PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. II No. 101 (261) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia July 15, 2011

See page 6

Al-BustanAwardsWinner

When You Want Your Roof To Be Done Right The First Time

215-464-6425

2024 S. 10th StPhiladelphia PA 19148

215-468-5363

Meat & Deli

Prego Pizzelle Baker $29.99

Uno Panini Grill $39.99

CANDIDATES • POLITICIANSNews You Can Use!

Boost Your Popularity, Win On Election Day!

Tell Your Constituents To Read About

All the Work You Do For Them On the

Philadelphiadailyrecord.comEmail them a copy of this Publication!

Translation/InterpretationArabic, Hebrew, English, French

For more information, call William Hanna

267-808-0287

T h e P h i l a d e l p h i a P u b l i c R e c o r d C a l e n d a rJul. 14- Michael Meehan and RepublicanCity Committee hosts fundraiserfor Karen Brown for Mayor atVesper Club, 223 S. SydenhamSt., 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets $250.Jul. 15- Councilwoman Jannie L. Black-well celebrates her birthday with14th annual Celebration andHealth Fair for Homeless on CityHall’s Dilworth Plaza, 12 m.-3p.m.Jul. 15-Councilman Curtis Jones cele-brates his birthday with WhiteLinen Party at Centennial Café,4700 States Dr., Fairmount Pk., 8-11 p.m. Donation $50. For info(267) 912-1420 or email Saman-thaJoyWilliams@gmail.com.

Jul. 15, 16- Arts Bank Theatre hosts ClassicConcert entertainment. $20.Hosted by Miss Black Penna. Forinfo (267) 281-3521,Jul. 16- G.O.P. Republican MotorcycleRiding Club launches 1sr annualMemorial Motorcycle Ride hon-noring 20th annivdfsasy of pass-ing of Mayor Frank L. Rizzo. Allinvited. Meet at Holy SepulcheCementery, Cheltenham ave. andEaston Rd.Jul. 19- Fundraiser for Council candidateDavid Oh at McGillin’s AleHouse, 1310 Drury St., 6-8. Freebuffet, open bar. Contribution$50. Cash or money order. NoCorporate checks.

LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5PM (Preview 3PM)

LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY AT 11AM (Preview 9AM)

LIVE INTERNET AUCTION EVERY SATURDAY AT 4PM AT:

www.capitalautoauctions.com To Register & To Bid

3 BIGSALES

WEEKLY

2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 13 JUNE, 2011

13 JUNE, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

Mayor Nutter is this afternoon at-tending the opening of a “Free-dom Rings Partnership” computingcenter, 4233 Chestnut Street, aMedia Mobilizing Project, one of77 computer centers openingacross the City.

Digital literacy and workforce

training opportunities will be pro-vided to the public at these loca-tions, which will be overseen andmanaged by the City and its part-ners from the nonprofit and educa-tion communities.

The “Freedom Rings Partnership”is being funded through the Fed-

eral American Recovery Reinvest-ment Act’s (ARRA) BroadbandTechnology Opportunity Program.To learn more about the “FreedomRings Partnership” visithttp://www.freedomringspartner-ship.com

Nutter Attends Freedom

Rings Partnership

Lone Philadelphia Contestant in “Delco Idol Jr.,”Meghan Rossi, Advances into Second Round

Battling For Idol, Jr.

by Adam Taxin

Philadelphia’s Meghan Rossi, 13,the only Philadelphia residentamong the 41 contestants in thissummer’s third edition of “DelcoIdol Jr.,” was one of the 35 ad-vanced who, at this past Sunday’sfirst-round show, was invited into

the singing competition’s secondround, to be held at the MediaTheatre in central DelawareCounty on Sunday at 7 PM.

This critic served this past Sundaynight as a revolving “celebrity”judge for the five-Sunday-evening(through August 7) third edition of“Delco Idol Jr.” This writer wasthoroughly impressed by the com-bination of natural vocal talent,stage presence and production ef-forts on display at the Media The-atre for the Performing Arts.

