Adriana Camacho-Church, David Ferguson, Mark Fields, Pam George, Roger Hillis, Catherine Kempista, Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, Larry Nagengast, Ken Mammarella, Mary Ellen Mitchell, Matt Morrissette, Kevin Noonan, Bob Yearick
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jim Coarse, Justin Heyes and Joe del Tufo/Moonloop Photography, Lindsay Rudney duPhily, Joe Hoddinott, Kevin Francis, Matthew Loeb,
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Paul Bauer, John D. Holton, Bev Zimmermann
Watch
Listen
Photo by Bob Hanes
True Companions
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I now know why.
Tricks are beneath old dogs. It would be like asking LeBron James to perform a layup.
Tricks are for puppies, card sharks, David Copper eld. Old dogs have much more important things to do — like helping set the rhythm of our lives.
Last month, I was dealt a painful reminder of that role when we were forced to put down our beloved Gillian, two months short of her 15th birthday.
A Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue from Texas, Gillian’s arrival was the handiwork of our son, who overcame every obstacle we threw in his path — there were many — during his pursuit of a family dog.
And though I grew up with dogs, this time was di erent. Gillian was the dog our kids brought into the home. e dog they grew up with, slept with, shared every family gathering with. In a sense, she was our third child, except she never grew up and moved out of the house.
Of course, my side was the last Gillian would seek when she had an option. On her short ladder of favorite family members, I occupied the bottom rung. But I was OK with that. She completed our family — what more could a dad ask?
And on those occasions when I wanted to climb the ladder, there was always the not-so-secret weapon — a treat in my pocket. Learned that from Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets.
Instead, she helped ll the void when our two kids did. at void has reemerged now that Gillian has passed, no longer there to provide her calm and comforting presence.
Faithful companion? You bet. Who else greets you as if you were rescuing them from a shipwreck each time you come home? Who else acts like they’d just won the lottery when you simply suggest a walk? Who else will stay tirelessly by your side, regardless of the circumstances?
And I have also learned how a dog can add immeasurable warmth to a household. Which is a perfect segue to the announcement of a new partnership Out & About has formed with Humane Animal Partners and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Tito’s is one of the most dog-friendly corporations on the planet.
Beginning in January 2025, each edition of Out & About will feature a HAP Pet of the Month presented by Tito’s. It is our hope that at least one reader will nd that month’s featured pet a perfect t for their household — and realize Humane Animal Partners has many more dogs looking for a home to warm.
Sure, adopting a dog is a signi cant commitment. You shouldn’t consider it if you think otherwise. But then consider the commitment a dog makes to you . . . and the joy they bring. Trust me, it’s a joy you underestimate — until your Gillian is no longer around.
— Jerry duPhily
Bowen duPhily and Gillian in the fall of 2010 — early in a 14-year adventure.
Photo by Lindsay duPhily
Have You Heard About STEP Path?
WilmU’s New Apprenticeship Pathway to College Credit for Delaware’s Vocational Workforce
The Delaware Department of Labor (DOL) and Wilmington University have collaborated to offer the new Smart Transfer Enrollment Program (STEP Path™ ) for the Vocational Workforce, an initiative that allows individuals in select registered apprenticeship programs the opportunity to earn up to 42 college credits* toward a bachelor’s degree at Wilmington University.
STEP Path creates a unique pathway for Delaware apprenticeship graduates to apply their vocational time and experience toward college credit without having to start over at square one.
Higher education can lead to promotions and higher income, both of which are strong incentives for those actively participating in apprenticeship programs. Employers can leverage this opportunity with employees to help retain existing talent. Existing journeypersons can take advantage of this program by applying to WilmU®, where their experience and job training will be evaluated to determine the appropriate level of academic credit — and cost savings — toward a career-relevant degree such as the Bachelor of Science in Applied Business.
Who Can Benefit From STEP Path?
• High school graduates who are just beginning a registered apprenticeship program
• Individuals already active in a registered apprenticeship
• Those with past apprenticeships in a registered program
• Journeypersons who seek the career benefits of a college degree
STEP Path is relevant for all past and current apprenticeship graduates. The academic credits earned may also be applied to additional WilmU programs that relate to technical instruction and apprenticeship programs.
“We are excited to partner with Wilmington University on this important educational initiative,” says DOL Secretary Karryl Hubbard. “The STEP Path program is a great way to allow those who chose to obtain training through apprenticeship an opportunity to also obtain college credits toward a degree.”
“Partnering with the Delaware Department of Labor for the STEP Path for the Vocational Workforce program aligns with our commitment to preparing students to succeed in high-demand, trade-oriented careers,” says Dr. LaVerne Harmon, Wilmington University president. “We look forward to welcoming high school and vocational-technical students as well as adults navigating their apprenticeship journeys.”
High school and vocational-technical students who are considering a DOL-registered apprenticeship program after graduation can talk with their school counselors for details and reach out to the Department of Labor regarding apprenticeship programs. Adults who are looking to start or finish an apprenticeship may also contact the Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship.
“Registered apprenticeship programs are vital to the expansion of opportunities for young people to pursue careers in the building trades and other industries,” says Jazelle Plummer, apprenticeship and training manager for DOL’s Division of Employment Training.
Learn more about the new STEP Path for the Vocational Workforce at wilmu.edu/trades or labor.delaware.gov/apprenticeship
*Dependent upon the journeyperson’s total on-the-job training (OJT) and related technical instruction (RTI) hours
and
Wilmington University awards up to 42 academic credits toward undergraduate degrees for Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship programs.
THE WAR On Words
A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language
WHERE ARE THE EDITORS?
• In a Je Neiburg story in e Philadelphia Inquirer, there was this two-fer subhead: “Who’s stock rose and who’s stock fell after the Eagles’ win over the Jaguars?” In both instances, it should be whose — the possessive. Who’s is a contraction for who is.
• And the WDEL website delivered this two-fer, according to Dr. Neil Kaye: “‘It exasperates the problems that we have with providing water and sewage services,’ Councilman Suchanec said when explaining his no vote on the car wash, adding that the extra sewage water would lead to extra costs for the city when its sent to New Castle County.” Problems are exacerbated, which exasperates people. And its is the possessive. Needed here: it’s — the contraction for it is.
• A reader spotted a principals/principles problem in Sarah Mueller's article on the WHYY website: “For ve years, Snyder-Hall headed the nonpro t organization devoted to principals including government accountability and transparency.” ose are principles; they are not heads of schools.
• e News Journal recently published an obituary that described the male decedent as “a proud alumnae of Salesianum.” at is impossible in two ways: Sallies is an all-boys school and alumnae is the plural for female graduates. A male grad is an alumnus.
• Reader Joan Burke spotted this murky sentence in “Outdoor Delaware” on the DNREC website: “McAvoy noted that rare plants and insects can frequently be found by Atlantic white cedars.” Substituting near or the somewhat old-fashioned hard by for by in the sentence would help dispel the implication that rare plants and insects are frequently discovered by white cedars.
LITERALLY OF THE MONTH
According to reader John McDermott, e Inky reported that Villanova basketball coach Kyle Neptune said point guard Jhamir Brickus can read ball screens “literally perfectly.”
Word Term of the Month
STALKING HORSE
This metaphor is often used to describe situations where someone or something is used as a front for another person’s true intentions. For example, in politics, one candidate may be put forward as a stalking horse to test public opinion before another, stronger candidate enters the race. In some instances, the person who is the stalking horse may not know he or she is playing that role.
By Bob Yearick
DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCIES DEPT.
• Reader Rick Straitman submits this Axios headline: “Harris calls Trump to concede election loss as Biden congratulates both candidates.” Conceding implies losing.
• is chyron appeared on NBC during the presidential campaign: “Voters focus in on the economy.” It’s not enough for them to focus; they must focus in. Incidentally, although it's usually used generically, chyron (pronounced KIE-ron) actually comes from the name of the corporation whose software enables television producers to add those crawling words, phrases, and images to their broadcasts.
• Leah Reis-Dennis, Audacy’s vice president of podcast content strategy and business development, said this to e Inky: “I do think we have a big opportunity now, in this kind of cultural zeitgeist moment around women in sports. . .” Zeitgeist: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.
• Matt Hayes, in USA TODAY: “Colorado . . . beat Baylor in overtime with the help of a prayer of a Hail Mary at the end of regulation.” A Hail Mary is, by de nition, a prayer.
FUN FACT:
Dictating the past tense of to lead — led — into your iPhone will result in the misspelled lead — something many newspapers can relate to.
Fa-La-LaFails:TheNationalLampoon’s Christmas Vacation-themed ornament (top) depicts Cousin Eddie announcing that his RV’s black water tank is full. Thus, there should be an apostrophe after the r in shitters . The greeting card commits the common holiday error of inserting an apostrophe in a plural: Andersons
NEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION, ON A FUN AND INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION OF GRAMMAR?
Contact ryearick@comcast.net for more information.
Buy The War on Words book at the Hockessin BookShelf, at Huxley & Hiro Booksellers on Market Street, or on Amazon. Or email me at ryearick@comcast.net.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 5pm Start
Next Art Loop: JANUARY 3, 2025
DOWNTOWN
Chris White Gallery
701 N. Shipley Street 475-0998 • chriswhitegallery.com
Exhibit: Shipley Showcase Group Show
Christina Cultural Arts Center 705 N. Market Street
652-0101 • ccacde.org
Artist: Bridges by Irina Angelova
City of Wilmington’s
Redding Gallery
800 N. French Street 576-2100
cityfestwilm.com/redding-gallery
Artists: Facing the Future Together by Martryce Roach, Theda Sandiford and Christopher Mack
Delaware Historical Society
504 N. Market Street
295-2395 • dehistory.org
Artist: Vintage Wilmington by Jimmy Thompson
Huxley & Hiro
419 N. Market Street (971) 386-8294
Artist: Winter Folklore by Todd Purse
LaFate Gallery
227 N. Market Street
753-5789
Artist: Coming to Wilmington by Eunice LaFate
Mezzanine Gallery
820 N. French Street
577-8278 • arts.delaware.gov
Artist: EnvironMental Just(ice)
Mercy by Lori B. Crawford
MKT Place Gallery
200 N. 9th Street
289-6772
Artists: 1994 (2nd Installment) by Elizé & DeVaughn Jerrell
Spaceboy Clothing
205 N. Market Street
300-5516
Exhibit: Wilmington History for Sale
RIVERFRONT
The Delaware Contemporary
200 S. Madison Street
656-6466 • decontemporary.org
Exhibit: Closing reception for Fall of Design and UCE Winter Market
WEST SIDE
Blue Streak Gallery 1721 Delaware Avenue
429-0506
Exhibit: Jewels and Small Delights
Delaware Center for Horticulture 1810 N. Dupont Street
658-6262 • thedch.org
Artist: Kitty May
Howard Pyle Studio 1305 N. Franklin Street
656-7304
Exhibit: Howard Pyle Studio Holiday Open House
BEYOND THE CITY
Arden Buzz-Ware Gallery
2119 The Highway, Arden 981-4811
Exhibit: Deck Your Halls-AAC Small Art & Winter Market
Finist & The Owl 811 Brandywine Boulevard
786-228-6638
Artist: Acrylic Paintings by Amy Nitchman
The Station Gallery 3922 Kennett Pike
654-8638 • stationgallery.net
Exhibit: Art Works for the Holidays!
cityfest presented by
Newark Saturdays 6:30-9:30pm
Fridays 7-10pm Hockessin Sundays Brunch 12-3pm
Spice up your weekend with delicious food, refreshing 2SP beer and a di erent musical act every week.
