LAST WEEKEND: Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA Leaves Oaks for Next Destination

If you haven’t seen VOLTA, Cirque du Soleil’s latest Big Top creation, hurry up! 

The show is in Oaks for another 2 days and limited tickets are still available before VOLTA hits the road for Seattle. The show opened July 12^th next to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and has literally become the talk of the town!

After 16 visits in Philadelphia since its creation, Cirque du Soleil set its iconic Big Top in Oaks for the very first time this year. VOLTA has had tremendous success since its arrival, mesmerizing the Montgomery County night after night.

During their stay in the Philadelphia area, the artists have had the honor of taking part in numerous activities with the local leading organizations. Among other events, the lead singers of VOLTA were invited to sing the National Anthem at the Phillies ball game against the Dodgers on July 25^th. 

The VOLTA crew also welcomed under the Big Top the cheerleaders of the Philadelphia Eagles for a fun workout session during which the cheerleaders learned the basics of circus skills from VOLTA artists.

The 71 trucks transporting the 2,000 tons of equipment required to set-up VOLTA’s tents and stage will soon head to Seattle. 

Forty-seven acrobats, actors, singers and musicians will be taking the stage at King County’s Marymoor Park in Seattle, WA, on September 7^th until the 4^thof November.

Good tickets are still available by visiting cirquedusoleil.com/volta or calling 1-877-9CIRQUE (1-877-924-7783). Tickets start at $49, including free parking.

VOLTA is a story of transformation. It is about being true to oneself, fulfilling one’s true potential, and recognizing one’s own power to make it possible. Ultimate freedom comes with self-acceptance, and with the liberation of the judgement of others. Using the rise of the celebrity culture and reality TV as a subtext, VOLTA teaches us that the path to fame is not necessarily the path to freedom.

“The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board was thrilled to welcome Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA to Montgomery County and hopes to have upcoming shows in the area again in years to come,” said Mike Bowman, President & CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board. “With more than 200 arts attractions, Montgomery County is already an arts destination, but having a show of Cirque du Soleil’s caliber certainly puts Montco on the map and proves that we can hold world class events.”

Corporate Social Responsibility in Oaks

Cirque du Soleil’s commitment goes beyond the performance, as it aims to positively impact people, communities and the planet with its best assets: art and creativity. As a good neighbor, Cirque du Soleil gives back to the communities welcoming its touring shows through activities and programs that benefit youth at risk. 

During the stay of VOLTA in Oaks, more than 600 tickets were donated to various organizations to give children and teenagers at risk the opportunity to escape into the magical world of Cirque du Soleil.

VOLTA gratefully acknowledges its Official Partners, Hennessy Black and Sirius.

Cirque du Soleil

VOLTA is Cirque du Soleil’s 41^st original production since 1984, and its 18^th show presented under the Big Top. The company has brought wonder and delight to more than 190 million spectators in more than 450 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has close to 4,000 employees, including 1,400 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Facebook: facebook.com/VOLTA  

Twitter: @Cirque #VOLTA

Instagram: @cirquedusoleil #VOLTA

Ooh La La! Celebrate Christmas at Longwood Gardens

I’ve been trying to get into the holiday spirit, and this past week I was lucky enough to spend the day with my family at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square.

My parents, my sister-in-law and my nephew haven’t been there before for Christmas so it was a treat to show them around, we went early on a sunny weekday, and it was glorious.

Longwood is French perfection, the execution of its theme is c’est magnifique. We set out for the Main Hall first, and the large Christmas trees to the entrance were fantastic. 

The fleur-de-lis is present in much of the garden’s displays, from hanging ornaments to the intricately constructed designs of fruit and nuts on the Fern Floor of Exhibition Hall. 

The Longwood blog points out that the Granny Smith apples (the green in the design) always float stem side up, as the Longwood designers have discovered.

I adored the French flair, as the Music Room was a dining room set for a Queen, with gorgeous trees, stately candelabras, and a dining table of my dreams, with cold and silver accents, and evergreens quietly announcing their presence. 

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is the inspiration for this gorgeous layout.

In the Organ room, you’ll be astounded by the grandeur, and can sing along daily with other carolers.

We decided we needed a snack, so off we went to the dining court, and after many goodies, we headed over to the Peirce-du Pont House, which is seriously my dream house, with so many gorgeous accents as it transports you to another time. 

The house was elaborately decorated for the holidays we wandered through the library (with the library cat!), the sitting rooms, and parlor, kitchens, and conservatory. Outside, we wandered past the fire pit, but we were moving along pretty quick to keep warm. 

The train area was a huge hit for my 18-month-old nephew, and he watched eagerly for the many trains rumbling over the 400 feet of track and the carefully constructed models of Longwood buildings made from wines, bark, and honeysuckle leaves. 

At night, you can see the lights over the Fountains, and the entire grounds are it up like a Christmas fairy tale. 

A half million lights serve to excite people of all ages as they stroll among the gardens and fountains.

