Weekly Entertainment Guide — ‘Barnes Legacy’ and ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’
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.
Dead Sea Scrolls at the Franklin Institute
Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times, one of the most complete and detailed collections of ancient artifacts from Israel ever assembled, has arrived in Philadelphia at the Franklin Institute, with more than 600 items on display, including twenty of the historic scrolls found near the Dead Sea, including the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible, and four never-before-seen scrolls. The artifacts span thousands of years, displaying the customs, beliefs and traditions of the ancient Israeli society, including a three-ton stone from Jerusalem’s Western Wall, limestone capitals used in architecture for Jerusalem’s administrative centers dating to 1006-586 BCE, limestone Ossuaries (containers to hold bones of the dead) from the early Roman period, and much more through October 14 at 222 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia. Seven lectures by world-renowned scholars accompany the exhibit beginning this Sunday, May 13, 3pm. Daytime admission: adults $31.50, children ages 3-11 $25. Evening admission (after 5 pm): adults $19.50, children ages 3-11 $12.50.
Celebrating the Barnes Legacy at Woodmere Art Museum
Opening this weekend at Woodmere Art Museum is “Salvatore Pinto: A Retrospective Celebrating the Barnes Legacy,” a comprehensive exhibition on the career of one of Philadelphia’s great 20th century artists. Pinto was born into a family of artists, studied under Albert Barnes and Henri Matisse as well as at other celebrated institutions, and went on to develop a distinctly American repertoire of subjects. The retrospective coincides with the opening of the Barnes Foundation on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway this month and is on display through July 15 with lectures and panel discussions at 9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. A free Open House is Saturday, May 19, 1-4pm. Admission: adults $10; seniors $7; students, children and museum members free. Lectures and discussions are $15, $10 for museum members.
Contemporary Art from Kenya & Tanzania
“East African Encounters: Contemporary Art from Kenya & Tanzania” is on display at Indigo Arts Gallery, introducing Philadelphia to the fascinating modern artwork and artists of both countries, on view through September 1. Featured Kenyan artists include “Sane” Mbugua Wadu (pictured), Kivuthi Mbuno, known for his color pencil drawings of rural tribal life in the Makueni district, Kamau “Cartoon” Joseph, noted for creating work that even trained artists could not produce, and much more. The Tanzanian works include pieces by Edward Saidi Tingatinga, creator of the “Tinga Tinga” painting, using Masonite and high-gloss bicycle enamel to depict wildlife, animals and African customs, George Lilanga, and more at the Crane Arts Building, 1400 North American Street, #104, Philadelphia. Admission is free.
The Gershman Y calls attention to environmental issues with an Eco-Art exhibition “Turn Here: Artists Promoting Environmental Awareness,” in the Borowsky Gallery and “History of the Future: Photographs from the Canary Project,” in the Open Lens gallery, through August 12. Free opening reception on Thursday, May 17, 5:30pm, with an interactive performance and panel discussion with artists, 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia.
“Select Landscapes: Home and Abroad” by Patrick Connors
The artwork of Patrick Connors is on display at the Philadelphia Sketch Club, 235 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, through May 28, and in a group exhibition, “The View from 915,” at the Center for Architecture, The AIA Building, 1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia through May 31.
South Jersey Museum of American History
The South Jersey Museum of American History presents the art work of students from area colleges, through May 26 at 123 East High Street, Glassboro, NJ. The Museum was established in 1993 to preserve South Jersey’s history and to exhibit it in connection with American History. $4 adults, $3 children
“Buddy” at Walnut Street Theatre
“Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story,” takes to the stage at Walnut Street Theatre on May 15, directed and choreographed by Casey Hushion with the music and lyrics of Buddy Holly, through July 15, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $10-$95
Carter’s Play at Crane Old School
SmokeyScout presents “Carter’s Play,” an anti “feel good” play about low budget art-making, through May 17, The White Space at Crane Old School, LP 1417 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $15-$20
Onstage at Arden Theatre Company is “Robin Hood,” by Greg Banks, extended through June 24, directed by Matthew Decker, with an athletic take on the fabled story including trickery, disguises, swordfights, live music and audience participation, for children 5 and older at 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $12-$32
Slippery as Sin at Passage Theatre Company
Opening Thursday, May 17 at Passage Theatre Company is the World Premiere of the comedic thriller “Slippery as Sin,” by David White, directed by Adam Immerwahr, through June 3 at the Mill Hill Playhouse, Trenton, NJ. Tickets $25-$30
OperaDelaware’s “Porgy & Bess”
OperaDelaware presents “Porgy & Bess,” Friday, May 11, 7:30pm and Saturday, May 12, 7:30pm, The Grand, 818 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE. Tickets $25-$71
Dance Celebration presents the grand finale to its season with the internationally acclaimed dancer-illusionist ensemble MOMIX in “reMIX,” under the direction of founder, choreographer and director Moses Pendleton, May 17-20 at the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $30-$70.
