff My Medication\u201d and \u201cWhere There\u2019s a Willie There\u2019s a Way,\u201d \u201cBlood on Your Hands,\u201d and \u201cThe Justice Bell\u201d (which was inspired by\u00a0Nile\u2019s encounter with civil rights icon and U.S. Congressman John Lewis).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album in New Jersey at the same studio we\u2019ve used several times in the past — Hobo Sound in Weehawken,\u201d said\u00a0Nile, who plays acoustic and electric guitars and piano.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut it in January. We spent three days doing the basic tracks and a few days doing overdubbing. We\u2019re hoping for an August release date.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe band is getting really good. We\u2019ve got Joe Webber\u00a0on drums and Johnny Pisano playing\u00a0bass.\u00a0Andy Burton does some keyboards and Jimi K. Bones on guitar.\u00a0Anything they play is pretty much torched. It\u2019s nice to be able to go onstage with players you know and love.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018The Day the Earth Stood Still\u2019 is not a concept album,\u201d said\u00a0Nile. \u201cBut it is clearly inspired by New York in the pandemic shutdown.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Nile, \u201cI’m so proud of this album. It was born of a pandemic nightmare, but I think that it offers hope, and passion, for better days to come. That\u2019s what I need, as a person and an artist.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nile is elated to be performing live again. He is also elated at being able to be a fan of live music again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just saw Dylan in town last night at the Beacon Theater,\u201d said Nile. \u201cOn Saturday, I opened for the Immediate Family. They called me up on the last encore to sing my version of \u2018Blowin\u2019 in the Wind.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThe night before that, I played a show in Holyoke, Mssachusetts. I also just saw a show the was a Charlie Watts tribute with five different drummers. They were all playing Stones songs and I got to sing \u2018The Last Time\u2019 and \u2018It\u2019s All Over Now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Somehow, it\u2019s fitting that Nile sang songs that were Rolling Stones hits in June 1964 and February 1965. He was rocking hard as a teenage fan back then and he\u2019s still rocking hard now — 56 years later.<\/p>\n

Video link for Willie\u00a0Nile\u00a0\u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/C6JaDpyl1Bo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on November 28, which has Meghan Farrell as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $20.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming acts at 118 North are Melt with You on November 26, Found Wandering on November 27, and Toubab Krewe on December 1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Avi Wisnia<\/p><\/div>\n

When Avi Wisnia performs at City Winery (990 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, citywinery.com\/philadelphia<\/a>) November 28, it will be a celebration of something he has looked forward to for a long time.<\/p>\n

The show Sunday night at City Winery is officially billed as \u201cAvi Wisnia Album Release Show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been more than 10 years since I released my last album,\u201d said Wisnia, during a phone interview Tuesday from his home in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy last album was \u2018Something New\u2019 in 2010. I also released a single \u2013 \u2018Sky Blue Sky\u2019 \u2013 in 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething New,\u201d which was Wisnia\u2019s debut full-length studio album, was recorded with Grammy-winning producer Glenn Barratt (Melody Gardot, Amos Lee) and a roster of world-renowned Philadelphia musicians.<\/p>\n

The album showcased the piano-based singer\/songwriter\u2019s signature sophisticated style supported by lush arrangements inspired 1950\u2019s west-coast jazz, acoustic American folk, Brazilian bossa nova, and contemporary piano-pop.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatching Leaves\u201d has a lot of similarities to its predecessor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recorded it at Morningstar Studios in East Norriton,\u201d said Wisnia. \u201cIt was engineered by Glenn Barratt and produced by Ken Pendergast.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was recorded over the period of a few years. I started in 2018 and just finished a little while ago. When the pandemic hit, it allowed me to focus on mixing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wisnia has lived in the Philly for most of his life \u2013 dating back to his childhood days in Lower Bucks County.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Yardley and graduated from Pennsbury High,\u201d said Wisnia. \u201cI loved the music courses at Pennsbury. I took AP music courses and was active in choirs, band, and theater at school. That gave me incentive for music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually, music was a part of his life long before that.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had always been making music since I was really young \u2013 since I was tall enough to reach the piano keys,\u201d said Wisnia.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started piano lessons when I was five. I always knew that music would be a big part of my life. I started with piano and then studied clarinet \u2026and then sax\u2026and then bassoon\u2026and then guitar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was also always interested in performing and singing. I was always at ease singing in front of people. My father was a rabbi, and my grandfather was a cantor. They could stand in front of a big crowd and be comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Wisnia pursued a curriculum of music in college.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to NYU (New York University) and studied music,\u201d said Wisnia. \u201cI got my degree in music performance and composition. That\u2019s when I started making my own music.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you listen to Wisnia\u2019s music, you can hear the influences of his Philly roots\u2026you can hear influences of his Hebrew ancestry\u2026and you can hear the influence of bossa nova.<\/p>\n

