Weekly Entertainment Guide – Baskervilles, Beer & Broadway (Forbidden)
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Feel the "Passion" in Arden Theatre Company's production of the Stephen Sondheim musical, onstage through June 28.Photo by Mark Garvin.
16 things to do this week in the Philly region. Robin Bloom shares her picks.
Onstage
“The Hound of the Baskervilles” at Lantern Theater Company
The Hound of the Baskervilles takes to the stage at Lantern Theater Company, a three-actor spoof of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic “tail” adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, May 28 through June 28. Matt Pfeiffer directs the fast-paced farce that features a new twist on the beloved mystery with multiple, quick-changing roles played by Daniel Fredrick, Dave Johnson, and Damon Bonetti, making his Lantern debut. The madcap mayhem takes place in the intimate St. Stephen’s Theater, 10th and Ludlow Streets, Center City Philadelphia. Related programs and events include Directors in Conversation pre-show discussion, June 5, Young Friends Night, Artists in Conversation post-show discussions with the cast on June 7 and 14, and open captioning performances June 19 and 20. Photo by Plate3 Photography.
“Passion” at Arden Theatre Company
Arden Theatre Company takes on Stephen Sondheim’s romantic and powerful musical Passion, the Tony Award winning musical collaboration between the great composer/lyricist and James Lapine. The tale of love and obsession is set in 19th century Italy (adapted from the 1981 film Passione d’Amore), and is directed by Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolan, reuniting the creative team that put on the successful Sunday in the Park with George. Starring Ben Michael, Ben Dibble, Ben Cherry, Jennie Eisenhower, Liz Filios, and Frank X through June 28 at 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia. A frequent producer of his works, the Arden Theater honors Sondheim with the inaugural Master Storyteller Award on June 1. Additional related programs and events include post-show discussions on June 4, 7, 10, 17, and 21, open captioned and audio described performances on June 19-20, and Teen Arden on June 7. Photo by Mark Garvin.
“Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits” at Act II Playhouse
The iconic songs and performers of the “Great White Way” are spoofed in Act II Playhouse’s Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits. The long-running Off-Broadway hit was created and written by Gerard Alessandrini and is a satirical tribute to some of theater’s greatest stars and songwriters. Directed by and starring Artistic Director Tony Braithwaite, with Elena Camp, Jeffrey Coon, Tracie Higgins, and choreographer and music director Sonny Leo. The fun and popular show is already extended through June 28 at 56 E. Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA. Photo by Mark Garvin.
Art Appreciation
STAMP on the Parkway
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance’s STAMP on the Parkway offers Philadelphia teenagers (14-19 years old) free tours of participating institutions (with audio tours created for and by teens) and rides on the Philly PHLASH for the season. The fun starts Thursday, May 28, 3pm-7pm, with a scavenger hunt through five different museums – Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern State Penitentiary, the Franklin Institute, and the Barnes Foundation, where the evening concludes with a dance party with West Philadelphia hip-hop artist Chill Moody. Free for Philly residents only. Registration for a STAMP Pass is available online. Photo courtesy of the Barnes Foundation.
Philadelphia Sculptors’ “5 Into 1”
The Philadelphia Sculptors’ annual exhibition showcases the works of emerging sculptors and provides soon-to-be graduates with a special opportunity to exhibit their art in a professional gallery. 5 Into 1 highlights the achievements and artistic merit of 12 selected artists from five Philadelphia colleges and universities: Moore College of Art and Design, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Tyler School of Art, The University of the Arts, and University of Pennsylvania. On display in the galleries of Moore College of Art and Design, 20th Street and the Parkway through July 25. Opening reception is Friday, May 29, 7pm-8:30pm. Pictured: Moore College of Art and Design student Victoria Lattanzi’s Tibetan papermaking. Photo courtesy of Moore College of Art and Design.
Rift/Fault – Landscape Photographs of the North American Continental Plate
Photographer Marion Belanger’s first one-woman show in the Philadelphia is on display at Haverford College. Rift/Fault – Landscape Photographs of the North American Continental Plate documents the way geological boundaries demarcate difference and change within the landscape. Large-format color images capture diverse landscapes such as the splitting earth, steaming hot water, volcanic eruptions, and tree-less lava landscapes of the eastern edge (Atlantic Rift in Iceland) as well as the San Andreas fault topographies in California that make up the western boundary. Belanger’s works are included in many permanent collections such as the Library of Congress, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and Haverford College. Opening reception May 29, 4:30pm-6pm. On view through October 4, Atrium Gallery in the Marshall Fine Arts Center, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA. Pictured: Rift #26, 2007 (Volcanic excavation site, Heimaey).
