Solstice: Believe It or Not!
Time for the real first day of summer—June 21, the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Be glad we aren’t any further north though—in Iceland the sunrise is 2:55 a.m.—sunset is 12:03 a.m. What good are summer days without summer nights? Plenty of ways to stay culturally occupied during these summer nights before having that first nightcap! Check it out. All locations are Rehoboth Beach, unless otherwise noted.
PERFORMING ARTS
American Pops Orchestra (Ocean City Performing Arts Center, 4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD) Inaugural show: She Did It Her Way: Women of the Rat Pack (July 2-8 p.m.), featuring the American Pops Orchestra under Maestro Luke Frazier with Mary Michael Patterson direct from Phantom of the Opera. $20-55—tickets through ticketmaster.com or 800-OC-OCEAN.
Clear Space Theatre Company (20 Baltimore Avenue; 302-227-2270) starts their “summer nights” June 25 with the opening night of Grease. $50. Rent and Seussical fill out their rep this summer. Summer camps by grade level from July 6-August 7.
Coastal Concerts (in residence at Bethel UMC Hall; Fourth and Market Streets, Lewes; 888-212-6458; P.O. Box 685; Lewes, DE. 19958) offers a 20% discount for their 2015-2016 season until September 18. In the event you missed their 2014-2015 concerts, you can go to WSCL (98.5FM) on Tuesday evenings through June (7 p.m.) for “Delmarva in Performance” and hear recordings and interviews from last seasons’ fantastic concerts!
Kent County Theatre Guild (140 E. Roosevelt Ave in Dover; 800-838-3006) is in rehearsal for Once Upon a Mattress—July 17-August 1. $10-$20.
Ovation Dinner Theater (302-500-1528) presents their new interactive comedy Joey & Gina’s Italian Comedy Wedding at the Dunes Manor Hotel Oceanfront in Ocean City and Murder Mystery Dinner Theaters all over the area. Check their website for locations. This is a great group—and not just because I have great friends performing with them!
Possum Point Players (441 Old Laurel Road in Georgetown; 302-856-4560) is gearing up for their Possum Juniors’ production of Bye, Bye Birdie—July 23-26. Auditions for Hairspray will be held July 11-12.
Premier Centre for the Arts at Milton Theater (110 Union St in Milton; 302-684-3038) has something for everyone—Como to Homo (June 12, 8 p.m.), Broadway Cabaret (June 14, 6 p.m.), their first Birthday Bash (June 20, 7 p.m.) to benefit their scholarship fund ($24K awarded last year!); summer camps starting June 22 and continuing through the summer on everything from photography to theatre! Check out this vibrant community organization.
Rehoboth Concert Band continues their “outdoor” season Sunday, June 28 (8 p.m.), Rehoboth Beach Bandstand, featuring guest vocalist, Dara Schumairer, of the Southern DE Chorale.
Rehoboth Beach Film Society (107 Truitt Avenue, 302-645-9095) Monthly Screening Film Series: (Upstairs Screening Room at the Movies at Midway—$4: RBFS members/$6: future members). Festival Film Reviews: (South Coastal Library in Bethany Beach—Free!; Mondays, through July 6 and at the Metropolitan Community Church (Plantation Road) Tuesdays, through July 7 ($2: members/$4: non-members). Cinema by the Canal—films start at dusk at the Lewes Canalfront Park and admission is free! Bring your own chair or blanket for McFarland, USA (Thursday, July 2), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part I (Thursday, July 16), and Big Hero 6 (Thursday, July 30).
Rehoboth Summer Children’s Theatre (302-227-6766) presents three shows in rotation this summer: Snow White, The Jungle Book, and Cinderella at Epworth UMC (19285 Holland Glade Rd). Fantastic summer camps in film, TV, and theater for the emerging artists in your life from July 13-August 28. Check the schedule on their website!
Second Street Players (2 South Walnut Street in Milford; 302-422-0220) presents Faith County: Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere, July 10-19. Tickets: $17.
VISUAL ARTS
Galleries marked with an asterisk (*) are members of The Rehoboth Beach Art Collective. Join participating galleries for Second Saturdays: Destination Artwalk—July 11 (6-9 p.m.).
*Amandeline Gallery (Galleries at 20 Baltimore Avenue; 302-226-0330) invites you to a reception for internationally recognized artist Sergey Cherep—who will paint live on Saturday, June 20 (1-4 p.m.), followed by a reception from 6-9 p.m. On display through the month of June: artwork with a nautical theme, and the premiere of new paintings by Sibyl Mackenzie through July.