You won\u2019t find bossa nova in Philly and you won\u2019t hear it in synagogues. You will find it in Brazil.<\/p>\n

Bossa nova is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a \u201cdifferent beat\u201d that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovative syncopation of traditional samba from a single rhythmic division.<\/p>\n

Even if you\u2019ve never heard of bossa nova, you\u2019ve heard bossa nova \u2013 songs such as \u201cThe Girl from Ipanema\u201d by Astrud Gilberto as well as radio standards by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jo\u00e3o Gilberto and Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got really into bossa nova and then studied the Portuguese language,\u201d said Wisnia. \u201cI knew I wanted to sing that classical music. I did a tour in Brazil a few years later.<\/p>\n

\u201cA song on my latest album \u2013 \u2018Sky Blue Sky\u2019 \u2013 is a collaboration, recorded via satellite between Philadelphia and Rio de Janeiro.\u201d<\/p>\n

On \u201cSky Blue Sky,\u201d Wisnia teamed up with acclaimed Brazilian producer Bruno Migliari to create a sophisticated blend of jazz, pop, and Brazilian rhythms — where instruments like the pandeiro, cavaquinho, and Avi\u2019s trademark melodica playfully intertwine. Reminiscent of music by Bebel Gilberto, Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim, the breezy bossa nova of \u201cSky Blue Sky\u201d transcends geographical borders and captures the romantic possibility as endless as a blue summer sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter college, I spent time in Brazil \u2013 mostly Rio and Sao Paulo,\u201d said Wisnia. \u201cThe musicality of the culture there is really entrancing. It informs the kind of music I make.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also got into a lot of the American Songbook, West Coast jazz and folk music. I released my first EP \u2013 \u2018Avi Wisnia Presents\u2019 \u2013 in 2007. My first show after graduation was at Caf\u00e9 Vivaldi in New York. They offered me a second show and that started me on my path to performing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in New York for 10 years. Then in 2012, I moved back to Philly. It felt like coming home.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, I\u2019m doing this show on Sunday in Philly. I\u2019d like to invite people to come celebrate the album release \u2013 and to celebrate and light a candle for the first night of Hanukkah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Avi Wisnia \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/sV2YmKDnOQ0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on November 28 will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $15.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at City Winery are Peace Creeps and Betterducks on November 26, Joe Kenney Band on November 27, Morgan James on November 27, Miki Howard on November 28, Ben Ottewell and Ian Gomez on November 29 and A Peter White Christmas with Mindi Abair and Vincent Ingala\u00a0on December 1.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Fuel<\/p><\/div>\n

Fuel, a band with a three-decade history and six albums to its credit, has gone through a lot since its inception in 1989.<\/p>\n

Initially formed in Tennessee, Fuel gelled as a recording act and touring band during its time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

Now, Fuel is coming back to the Keystone State for a pair of concerts \u2013 November 26 at Musikfest Caf\u00e9 (101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, www.musikfest.org<\/a>) and November 27 at Mickey\u2019s Black Box (101 Rock Lititz Boulevard, Lititz, http:\/\/mickeysblackbox.eventbrite.com\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to be coming back to Pennsylvania,\u201d said founding member Carl Bell, during a recent phone interview for his home in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n

\u201cPennsylvania is where it all started for us. Pennsylvania is close to our heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many Fuel fans, it\u2019s surprising that the band is coming back to life \u2013 let alone coming out on tour.<\/p>\n

