Fearsome Fairies

When most people think of fairies, they think of Tinker Bell, the mischievous but harmless little sprite of Disney's "Peter Pan."

But that wasn't always the case. In olden days, before they became Disneyfied, fairies were feared as powerful supernatural beings who could really wreak havoc on the world. That was what Shakespeare had in mind when he wrote "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and populated it with the likes of Puck and especially Oberon, the ferocious King of the Fairies.

My son, Doug, has been cast as Oberon in the upcoming production of "Midsummer" at the College of St. Elizabeth in Madison. I've warned him that he'd better start hitting the gym, because every Oberon I've ever seen has been a muscular, bare-chested athlete.

In this week's column, classical music writer Anita Donovan has observed that fairies are the common theme of two major concerts in the area this weekend. On Friday night at the Trenton War Memorial's Patriots Theatre, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will present its program "Best of ...Fairy Tales." It will feature Ravel's "Ma Mere L'Oye," or "Mother Goose Suite." Then on Saturday night, the Tchaikovsky Ballet Theatre presents "Sleeping Beauty" at the Matthews Theatre at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton. The princess is cursed into her lengthy sleep by an evil fairy because she felt snubbed at not being invited to her christening. Believe me, that's no Tinker Bell!

Elsewhere. the cover story in this week's Good Times is Backbeat columnist Lisa Rich's story about fiddler Natalie MacMaster, who brings her energetic, foot-stompin' Cape Breton style of fiddling to McCarter tonight.

Michele Angermiller warns people they need a thick skin to attend Lisa Lampanelli's performance at the War Memorial Saturday. Lampanelli is an equal opportunity offender with an unkind word for just about everybody.

Fine Arts columnist Janet Purcell tells us about a photography show showcasing Tasha O'Neill's unique perspective at Gallery 14 in Hopewell.

Theater columnist Ted Otten interviews playwright Barry Wyner, whose new musical "Calvin Berger," based on the timeless story of Cyrano de Bergerac, is making its debut at New Brunswick's George Street Playhouse.

Food maven Susan Yeske reviews Hanami, the reincarnation of the popular Chinese restaurant Sunny Garden in West Windsor.

We also have a heads-up about the Trenton Film Society's annual "Oscar Shorts" screening Saturday at the Mill Hill Playhouse. There will be two showings of all 10 Academy Award-nominated short films, both in the animated and live action categories. Among the animated shorts will be a new Wallace and Gromit cartoon, "A Matter of Loaf and Death."

As for full-length movies, film critic Stephen Whitty gives a thumbs-up to the remake of "The Crazies," but he wasn't so crazy about the Bruce Willis-Tracy Morgan flick "Cop Out."

As always you can read all of these stories on nj.com. Go to The Times of Trenton link and then click on Entertainment.

Rallying for the park

On Christmas Day in 1776, General George Washington and his troops made their famous crossing of the Delaware to attack the Hessians at Trenton, a victory that marked a turning point in the war for independence.

The attack was launched from a site on the Pennsylvania side of the river that is now Washington Crossing State Park.

Now, unfortunately, the park is under attack, not from the Redcoats but from Pennsylvania state parks budget cuts forced by the recession. The cuts could mean the closure of the park.

To stave off this assault, several area artists have created paintings and other works depicting scenes around the park for a special exhibition, "Rallying the Troops," at the Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery in Washington Crossing. Some of the proceeds from the sale of these works will go the the Friends of Washington Crossing State Park, an organization that is attempting to ensure that this historic site stays open to the public.

In this week's Good Times cover story, Fine Arts columnist Janet Purcell writes about the exhibition and some of the beautiful works created especially for it. Several of the works are reproduced in the section, many of them in color. Anyone with an appreciation for either art or history should check out this exhibit.

Elsewhere in the section, theater columnist Ted Otten writes about the new production of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" at Mercer County Community College's Kelsey Theatre in West Windsor. This production transports the story from Victorian London to modern-day New York.

Classical music writer Anita Donovan tells us about the Philadelphia Simfonia, an orchestra composed of talented young musicians, which is giving a concert Sunday afternoon at the Trenton War Memorial.

"Backbeat" columnist Lisa Rich tells us about High Hearts, a band that puts an upbeat spin on life's trials and tribulations, performing Saturday night at Mitchell's Cafe in Lambertville. Oh, and whether due to modesty or journalistic objectivity, Lisa didn't mention that she's opening for the band herself that night!

Susan Yeske reviews Jester's Cafe Restaurant and Bar in Bordentown, and Steve Whitty gives a thumbs-up to the new Leonardo DiCaprio thriller, "Shutter Island."

Check out all the great stuff going on in the Trenton area this weekend in Good Times or by going to nj.com and

Folk Brothers

When we lived in New York City in the mid-'80s, Karen and I used to attend the annual Fast Folk show at the Bottom Line.

Fast Folk was a collective of New York singer-songwriters who published a monthly magazine containing an album of songs written and performed by its members.

