Weekly Entertainment Guide: Cabaret and Latino tales

     WHYY’s Arts Calendar curator Robin Bloom sorts through hundreds of listings each week to find out what’s happening in the Delaware Valley. Here are her picks and listings.

    Philadelphia Flower Show – blooming to new heights

    The world-renowned Philadelphia International Flower Show, produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, makes its way back to the Pennsylvania Convention Center with the theme, “Hawaii: Islands of Aloha,” promising to “wow” audiences as it has since it began in 1829. Attendees enter beneath large projections of crashing waves, later enveloped in a grand display of white orchids, palm trees, bamboo and plant canopy. Other exhibits include a 25-foot-high waterfall into an island of exotic plants and flowers, performers that conjure volcanic eruptions and gardens that celebrate Hawaiian culture. The Camden Children’s Garden also showcases a tunnel made of willow branches for children to crawl through and hosts photo sessions where families can pose as butterflies amongst the “Aloha Nation.” Doors open at 8am Sunday, March 4, and close at 6pm, Sunday, March 11. Tickets $30-$32, $22 students, $17 children, 12th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia.

    Let’s Pretend We’re Famous

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    Following their hugely successful original cabaret, Let’s Pretend We’re Married, 1812 Productions presents the newest comedy from Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs, Let’s Pretend We’re Famous, March 6-25, with unique interpretations of songs and dissections of American celebrity, at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street, Center City, Philadelphia. Opening night, Wednesday, March 7, 7pm. Tickets $20-$36

     

     

    FiberPhiladelphia – weaving the old with the new

    Imagine material fiber tightly woven into 100 colorful, humanlike figurines or stretched and pulled in dozens of ways to resemble the trunk and branches of a towering tree. These are just some of the examples of the innovative fiber/textile art showcased in the biennial FiberPhiladelphia. The festival, kicking off this weekend, transcends disciplines, combining traditional methods with the latest technology, touched with a mix of historical and contemporary perspectives, and features the work of renowned artists, curators, educators, historians, galleries and institutions. Festival events take place at 40 various venues throughout the area, including the Abington Art Center, The Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia International Airport, and University of the Arts, through April 15, in partnership with InLiquid.

    Shakespeare’s Tragedy Romeo & Juliet at Lantern Theater

    Lantern Theater Company continues its 18th season with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, under the direction of Artistic Director Charles McMahon, through April 1 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th & Ludlow Streets, Center City, Philadelphia.  The production is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a nationwide initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest and as a complement to the performance, Lantern is offering its Scholars: In Conversation series with Sex, Swords & Surprises in Shakespeare’s Verona, a three-part discussion series exploring the plays modern-day relevance, March 12, 19 & 26. Tickets $20-$36, $10 student rush 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID/cash only. Tickets for discussion series $10, $8 seniors & students

    Pharos at Locks Gallery

    Opening this weekend at Locks Gallery is Pharos, an exhibition of 15 wall-sized wood block prints and ink drawings by Israeli artist Orit Hofshi. Hofshi’s work, which conveys the notion of passage, is displayed in collections at the Israeli Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and can be seen through April 13 at 600 Washington Square South, Philadelphia.

     

     

    Latino Folk Tales at Rutgers Camden Stedman Gallery

    Opening Wednesday, March 7 at the Stedman Gallery at the Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts is Cuentos Populares: Latino Folk Tales Illustrated by Latino Artists, original illustrations from bilingual Latino folk tales published in children’s picture books from many Spanish-speaking regions including Mexico, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Central and South America. The exhibit features the work of ten award-winning artists including Lulu Delacre, Maya Gonzalez, Leovigildo Martinez, Felipe Davalos, Beatriz Vidal, Honorio Robledo, Esau Andrade Valencia, Amy Cordova, Susan Guevara, and Raul Colon, through April 25 at Third and Pearl Streets, Camden, NJ.

