{"id":43192,"date":"2024-08-01T09:42:35","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T13:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=43192"},"modified":"2024-08-01T09:42:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T13:42:36","slug":"on-stage-iona-sky-to-make-us-debut-in-skippack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=43192","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Iona Sky to make US debut in Skippack"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"elementToProof\"><strong>By Denny Dyroff,<\/strong> <em>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"attachment_19751\" style=\"width: 311px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19751\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19751\" src=\"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/433861825_307278992373984_3679512474197787203_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"301\" height=\"300\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19751\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Iona Sky<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If you heard about a British band from Cambridge with four veteran male musicians and a female singer in her mid-20s, it would be logical to assume that it was a group of British folk musicians fronted by a student or grad from Cambridge University.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Your assumption would be way off target.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Iona Sky, which is based in Cambridgeshire, features Lead Guitarist Simon Jupp, Vocalist\/Guitarist\/Keyboardist (and Newcastle United F.C. fan) James Malone, Bassist Matt Worthington, and Drummer Scott \u2018the Dark Lord\u2019 Wilson. The Lead Vocalist is Anna-Sophia Henry.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI\u2019m from Kansas,\u201d said Henry, during a phone interview Tuesday afternoon from her home in Cambridgeshire.<\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe rest of the band is from Cambridge. Matt is 35 and the rest of the guys are in their 40s.\u201d<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As for British folk music, that would be another erroneous assumption.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI\u2019d say our music is alternative indie,\u201d said Henry. \u201cOr you could call it pop rock. It\u2019s a blend of strong female vocals with nice guitar riffs and a powerful bassline.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This weekend, Iona Sky will make their American debut with a show in Skippack, two shows in New York City, a concert in Wildwood and a show in Bridgeport.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show in Skippack will be on August 2 at the Stray Dog Tavern in Skippack. The tour\u2019s final show will be on August 5 at the Bridgeport Ribhouse.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cMy family is from Wichita,\u201d said Henry. \u201cMy dad had a job over here in England for three years. I worked at an Air Force base and found a way to get a visa. So, when my family went back to the states, I stayed here.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWhen I was young, I performed in musicals and took voice lessons. I went to the College of the Ozarks in Missouri and had a band for a while.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Meanwhile, the guys in Cambridge were looking for a vocalist.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI posted on Facebook to do music,\u201d said Henry. \u201cThey said \u2013 we have a band already and we want a female lead. They were called Shambertans and they wanted to re-brand.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Shambertans were a British indie pop band that formed in Cambridge in 2019. They were featured on \u201cBBC Introducing\u201d and the single \u201cWallflower\u201d from their debut EP was \u201cUploader of the Week\u201d in 2020.<\/div>\n<div>In 2021, they reached the finals of the esteemed Cambridge Band Competition and were nominated for an award in \u201cBest Indie Group\u201d category at the NMG awards. In 2022, they released their second EP, \u201cSymptoms of the Fear,\u201d followed by two new summer singles, starting with \u201cElectrified.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe had our first meeting in February 2023,\u201d said Henry. \u201cIt was a dodgy conversation on a farm. They\u2019re more indie \u2013 Oasis, Stones, Foo Fighters. I was more pop and electronica \u2013 Charlie XCX, Lights, Willow.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cAs it turned out, our indie-pop, rock sounds blended well. I\u2019ll write an idea and they\u2019ll add to it.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The first official Iona Sky gig was as the opening act for an American Air Force July 4 gig with headliners, X Ambassadors.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cOur first recording session was last June,\u201d said Henry. \u201cIt was our first time working in the studio. We used a studio in Cambridge.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cOur first two singles were \u2018Better\u2019 and \u2018Savior.\u2019 Then, we made an EP with five songs.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The five-song EP \u2013 \u201cHomeschooled\u201d \u2013 was released this year as was the singles, \u201cNever Be the Same\u201d and \u201cLocked the Door.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In March 2024 they released \u201cHomeschooled.\u201d \u00a0The first single from the EP, \u201cNever Be the Same Again,\u201d was featured on international radio, including BBC Radio One. The EP has been described as \u201ccrafted with heartfelt lyricism and irresistible beats\u201d and featuring \u201canthemic sing-alongs and dreamy melodies\u201d (Voice Magazine, April 2024).