{"id":41184,"date":"2023-05-25T10:42:41","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T14:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=41184"},"modified":"2023-05-25T10:45:58","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T14:45:58","slug":"on-stage-you-dont-have-to-say-it-three-times-beetlejuice-comes-to-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=41184","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: You don’t have to say it three times, ‘Beetlejuice’ comes to Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"\"

Beetlejuice<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d\u00a0is a lot of different things.<\/p>\n

Most obviously, it is a 1988 American\u00a0fantasy\u00a0horror comedy film directed by\u00a0Tim Burton and starring\u00a0Alec Baldwin,\u00a0Geena Davis,\u00a0Jeffrey Jones,\u00a0Catherine O’Hara,\u00a0Winona Ryder, and\u00a0Michael Keaton\u00a0as the titular character.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0sequel\u00a0was officially announced two weeks ago with a theatrical release date set for September 6, 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d is also an animated television series that ran for four seasons on CBS and Fox. \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d was also the action hero in a series of video games in the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

Most relevantly, \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d is a Broadway musical that is now out on a National Tour \u2013 a tour that will touch down in Philadelphia from May 30-June 11 at the Academy of Music as part of the Kimmel Cultural Campus\u2019 Broadway Series.<\/p>\n

The plot revolves around a recently deceased couple \u2013 Barbara and Adam Maitland — who, as ghosts haunting their former home, contact Beetlejuice, an obnoxious and devious \u201cbio-exorcist\u201d from the Netherworld, to scare away the house\u2019s new inhabitants.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d won the\u00a0Academy Award for Best Makeup\u00a0and three\u00a0Saturn Awards:\u00a0Best Horror Film,\u00a0Best Makeup, and\u00a0Best Supporting Actress\u00a0for\u00a0Sylvia Sidney. The film’s success spawned an\u00a0animated television series, video games, and a 2018\u00a0stage musical.<\/p>\n

In 2016, work began on a\u00a0Broadway\u00a0stage musical adaptation of the film directed by\u00a0Alex Timbers with music and lyrics by\u00a0Eddie Perfect\u00a0and the musical book written by Scott Brown and\u00a0Anthony King. The musical premiered at the\u00a0National Theatre\u00a0in\u00a0Washington, D.C.\u00a0for a limited run from October 14 to November 18, 2018, with\u00a0Alex Brightman\u00a0in the title role.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d opened at Broadway\u2019s Winter Garden Theatre on Thursday, April 25, 2019. In December 2019, it was announced that the production would play its final performance at the Winter Garden on June 6, 2020.<\/p>\n

The producers were unable to find another theater to house the show due to the COVID Broadway shut down in March 2020. The show reopened at the\u00a0Marquis Theatre\u00a0on April 8, 2022, and closed on January 8, 2023. Now, the National Tour of \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d is coming to Philly.<\/p>\n

Based on Tim Burton\u2019s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeetlejuice\u201d has been described as \u201cone of the cheekiest shows on the 2022-23 Broadway season, with a visually spectacular set and over 100 special effects, optical illusions, and pyrotechnics.\u201d<\/p>\n

The National Tour features Justin Collette in the title role.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had seen \u2018Beetlejuice\u2019 on Broadway,\u201d said Collette, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Boston. \u201cI also saw the workshop in D.C. in 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really liked the script. I was surprised at how fresh and funny it was \u2013 how it was updated. It\u2019s so funny \u2013 and so smart. I don\u2019t think it bends the original story \u2013 it expands it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s focused more on the Maitlands\u2019 story \u2013 and on Lydia. And there is some really good music from the movie. Eddie Perfect\u2019s music is perfect.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Maitlands are strait-laced so it\u2019s more like musical theater. Beetlejuice\u2019s music is all over the place while Lydia\u2019s music is gothic and punk. It\u2019s fascinating how he has pitched the music to the character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, Collette played Dewey Finn \u201cSchool of Rock\u201d on Broadway. Collette has also done films and television and is known for\u00a0\u201cDoomlands,\u201d \u201cLike a Country Song\u201d and\u00a0\u201cConviction.\u201d He has spent years performing sketch\/improv at major comedy festivals and has written\/voiced several cartoon shorts for \u201cBite On Mondo,\u201d racking up millions of views on YouTube.<\/p>\n