Don’t forget to visit the Gardens Shop on your way out- this a fabulous gift shop, with foodstuffs, clothes, ornaments, plants, kids’ items, stationary, serve ware and more.

It was a glorious day, and I urge you to enjoy this beautiful display. The staff at Longwood gardens is unparalleled in creating beauty with their imaginative designs and hard work. 

In 1906, Pierre S. du Pont purchased the Peirce Arboretum to save its trees from being cut down for lumber. 

Over the next half century, Mr. du Pont developed Longwood Gardens into what it is today, a magnificent horticultural showplace, and a wonderful place for friends and family any time of the year.

Longwood Gardens, Inc. is a charitable 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit corporation with a Board of Trustees overseeing the successful operation of the Gardens.

Christmas at Longwood Gardens is on display until January 7, 2018.

Hours and Peak Times:

Peak & Non-Peak During A Longwood Christmas
- Non-Peak Days are Mondays–Thursdays, Nov 23–Dec 25, 2017 & every day Jan 2–7, 2018.
- Peak Days are all Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, Nov 24–Dec 24, 2017 & every day Dec 26, 2017–Jan 1, 2018.

Tickets are available at tickets.longwoodgardens.org or in person at Central Ticketing, or by calling 610-388-1000.

Longwood Gardens is located at 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348

 All Photography by Christine Tarlecki and may not be used or reprinted or reblogged without my permission. Please contact me with any questions. THX!

Playboy’s Incredible Influence on the American Music Scene

The remarkable and historically accurate book Playboy Swings: How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music, author Patty Farmer explores the remarkable way Hugh Hefner’s efforts resulted in a legacy that continues to influence the American music and entertainment landscape. 

“The Playboy phenomenon was not just about sex and glamorous women, it was more about lifestyle and music,” Farmer says. “The finest jazz, in particular, was a personal passion of Hefner.

Farmer, who was given access to Hefner’s personal archives, created a well-documented and illustrated chronicles of the decades of musical events and performances with musicians and artists and people who became legends in our history.  

Hugh Hefner and Playboy, the glossy magazine he published, may best known for introducing an entire generation to the beauty of the female anatomy.

But truth be told, one of the most lasting impressions and important impacts is his role and contributions to music in America.

For almost two decades, Playboy was the largest employer of entertainment—singers, musicians and comedians—in the country.

He supported and promoted jazz musicians from the very beginning in writing, on stage, and even with his own record label. The very first issue of Playboy, graced by the stunning Marilyn Monroe, also contained a detailed feature story about Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. His emphasis on musicians transcended racial divisions and opened up social dialogue and discourse in ground-breaking ways.

To celebrate Playboy’s fifth anniversary in 1959, Hefner produced the first Playboy Jazz Festival in Chicago. His TV show, "Playboy's Penthouse" aired nationwide from 1959 to 1961, and “Playboy After Dark,” from January 16, 1969 to 1970. In the 40 worldwide Playboy Clubs, he showcased jazz musicians and provided black entertainers invaluable exposure in a defiance of segregationist laws and attitudes of the time.

In 1962, Playboy published the first of the iconic Playboy interviews with Miles Davis (conducted by "Roots" author Alex Haley).

Aretha Franklin played piano and sang at the Chicago Playboy Club when just 18 years old. It was her first professional singing job outside of church.

Playboy's Penthouse broke all the rules with Hef's integration of races. Nat King Cole appearing and sitting on the couch with a white woman- Rona Jaffe--to discuss her new book was scandalous and resulted in both networks and sponsors dropping the show.

Farmer’s insights into this amazing chapter of American cultural history is told through interviews with those involved present in the actual events, including Hugh Hefner, and his Playboy cohorts, and the cadre of jazz artists, performers, show business legends and entertainers who performed at the Playboy venues, and thereafter became well known around the world.

Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski enjoying opening night at the London Playboy Club. Photos courtesy of Playboy Swings.

The opening night crowd for the London Playboy Club, in 1966, was as famous and attractive, as one could imagine. A short list of the attandees included: Julie Christie, Ursula Andress, Roman Polanski, Michelangelo Antonioni, Sidney Poitier, Laurence Harvey, Peter Sellers, David Frost, Peter Cook, Kenneth Tynan, Rudolf Nureyev, Woody Allen, Lee Radziwill, and many, many others.

Playboy Swings: How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music

Patty Farmer

With contributions from Will Friedwald

Complied through interviews with hundreds of people who were on the scene throughout Playboy’s rise, fall, and on-going renaissance, Playboy Swings carries readers on a seductive journey through the history of the empire―all the while focusing on the musical entertainment that made it unique. Hef’s personal passion for music―and his belief in it as a cornerstone of the Playboy ethos―has expressed itself in a wide range of media over Playboy’s 60-year history, and all of it comes alive in these pages.

Famer takes the reader from the inception of the Playboy empire through the 1959 jazz festival, to the opening of club after club.

With approximately 60 black and white photos, and a complete Playboy music reference guide, readers will think of music, not just Bunnies, when thinking about Playboy.