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe have two new singles ready to be released,\u201d said Henry. \u201cThe first is \u2018Rinse and Repeat\u2019 on August 2. We\u2019re probably going to do another EP early next year.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Now, Iona Sky is making its first trip across the pond.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Norristown\u2019s\u00a0Rotation Records,\u00a0along with its sister company Rotation Productions,\u00a0are hosting\u00a0Iona Sky\u00a0for their U.S. debut. The Cambridgeshire-based group will perform a series of shows along the East Coast this August in support of their EP\u00a0\u201cHomeschooled.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Iona Sky is ready to add its name to the list of notable Cantabrigians that includes Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. On a music note, Cambridge was home to Pink Floyd\u2019s Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and David Gilmour \u2013 and to the late great Olivia Newton-John.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Iona Sky recently finished a\u00a0U.K.\/Ireland tour and performed in several U.K. festivals this summer, including Tramlines Fringe, Equinox, Strawberry Fair, and St. Ives Music Festival.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cMy day job is working in outdoor recreation,\u201d said Henry, who was named after world renowned German violinist Anna-Sophie Mutter. \u201cThe rest of the band work in science and computer tech.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cIt\u2019s hard to tour because of our jobs. We\u2019ve played a lot around Cambridge in the last year. We also did a few shows in London earlier this year.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cFor our shows in America, we\u2019re doing a 60-minute set with nine or 10 songs &#8212; including a lot form the EP.\u201d<\/div>\n<div>Video link for Iona Sky &#8212; <a id=\"OWA4a6d318e-d3c5-860a-a9cd-90df046afb1b\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TECA2-gXz6Y\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/TECA2-gXz6Y<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show on August 2 at the\u00a0Stray Dog Tavern\u00a0(3911 Skippack Pike, Skippack,<\/div>\n<div>610-584-5005) will start at 9 p.m.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show on August 5 at the\u00a0Bridgeport Ribhouse\u00a0(1049 Ford Street, Bridgeport, 610-279-1275) will start at 7 p.m.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"attachment_19752\" style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19752\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19752\" src=\"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Ava-Della-Pietra-4-350x272.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"272\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19752\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ava\u00a0Della\u00a0Pietra<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Another young artist performing locally this weekend is also living in Cambridge \u2013 America\u2019s Cambridge.<\/p><\/div>\n<div>Ava\u00a0Della\u00a0Pietra was born and raised in Stony Brook, Long Island. For the last year, she has been living in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Della\u00a0Pietra wears a lot of hats.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>She is a veteran actress who has performed on Broadway and in national tours of Broadway shows.<\/div>\n<div>She is also a pop star who will be performing at\u00a0The Foundry\u00a0(Fillmore Philadelphia, 1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, <a id=\"OWA393a80d9-9271-0f2c-bc59-304e71f32236\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thefillmorephilly.com\/\">www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>) on August 1.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Della Pietra is a rising star in pop music with over 16 million streams, a half-million social followers, and eight million YouTube views.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>She recorded her first original song at the age of 10, and has since written more than 130 songs, and released 14. Ava has won recognition from numerous songwriting competitions, collaborated with renowned producers, and achieved chart success in multiple formats. She has been highlighted as an artist to watch in 2024.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI started doing community theater productions when I was younger,\u201d said Della Pietra, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from Cambridge. \u201cMy parents found a child agent and I was booked for the National Tour of\u00a0\u2018Les Mis\u00e9rables.\u2019 That was back in 2012. I played Young Cosette.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>That tour brought Della Pietra to Philadelphia in January 2013 for a one-week run of the \u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables 25th\u00a0Anniversary Tour\u201d at the Academy of Music.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI was seven years old,\u201d said Della Pietra. \u201cWe played 27 cities in nine months. Later, I did the National Tour of \u2018White Christmas.\u2019 I also spent two years on Broadway with \u2018School of Rock.\u2019<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI recorded my first song with the \u2018School of Rock\u2019 special when I was 10. When I was 12, I started recording more music.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In 2019, I recorded my first single, \u2018Optimist.\u2019 It came out during COVID. It was a way to keep people\u2019s spirits up during the pandemic.