In \u201cBeetlejuice,\u201d he must play the same character that was immortalized by Michael Keaton\u2019s performance in the movie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t try to compete,\u201d said Collette. \u201cI watched an interview with Michael Keaton that discusses how he came up with the character. He\u2019s so free and uninhibited.<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to understand how he built the character. Playing the character just feels bizarrely natural to me. I don\u2019t want to disrupt the familiarity.<\/p>\n

The creative team has allowed us to put our own spin on it and I find that to be very exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collette admitted that the role can be a challenging one.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show is complicated,\u201d said Collette. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a musical. There are magic tricks. It\u2019s really dense. There is a lot to it. And the fourth wall brings the audience in.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause the character interacts with the audience a lot, I break down the wall kind of relentlessly. When I took on the character, I wanted to do a super version \u2013 with a punk rock attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/JJGpcb41Ckw<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show will run now through June 11 at the Academy of Music.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $20.<\/p>\n

\"\"The Bristol Riverside Theatre (120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA, www.brtstage.org<\/a>) is presenting the area debut of the comedic drama \u201cChicken & Biscuits\u201d now through June 4.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicken & Biscuits\u201d\u00a0is a play by\u00a0Douglas Lyons<\/a>\u00a0that made its Broadway debut in 2021 at the\u00a0Circle in the Square Theatre<\/a>. The comedy\u2019s planned four-month run was cut short due to the challenges surrounding the\u00a0COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Broadway production starred\u00a0Norm Lewis<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Michael Urie<\/a>\u00a0in the story of a New Haven pastor\u2019s funeral at a Black church that was disrupted by family drama. Prior to its Broadway engagement,\u00a0\u201cChicken & Biscuits\u201d\u00a0debuted at the\u00a0Queens Theatre in the Park<\/a>\u00a0in February 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a funeral. It\u2019s a celebration!\u201d is the enthusiastic rallying cry of \u201cChicken and Biscuits.\u201d The play is a comedy about universally felt tensions at family events.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0\u201cChicken & Biscuits,\u201d\u00a0rivaling sisters Baneatta Mabry (Miche Braden) and Beverley Jenkins (Gabrielle Lee) are burying their late father, but it\u2019s the non-stop family drama that might be the death of them. Beverly, a single mother to precocious teenager La\u2019Trice Franklin (Maya Imani), is determined to show off her blessings to the congregation gathered to pay respect to her father.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Baneatta and her husband Reginald (Walter Deshields) have their hands full with their daughter Simone (Ashley Nicole Baptiste) and son Kenny (Adrian Baidoo), who brings his white Jewish boyfriend Logan (Alex Brightwell) to the service. Everyone quickly gets swept up in the proceedings after a mysterious guest (Nellesa Walthour) reveals a family secret.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was familiar with the show prior to this production,\u201d said Lee, during a phone interview from Bristol this week. \u201cI was living in New York, but I wasn\u2019t going to theater during COVID. But I knew people who were in the Broadway cast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI read it and it\u2019s hysterical. I love comedy.\u00a0 I feel like it\u2019s second nature to me. I\u2019m usually a musical actor so it is nice to have a chance to do a comedy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee is a Nashville native who graduated from the University of Memphis and then headed to New York to pursue an acting career.<\/p>\n

Her stage resume includes \u201cAll Night Strut,\u201d \u201cSmokey Joe\u2019s Cafe,\u201d \u201cShowboat,\u201d \u201cAin\u2019t Misbehavin,\u201d Dreamgirls,\u201d \u201cIntimate Apparel,\u201d \u201cLegend of the Jazz Age,\u201d \u201cBricktop\u201d and \u201cLittle Shop of Horrors.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has also performed in many television and film productions including \u201cMadam Secretary,\u201d Law & Order,\u201d \u201cBull,\u201d Double Platinum,\u201d \u201cBlue Bloods\u201d and \u201cThe Affair.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a vocalist, Lee\u00a0has worked with Harry Belafonte, the New York Pops, Marvin Hamlisch, Common, Cab Calloway Orchestra, Angelique Kidjo, Ray Charles Orchestra, Steely Dan, and Natalie Cole.<\/p>\n