According to the band\u2019s website, \u201cDestiny unfolds unexpectedly. However, it pushes us exactly where we\u2019re supposed to be at just the right time. In this respect, you could say the 2021 rebirth of GRAMMY\u00ae Award-nominated multi-platinum rock band Fuel was simply meant to be. After rebuilding their brotherhood, founder, guitarist, and songwriter Carl Bell and longtime drummer Kevin Miller didn\u2019t just celebrate their history together. They rushed into the future joined by new blood — John Corsale [lead vocals, guitar], Mark Klotz [guitar, vocals], and Tommy Nat [bass, vocals]\u2014and armed with their first album together in 18 years, \u201c\u00c5nom\u00e5ly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell, lead guitarist\/principal songwriter and founder of the band in 1989, had been absent from the group since 2010. The new album features 11 original tracks that were written by Bell.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I started writing again, the songs started coming,\u201d said Bell. \u201cIt was like \u2018back in the saddle.\u2019 It was interesting to start fresh. I hadn\u2019t written a rock song in a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met with the new guys in the band in 2020 and brought two new songs \u2013 \u2018Landslide\u2019 and \u2018Keep It Away.\u2019 They liked them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album here at my place in Las Vegas with vocals recorded at\u00a0Soundmine Recording Studio. We did a lot online because with COVID, we couldn\u2019t get together. John did his vocals at King Studio in Pennsylvania. Then, I produced it and mixed it here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fuel has had 15 band members since its formation. The list of former members includes Brett Scallions\u00a0\u2013 lead vocals, rhythm guitar\u00a0(1993-2006, 2010\u20132020), Jeff Abercrombie \u2013 bass\u00a0(1989\u20132010), Jody Abbott \u2013 drums\u00a0(1989\u20131998), Erik Avakian \u2013 keyboards\u00a0(1993\u20131996), Toryn Green\u00a0\u2013 lead vocals\u00a0(2006\u20132010), Tommy Stewart\u00a0\u2013 drums\u00a0(2004\u20132010), Ken Schalk \u2013 drums\u00a0(2010\u20132013), Brad Stewart\u00a0\u2013 bass\u00a0(2010\u20132015), Andy Andersson \u2013 lead guitar, backing vocals\u00a0(2011\u20132015), and Shannon Boone \u2013 drums\u00a0(2013\u20132020).<\/p>\n

Bell left the band in 2010 and returned a decade later.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom 2010-2020, Brett Scallions had the band,\u201d said Bell. \u201cHe\u2019s been touring and doing other stuff. He got tired of Fuel and gave it back. Now with the new lineup, Fuel has come back to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Brett left the band for the first time in 2006, he didn\u2019t want anything to do with Fuel. In 2010, he decided he wanted to come back to Fuel without me. So, I left and gave him the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast summer, it all fell apart. I called Kevin, who had been gone since 2004, to see if he was interested in getting the band back together and he said \u2013 you wrote all those songs\u2026let\u2019s go and play those songs again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fuel was reincarnated \u2013 again.<\/p>\n

\u201cKevin lives in Pennsylvania, and he had a band,\u201d said Bell. \u201cKevin said \u2013 I think I know the guys who would be perfect for this project.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn and Mark were from Pennsylvania and Tommy was from New Jersey. They bring a whole new level of musicianship. This is the best musical lineup we\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn this tour, we want to honor the past and bring in new material. We have about three new songs that we\u2019re now playing live \u2013 and we play at least one song from every album. Fans are going to hear all the big songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

And they\u2019re going to hear them in Pennsylvania \u2013 twice in two nights.<\/p>\n

Video link for Fuel — https:\/\/youtu.be\/VafGhOEXJEA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on November 26 in Bethlehem will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $32.<\/p>\n

The show on November 27 in Lititz will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices start at $30.<\/p>\n

In about a month, Santa Claus will be departing from the North Pole for his annual Christmas tour.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Maddie Poppe<\/p><\/div>\n

Next week, Maddie Poppe is departing from Iowa for her Christmas tour.<\/p>\n

Unlike the tour for Santa, which last just one night, Poppe\u2019s tour will run for three weeks and include 17 shows. One of those shows will be on November 30 at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI take off next Monday,\u201d said Poppe, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Clarksville, Iowa. \u201cI\u2019ll be out until December 21.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poppe\u00a0is a singer and musician (guitar,\u00a0piano and\u00a0ukulele) who was the winner of \u201cAmerican Idol Season 16\u201d in 2018.<\/p>\n