     

    Keswick Theater hosts March concerts and events: Hot Tuna, Friday, March 2, 8pm; Doug Church “The True Voice of Elvis,” Saturday, March 3, 8pm; Peking Acrobats, Sunday, March 4-Wednesday, March 7; Cowboy Junkies plus Joe Purdy, Friday, March 9, 8pm; Bobby Keys & the Suffering Bastards, Saturday, March 10, 8pm; Irish Rovers, Thursday, March 15, 8pm; Zoso, Saturday, March 17, 8pm; Ralphie May, Thursday, March 22, 7:30pm; Dave Mason with Al Stewart, Saturday, March 24, 8pm; Guster, Thursday, March 29, 8pm; Fresh Beat Band, Friday, March 30, 3pm & 6pm; Fab Faux, Saturday, March 31, 8pm; 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside, PA. Tickets $9-$68

     

    Pop Goes the Rock, the newest musical stage spectacle from Cirque Dreams, comes to The State Theatre Center, Saturday, March 3, 8pm, with a unique variety show uniting music and fantasy with over 14 variety acts and more than 100 costumed characters, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, PA. Tickets $55-$60

     

     

    The Kennett Symphony hosts its annual free children’s concert, Green Eggs and Ham, with soprano Kimberly Schroeder and actor Michael Boudewyns, Sunday, March 4, 2pm, International Cultural Center, Lincoln University, and Sunday, March 11, 2pm, Asplundh Hall, West Chester University. The hour-long concert for all ages includes Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Strauss’s Pizzicato Polka, with Mary Woodmansee conducting, and short demonstrations of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion, instrument petting zoo, and children’s activities.

     

    La Cage Aux Folles takes to the stage at DuPont Theatre March 6-11 starring George Hamilton and two-time Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber, with a comical new production, DuPont Building, 1007 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE. Tickets $35-$80

     

     

    The new family musical Nate the Great comes to Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, Friday, March 9, 7:30pm with a one-hour performance ideal for children 5 years old and up, presented by Theatreworks USA, 601 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA. Tickets $6-$9; free parking

     

     

     

    Other events and listings throughout the Delaware Valley region:

    The Philadelphia Singers closes its 39th season with a rare performance and Philadelphia premiere of Randall Thompson’s Requiem, Saturday, March 3, 8pm, led by Music Director and Conductor David Hayes, featuring an expanded ensemble of 40 singers in a double chorus, Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Pre-concert lecture on the work with two Thompson scholars, 7pm, Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $22-$40

    The Delaware Mineralogical Society holds its 49th Annual earth Science Gem and Mineral Show, Saturday, March 3, 10am-6pm and Sunday, March 4, 11am-5pm, Delaware Technical and Community College, I-95 Exit 4B, Churchmans Road, Newark, DE, with educational exhibits of mineral, lapidary and fossil specimens, displays, gems, children’s activities and more. Admission $6, $5, seniors, $4 youth ages 12-16, free for children under 12.

    The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society hosts March concerts: Johannes Quartet with Ricardo Morales, clarinet, Sunday, March 4, 3pm; Julius Drake, piano, Wednesday, March 7, 8pm; Jerusalem Quartet, Wednesday, March 14, 8pm; Benjamin Beilman, piano, Yekwon Sunwoo, piano, Sunday, March 18, 3pm; John Moore, baritone, Anna Polonsky, piano, Wednesday, March 21, 8pm; Musicians from Marlboro II, Friday, March 23, 8pm; Elias Quartet with Jonathan Biss, piano, Tuesday, March 27, 8pm; Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano, Thursday, March 29, 8pm; various locations in Center City. Tickets $17-$23, $8.50-$10 for students.

    The Philadelphia Wind Symphony hosts Over the Hills and Far Away, a concert for music lovers of all ages, led by Virginia Allen, featuring the music of Verdi, Giannini, Benson, Percy Grainger, and more, Sunday, March 4, 3pm, Caplan Hall, Terra Building, 211 South Broad Street, 17th Floor, Philadelphia. Tickets $10, $5 students and seniors.