\u201cI moved to New York after college,\u201d said Lee. \u201cI had an aunt who performed on Broadway, and I wanted that too.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been performing since I was a really little girl. I think it found me. I always knew I wanted to be a performer. When I was around five or six, I had a recurring dream about performing while wearing this long gown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee doesn\u2019t wear a long gown in \u201cChicken & Biscuits,\u201d but she does show up with the tradition solemn-but-not-really funeral combination of an expressive hat and a colorful dress. Beverly is not shy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh My God, this character is hysterical,\u201d said Lee, who grew up in a Southern Baptist family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know who she was. I know every character in this piece. I can name them in my family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis the history of a Black family and, like every Black family, it has its hangups. Baneatta is my older sistr and we\u2019re rivalsd. The show is real. It\u2019s on point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for \u201cChicken & Biscuits\u201d — https:\/\/youtu.be\/IvwwtNjPTKA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicken & Biscuits\u201d is running now through June 4 at the Bristol Riverside Theatre.<\/p>\n

Ticket prices start at $45.<\/p>\n

Every season, the Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) presents mostly musicals with just one non-musical in the season\u2019s schedule. That show this season is \u201cThe Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,\u201d\u00a0which is a murder mystery. The action takes place on an estate in Chappaqua, New York in December 1940.<\/p>\n

An eccentric heiress has invited a group of theater people to her home on the pretense of holding a backer\u2019s audition for a new musical. The creative team for this new project was also involved in a recent Broadway flop that closed abruptly when three of its showgirls were mysteriously murdered.<\/p>\n

As the mayhem at the mansion unfolds, murders begin to pile up and everyone\u2019s a suspect. The zany show features a lot of slapstick comedy along with blizzard conditions, secret passageways and musical snippets.<\/p>\n

The play was first performed at the\u00a0Circle Repertory Company\u00a0in New York and later moved to\u00a0Broadway in April 1987 at The\u00a0Longacre Theatre. Both productions were directed by the playwright and shared the same cast. The play is said to have been based on several 1940s mystery movies, including\u00a0The Cat and the Canary, one of\u00a0Bob Hope’s first films.<\/p>\n

Bernice Roth is a perpetually thirsty\u00a0lyricist and alcoholic. She is Roger’s partner. Bernice is very odd and emotional, frequently losing her composure and screaming. When Marjorie fails to respond to the second act opening number of “White House Merry-Go-Round”, Bernice is hugely offended, despite the fact that Marjorie was dead at the time. She spends the entire second act attempting to \u201cfix\u201d the play, even when she is held hostage.<\/p>\n

The production at Candlelight also features a standout cast of Susan Giddings, Chelsea Paradiso, Susan Wefel, Henry Glejzer, Walter Todd, Chris Fitting, Sarah Mackus, Robert Gene Pellechio, Samantha Ricciuti and Shaun Yates.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Musical Comedy Murders of 1940\u201d is running now through June 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 a show, are $71.50 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) has hosted many shows by Jann Klose and Annie Haslam in recent years \u2013 including concerts in which they shared the bill.<\/p>\n

On May 25, the two international artists will again share a bill at the Sellersville Theater with headliner Klose celebrating the release of a new album \u2013 an album on which special guest Haslam added vocals.<\/p>\n

Haslam, a native of England, now lives in Bucks County. \u00a0These world class singers have collaborated in many ways including covering Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t Give Up\u201d for Klose\u2019s previous album, \u201cIn Tandem,\u201d released on South Africa\u2019s Gallo Records.<\/p>\n

Klose is celebrating the release of his new studio album \u201cSurrender,\u201d which is finding airplay on radio throughout the world, including influencers WFUV, WPKN, WFDU, Asheville FM (103.3 fm), Pacific Coast FM, Sirius XM\u2019s Underground Garage. He recently concluded his sixth tour of South Africa.<\/p>\n

Klose is an award-winning pop singer-songwriter, who has released seven albums and two EPs. Klose was raised in Kenya, South Africa, Germany and the United States. His recent singles “Sugar My,” “Flesh and Blood,” “Love You the Most,” and “Pilot Light” have accumulated over 5 million streams across all platforms and charted on Top 40 radio in the US and South Africa.<\/p>\n

Klose has worked with several charities including St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Desmond Tutu’s TutuDesk campaign. He is the singing voice of Tim Buckley in the movie “Greetings from Tim Buckley” (Universal). His songs have been heard on the Grammy\u00ae nominated “Healthy Food For Thought” compilation, charted in the Billboard Top 10 compilation “Action Moves People United” as well as MTV Cribs and movies “Married Young” (Amazon), “Dead Broke” (Warner Bros) featuring Paul Sorvino and \u201cOne Little Finger\u201d alongside Quincy Jones.<\/p>\n

