May 16, 2008 - CAMP Arts

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

CAMP Arts

I had a rehearsal in New York last week, preceded by lunch with a former student, and realized what I DO NOT miss about living there. It's not what you might think! Cole Porter and I have similar thoughts on the Big Apple"I like the sight and sound and even the stink of it." What I don't miss is the gossip.

My former student now works in PR. His agency handles everyone but Oprah and God (is there a difference?). I heard about how great The Adding Machine is, but how dreadful Glory Days was (it opened and closed in one night) and who he was escorting to this or that opening and the Tony's. I finished my rather dainty smoked salmon platter and encouraged him to seek a life that's more than a resume. Off to rehearsal.

I arrived early and found that replacement auditions were being held for several Broadway shows that day. The chatter filling the halls was like lunch all over again. "Ohmygod! Glory Days was sooooo terrible!" "Have you seen Cry Baby? It won't last past the Tony's..." "Did you know Gypsy and South Pacific are cutting their orchestras by HALF the day after the Tony's?" I realize that this is their life, but...do they have any idea that we still don't have a Democratic nominee? That people pay twice as much for a gallon of gas as a subway ride? It reminded me that New York is not the center of the Universe, just the center of New York, and that may never change.

My rehearsal was with Deidre Goodwin, one of the current members of Chorus Line who has somehow risen above the gossip. I, however, haven't quite and positively must share this information...she quite matter-of-factly stated that she had just auditioned for the role of the new Ass't D.A. on Law and Order and was quite hopeful about her prospects to land the part.

She's been around for long enough to know that it's just a job, and they can be pretty hard to come by. It's nice to know actors with their feet on the ground, even if they're en pointe.

I was happy to drive home and find out what's going on around our town, and try to report on things factually and not be gossipy.

Local artist (and owner of a pair of beautiful baby blues), Ward Ellinger, opens the Ward Ellinger Gallery in the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard on Saturday, May 17 from 4:00 to 7:00. 10% of all sales from his new collection of works entitled "Arrival" will benefit the new CAMP Community Center. For more information, 302-227-2710.

The Clear Space Chorus presents, A Grand Night for SingingThe Music of Hollywood at Mariner's Bethel UMC at 81 Central Ave in Ocean View on Friday, May 16 at 7:30. The concert includes Over the Rainbow, Three Coins in the Fountain, Windmills of Your Mind, Swingin' on a Star, The Shadow of Your Smile, You'll Never Know, Chattanooga Choo Choo, On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe, When You Wish Upon a Star, Chim Chim Cheree, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, You Light Up My Life, Moon River, Love is a Many Splendored Thing and Lullaby of Broadway. Featured are soloists Erin Williams and Ken Skrzesz. Tickets will be available at the door, through the box office at 302-644-3810 or ClearSpaceProductions.org.

On May 24th, Panache will present Beach Delights, local scenes of Rehoboth Beach. The exhibit features acrylic miniature paintings by award- winning artist, Karin Snoots, and photography by Robert Streimer. Snoots is one of this years' Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship Recipients. She will be donating a portion of her show proceeds to the MERR Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals and sea turtles along the Delaware Coast. Light refreshments will be served from 6-9 p.m. The exhibit runs through June 29th. You may preview the gallery online at: www.panachegalleryde.com or call 302-227-9229 for more information.

Don't miss Broadway star, Deidre Goodwin, when she comes to the beach in a one-woman show featuring songs and stories from her career in the Little Theatre of Cape Henlopen High on Saturday, May 31 at 7:00 and Sunday, June 1 at 3:00. Ms. Goodwin is currently starring in the revival of A Chorus Line. Tickets are available by calling 302-644-3810 or online at www.ClearSpaceProductions.org.

Lewes artist, Julie Molyneux, presents her coastal land and seascapes in a new show at Peninsula Gallery in an exhibit titled Rhythm of Wind and Tide (an Atlantic journey). Known locally for her romantic images of the Cape Region, this collection of paintings represents her views of the Atlantic Seaboard from Maine to the Carolinas.

A painter for more than 20 years and a full time studio artist since 2000, Molyneux has placed in Regional and National shows, was the 2001 recipient of a Professional Artist Fellowship from the Delaware Division of the Arts and in 2002 was placed in the top 100 for the National Arts for the Parks competition. In 2006 she won best in show at the RAL annual Members' Fine Arts Show and has had numerous solo exhibitions.

Molyneux does all her easel work in her studio so her paintings evolve from memory, hasty sketches, scribbled notations, and, especially when traveling, from photographs. "I prefer studio painting because it allows me the time to build a painting with nuanced and multiple layers. My method is to work on several pieces over time, usually with about ten paintings in progress."

The exhibition continues through May 27th. All images in the show may be previewed on line at www.peninsula-gallery.com. The Peninsula Gallery is located just across the canal bridge on Savannah Road in Lewes on the first floor of the Beacon hotel. Hours are MondaySaturday from 10-5, and Sunday from 11-3.

Plenty to keep you all busy for the remainder of May. Have a pleasant and safe Memorial Day weekend and remember to support the arts!

Oh...and don't gossip.

E-mail your Arts events to dyetter@ClearSpaceProductions.org or just write him and gossip. Other people do.

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 05 May 16, 2008