Weekly Entertainment Guide – ‘Henry V,’ JUNK, and St. Patrick’s Day

Looking for something to do this week? WHYY’s Robin Bloom has some recommendations on what’s happening in the Philadelphia region. Here are her picks:

“Henry V” at Lantern Theater Company

Marking 600 years of Henry’s ascension to the British throne in 1413, Shakespeare’s “Henry V” takes to the stage at Lantern Theater Company. Directed by Charles McMahon, the production stars Ben Dibble as the charismatic young Henry, England’s new king, who seeks to repair his fractured nation through war with France. Through securing his crown and reputation, Henry finds humility, true leadership and the power to inspire a nation. In conjunction with the performances, “Scholars: In Conversation” uses themes from Shakespeare’s play to explore modern issues of leadership, politics, and how myth-making shapes national identity, through Sunday, April 14, St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th & Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia.

Theresa Rebeck’s “Seminar” at Philadelphia Theatre Company

The Philadelphia premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s award-winning drama “Seminar,” takes to the stage at Philadelphia Theatre Company this weekend. Four aspiring novelists have their work critiqued in a series of weekly and unorthodox seminars by a literary giant in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, starring Rufus Collins, Matt Harrington, Teresa Avia Lim, Genevieve Perrier, and Luigi Sottile, and directed by Scott Schwartz. The show ran on Broadway for six months and was nominated for Best Play by the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama League. Pulitzer Prize nominee and creator of the television series Smash, Rebeck began as one of the first young playwrights in Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Mentorship Project, writing Spike Heels under the guidance of Arthur Kopit. “Seminar” is onstage through April 14, Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia.

 

The annual Sherlock Holmes Weekend

It’s the annual Sherlock Holmes Weekend in Cape May, New Jersey, March 15-17. Visitors can try and solve this year’s mystery, “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Anima Orbis” and win a variety of prizes. The weekend includes a “Search for Clues Tour” on Saturday that traverses the inns of Victorian Cape May in a hunt for clues. Also, on Friday and Saturday at 8pm, East Lynne Theater Company performs “Sherlock Holmes’ Adventure of the Norwood Builder” as a 1930s radio show complete with sound effects and commercials, the First Presbyterian Church, Cape May, NJ.

The Drama Group’s “Don’t Talk to the Actors”

See the nerve wracking experience of bringing a play to Broadway this weekend as The Drama Group presents “Don’t Talk to the Actors.” Tom Dudzick’s comedy follows playwright Jerry Przpazniak as he tries to fulfill each of his actors’ suggestions for making his new play a smash hit, onstage through March 23 at The First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6001 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia.

 

“Butterflies Are Free” at the Wilmington Drama League

“Butterflies Are Free” opens at the Wilmington Drama League this Friday, March 15. The romantic comedy tells the story of Don Baker, a blind man determined to be a songwriter, balancing his family, love, and dreams. Written by Leonard Gershe and directed by Doreen Weiss, through March 24, 10 West Lea Boulevard, Wilmington, DE.

 

St. Patrick’s Day weekend at World Café Live

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend at World Café Live at the Queen with Carbon Leaf’s unique mix of southern Celtic and bluegrass music, Friday, March 15, 8:30pm, and Burning Bridget Cleary (pictured), Saturday, March 16, 8pm, 500 N. Market Street, Wilmington and Sunday, March 17, 8pm at WCL in Philadelphia. For all ages.

 

Brian Sanders’ JUNK

Brian Sanders’ JUNK performs as part of the Montgomery County Community College’s Lively Arts Season, Saturday, March 16, 8pm. JUNK is known for its ingenious use of found objects and clever inventions that bridge the gap between dance and physical theater, Science Center Theater, Blue Bell, PA.

 

“Ides of March” at Brandywine River Museum

The Brandywine River Museum’s newest exhibit, “Andrew Wyeth’s ‘Ides of March:’ The Making of a Masterpiece,” examines the rarely-seen tempera painting using over 30 drafts that aided in its development, offering the chance to gain insight into the artist’s work and artistic process, since Wyeth rarely exhibited or even discussed his drawings. Accompanying the exhibit is a fully-illustrated catalogue with an essay by curator Virginia O’Hara, Saturday, March 16 through May 19, US Route 1, Chadds Ford, PA.

 

Mandy Patinkin and Intercultural Journeys

Mandy Patinkin joins the Middle Eastern ensemble Intercultural Journeys for a special collaborative performance of songs from both Arab and Jewish traditions, along with a collection of Patinkin’s favorite songs, accompanied by Broadway pianist Paul Ford, Sunday, March 17, 3pm, William Penn Charter School, 3000 West School House Lane, Philadelphia.

 

“Water, water, everywhere…”

Café 44 hosts “Water, water, everywhere…” a joint exhibit by Princeton’s fine art photographer Tasha O’Neill (pictured) and painter Mary Waltham. Through their artistic interpretation of water, the exhibit synthesizes the artists’ diverse styles and media. Meet the artists at the reception, Sunday, March 17, 3-5pm. On display through April 15, 44 Leigh Ave, Princeton, New Jersey.

 

Losang Samten Mandala Residency

The Philadelphia Folklore Project welcomes Losang Samten, teacher of meditation and Spiritual Director of the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia, back for his 4th annual Sand Mandala Residency, March 18-22, 1pm-7pm. Watch Samten create a Mandala or create your own. A Mandala is an intricate diagram of the universe, popular since around the 12th century, with various purposes and meanings, such as religious or political, 735 S. 50th Street, Philadelphia.

 

“The Addams Family” at the Academy of Music

“The Addams Family” opens at the Academy of Music Tuesday, March 19, bringing Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, and other favorites to the stage. The hit Broadway musical comedy by “Jersey Boy” creators Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice features songs by Andrew Lippa, onstage through March 24, Broad Street, Philadelphia.

 

Pirates of Penzance at Bristol Riverside Theatre

Hilarity abounds in Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved comic operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance.” From an eccentric modern major general to a swashbuckling pirate king to bumbling policeman, and wide-eyed daughters, all are morally bound to the ridiculous dictates of honor and duty. The contemporary production by Bristol Riverside Theatre brings a new perspective on Victorian sensibilities, directed by Keith Baker, Tuesday, March 19 through April 28, 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, Pennsylvania.

 

“Urban Pop” at Main Line Art Center

Main Line Art Center twists the traditional with “Urban Pop,” the 9th Annual Betsy Meyer Memorial Exhibition, March 20 through April 12, featuring artists DISTORT, Leslie Friedman and Jay Walker, with pieces influenced by Pop Art and urban culture, referencing graffiti, half-pipes, and iconography. Leslie Friedman’s screen-printed patterns on linoleum tile transform spaces into bright, sparkly surfaces with subversive content. DISTORT’s sculptural works combine classical training with the creative energy of graffiti while Jay Walker’s large-scale wall installations integrate vinyl tape with repeated iconography (pictured). A free artist talk and reception begins at 5:30pm, Friday, March 22, 746 Panmure Road, Haverford, Pennsylvania.

“Madville” at Curio Theatre Company

Curio Theatre Company presents the world premiere of “Madville,” Wednesday, March 20. Written by Curio’s Artistic Director Paul Kuhn, the play centers on the world created by children living in the Canadian woods. Returning as adults, they struggle to understand memories of surviving in the remote location with their parents, directed by Rosemary Fox, Calvary Center, through April 13, 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia.

 

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk at the Blockley

Philafunk Spring Series brings the New Orleans funk collective Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk to The Blockley in Philadelphia this Thursday, March 21, 9pm. Doors open at 8pm, 3801 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

 

 

“The History Boys” at the Grand Theatre

Opening at the Grand Theatre on Thursday, March 21 is Tony Award-Winner, “The History Boys.” The boys of Cutlers Grammar School in the 1980s are smart, unruly, and funny as they study for their entrance exams for Oxford and Cambridge, but they must deal with radically different teaching styles within the school. The Road Company Theater Group presents the comedy through April 6, 405 South Main Street, Williamstown, NJ.

 

Philadelphia Dance Projects & SCUBA

Philadelphia Dance Projects partners with SCUBA Touring Network for “SCUBA ’13,” featuring Philadelphia’s Green Chair Dance group and Seattle’s The Real Shannon Stewart, Friday and Saturday, March 22-23. Green Chair Dance Group’s “Tandem Biking and Other Dangerous Pastimes for Two” questions commitment over time, the tension of intimacy and the joy of moving together with dancer/director/choreographer trio Sarah Gladwin-Camp, Gregory Holt and Hannah de Keijzer. Choreographer and dancer Shannon Stewart’s “An Inner Place That Has No Place” explores personal, material and societal memory and memory loss with filmmaker Adam Sekuler and composer Jeff Huston. SCUBA Touring Network helps local, emerging to mid-career dance artists begin national tours and offers audiences the chance to see work from around the country, Conwell Dance Theater of Temple University, NE corner of Broad Street and Montgomery Ave, Philadelphia.

Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers at Mandell Theater

After four years of sold-out performances at the Painted Bride Art Center, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers brings “One: Gifts from Afar” to Drexel University’s Mandell Theater, Friday and Saturday, March 22-23. Complemented by the critically acclaimed work Mandala Project, the world premiere of One explores the rituals behind the drive to win with comparisons of chess to the universality and choreography of dance. Born in Taiwan, Artistic Director Kun-Yang Lin examines the limits of national identity, drawing upon Eastern philosophy as he expands Western contemporary dance, 33rd and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia.