FYI Things Worth Knowing
IT'S A JOLLY HOLIDAY WITH MARY POPPINS AT WILMINGTON
DRAMA LEAGUE
HEave a little fun while perusing this issue and discovering the many holiday happenings in Greater Wilmington. We’ve hidden toy soliders on four pages in this issue (this page doesn’t count). Tell us what four pages we’ve hidden the soldiers and you could win free lunch. Email your answers to Contact@TSNPub.com with the subject line: I Found e Toy Soldiers! ree winners will be selected from those who answer correctly by December 18. Congratulations to last month’s winners — Dave Wilson, Phyllis Munch and Pat Farren — who found the icks on pages 27, 29, 53, 55.
Sveryone’s favorite “practically perfect” nanny les into town this December when Wilmington Drama League presents Mary Poppins, e Broadway Musical from December 13-29. Based on the classic Disney lm, it tells the story of the Banks family and the magical nanny that arrives at just the right time. Filled with memorable songs including “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and more, this show is a sweet treat the whole family will enjoy. Tickets are $15-$25. More at WilmingtonDramaLeague.org.
VISIT DELAWARE’S HIDDEN HOLIDAY GEMS
The Delaware Tourism O ce has launched the new Hidden Holiday Gems passport, showcasing nine unique holiday attractions across the state from now through Jan. 6. is mobile passport guides travelers to festive destinations in each of Delaware’s three regions, from decorated museums to festive light displays. e passport encourages participants to visit all the locations throughout the state with the chance to win prizes. Signup at VisitDelaware.com.
ports tourism generated significant economic impact in Delaware in 2023 with visitor spending and tournament operations accounting for nearly $258 million. The study was commissioned by the Delaware Tourism Office and conducted by Tourism Economics, a leading research organization with travel industry expertise. It is the first comprehensive economic impact analysis of sports tourism in Delaware. The sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact of $257.9 million generated $403.2 million in total business sales in the local economy, according to the study. Those sales supported more than 3,000 part-time and full-time jobs and generated $20.2 million in state and local taxes. In 2023, 1.1 million sports travelers attended a sports tournament, race, or other event in Delaware — either as a participant or a spectator. The full report can be found at VisitDelaware.com.
Delaware’s Startup302 pitch contest will hold a free online info session at 4 p.m. on Dec. 5 for prospective entrants to learn more about competition details, prizes, and more. e contest is open to early-stage, tech-enabled ventures with underrepresented founders, including women, Black, Latin American, Native American or members of the LGBTQ+ community. Awards include cash grants, cash grants, mentorship, educational sessions, and networking opportunities. More at StartUp302.org.
FREE HOLIDAY PARKING DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON
The City of Wilmington has once again announced that holiday parking will be in effect from Nov. 29 to Jan. 2, 2025. To support holiday shopping, parking will be free from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays in the Downtown (2nd to 12th Streets, French to Washington Streets) and Riverfront Business Districts. Official holidays such as Christmas Day will be free all day. A two-hour parking limit applies. Exceptions include tow-away zones and enforcement of other traffic regulations, such as time limits, bus stops, fire hydrants, and double-parking.
DUNCAN SHEIK MUSICAL OPENS CITY THEATER CO.'S SEASON
This month, City eater Company presents the angsty rock musical Spring Awakening at e Delaware Contemporary (200 S. Madison St., Wilm.). e musical, by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, is based on the provocative 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind that follows a group of teens as they navigate the trials and tribulations of growing up. Although set in the late 19th century, Artistic Director Kerry Kristine McElrone says the show’s themes remain relevant today. “ e nightmare bliss of navigating the path between childhood and adulthood resonates with everyone. And at a time where we are inundated with both celebration and condemnation of sex and ‘morality’… Spring Awakening is exactly the right piece for CTC’s 31st season.”
Spring Awakening runs December 13-21 and tickets are $45 (military/students, $35). More at City- eater.org.
BRANDYWINE TREASURE TRAIL PASSPORT
The 2025 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport offers access to 12 of Greater Wilmington’s top cultural attractions ranging from history and heritage to art and gardens. On sale now through the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, the discount-priced passport is $49 for individuals or $99 for a family (two adults, up to three kids 17 and under). Valid from May 24 to October 31, 2025, it’s available in both digital and print formats. Purchase at VisitWilmingtonDe.com/passport.
One of the many privileges of publishing Out & About is the many people I meet while out and about.
One of those was Paul Shireman, the slim, longhaired bartender at Buckley’s Tavern in Centreville. Paul died last month from cancer at age 61.
For 18 years, Paul and I held a running, acrossthe-bar conversation during my weekly stops at the Route 52 landmark. We discussed the Wilmington hospitality scene, economics, climate change, politics . . . but mostly we talked about riding bikes. It was a shared passion.
Paul participated in all the bike rides we manage — Governor’s Ride, Delaware Gran Fondo, River Towns — and even contributed to the magazine on occasion, providing creative cocktail recipes (see O&A June 2018 online edition, pg. 70).
Several months ago, during one of his nal shifts at Buckley’s, Paul shared the news of his battle with lung cancer. I was stunned, then encouraging, insistent that one day he would ride again.
“Oh, you don’t know how much I would love that,” he said.
I kinda did. He was one of the most passionate cyclists I have met.
Sadly, I will no longer see Paul at any of our rides. And our decades-long conversation has ridden its course. But it’s a conversation I will cherish, and a reminder to savor each ride — like Paul did.
Sav e Flav of Newark!
JOIN US FOR RESTAURANT WEEK, PRESENTED BY THE NEWARK PARTNERSHIP.
Indulge in exclusive menus crafted by the region’s best chefs. Discover the essence of our city, one bite at a time.
A Culinary Journey Awaits!
Mother Of Invention
Back home in Newark, bestselling author Julianna Baggott and her endlessly creative family are turning art into commercial success
By Bob Yearick
Proving once more that the iconic omas Wolfe novel had it all wrong, bestselling author Julianna Baggott has indeed gone home again — to Newark, where she was born and grew up. Baggott and her husband, David Scott, moved there from another university town — Amherst, Mass. — ve years ago, and they are now comfortably ensconced at the epicenter of a fascinating and endlessly creative family whose members, to varying degrees, have managed to turn art into commercial success.
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Julianna Baggott: novelist, short story writer, poet, professor, at her home in Newark.
Photo by Joe Hoddinott
Baggott, a novelist, short story writer, poet, professor, and — most importantly, mother of four — has sold more than 20 books, including two New York Times Notable Books of the Year, published by, among others, Simon & Schuster, Random House, HarperCollins, and Hachette, under her own name as well as pen names.
One of her most recent projects is “ e Hider,” a short story collaboration with her oldest son, Finneas Scott, which has been acquired by Universal Pictures in connection with Oscar-winning Oppenheimer star Robert Downey Jr. Which Brings Me to You, a book she co-wrote with Steve Almond, was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2006 and is now a feature lm streaming on Hulu.
All told, her production company, Mildred’s Moving Picture Show (MMPS), with a focus on high-concept short stories, has more than 20 projects in development with the likes of Disney+, Net ix, Amblin (Steven Spielberg is chairman), MGM and Ryan Reynolds’ company, Maximum E ort. (Sorry, Baggott has no Hollywood insider stories. “I really don’t meet actors,” she says. “But I deal with really brilliant, incredibly wellread producers who are great at what they do. I’m lucky.”)
Talent and hard work, not luck, have propelled her ascension in the literary world. After graduating from St. Mark’s High School, she earned a degree in creative writing and French from Loyola University Maryland in 1991, and followed that with a Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in ’94. She fell in love early with the short story form, and her rst published work appeared in Farmer’s Market, a western literary journal, while she was in grad school.
Freelancing Out of Poverty
Soon after receiving her MFA she met Scott, who is a poet, and they were married. An artist’s grant from Delaware enabled them to move to Newark (the rst time), where they agreed that they wanted to have children while they both continued to write. After living at what she has described as “below poverty level,” they managed to transform themselves into successful freelancers.
Julianna Baggott (second from right) and most of her creative crew. From left, sons Finneas and Theo Scott, husband David Scott, and daughter Othilia Scott. Oldest daughter Phoebe Scott is a sculptor who lives in Indiana.
Photo by Joe Hoddinott
ey often collaborated, and Baggott says, “Dave became a hardcore freelancer,” writing many pieces for e News Journal, Delaware Today, and Out & About as well as doing a stint as editor of the Newark Post
Baggott’s career was launched in 1999, at the age of 29, with the publication of her rst novel, Girl Talk. It became a national bestseller and was quickly followed by Boston Globe bestseller e Miss America Family, and then Boston Herald Book Club selection e Madam, a historical novel based on the life of her grandmother.
While she has co-authored with others several times, perhaps her most enjoyable collaboration was with her husband for her Boston Red Sox novel, e Prince of Fenway Park, published by HarperCollins in 2009. Scott, a New Hampshire native and die-hard Red Sox fan, enthusiastically embraced his role as researcher, going to Fenway and studying the Green Monster, the out eld grass, the scoreboard, and everything else about the storied ball yard, and Baggott wrote the book.
Pandemic Re-Focus
A young adult novel, Prince represents just one of the many genres Baggott has mastered. She has written science ction, comedy, fantasy, thrillers, even horror. e pandemic helped her understand how to focus this impressive versatility into successful commerce.
“Production [on movies, TV, etc.] stopped during COVID,” she says, “but creative development continued, and things I published were being optioned. So I thought, why not try to write short stories with an eye toward high concept?”
She had started her career determined to concentrate on short ction, she explains, “but writing novels was a way to make money and still do the thing I loved.” us, during the shutdown, “I got to go back to my roots. Once I did that, things started to open up. e industry is more open to adapting the short story.”