He has performed as an actor and singer in touring companies of Broadway musicals, including “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Jekyll and Hyde,” and “The Who’s Tommy” as well as made for TV movies, voice overs and commercials. In 2020, Jann launched his podcast, Making Sound with Jann Klose. Recent episodes have featured industry legends like Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Frank Bello (Anthrax), and Simon Kirke (Bad Company).<\/p>\n

Klose’s seventh studio album, \u201cSurrender,\u201d was released March 3rd, 2023.<\/p>\n

According to Klose, \u201cThe album \u2018Surrender\u2019 isn\u2019t meant to be understood in the traditional sense. It doesn\u2019t refer to \u2018losing\u2019 per se. Quite the opposite, it\u2019s actually about winning! Winning, because there is enough strength inside to arrive at a point of true peace. A \u2018letting go\u2019 of baggage and a new, different approach to love, connection and self-awareness that wasn\u2019t present before,\u201d the singer explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was created under the most unusual of circumstances. We were dealing with a global pandemic and a complete shutdown of music venues and recording studio. My co-writer for more than half the album, Alex Forbes and I got together bi-weekly at her apartment in Manhattan and poured our souls into the songs during the strangest of times.<\/p>\n

\u201cProducer Marcus Dembinski and I worked in person at our home studios in Manhattan and Queens, then started adding live instruments at Studio G Brooklyn with engineer Cyril Putzer when it became possible. A lot of recording was done remotely. Max Sternlicht, who played all the great bass lines you hear on most of the record, and Dimitris Menexopoulos recorded his Cretan Lyra in Greece, and Ben Kesler mastered \u2018Surrender\u2019 in St. Louis, Missouri.\u201d<\/p>\n

An internationally acclaimed solo artist, Haslam is known for her solo work and her work as lead singer for the British band Renaissance. Acclaimed for its unique blending of progressive rock with classical and symphonic influences, Renaissance\u2019s long and successful career has been spearheaded by the five-octave voice of\u00a0Haslam\u00a0and the masterful songwriting skills of Michael Dunford.<\/p>\n

Haslam, who was born in Bolton, Lancashire, first gained worldwide recognition when she was asked to become the lead singer of Renaissance, a band formed by Keith Relf after he left the Yardbirds.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Haslam, \u201cI joined the band New Year\u2019s Day 1971. Now, more than 50 years later we are still performing and bringing our unique style of music to more and more fans all over the world.<\/p>\n

With Renaissance,\u00a0Haslam\u00a0was the lead vocalist on seven studio albums during their classic period (1972\u20131979), four studio albums from 1981\u2013present, and a number of live albums.<\/p>\n

In 1977,\u00a0Haslam\u00a0began her solo career with her album \u201cAnnie in Wonderland,\u201d produced by\u00a0Roy Wood\u00a0(who was a key member of The Move, one of England\u2019s best rock bands in the late 1960s). Wood played most of the musical instruments.<\/p>\n

Haslam\u00a0has since released eight studio albums, three of which were released through her own record label, White Dove. She has also collaborated with\u00a0Steve Howe\u00a0of the prog rock band Yes, on a number of projects.<\/p>\n

From the year 2002,\u00a0Haslam\u00a0has developed a parallel career as a visual artist, producing paintings on canvas, painted musical instruments, and gicl\u00e9es.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still painting a lot,\u201d said\u00a0Haslam. \u201cIt was hard during the pandemic. I didn\u2019t start painting again until 2021.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Annie Haslam \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/MeB82QmGa1Q<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video link for Jann Klose \u2013 www.youtube.com\/watch?v=REDNu8_BGIc<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Sellersville Theater will start at 8 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets range from $21.50 to $29.50.<\/p>\n

On May 27, Nashville\u2019s John Ford Coley has a legion of fans in the area and has performed well attended shows at venues such as the Sellersville Theater and the World Cafe Live. On May 27 Coley will make another visit to the area for his very first show at the Kelly Center (49 S. Eagle Road, Havertown, kellycenter.org<\/a>).<\/p>\n

There have been many famous duos in rock music over the years such as Ashford & Simpson, Sam and Dave, Richard and Linda Thompson, Fripp & Eno, Sonny\u00a0and Cher, Ike and Tina Turner. Some of them get back together years after they have separated. Others will never be able to reconnect because of the death of one of the members.<\/p>\n

Some of the well-known have even formed duos with other truncated-by-death duos such as Peter and Jeremy \u2013 the fusion of Jeremy Clyde from Chad & Jeremy and Peter Asher, whose partner in Peter and Gordon (Gordon Waller) passed away in 2009.<\/p>\n