The inaugural Philadelphia Local Music Day is this Saturday, May 12 as local businesses will play the recordings of five local bands throughout the day to highlight Philadelphia’s arts community and to encourage area residents to support local culture and economy. Featured bands include Work Drugs, Buried Beds, The Extraordinaires (pictured), Cheers Elephant, and Bandname. The Extraordinaires perform a free show at 1pm at The Rocket Cat Café, 2001 Frankford Avenue, North Philadelphia.
You Got Rhythm Gershwin celebration and competition
Music for Youth Company commemorates the 75th anniversary of George Gershwin’s death with “You Got Rhythm,” a three day festival and competition for young musicians dedicated to his music. The festival features a U.S. premiere performance by jazz pianist Daniel Kramer (pictured) and a guest appearance by Francesca Gershwin, the composer’s grand-niece, Friday, May 18, 8pm, Philadelphia Ethical Society, Rittenhouse Square ($75). The juried competition is open to the public on Sunday, May 20, 1-6pm at the Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia.
Lansdowne Folk Club hosts Malcolm Holcombe with special guest Thom McCarthy, Thursday, May 17, 7:30pm, Lansdowne Presbyterian Church, 140 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA.
The State Theatre of New Jersey hosts concerts and events: Brian McKnight, Sunday, May 13, 6pm; Romeo and Juliet in HD, The Royal Ballet, Wednesday, May 16, 7pm; Gordon Lightfoot, Thursday, May 17, 8pm; Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Friday, May 18, 8pm; Michael Feinstein, Saturday, May 19, 6pm; New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Sunday, May 20, 3pm; 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. Tickets $20-$88
Manhattan Transfer at Landis Theater
The reopened Landis Theater presents The Manhattan Transfer in concert, Saturday, May 12, 8pm, 830 East Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ. Tickets start at $45.
“The Cooking Show” with Robert Karimi
Performance artist and playwright Robert Karimi raises awareness on how to combat Type 2 Diabetes with “The Cooking Show,” a PBS-inspired, interactive culinary and storytelling experience, May 16-19, incorporating music, documentary-style video, storytelling, humor, live cooking and more. Audiences are invited to taste menu items and help prepare the recipes. Admission $20 (includes meal). Additional events include youth cooking workshops and Family Style open mic, at Asian Arts Initiative’s Salon space, 1223 Vine Street, Philadelphia.
Other events and listings happening throughout the Delaware Valley:
The First Annual Dewey Beach Arts Fest is Saturday, May 12, 10am-5pm, with over 50 juried artists and crafters, silent auction and more, Dagsworthy Street, Bayside, Dewey Beach, Delaware. Free admission and free parking. Raindate: Sunday, May 13.
The 9th Annual Spring Art Star Craft Bazaar is this weekend, May 12-13, 11am-6pm, an outdoor retail art/craft show with over 150 local and national artists, live music, food and more at Great Plaza, Penn’s Landing (Columbus Blvd between Walnut & Chestnut Streets), Philadelphia. Free admission, rain or shine.
LOVE Your Park Week, a week-long, citywide celebration of Philadelphia parks is May 12-19, eight days of service projects, events, educational programs, family activities, tours and more at over 100 parks throughout Philadelphia. Events include LOVE Your Park Service Day, Saturday, May 12 and the grand opening of Sister Cities Park, Logan Square, 18th & the Ben Franklin Parkway, Saturday, May 12, 11am-2pm with family friendly activities, entertainment and more, rain or shine.
Plays & Players celebrates their 100th anniversary with a staged reading of Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband,” directed by Daniel Student and starring local celebrities of stage, screen, and politics including Blondell Reynolds Brown, Madi DiStefano, Isaiah Zagar and more, May 14, 7pm, with a pre-show reception and silent auction, 1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia. General admission $25; $50 general admission and a meet the artist post-show reception, 9pm. “An Ideal Husband” was first performed on Plays & Players stage in the spring of 1912.
Opening this weekend on Cape May Stage is “Uncle Jacques’ Symphony,” written and performed by Dominic Hoffman, through June 15 at The Robert Shackleton Playhouse, corner of Bank & Lafayette Streets, Cape May, NJ.
Old Pine Street Church hosts the 39th Annual Craft and Community Festival, Saturday, May 12, 10am-4pm, with over 30 local crafters, plant sale, food, activities for kids and more, Pine and Lombard Streets between 4th and 5th and 4th Street between Pine and Lombard Streets, Philadelphia. Free
The historic village of Smithville hosts a Renaissance Faire, Saturday, May 12, 10am-6pm, presented by the New Jersey Renaissance Faire (rain date is Sunday, May 13); MayFest! With over 100 crafters, international food court, live music, children’s activities and more, Saturday, May 19, 10am-5pm; 615 E. Moss Mill Road, Smithville, NJ.