Creative Family
All of the Baggott-Scott brood have inherited creative genes. Finneas, for instance, in addition to “ e Hider,’" had previously collaborated with his mother on the short story “Except You,” which was sold to Fox Entertainment Studios for development as a one-hour drama. Besides being a writer, Finneas, 27, is head of development for MMPS. “He went to lm school and lived in L.A. for a while, so he has a real understanding of cinematic history,” Baggott says.
Her oldest child, Phoebe Scott, 29, is a sculptor who lives in rural Indiana. Son eo, 24, has channeled his creative talents into social media with his popular TikTok and Instagram posts under the indelicate name eo Kicks Balls. e comedic soccer videos have attracted more than 100,000 followers, enabling him to make a living doing something he loves, much like the rest of the family.
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Sunday, December 8th 11:30 am to 3 pm 40+ LOCAL ARTISTS & VENDORS
So many wonderful gift ideas for the holidays!
ENJOY:
Baggott’s youngest, 17-year-old Othilia, is still in high school and has shown interest in both fashion and comedy, according to her mother.
Acting, Painting, Piano, Professor
Baggott herself is the youngest of four in a family that also is heavily into the arts, or at least the women are. Her oldest sister, Kate, teaches acting at New York University. Another sister, Melanie, is a painter in Arizona. Her mother is a piano teacher. Her father, who retired from the DuPont Legal Department years ago, “loved the arts and danced every day of his life,” Baggott says. Her brother, Bill, is a Boston technology executive who, she says, played a mean saxophone in his youth.
As if her other enterprises didn’t keep her busy enough, Baggott is also an associate professor at Florida State University, teaching screenwriting. She has taught at the Tallahassee school since 2004, and the family lived in Florida for a few years before moving to Massachusetts. Most of her classes are conducted via Zoom, although she does travel to Florida occasionally. She teaches adaptation, pitching, and other aspects of screenwriting to small classes of “smart, fabulous” students, and she thoroughly enjoys it.
“My creative process is so entwined with motherhood and with teaching that many of my ideas come up through teaching and parenting,” she says. “And when I’m teaching something and I feel passionate about it, it’s generally something I need to be telling myself about my own work.”
“Teaching is a calling,” she adds, “just as writing is, and it keeps me very muscular and t in terms of craft.”
Because of their entrepreneurial lifestyle, Baggott and Scott could live anywhere, but she wanted to be near her parents and they had tired of the winters in Massachusetts and the politics in Florida.
Now thoroughly settled back in Newark, they manage to occasionally dine out, despite their jam-packed schedules. Among their favorites are a couple of Main Street eateries — Café Gelato, owned by Ryan German, and Sasha Aber’s Homegrown Café.
“Ryan and Sasha are fellow entrepreneurs, and they’ve done it for as long as I have, so I feel a kindred spirit with them,” says Baggott.
You can keep up on the latest intellectual properties created by Team Baggott-Scott and Mildred’s Moving Picture Show by going to the website, juliannabaggot.com, and clicking on the What’s New bar. Just don’t expect any stories about Ryan Reynolds or Robert Downie Jr.
Baggot is the author of more than 20 books, while her production company has more than 20 projects in development.
A True Warrior
Wilmington’s Whitney Miller makes third appearance on NBC's American Ninja Warrior, but being a ninja has become much more than simply competing on TV
By Kevin Noonan
Whitney Miller had just had her third child, and middle age was staring her in the face. So, like a lot of women who reach that stage of life, she decided to work on her physical well-being, which she knew would also help with her mental and spiritual well-being.
But, unlike a lot of women, Miller didn’t just jog around the block or occasionally visit her local gym to get back into shape. She went full Ninja.
Whitney Miller recently finished her third stint on AmericanNinjaWarrior.
Photos by Joe del Tufo
Miller, 38, recently nished her third stint on American Ninja Warrior, a highly-rated television show on the NBC network that will air its 17th season next year in late spring or early summer. Miller is part of that season, and even though she’s not allowed to reveal the results before the show is broadcast, she said she was happy with her performance in Las Vegas after failing to make it past the rstround quali er the last two seasons.
American Ninja Warriors is an obstacle course on steroids and participants compete to see who can complete it the fastest. If you want to know more about the competition, go to NBC.com/ American-Ninja-Warrior.
But back to the beginning. Miller grew up in eastern Tennessee and eventually worked as a social worker in Kentucky at the Child Advocacy Center in Louisville. While there, she met her future husband, Tyler, who was studying to be a minister. The couple discovered there was an opening for an associate pastor at a church in Wilmington (Miller declined to name the church, since her husband is no longer affiliated with it.) Even though they had other opportunities, one thing in particular lured them to Delaware’s biggest city, and it was something that would have had most couples running in the other direction.
That moment came in 2013, when
Miller on set at American Ninja Warrior.
Photo provided
Newsweek magazine infamously labeled Wilmington as “Murdertown USA.” The couple wanted to go someplace where they could make a positive impact, and they figured a city with that reputation was the right place.
“My husband got the job offer around the same time [as the Newsweek article],” Miller says. “We knew we wanted to move to a city that had a need. So, we prayed on it and here we are 10 years later. And I can say we definitely made the right decision. We love it here. It’s a very accepting community, and we have had a chance to achieve the goals we had when we moved here.”
And it was here that Miller had her epiphany about getting back into shape — on her terms and her timetable. She homeschools her three kids and is involved in several community programs. She knew she couldn’t juggle all of that along with a commitment to a regular work-out regimen or team sport.
“I had always been an athlete and basketball was my main sport when I was younger,” she says. “But I didn’t have the time for those kinds of sports because of my busy schedule. It was just too much of a commitment.”
Then came a life-changing moment, when some friends invited the couple to go rock climbing. Miller had never attempted it before, but something about the experience struck a chord.
“To me, it was like yoga on a wall and I had an absolute blast doing it,” she says. “It was physically and mentally challenging, and I loved all of that. That was sort of my gateway drug into Ninja.”
A League of Their Own
That led Miller, and eventually her husband, to learn more about ninja training and its obstacle course roots, and the more she learned, the more she liked it. She and her husband joined ICore Fitness gym in West Chester, Pa., and today Miller represents ICore Fitness in the World Ninja League.
The World Ninja League (WorldNinjaLeague.org.) was created in 2015 on the heels of the success of the American Ninja Warrior series and now has teams in 27 states and six countries. It’s broken into age groups and more than 70 percent of the competitors are youth.
“Anybody can do it, which is really the best part of it,” Miller says. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or what sex you are. All that matters is that you enjoy it, because if you enjoy it, you’ll stick with it. And if you do that, you’ll end up in great shape and have a lot of fun along the way.”
And if that isn’t enough, Miller is also the board
president of Neighborhood Ninjas, a national group that combines its love of ninja training with a commitment to its communities.
Alex Katz was one of the founders of Neighborhood Ninjas (NeighborhoodNinjas.org), and the Rhode Island native who now lives outside of Austin, Texas, is still the director. A couple of years ago she met Miller at a Ninja competition and recruited her to the group. Now Miller is board president of the organization and she and Katz work closely together to develop their programs.
“We realized that we could use the sport of Ninja to help under-served kids grow emotionally as well as physically, and help them develop social skills and gain confidence in what they can accomplish,” Katz says. “Some of those kids aren’t into traditional sports or they can’t afford them, but they love this.
“So, Whitney and I had similar visions and she’s been an incredible asset to everything we do. She really has made a positive impact.”
A Serious Playground
Part of that impact is the construction of specialized playgrounds that are based on the obstacle course on American Ninja Warrior. Kids can use it, but it’s also designed for adults. e rst NinjaFit Playground was built in May in Wilmington, at Alapocas Park, across from the Can-Do Playground, and Miller was largely responsible for having the rst one constructed in Delaware.
“Whitney was definitely the driving force in bringing the playground to Wilmington,” Katz says. “She made a really strong case for Wilmington and Alapocas Park specifically, because we wanted to bridge different socioeconomically diverse areas and bring people together, and create something free that’s on a bus line and is accessible to everyone. And now that the playground >
Miller having some fun on the NinjaFit Playground in north Wilmington that she helped get built.
is finished, we’re running various free community programs and, so far, the response has been great.”
Another playground is planned for Lee, Mass., and several other states have shown interest in bringing a NinjaFit Playground to their communities.
“Our goal is to have a playground in every state in the next 10 years,” Miller says. “As for the one at Alapocas, our goal is to bring people together for different events. It’s for everybody, but especially for kids, to give them an outlet that they otherwise wouldn’t have, something that can help them stay out of trouble.”
Miller plans on participating in ninja events as long as she feels she can stay competitive and she plans on spreading the word about Ninja training, and its positive impact on people of all ages and backgrounds, even longer.
“Whitney brings lot of energy and that drive to make her community a better place,” Katz says, “And everything she does comes from her heart, which makes everything she does that much more special.”
Miller muscling up at the NinjaFit Playground with her children (l-r) Phoebe, Marie and James.
Holly Jolly Holiday Happenings
The holiday season is here, and the area is packed with exciting events you in the festive spirit. From dazzling light shows and holiday markets performances and family-friendly activities, following is a look at
By Amy Watson Bish
Happenings
events to get markets to live at your options.
Holiday
Traditions
Yuletide at Winterthur
Now through Jan. 5 | Winterthur Museum & Gardens
Celebrate the season with Winterthur’s unique Yuletide tour, showcasing holiday decor in Henry Francis du Pont’s former home. Enjoy specialty trees and festive displays, along with select evening events featuring live jazz, caroling, workshops, wine tastings, family events, and a one-man performance of A Christmas Carol Live. More at Winterthur.org.
A Longwood Christmas
Now - Jan. 12| Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square
Experience the magic of A Longwood Christmas with the new Longwood Reimagined. Explore breathtaking new spaces, brilliant lights, and festive landscapes, creating unforgettable holiday memories in Longwood’s most enchanting season yet. Timed admission tickets are required. More at LongwoodGardens.org.
Noël at Nemours Estate
Now through Dec. 29, 10am-5pm | Nemours Estate, Wilmington
Be transported back to the early 20th century as you tour the festive displays of the Versailles-inspired estate, including the 77-room mansion, chau eur’s garage and gardens. Live music performances will also be held throughout the season. More at NemoursEstate.org.
Holidays at Hagley
Nov. 29 through Jan. 1 | Hagley Museum & Library, Greenville
Celebrate the season at Hagley’s Eleutherian Mills, adorned in holiday charm with a “White Christmas” theme inspired by the du Pont family’s winter traditions. Additionally, enjoy festive gingerbread displays, sparkling twilight tours (Dec. 10, 12, 17 & 19, 4-7pm), and a visit from Santa (Dec. 7, 11am2:30pm). More at Hagley.org.