Then there is England Dan & John Ford\u00a0Coley.<\/p>\n

Dan Seals (England Dan) and\u00a0Coley, who went to high school together in Dallas, Texas, formed their musical duo in the early 1970s and released their debut album \u201cEngland Dan & John Ford\u00a0Coley\u201d in 1971.<\/p>\n

Over the next decade, they had three Number One hits \u2013 \u201cI\u2019d Really Love to See You Tonight,\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ll Never Have to Say Goodbye Again\u201d and \u201cLove Is the Answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The duo split in 1980 when Seals decided to pursue a career in country music, where he found success throughout the 1980s, scoring hits with \u201cMeet Me in Montana\u201d (with Marie Osmond) and \u201cBop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Any chance of a reunion down the road evaporated when Seals died in March 2009 following treatment for mantle cell lymphoma.<\/p>\n

After the duo disbanded,\u00a0Coley\u00a0began an acting career and made several television and film appearances in the 1980s.\u00a0He returned to an active touring schedule in the 1990s, along with serving as co-producer for artists such as Eddie Money.<\/p>\n

Coley\u00a0has also written his autobiography, \u201cBackstage Pass,\u201d which tells fascinating tales of his many years in the music business. He still undertakes a busy tour schedule — performing to devoted audiences worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI play around 50 shows a year,\u201d said\u00a0Coley, during a phone interview Tuesday from a tour stop in Lewes, Delaware. \u201cI still enjoy travelling and seeing places.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI always go out by myself. I play with myself chiefly, and I always get along really well with myself. It\u2019s me and my guitar and my piano and we go down Memory Lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a format that works well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made my last album a few years ago,\u201d said\u00a0Coley, who has more than a dozen albums on his musical resume. \u201cIt\u2019s just me. I had all these songs. People have the impression that if you\u2019re not on the radio, you\u2019re not working. That\u2019s not true at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the songs on it were written in 1983 and some are current. The album is called \u2018Eclectic.\u2019 I cut it with a friend of mine \u2013 producer Tom Wurth. It has a wide variety of styles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been trained in a lot of different styles \u2013 from folk to show\u2026from opera to country. This album has classical, pop, folk, jazz and rock. The variety is there because it\u2019s just what I do. I\u2019m not interested with getting on the radio.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just because Coley hasn\u2019t released a studio album since 2016 and plays just 50-60 shows a year doesn\u2019t mean the veteran musician has been sitting back doing nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy latest LP is a live album that was recorded in 2019,\u201d said Coley. \u201cIt\u2019s called \u2018Long Way Home \u2013 Live in Israel & L.A.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI also made \u2018Sketches Volume 1,\u2019 which came out in 2021. It features songs I did for films and songs that I only did demos for. Tom Wurth came over and I played him some songs. He asked me why I hadn\u2019t put them out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI write a lot of songs and then they end up in a drawer. So, I took 10 of them and made them into this album. \u2018Sketches Volume 2\u2019 will be next, but I haven\u2019t selected the songs yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Money isn\u2019t a driving force for Coley. He just wants to make music for his own pleasure and the pleasure of his fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m doing this because I enjoy playing for people,\u201d said Coley. \u201cMy set list has only three or four songs from \u2018Eclectic.\u2019 I learned a long time ago that people don\u2019t relate to songs they don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I play England Dan & John Ford\u00a0Coley\u00a0songs. I\u2019ll always play \u2018Love Is the Answer,\u2019 \u2018Gone Too Far\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019d Really Love to See You Tonight.\u2019 People come to the show to go down Memory Lane.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for John Ford\u00a0Coley\u00a0\u2013\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/ROyZcZ0-sns<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the Kelly Center on May 27 will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door.<\/p>\n

Psychedelic blues are on the menu for this weekend when Bees Deluxe headlines a show at Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne,\u00a0www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) on May 27.<\/p>\n

The band was formed by British guitar ace Conrad Warre.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in London,\u201d said Warre, during a phone interview from his home in Boston. \u201cI went to a Quaker boarding school that had a lot of U.S. students. One of them gave me a blues compilation album with songs by Johnny Winter, Little Walter and B.B. King.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn high school, I was in a band with Paul Kossoff. Paul later went on to be a guitarist with the band Free.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a degree in graphic design. When I got out of college, I realized I didn\u2019t want to do graphic design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music was a prime alternative.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m from London \u2013 from Notting Hill Gate, where the riots were,\u201d said Warre. \u201cI wrote Two-Tone music and toured with The English Beat and Joe Jackson. I moved to New York and played a lot at CBGB\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found Carol playing jazz at Ryles Jazz Club in Boston. I got Paul in the band because he knew who Bernard Purdie was. Jim was a friend of his and they played country blues together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bees Deluxe has played with Ronnie Earl, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Matt Schofield, Roomful of Blues, Walter Trout and David Maxwell. The four-piece band celebrates the music of B.B. King, Robert Cray, Albert King, Tinsley Ellis, Freddie King and others.<\/p>\n