JP Dunphy, a member of the casts ofthe Media Theater’s two most re-cent professional productions,Annie and Tommy: The Musical, em-ceed the show. The theater’s artis-tic director, Jesse Cline, whileserving as one of the four judges,offered occasional polite-version-of-Simon-Cowell on-stage feed-back.

One memorable performer was 11-year-old Paul Mariani III, of Ard-

more, who sang Neil Diamond’s“Sweet Caroline” while playingpiano. The crowd joined in enthu-siastically. It was easy to wonderwhether Mariani might have re-ceived even more overwhelmingenthusiasm from the audience hadhe performed “High Hopes,” a sta-ple of Phillies, as opposed toBoston Red Sox, games. (Marianiactually did perform “HighHopes” during last year’s competi-tion.)

Mariani’s Chairman-of-the-Boardpersona seemed to extend to offthe stage. After the show, this re-viewer commended him and askedhim if people ever told him that hereminded them of a young Sinatra.Mariani nonchalantly shruggedwhile giving a response of “yeah.”It was as if he was almost exasper-ated by the ridiculousness of beingasked a question with such an ob-vious answer.

Other vocal performances which

stood out as particularly strong were those of Aidan Cole, 12, of Wallingford (“Electricity” from Billy Elliott)

4 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 15 JULY, 2011

and Alexandra Zeh, 12, of Wayne(“Reflection” from Mulan).

Jason Hayes, 13, of Media, keptthe attention of the audience with aversion of “My Girl” which of-fered, in several places, vocals thatwere significantly different fromthe well-known Four Tops version.

Most performers were accompa-nied on piano by Tom Fosnocht,the theatre’s resident music direc-tor, However, Blake Jelus, 12, ofBroomall, played guitar whilesinging Dolly Parton’s “Coat ofMany Colors,” about a childhoodlight on luxuries but heavy ona mother’s love. Teddy Rosen-bluth, 12, of Swarthmore, wentone step further than merely play-ing guitar: Rosenbluth sang “Can’tStop Lovin’ You,” which shewrote.

(For what it is worth, when judging, thisreviewer kept in mind that the competi-tion was judged on the categories of“vocal ability” [song interpretation andability to hit correct notes] and “stagepresence” [personality and attire] anddid his best to avoid awarding extrapoints for accompanying oneself with aninstrumental performance.)

Predictably, given the ages in-volved, the maturity of the per-formance styles varied. BeadaBriglia, 8, of Media, opened theshow with an adorable rendition ofConnie Francis’s “Stupid Cupid.”Briglia carried herself as profes-sionally as the child performers inthe Media Theatre’s excellent pro-duction of Annie from this pastwinter. Chadds Ford’s Josh Feld-man, 7, was a hit with the audi-ence with his performance of

“Can’t Wait To Be King” from TheLion King; Feldman seemed theyoungest of all performers.

In contrast, to someone viewingfrom the middle of the back of theaudience, Lauren Grajewski, 12,of Newton Square, who sang “AllThat Jazz,” might well have been amember of the chorus in a profes-sional production of Chicago (ashow which, incidentally, will run atthe Media Theatre starting September28 and will feature Justin Guarini,runner-up in the initial addition ofAmerican Idol).

The only performer who earnedperfect scores of ten in both cate-gories from this reviewer wasMakenna Mink, 9, of Glen Mills.Mink sang Adele’s “Rolling in theDeep,” a hit song in early 2011.That song was also performedby Brookhaven’s Alex Buonapane,11, and Ridley’s Mikyah Mott, 13.

“Rolling in the Deep” was the onlysong chosen for performance bythree different contestants. Thesongs performed twice were “Partof Your World” (from The Little Mer-maid) and Journey’s “Don’t StopBelievin’ “

The lyrics of “Rolling in theDeep” include lines such as “goout and sell me out, and I’ll layyour ship bare” and “there’s a firestarting in my heart, reaching afever pitch, and it’s bringing meout the dark.” Nevertheless, twoother performances stood out evenmore acutely in terms of songs’lyrics relative to performers’ ages.Andrew Loper, 13, of Springfield,performed “House of the Rising

Sun,” the Animals’ regretful ode toNew Orleans bordello life.Michael Walczak, 13, ofGlenolden, lamented the latenesswith which “Catholic girls start” inhis rendition of Billy Joel’s “OnlyThe Good Die Young.”