60th Annual Christmas in Odessa
Saturday, Dec. 7, 10am-5pm | High Street, Odessa
Take a self-guided tour of private homes and public buildings in one of Delaware’s most historic towns. roughout the day enjoy Christmas concerts, refreshments, and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Additionally, visit the Corbit-Sharp House, celebrating its 250th anniversary, as it transforms its interior into scenes inspired by J.M. Barrie’s classic novel, Peter and Wendy, on view to guests through Dec. 29. More at ChristmasInOdessa.org.
A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage comes to The Playhouse on Dec. 22. Photo provided
ings get merry and bright at Delaware Park with a free, family-friendly outdoor light display and holiday market featuring tasty specials, a variety of vendors, and chance to take a photo with Santa. LightsAtDelPark.com.
Holiday Magic at Riverbright Wilmington Nov. 29 to Jan 5 | Wilmington Riverfront
e Christiana Riverwalk once again turns into a whimsical winter wonderland with a walk-through light display and twinkling tree lights, visable each day at dusk. Plus, on select afternoons and evenings enjoy mini golf, meet & greets with Santa, Little Farm Petting Zoo, and more. More at RiverfrontWilm.com/Holiday-Magic.
e City of Wilmington’s popular tree-lighting celebration returns, featuring live performances, face painting, hot chocolate, and a visit by Santa and Rudolph. DE.CO Food Hall, at 111 West 10th Street, will also host a holiday preparty beginning at 4:30pm and an after-party until 9pm. More at CityFestWilm.com/Light-Up- e-Square.
With dazzling decorations, live music, food trucks, holidaythemed activities, train rides, roller skating and more, Schellville's annual celebration is fun for the whole family. New this year: no ticket reservations needed! More at Schellbrothers.com/Promotions/Schellville.
Holiday Open House at Rockwood Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7, 5pm Rockwood Park & Museum, Wilmington
Rockwood’s annual free, family event features dazzling light displays throughout the park, museum tours, photos with Santa, and performances from local choirs, dance companies, and more. More at NewCastleDE.gov/Events.
Santa at the Zoo
Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8, 10am-12:30pm
Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington
Kids can meet and take a photo with Santa and enjoy fun holiday activities at this winter wonderland tradition at the Zoo. Registration required at BrandywineZoo.org.
Sankta Lucia Celebration
Sunday, Dec. 8, 1pm | Old Swedes Church, Wilmington
St. Lucia, the bringer of light, is celebrated with song and ceremony in the candlelit church. A beloved Swedish tradition, it marks the beginning of the holiday season. e Delaware Swedish Colonial Society welcomes guests to attend and share in this age-old Swedish Christmas tradition. Tickets required. More at DelawareSwedes.org.
Magical Cirque Christmas: A Holiday Variety Show
Sunday, Dec. 8, 3pm e Playhouse on Rodney Square, Wilmington
Embrace the holiday spirit with this dazzling variety show full of awe-inspiring performances for all ages. More at eGrandWilmington.org.
Spirit of Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 14, 10am-5pm | Historic New Castle
Delight in tours of beautifully decorated private homes and museums, enjoy musical performances throughout town, and nd the perfect gifts at the indoor and outdoor winter market. Savor a variety of festive fare from the local restaurants and nish your day watching the tree lighting in Market Square. More at SpiritOfChristmasDe.com.
For a Yuletide celebration with a spooky Scandinavian twist, Liquid Alchemy hosts its annual family-friendly Krampus Fest featuring meads and Glogg for sipping (hot cocoa for the little ones), axe-throwing, tarot card readings, photos with actors dressed in authentic German Krampus costumes, and more. More at LiquidAlchemyBeverages.com.
Santa at the Brandywine Zoo
Shellville
Choo-Choo Cheer
Holidays at Brandywine
Now through Jan. 5, 9:30am-5pm
Brandywine Museum of Art, Chadds Ford
A holiday tradition returns to the Brandywine Museum of Art with model trains, dollhouses, and other miniature wonders. A holiday favorite since 1972, the Brandywine Railroad features model trains running on 2,000 feet of track and contains more than a thousand pieces plus interactive displays. More at Brandywine.org.
Holiday Light Express
Dec. 6 – Dec. 30
Wilmington & Western Railroad, Wilmington
Ride aboard a festively trimmed, historic locomotive with heated coaches, and admire the decorated trackside homes and yards along this trip through the Red Clay Valley.
Holiday Trains at Auburn Heights
Saturday, Dec. 7, 4-7pm | Marshall Steam Museum at Auburn Heights, Yorklyn
All aboard for holiday cheer! View operating model train layouts, take a ride on the Auburn Valley Railroad, enjoy caroling by UD a cappella group Vocal Point, and take a photo with Santa. More at AuburnHeights.org.
Enjoy a festive toy train display operated by local collectors within Winterthur’s Brown Horticulture Learning Center. Featuring the large, all-metal toy trains that were popular during the roaring ‘20s, visitors can easily imagine the joy these toys brought to children during the holidays a century ago. More at Winterthur.org
Theatrical Treats
Holiday Inn
Now–Saturday, Dec. 22
e Candlelight eatre, Arden
Inspired by the Academy Award-winning lm of the same name, this joyous musical features thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and more than 20 Irving Berlin classics. More at Candlelight eatreDelaware.org.
Home for the Holidays in the 302 Dec. 4–Dec. 22 | Delaware eatre Company, Wilmington Riverfront
White Christmas meets e Ed Sullivan Show in this heartwarming celebration of the season featuring a variety of rst-rate First State talent, plus special appearances by local celebrities. More at Delaware eatre.org.
ACharlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage Sunday, Dec. 22, 2pm & 6pm
e Playhouse on Rodney Square, Wilmington
e Peanuts’ timeless holiday television special comes to life on stage in a Broadway-styled production featuring the music of Vince Guaraldi along with traditional Christmas songs and carols. More at eGrandWilmington.org.
Dancing Delights
Christina Cultural Arts Center’s Carols in Color Sunday, Dec. 1, 4 pm
e Grand Opera House, Wilmington
Christina Cultural Arts Center’s holiday tradition retells the story of Christ’s birth according to the gospel of St. Matthew by using contemporary music, exuberant dance, and powerful narration, featuring some of Philadelphia’s premier vocalists and the movements of Eleone Dance eatre and Eleone Connection of Philadelphia. More at eGrandWilmington.org.
e Wilmington Ballet presents e Nutcracker Friday, Dec. 13, 7:30pm; Saturday, Dec. 14, 2pm and 7:30pm; and Sunday, Dec. 15, 2pm
e Playhouse on Rodney Square, Wilmington
is holiday treat that celebrates cultural diversity stars Brazilian dancers Ingrid Silva and Luis Fernando of e Dance eatre of Harlem as e Sugar Plum Fairy and e Nutcracker, respectively. Tchaikovsky's score is brought to to life by the Wilmington Ballet Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Allan Scott. More WilmingtonBallet.org.
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Delaware Arts Conservatory presents e Snow Queen
Saturday, Dec. 14, 12pm & 5pm; Sunday, Dec. 15, 2pm Laird Performing Arts Center at Tatnall School, Greenville
A holiday tradition since 2012, this production is a feast for the eyes told through various forms of dance. Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, this 1844 story was also the inspiration for Disney’s Frozen More at DelArts.com/SnowQueen.
First State Ballet eatre presents e Nutcracker Saturdays, Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, 2pm & 7pm; Sundays, Dec.15 and Dec. 22, 2pm e Grand Opera House, Wilmington
Join Delaware's professional ballet company on a magical journey through the Land of Sweets in this lavish production that has become a favorite holiday tradition. More at FirstStateBallet.org.
Very Merry Music
e Choir School of Delaware’s Sounds of the Season Saturday, Dec. 7, 4pm
Grace United Methodist Church, Wilmington
Featuring the music of Ola Gjeilo, Robert Frost, John Rutter, and songs of wintertime festivities, this choral concert bridges the past and present of the holiday season. More at ChoirSchoolOfDelaware.org.
e Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Tour Saturday, Dec. 7, 8pm | e Queen, Wilmington
ese living legends of gospel music will lift your spirits with holiday standards and selections from their Grammy-winning holiday classic album, Go Tell It On e Mountain and the spirited Talkin’ Christmas album. More at eQueenWilmington.com.
Delaware Symphony Orchestra’s Holidays at the Hotel Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7:30pm | Hotel du Pont, Wilmington
e Delaware Symphony returns to the glamourous Gold Ballroom at the Hotel du Pont for an evening of festive melodies by Bach and Dvořák, featuring DSO concertmaster David Southern and Delaware’s own 13-year-old violin virtuoso, Maxwell Brown. is special experience includes a dessert and wine reception at intermission. More at DelawareSymphony.org.
Center City Chorale: Candles and Carols
ursday, Dec. 12, 12:30pm
First & Central Presbyterian Church, Wilmington
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season with Wilmington’s favorite “downtown choir” as they perform beloved carols and lively songs from around the world. e concert is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. More at MarketStreetMusicDe.org.
e Rainbow Chorale's Silver Celebration
Saturday, Dec. 14, 7pm| Grace United Methodist Church, Wilmington
Delaware’s oldest LGBTQ+ and allies community chorus celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special concert featuring a selection of holiday favorites, accompanied by a small instrumental ensemble. More at eRainbowChorale.org.
Celtic Woman White Christmas Symphony Tour
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 7:30pm | e Playhouse on Rodney Square, Wilmington
Celebrate the holiday season with the celestial voices of Grammy-nominated multi-platinum Irish singing sensation Celtic Woman. e all-female ensemble performs a program of Yuletide favorites, accompanied by a full symphony. More at eGrandWilmington.org.
A Jazzy Christmas with “ e Big Cat” Smith ursday, Dec. 19, 7pm | eatre N, Wilmington
Swing through the holiday season with a live performance by renowned trumpeter Tony “ e Big Cat” Smith as he explores holiday music with his own ‘special sauce’. More at eatreN.com.
DelArt Nights: A Jazz Before Christmas
Friday, Dec. 20, 5pm Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington
Explore the Museum’s galleries while sipping on winterthemed beverages and enjoying the smooth sounds of the John Maurice Restrepo Quartet performing jazzy holiday classics. More at DelArt.org.
FSBT's The Nutcracker
ALittle Bit of Christmas
Saturday, Dec. 21, 4pm
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington
Wilmington Handbell Ensemble performs a holiday program of favorites such as "Jingle Bell Boogie," " e First Noel," "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and more. More at WilmingtonHandbellEnsemble.org.