She released an independent album, \u201cSongs from the Basement,\u201d in 2016 and followed with her first studio album,\u00a0\u201cWhirlwind,\u201d which came out on Hollywood Records\u00a0in 2019.<\/p>\n

On November 20, 2020, Poppe independently released her holiday EP,\u00a0\u201cChristmas From Home,\u201d and then went on the\u00a0\u201cMaddie Poppe’s Acoustic Christmas\u00a0Tour\u201d in December 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current tour focuses on Christmas songs,\u201d said Poppe. \u201cLast year, I did songs from the EP. This year, I\u2019m doing a lot more Christmas stuff.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tour in 2020 was solo. This year, I do have a keyboard player with me \u2013 keyboard plus me on guitar and vocals — and that allows me to be able to do more songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Christmas songs I play now are all my own. I\u2019ll probably do about six songs from \u2018Whirlwind.\u2019 I think I\u2019m going to intersperse them throughout.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Poppe, music is in her DNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was growing up, my dad (Trent Poppe) was always involved in music,\u201d said Poppe. \u201cHe was in bands and had a studio in the basement of our house. There was always music around the house. He was hoping one of his kids would go into music. My siblings didn\u2019t but I did. I recorded \u2018Songs from the Basement\u2019 at his studio here in our house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Poppe\u2019s first TV music show was an appearance on \u201cThe Voice,\u201d which didn\u2019t materialize into anything.<\/p>\n

Then came her successful stint on \u201cAmerican Idol.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI always thought that these shows were what you did as a singer,\u201d said Poppe. \u201cNot getting anything from \u2018The Voice\u2019 bummed me out for a while. Then, I realized I needed some motivation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was nervous for \u201cAmerican Idol\u201d auditions. I had no expectations because I didn\u2019t want to get let down. That\u2019s what helped me relax and have fun.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery step of the way, I was expecting to get cut. But I just kept going. I did not expect to win. I never really thought it was possible. I was really shocked when it happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely gave me such a helpful boost. I got to skip so many levels. Right after the show, I got a record label and was thrown in a room for writing sessions with other writers. It was hard to get used to because I always just wrote by myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, I had 42 days to make the album. It was all made in L.A. with so many different producers and recorded all over at different studios. I just tried to focus on getting it finished.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was different making the Christmas record. It was in the middle of the pandemic, so I didn\u2019t have the opportunity to record with other people. I wanted to release something, so I decided to do the record solo.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first post-release tour in 2020 was solo. This year, Poppe is joined by a keyboard player \u2013 double the players, double the fun.<\/p>\n

Video link for Maddie Poppe \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/x0YeiwU9YvI?list=RDx0YeiwU9YvI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show on November 30 will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $25 and $32.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming acts at the World Caf\u00e9 Live are The Amish Outlaws on November 26, Ben Vaughn Quintet on November 27, and Over The Rhine Christmas Show on December 1.<\/p>\n

If you want to see the national tour of the hit musical \u201cAnastasia\u201d in Philadelphia, you still have time. The show concludes its six-day run at the Merriam Theater on November 28.<\/p>\n

The show, which is presented by the Kimmel Cultural Campus in partnership with The Shubert Organization, will feature West Chester\u2019s Madeline Raube in the role of Countess Lily.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnastasia\u201d is a\u00a0musical\u00a0that adapts the legend of\u00a0Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, who could have escaped the\u00a0execution of her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe auditions for the tour took place pre-pandemic in early 2020,\u201d said Raube, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Columbia, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen the pandemic stopped everything. There were more video auditions from January-March 2021. The final callback was in person in July in New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe role that I have is the one I was auditioning for right from the start. Years ago, when I was watching the movie, she was the role I liked. Her name in the movie was Sophie and in the play it\u2019s Lily. Getting it was a dream come true.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I love about Lily is that she is a mix of everything. She\u2019s funny. She\u2019s really confident onstage and she provides comic relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe had big back-to-back numbers. It\u2019s also an important role. She is the Dowager-in-Waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raube, who got an undergraduate degree in classical voice and opera at Oberlin College in Ohio, gets to show off her vocal chops in several numbers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have three big numbers,\u201d said Raube, who also got a master\u2019s degree in musical theater at New York University.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first is \u2018Land of Yesterday\u2019, which is a solo number. It\u2019s followed by \u2018The Countess and The Common Man,\u2019 which is a duet with Vlad. That number brings down the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy final number is \u2018Press Conference.\u2019 That\u2019s where they realize Anya is real. I also do four different ensemble roles in Act One.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cAnastasia\u201d \u2013 Anastasia21_Montage_HD.mov (dropbox.com)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Merriam Theater will run from November 23-28.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $39.<\/p>\n