Music
Exit 0 Jazz Festival
Stroll from one concert to the next at the Exit 0 Jazz Festival, May 29-31, as Cape May hosts international touring musicians playing jazz, soul, blues and R&B. Performers include Dr. John (pictured), Rebirth Brass Band, John “Papa” Gros Band, Cyrille Aimee, Melissa Aldana and Crash Trio, Sean Jones, Lost Bayou Ramblers, Pepito Gomez, and more, at various venues in Cape May, NJ. Photo by Jerry Campbell.
40th Street Summer Series returns
University City District’s 40th Street Summer Series returns to Philadelphia the last Saturday of the month through September, opening this Saturday, May 30, 6pm, with a performance by the experimental cabaret group, Bearded Ladies (pictured) with Tapestry Tribal, blending traditional Middle Eastern dance with influences from around the world. Upcoming performances include BalletX on June 27, behind the Walnut Street Free Library, 40th and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia. Photo by Plate3 Photography.
Festivals, Food & Fun
Tangle Movement Arts, the all-female circus arts company, employs dance, theater, and aerial acrobatics in their newest circus-theater show, Intersections, Thursday, May 28, 6pm, Clark Park, 4300 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia. Trapeze, aerial rope maneuvers, and acrobatics are used to portray visitors at the Clark Park Farmers Market. The free performance is part of the City of Philadelphia’s Performances in Public Spaces program. Photo by Mike Ermilio. **UPDATE – due to impending inclement weather, this performance has been moved to next Thursday, June 4***
The 5th Philadelphia International Tango Festival takes place May 28-31, with Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne, Nick Jones & Diana Cruz, Adam Hoopengardner & Ciko Tanik, Andres Amarilla & Meredith Klein, along with performances by BalletX, classes and more at Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American Street, Old City, Philadelphia.
Philly Beer Week kicks off this Friday, May 29 through Sunday, June 7, a 10-day celebration of the “Best Beer-Drinking City in America,” the largest beer celebration of its kind in the United States, featuring hundreds of events including festivals, dinners, tours, pub crawls, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights at area bars, restaurants and other locations throughout Greater Philadelphia.
Center City District Sips returns this summer with over 85 bars and restaurants offering drink and appetizer specials every Wednesday from 5pm-7pm and $5 cocktails, $4 wine, $3 beer and half-priced appetizers, through September 2.
Wyck Historic House hosts a Celebration of the Roses, programs honoring the oldest rose garden and its history, Saturday, May 30, 11am-4pm with light refreshments, rose tea, children’s activities, a “Rose is a Rose” art contest, lecture, and more. The Wyck Rose Garden was designed and created in 1824 by Jane Bowne Haines, the wife of Reuben Haines III, co-founder of the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Franklin Institute, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The garden features over 50 types of heritage roses, most of which bloom in May, 6026 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia.
The first Art is Life Festival hits Roxborough this Saturday, May 30, 12pm-6pm, offering three stages with culinary demonstrations, visual arts, and fashion and performing arts, plus a beer garden, food trucks, and more, Ridge Avenue between Green Lane and Leverington Avenue. Rain date Sunday, May 31.
The annual Brewerytown Spring Festival is Saturday, May 30, 12pm-5pm, as the 2700-2900 blocks of West Girard Avenue are transformed into a street festival celebrating art, food and live music, along with crafts and children’s activities, Philadelphia.
The Downingtown Fine Arts Festival features artists, food trucks, vendors, music in the Armor Alley Pocket Park and more, Saturday, May 30, 10am-6pm, and Sunday, May 31, 10am-5pm, 100 Block of E. Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, PA.
Each week, the Entertainment Guide spotlights interesting local arts offerings happening now, including music, dance, theater, museums, special exhibitions and other arts events from across the region.
To submit an event to be considered, email Robin Bloom at artscalendar@whyy.org.
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