Deck Those Halls
Winter Wreath & Centerpiece Workshop
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 5:30pm-8pm
Delaware Center for Horticulture, Wilmington
Expert ower arrangers and wreath makers will demonstrate and guide you on crafting a festive wreath or centerpiece using fresh, locally sourced greenery and an assortment of other natural materials and bows. All materials and light refreshments will be provided. Registration required. More at eDCH.org/Events.
Annual Wreath Sale
Friday, Dec. 6, 4pm-7pm and Saturday, Dec. 7, 9am
Church of the Holy City, Wilmington
If you’re not into crafting your own wreath, Wilmington’s historic Church of the Holy City o ers fresh, ready-made balsam wreaths from Maine at its annual sale. ree sizes are available, and you can choose from plain, traditional, or custom-decorated. More at ChurchOf eHolyCity.org/Wreath-Sale.
Holiday Arrangement
Saturday, Dec. 14, 10am-12pm Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin
Led by Mt. Cuba’s Education Specialist Serah Pesce, you’ll create a beautiful container arrangement using a collection of evergreens and natural delights. Registration is required. More at MtCubaCenter.org.
Browse local vendors at this craft and vintage market presented by Lucky Shot Co ee, while enjoying a beer or cider from Wilmington Brew Works. More at WilmingtonBrewWorks.com.
Kennett Square’s Holiday Village Market
Saturdays & Sundays, Dec. 7, 8, 14 & 15, 11am-5pm e Creamery of Kennett Square is shopping and dining experience boasts a rotating selection of more than 40 artisan vendors, exclusive beverages & hot drinks, food trucks, and family activities. More at KennettCollaborative.org/HolidayVillageMarket.
Dew Point Brewing Co.’s Christmas Fair
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2-6pm Dew Point Brewing Co., Yorklyn
Sip a pint and peruse gifts by local vendors while the Stargazer Brass Quintet plays seasonal tunes, then stay for Dew Point’s tree lighting at 5pm. More at DewPointBrewing.com.
Brandywine Holiday Festival of the Arts
Saturday, Dec. 21, 10am-6pm and Sunday, Dec. 22, 11am-4pm Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington
Find unique and meaningful gifts for your family and friends at this event featuring 150 local artists and artisans. BrandywineHoliday.com.
Eat, Drink & Be Merry
Blitzen Bar
Now through Dec. 24 220 W 9th Street, Wilmington
Wilmington’s holiday popup invites you to cozy up by the replace for a predinner cocktail or stay all night for the reindeer games. Christmas attire is welcomed, but not required. More at BlitzenWilmington.com.
Blitzen (photo by Joe del Tufo)
Kennett Holiday Village Market
(by Dylan Francis)
Church of the Holy City
e Sleigh Bar at Klondike Kate’s Now through January 12 | Main Street, Newark
Drink up, Grinches! Steer your sleigh over to Klondike Kate’s and enjoy “Who-bliations” and “Mock-Ville Tails,” along with a special menu featuring “Max & His Friends” (little smokies in pu pastry) and “Who-Hash Goo” (spinach & artichoke dip). More at KlondikeKates.com/ eSleighBar.
Santa Claws at Starboard Claw
Now through Dec. 31
4pm-11pm (M-F), noon-11pm (weekends)
Starboard Claws, Dewey Beach
If you’re headed to the beach, stop by the Starboard Claw, which has rebranded itself for the season as “Santa Claws.” ey’re serving up a holiday-inspired menu of cocktails, including Sugar Cookie Martini & Santa Clós Crush, as well as sweet and savory nibbles. More at StarboardClaw.com.
Movies on Tap:
National Lampoon’s ChristmasVacation and Elf
Friday, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13
Penn Cinema, Wilmington Riverfront
It’s going to be the “hap-hap-happiest Christmas” when Movies on Tap brings back its ever-popular showing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Dec. 6) with beers by Dog sh Head and bene ting Delaware Restaurant Association. As a bonus, they'll also show the modern Christmas classic Elf a week later (Dec. 13) with beers by Tröegs and bene ting Urban Promise. Don’t be a cottonheaded ninnymuggins, get your tickets before they sell out. More at Wilmington.PennCinema.com/Movies-On-Tap.
Ugly Sweater Santa Crawl
Saturday, Dec. 14, 8pm 9 locations throughout Wilmington
Don your tackiest apparel for Out & About's annual bar crawl!
One $5 cover gains admission gets you into all the venues and bene ts the Ronald McDonald House. Toy donations are accepted at all venues. For a list of participating spots visit OutAndAboutNow.com/events.
Bellefonte Brewing’s Annual Ugly Sweater Party
Saturday, Dec. 21, 7pm | Old Capitol Trail, Wilmington row on your most outrageous holiday out t and get ready for night of craft beers and holiday cheer with live music by Zipline Lily to get you rockin’ around the Christmas tree. More at BellefonteBrewingCompany.com. >
J’s cafe
New Year's Cheer
Confetti Countdown
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11am, 12pm & 1pm
Delaware Children’s Museum, Wilmington Riverfront
e Museum rings in the New Year early with three separate hourly countdowns featuring a big confetti release, plus educational activities, and live performances. More at DelawareChildrensMuseum.org.
STOMPing into the New Year Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10am
Delaware Museum of Nature & Science, Greenville
Families can also enjoy an early countdown at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science with live bird presentations and celebratory activities including a very special science-related ball drop. Pre-registration requested. More at DelMNH.org.
Zoo Year's Eve
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10am & 12pm Brandywine Zoo, Wilmington Party with the animals at this countdown celebration. Due to popularity, there are two time slots available. Tickets required. More at BrandywineZoo.org.
New Year’s Eve Drone Light Show
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 6pm
Wilmington Riverfront
Ooh and ahh at this artistic light show that promises to be a mesmerizing and memorable experience. More at RiverfrontWilm.com/Holiday-Magic.
— For more holiday events visit InWilmDe.com
The Power of Music
Wilmington Children’s Chorus teaches youth the importance of community
FBy Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald
or more than 20 years, the Wilmington Children’s Chorus (WCC) has been nurturing the youth of Wilmington through the power of music and the power of the kids’ own voices. WCC not only provides an artistic outlet for ages 1-18, it also provides invaluable life experiences like teamwork, self-esteem building, and multiculturalism.
In 2002, CityFest Inc. — the non-pro t arm of the O ce of Cultural A airs — aimed to create a project to engage Wilmington’s youth in the arts, and WCC was born of that e ort. Once considered “the tiny non-pro t that could,” it now comprises six sta members, more than 700 singers across four programs, and a wealth of supporters. And true to its original mission, the choir remains a tuition-free experience for all members. >
Wilmington Children's Chorus remains a tuition-free experience for all members. Photos by Bob Hanes
WCC is going strong as its own vibrant non-profit organization, hosting five performing ensembles, three Neighborhood Choirs, an early childhood music program, an international exchange program with Wilmington sister cities like Fulda, Germany, and numerous summer camps.
Kimberly Doucette has been with WCC since 2005, rst as Associate Director then stepping into the Artistic Director position in 2009. During her tenure, she has reinforced WCC’s reputation for excellence and expanded access for children across our community, building a musical home where youth of all backgrounds come together and learn more about themselves, their community, and their world.
“While the core values of excellence and access haven’t changed,” Doucette says, “my own understanding of the hard work and imaginative thinking required to make this opportunity equitable and inclusive for all children has deepened.”
Executive Director Lianna Magerr equally shares Doucette’s dedication and vision. “When I started working for WCC in 2015, we were the ‘tiny nonpro t that could’,” Magerr recalls. “For the rst ve years, growth was my main focus. I’m so proud of what we’ve built.”
Among the things Doucette and Magerr have built are programs that meet the community’s youth right where they are. WCC’s Neighborhood Choirs and Early Learner’s Music (ELM) program enable children from 6 weeks to 13 years of age to enjoy music education in spaces where they live and learn.
Academy to provide music programs to more than 250 children across the city.
“I’m excited to broaden our reach even further through additional community partnerships and strategic relationships with schools,” Magerr says. “Ultimately, our programs are designed for students to ‘graduate’ from one program to the next and eventually join the ranks of hundreds of WCC alumni.”
Doucette says working with WCC continues to teach her much about the rich tapestry of our community and the incredible potential of our young people.
“I want our choristers to know that who they are is important, unique, and special,” she says. “I want them to see that they are loved for who they are, that everyone has a musical home here, and I want them to experience the power and strength that can come from working together.”
“Here, I experience a growing community where we feed o each other’s energy,” says Marley Saunders, a 17-year-old member from St. Mark’s High. “I love that we encourage each other to soar, become better, and make great choices.”
One of Marley’s goals is to inspire more young children to sing and express their joy of music “by sharing meaningful messages through our songs and showing that singing is cool. We shouldn't be afraid to show our gifts and talents; this choir is a great way to do that.”
ELM partners with centers like Kingswood Community Center and Las Americas Aspira Academy, where youth can participate in twice-a-week music classes embedded into their regular school day. e Neighborhood Choir program was established to address another barrier to participation in afterschool activity — transportation. WCC collaborates with area community centers and schools such as Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, Walnut Street YMCA, and Evan G. Shortlidge
Another WCC chorister, 16-year-old Marcus AuldSaunders from Delcastle Technical High School, enjoys the opportunity to come together, see friends, and learn great songs. “ e thing I love most is being able to sing with all the awesome performers, being a part of this experience,” he says.
One of Marcus’ favorite memories with WCC was a spring concert where they performed Shosholoza, a rendition of a South African miners’ work song arranged by WCC Associate Director Philip Doucette. “I was inspired both by the song and its message,” said Doucette. “I felt strongly it was something I needed to share with our young people. It has since become a staple of the choir.”
Governor John Carney commends chorus members on a performance well done.
Associate Director Philip Doucette leads WCC in a holiday performance.
“ e song is so great — the ow, the lyrics,” says Marcus. “ e energy it brings to the audience is infectious. It’s also the last song we sing with the graduating seniors, so it’s a nice send-o .”
Another important aspect of WCC is the support of its chorister parents. Marsha Auld-Saunders’ children have been involved with WCC for eight years, initially discovering the ensemble through its summer camp.
“ e camaraderie, the fun songs, and the end-of-camp showcase was the highlight of their summer,” she says. “When there were auditions, they begged to join, and we've been proud members of the WCC family ever since.”
Her children have gained many valuable fundamentals as WCC members, she adds. “Time management and discipline. e value of teamwork, order, and having fun while creating something magical, are all great lessons learned during their tenure.”
