Downtown Wilmington in 6 minutes

Our friends at WITN, channel 22, have just produced an excellent overview of our Downtown Wilmington.

I appreciate the work Sheila Friedman and her team has done to showcase our incredible community.

Take a look at the video here:

You might want to take a look at all that WITN produces by clicking here.

We have a collection of great entrepreneurs, artists, educators, entertainers, residents, business leaders, non-profits, students, and more in our Downtown Wilmington - I hope you'll take time to explore all of these aspects of our community.

Marty

Get ready for Richard Raw Week in Wilmington

Our friend, Richard Raw, consistently pours himself into the local community, provides quality entertainment, and mentors young people throughout the city.

The week of June 4-11 is Richard Raw Week, with concerts, block parties, film screenings, and more planned throughout the week.

Click Here for more information.

I hope you will bring your family and friends out to these great community events.

Marty

OperaDelaware gains praise far and wide

Critics and audiences are amazed at what they're hearing and experiencing in Wilmington thanks to OperaDelaware.

Anne Midgette, classical music critic for the Washington Post, had this to say about OperaDelaware's production of Amleto:

Opera Delaware mounted a solid production of “Amleto” (by E. Loren Meeker) with generic medieval costumes and an outstanding cast far better than many I’ve heard from companies with 20 times the funds. Throw in Barrese’s terrific conducting, and “Amleto” is not only a success story but an inspiration 

Click Here for the full review

Philly.com Classical Music Critic David Patrick Stearns wrote this:

It's a smart cast. And the singers and the creative team alike say this operatic Hamlet needs no apologies. 

Click Here for more

Christine Facciolo with WHYY's Newsworks writes:

More than 500 patrons are coming from beyond a 30-mile radius—the company is hoping to attract 1,000—including one devotee who will ride his motorcycle down from Canada to attend a matinee. The company has also attracted more than 800 new patrons.

Click Here for more from Newsworks

Gail Obenreder with the News Journal had this to say:

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, has stormed gloriously into downtown Wilmington.

...

The unwavering vision of OperaDelaware General Director Brendan Cooke and his staff – as well as the passion of conductor Anthony Barrese to revive “Amleto” – have led this old-yet-new work to Wilmington, resulting in a riveting and unforgettable evening.

Click Here for the complete review.

The story behind this opera is fascinating - take a look at this:

I am so proud of the work being done by Brendan Cooke and the whole team at OperaDelaware. Downtown Wilmington is simply the place to be for arts and culture.

Marty

P.S. To learn more about this incredible organization (and to get tickets to an upcoming performance), click here.

Wilmington is in the center of Arts and Culture

I want to pass along this message from our friend Brendan Cooke, Executive Director at OperaDelaware:

Please join OperaDelaware for the historic East Coast Premiere of Franco Faccio's lost Hamlet, and Verdi's Falstaff. Our first ever grand opera festival is attracting press attention from all over the world. So far, over 500 people are attending from outside a 30 mile radius of Wilmington, and almost 700 attendees who are new to our patron base. We'd obviously love to have the critics from Paris, Milan and London see full houses.

I continue to be impressed with the truly incredible talent that Wilmington attracts. I hope you'll join me in enjoying these beautiful and powerful productions!

Click Here for more information.

Marty

Downtown Wilmington Celebrates Shakespeare Day

Lunchtime on Market Street on Friday provided a real treat as the Delaware Shakespeare Festival coordinated a production of all of Shakespeare's plays in under an hour using more than 50 people from our community.

All of this took place in front of The Grand Opera House - and I would dare say we had participation from people from all walks of life and all of our great communities - artists, musicians, attorneys, business leaders, young, not so young, students, professionals, and more!

I am proud of our vibrant arts community in Wilmington - and I am proud that Downtown Visions helped sponsor and support this event.

Marty