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Fall arts stretch from 'Spamalot' to "Don Quixote" to lots of birds at the Biggs

Gail Obenreder
Special To The News Journal
Wilmington painter Edward Loper Sr.'s 'Elfreth's Alley from 1948 is part of the Delaware Art Museum's exhibit featuring art given to it by the Hotel du Pont.

Fall is back, and so is the monthly Arts news and notes.

Before we list some of the Delaware offerings from now through November, here’s a shout-out to Delaware Theatre Company for 12 Barrymore Award nominations.

They include 11 for last season’s "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and a nod to their stellar Education Department.

Awards are announced in Philadelphia on Nov. 5.

Visual arts

The Biggs. The Dover museum is still celebrating its 25th anniversary, with this fall’s   “John James Audubon and His Influence Today” through Nov. 25. Well-known Audubon prints are coupled with works by 17 contemporary artists from America and the UK  (such as Jamie Wyeth) who’ve drawn inspiration from the famous American naturalist. biggsmuseum.org

Delaware Art Museum. The “Wilmington 1968” exhibition (photographs by Danny Lyons and drawings by Harvey Dinnerstein and Burton Silverman) closes Sept. 9. “Black Survival Guide, or How to Survive a Race Riot,” a commission by Hank Willis Thomas, ends Sept. 30. Opening Sept. 8 is "Wonders of Wilmington: Gifts from the Hotel du Pont Collection," with 13 works (including N.C. and Andrew Wyeth, Frank Schoonover and Edward Loper). On Oct. 20, a Juried Craft Exhibition will be on display through Jan. 27). And Nov. 3 through Feb. 3,  "Politics and Paint: Barbara Bodichon and the Pre-Raphaelites "looks at an influential but little-known PRB member. delart.org

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Delaware College of Art and Design. The first show of the season in its Toni and Stuart B. Young Gallery on Wilmington’s Market Street is the Fall Faculty and Staff Exhibition.  Opening Oct. 5 is the work of Philadelphia artist Henry Bermudez in Black and White. dcad.edu

The Delaware Contemporary. Highlights include The Creative Act, Australian artist Michael Lindeman’s text paintings that reference a 1957 lecture by Marcel Duchamp (through Oct. 24); "On Madison: Showcasing Our Own," a group exhibition of the museum’s staff (through Oct. 28); and large works by Philadelphia’s Timmy Graham in "Introduction to Fourth Dimensionalism" (Sept. 4 through Jan. 2). decontemporary.org

The Biggs Museum is showing 50  John James Audubon prints in  'Audubon Then and Now.'

 

The Mezzanine Gallery in the Carvel State Office Building. Fall offerings include paintings by Thomas Del Porte (Sept. 7-28); works on paper by Charles Guerin, who also heads The Biggs (Oct. 5-26); Kevin Bielicki’s sculptures (Nov. 2-30); and paintings by Lauren E. Peters (Dec. 7-28). There’s an artist opening at the start of each show, and you can see more 2018 Fellows on view at Wilmington’s Cab Calloway School of the Arts (Sept. 7 through 30). arts.delaware.gov

Newark Arts Alliance. “Oh Snap!,” a photography show (Sept. 4-28) is followed by a multi-media “The Dark Arts” exhibition (Oct. 2-26) and their 25th anniversary invitational with works by NAA founding artists (Oct. 30-Nov. 16). newarkartsalliance.org

Rehoboth Art League.  One members’ showcase Beach Blowout continues through Dec. 30 and another opens – "About Face" – Sept. 7 through Oct. 13. Opening Sept. 7 are the 8th Regional Juried Biennial and "New Negation" (work of Kyle Hackett), both through Oct. 13.  And from Oct. 19 through Nov. 25 RAL will feature the members’ showcase "Animal Farm" along with "Inventing History – Cherished Memories of Good Times that Never Happened," drawings by Richard Chandler Hoff.  rehobothartleague.org

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University of Delaware Museums and Library. In Mechanical Hall is “Color & Form to Expression & Response,” abstract art from the UD collection, and The Old College Gallery will show indigenous Arctic art in “The World is Following Its People” (both Sept. 5 through Dec. 7). Through Dec. 14, Morris Library Special Collections Gallery showcases “Things Aren’t What They Seem,” forgeries and deceptions from its collection. library.udel.edu

Winterthur. It's first-ever garden exhibition, "Follies: Architectural Whimsy in the Garden" continues into January. It features 13 fantasy structures – some newly built – that span styles and centuries. Visitors can walk or take a tram tour to see architecture, art and nature come together. winterthur.org

Music

Delaware Symphony. The season opens with concerts Sept. 28 in Wilmington and Sept, 30 in Lewes with violinist Jennifer Koh, who appeared with the DSO at Longwood this summer, in “The American Dream." The tribute to Leonard Bernstein includes Bernstein’s “Serenade” and works by Copland and Barber. The DSO Hotel du Pont Chamber Series kicks off Oct. 23 with “Evening with the DSO Winds” and on Nov. 9 the orchestra is back at The Grand with Cherubini’s Requiem (featuring the UD Symphonic Choir) and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”).  delawaresymphony.org