Doucette’s favorite parts of WCC are seeing her members’ emotional reactions to their art. " e looks of pride after nailing a particularly di cult song; a choir member’s tears of joy upon seeing the audience rise for a standing ovation; the warm smiles from alumni who join us in every concert nale; and the countless joyful expressions on faces in every rehearsal and performance.”
“ e most important lesson any child can learn is the importance of community,” Magerr says. “Choral singing is great at teaching this because a choir is literally the sum of its parts. I want [our choristers] to remember these lessons, because being part of a community requires you to show up, do hard work, and take care of one another.”
— is month is particularly busy for WCC, with concerts and holidaythemed collaborations with Cartoon Christmas trio and Delaware eatre Company. For a complete rundown of their December calendar, visit WilmingtonChildrensChorus.org.
DTC Keeps It Local for the Holidays
Delaware eatre Company is presenting a holiday rst as Willmington Children's Chorus along with six other organizations in Greater Wilmington are partnering to present Home for the Holidays in the 302.
Directed by Rebecca Wright, this inaugural holiday production runs Dec. 4-22 and is being billed as White Christmas meets e Ed Sullivan Show. Joining WCC in the song-and-dance extravaganza include Christina Cultural Arts Center, Delaware Shakespeare, Elevate Vocal Arts, Opera Delaware, e Choir School of Delaware, and the Buccini Pollin Group.
“In our inaugural Holiday Extravaganza, we are thrilled to unite an incredible array of talented artists — from across the region — under one roof,” says DTC Executive & Artistic Director Matt Silva. “ is celebration embodies the warmth and joy of the season, o ering a unique and festive experience that captures the feeling of what it’s like to be home for the holidays.”
Tickets start at $32. Call 302-594-1100 or visit online at DelawareTheatre.org
The Secret Sauce
Modern mixology is an art, skill and science
By Pam George
Frequent guests at Bar Reverie in Greenville can’t help but notice the chemistry between mixologists Jake Richman and Susan Hallak, who appear perfectly in sync behind the white-topped bar. If they’re more than a little irty, that’s OK; the coworkers are also romantic partners. Moreover, they’re collaborators on the cocktail menu. ese days, that’s no easy task.
“It’s all about elevating ingredients, elevating the experience,” says Hallak, who met Richman behind the bar of Taco Grande on the Wilmington Riverfront. “It’s about di erent colors, sustainable ingredients and not just: ‘Hey, let me squeeze an orange.’” In short, the di erence between 2024 and 2014 is “night and day,” she notes.
Welcome to the modern cocktail culture where in-demand mixologists are part artists and performers. Like chefs, they must understand avor pro les and how to blend sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami characteristics to produce a memorable beverage — whether it has alcohol or not.
A Spirited Evolution
After taking a backseat to beer and wine in the 1970s and 1980s, cocktails experienced a resurgence with 1990s martini bars. Sex & the City re-introduced the Cosmopolitan, which sidled up to the appletini and chocolate martini.
However, bartenders 15 years ago poured more shots and drafts, says Karen Nallie, the bar supervisor at e Quoin in downtown Wilmington. She began tending bar in 2012. “Back then, bars specializing in cocktails were few and far between,” she says. “ e cocktail menus were just beginning to re ect more carefully crafted cocktails using higher-end ingredients.”
Below: Jake Richman and Susan Hallak at Bar Reverie.
At left: Hallak torches a garnish for one of her cocktail creations. Photos by Jim Coarse
What’s old became new again when young customers discovered the Old Fashioned and Manhattan. Tony Bomba, owner of Dorcea, says the Old Fashioned is the most popular cocktail at the Mid-Town Brandywine eatery.
It’s a cyclical pattern, notes Andrew Charlton, a bartender at Eclipse in Wilmington’s Little Italy section. “The joke amongst our geeky cocktail circles is that everything is a derivation of four basic cocktails,” he says. “So, in some way or other, we always see a return to the classic.”
Admittedly, many have a 21st-century spin. For instance, e Quoin’s bartenders add Vermont maple syrup and a dash of Maldon salt to the Old Fashioned. Meanwhile, new products spark innovation. Richman points to broVos Spirits, which makes an herbal liqueur with an Alpine avor pro le. He says the product has become a hit given that Green Chartreuse has been in short supply.
Regardless of the spirit, cocktail sales are rising above beer and wine, says Nick Georigi, the beverage director for Platinum Dining, which owns Eclipse.
e Right Recipe
Georigi says restaurants must have a distinctive cocktail program. At Bardea Food & Drink, bartender Samantha Costa works with the chefs to cross-utilize ingredients and techniques. Interestingly, she often collaborates with the pastry chef.
She’s not alone. Successful beverage programs align with the kitchen’s mission. “ e philosophy we follow at Columbus Inn in both food and beverage is using the highest quality and freshest ingredients to create the best dishes and cocktails,” says Hayla DeLano, the general manager. e new 1906 at Longwood Gardens, which has a bar and lounge, is also a prime example of this approach.
“While we were forming the idea of the cocktail program, everything just lent itself natural botanicals,” says Gareth Tootell, regional director of operations for
We’ve got what Santa really wants you to leave out.
Lawrence Ramirez at the new 1906 at Longwood Gardens. 1906's Garden Tonic Collection includes syrups infused with barks, botanicals and florel essences.
Photo provided
Restaurant Associates, which manages Longwood’s food-and-beverage program. The restaurant’s Garden Tonic Collection is a riff on vodka tonics. The housemade tonic includes syrups infused with barks, botanicals, and floral essences.
Like Longwood’s displays, these botanicals change with the seasons, a practice not limited to ne dining. Even casual restaurants such as Grotto Pizza add new drinks to re ect the seasons. e Delaware-based restaurant recently unveiled the spiced apple mule and Tito’s Cranberry Punch (a portion of the proceeds bene t on Meals on Wheels.)
Curating a beverage menu takes time, particularly if it changes quarterly. Although many manufacturers provide recipes, Willie Anderson, beverage director at Torbert Street Social, prefers to create his own. Consider “Let that Man-Go,” a margarita with charred jalapenoinfused tequila, house mango cordial, vanilla simple syrup and passionfruit. e glass is rimmed in Tajin, a mild chili pepper, sea salt and lime seasoning.
Under the in uence of botanicals and savory ingredients, cocktails have shifted from sweet to bitter and in between.
“ e spritz has seen a big resurgence for not just Aperol, but other aperitifs and digestifs mixed with beer or club soda — instead of prosecco — to lower ABV but maximize avor,” DeLano says.
She uses Columbus Inn’s Honey-Pear Spritz Martini as an example. It contains organic pear-infused
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Brian Burnett works his magic at Snuff Mill Restaurant. Photo provided
vodka, house-made honey simple syrup, elder ower, and prosecco. Such recipes create a balance for those who nd Aperol too bitter. Likewise, Dorcea in Mid-Town Brandywine makes avored bitters to soften the sting.
At Snu Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar in Brandywine Hundred, Brian Burnett recently combined Aperol and grapefruit juice, topped with a luscious Champagne foam and sprinkled cinnamon-chili powder. When using seemingly disparate ingredients, the trick is to create harmony. Balance is essential.
“A drop of something can change the whole avor pro le,” Costa notes.
Capturing the Senses
Burnett’s additions are designed to enhance the fragrance, color, and presentation. Plus, they leave a pleasant, lingering taste on the tongue. In short, the goal is to create a multi-sensory experience, Georigi notes. When Hallak and Richman change the cocktail menu, they ensure a variety of spirits, colors and even glassware.
Garnishes go beyond the traditional citrus wheels. Before serving Bar Reverie’s “Drive me Sage-y” — made with sage-infused gin, black cherry and lemon — the bartenders torch sage and place the herb on the drink. When 1906 opened in October, a delicate purple orchid garnished the Herbal Highball, made with vodka, autumnal herbs, and house-made tonic water.
Smoke, however, is the trending ingredient. Burnett, a graduate of Aqua Vita Institute, a Philadelphia bartending school, uses a smoke topper to infuse a subtle wood avor. He also places a glass upside down on charred wood, so smoke lls the receptacle. en, he turns it right-side up and pours the spirit from a crystal carafe.
Both techniques demonstrate showmanship. “ ings are more interactive,” Richman says. Customers inevitability perk up when there’s smoke and ame. When Bar Reverie opened, servers torched the chocolate martini’s marshmallow top at the table. Soon, the bar was overwhelmed with orders.
Torbert Street Social's "Pearfection," topped with cinnamon and clove whipped cream that is made in-house. Photo courtesy Willie Anderson
Cocktail recipes must be creative but “simple in execution and executed correctly,” Georigi says. “You don’t want a cocktail that takes 25 minutes to make.” ere’s no room for improvising. About 90% of Eclipse’s cocktails are measured pours.
Anderson would approve. His sta always uses jiggers. “We’re trying to be as precise as possible,” he explains.
Using measuring tools also ensures customers receive the requisite amount, no matter the glass size.
Kitchen Confidential
Costa didn’t realize how much went into a cocktail until she was behind the bar. “For every 20 cocktail ideas you come up with, only one is produced.” And that takes e ort, much of which occurs before the bar opens.
Torbert Street Social’s bartenders prepare syrups and cordials in advance. Burnett comes in early to make liqueurs, including the g used in a smoked orange- g Manhattan. He also ages tequila in a barrel cured with a chocolate-co ee-cayenne liqueur.
“It incorporates it all into one pre-batched cocktail,” he explains. Batching cocktails takes time but saves time in the long run.
Similarly, the 1906 bar sta uses the production kitchen to prep ingredients two days before. Not only do some require days to make, but the e ort also ensures that bartenders won’t run out.
“It’s given us an opportunity to work in a smarter and more cohesive way,” Tootell explains. e culinary emphasis has increased with the advent of the mocktail. Given that Longwood Gardens is all about plants, 1906 uses tea as the base for Herbal Elixirs. "Rustling the Leaves," for instance, contains orange rooibos tea, demerara sugar and cranberry. "Spiced Silk" is made with chai and sweet cream.
Despite having only a few ingredients, preparing the mocktails is an elaborate process, Gareth says. Chai is strained three times to remove any particulate. It’s then blended with shelf-stable sweetened condensed milk, poured over crushed ice, splashed with club soda and nished with orange.
BBC bartender Joseph Polecaro Photo by Jim Coarse
At Snu Mill, Burnett has crafted versatile recipes that can be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, while at Bardea Food & Drink, customers choose from avor pro les such as herbal, sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter. en, the bartender whips up a special mocktail. “You’re never getting the same one twice,” Costa says.
What’s Coming
Mocktails will continue to increase in popularity, bartenders agree. “ ey’re no longer for people who’re lazily labeled as ‘not drinking,’” Charlton says. “It’s a lifestyle choice similar to vegetarianism. ere’s no stigma.”