Two performances seemed as ifthey were good-naturedly mockingthe incongruity of song meaningsand performers’ ages. Essington’sTeanna Rico, 11, sang ChristinaAguilera’s “Fighter” while wear-ing a “No Boyfriend, No Problem”shirt. The most laughter at anypoint was generated by Media’sEmily Smith, 9. Her rendition of “IHate Men” from Cole Porter’s KissMe Kate contained generous help-ings of sighs, grunts, purposefulcampy overacting and overalldrama.

Smith’s brothers also competed.Christopher Smith, 10, sang BenE. King’s “Stand By Me” whileplaying the piano. Gregory Smith,12, sang “Stay” (originally popu-larized as a doo-wop MauriceWilliams and the Zodiacs andknown additionally as the send-offsong of Jackson Browne concerts).

The Smiths were not the only sib-lings who advanced together. Sis-ters Brianna Mazzola, 10 (whosang “Wizard and I” from Wicked),and Paige Mazzola, 8 (who sang“Don’t Stop Believin’“), fromGlen Mills, gave the impressionthat they would both be lastingwell into the competition. Addi-tionally, Beada Briglia’s brotherDan Briglia, 11, of Media, per-formed “Oh Darling” by the Beat-les.

15 JULY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 5

As might be expected in a showwhose performers’ ages range from7 to 13, lyrics were occasionallyforgotten. The most memorable ofsuch cases was at the start of theperformance of Taylor Swift’s“Mean” by Kerry Collins, 8, ofWest Chester. Collins quickly did asuccessful reboot, to the delightedapplause of the relatively full audi-ence.

As for other quaint missteps,Wallingford’s Noah Mendell, 13,displayed an element of forgivablenaivete when introducing his per-formance, which included himselfon guitar. He described DonMcLean’s insufferably-ubiqutious-even-forty-years-after-its-release“American Pie” (a song whoselevel of airplay was significantlyattributable to the usefulness to1971 FM disc jockeys of an 8:33running time) as something hecould not imagine anyone not lik-ing.

All of the aforementioned perform-ers advanced to the second round.Six performers were not quite as

fortunate.

The end result of Media 11-year-old Abigail Schwartz’s perform-ance of “Part of Your World” wasthat she would have to wait untilnext year to compete further. Nev-ertheless, her father, AlecSchwartz, was not at all bitter. Ac-cording to him, “It’s important tolearn the lesson that everyone doesnot get a trophy just for participat-ing. Media Theatre teaches thatlesson while preserving dignityrather than feasting on disappoint-ment.”

He continued, “Although it is cer-tainly tough on a young child to beeliminated in the first round, overtime, looking back, I am sure‘Delco Idol Jr.’ will be a valuablelearning experience. Overall, theevent provides an excellent plat-form for young performers to ex-press themselves in a safe andnurturing environment.”

The initial contestants for bothcompetitions were selected duringtryouts in May. The “Idol” contests

meet once a week for rehearsalwith Fosnocht prior to performingeach week.

The contests feature an element ofonline voting (for a $2 donation pervote).

Online purchase is available forboth Delco Idol and Delco Idol Jr.. Forboth competitions, tickets are $12for children, $15 for adults, exceptin the final round, when tickets are$15 for children, $20 for adults.

The second round of “Delco Idol”will take place Wednesday at 7 PMat the Media Theatre. The MediaTheatre’s summer camp programwill offer its first of sixteen perform-

ances of RENT: Student Edition tonightat 7 PM.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(Aimee Rubin contributed to this article,of which a different, much longerversion appeared in the “Philadel-phia Jewish Culture Examiner”column on examiner.com .)

Wilma’s No Regrets Delights, Piques Interest In “Little Sparrow” Édith Piaf

JOHN JARBOE crosses gender lines to perform the role of EdithPiaf in “No Regrets: A Piaf Affair” at the Wilma Theater. Credit:Wilma Theater website

by Marianna Salz and Adam Taxin

The two-week engagement of No Regrets: A Piaf Affair resumed last night (ap-propriately enough, given Bastille Day) at Center City’s Wilma Theater. Theshow offers two more performances, tonight and tomorrow night, with doorsopen for first-come-first-serve seating at 10 for the 10:30 show.

