MacArthur genius winners among hidden gems in Delaware's November arts offerings
It’s not yet “the season,” but arts events and concerts are mounting up like holiday presents.
THEATER
Delaware Theatre Company’s one-man show "Fully Committed," about a trendy Manhattan restaurant, closes Nov. 4. DTC follows with the premiere of "A Sign of the Times" Nov. 28-Dec. 23, a 1960s musical created by Bruce Vilanch. Just announced — "Because of Winn Dixie," DTC’s 2015 lovable shaggy dog story, will have a major production this summer at Connecticut’s famed Goodspeed Opera House. delawaretheatre.org
Delaware Shakespeare mounts its third (and ever-expanding) Community Tour this fall. The Bard’s multi-layered drama "The Merchant of Venice" has 14 free performances at nontraditional locations statewide through Nov. 16. Some are open to the public. There are also two ticketed performances at Wilmington’s OperaDelaware Studio Nov. 17 and 18. delshakes.org
The Playhouse on Rodney Square hosts an evening with the great Broadway musical star Sutton Foster (Nov. 3); followed by "All Hands on Deck," a radio-style tribute to veterans (Nov. 18); and one of the season’s first holiday offerings, "Cirque Dreams Holidaze" Nov. 23-25). theplayhousede.org
University of Delaware's professional Resident Ensemble Players continue their 10th anniversary season opening a production of Alan Ayckbourn’s incisive and surreal British comedy "Woman in Mind" Nov. 8-Dec. 2. rep.udel.edu
Ardensingers is mounting a traditional British “panto” or pantomime. "Robin Hood and the Singing Nun" runs at Arden’s Gild Hall Nov. 10-17. Written by Stuart Ardern, the show will be directed by Ken Mammarella with musical direction by Helene Furlong. ardensingers.com
Clear Space Theatre is getting a jump on the holidays with their production of "A Christmas Carol, The Musical" Nov.23-Dec. 9. The Rehoboth theater showcases the Broadway version of this traditional tale written by Alan Mencken and Lynn Ahrens. clearspacetheatre.org
Candlelight Theatre heads to 1930s Budapest for the popular romantic comedy "She Loves Me." The inspiration for movies such as "The Shop around the Corner" and "You’ve Got Mail," the show runs at the Arden dinner theater Nov. 17-Dec. 23. candlelighttheatredelaware.com
COMMUNITY THEATER
Wilmington Drama League presents Shakespeare’s "The Tempest," directed by Sean McGuire Nov. 8-11. wilmingtondramaleague.org
Chapel Street Players in Newark presents "Dead Man’s Cell Phone" by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Tanya Lazar Nov. 9-17. chapelstreetplayers.org
Second Street Players in Milford presents the holiday classic "Miracle on 34th Street" Nov. 23-Dec. 2. secondstreetplayers.com
VISUAL ARTS
The Delaware Contemporary continues large-scale new work by Philadelphia’s Timmy Graham in "Introduction to Fourth Dimensionalism" through Jan. 2. Also on view is Gina Bosworth’s "Confluence" Oct. 28-March 17 and Aaron Eliah Terry’s "Syncopated Samizdat" through Jan. 10. And you can still catch "Fusion," paintings by Allen C. Smith and works in glass by Connie Zehr through Nov. 4. decontemporary.org
Delaware College of Art and Design is showing Henry Bermudez in "Black and White," including his large-scale, three-dimensional works in cut paper Nov. 25. On Nov. 2, the Venezuela-born artist will offer a cut paper workshop. dcad.edu
The Biggs closes "John James Audubon and His Influence Today" on Nov. 25. The Dover museum pairs Audubon's prints with contemporary art. Expanding the theme is the concurrent "From Nature: The Children’s Book Illustrations" of Nancy Carol Willis through Jan. 27, focused on the author and illustrator’s award-winning picture books. biggsmuseum.org
Delaware Art Museum has opened a major Juried Craft Exhibition through Jan. 27 with 61 works from 39 creators within 150 miles of the museum selected by Paul Sacaridiz of Maine’s Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Opening Nov. 3 is "Politics and Paint: Barbara Bodichon and the Pre-Raphaelites," works by the influential but little-known PRB member who was also a 19th-century women’s rights activist. The 30 watercolors come from the museum’s collection and from the University of Delaware. delart.org
Newark Arts Alliance continues its 25th-anniversary invitational with an exhibition Oct. 30-Nov.16 of works a variety of media by NAA founding artists. newarkartsalliance.org
The Living Room is a new addition to Wilmington’s growing downtown scene. As its inaugural exhibition, the art and community space at 704 Market Street will feature a retrospective of Roldan West on Nov. 2 during Art on the Town. During the month, West will also be painting a piece for the space, working in the picture window for passersby to see. Website available soon.