Costa concurs. Ordering a mocktail can be just as fun for the drinkers as the non-drinkers. “ e fact you don’t have to feel pressured to drink is awesome,” she says.
Brands are releasing non-alcoholic spirits, including gin and vodka. “You can have an alcohol-free Old Fashioned, which is something I never thought would happen,” Richman says.
Columbus Inn o ers alcohol-free red, white and sparkling wines, beer and seasonal beverages that are all alcohol-free. “I’ve also seen that lower alcohol cocktails and beers are becoming more popular,” DeLano says.
On the alcohol side, ri s on the classics are in vogue, according to Costa. A more recent classic, the espresso martini, is still the “star.” “She has not lost her place at the top.”
e drink has roots in the 1990s club culture, Charlton says. It was a wink-wink wake-me-up drink for bartenders after their shift. Many drinks from that era are returning. Hello, Cosmo!
To jazz things up, restaurants put a signature touch on the espresso martini. For instance, Dorcea uses foam to top both espresso and chocolate martinis. “It gives them a nice creaminess,” Bomba maintains.
Dwayne Foster, co-owner of the Mercury Café & Tearoom in Historic New Castle, uses fresh espresso for his version, which “eclipses all others,” he says.
Many bartenders specialize in custom cocktails, says Joseph Polecaro, the bartender at BBC Tavern in Greenville. If a customer enjoys Blanton’s oaked bourbon, he’ll create a cocktail based on preference, including sweetness, bitterness, acidity or overall texture. Burnett at Snu Mill also enjoys customizing a drink for his patrons.
Costa says that bourbon is big this time of year. However, gin-based cocktails are on the rise, Foster adds. e Mercury’s Corpse Reviver Number 2 has seen an uptick in sales. e drink features gin, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto liqueur, orange liqueur, lemon, and absinthe.
Nallie of e Quoin predicts an uptick in cocktails with forti ed wine — vermouth, port and sherry — as an ingredient or base. Agave-based spirits, such as tequila and mezcal, will continue to shine, she says.
However, the critical ingredient for any cocktail is the person who makes it. e lively interaction between Hallak, Richman, and their guests is the fun factor that sweetens the cocktail's appeal.
“We make sure every person knows that we put our hearts and souls into every single cocktail we make,” Hallak says.
A RARE LEGACY
John Constantinou of Walter’s Steakhouse has created a memorable dining experience in Wilmington for more than 31 years
By Mary Ellen Mitchell
From the time I was a young man, it was an ambition of mine to have my own restaurant one day,” says John Walter Constantinou, owner-operator of Walter’s Steakhouse in Wilmington. Such ambition is part of his DNA. His paternal grandfather was born in Turkey and forced into exile by the Turkish government in the early 1900s, because he and his family weren’t Muslim. “ e Turks threw them out with just their clothes and little else,” Constantinou reveals. “He sailed to France and then Canada before immigrating to Washington, D.C., where he found work as a cook when he was just 14-years old.”
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Photos by Jim Coarse
John Constantinou (l) with long-time staffers Gina Taconnelli and Rick Pragg.
A few years later, Constantinou’s grandfather traveled to Greece and returned to Washington with his new wife, Sophie. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, he sent Sophie and their children to live in Greece until 1934, when he brought them back and settled in Wilmington.
With what little money his grandfather had left, he opened Sophie’s Sub Shop in 1941 in the Forty Acres neighborhood at the corner of Lincoln Street and Shallcross Avenue, where Scalessa’s “My Way” Old School Italian Kitchen operates today.
In search of a better opportunity, he sold Sophie’s in 1951 and acquired the B&O Restaurant at 1616 Delaware Avenue, which became Constantinou's House of Beef in 1959. His son George Constantinou took over and ran the famed Wilmington institution with his wife Priscilla by his side, until he retired and sold the business in 1986. Today the spot is home to Catherine Rooney’s.
THE THIRD GENERATION TO SUCCEED
John Constantinou and his four siblings grew up in the West Park neighborhood of Wilmington. While attending A.I. DuPont High School in 1973, he began working for his father, initially washing dishes and later learning to cut beef: tenderloins, top rounds, strip steaks, top butts, ank steaks and ribs.
“Back then, packing houses sold ribs to restaurants with the deckle meat, short ribs and fat cap. We had to break it down to create use for everything,” he recalls.
Constantinou met his wife Carol when they were in
college at Wesley and working in the campus food service department. “Our boss introduced us,” he muses. “I was a bookkeeper, and she was a line server.”
After graduating from Wesley College, Constantinou moved to Washington, D.C., where he held culinary positions at Marriott in the contract food service division and at Beefsteak Charlie’s restaurant. In 1983, he returned to Wilmington to work for his father full-time. He and Carol married in 1986.
After his father retired, Constantinou went into real estate, with his dream of becoming a restauranteur still simmering. One memorable day in 1989 he revealed to Carol, “Some great deals have come across my desk, and I’m sure I can do this.” She gave her support, “then and always,” he says.
“As I was working to build the business, she excelled in a demanding career of her own as an ICU surgical nurse at Christiana Hospital. She works in pediatrics today.”
e couple would go on to raise three children, who also followed their passions: Two are teachers and one is a civil engineer, but they all have lent dad a hand on busy nights at Walter’s, especially on holidays.
In the early '90s, Constantinou's three-year search for the right location ended when a building at 802 North Union Street (on the corner of 8th and Union) in the Little Italy neighborhood became available. Formerly occupied by a restaurant called e Road House, the building o ered an ideal con guration for intimate seating and an expansive bar on the main oor, with ample space for private gatherings on the second oor.
Constantinou opened Walter’s Steakhouse in 1993.
e dining area o ers a mix of 18 candlelit tables and booths, partially divided into three separate areas for a cozy atmosphere. With soft jazz in the background, diners can speak quietly and still be heard. One longtime guest proposed to his wife over dinner at Walter’s. She heard him the rst time, and apparently, said, “Yes.”
Locally and beyond, Walters is known as a classy, oldworld steakhouse, featuring prime angus beef — aged for tenderness and prepared to bring out its natural avor.
“One thing about our beef is that it’s not heavily seasoned. We prepare our own java char-crust rub, which adds a hint of co ee avor to the meat before cooking, and we nish with just salt and pepper,” he notes.
Diners can choose an accompanying sauce, such as bearnaise, hollandaise, and au poivre, but every steak comes with au jus, made from boiled bones and mirepoix, to “generate that hearty brown broth,” he o ers.
Au poivre is a brandy cream sauce made with whole peppercorns which are pressed into the meat, which is seared with the sauce, but not everyone enjoys the experience of biting into whole peppercorns. Constantinou addressed the conundrum by o ering au poivre as an optional side sauce.
ese are just some of the special touches that have earned the family establishment a Best of Delaware award in the steakhouse category for too many years to tally.
Richard, a longtime Wilmington resident says, “John is a good man who wants his guests to enjoy their visit and, like his father, stops to chat at every table to ensure
that each guest’s meal is prepared to their liking. e food is always delicious.”
Jill and Lee of Hockessin recently dined at Walter’s to celebrate Lee’s birthday. “I was looking forward to this night all week,” Lee says. “Not just for the amazing prime rib, but also the laid-back vibe and world-class martinis.”
Walter’s is also known for highly lauded desserts and an extensive wine list, including a broad range of California cabernets and plenty of unique, mid-priced nds as well.
From a young age, Constantinou observed the way his a able father interacted with guests. “Hospitality is about creating a meaningful experience. It also means being open to feedback, and if something is o , correcting it immediately.”
DEDICATION AND KINDNESS
ENGENDER LOYALTY
Walter’s serves dinner seven nights a week, from 5 to 10 p.m., and on Sundays, from 4 to 10 p.m. Constantinou typically arrives to work by noon, and doesn’t get home until well after midnight.
Many of his sta have been with him for more than a decade. His sister Gigi handles part of the bookkeeping. Chef Rick Pragg has worked at Walter’s for 18 years.
Chef Alex Sessoms enjoys expressing himself through cooking. Bartenders Geneva Gibson and Gina Taconnelli are known for their great personalities and specialty drinks.
“It’s important to me that everyone I work with has >
John Constantinou (l) with many of the staff members who have helped make Walter's Steak House a Wilmington institution.
an opportunity to use their talents,” Constantinou remarks.
His sta appreciates his kindness. According to server Samantha Deloache, “Working for John is a pleasure. When I’ve got a two-tray order, he helps carry it to my table. He’s everywhere, all the time: greeting guests, busing tables, and helping in the kitchen. He treats everyone here with kindness.”
Taconelli says she and her colleagues are like family, and many guests feel the same way about them.
Ron and Linda of Middletown recall happy memories from Constantinou’s House of Beef, where they regularly dined and became acquainted with two generations of the family. e couple has a standing date-night reservation at Walter’s every Friday night.
“Sitting in our favorite booth, it occurs to me why we’ve been coming here for 50 years, besides the amazing food and ambiance: It’s our Cheers — where everybody knows our name and treats us like family.”
MOVING FORWARD
Constantinou has managed to prevail through the great recession in 2007, the COVID pandemic in 2020, high in ation in 2022, and many other business challenges.
“I respond by moving forward while looking for answers,” he says. is often means going for a ride in the woods on his mountain bike. “O road riding allows me to work on problems at the subconscious level,” he says. " e answer will often occur to me later, like in the middle of the night,” he chuckles.
“As we enter our 31st year in business, I now measure time in milestones as opposed to years. Graduations, anniversaries, birthdays — these are the special occasions we’ll remember most. And I feel good about helping people make those memories. It’s really a lot of fun.”
A Holiday Twist
Two Wilmington Drama League alums team to ‘push the norms of drag’
By Ken Mammarella
Jolene Cuisine, the self-described “drag bear of Delaware,” is getting her rst solo show. A Very Hairy Christmas debuts Dec. 6 in Wilmington. Tickets are $15 plus fees for general admission at e Queen, which labels the show 18+.
Zach Langrehr came up with Jolene in 2021, after he was among the thousands laid off at Disney World in the pandemic. “She’s Zach, amped up, gay, flamboyant and as big as possible,” he says, adding that the creation “was like finding the right radio station after listening to a lot of static.”
e character is known for her auburn hair, thanks to many wigs, which he calls “a rotating cast of characters”; her 6-foot stature, plus a few more inches in heels; and her “suspiciously large body.”
“Jolene” is an homage from a Dolly Parton fan to her 1973 hit. “No matter how beautiful a woman might be, you’re always threatened … by other women,” Parton once told NPR about the song.