Among the artists we got to see at these concerts were Suzanne Vega, before she had her big hit "Luca," and Dave Van Ronk. The emcees were Jack Hardy and the always-hilarious Christine Lavin, and the lineup included David Massengill, Lucy Kaplansky, Rod MacDonald and many others.

Jack Hardy and David Massengill now perform as a duo, billing themselves as the Folk Brothers, and they will be performing Friday night at Christ Congregation Church in Princeton.

Jack is an especially clever songwriter. I recall him telling the story of a meeting of the collective at which each member was assigned to write a song about an elevator for the following week's meeting. Jack returned the following week and performed his song. His colleagues listened and told him it was a good song, but it never mentioned the word "elevator." He replied, "It's an acrostic...the first letters of each line spell the word 'elevator.'"

He added with a wink, "I think I won." He proceded to play the song, and you never saw an audience listen more raptly to a song's lyrics to catch the lines spelling out "E-L-E-V-A-T-O-R!" There were even a few subtle allusions, such as "Endless numbers lit up as she passed/Lifting her spirits like a jet." And each verse ended with the line "Refusing to mention it by name."

David, who has an especially pleasant voice, may be Jack's musical brother, but the story of Jack's real brother is a sad one. At the Fast Folk shows, Jeff Hardy accompanied his brother on bass, and at the end of the concerts, Jack would introduce him as "my bassist, brother and bodyguard." Sadly, Jeff was killed on 9/11 while working at Windows on the World on the top of the World Trade Center.

Jack and David should provide an enjoyable evening. The concert, sponsored by the Princeton Folk Music Society, begins at 8:15 p.m., with doors opening at 7:30. Admission is $15 for society members, $20 for nonmembers and $5 for children under 12. The church is located at 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton.

"Love Letters" and Lovers' Lava Lamps

Karen and I became engaged on Valentine's Day in 1985, so on Sunday we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the event with dinner and a show.

First, we went to a matinee performance of "Love Letters" at the Morristown Community Theatre's Mayo Center. The show starred the husband-and-wife team of Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, best known for their roles as husband-and-wife lawyers Ann Kelsey and Stuart Markowitz on "L.A. Law."

A.R. Gurney's play chronicles the lifelong relationship of two people through their correspondence. It's a clever idea, often with the silences between unanswered letters saying as much as the letters themselves.

However, if you go for live theater, it's kind of a rip-off. Seeing just two people, however talented, just sitting at a desk reading the script (even visibly turning the pages) isn't my idea of live drama.

After the show, we went to one of our favorite restaurants, the Black Horse Tavern in nearby Mendham. The historic inn has been completely refurbished in recent years and looks stunning, inside and out.

The food has always been great here, and this time didn't disappoint. Karen had the chicken saltimbocca, and I had a salmon and spinach stuffed phyllo. Both were excellent.

But the most memorable menu item was the drink special: a concoction called a "Lovers' Lava Lamp." It consisted of Prosecco, Grand Marnier and diced cranberries. The carbonation in the Prosecco made the berries rise and fall just like the globs of wax in a real lava lamp.

For the price of a drink, you got a show too! It took us back to those good old days in the dorms in the '70s.

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes

One of my most prized possessions is an autographed copy of Judy Collins' book "Singing Lessons."

I had the opportunity to meet the folk icon at a book signing in Ridgewood after the 1998 release of the autobiography, which she wrote to explain how she dealt with her grief after the suicide of her son.

What impressed me most about her presentation is just how naturally singing comes to her. As she related stories of how her musical family always sang together, she segued from talking to singing "Danny Boy" in that voice that has been compared to "liquid silver" without missing a beat.

A few years later I got to see Judy in a Christmas concert at Ramapo University's Berrie Center (no relation, sadly). A highlight of the concert was her performance of "Kingdom Come," her tribute to the firefighters lost on 9/11. She was accompanied by the Ramapo student chorus, and the arrangement had a surreal, almost nightmarish quality. You could almost feel the horror of being trapped in the burning World Trade Center.

Judy is performing next Friday, Feb. 19, at Princeton's McCarter Theatre Center, and "Backbeat" columnist Lisa Rich's preview is the cover story in this week's Good Times section. Unfortunately the concert is sold out, but you can still get tickets through the Coalition for Peace Action, and for $100 you can not only see the concert but meet this lovely lady at a reception afterwards. See Lisa's story for information on how to order tickets.

Mike Mancuso's cover design features a black and white photo of Judy, with those stunning blue eyes that inspired onetime boyfriend Stephen Stills to write "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" in color. Unfortunately, some might say it makes her look possessed, or like a resident of the "Village of the Damned!"

Several other columns in Good Times this week follow a romantic theme in connection with Valentine's Day. "Fine Arts" columnist Janet Purcell writes about an exhibition of wedding photography mingled with romantic bridal suite decor at the Tomato Factory in Hopewell. Classical music columnist Anita Donovan previews the Riverside Symphonia's concert, "From Heart to Heart," Saturday night in Lambertville, and the VOICES Chorale concert, "In the Key of Love: A Valentine's Day Cabaret," Sunday at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts in Princeton.

