It is shaping up to be an exciting second season at the Delphi Opera House (DOH), following its summer filled with two plays and various musical guests. The Opera House officially re-opened last year, in the fall of 2015, after being closed for ninety years. For many Delphi and surrounding area residents, the Opera House has been a wonderful addition to bringing back our town’s history and culture.
The month of August is fairly relaxed for the DOH. August 5, 6, and 7 came with a performance of See How They Run, a British farce play, which included three members of the Delphi Community High School. However, the next event, the comedian Drew Hastings, isn’t until Aug. 27, so there is plenty of time to get tickets, along with an admission bracelet to the Indiana Bacon Festival, which are $30-$45 and are available on-line and at the box office. His performance isn’t until 7:00 pm that night which allows the audience to enjoy the Bacon Festival going on the same day!
Early September has no events, but the Opera House makes up for it by scheduling three acts one after the other. Frank Lee and Allie Burbrink―a duo who perform music that traces back to their North Carolina and Indiana roots, respectively―perform on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 7:00 pm. Before their performance, the two musicians will even give “Clawhammer Banjo Workshops” at 5:30 for $25. Carrie Newcomer arrives two days later, on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 pm. Newcomer is quickly gaining notoriety as a singer, and the Opera House is ecstatic to welcome her beautiful and spiritual music to the stage. To finish the month, the Anderson Folklorico Dance Troupe and Meztli-Cultural perform Sept. 25 at 3:00 pm. This would be a wonderful event for dance enthusiasts as the troupe expresses their love of culture through lively dance.
October welcomes an interesting list of guests: the Groove Cats, the Fiddlers, the Cool City Band, The Phantom of the Opera dinner show, and the “Frankenstein” Radio Play. The Groove Cats will be at DOH on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 pm. “Groovy” is an excellent term to describe this musical group, who brings a new focus on soul, R&B, blues, funk, and rock music. Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering perform Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 pm; this group has instruments such as a cello and a banjo. The Cool City Band will perform on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 3:00 pm. This vocalist group will be a fan favorite, with songs for everyone. Winding down towards the end of the month, and Halloween, the Opera House will host the Delphi Preservation Society’s annual Halloween tradition on Oct. 29: dinner at 6:00 pm followed by a showing of the silent movie, “The Phantom of the Opera.” To end the month with a bang, Lafayette’s Civic Theater will perform the “Frankenstein” Radio Play on Oct. 31. (For those who are too “grown-up” to go trick-or-treating.)
Halloween is over, and November has begun! To start off the month, the Delphi Opera House is going to host the Carroll County Holiday Arts Show on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Nov. 4, 5, and 6. Regional artists’ products will be available for those special and unique gifts for Christmas. DCHS alumnus Karli Edging will be performing that same weekend, Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 pm. Edging was the preliminary act for the Levi Riggs Band in 2011 and has since performed many places. According to the Opera House website, Karli’s rendition of “Cowboy Casanova” reminded many people of Carrie Underwood. On Sunday, Nov. 6, Songs My Mother Sang: A WW II Tribute will perform on the DOH stage. Glory-June Greiff helps to memorialize WW II soldiers featuring live songs, stories, and excerpts of correspondence between loved ones from the World War II era. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” will be performed by local community theater actors on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18 and 19 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, Nov. 20 at 3:00 pm. It is certainly a great show to get the Christmas spirit started! Finally, the month of November ends with a Delphi Opera House benefit show: the RayGene Wilson Christmas Program. Wilson is a West Coast gospel singer and recording artist.
To end the last month of 2016, December features the Fort Frances act, Harpeth Rising, and Back Track. Fort Frances is a free event, sponsored by the Delphi Public Library and the Delphi Opera House, on Dec. 3 at 7:30 pm. Harpeth Rising is a group of three classically trained musicians performing original genre-fused songs. The group will perform Friday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm. A must-see group for all music-lovers with eclectic taste. The last event in December is New Year’s Eve with Back Track. Back Track is a local band, comprised of several people who can be seen walking around Delphi regularly. The band is known for their soft rock and covers of songs from the 70s to the 90s. Back Track will begin performing at 9:30 pm on Dec. 31.
Excitement doesn’t begin to cover all of the goings-on the Opera House has in store. In fact, this is only the first half of the season! For more information about any of these events, go to the Delphi Opera House website.