“Cuisine” plays o the Lean Cuisine brand. “I’ve been
embracing my plus size my whole life,” Langrehr says, adding that the surname points out “the ridiculousness of diet culture.”
e show is an evening with Jolene as she prepares for a Christmas party and reminisces about parties past. She “juggles Christmas cravings, being homo for the holidays and an illicit a air with a certain St. Nick.” It runs 80 to 90 minutes and features 15 Christmas songs, some classics, some from musical theater (such as “Never Fall in Love
Zach Langrehr is taking Jolene Cuisine on the road starting with a show this month in Wilmington. Photo by Jonathan Hernandez
with an Elf,” from Elf), some singalongs and some original parodies, such as “Hardy Daddy Christmas,” adapted from Parton’s work for e Best Li le Whorehouse in Texas.
e show and its venues are all about connections. It’s directed by Jenna Glazier, his date for the 2014 Concord High prom. It’s mostly written by Haley MacMillan, a writer based in Los Angeles who was a sorority sister of Glazier at Emerson College, with input from Langrehr and Glazier.
ey began working on the project digitally this summer but, with con icting schedules, weren’t scheduled to start rehearsals until anksgiving weekend. “It will come together organically,” predicts Glazier, a directing major in college.
Performances continue Dec. 11 at SoulJoel’s at SunnyBrook in Pottstown, Pa., where Langrehr has studied comedy; Dec. 18 at Paradise in Asbury Park, N.J, a recommendation
from fellow drag queens; and Dec. 21 at e Huntington eatre in Boston, where Glazier is a digital marketing coordinator.
AVery Hairy Christmas is a di erent sort of premiere in Boston, where it’s the rst program in Huntington Hosts, in which the theater invites
creators to, well, create.
“Sometimes the arts can seem serious and overwhelming,” says Glazier, “but Jolene is fun and joyful.”
Langrehr, 28, started acting when he was 10, and he met Glazier, who’s 27, performing in Pillow Plays at the Wilmington Drama League. Jolene portrayed Glinda the Good Witch in the theater’s 2022 production of e Wizard of Oz.
Jolene also hosts a regular show at the Crimson Moon in Wilmington and performs regularly in Rehoboth Beach, often at the Blue Moon and Diego’s. Details at JoleneCuisine.com.
Langrehr, who has a day job in medical scheduling, has given up the bedroom in his Bellefonte apartment for Jolene’s two racks of clothes, her many accessories and her props.
Although many drag queens work to completely feign femininity, Langrehr embraces his beard and body hair. “I’m pushing the norms of drag,” he says.
A Very Hairy Christmas director Jenna Glazier
Photo by Brad Glazier
unedin
LIVE MUSIC LIGHTS UP WEEKENDS ON CITY'S LOVERING AVENUE
The weekends have gotten livelier lately on Wilmington’s Lovering Avenue. is month at Gallucio’s sees Friday nights energized by the sounds of Edgewater Ave (12/6), Bad Avenue (12/13), and Too Tall Slim (12/20) — with the wild guys from Delta Cosmonauts wrapping up the month on Friday the 27th.
Next door on Saturday nights at Finnegan’s Pub, you can catch Paddy O’Furniture (12/7), Just A Bit Outside (12/14), Jackie Browne (12/21) and Dickens and Ballsworth (12/28).
— VisitGallucio's-DE.com & FinnegansPub302.com
ELVIS COSTELLO RETURNS FOR GRAND ENCORE
Regaled in e Spectator as “the most fascinating songwriter Britain has produced in the past 50 years,” Elvis Costello will bring along his immense catalog of hits when he returns to e Grand on Saturday, February 22.
As part of a 15-date tour, Costello will also be bringing along Steve Nieve, the keyboardist he performed with in the Attractions starting back in 1977. Since then, the two musicians have appeared together on more than 25 recordings. Likewise, both have earned a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of Elvis Costello and the Attractions.
In 2014, Costello performed solo at e Grand for a two-hour show that included four encores. He was 60 at the time, and the tour was playfully named after his song, “ e Last Year of My Youth.”
— Visit eGrandWilmington.org
BIG ACTS COMING TO KELLY’S LOGAN HOUSE
Early 2025 sees three impressive touring acts coming to Kelly’s Logan House. On Saturday, January 4, Deadheads will rejoice when guitarist John Kaldecik brings his solo act to the second- oor stage in Trolley Square. Kaldecik presently performs with Melvin Seals & JGB, an honor he earned being a founding member of Dark Star Orchestra and a member of Further with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir from 2009 to 2014.
e following Saturday, January 11, DOOM DOGS take the stage featuring guitarist Reeves Gabrel, who has played with David Bowie and presently plays with e Cure. e band also includes Jair-Rhom Parker Wells (Machine Gun, Embryo, Sun Ra Arkestra) on bass and Jonathan Kane (February, Swans) on drums. en on Saturday, February 1, Panama Dead rolls through, a side-project of New Riders of e Purple Sage bassist and soloist Ronnie Penque.
— Visit LoganHouse.com
RUNNIN’ LATE BRINGS THE HOLIDAYS TO THE QUEEN
Area cover band Runnin’ Late performs its annual Holiday Rock Show on Friday, December 13, upstairs at e Queen.
Fans of classic rock hits can look forward to a stocking stu ed full of holiday favorites from the likes of Springsteen, the Kinks, the Eagles, U2, Billy Squier and more. e all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. and will include a few original songs as well towards the end of the night.
— Visit eQueenWilmington.com
RAMBLE ON WITH J.D. WEBB AND FRIENDS
Yorklyn will be hopping the Saturday night before Christmas as J.D. Webb and e Good God Damn bring their rst Yuletide Ramble to Dew Point Brewing Co.
With plenty of “heart-thumping anthems to backwoods ballads,” Webb says he hopes the celebration of music and the season will be “served up with enough grit and soul to shake o the winter chill.”
Adding to the festive merriment will be Katie Dill and members of New Sweden and Mad Sweet Pangs. e fun begins at 7pm on Saturday, December 21.
ESHOW CONCEPT
xpect something di erent at Shine A Light next year. e bene t concert will take place on Saturday, March 1, at the historic Queen eater per usual, but the theme will change. Whereas past Shine A Light concerts have paid tribute to a speci c year (last year’s concert focused on music from 1984, for example) — event organizers are unveiling an exciting new theme for this year’s concert.
Details of the new theme will be announced concurrent with the tickets-on-sale date of December 15.
Shine A Light is not just a concert, it’s a celebration of music’s power to inspire positive change; all proceeds from the event directly fund music education programs for Delaware’s underserved youth. In 2024, the event was able to provide grants totaling over $65,000 to seven area organizations that specialize in youth music programs.
— Visit LightUp eQueen.org
Photo: J. del Tufo
JAKE RICHMAN
BAR REVERIE
Photo by Jim Coarse
The City
A HOLIDAY MESSAGE FROM MAYOR MIKE
This is holiday season concludes a trying year in our nation, one marked by vitriol and division. Still, as I look around our great City, I see much cause for hope and optimism as 2024 draws to a close.
As your Mayor, I’ve worked hard to make Wilmington a “just city” where the conditions that divide us could be overcome, where the worst injustices could be eradicated, where poverty could be reduced, where our children could thrive, and violent crime could be all but eliminated. I’ve worked to make Wilmington a place where all members of our community are cared for and treated with equal respect while being empowered to pursue their individual dreams and aspirations.
Now, as friends, family, and neighbors from all walks of life gather together to celebrate and prepare to greet a new year, we can take pride and comfort in the fact that we will do so in a City that is cleaner, safer, healthier, more prosperous, and more just than it has ever been. Our neighborhoods are stronger. Our economy is growing. Our finances and infrastructure are in far better shape than they were eight years ago.
I am pleased to leave behind a vibrant City filled with hope, progress, and endless possibilities. Though there is still work to be done for our City to reach its full promise and potential, the future of Wilmington is brighter than ever.
And it is my sincere hope that this holiday season continues to bring us together in a spirit of unity and peace as we reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025.
Sincerely,
Michael S. Purzycki
TOY DRIVE BRIGHTENS THE HOLIDAYS FOR CITY CHILDREN
MayorMike Purzycki’s 2024 Toy Drive, which kicked o Nov. 4, is making the holidays brighter for hundreds of children and their families throughout the City with the gift of new toys. is year, Wilmington is partnering with 17 nonpro ts to identify families in need.
“In 2023 we provided toys to more than 1,200 children across our City,” said the Mayor, “and we hope to match — if not exceed — that number this year. I thank our dedicated nonpro t partner agencies as well as Store Manager Daniel Harris, GM Coach Pinkie Cooper, and the sta at Walmart Store No.2555 in New Castle for once again making this year’s toy drive possible. I also extend a special thank you to Heather Hook, Tanya Phillips and Aleta Clay in Constituent Services, and all of the volunteers who help organize this event and make it the huge success it has become.”
Families wishing to receive toys this year must send an email with the necessary information to holidaytoydrive@wilmingtonde.gov by Friday, Dec. 6. To be eligible for this program you must:
• Be a resident of the City of Wilmington.
• Show a government-issued photo ID and current utility bill, lease agreement, or other residential identifying information IF your address is di erent from your ID.
• Provide a copy of a Birth Certi cate, Court Ordered Guardianship, or other o cial documentation that proves you are the parent or legal guardian of the child(ren).
• Not have received toys from the City of Wilmington Toy Drive in 2023.
• Have children between the ages of Infant and 10-years-old.
• Anyone wishing to donate toys to this year’s drive may do so by delivering a new, unopened and unwrapped toy (no electronics) to the lobby of the Louis L. Redding City County Building, 800 N. French Street, no later than Friday, Dec. 6.
MAYOR HELPS CELEBRATE RENOVATED HELEN CHAMBERS PARK
Mayor Mike Purzycki, Parks Director Ian Smith, 5th District Council Member Bregetta Fields, other City officials, and many friends and family members of the late community activist Helen Chambers gathered last month to celebrate the rededication of the West Center City park named in her honor. A ribbon cutting event was held on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the newly renovated Helen Chambers Park , 5th and Madison streets — a fitting tribute to Ms. Chambers, a woman who embodied the spirit of community. Though she grew up in West Chester, Pennsyvania, she made Wilmington her home, living at 628 Madison St. Chambers was instrumental in organizing efforts for urban renewal during the 1960s, always working to make her neighborhood a better place. This renovated park, which underwent improvements and upgrades totaling more than $56,000, stands as a lasting reminder of her legacy and a beacon of community spirit for generations to come.
Mayor Purzycki's Holiday Toy Drive runs through Dec. 6.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the rededication of Helen Chambers Park on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
