Weekly Entertainment Guide — ‘Treasures of the Uffizi’ and Earth Day
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.
Renaissance masters on view at Michener Museum
“Offering of the Angels: Treasures of the Uffizi,” an extraordinary exhibit of works from the world-renowned Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy, has arrived at the James A. Michener Art Museum, the only northeast United States museum to host the display, curated by its director, Antonio Natali. The selection of over forty paintings and tapestries, which until this tour have never left Europe, depict biblical scenes by legendary Italian Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Titian, Liberi, Tiarini, and Parmigianino, created between the 15th & 17th centuries. On view through August 10 at 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown, PA. Hours 10am-4:30pm, Tuesday through Friday, and 10 am-5pm, Saturday and noon-5pm Sunday. Timed entry admission: adults $15; seniors $13; college students w/ ID $11, youth 6-18 $7.50; members and children under 6, free.
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania offers a unique glimpse into the mind of designer Stefan Sagmeister with the exhibit “The Happy Show,” showcasing his 10-year exploration into the meaning of happiness through different maxims of typography, film, print, sculpture and interactive installations. Known for his outstanding blends of art, design and typography and for creating album covers for the likes of Talking Heads, Lou Reed and The Rolling Stones, the exhibit showcases a variety of the artist’s intriguing works, some of which have been custom-made for this exhibition. On view now through August 12 at 118 S. 36th Street, Philadelphia, PA, “The Happy Show” is Sagmeister’s first museum show in the US. Hours are 11am-8pm on Wednesday, 11am-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and 11am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.
The second annual Philadelphia Science Festival, a city-wide celebration of science by schools, universities, cultural institutions and research centers kicks off April 20-29, featuring lectures, debates, activities, exhibitions and other science education experiences for all ages. Events include “I Smell You, You Smell Me” on Friday, April 20, at 6:30pm at the Red Room Society Hill Playhouse where attendees can engage in the smelling of thousands of different daily odors and discover new ones, the Science Carnival on the Ben Franklin Parkway on April 21, 11am-4pm, offering more than 100 exhibitions of family-friendly fun including tasting liquid nitrogen ice cream and learning about the inner-workings of robots, and “A Nerd’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse” on April 26 at 8pm at Frankford Hall where attendees can learn how the end of the world is portrayed in movies, pack an emergency kit, and learn basic surviving skills.
Manon Lescaut at the Opera Company of Philadelphia
Onstage this weekend at the Opera Company of Philadelphia is Giacomo Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut,” April 20-29, with soprano Michelle Johnson making her OCP debut, sung in Italian with English translations, Academy of Music, Broad Street, Philadelphia.
Act II Playhouse presents the classic Broadway musical “My Fair Lady,” directed by Producing Artistic Director Bud Martin and starring Tony Braithwaite as Henry Higgins and Eileen Cella as Eliza Doolittle, through June 3 at 56 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. Tickets $27-$41
Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion presents the World Premiere of “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet,” an original adaptation by Josh Hitchens of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Holmes mystery, Friday, April 20, 7pm and 9pm, Saturday, April 21, 7:30pm, Sunday, April 22, 2pm and 4pm, in the Mansion’s parlor, 200 West Tulpehocken Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $30
The Resident Ensemble Players present “The Skin of Our Teeth,” by Thornton Wilder, directed by Sanford Robbins, through May 5, Thompson Theatre, Roselle Center for the Arts, Newark, DE.
Opening this weekend at Eagle Theatre is Collaborative Stage Productions’ “Pippin” starring Liz Filios and directed and choreographed by Dann Dunn, through May 5 at 208 Vine Street, Hammonton, NJ. Tickets $22
The Renegade Company presents Heiner Muller’s Hamletmachine and Medeaplays, directed by Michael Durkin, April 25 through May 5, Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $15-$20
Glencairn Museum hosts a Sacred Arts Festival this Sunday, April 22, 1-5pm, with family friendly activities and demonstrations of religious art in the making, including icon writing, glassblowing, manuscript illumination, stone carving, henna designs and a large replica Gutenberg-style printing press, 1001 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn, PA. Admission $8, $6 seniors and students with ID, free for members and children under 4 with $20 family cap.
The first ever Philadelphia Springsteen Memories Roadshow is Saturday, April 21, 6:30pm, celebrating the legacy of Bruce Springsteen in Philadelphia at McFadden’s, Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, with local photographer Art Reilly, Lawrence Kirsch and much more. Event is free with charitable donations encouraged.
