Hip Hop Pioneer Flavor Flav to Headline 2nd Annual Hip Hop Summit at Delaware Art Museum

The content of this post comes from a press release courtesy of the Delaware Art Museum...

On Saturday, October 26, 2024, Hip Hop community and social justice advocates will gather at the Delaware Art Museum for the 2nd Annual Hip Hop Cultural Summit, presented by AllHipHop, Guerrilla Republik, and the Delaware Art Museum. 

Running from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, this free, family-friendly event offers an opportunity for learning, growth, and community-building while celebrating and uplifting Hip Hop’s deep roots in social justice, change, and civic engagement. The event is free to attend, but registration is required. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

Hip Hop legend Flavor Flav will headline the 2nd Annual Hip Hop Cultural Summit
on Oct. 26. Photo provided by Delaware Art Museum.

Following the success of last year’s event, which drew over 1,000 attendees, this year’s event promises to be even more impactful, and Flavor Flav, co-founder of the legendary group Public Enemy, is confirmed as the headliner. 

Additional speakers include Chuck Creekmur, Co-Founder of AllHipHop, who will facilitate a Q&A with Flavor Flav; Hakim Green, Co-Founder of 24 Hours of Peace, who will share his insights on Hip Hop’s influence on education and activism; Pam Africa, renowned social justice advocate, who will speak on the intersection of Hip Hop and activism; and Dr. Yasser Arafat Payne, respected University of Delaware scholar, who will explore the academic and societal impact of Hip Hop culture.

Delaware Art Museum’s Community Engagement Specialist and Guerrilla Republik co-founder, Iz Balleto says of the Summit: "Our goal is to re-educate people on the true purpose of Hip Hop, as many have forgotten its message and meaning. This event is not just entertainment; it's an opportunity for empowerment and a chance to learn what Hip Hop culture stands for. Hip Hop began with a message of peace and advocacy for community needs through its elements, and it has always belonged to the people."

The Summit also includes Hip Hop with a Purpose, a presentation of three dynamic exhibitions. Visitors can explore a captivating photography exhibition by T. Eric Monroe, highlighting Hip Hop's rich history and cultural influence; a special exhibition from the Victrola Museum celebrating the invention of the record player; and a local artists' showcase delving into the Art of Activism and Social Justice. 

The event will also feature a series of competitive battles, including MC, DJ, graffiti, and breakdancing, judged by nationally recognized and local experts, showcasing the skill and creativity defining Hip Hop as a global cultural phenomenon. 

AllHipHop founder Grouchy Greg Watkins expressed his excitement for the event: "I'm incredibly excited about this year's Summit and the amazing lineup of guests we have in store. From legends like Flavor Flav to thought leaders like Hakim Green, this event will truly showcase the power of Hip Hop in driving social change. I’m looking forward to seeing the community come together to experience the art, the discussions, and the battles. It’s going to be an inspiring and unforgettable day for everyone."

Drama League's Women of Carrie: The Musical Make It Scary Good

By Mike Logothetis
Theater reviewer Mike Logothetis grew up in North Wilmington, performing in school and local theater productions. He lives in Newark, but you can find him wherever the arts are good.

The Wilmington Drama League is kicking off its 2024/25 season with Carrie: The Musical – a show based on Stephen King’s indelible tale of high school bullying gone wrong. If you expect to find mousy females cowering in the shadows of a Maine hamlet, you are sorely mistaken. The women in this production take it to soaring heights.

The musical focuses on Carrie White (Julia Miller) – an awkward teenage girl with telekinetic powers – whose lonely life is dominated by her oppressive mother, Margaret (Megan Everhart). When she is humiliated by her classmates at the high school prom, she unleashes chaos on everyone and everything out of vengeance. But that’s skipping ahead and missing the wonderful build-up.

Carrie: The Musical is playing now at
Wilmington Drama League. Photo courtesy of WDL.

Let’s start with the set. Anthony Delnegro has created an open, barren space with more to it than it seems. Working in tandem with the incredible lighting design by Patrick Yarrington, the stage takes on passive and active roles in the production. It’s impressive when Carrie uses her powers to slam shut the windows at home before an approaching storm.

The cast is small, but tight. Director Lauren Vitalo and choreographer Dominic Santos have their actors moving with purpose and in concert. There is dynamism and action throughout the production. It’s not distracting or frivolous but adds to the building tension within the script.

But the stars of the show are the women. Miller has both the acting and singing chops to portray all the facets of Carrie beautifully. She shines in solos “Carrie” and “Why Not Me?” along with showing a physical transformation of Carrie from outcast to prom queen. Everhart is incredibly menacing yet eerily tender as Carrie’s mom Margaret. Her obsessing over Bible verses to lead her daughter along a righteous path is scary. But her voice melds tenderly with Miller’s in duets “And Eve Was Weak” and “Evening Prayers.” This is not an ideal mother-daughter relationship and the audience feels it.