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In addition to being an actress and a singer\/songwriter, Della Pietra is also a university student.<\/div>\n<div>Again, she is wearing many hats.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Della Pietra is a student at Harvard University.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI just finished my freshman year,\u201d said Della Pietra. \u201cI\u2019ll start class again on September 3.\u201d<\/div>\n<div>Della Pietra is enrolled in the\u00a0Harvard University\/<a id=\"OWA45317523-513b-9385-6138-8fe9a2a2217e\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" title=\"Berklee School of Music\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Berklee_School_of_Music\">Berklee School of Music<\/a>\u00a0dual program, Class of 2027.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cAt Harvard, I\u2019m majoring in pre-med and biology\/neuroscience,\u201d said Della Pietra, who plays violin, piano, ukelele, guitar and electric bass.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cAt Berklee, I\u2019m a music major and also majoring in songwriting. I have four courses at Harvard and two at Berklee. I\u2019ll probably follow a songwriting track there.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cMy most recent single is \u2018Rearview Mirror,\u2019 which came out on June 14. It\u2019s a departure in style from my previous singles. It has a little rap in there.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI think that with all my songs, I try to stay extremely true to myself. Through my songs, you can see how the topics of my life are changing.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Video link for Ava Della Pietra &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lOoXZyen4WY\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/lOoXZyen4WY<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show at the Foundry at the Fillmore Philadelphia on August 1 featuring Ava Della Pietra opening for Madilyn Dei will start at 7 p.m.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Tickets are $34.25.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On August 3, Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, <a id=\"OWA012a04c9-b7d1-8b32-639b-9ba1e8e31923\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" title=\"Protected by Outlook: http:\/\/www.jameyshouseofmusic.com\/. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"http:\/\/www.jameyshouseofmusic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is hosting a concert by Laura Cheadle. It\u2019s a musical love affair. Cheadle is an act Jamey Reilly books several times a year.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cJamey\u2019s is my favorite spot,\u201d said Cheadle, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon from her home in Philadelphia. \u201cIt\u2019s a great place to play.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Cheadle has a new album to support \u2013 \u201cMannequin.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI signed a deal with Sony Music,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cI released a Christmas album with Sony on their Orchard label two years ago. \u2018Mannequin\u2019 is my first full Sony album featuring my music.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>For\u00a0Cheadle, Christmas came a little early last year.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI won a game show on CBS,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cThe game show was \u2018Raid the Cage\u201d and the final aired last December.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cRaid the Cage\u201d\u00a0is a television game show hosted by\u00a0Damon Wayans Jr.\u00a0and\u00a0Jeannie Mai\u00a0that premiered on\u00a0CBS\u00a0on October 13, 2023. It is an adaptation of the\u00a0Israeli television series\u00a0of the same name.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Two teams of two contestants compete on each episode to earn time to retrieve prizes from a giant cage, with the team having the highest total keeping the prizes and playing the bonus round.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI won $91,000,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cAnd having all the people see me on national TV in the finals will be a real boost to my music career. This has been my best year ever.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>When Cheadle was asked if she blew through the $91K yet, she offered an affirmative reply.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI took the money I won from the show and bought a house in Philly,\u201d said Cheadle.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A new house and a new album\u2014Cheadle has definitely been very busy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI recorded \u2018Mannequin\u2019 at Papa\u00a0Cheadle\u2019s studio,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cI\u2019ve been writing songs for four years. It\u2019s my best album yet \u2013 with a lot of emotions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWhen the COVID shutdown arrived, I started writing and couldn\u2019t stop. I just relaxed and enjoyed it.\u201d<\/div>\n<div>One of the results of her writing outburst was her 2021 holiday album, \u201cLet\u2019s Get Together for Christmas.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cIt was a family affair,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cI recorded it at my dad\u2019s studio with my brothers and him. My dad was the producer.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI did a Christmas album before \u2013 in 2010. It was more of a jazz album. This one is definitely bluesier.