So, the band\u2019s background includes blues, rock, English ska, punk rock, jazz and country rock. Its current sound is all of that \u2013 and none of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur sound is more modern \u2013 more progressive \u2013 more edge,\u201d said Band.<\/p>\n

Warre, who is a British football fan and supporter of the Arsenal Gunners, said, \u201cThe communality is acid rock and blues. So many bands play the same songs the same way every night. When we play, we stretch it out and change it always. Arrangements are made up on the fly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bees Deluxe push the limits of the blues, color outside the lines of convention, and do it with impeccable musicality, originality, and a touch of insanity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of music appeals to fans of all ages \u2013 if they get to hear it,\u201d said Warre. \u201cWe\u2019re at our best when people are dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr if they\u2019re hooting and hollering. We adjust our music to the audience. If it\u2019s not a dance crowd, we can stretch it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t play a standard blues band repertoire. A lot of blues bands play the same few songs such as \u2018Born Under a Bad Sign,\u2019 \u2018Spoonful,\u2019 and \u2018The Thrill Is Gone.\u2019 It\u2019s really repetitive.<\/p>\n

\u201cI pick songs that other blues bands don\u2019t \u2013 for example songs by J. B. Lenoir. We like to discover songs that are off the beaten path.<\/p>\n

In 2018, Bees Deluxe released their\u00a0all-original acid-blues album,\u00a0\u201cVoice of Dog,\u201d\u00a0which was produced by Joe Egan on Slapping Cat Records.<\/p>\n

The band\u2019s CD,\u00a0\u201cMouthful of Bees,\u201d\u00a0which features an original sound that they call \u201cacid blues,\u201d\u00a0was produced by Egan and Warre. It includes three originals and seven classic blues songs re-interpreted by the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur repertoire has about 60 covers \u2013 most of which are deep cuts \u2014 and 40 originals. You\u2019re in danger if you play too many originals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve played Jamey\u2019s before. It\u2019s like dying and going to heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

Band added, \u201cThe people are there for the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Bees Deluxe \u2014\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/9Ae6It4EEL0<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at Jamey\u2019s House of Music on May 27 will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.<\/p>\n

The concert at Jamey\u2019s on May 26 will feature Manali and Tea Head.<\/p>\n

Manali is the product of four likeminded individuals based in Chester County.<\/p>\n

Founded in 2020,\u00a0Manali\u00a0consists of guitarist and vocalist Jake Blumenthal, bassist Grayson Lake, drummer Brian Trifaro, and keyboardist and vocalist Thomas Wright.<\/p>\n

Through the use of improvisation, extended instrumental sections, and the creative blending of genres, Manali’s all original music tells stories of nostalgia, loss, and introspection, invoking thoughts and feelings well known but left unsaid. Notable past performances include Time and Space Ltd. in Hudson, NY and their spotlight sets at Porchfest in West Chester.<\/p>\n

The band signed with Earthwalker Records in 2022 and is currently recording its first studio album.<\/p>\n

Tea Head is a rock band from Philadelphia which plays a mix of psychedelia, indie, and classic rock influences.<\/p>\n

Showtime on Friday is 8p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d\u00a0is a lot of different things. Most obviously, it is a 1988 American\u00a0fantasy\u00a0horror comedy film directed by\u00a0Tim Burton and starring\u00a0Alec Baldwin,\u00a0Geena Davis,\u00a0Jeffrey Jones,\u00a0Catherine O’Hara,\u00a0Winona Ryder, and\u00a0Michael Keaton\u00a0as the titular character. A\u00a0sequel\u00a0was officially announced two weeks ago with a theatrical release date set for September 6, 2024. \u201cBeetlejuice\u201d is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,7529],"tags":[14247,14248,6518],"class_list":["post-41184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-beetlejuice","tag-chicken-and-biscuits","tag-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41184","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=41184"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41185,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41184\/revisions\/41185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}