Jasper String Quartet performs “The Mystery of Sound,” a concert for kids, Saturday, April 21, 1:30pm, Trinity Center for Urban Life, 2212 Spruce Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $10 adults, $5 children under 12, free for children under 2. Meet and greet the musicians at ice cream social after the performance.
Earth Day events:
Jarrett Nature Center celebrates its 10th birthday and Earth Day with family friendly activities and appearance by eco-entrepreneur Tom Skazy of TerraCycle, Inc. with face-painting, music, interactive displays and booths, crayon and electronic/small appliance recycling and more, Saturday, April 21, 9am-noon, 899 Horsham Road, Horsham, PA.
Moore College of Art & Design hosts MOOREcycle, a range of free festivities on The Parkway for Earth Day, coinciding with the Philadelphia Science Festival, this Saturday, April 21, 10am-3pm, including a unique display of art projects made entirely from recycled materials, offering the opportunity to make your own environmental design from materials donated by TerraCycle.
Woodmere Art Museum hosts an Earth Day weekend panel discussion “Nature and Materiality,” Saturday, April 21, 3pm, with Frank Bramblett, Ana B. Hernandez, Neysa Grassi, Dina Wind, and Keith Ragone, who will discuss how they use base materials and processes in a personal way, searching for combinations of imagery and media that will yield new visual experiences. Their exhibit “Elemental: Nature as Language in the Works of Philadelphia Artists” is on display at 9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. $15 ($10 members)
Rehoboth Art League hosts an Earth Day Art Rocks Science! Festival, Delaware’s first satellite event to the USA Science and Engineering Festival, with art explorations and hands-on activities, Sunday, April 22, 11am-3pm, 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Warwick County Park hosts an Earth Day Wildflower Walk, Sunday, April 22, 1-2pm, Pavilion 2, 191 County Park Road, Pottstown, PA.
The Nature Conservancy’s Picnic for the Planet Earth Day celebration is Sunday, April 22, noon-4pm, a global effort to set the world record for largest multi-venue outdoor picnics, at Clark Park, 43rd & Chester Avenue, Philadelphia.
Other events and listings throughout the Delaware Valley:
The African American Museum in Philadelphia presents “Limited Editions: Joseph Holston Prints, 1974-2010, A Retrospective,” an exhibition showcasing 75 prints by renowned artist Joseph Holston, including colorful and expressive screen prints, black and white etchings and collagraphs, on view through June 22 at 701 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Hours are 10am-5pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and 12-5pm, Sunday. Admission: adults $10, youth (4-12) $8, students w/ ID $8 and senior citizens $8.
On view at The Print Center is “Emma Wilcox: Where it Falls,” an exhibit of the artist’s black and white photographs, including those of texts (made of household flour and paint) she wrote on rooftops throughout Newark, NJ, examining issues of environmental justice, land usage, eminent domain and the role of individual meaning in the creation of local history, through July 28, 1614 Latimer Street, Philadelphia. Opening reception is Friday, April 13, 5:30-7:30pm. Hours are 11am-6pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free.
On display at Rodger LaPelle Galleries is the exhibit “Blues Moves,” featuring works by Tom Gardner, Linda Langhorst, and Martin Poole, a trio of painters depicting the blues in New Orleans, through April 29, 122 N. Third Street, Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Developmental Disabilities Corporation and the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy present “Artist Exchange,” an exhibition featuring collaborative art from both groups at Philadelphia’s City Hall, part of the “Art in City Hall” program, on view now through May 4, 5th floor, Broad Street, Philadelphia. Hours are 8am-5pm, Monday through Friday.
Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband,” directed by Margo O’Moore, takes to the stage at Playcrafters of Skippack through May 5 at The Barn, 2011 Store Road, Skippack, PA. Tickets $15
B. Someday Productions and Walking Fish Burlesque presents “The End of the World – Burlesque Comedy!,” by Emily Courier and directed by Stan Heleva, through April 22, Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia. Tickets $18.