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cIt\u2019s a Christmas album but it\u2019s a real sexy, sultry album \u2013 very R&amp;B. I really got a chance to showcase my voice.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The music on my new album is also very R&amp;B-based.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Cheadle\u00a0has a band that features blues, soul, funk \u2013 and a lot of\u00a0Cheadles.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Her four-piece group features her brother Jim\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0on guitar and her father James\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0on keyboards along with\u00a0Ben Smith, the only non-Cheadle,\u00a0on drums.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>James \u201cPapa\u00a0Cheadle\u201d has played and recorded with Don Cornell, DJ Jazzy Jeff, The Four Aces, Grover Washington Jr., The Soul Survivors, Jaco Pastorius and Peter Erskine.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Cheadle\u00a0has played with her family ever since she was a young girl.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cMy father has influenced me so much,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cHe\u2019s a seasoned jazz musician who used to be a music professor at Rowan University. So, I\u2019ve always been involved with music.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cHe has his own recording studio in South Jersey called the Swedesboro Music Studio and he records a lot of different people. He and I are both devoted to music. His influence on me is blues and jazz \u2013 but I make it modern.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Cheadle\u2019s music career began when she was four years old. Her father created the \u201cAppreciation Choir\u201d for the Persian Gulf War troops in the early nineties and created a music video that was aired on VH1 and MTV. Along with her two older twin brothers and various other children,\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0toured around the United States singing for audiences.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>When she was 11, she enlisted her father to teach her how to play drums. From her \u201ctween\u201d to \u201cmid-teen\u201d years,\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0was in a band with her brothers called Sibling \u2013 a pop group that played at local restaurants, churches, music venues, private parties and parades.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI\u2019ve been in the Philadelphia\/New Jersey music scene for quite some time,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cI\u2019ve been doing acoustic stuff since I was 16 and then put my band together later. Sibling was a blend and I morphed into my music. Songwriting comes very naturally for me. Sometimes, I wake up with a melody in my head. It\u2019s just there.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cI\u2019ve always been a super fan of old soul. My biggest influences are Aretha Franklin, Tower of Power, James Brown and Stevie Wonder. I love real drums and all the organic instruments. Some of my songs are rock. Some of them are blues. It\u2019s hard to classify me \u2013 maybe pop\/rock with soul influence. I just do what I feel.\u201d<\/div>\n<div>The\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0Family has built a strong reputation nationally.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cWe were on an NBC television show called \u2018The Next Great Family Band\u2019 in 2013,\u201d said\u00a0Cheadle. \u201cThat got us a lot of interest in being booked for tours. They actually came to our place in Swedesboro. The exposure was great.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fans will get plenty of\u00a0Cheadle\u2019s music \u2013 old and new,\u00a0R&amp;B and soul\u00a0\u2013 this Saturday night at Jamey\u2019s.<\/div>\n<div>\u201cIt\u2019s an evening of soul,\u201d said Cheadle. \u201cIt will be all my soul stuff \u2013 and there will be stuff from the new album.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Video link for Laura\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0&#8212;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/D0o0H7Zqw74\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/D0o0H7Zqw74<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Video link for Laura\u00a0Cheadle\u00a0on \u201cRaid the Cage\u201d &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/nkThnKBGijQ\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/nkThnKBGijQ<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show at Jamey\u2019s on August 3\u00a0will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Tickets are $25\u00a0in advance and $30 at the door. Livestream tickets are $15.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show on August 2 at Jamey\u2019s will feature The Organization.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Organization is a Jazz and Funk based organ trio (and occasional quartet) created in the spring of 2022. Organist Josh Klamka, guitarist Jake Miller, and drummer Greg Masters joined forces while studying jazz performance at Temple University.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show at Jamey\u2019s on August 2 will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Livestream tickets are $15.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Jamey\u2019s features either \u201cThursday Jams at Jamey\u2019s\u201d or \u201cOpen Mic\u201d on Thursdays featuring the Dave Reiter Trio and occasional guest musicians.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cJazz at Jamey\u2019s\u201d will be presented every second and fourth Thursday, and \u201cOpen Mic\u201d every first, third and fifth Thursday.