Saturdays just got more interesting.
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(Courtesy Stockton University)
Adaptations are the rule this weekend as the enduring classic “Les Misèrables” begins a limited run, so catch it while you can. And, while it’s impossible to predict its longevity over hundreds of years, the first-ever stage version of “New Jack City” makes its Philly debut. Actress Kathleen Turner tells stories of her career and life in South Jersey, and the 15th annual Philadelphia Asian Film Festival begins. In music, this week, Joe Satriani and Trampled by Turtles are both performing in the area.
Delaware | New Jersey | Arts & Culture | Food/Drink | Wellness | Events | Music
Vocalist/musician Maya Belardo hosts the First Friday music event “Maya Belardo Presents Zeek Burse” at the Wilmington Library, in partnership with Delaware Music Network. This Friday, she welcomes Zeek Burse, whose music is a combination of electronic rock, R&B, and soul. Belardo is hosting the First Friday event through next February.
Kathleen Turner has some stories to tell – she does so in her one-woman show, “Kathleen Turner: Finding My Voice”, where she talks about fame, her classic movies including “Body Heat” and “Romancing the Stone”, and her longtime friendship with frequent co-star Michael Douglas.
After one guitar god passed away, another was born. On Sept. 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix died and teenager Joe Satriani decided from that moment to dedicate his life to the guitar. It turned out pretty well for him. He’s the most commercially successful solo guitarist in music history, per his website. (Despite that, he’s 0-15 at the Grammys.) Satriani brings his Earth Tour to South Jersey in support of his 19th studio album, “The Elephants of Mars.”
Shoes for Your Soul is a South Jersey based non-profit that provides children in need with shoes. In partnership with several organizations including Bombas, Walmart, Rutgers University and others, they’ve given out 5,000 pairs of shoes and 22,000 pairs of socks to kids. The Shoes for Your Soul benefit concert featuring performances by The Golden Voices of South Jersey, Sol Chyld, and 5-year-old drummer Chase Fains, hopes to help raise the $100K needed to open a non-profit children’s shoe store in Camden.
November is Native American Heritage Month and to celebrate, the Morris Arboretum and Woodmere Museum came together to host a lecture. “Lenapehoking: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” will be led by Adam DePaul, storykeeper for the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, who’ll talk about the Nation’s past and future. The lecture will be preceded by a performance by Chief of Ceremonies Chuck GentleMoon DeMund and the Itchy Dog Singers.
The hybrid Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival celebrates its fifteenth year with a seven-day fest encompassing films by and about Asian Americans. All in-person ticketed events, which include screenings and performances, will be held at the Asian Arts Initiative. The virtual part of the festival — panel discussions and filmmaker Q&A’s, will be livestreamed on the festival’s YouTube and Facebook platforms for free. Opening and closing night films “Blind Eye Artist,” and “Ricochet” will be screened in person, along with the Centerpiece film, “Aporia” and the Retrospective film, “Mississippi Masala.”
Black-owned gallery space Thinker Maker was founded in Old City in 2021. Friday marks the opening of the “Running Under the Moonlight” exhibit by local artist Jeff Davis, whose work reflects his experience of seeing those facing homelessness or addiction in Philadelphia. His art also incorporates themes from the Oscar-winning film “Moonlight.” The opening night reception starts at 7 p.m., on Nov. 4, and the closing night party is on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
Azuka Theater presents Jessica Johnson and Adaeze Nwoko in “A Hit Dog Will Holler” a play that asks what happens when an agoraphobic who wants to be an activist is confronted by a real activist in her home. Directed by Reva Stover, the play was written by Inda Craig-Galván, a Kennedy Center Rosa Parks Award winner who will next be featured as a writer on JJ Abrams’ upcoming HBO series “Demimonde.”
Local playwright Julie Zaffarano’s new play “Kentucky Lemonade” a O’Neill National Playwright’s Conference semi-finalist, is now being staged in the Philly area by Everybody’s Theater Company. When their father dies, two sisters, their mother and an aunt are brought together at the funeral and a family secret is revealed. A post-show discussion with the cast and playwright follows the Saturday 2 p.m. performance.
The enduring themes of “Les Misérables,” the novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862, have led to many adaptations in virtually every medium – even a concert. The Tony Award-winning musical version comes to the Academy of Music for a limited run as part of its ‘Broadway’ series.
The 1991 movie “New Jack City” directed by Mario Van Peebles, starring Wesley Snipes as vicious drug dealer Nino Brown, along with Allen Payne, Christopher Williams, and Ice T, is a certified classic of the genre. Now it has become a stage play adapted by Je’Caryous Johnson, starring Big Daddy Kane, Treach, and Flex Alexander, with Allen Payne (likely) reprising his role as Gee Money. (Kudos to his genes or anti-aging practices, as he doesn’t look that much different than his younger self!) While Black Twitter had some questions about how the film would adapt to the stage, Johnson’s version does utilize the movie’s original soundtrack.
Sixty of the region’s top burger masters will compete for the best burger at the Burger Brawl, back after a two-year COVID hiatus. However, the scheduled Sunday, Nov. 6, date has been changed yet again due to the World Series. A new date will be announced and we’ll let you know when it is.
Wellness is something we can all use more of and Philadelphia’s beautiful park system has long been a healing space for city residents. Fairmount Park’s Horticulture Center is hosting “Move and Meditate” a ticketed yoga, journaling, and meditation event taking place in their greenhouse. Free breakfast is included in the ticket price.
You know that feeling when you’re in formal wear and your shoes have passed their take-off time? Well, you won’t experience that if you head to the Black Tie and Sneakers Masquerade Gala. At this event, you can be dressed to the nines and dance all night without those dogs barkin’. You can opt to just attend the cocktail reception, or spend more for the gala, which includes the cocktail reception and bites from some of Philly’s favorite chefs. There’s a five-hour open bar for gala attendees and a prize will be awarded for best sneakers. Snacktime and Kristen and the Noise will perform. And it’s all for a good cause — proceeds benefit the Trauma Survivors Foundation.
The Minnesota-based sextet Trampled By Turtles heads to town in support of their latest release, “Alpenglow,” which was released last month. Their single “A Lifetime to Find” was written by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who also produced the album. The band is also supporting Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, a wilderness area without over one million acres of land, over 1,000 lakes, and over 1,500 canoe routes. You can, too.
The gorgeous music of Italian composers Rossini, Respighi, and Russian composer Rachmaninoff is the focus as Landsdowne Symphony Orchestra presents “Season Opening: Rossini, Respighi and Rachmaninoff” to begin the orchestra’s 76th season. Music director Rueben Blundell will shepherd Rossini’s Barber of Seville overture, Respighi’s “Fountains of Rome,” and Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony, which premiered eighty-four years ago to the day at the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Saturdays just got more interesting.
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