Now through January 2, People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern,\u00a0peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting the world premiere of \u201cA Christmas Carol.\u201d<\/p>\n

This version of \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d is adapted from Charles Dickens by Zak Berkman and features original music by Zak Berkman.<\/p>\n

Callous Scrooge, shackled Marley, and the haunting spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Future spring vividly to life in this fresh adaptation of a favorite yuletide ghost story.<\/p>\n

Featuring a lively mix of original songs and newly arranged 19th-century English carols, this music-infused retelling captures the magic, joy, and generosity of Dickens\u2019 beloved classic.<\/p>\n

Each year, the People\u2019s Light holiday\u00a0show is a panto\u00a0that transforms a beloved children\u2019s story into a musical extravaganza filled with outrageous characters, toe-tapping original music, slapstick comedy, and topical humor for both kids and adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d\u00a0is not a panto. But it is music-filled, interactive fun for every age — whether you believe in spirits or not.<\/p>\n

Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) will present Better Than Bacon on November 27.<\/p>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) will present Tarkus on November 27.<\/p>\n

Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will have the Meghan Cary Trio on November 26 and the Tas Cru Acoustic Duo with Mary Ann Casale on November 27.<\/p>\n

The Living Room (35 East Ardmore Avenue, Ardmore, https:\/\/thelivingroomat35east.com<\/a>) will present Ray Adkins and One Man Dog (James Taylor Tribute Band) on November 26.<\/p>\n

On November 21, the Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will host Cabinet on November 26, A Grateful Gathering with Steve Kimock & Friends on November 27, and Darlingside on December 2.<\/p>\n

The Grand Opera House (818 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577, www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) will host George Thorogood and the Destroyers on December 1.<\/p>\n

Keswick Theatre (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) will have The Machine on November 26 and Musical Box on November 27,<\/p>\n

Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will have Gary Ho Ho Hoey on November 26, Beatlemania on November 27, The Airplane Family on November 30 and Nefesh Family on December 1.<\/p>\n

The Met (858 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/themetphilly.com<\/a>) will have Bob Dylan on November 29 and 30.<\/p>\n

Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>) will host Max on November 26, Pink Sweat$ on November 27, The Juliana Theory on November 28,<\/p>\n

Johnny Brenda\u2019s (1201 North Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-739-9684,<\/p>\n

www.johnnybrendas.com<\/a>) will have Kensington Clearwater Revival on November 26 and Honey on November 27.<\/p>\n

Punch Line Philly (33 East Laurel Street, Philadelphia, 215-606-6555<\/a>, http:\/\/www.punchlinephilly.com<\/a>) will have Annie Lederman on November 26 and 27.<\/p>\n

Rrazz Room (6426 Lower York Road, New Hope, 888-596-1027, www.TheRrazzRoom.com<\/a>) will present Suzanne Westenhoefer on November 27.<\/p>\n

Scottish Rite Auditorium (315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, New Jersey, scottishriteauditorium.com<\/a>) will host The Weight Band on December 3.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Six months ago, Willie Nile — much to his delight — started playing live shows for live audiences again after a year-and-a-half of pandemic restrictions. Back in May, he visited the Main Line for a show at the Ardmore Music Hall. This weekend, he\u2019s coming back to Main […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[13292,6518,13291,11581,8753],"class_list":["post-38283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-avi-wisnia","tag-featured","tag-fuel","tag-maddie-poppe","tag-willie-nile"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38283","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=38283"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38284,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38283\/revisions\/38284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}