University of Delaware Music Department. The season starts Sept. 14 with a Faculty Gala in Mitchell Hall. Fall highlights include Shari Feldman (soprano) and Daniel J. Carunchio (pianist) Sept. 15). The acclaimed Calidore String Quartet returns to Gore Recital Hall on Sept. 28. On Oct. 9 Serafin players Kate Ransom (violin) and Lawrence Stomberg (cello) perform as a duo. Sheila Browne (viola) and Julie Nishimura (piano) are featured in concert on Oct. 12; Joyce Chen will give a harpsichord recital on Oct. 19; and the Christiana Winds go “All American” on Oct. 22. music.udel.edu

Delaware Art Museum's Performance Series will include Jonah Bokaer

 

The Arts at Trinity. This free concert series in Wilmington’s Trinity Episcopal Church opens its season on Oct. 21 with an all-Beethoven program that includes the “Archduke” trio with Kate Ransom (violin), Jennifer Nicole Campbell (piano) and cellist Guang Wang. theartsattrinity.org

Brandywine Baroque. “The Triumph of Virtue,” sonatas and cantatas that feature guest artists Heather Miller Lardin (violin) and John Mark Rozendaal (gamba), will be Oct.12 and 14 in Wilmington and Oct. 13 in Rehoboth Beach. brandywinebaroque.org

Choir School of Delaware. “In Remembrance” on Nov. 2 will feature the Requiem of Gabriel Faure at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, and on Nov. 18 they will be at Sacred Heart Oratory with “Bach to the Future,” collaborating with the Westminster Choir College Kantorei. choirschoolofdelaware.org

Coastal Concerts.  The season opener on Oct. 20 is a solo concert by acclaimed American pianist Awadagin Pratt. That will be followed with a Nov. 17 appearance by the American String Quartet, featuring Curtis Institute of Music president Roberto Diaz (viola) and his brother Andrés (cello). coastalconcerts.org

Copeland String Quartet. The group of Delaware Symphony players in residence at Wilmington’s Church of the Holy City open their season Oct. 21 with work by Spanish Basque classical composer Juan Arriaga and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11, “Serioso.” copelandstringquartet.com

Delaware Art Museum Performance Series. Bang on a Can All-Stars, the classical music and boundary-crossing sextet, will bring their unique performance style to the Delaware Art Museum on Oct. 11. delart.org

Delaware Choral Arts. The “Psalms of David, a concert of contemporary sacred music with guest artists the Choir School of Asbury Park, will be at Wilmington’s Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew on Nov. 11. delawarechoralarts.org

Dickinson Theatre Organ Society. Alex Jones (a student at Eastman School of Music) will play Sept. 22. On Nov. 17 Carol Williams (from the UK and San Diego’s Balboa Park outdoor organ) will be at Dickinson High School in Wilmington. dtoskimball.org

Market Street Music. Fall Festival Concerts begin at First & Central on Oct. 14 with David Schelat at the Gabriel Kney organ, followed on Oct. 28 by Pyxis Piano Quartet and a Nov. 11 concert by the vocal ensemble Variant 6. marketstreetmusicde.org

Master Players. The series opens Oct. 7 with “Great Musical Families: David Finckel and Wu Han.” It continues on Nov. 4 with “Anne-Marie McDermott and Friends” in a concert that features the premier of a piano quartet by Macarthur grant winner Bright Sheng who will be at the piano. masterplayers.udel.edu

'A  hooded  procession' by Barbara  Leigh  Smith  Bodichon  is on display at the Delaware Art Museum.

 

Melomanie. With its new season in a new venue, they will be at Wilmington’s Delaware Historical Society on Oct. 7 with “Hubble’s Eye” by Christopher Cook, a multimedia work paired with Hubble Telescope projections. melomanie.org

Music School of Delaware. "Opening Night - The Magic of Music" on Oct. 3 will feature works by Rossini, J.S. Bach and Mozart. The Cultural Crossroads series opens with music of the 1930s on Nov. 11. And Classical Café, a coffee-and-donuts-included roundtable on music-related topics, begins Oct. 20. musicschoolofdelaware.org

OperaDelaware. The Uncorked series in the Wilmington Studio continues with “Mayhem, Madness, Malbec & More” Oct. 19 and 21. A Nov. 11 Artist Spotlight will feature mezzo-soprano Megan Marino. operade.org

Pyxis Piano Quartet. Its fall concert “Musical Response” on Sept. 27 features "Three Spirituals for String Trio" by Adolphus Hailstork, Debussy’s "Sonata for Cello and Piano," and works by Schnittke and Hans Gál. delart.org and pyxispianoquartet.com

The Serafins. “Romance,” an Oct. 9 concert at UD will feature works by Brahms and Schumann, followed by an Oct. 21 all-Beethoven afternoon at Trinity Episcopal Church in Wilmington. serafinquartet.org