Theater writer Ted Otten interviews members of the cast of Bristol Riverside Theatre's production of the screwball comedy, "The Foreigner," and dining critic Susan Yeske reviews the No. 9 Restaurant in Lambertville.

Newhouse newspapers film critic Stephen Whitty gives a thumbs-up to "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief," a so-so review to the remake of "The Wolfman," and despite its timely title, a "bah humbug" to "Valentine's Day."

Hope your own Valentine's Day earns more than the one and a half stars that Steve gave the movie!

"Carmen" Electrifying

My wife, Karen, and I used to sing in a Bergen County chamber chorus called Canta Lyrica. In our performances, we were usually joined by a couple of professional soloists.

In one concert, we performed a medly of songs from "Porgy and Bess." Our female soloist was a lovely young lady named Kirsten Chavez. Not only did she have a glorious voice and delightful stage presence, she looked great too. We heard that she had sung the title role in "Carmen" for the New York City Opera, among other companies.

Opera New Jersey and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra are now mounting their own production of "Carmen," and they had lined up Metropolitan Opera diva Denyce Graves to sing the title role. Unfortunately, Ms. Graves came down with a bad case of bronchitis and had to bow out. Luckily, Kirsten Chavez was available to step in for her, and opera fans should have no reason to be disappointed.

"Carmen" will be performed at the McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton Friday night and at the State Theatre in New Brunswick on Sunday, and classical music columnist Anita Donovan gives us a preview in this week's Good Times cover story.

Anita also writes about a sneak preview of "Warsaw," a Broadway-bound musical drama about a young Jewish man forced into the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II, which is taking place at the Trenton War Memorial's Patriots Theatre Saturday night. The one-night-only performance is a benefit for the Boheme Opera.

Elsewhere in Good Times this week, "Fine Arts" columnist Janet Purcell reviews Paul Rickert's exhibition "Industrial Visions," opening at the Rider University Art Gallery in Lawrence. Rickert's colorful paintings actually find beauty in industrial scenes that most people would consider commonplace or even ugly.

Theater columnist Ted Otten tells us about the Ritz Theatre's production of the classic Broadway musical "A Chorus Line" in Oakland.

In Backbeat, Lisa Rose tells us about Keith Monacchio's concert at the Robeson Center for the Arts in Princeton tonight to celebrate the release of his new CD.

Dining critic Susan Yeske offers her review of Santino’s Pizza & Restaurant in
Robbinsville.

And Talking Pictures reviews "From Paris With Love," "Dear John," "Frozen" and "The last Station."

Pray that the snowstorm doesn't throw a wrench in any of these great events.

A zaftig dining experience

My wife, Karen, and I had a truly serendipitous dining experience Sunday afternoon.

We were returning home from Virginia, where we had been visiting our nephew Adam and his family, including their newborn son, Joshua.

Driving back along I-95 as lunchtime approached, Karen couldn't work up any enthusiasm for the food offerings at the highway rest stops (Who could?). She decided she had a yen for deli food.

Our GPS can find different kinds of restaurants and their proximity to our route, so we decided our best bet was to detour up the west bank of the Delaware through Philadelphia. The closest deli was the Famous Fourth Street Deli in the Queen section of Philly.

We arrived at the deli, which fortunately wasn't too crowded in mid-afternoon. We were quickly seated, and as Karen perused the menu and the framed photos on the wall, she noticed that the deli owners were from the family that had owned several delis in Brooklyn under the name "Radin's."

"I think my mother used to work there," Karen exclaimed. She said the Radins, Lubins and Cowans were part of her mother's extended family. We also noticed that the "ungashtupt" sandwiches on the menu were named for the various locations of the family's delis, including the "Lee Avenue," a pastrami, turkey and swiss combo. "That's the one where my mother worked," she said.

The regular sandwich menu offered a choice of "regular" and "zaftig" sizes. I opted for a "regular" size chicken salad sandwich and a bowl of matzo ball soup. As it turned out, both of them were HUGE. The matzo ball was the size of a grapefruit, and the sandwich was way too big to finish at one sitting. I finally finished it at the office at lunchtime Monday.

I asked our server how much bigger the "zaftig" would have been. "You see how much space the lettuce and tomato take up?" she asked. "In the zaftig the meat would take up that much more space."

After we finished eating, we introduced ourselves to owner Russ Cowan, and sure enough, he and Karen turned out to be second or third cousins! He remembered Karen's mother, as well as other family members that Karen knew. "That's your Aunt Molly right there," he said, pointing to a picture of deli owners gathered for a dinner dance in 1937.

It was really surreal that the GPS led us to this unexpected family reunion. Could there be a divine hand in those signals coming down from those satellites?

For anyone who appreciates authentic Kosher deli food and who isn't on a serious diet, I highly recommend the place. The sandwiches aren't cheap, but you can definitely get a second meal out of them.

The Famous Fourth Street Delicatessen is located at 700 South Fourth St. at the corner of Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia.