Phillies home opener, Easter Promenade and the Carole King musical in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

Easter dominates the events landscape this weekend with the 91st Easter Promenade on South Street — and for the adults, there’s the 26th annual Fairmount Bunny Hop. Plus, as Women’s History Month comes to an end, female musicians are at the forefront in Philadelphia. Rapper Nicki Minaj comes to the Wells Fargo Center on Friday and R&B chanteuse Melanie Fiona is at City Winery. Carole King’s life story is explored in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” while Janis Joplin’s best live performances are recreated in New Jersey. Even though Taylor Swift isn’t coming to town anytime soon, you can dance to her music at the Taylor Party. Also, after being delayed another 24 hours due to expected rain, the Phillies are back at Citizens Bank Park on Friday for their home opener. 

New Jersey | Delaware | Special Events | Arts & Culture | Sports | Kids | Music

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New Jersey

Just Like Janis!

• Where: Broadway Theatre of Pitman, 43 S. Broadway, Pitman, N.J.
• When: Friday, March 29, 8 p.m.
• How much: $30 (Note, when purchasing tickets, click on the date first so it takes you to the right place)

Janis Joplin was a force in her era, known for her heartfelt performances and timeless songs like “Me and Bobby McGhee.” She’s getting her just due in “Just Like Janis!” — a tribute show starring South Jersey native Cat Manning as the iconic star. The concert covers Joplin’s historic performances at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, at the Fillmore in 1968 and Woodstock in 1969, when she embarked on her Pearl tour in 1970. 

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Delaware 

Shakes-Beer in Spring 

• Where: Wilmington Brew Works, 3129 Miller Rd., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Friday, March 29, 7:30 p.m.
• How much: $25 – $35

Delaware Shakespeare invites you to their annual Shakes-Beer in Spring, a way to celebrate the Bard with your favorite beer. And why not? We can believe he appreciated a good adult beverage in his day. Master brewer Craig Wensell will curate a special selection of beers crafted for this very occasion to accompany excerpts from Shakespeare. 

Anthony Rodia: Totally Relatable 

• Where: The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St., Wilmington, Del.
• When: Friday, March 29, 8 p.m.
• How much: $49 – $69

Italian American comic Anthony Rodia always wanted to be a comedian but settled for being a finance manager at a luxury car dealership. But in 2019, he answered the stand-up call, returning to his first love. It paid off, as he gained enough traction via social media and a captive pandemic audience to command a one-man show, “Anthony Rodia: Totally Relatable,” at the Grand. VIP tix include a post-show meet-and-greet. 

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Special Events 

Easter roundup 

• Where: Multiple venues
• When: March 28 – 31
• How much: Various prices

As Muslims celebrate Ramadan, we are also at one of the holiest times of the Christian calendar. Easter Sunday is this weekend, and while it is primarily a religious holiday, it’s also become a secular celebration. Attending church may be your preference, but if not, there are many choices for those who don’t attend Easter Sunday services. You can bring the kids to multiple Easter egg hunts in New Jersey. In Philly, grown folks start the celebration Thursday with Fairmount’s 26th annual Bunny Hop, but the preeminent holiday event is the 91st annual Easter Promenade on South Street. There’s also Saturday’s (free with registration) Hop-a-Long Trail at Franklin Square and Shady Brook Farm’s Easter Eggstravaganza, which goes through Saturday. You can still get on the waitlist for City Winery’s Bunny Baskets and Brunch event on Saturday. There are also still tickets for the Philadelphia Easter Signature Brunch Cruise (but they’re going fast). If you just want some cute Easter pics, head to the King of Prussia Mall for its annual bunny photo event through Saturday. 

Miniball 2024 

• Where: FringeArts, 140 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
• When: Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, March 31
• How much: Pay what you wish – $25

The annual Fringe Festival is coming in September. The celebration of creativity and artistic freedom is previewed at Miniball 2024, four days of workshops and performances. An Easter-adjacent Dance Church and an Easter egg hunt are also going on, as well as Scratch Night and the After Hours cabaret. 

Abolition Women: The Sisters Who Turned the World Upside Down 

• Where: Arch St. Meeting House, 320 Arch St.
• When: Thursday, March 28, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• How much: $5

Sisters Angelina and Sarah Grimke were the daughters of a South Carolina slave owner who became passionate advocates for abolition. They moved to Philadelphia and became Quakers who used their status as Southern white women to amplify their cause. The Betsy Ross House and the Arch Street Meeting House combine for “Abolition Women: The Sisters Who Turned The World Upside Down,” a theatrical interpretation of the sister’s lives and legacy. After the performance, stay for a Q&A with the actresses. 

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Arts & Culture 

Contemporary Persian Poetry and Music 

• Where: Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine St.
• When: Friday, March 29. 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• How much: $15 – $25

Contemporary Persian Poetry and Music is one of the last events of “A Utopian Stage,” a recreation of 1967’s Shiraz Arts Festival in Iran. The historic festival started with readings by a group of leading Iranian poets. In a nod to that era, contemporary musicians Mahya Hamedi and Sepehr Pirasteh, along with the Shiraz Ensemble, the Arcana New Music Ensemble and poet Fatemeh Shams, will combine their talents for the performance. 

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical  

• Where: Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St.
• When: Through May 5
• How much: $30 – $97

Singer-songwriter Carole King provided the soundtrack for the ’70s and beyond with songs like “You’ve Got A Friend,” “I Feel the Earth Move” and “It’s Too Late.” She also penned the Aretha Franklin classic “You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman).” With that kind of range, it’s no wonder she has a jukebox musical centered around her life and work. “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” is now playing at the Walnut Street Theatre. It won two Tony Awards in its initial Broadway run. 

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Sports  

Philadelphia Phillies Opening Day 

• Where: Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way
• When: Friday, March 29, 3:05 p.m. (rescheduled from Thursday due to weather forecast)
• How much: Currently sold out, resellers may have tickets or they may become available before the game. There are still tickets for Saturday and Sunday.

The fightin’ Phils fell short in last year’s World Series, but we’re hoping for a better outcome this year. It’s a long road back to Red October, but it starts on Friday at the team’s Opening Day game against the Braves. It’s the first of a three-day homestand and the beginning of a new season, where fans will look for the team to overcome the disappointment of the last one.

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Kids 

Rock and Roll Playhouse: The Music of Queens for Kids + More 

• Where: Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia, 1009 Canal St.
• When: Saturday, March 30, noon
• How much: $22.15

The Rock and Roll Playhouse is specifically geared to train children’s ears for good music by exposing them to classic rock in national musical venues. They keep the volume, song selections and the bands that recreate the hits kid-friendly. The music of Queen, played by Jon Smith’s Voyages, is this weekend’s selection at the Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia.  

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Music 

Badu Taught Me 

• Where: The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.
• When: Friday, March 29, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
• How much: $7.50 – $30

Tribute bands have become ubiquitous in the cultural landscape, with artists paying tribute to their faves, most of whom have passed on or no longer record together. But not so with Erykah Badu, who stopped through Philly last summer. This year, musicians Jahwula Seapoe, Tylar J and Kito Starr hope to spread similarly high vibrations by performing highlights from her catalog at the Badu Taught Me concert in West Philly. 

Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2 World Tour 

• Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St.
• When: Friday, March 29, 8 p.m.
• How much: $119 and up

Philly goes pink as the head Barbz, better known to her avid fan base as Nicki Minaj, heads to Philly on the Pink Friday 2 tour. She’s here to support her latest project, “Pink Friday 2,” released late last year. You may remember that she once dated Philly rapper Meek Mill, but we’re not expecting him to appear as a guest star. 

Tesla Quartet 

• Where: Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah St.
• When: Saturday, March 30, 3:30 p.m.
• How much: $15 – $30

Don’t be fooled by the name. The Tesla Quartet has everything to do with music and nothing to do with the carmaker. But their music could be described as “electric,” after 16 seasons of touring worldwide. For their Philly performance, they’ll perform selections by Garrop, Ravel and Hadyn. 

County Jawn f. Nico Bryant and Jamicka Bass

• Where: Ardmore Music Hall, 23 E. Lancaster Ave.
• When: Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.
• How much: $25 online in advance, $30 day of show

Delco native and poet Josh Smith curates a lineup of homegrown talent for County Jawn. His co-host, Deja’ Settles, is a musician from a family of the same. They welcome performers Nico Bryant from Delaware, who calls his multi-genre music “jukebox soulquarianstankadelic,” and Jamicka Bass, who leads an all-female band called Black Canvas.

The Taylor Party

• Where: Theatre of the Living Arts, 334 South St.
• When: Saturday, March 30, 9 p.m.
• How much: $27

Swifties, this one’s for you. Since Taylor Swift is taking some deserved time off to vacation with her boyfriend (a football player you may have heard of), you can’t see her live again until May. (And that’s if you’re willing to head overseas.) But in the meantime, you can party to her music at the Taylor Party in Philly on Saturday night.

Melanie Fiona 

• Where: City Winery, 990 Filbert St.
• When: Sunday, March 31, 5 p.m., 8:30 p.m.
• How much: $40 – $65 

Toronto native Melanie Fiona brings her powerful voice to City Winery on the Philly stop on her spring tour. She made her debut in 2009, scoring the hit “It Kills Me” about a relationship gone awry. Now a happily married mother of two, Fiona has expanded her brand into motherhood and wellness initiatives. But she can still blow.