Afro-Cuban All Stars at the Grand

Juan de Marcos leads the Afro-Cuban All Stars Friday, March 22, 8pm, at The Grand with a mix of Cuban music including bolero, chachachá, salsa, son montuno, timba, guajira, danzón, rumba and abakua, 818 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE.

 

 

Other events and listings throughout the region:

Mainstage Center for the Arts celebrates the music and mystique of “The Chairman of the Board” with “My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra.” Co-created by David Grapes and Todd Olsen, the nostalgic revue features more than 50 hits, March 15-16, 7:30pm, and March 17, 2pm, Dennis Flyer Theatre, Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ.

O’Neal and Koontz bring the Emerald Isle to New Jersey Friday, March 15, 7:30pm. The duo will turn the Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie in Cadwalader Park into an Irish pub with authentic ballads, jigs, and reels. Irish beer and Celtic refreshments will be served, Parkside Avenue, Trenton, NJ.

ConcertOPERA, Philadelphia presents Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera,” conducted by Maestro Yoonhak Baek, Friday, March 15, 8pm, at Stage One, Delaware County Performing Arts Center, 10 Plushmill Road, Wallingford, PA and Sunday, March 17, 3pm, at International House, Ibrahim Theater, 3701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Sunday’s performance will be followed by a meet and greet with the artists at City Tap House, 3925 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. A third performance will be held on Saturday, March 23, 8pm, at Christ Church, 20 North American Street, Philadelphia.

Join the 28th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Saturday, March 16, 1pm, beginning at States Avenue down to Albany, with local marching bands, string bands, Irish step dancers, bagpipers and floats.

Madko concerts presents a night of local Philly music this Saturday, March 16, starting at 8:30pm upstairs at The Legendary Dobbs. On the program are the eclectically influenced The Parachuting Apostles, pop/punkers NarK, and Very Important Businessmen, 304 South Street, Philadelphia.

It’s Family Fun Day at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts this Sunday, March 17. From noon to 4pm, families can enjoy an open house of activities, prizes, and take home crafts. The afternoon includes performances by Up the Octave, Cheltenham High-School’s female a cappella group, at 2:30pm and Sons of Pitch, Cheltenham’s male a cappella group, at 3pm, plus the opening of the annual Children’s Art Show featuring the work of local, regional elementary and middle school talent on display in the galleries, 439 Ashbourne Road, Cheltenham, PA. FREE.

Celebrate St. Patty’s Day at Sellersville Theater with Bill Monaghan & Celtic Pride, Sunday, March 17, 1pm, 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, PA.

The Abington Symphony Orchestra & Oratorio Choir performs at Abington Presbyterian Church’s Annual Memorial Concert Sunday, March 17, 4pm. On the program is Faure’s “Requiem” and the prize-winning new work by Raymond Horton, “Make Gentle the Life of This World.” John Sall conducts with Ruth Ideen and Jerome Brandt as vocal soloists, 1082 Old York Road, Abington, PA.

“Common Threads” is a unique collaboration between Temple University Dance Department, Rennie Harris Puremovement, and the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Dance Majors from the Boyer College of Music and Dance will perform original choreography set to a score by Raphael Xavier in front of the iconic “Common Threads” mural by artist Meg Saligman, Wednesday, March 20 at 4pm, “Common Threads” Parking Lot, Corner of Broad & Spring Garden Streets, Philadelphia.

The Eric Whitacre Singers US Tour makes a stop in Philadelphia Wednesday, March 20, 8pm, at the Kimmel Center. Whitacre and his professional choir recently won a Grammy for their debut album, “Light & Gold” before embarking on a four-city US Tour, South Broad Street, Philadelphia.

Travel the globe with Passage Theatre’s newest production, “Roundelay: A Comedy,” March 21 through April 7. From Boston to India to Kenya, the play follows three characters as they hop around the world to try and make love work. Written by R.N. Sandberg and directed by Adam Immerwahr, 205 East Front Street, Trenton, NJ.

Two original “one-woman” plays come to The Shubin Theater Thursday, March 21. Kathleen Mulhearn’s “Uncharted Waters” shows a woman’s humorous journey through childbirth and finding love. “Superwoman” by Lizzy Dalton-Negron faces the challenge of postpartum depression. The performances run through March 23, 407 Bainbridge Street, Philadelphia.

Center City Opera Theater presents a “New Works Celebration,” a cabaret series of world premieres of Eliza Brown, Ray Leslee, Daniel Schlosberg, and Dale Trumbore, winners of CCOT’s 2012 Art Song Competition. The program also features works by Daron Hagen, Patrick Soluri, Jake Heggie, Paul Moravec, and Jeff Myers, March 21-24, Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

Brett Rader and Sarah Pike contributed reporting to this week’s guide.

To submit an event to be considered for the Weekly Entertainment Guide email Robin Bloom at artscalendar@whyy.org.

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