The Mezzanine Gallery in Wilmington’s State office building features “Interlace,” the work of Newark’s Kevin Bielicki Nov. 2-30. His sculptures often cascade off the wall. arts.delaware.gov
Rehoboth Art League continues "Beach Blowout," its juried members’ showcase, through Dec. 30. Also on view are two exhibitions that close Nov. 25: "Inventing History — Cherished Memories of Good Times that Never Happened," with drawings by Richard Chandler Hoff, and the Coastal Camera Club’s "Street Photography — Humans in their Environment." rehobothartleague.org
University of Delaware Museums and Library continues its three fall exhibitions. In Mechanical Hall is "Color & Form to Expression & Response," abstract art from the UD collection. The Old College Gallery looks at indigenous Arctic art in "The World is Following Its People." Both close 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 continues its first-ever garden exhibition, "Follies: Architectural Whimsy in the Garden," a collection of 13 fantasy structures. winterthur.org
MUSIC
Pyxis Piano Quartet slips into the November arts calendar with an Oct. 28 concert in Market Street Music’s Festival series. The musical afternoon at Wilmington’s First & Central Presbyterian Church features Luigi Mazzocchi (violin), Amy Leonard (viola), Jennifer Jie Jin (cello) and Hiroko Yamazaki (piano) in works by the three Ms — Mozart, Martinu and Mendelssohn. marketstreetmusicde.org
Choir School of Delaware has “In Remembrance” Nov. 2 and will feature the Requiem of Gabriel Faure at Christ Church Christiana Hundred. “Bach to the Future” at Sacred Heart Oratory Nov. 18 will include a guest ensemble, the Westminster Choir College Kantorei. choirschoolofdelaware.org
Master Players at University of Delaware is presenting “Anne-Marie McDermott and Friends” Nov. 4, which includes a world premiere composition by MacArthur grant recipient Bright Sheng with the composer at the piano. The concert also features solo performance by McDermott (piano), along with six-wire musicians Xiang Gao and Cathy Yang and guest artist Julian Schwarz (cello). masterplayers.udel.edu
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Copeland String Quartet is busy this month. Eliezer Gutman and Thomas Jackson (violins), Nina Cottman (viola) and Jennifer Jie Jin (cello) will be at OperaDelaware Studios (Nov. 4) with guest Aurelian Eulert (piano) in a program of Dvorak and Haydn. They head to Wilmington’s Market Street for a noon concert at Old Town Hall Nov. 15 with Grant Youngblood (baritone) and Ross Beauchamp (cello). They finish the month at the Dover String Festival Nov. 16 and 17 at Dover High School with guest artist Lawrence Stomberg (cello). copelandstringquartet.com
Wilmington Community Orchestra opens its season with “Pastoral Preludes” (Nov. 4) at Wilmington’s Delaware Music School. It will include works by Strauss, Handel and Gerald Finzi, as well as Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony. A guest artist from the UD Music School, Christopher Nichols (clarinet) will play. musicschoolofdelaware.org
Delaware Symphony Orchestra returns Nov. 9 with “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” — a classics concert at Wilmington’s Grand Opera House with David Amado conducting Luigi Cherubini’s requiem with the University of Delaware Symphonic Choir and Beethoven’s expansive Symphony No. 3 known as the “Eroica.” delawaresymphony.org
Market Street Music presents a Nov. 11 appearance by the Philadelphia a cappella ensemble Variant Six at Wilmington’s First and Central Presbyterian Church at the 12:30 p.m. lunch concert. marketstreetmusicde.org
Lewes Chamber Players will present a diverse concert Nov. 11 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lewes. Joining the trio — Sylvia Ahramjian (violin), Ovidiu Marinescu (cello) and T.J. Thomas (organ, piano and harpsichord) — will be vocalist James Wilson (bass) in offerings that range from Bach arias to Romanian music. stpeterslewes.org
Delaware Choral Arts opens its season with Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms,” a Nov. 11 concert of sacred music that also features works by Dan Forrest and Randall Thompson. Conducted by David Christopher, the ensemble will be joined at Wilmington’s Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew by the Choir School of Asbury Park, as well as Iris Fairfax (soprano), Ruth Bailis (mezzo-soprano) and Augustine Mercante (countertenor). delawarechoralarts.org
University of Delaware Music Department continues its Gore Hall season. Concerts there include faculty members John David Smith (horn) and Julie Nishimura (piano) on Oct. 31; the faculty-and-friends Tiger Lily Music ensemble in works by underrepresented composers including women, Latinos and African-Americans on Nov. 5; Nishimura and Lawrence Stomberg (cello) on Nov. 9; Juliana Osinchuk (piano) and Sheila Browne (viola) on Nov. 13; and the in-residence Calidore String Quartet on Nov. 14. On Nov. 26, you can catch the much-traveled Delaware Steel at Loudis Recital Hall on Nov. 26. music.udel.edu
Coastal Concerts presents the American String Quartet Nov. 17, featuring two regional favorite sons: Curtis Institute of Music president Roberto Diaz (viola) and his brother Andrés (cello). Featuring works by Richard Strauss, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, the concert will be held at Bethel United Methodist Church in Lewes. coastalconcerts.org
OperaDelaware will hear the 2017 Festival production of "Semiramide" broadcast Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. on Philadelphia’s WRTI-FM. Will Berger, the popular Metropolitan Opera commentator, will host the broadcast. On the OD Wilmington Studio stage Nov. 11 is mezzo-soprano Megan Marino in an Artist Spotlight. operade.org
Dickinson Theatre Organ Society presents a Nov. 17 concert by Carol Williams, formerly from the UK and house organist at San Diego’s Balboa Park outdoor organ. Williams will play the Kimball theater organ at Wilmington’s Dickinson High School. dtoskimball.org
DANCE
DAM Performance Series has another multimedia dance event this month. On Nov. 5 and 7, celebrated Nigerian performer Okwui Okpokwasili will be at New Castle’s Route 9 Library and Innovation Center with a presentation of “Poor People’s TV Room,” a performance informed by historical incidents in her native land. On Nov. 15 at the museum, there will be a preview of the offerings in the museum’s upcoming 2019 series. delart.org
First State Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Pasha Kambalov continues his season with another of the company’s popular “Up Front with FSBT” evenings. The event in the Grand’s studio on Nov. 16 and 17 allows all comers an intimate look at dance and the dancers. firststateballet.com
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Gail Obenreder is a Wilmington arts professional, writer and producer. obenrederg@gmail.com