UP to SPEED
Autumn in New York…and Elsewhere
(Shaft), author (The Learning Tree), musician and
publisher—a renaissance
man whose career embodied the American ideal of
equality and whose art was
bound up with his personal
life. “Bare Witness: Photographs by Gordon Parks.”
Delaware Art Museum.
Oct. 11–Jan. 4. delart.org.
If you find yourself kicking around the Northeast Corridor during the next
couple of months, you are officially forbidden from saying, “There’s nothing
to do!” Here is just a sample of the fun, musical, historical, cultural and enlightening events that are waiting for you. You just need to decide and then
catch a ride on Amtrak. See what happens when water and fire mix—it’s a
spectacle in Rhode Island. Walk the plank on an authentic pirate’s ship, complete with sunken treasure. Enjoy a little bluegrass in Virginia with the guy
behind the O Brother Where Art Thou? Grammy-winning soundtrack. And
Elle Woods proves blondes really do have more fun (especially when you
add a little song and dance) in Legally Blonde: The Musical. Climb aboard
and let Amtrak deliver you to all the fun to be had. Mention the special rail
fares and discounts to save some cash. —COMPILED BY MICHAEL HAMMETT
La Bohème: It’s a 19th-
century Christmas Eve in
the Latin Quarter and a
young poet named Rodolfo
falls head over heels for a
shy beauty named Mimi.
This timeless love story
inspired Puccini to soar to
his greatest heights, then
was re-imagined with hit
tunes that won over new
fans in the recent Broadway
hit REN T. Starring soprano
Youna Jang. Directed by Leland Kimball. David Lofton
of the Academy of the Vocal
Arts debuts as conductor. In
Italian with English superti-tles. OperaDelaware. Nov. 2,
7 and 8. 800-37-GRAND.
ticketsatthegrand.org.
DELAWARE
Master Harold: Delaware
Theatre Company opens
its 30th season with the
Tony Award-nominated,
Drama Desk Award-winning
Master Harold...and the Boys
by Athol Fugard. Hally has
grown up in South Africa in
the affectionate company
of Sam and Willie, the black
servants in his mother’s
tea room. Produced at
DTC 20 years ago, this
production of Fugard’s
masterpiece celebrates an
exhilarating drama about
coming of age in the age of
apartheid. Oct. 15–Nov. 2.
delawaretheatre.org
Bare witness: The first
African-American staff
photographer for Life magazine, Gordon Parks tackled
the harsh truth and dignity
of the black urban and rural
poor in the United States.
He was also a major fashion
photographer, providing
spreads for respected magazines such as Vogue. In
addition to his documentary
and fashion photography,
Parks was a filmmaker
Garden party: The fabled
Winterthur Gardens—the
former home of Henry
Francis du Pont—hosts its
fifth annual GardenFair.
This year’s spectacular
autumn sale features more
than 80 exhibitors offering
a one-of-a-kind selection of
plants, garden art and antiques. Meet the artists and
enjoy celebrity lecturers,
demonstrations, entertainment and more. Winterthur