Natalie Ruth’s portrayal of classmate and Carrie sympathizer Sue Snell is excellent. Vitalo starts the show with a spotlight on Ruth and she doesn’t shy away. Her growing concern for the treatment of Carrie is a thread that is revisited as the show progresses. Her subdued vocals in “Once You See” is a highlight. Hayley Hughes plays the delightfully energetic and wicked antagonist Chris Hargensen. Chris is the cool girl who demands respect and a level of popularity above all others. She riles up the seniors at a party with “The World According to Chris.” Jamie Beth Weist plays the voice of reason in the form of gym teacher Miss Gardner. She recognizes Carrie’s differences and tries to give her confidence. The “Unsuspecting Hearts” duet between the two is a wonderful vocal pairing.

Let me not neglect Ricky Sciavicco as BMOC Tommy Ross. Tommy is popular with everyone and even has depth – “Dreamer in Disguise.” Upon his girlfriend Sue’s urging, he takes Carrie to the prom to give her a sense of normalcy and show that people care for her. Boy, does that act of kindness go wrong…

The book is by Lawrence D. Cohen with lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore. It integrates elements from the 1974 King novel and 1976 film adaptation. There is no live orchestra so the actors sing to piped-in music. It doesn’t matter. The synchronization is flawless.

The remainder of the cast is: Lily Abrams, Michael Bly, Lauren Cusick, Allison Graham, Matt Lucatamo, Jane Haracz, Tristan Jenis, Rose Langrehr, Michael McDonald, and Isaac McHugh. They add a solid backdrop when required and move gracefully as scenes progress.

Performances of Carrie: The Musical run from September 13 through 22 on Friday and Saturday nights (8 pm) plus two Sunday matinees (2 pm). Tickets prices are $25 with senior/student tickets $20 and children (12 or younger) $15. Group ticket rates are also available through the box office. Tickets can be purchased online at www.wilmingtondramaleague.org; by contacting the box office at (302)764-1172; or visiting in person at 10 Lea Boulevard. The show runs approximately 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission. Refreshments – including alcohol – are sold at the concessions stand.

The Wilmington Drama League seats 260 patrons, including six wheelchair bays. The theater is equipped with an ADA compliant entrance ramp and bathrooms. “Flex Tickets” are also an option for those who plan to watch several WDL shows, but maybe not all of them. Inquire at the box office.

Don’t let “a curse of blood” keep you away from this production at the Wilmington Drama League. Bring a date and a corsage!

Steve Tague is New Producing Artistic Director at The REP

The contents of this post come from a press release courtesy of The Resident Ensemble Players...

Steve Tague has officially been named the Producing Artistic Director of the Resident Ensemble Players (REP), the professional theatre company in residence at the University of Delaware. Steve has served as the Interim Producing Artistic Director of the REP and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Delaware for nearly two years.

“I’ve spent a great deal of time in the last two years getting to know the REP’s audience,” says Steve Tague. “It’s been a pleasure. I love hearing about their deep connection to the theatre.”

Steve Tague, new Producing Artistic Director
of The REP. Photo courtesy of The REP.

Steve spent the early part of his life as an actor, performing at regional theatres including Seattle Repertory Theater, A Contemporary Theatre, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Walnut Street Theater, the Arden Theater, Sierra Repertory Theater, Delaware Theater Company, and was a founding member of the Resident Ensemble Players’ Acting Company.

Steve joined the faculty at the University of Delaware in 1992 and shifted more of his attention to teaching and directing. As a faculty member, he has taught courses for the PTTP in acting, movement, speech, and voice. As a director, he has directed productions with Delaware Theatre Company, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival, and the Resident Ensemble Players since its founding in 2008.

In 2022, when the REP’s founder Sandy Robbins announced his plans to step down, Steve Tague agreed to serve as an Interim Producing Artistic Director of the REP and Interim Chairperson of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Delaware as a national search for a successor was conducted. After conducting a search, Steve Tague has agreed to throw off the “Interim” in the title and take on the challenges of leading the REP into its next chapter.

“I’m focused on the future of performing arts in the Delaware region,” says Tague. “I’m dedicated to growth for the REP, and our audience and community will be a vital part of that. We’re also introducing two new majors in our department, one in theatre and one in dance. It’s very exciting to serve young and old, and everybody in-between, throughout the region with the beauty of the performing arts.”

ABOUT THE REP
The Resident Ensemble Players (REP) is a professional theatre company in residence on the campus of the University of Delaware. The REP’s mission is to engage audiences throughout the tri-state region and beyond with frequent productions of outstanding classic, modern, and contemporary plays performed in a wide variety of styles that celebrate and demonstrate the range and breadth of an ensemble of nationally respected stage actors. The REP is committed to creating and expanding audiences for live theatre by offering a diversity of productions at low prices that enable and encourage the attendance of everyone in the region, regardless of background or income. The REP performs in the Roselle Center for the Arts, 110 Orchard Road, Newark, Delaware on the main campus of the University of Delaware.