Media Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening,” through May 20, 104 East State Street, Media, PA. Tickets $27-$49
The Grand presents concerts and events: Classic Albums Live Presents: The Beatles – Revolver/Rubber Soul, Saturday, April 21, 8pm; Adam & Anthony Live, Sunday, April 22, 7pm; Elizabeth Mitchell, Saturday, April 28, 3pm; Imagination Movers, Monday, April 30, 2pm; David Bromberg Big Band, Saturday, May 5, 8pm; 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE. Tickets $20-$55
Perkins Center for the Arts hosts family events: “Einstein and the Creative Mind,” through April 21, a funny family musical by Imagination Creation Theatre, tickets $12 adults, $10 senior/student, $8 children ages 2-10; Family Concert Series The Beatles Abbey Road performed in its entirety by Conservatory faculty members, April 28, 7pm, tickets $10-12; 30 Irvin Avenue, Collingswood, NJ.
Students and alumni actors take to the stage for Rutgers-Camden’s production of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 play “A Doll’s House,” directed by theatre professor Kenneth Elliott, through April 22 in the Gordon Theater, Third and Cooper Streets, Camden, NJ. Tickets $10 general admission, $8 seniors and Rutgers employees, $5 students, free for Rutgers-Camden students.
Arcadia University Theater presents “The Children’s Hour,” by Lillian Hellman, through April 29, Spruance Fine Arts Complex, Glenside, PA. Tickets $12-$15, free for Arcadia students
Mainstage Center for the Arts presents Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” April 27-28, 8pm, Dennis Flyer Theater, Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ. Tickets $21, adults, $15 students under 12
The Philadelphia Dramatists Center Residency at Plays & Players presents the Philadelphia Playwright Showcase, including playwrights Jeff Stanley, Jeremy Gable, and Brian Grace-Duff, April 25-28, 7pm, 3rd Floor Skinner Studio, 1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia. Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at door
Stagecrafters Theater presents the psychological thriller “The Deadly Game,” adapted by James Yaffe from a novella by Swiss author Friedrich Duerrenmatt, through April 29 at 8130 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Tickets $20 at door, $16 online, Thursday evening performances 2 for $24, $13 students w/valid ID. Cast and director Q&A session after Sunday, April 22 performance.
Philadelphia Black Gay Pride Inc. marks the 13th annual Black Pride celebration, April 22-29, with a Spoken World & Poetry Slam, Evolution Ball, workshops, parties and more, Crowne Plaza Philadelphia West, 4010 City Avenue, Philadelphia.
People’s Light & Theatre presents “A Wrinkle in Time,” adapted by John Glore from the Newberry Medal Award-winning book by Madeleine L’Engle, April 26 through May 20 on the Main Stage, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA. Tickets $35 adults, $25 youths under 18, Community Night tickets $25, PNC Access Night tickets half priced.
New Ark Chorale performs “All Creatures Great and Small,” a musical journey through the animal kingdom to help promote PAWS for People, Saturday, April 21, 7pm, Newark United Methodist Church, 69 E. Main Street, Newark, DE. Tickets $15, $12 seniors, $5 students
Triumph Brewing Company presents concerts and events: Mun/Silo Effect, Saturday, April 21, 10pm; Live Jazz with Cold Blue Electric, Wednesday, April 25, 7pm; Mojoceretops, Thursday, April 26, 10pm; Ph Factor/Blue Boy Productions/Outlet, Saturday, April 28, 10pm; F.L.O.W., a spoken word presentation, Sunday, April 29, 9pm; 117 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. $5
The F. Harold Comedy Festival comes to the Walnut Street Theatre’s Studio 5 April 24 through Sunday, April 29, with stand-up, sketch, and improv, 6pm each night, Walnut Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $10 for one night or $25 for all six nights.
The Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company will be showcasing its diversity in the original work, “Jazzerella”, written and directed by Artistic Director Michelle Jones Wurtz, at the Hill School Center for the Arts, Saturday, April 21, 7:30pm and Sunday, April 22, 2pm. Tickets $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.
Community Music School celebrates their 20th anniversary with A Little Night Music, a diverse program of instrumental music highlighting a composition by Philadelphia composer Jan Krzywicki and former CMS faculty guitarist Eric Sessler, “Piano Quartet,” Saturday, April 21, 8pm, 775 West Main Street, Trappe, PA. Tickets $12-$16. In the Gallery at CMS: Recent paintings and Collage by artist Louise Herring, through May 21.
Facetime Community Theatre hosts “Let Us Entertain You,” a night of song, dance, theatre and food, Friday, April 20, 7pm, Franklin Commons, Phoenixville, PA. Tickets $40-$75
To submit an event to be considered for the Weekly Entertainment Guide email Robin Bloom at artscalendar@whyy.org.
Pamela Seaton contributed reporting to this week’s guide.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.