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Every Sunday, Jamey\u2019s presents \u201cSUNDAY BLUES BRUNCH &amp; JAM\u201d featuring the Philly Blues Kings. On the second Sunday of each month, the featured act is the Girke-Davis Project which features club owner Jamey Reilly, Roger Girke, Glenn Bickel, Fred Berman and Colgan-Davis.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313, <a id=\"OWAf625c04f-8e78-c873-48dc-5fc16c56dec6\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org\/\">www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) will started its run of the hit musical \u201cThe Fantasticks\u201d on July 13. The show will close on August 24.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe Fantasticks\u201d is a magical journey, part fairy tale, part fable and entirely enchanting. With book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, it features such memorable songs as \u201cTry to Remember\u201d and \u201cSoon It\u2019s Gonna Rain\u201d and has the distinction of being the longest-running musical in the history of theater.<\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe Fantasticks\u201d\u00a0is a 1960\u00a0musical\u00a0with music by\u00a0Harvey Schmidt\u00a0and book and lyrics by\u00a0Tom Jones. It tells an\u00a0allegorical\u00a0story, loosely based on the 1894 play\u00a0\u201cThe Romancers\u201d\u00a0(\u201cLes Romanesques\u201d) by\u00a0Edmond Rostand, concerning two neighboring fathers who trick their children, Luisa and Matt, into falling in love by pretending to feud.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The show\u2019s original\u00a0off-Broadway\u00a0production ran a total of 42 years (until 2002) and 17,162 performances, making it the world\u2019s longest-running musical. The musical was produced by\u00a0Lore Noto. It was awarded\u00a0Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre\u00a0in 1991.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The poetic book and breezy, inventive score, including such memorable songs as \u201cTry to Remember,\u201d helped make the show durable. Many productions followed, as well as television and film versions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe Fantasticks\u201d was revived Off-Broadway from 2006-2017. The musical has played in all 50 U.S. states and in at least 67 foreign countries.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The main characters in the Candlelight productions are Shawn Weaver as The Mute, Isabell Hartzell as Luisa, Nigel Grant as Matt and James Ofalt as El Gallo.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Weaver, an Upper Darby High alumnus, spent his college years in Chester County and graduated from Lincoln University in 2020 as a vocal performance major. He is an active actor, voice coach and director.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cThe Fantasticks\u201d is running now through August 24 at the Candlelight Theatre with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Tickets, which include a buffet meal, beverages, dessert, and free parking, are $70.50 for adults and $35 for children.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cSomewhere Over the Border\u201d is running now through August 11 at People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, <a id=\"OWAfccfc72d-fa16-fd55-70fa-78dc59383dc5\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.peopleslight.org\/\">www.peopleslight.org<\/a>).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The musical by Brian Quijada is directed by Laura Alcal\u00e1 Baker with Music Direction by Michael Meketa Sanchez.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The musical is billed as \u201cA musical odyssey by rising star Brian Quijada.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As the allure of the American Dream beckons, Reina Quijada travels along a very different yellow brick road from El Salvador to the United States.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Along the way, she makes friends, dodges imminent danger, and searches for the almighty &#8220;wizard&#8221; in this nod to\u00a0Oz.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>With onstage musicians weaving together cumbia, Mexican mariachi, boleros, American rock, and hip hop, up-and-coming writer and composer Brian Quijada honors his mother in a fantastically true tale of determination, family, and friendship.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>This co-production takes to the People\u2019s Light stage following a critically acclaimed run at Pittsburgh&#8217;s City Theatre.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Video link for \u201cSomewhere Over the Border\u201d &#8212; <a id=\"OWA37b601eb-6509-b974-270c-55b709d96c47\" class=\"OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/D6Wepwgjs5U\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/D6Wepwgjs5U<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cSomewhere Over the Border\u201d will run now through August 11 at the theater in Malvern. Ticket prices start at $47.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times If you heard about a British band from Cambridge with four veteran male musicians and a female singer in her mid-20s, it would be logical to assume that it was a group of British folk musicians fronted by a student or grad from Cambridge University. Your assumption would [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[14826,6518,14827],"class_list":["post-43192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-ava-della-pietra","tag-featured","tag-iona-sky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43192","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=43192"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43193,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43192\/revisions\/43193"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}