    Philadelphia’s newest theatre company, Renaissance Music Theatre Company, stages their debut production, Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical A Little Night Music, directed by the company’s founder and artistic director, Lance Moore, March 7-10 at Iron Gate Theater, 3700 Chestnut Street, West Philadelphia. Renaissance Music Theatre Company specializes in reinventing older works of musical theatre for today’s audiences. Tickets $25/advance, $30/door

    Grundy Library hosts Songwriters in the Round with Kim Yarson, Chuck Schaeffer and Sandy Zio, three singer-songwriters performing original music, Wednesday, March 7, 7pm, 680 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA. All ages, reservations required.

    Philadelphia’s new professional ballet company, BalletFleming, presents the Philadelphia premiere of The Myth and the Madness of Edgar Allen Poe, an abstract retelling of Poe’s life and descent into insanity set to music by Bizet, Schubert and American composer David Goldstein, Friday, March 9, 8pm, and Saturday, March 10, 2pm & 7pm, Drexel University’s Mandell Theater, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $20-$25

    The 16th Annual Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia is underway with the screenings of prize-winning films exclusively by Israeli filmmakers, Saturday nights and Sundays in venues throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, through April 1. Tickets $12-$18 general admission, $10-$15 seniors

    On display at the EKG Exhibition Space at University City Science Center are new works by Shelley Spector, Dreck Groove, a collection of embroideries on fabric, repurposed from shirts, pants, and other clothing, presented in frames fabricated from discarded wood scraps, through March 30, 3600 Market Street, Philadelphia. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9am-5pm

    Quintessence Theatre Group continues its second season with Jean Anouilh’s 1943 adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone with a new translation by Jeremy Sams, directed by Alexander Burns, through March 25 at the historic Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Avenue, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia. Tickets $30, $20 seniors (65+), $15 youth (25 and under), $10 industry and student rush tickets at box office one hour before performance

    Haverford College’s Atrium Gallery presents Jack Carnell, Authentic America – Color Photographs 2006 to 2008, 30-40 color prints from the photographer’s travels to the Southeast, through April 22, with an artist talk, Wednesday, March 14, 4:30pm, Fine Arts Center, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA.

    Jazz Bridge, the non-profit that assists local jazz and blues musicians in crisis, hosts March neighbourhood concerts: Kombu Combo, Wednesday, March 7, Kennet Square Flash, Saxophonist George Barron, Wednesday, March 7, Cheltenham Center for the Arts hosted by Dave Posmontier, Three Blind Mice trio, Thursday, March 15, Society Hill Playhouse, percussionist Doc Gibbs, Wednesday, March 21, Unitarian Universalist Church, Media, hosted by Denise Montana. All shows start at 7:30pm. Tickets $10, $5 students.

    Onstage at the Civic Theatre of Allentown is 33 Variations, the Broadway play by Moises Kaufman, inspired by Beethoven’s eponymous work, through March 10, 527 North 19th Street, Allentown, PA. Tickets $20-23

    New Candlelight Theatre presents Miss Saigon, through March 11 on Millers Road, Ardentown, DE, with a buffet meal served by the actors and crew included in ticket price. $33-56

    From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen, is on display at the National Constitution Center with a comprehensive look at Bruce Springsteen’s entire career, through September 3, with related programs and events, Independence Mall, Philadelphia. Included with museum admission: $24.50 adults, $23 seniors and students, $12 children ages 4-12

    Arden Concert Gild hosts March concerts: Hoots & Hellmouth, Saturday, March 3, 8pm, The Horse Flies, Friday, March 9, 8pm, The Bad Plus, Saturday, March 31, 8pm, Arden Gild Hall, 2126 The Highway, Arden, DE. Tickets $12-30

    The Kimmel Center presents Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester, Friday, March 2, 8pm, Merriam Theater, Paddy Maloney and The Chieftains for traditional Irish music for St. Patrick’s Day celebration, Friday, March 9, 8pm, Verizon Hall, The Canadian Brass, Saturday, March 10, 3pm, Verizon Hall, Broad Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $25-100

    The Broadway drama “Time Stands Still” is onstage at Act II Playhouse with an emotionally wrought look at the role and risks of war journalism, through March 11, 56 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. Tickets $27-33

     

     

    To submit an event to be considered for the Weekly Entertainent Guide email artscalendar@whyy.org.

    Pamela Seaton contributed reporting to this week’s guide

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