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Chris Simmons brings legendary “EVENING AT A BRITISH MUSIC HALL” to Godfrey Daniels MAY 23 and 24

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Written by: Dave Howell
Category: Upcoming Shows
Published: 21 May 2025
Hits: 34
An Evening at a British Music Hall, which was a legendary production at Bethlehem’s Godfrey Daniels, is back. Last performed there in 2014, it was done there almost every year since 1976, with a three year break when it was performed at Bethlehem’s Touchstone Theatre.
 
Music Hall lasted in Britain from about 1850 to the First World War. The Music Hall Evening is reproduced with meticulous historical accuracy by Chris Simmons. He made many trips to the New York Library for research, where he remembers seeing another student of old time songs, Herbert Khaury. Khaury was known by his stage name of Tiny Tim.
 
The show consists of songs, monologues, and sketches. Although they are charming, funny, and sometimes sentimental, you have probably not heard many of them unless you have seen previous Music Halls. One exception is “I’m Henery the Eighth, I Am,” expected to be in the show. Peter Noone sang his own shorter version as the lead singer of Herman’s Hermits.
 
Music Hall was seen occasionally in Hollywood films. In the film “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” the plot had Sherlock Holmes, played by Basil Rathbone, disguised as a music hall performer. Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps” featured “Mr. Memory,” a man who could answer any data based question and was based on an actual performer.
 
The closest type of thing we had in this country to music hall was vaudeville. But although vaudeville died here, music hall kept going in Britain in a similar form under the name of variety. 
 
The Godfrey’s Music Hall is interactive, using traditions known long before that term was ever used. The master of ceremonies, known in music hall as the chairman, addresses the audience throughout, asking them many times to make a toast to the Queen. Godfrey’s is BYOB for beer and wine.  
 
Chairman Bob Fahringer will also be telling his vintage jokes, some of which are so bad, they were rumored to be banned during wartime under the articles of the Geneva Convention for being cruel and unusual punishment. 
 
Appearing in the British Music Hall will be Chris Simmons, Bob Fahringer, Paula Ferry, Neil Hever, Joe Birchak, and Bill George, with Lucille Kincaid on piano and John Lucas on percussion. 
 
The show is May 23 8:00 p.m. and May 24 8 p.m. at Godfrey Daniels, 7 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem 610-867-2390. 
 
Tickets can be ordered at https://godfreydaniels.org. Tickets are $20.50 in advance and $25.50 at the door.
                     

 

Read more: Chris Simmons brings legendary “EVENING AT A BRITISH MUSIC HALL” to Godfrey Daniels MAY 23 and 24

Theater's portrayal of seniors---regionally and nationally--- slowwwwly changing

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Written by: Kathy Lauer-Williams
Category: Features
Published: 08 October 2024
Hits: 5646

About 1 of every 5 people is age 60 or older, but the last time you went to the theater, chances are you did not see that percentage of older actors on the stage.

The fastest growing population in the commonwealth is people age 65 and older, and many theater groups report that older patrons make up as much as 50 percent of their audiences.

 Seniors are bigger supporters of theater and other cultural activities like classical theater and dance, since they have more leisure time and disposable income than younger audiences. 

So why haven’t these devoted patrons been seeing themselves on stage?

Fortunately,  things seem to be changing as there has been a growing focus on the representation of older characters and actors in theater in recent years.

Overall, while there are still challenges in the representation of older characters and actors in theater, there is a growing movement toward more authentic and varied portrayals that reflect the richness of the aging experience.
Positive portrayals of older characters can challenge ageist stereotypes and promote a more nuanced understanding of aging. When audiences see older characters depicted with depth and agency, it can foster empathy and appreciation for the older generation.

Crowded Kitchen Players of Allentown has been on the forefront of the movement, by producing original plays with abroader focus on all ages and the issues that affect multiple generations.

Their newest play “Death by Lullaby,” written by CKP’s founder Ara Barlieb and running Oct. 11 to 26 at the IceHouse  in Bethlehem, follows a newly arrived retirement community resident who becomes suspicious when her fellow residents begin dying off from what she is being told are natural causes.

In the past, older characters  in plays have frequently been confined to stereotypes, such as the "wise elder," the "grumpy old man," “the grieving widow” or the "nutty grandmother."

These portrayals can limit the complexity and diversity of older characters on stage and restrict opportunities for senior actors, as they may be considered only for those types of roles rather than being cast in a broader range of characters.

