New Candlelight Theater

Symphony concert at Longwood introduces a rising star -- Downwind

By Caryl Huffaker

The Kennett Symphony of Chester County with Maestra Mary Woodmansee Green introduced a remarkable talent at their “Celebrate Freedom!” concert at Longwood Gardens last weekend. Sixteen-year-old violinist Alyssa Blackstone winner of the Kennett Symphony’s 2010 instrumental competition wowed the audience and received a standing ovation after she performed the merry show piece for violin, “Yankee Doodle: Caprice Burlesque” by Vieuxtemps. With her quick silver touch on the violin and her technical precision, she was a delight to hear as she also appeared to be having a wonderful time on stage. She has a very bright future in music if she stays in that venue. Guest narrator Pat Ciarrochi was a great addition with her professional and charming reading of Copland’s “Portrait of Lincoln.” Her mellow but powerful voice gave  great emphasis to the words of this and  the text to “God Bless America” by Berlin/Healy. The Copland piece is particularly difficult for the narrator to navigate the musical clues, but Ciarrachi did it flawlessly. The program was heavy with music by Samuel Barber, not one of my personal favorites, but it finished with some spirited patriotic songs. I don’t know what was more impressive, the precisely perfect piccolo playing by Veronica Mascaro or the sight of 80 members of the chorus and hundreds of audience member waving small American flags as they sang. A special tribute was given to musicians Ardath and Terence Belzer, who have also been the personnel managers for the symphony, as they were thanked for their years of service as they retire from the job but not from playing. Thanks were also given to the sponsor The DuPont Co. and to Paul and Irena Merluzzi, who were the household sponsors. There is one small item that could be improved upon.

AISLE SAY: ANNIE Leaves Us Orphaned | Stage Magazine

Over the past 2 seasons New Candlelight Theatre had been in a groove like the Phillies pitching staff. Their Doc Halladay was “Cats” and “Footloose”; Cliff Lee was “Oklahoma” and “Joseph” and Cole Hamels was “Little Shop” and “Evita”.

ANNIE was a minor league choice. True, the tunes ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Maybe’ stick in your brain like oil to a pelican in the Gulf disaster, but ANNIE should be sent to Old Timers Hall of Overdone Musicals.

Production qualities were not commensurate with what we have come to expect at NCT. The set was one dimensional; cartoon-ish in both design and application and in no fashion integrated with the heartstrings-pulling drama of the little orphan girl.

Annie (Jamieson O’Brien) is a good actor and has quite a resume for her age. Her two aforementioned show stoppers were sung without the degree of desolation, yearning and hope the lyrics speak to. Her voice was shrill rather than melodic and a voice instructor should suggest letting the air come over the palate from her diaphragm rather than straight from her chest.

Molly (Nicole Hemphill) is simply too cute. There is no doubt in my mind she will be the title character in some future production of this show.

Warbucks (Patrick O’Hara) is a fine actor and even better all around trouper. In the “Full Monty” his body was bare; in this one he bares his hair! His scene explaining to Annie his growing up in Hell’s Kitchen was the most dramatic of the evening.

Miss Hannigan (Gerri Weagraff) plays comic drunk well, a homegrown version of Carol Burnett. Her grifters-in-crime Rooster (Dewey Oriente) and Lily (Lindsay Mauck) are strong in their portrayals. Potential was lost in their own show stopper ‘Easy Street’. More rehearsal could make that the number it should be.

What little choreography there was (Shauna Goodman) could have been enhanced in ‘Hooverville’, generally a major production number. Goodman left it to the dancers to create their own little prances.

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