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| Vol. 18, No. 38 | Aug. 5, 1999 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 38 | Aug. 5, 1999 |
Through the magic of live musical theatre, the all-time favorite Alice In Wonderland,
presented by the American Family Theatre's Broadway for Kids ® series, comes to life at the Summer Arts Festival on Aug. 19.
Highlighting this year's entertainment will be a Beach Party Concert featuring the California sounds of Jan & Dean and the Surfaris. A Country Music Fest with the Charlie Daniels Band, Doug Supernaw and Ricochet also is scheduled, as is a night of gospel and contemporary Christian music with Larnelle Harris, Jeffrey Dean and the Kent Christian Sanctuary Choir.
The American Family Theatre will again take to the stage with a production for children and families, and this year's offering is Alice in Wonderland.
The festival will conclude with the traditional Cape Concert, featuring the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, the Lancaster Cannon Co. and a gigantic fireworks display.
Beach Party Concert
Scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14, the Beach Party Concert features Jan & Dean and the Surfaris.
Coming together five years before the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean introduced the world to the surf music of the '60s and had 10 records on the pop charts, including seven gold singles. The band also had its own TV music special and appeared numerous times on American Bandstand.
When the Southern California sound hit the pop music scene like a giant wave, Jan & Dean's hits included "Surf City" and "Little Old Lady From Pasadena."
The two native Californians sold more than 30 million records between 1960 and 1966. Their skyrocketing career as teen idols came to a crashing halt in April 1966, when Jan Berry almost died in a catastrophic car accident. More than 10 years later, with a strong will, therapy and the support of his partner, Dean Torrence, Jan recovered enough for the duo to resume touring as they have throughout the world.
No beach party concert would be complete without the immortal sounds of "Wipeout," as performed by the original artists, the Surfaris. The American surf-rock classic is still played on radio stations today and has been used in commercials for California Cooler, Stridex, Hidden Valley Ranch Dip and K-Mart.
The concert is cosponsored by Conectiv and Bell Atlantic. Tickets are $6 for youth and $10 for adults in advance; and $8 for youth and $12 adults at the gate.
Country music-featuring the Charlie Daniels Band, Ricochet and Doug Supernaw-is scheduled at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Formed in 1970, the Charlie Daniels Band's talking-style "Uneasy Rider" reached the U.S. Top 10 in 1973, followed by the anthem for southern rock, "The South's Gonna Do It." The hit, "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," topped the U.S. country charts and reached number three on the U.S. pop charts for this legendary country band.
Winners of the Academy of Country Music and Country Weekly Magazine's Top New Vocal Group of the Year awards, Ricochet is known for its soaring, airtight four-part harmonies and amazing musicianship. Last year, SoundScan registered the band as the number one selling group in country music for 19 straight weeks.
Doug Supernaw, a singer who sings, speaks and lives with gusto, rounds out this year's country concert. His third album, You Still Got Me, includes both ballads and barnburners with gritty passion and edge.
Cosponsored by Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware, Pepsi, Comcast, Froggy 99.9 FM and Jimmy's Grille, country music concert tickets are $10 for all ages in advance; and $12 for all ages at the gate.
The American Family Theatre returns to the arts festival stage with Alice in Wonderland, at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 19. The performance is part of the theatre's "Broadway for Kids"® series. Children ages 12 and under can follow the adventures of Alice, the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit for free. Adult tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the gate. The event is sponsored by Nicola Pizza.
Some of the top names in gospel music and a Dover choir will be featured at the Summer Arts Festival at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 20.
In more than two decades of recording, Larnelle Harris has brought home five Grammy Awards and 11 Dove Awards, made numerous network television appearances and scored more than a dozen number one records. His most recent recording, First Love, has all the polish and shimmer of contemporary pop in 10 strong songs of faith and hope.
Singer, songwriter and motivational speaker Jeffrey Dean hails from Nashville. His first album, Wait on Love, touched on issues relevant to students such as dating and love and was the basis for his motivational abstinence program by the same name.
Under the direction of Tammy Trout, a gifted singer from the Dover area, the 55-plus voice Kent Christian Sanctuary Choir will accompany Harris on many of his selections.
Tickets to the gospel concert are $5 for youth and $8 for adults in advance; and $7 for youth and $10 for adults at the gate.
The 1999 Summer Arts Festival concludes with the popular Cape Concert on Saturday, Aug. 21. Pre-symphony entertainment, featuring the Sin City Band, begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra concert at 8 p.m.
Maestro Steven Gunzenhauser will bring the Delaware Symphony Orchestra back to Lewes for its 15th appearance at this popular annual event in a performance that includes everything from "Pomp and Circumstance #2" to "A Salute to Ol' Blue Eyes" and "Amazing Grace." As usual, the concert concludes with the 1812 Overture, accompanied by the booming sounds of the Lancaster Cannon Co. and a fireworks display as the symphony plays "Stars and Stripes Forever."
Cosponsored by PNC Bank, tickets are $7 for youth and $12 for adults in advance; and $9 for youth and $15 for adults at the gate.
-Beth Thomas