The torchsong-style show features the five-female, three-male Bearded Ladiesensemble performing eleven of the most well-known songs of Édith Piaf, a

6 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 15 JULY, 2011

major French singer and cultural iconin the 1940s and 1950s. Born as ÉdithGiovanna Gassion into humble begin-nings (her father was a street acrobat;her mother was a cabaret singer andbrothel manager of French-Italian-Berber origin), she acquired the nick-name “La Môme Piaf (The LittleSparrow)“ due to her 4’8” height.Later known as “Édith Piaf,” sheeventually became regarded asFrance’s greatest popular singer, espe-cially of ballads.

The show turned out to be the surprisehighlight of the last several months atthe Wilma. It was a grand affair com-bining colorful costumes, a modestbut effective set, and characters (twomale, three female) who summoneddifferent aspects of Piaf’s persona.

The intimacy of the Wilma’s lobby asthe performance venue facilitated in-teraction, often flirtatious (in keepingwith Piaf’s style), among performersand audience members. Numerousmen found themselves recipients ofwinks and affectionate rubs as thesingers sauntered through the audi-ence.

John Jarbue is not only No Regrets‘director but serves as the main Piaf,while wearing a not-particularly-gaudy drag costume. One might won-der how such casting might have goneover with those in the family of Piaf’smaternal grandmother, Emma (Aïcha)Saïd ben Mohammed, but Jarbue isquite effective. At times bringing tomind Joel Grey’s semi-androgynousemcee in the 1970 film version ofCabaret, Jarbue also provides plentyof biographical information aboutPiaf, drawing from Piaf by SimoneBerteaut and Piaf’s own books, TheWheel of Fortune and My Life.

Regular Philadelphia theatergoersmay recognize performer Mary Tuo-manen from her role as the title char-acter in the Philadelphia ShakespeareCompany’s recent unorthodox pro-duction of Hamlet. The BeardedLadies’ two instrumental musicians,Heath Allen (piano and accordian)and Kristen Bailey (harp) are givennumerous opportunities to join in thesinging.

The musical highlights of No Regrets,both of which featuring Liz Filios onlead vocals, are “L’Accordéoniste

(The Accordianist)“ and “PadamPadam (a made-up term to describe atune in one’s head).” “La Vie In Rose(Life in Rosy Hues),” probably Piaf’sbest-known song in the U.S., is, pre-dictably enough, part of the program;its arrangement includes an angelic-sounding chorus. The staging of“L’Hymne À L’Amour (The Hymn ToLove)“ is excellent, with the perform-ers handing out heart-shaped pins toaudience members.

Another highlight is “Milord (MyLord).” On the surface, to a nonfran-cophone, that song may suggest LizaMinnelli’s “Mein Herr” in Cabaret(yes, there we go again).However,“Milord” is actually about a prosti-tute’s crush on an upper-class Eng-lishman, rather than a peripateticlover’s dismissal of a mate.The show concludes with Piaf’s lastmajor hit, the nostalgic “Je Ne Re-grette Rien (I Regret Nothing).” In theend, that song’s title serves as a fittingdescription of how most audiencemembers will feel about their deci-sions to purchase tickets to this spir-ited and often-comical tribute.

Al-Bustan Awards WinnerAl-Bustan Seeds of Culture is the 2011 winner of the pres-tigious George Bartol Arts Education Award. Al-Bustan iscurrently presenting its Arabic language and cultural artsday camp, which is open to children and teenagers of allbackgrounds. Students from across the city, representingdiverse cultures will be learning the arts and culture ofLebanon through music, dance, art, drama, poetry, science,and video-making, led by a team of accomplished teaching

artists and educators. There will be many opportunitiesfor visuals and sound, in addition to interviews with chil-dren, artists and staff.

The day camp is being held from July 11-29 , 9 to 4, atSpringside School, 8000 Cherokee St. in Chestnut Hill.