Theatre

Bootless Stageworks. On its home stage at St. Stephen’s Church in Wilmington, the troupe opens the season with [title of show], the Tony-nominated play that looks at a group of friends as they create a musical. It runs Sept. 21 through Oct. 6. bootless.org

Candlelight in Arden. The 2018 season opens with "Brigadoon" Sept.15 through Oct. 28, followed by a Nov. 17 opening of "She Loves Me." candlelighttheatredelaware.com

City Theater Company. In a year of theatrical anniversaries, CTC launches its 25th season under new Artistic Director Kerry Kristine McElrone with a residency at Wilmington’s Grand. It start with a one-night-only concert revisit of Green Day's "American Idiot" at the baby grand (Oct. 6). city-theater.org

Frank Bowling's 'Untitled Untitled (Blue, Brown, Yellow' is on display at the University of Delaware's Mechanical Hall.

 

Clear Space Theatre.  Its year continues with David Lindsay Abaire’s riveting drama "Rabbit Hole," a 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner running Sept. 21 through Oct. 7. "Heathers," the “high school revenge” musical opening Oct. 19 and closing around Halloween will be followed by "Willie Wonka" Nov. 9-11. clearspacetheatre.org

Delaware Theatre Company. The riverfront theater kicks off its 40th anniversary season with the world premiere of "Sanctions" Sept. 12-30 about the world of NCAA athletics. Directed by Bud Martin, it’s another offering by Philadelphia playwright and DTC regular Bruce Graham. From Oct. 17 through Nov. 4 is "Fully Committed," a new comedy by Becky Mode about the reservation line at a trendy NYC restaurant.  delawaretheatre.org

Delaware Shakespeare. It's third statewide Community Tour will offer "The Merchant of Venice" in free performances and two ticketed shows at a variety of non-traditional locations from Oct. 24 through Nov.18.  They’re bringing back fall favorite “Shakespeare, Poe and Fiends” (Oct. 11 – 14) in Dover, Odessa and Wilmington. delshakes.org   

The Playhouse on Rodney Square. A one-night-only performance of the improv show "Whose Live Anyway?" plays Oct. 12. Then the uproarious Monty Python’s "Spamalot"  gallops into Wilmington Oct. 25-28), followed by an evening with Broadway star Sutton Foster on Nov. 3. theplayhousede.org

University of Delaware Resident Ensemble Players also celebrate an anniversary — their 10th — opening with British comedy "Lettice and Lovage." Directed by Steve Tague, it’s Peter Schaffer’s look at an unlikely and comic friendship running from Sept.13 through Oct. 7.  From Sept. 20 through Oct. 7, the company will also show Conor McPherson’s black comedy "The Seafarer," set in Dublin at Christmas. Fall offerings wind up with Alan Ayckbourn’s thoughtful comedy "Woman in Mind" Nov. 8 through Dec. 2. rep.udel.edu

Dance

Delaware Art Museum Performance Series ncludes dance offerings. On Sept. 8, dancer/choreographer Jonah Bokauer will perform “Replica,” melding dance with sculpture and visual arts, in the Delaware Art Museum’s Copeland Sculpture Garden. And on Sept. 16, Delaware choreographer Ashley S.K. Davis teams up with visual artist Terrance Vann to present a commissioned work that’s part of the ”Wilmington 1968” initiative. delart.org

First State Ballet Theatre kicks off their 2018-19 season at Wilmington’s baby grand with a production of the elegant classic "Don Quixote" (Oct. 19-21).  Artistic Director Pasha Kambalov follows with another of the company’s popular “Up Front with FSBT” evenings in the Grand’s Studio on Nov. 16 and 17. firststateballet.com

Compania Flamenca Eduardo Guerrero will be in Wilmington this fall. Appearing at The Grand, this dynamic company is led by classic flamenco dancer and choreographer Guerrero, who blends classic and modern Spanish dance. They’re direct from Spain on Oct. 2 for one performance only.  thegrandwilmington.org

Community theatre

Wilmington Drama League opens with "Fun Home" Sept. 14-23, followed by Neil Simon’s "Rumors" Oct. 19-28. wilmingtondramaleague.org

Chapel Street Players in Newark presents" One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" Sept. 21-29 and "Dead Man’s Cell Phone" Nov. 9-17. chapelstreetplayers.org  

Possum Point Players. Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" will run in Georgetown Sept. 7 though 16. possumpointplayers.org

Everett Theatre at The Gibby in Middletown opens with the musical "Newsies" Sept. 14-23 and is followed by "The Addams Family" on Oct. 12-21. everetttheatre.com

Kent County Theatre Guild at Dover’s Patchwork Playhouse continues its season with the classic farce "Don’t Dress for Dinner" on Sept. 14-22). kctg.org

Second Street Players bring a little horror to Milford with a production of "Night of the Living Dead" Sept. 7-16). secondstreetplayers.com

Gail Obenreder is a Wilmington arts professional, writer and producer.  Contact her at obenrederg@gmail.com