Even Shakespeare, with his emphasis on historical stories, often relegates older characters to stereotypical or secondary roles. In Shakespeare’s "King Lear," the title character is depicted as mad and vulnerable, reinforcing the stereotype of older individuals as helpless and emotionally unstable.

Other well-respected plays follow suit. Neil Simon’s "The Sunshine Boys" features two men ho fit the grumpy old men stereotype and who are bitter and stuck in the past.  

Ivan Menchell’s "The Cemetery Club" features older women who often embody the stereotype of the grieving widow, focusing on their losses rather than their lives and ambitions. 

And in many plays, older characters are simply relegated to the background, as younger characters take center stage.

However,  as the population has been aging, there's been a shift in the demographic of audiences and artists that has led to more roles that resonate with both older performers and viewers, making stories more relatable.

There's also been a cultural shift towards valuing experience and wisdom, challenging the stereotype that only youngeractors can carry leading roles. Theaters are beginning to realize older actors bring depth and nuance that can enhance performances.

Recent years have seen a push for greater visibility of older actors and characters in mainstream theater. 

In the Lehigh Valley, local playwrights have been writing plays that put more focus on older people and offer more complex roles for older actors.

Barlieb wrote “Noelle, a Christmas Cocktail in Two Acts,”  that was produced by Crowded Kitchen Players in 2021 to address issues affecting the elderly population. The critically-acclaimed play focuses on the matriarch of a dysfunctional family who becomes the victim of a money-making end-of-life care system. 

Bethesda, Maryland-based playwright/composer and former Easton resident Charlie Barnett wrote  "The Spectre Of Death," about a 60-something death metal band, members of which are dealing with their physical decline, as they struggled to stay relevant in the music world.  The play was produced and staged by Crowded Kitchen Players in 2023.

In “Twilight in the Park” by Bethlehem playwright Paul Kodiak, he examined how the onset of dementia can rip apart families. The play, produced by Crowded Kitchen Players earlier this year, presents an Army veteran, who is struggling with dementia, and his wife who still loves her husband of more than 50 years but is helpless and frustrated by the changes she sees in him.

The shift is not just local. Nationwide, playwrights are increasingly creating works that center around older characters, providing opportunities for senior actors to portray diverse, complex roles. This includes exploring themes like identity, legacy, and inter-generational relationships.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play "The Humans" by Stephen Karam, features older characters who have rich, complex lives and relationships, addressing themes of family, anxiety, and the realities of aging.

In Bess Wohl’s play "Grand Horizons," an older couple navigates their marriage in retirement, tackling themes of love, identity, and the challenges of aging with humor and depth.

And John K. Adams’ "The Golden Age" follows the lives of older characters in a retirement community, showcasing their struggles, relationships, and aspirations, challenging the notion that life diminishes with age.

Additionally, plays that focus on younger people are often being recast with older individuals.
Jason Robert Brown’s off-Broadway hit "The Last Five Years" originally focused on younger characters, but recent productions have included older performers, offering fresh interpretations of the struggles and growth within relationships.

Even Broadway is recognizing the contributions of older actors.

In September, Jen Silverman’s 2015 play “The Roommate,”opened on Broadway with septuagenarians 
Patti LuPone  and Mia Farrow in the lead roles.  The show, originally written about two 50-something women, is about a divorced woman from Iowa who takes in a lodger from the Bronx and how they uncover each other's desires to change their lives.

Many playwrights also are actively addressing ageism in their works. By creating narratives that challenge societal perceptions of aging, they help to normalize the presence of older characters on stage.

Older actors are increasingly featured in leading roles, reflecting a broader range of experiences. This visibility helps to reshape audience perceptions and highlights the talent and capabilities of older performers.

Production also are embracing inter-generational casting, which allows older actors to share the stage with younger performers. This not only enriches the story but also emphasizes the interconnectedness of different age groups.

 

Read more: Theater's portrayal of seniors---regionally and nationally--- slowwwwly changing

PLAY REVIEWS

  • "Allies" debates cultural identity, at Between the Lines Studio Theatre
  • "Clue: The Musical" wacky and colorful fun, at Pines Dinner Theatre

AUDITIONS

  • Auditions for "An Explosion by the Ballyseedy Woods", third part of CKP's Irish trilogy
  • Crowded Kitchen Players seeks singers and actors for new musical comedy

UPCOMING SHOWS

  • "An Explosion by the Ballyseedy Woods", a tale of the Irish Civil War at The Ice House March 13-16
  • Coming to The Ice House: “Earth Woven: Stories of Connection, Creation, and Wonder," a storytelling concert