Throughout the book, it is the artists who do most of the talking―and they have a lot to say about the golden era of Playboy entertainment.

For more information visit http://patty-farmer.com/

About the Authors

Patty Farmer is acknowledged as the leading expert on all things pertaining to music, entertainment—and the entertainers—of Playboy. 

She’s also a businesswoman and former model, and has followed the entertainment industry as an insider, as well as an avid fan and archivist all her life. Her work draws upon a lifetime of friendship and socializing among personalities and celebrities around the world.

In her previous book, The Persian Room Presents, she transported readers back to the halcyon days of New York City nightlife. Patty splits her time between New York, Texas, and France.

Will Friedwald writes about jazz and popular music for The Wall Street Journal, where he has written the weekly column The Jazz Scene since 2010. 

He is the author of eight books on music and popular culture, has received ten Grammy Award nominations for album notes and production, and is internationally recognized as a leading authority on jazz and adult pop music, as well as Broadway shows, jazz and pop vocalists, big bands, and classic American pop. 

The BOOK:

List $24.95 Hardcover, $16.99 Kindle

320 pages 6.3 x 1.2 x 8.9 inches

Publisher: Beaufort Books (November 30, 2015)

ISBN-10: 0825307880 ISBN-13: 978-0825307881

Caroline Reese and the Drifting Fifth to Tour Back Home in Pennsylvania

Looking for something awesome to do this weekend- something with amazing music and talented people- look no further!

On Friday, April 1, at the The Other Farm Brewing Company Mason Porter will be playing with special guest Caroline Reese. $15 at the door, show starts at 8pm. 

128 E Philadelphia Ave, Boyertown, Pennsylvania 19512

Plus, I got to have an awesome Q&A with the talented Caroline! Caroline Reese is a songwriter from Reading, PA. 

Her music combines country, folk, and rock elements.. She has opened for Chris Stapleton, Ben Folds, Israel Nash, and John Hiatt.

Caroline and her band, the Drifting Fifth, have been featured as an emerging artist on Nashville's Music City Roots. The group’s EP “The Electric Year” was named Y102's 2014 album of the year. The band's next LP is due out later this year.

How she got into music is incremental, but she knows her talents and gift as a songwriter is where she is supposed to be. "being a songwriter feels right to me in every way - the performing, the creativity, being completely in control of my own career, booking shows and traveling," she says. 

"I am the child of two very independent people. They had me start taking music lessons, but aren't musical themselves. They always pursued their own dreams, and so later, as I got more and more serious about songwriting overtime, it felt natural to pursue my own goals. They expressed some concerns early on, but they see how happy I am when I perform and how driven I am."

"I started playing guitar around 15 because the piano wasn't portable. And genre is tricky, because I listen to a broad range of music that often doesn't include folk at all - but these are the songs that come out of me. Somewhere between country and rock and folk and Americana. 

I don't judge them too much - if I am excited about a song and the band is excited, we work on it - regardless of genre. But they seem to work well together under the Americana umbrella," Caroline explains. 

Caroline does all the songwriting, and the guys write their musical parts. "We practice until we feel that the message of the song is getting expressed in the right way - and that it feels fresh. And then we practice a lot more. Inspiration is weird! I am attracted to places and travel, and a lot of my songs have sad aspects to them. I don't tend to write when I'm super happy - it's more of a therapeutic thing for me," Caroline adds.

Caroline loves traveling and touring and being out on the road. "I love how narrowly I can focus during tours. We just drive, play, sleep. I leave my laptop at home, I can't do any other work except the task at hand. And the bonding with the band is so special to me. 

Traveling like that is definitely exhausting, and we stay at cheap gnarly hotels most of the time, but it's a very inspiring part of the songwriting work. I get very inspired by looking out of car windows into people's towns and lives.

Coming up, Caroline and the Drifting Fifth will be at Sands casino on April 9. 
Caroline will also be at the Taste of Kutztown event on June 11!

"We are schedule to perform locally right now for the most part - playing great shows like opening for Brandi Carlile at the Sands in Bethlehem April 9, playing the Wyebrook Music Festival April 30, and we have some great shows in Philly coming up. We will be traveling more and adding more shows once we finish recording our new album, sometime in the next month. That's the main focus right now," she says. 

"We'll be releasing a new album mid-2016, and releasing several singles before then. It's in a shapeshifting phase right now, but the songs are coming and sounding very cool. Pre-order information will go out on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/carolinereesemusic) and our website, www.carolinereesemusic.com when it's ready. Not for a few more months though!"

"And the best part about playing PA: I can sleep in my own bed at night! And rural PA is my favorite. I love learning about my home."

The band's music is great- it gets you in the feels (first time I've ever written that) and all songs tell a story that you want to be a part of. 

Follow this great talent on social media, and def see one of their gigs! @reeskay (Instagram) @reeskay10 (Twitter). Pictures herein courtesy of CarolineReeseMusic.com.