*Anita Peghini-Räber Gallery (49 Baltimore Avenue; 302-227-2888) brings Luz. H. Arkal of Art Miami to the beach with Planetary Connections. Catch-a-Sketch of you or with your partner by Anita is a fun-filled encounter, which leaves you with a colorful naturalistic/ expressionistic keepsake—by appointment. Saturdays and Sundays Young at Art (9-10:15 a.m.) children (6-8 years old) join Anita on a tour of the changing exhibits of important contemporary, global artists, then create their own artwork. Donations help cover the cost of material. Weekly Creative Fusion Dance every Thursday (7-8 p.m.) with Viviana. Monthly Milonga, Tango de Arte (last Saturday of the month—9 p.m.-1 a.m.), with a free introduction by Adam from Tango Lewes (7-8 p.m.).
*Delaware Art Gallery (239 Rehoboth Avenue; or kevinfleming.com) presents new and classic favorite Delaware photographs by Kevin Fleming, photography by Jay Fleming, Tony Pratt and Pamela Bieler and hand-blown glass by Deb Appleby. Visit their new Lewes gallery.
*Gallery 50 and G-50 Fine Art Photography (50 A-B Wilmington Avenue; 302- 227-2050) is currently exhibiting new works by Dana Ellyn, through June 23, Pat Whitehead’s “museum” series, and abstract works by Beth Cartland. Master framer, Ed McGann, is happy to assist you with all of your framing needs. Mark your calendars now for the 7th Annual Silent Auction for AIDS Delaware and the opening of the Deborah Rolig show—both August 1!
The Happyrock Pottery (20 Baltimore Avenue at the Celebration Mall; 410-375-7120) features the work of potter Susan Gladstone. Take a step into the studio and watch Susan throwing pots all summer!
Heidi Lowe Gallery (328 Rehoboth Avenue; 302-227-9203) offers day and nighttime classes in metal-smithing. Learn to make rings, earrings and bracelets! Lynn Batchhelder has a Solo Show through July 6.
*Paintiques and The Galleries at 20 Baltimore (20 Baltimore Avenue; 302-258-4203) has moved...things around! Lots of changes at the gallery, with fresh new artwork.
Peninsula Gallery (520 E. Savannah Rd in Lewes; 302-645-0551) features seventeen artists of the American Society of Maritime Artists in Views of the Maritime—through June 30.
*Philip Morton Gallery (47 Baltimore Avenue; 302-727-0905) Judith Judy is their featured artist with an opening night reception on June 20 (6-8:30 p.m.) through July 7.
Proud Bookstore (Baltimore Avenue in Village By the Sea; 302-227-6969) featuring the artwork of Geri Dibiase, Jeffrey Todd Moore, David Kraft, Lynn Finaldi, Michael Gardner, Patrick Keating, and John Gress.
Rehoboth Art League (12 Dodds Lane in Henlopen Acres; 302-227-8408) holds their 42nd Annual Members Craft Exhibition—Animal Kingdom—Members Showcase—June 19-July 19 at the Henlopen Acres Campus. From June 26-July 28—Lines of Inquiry—works by Wayne Weeks, and The Enchanted Forest Gala (June 27) at the RAL Art Studios on Route 9. The 66th Annual Cottage Tour of Art is coming up July 7/8—so mark your calendars now!
Rehoboth Beach Museum (511 Rehoboth Avenue at the Canal, 302-227-7310) has a fantastic new exhibit—Women of Rehoboth Beach— celebrating the great ladies of Rehoboth’s past—do-gooders, bootleggers, divorcees, business owners and publishers of lesbian novels! They also have an exhibit spotlighting the lost movie theaters of Rehoboth Avenue.
Scénique Art Gallery (7 North First Street, 302-226-ARTS [2787]) is a brand new gallery featuring impressionism to realism with an emphasis on seascapes, landscapes and nautical work, as well as “exclusive rights” to the work of Beth Carver. Artist Andrea Costa joins the growing list soon!
*Ward Ellinger Gallery (CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard, 39 Baltimore Avenue; 302-227-2710) features abstract expressionism in different mediums by Ward Ellinger and Sondra N. Arkin, as well as many others!
*WibergArt and Studio 3 (20 Baltimore Avenue at the Celebration Mall; 302-226-0206 or 302-245-3615) features renowned marine artist, Jack Wiberg, and his original oils of sailing vessels and ships, as well as the work of Dolores Andrew, Joyce Blakeslee, Rose Doster, Wendy Kesler, Melissa McLean and LaVerne McIntyre.