The Spirit of the Jerseys State History Fair is Saturday, May 12, 11am-5pm, rain or shine, with activities for the entire family including an antiques appraisal, colonial-era activities, music, performances and more, Washington Crossing State Park, 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville, NJ. Free admission, parking $5/vehicle
The Blue Rooster Craft Fair and Farm day is Saturday, May 12, 10am-4pm, a day out on the farm with vendors, food, children’s activities and more, Thistlebrook Farm, 4285 Applebutter Road, Bedminster, PA. Rain date is Sunday, May 13. Free admission
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University celebrates women’s contributions to the natural sciences with “Women in Natural Sciences Discovery Weekend,” May 12-13, and offers free admission to all mothers, Sunday, May 13, 10am-5pm, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia. Admission $13-$15
“Maya 2012: Lords of Time,” an exhibit co-sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Instituto Hondureño de Antropologia e Historia of the Republic of Honduras, is on view through January 13, 2013, exploring the fascination with the proposed “end of the world” in 2012. The exhibit compares other predictions of the apocalypse with that of the ancient Mayans, and includes more than 150 objects, including some recently excavated by Penn Museum archaeologists in Copan, Honduras, interactive displays and full-size replicas of significant monuments, detailing the Mayans’ time-ordered universe, meticulous calendar systems and beliefs in powers granted by divine kings, enabling them to become the “lords of time.” General admission timed tickets (includes the rest of the museum): Adults $22, seniors (65+) and military $18.50, students w/ ID and children (6-17) $16.50, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA.
Princeton University Art Museum takes a look at one of England’s most beloved painters with “John Constable: Oil Sketches from the Victoria and Albert Museum,” an exhibit including canvases of the “ideal” English landscape, on view through June 10. One of the first artists to work en plein air or “in the open air,” pieces in the exhibit include canvases of Suffolk and Essex, noting the date, time and weather of the scenes depicted, including the celebrated piece The Hay Wain, whose final version hangs in the National Gallery in London. Admission is free at 1 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ.
Bristol Riverside Theatre concludes its 25th Anniversary season with the Broadway hit “Rent,” by Jonathan Larson, through June 3, directed by Jose Zayas, 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA. Tickets $30-$50
Jeanne Ruddy Dance performs their 12th and final season with “Montage a Trois,” Ruddy’s first full-length work, incorporating the paintings of artist Elizabeth Osborne, “Out of the Mist…Above the Real,” and “Game Drive,” set to the music of Jennifer Higdon, through May 12, Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia. Tickets $25-$130
The Painted Bride hosts Skins & Songs: Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra meets Phillip Hamilton’s Voices with an evening of original works, through May 13, 230 Vine Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 day off show
Inis Nua Theatre Company presents the Philadelphia premiere of Irish playwright Enda Walsh’s black comedy “The Walworth Farce,” directed by Tom Reing, through May 27, Off-Broad Street Theatre at First Baptist Church, 1636 Sansom Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $20-$25. Two-for-one tickets on May 16 and May 23.
Narberth Community Theater presents “Moon Over Buffalo,” through May 19, Narberth Community Theater, 206 Price Avenue, Narberth, PA. Tickets $12-$30
The Dead Playwrights Repertory presents their spring production of “The Ides of March,” a two part adaptation of Shakespeare’s well known tragedies Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, directed by company co-founder Darryl S. Thompson Jr. and based loosely around the events of the Kennedy assassination, including music by the house band Antic Disposition, through May 20, Haddonfield Friends Meeting, 45 Friends Avenue, Haddonfield, NJ. Tickets $10-$30
The Irish Heritage Theatre, a brand new company dedicated to presenting and preserving the rich legacy of Irish Theatre from Ireland and in the United States, presents its first ever production “Philadelphia, Here I Come!,” by playwright Brian Friel, through May 20, Walnut Street Theatre Studio 5, Walnut Street, Philadelphia. General admission $25, Seniors $20, Students $15
Curio Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” through May 19, 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia. Tickets $15-$20
New Candlelight Theatre presents “The Wedding Singer,” through May 20, 2208 Millers Road, Ardentown, DE with a buffet meal served by the actors and crew included in ticket price. $33-56
1812 Productions presents the classic David Mamet comedy “Boston Marriage,” directed by Jennifer Childs, through May 20, Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street, Philadelphia. Tickets $20-$36
Ortlieb’s Lounge is back with concerts and events: Jamaican Soul – Jeff & Jaime Dillan, Friday, May 11; Glotones, Saturday, May 12; 847 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia.
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.
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