Weekly Entertainment Guide — Fall festivals, theater
From Center City to the Jersey Shore, we’ve got your week covered. WHYY’s Arts Calendar curator Robin Bloom searches hundreds of listings each week to find out what’s happening in the Delaware Valley. Here are her picks:
“red, black & GREEN: a blues” at Annenberg Center
“red, black & GREEN: a blues” comes to the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, September 21, 7:30pm, and Saturday, September 22, 8pm, created by critically praised spoken word performer, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and combining poetry, music, dance, video, and an interactive set design to present a story about community and environmentalism. Performances include conversations with the cast after the show, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. $35.
Wilma Theater’s “Angels in America Part Two”
Wilma Theater celebrates the 20th anniversary of “Angels in America Part Two: Perestroika,” the Tony Award-winning play by Tony Kushner, following in the success of Part One this past spring, a play that explores social, political, and sexual revelations, directed by Blanka Zizka through October 21, 265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia. Tickets: $23-$59.
The Seven Deadly Seas on Tall Ship Gazela
“Stowaways & Sellouts,” a new production by The Seven Deadly Seas, a tale told through sword fights and burlesque, is performed in-the-round, on deck aboard GAZELA, the oldest wooden Tall Ship still sailing in America, rain or shine and accompanied by live gypsy funk, Friday, September 21, 8pm & 10pm, Saturday, September 22, 8pm & 10pm, and Sunday, September 23, 9pm, Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia. Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 all shows at the Gangplank (door). For mature audiences.
Shipwreck! Winslow Homer and The Life Line at Philadelphia Museum of Art
“Shipwreck! Winslow Homer and The Life Line,” opens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art this weekend. Centered around Winslow Homer’s masterpiece, “The Life Line,” the exhibit features 33 of his works, complemented by other paintings, drawings, watercolors, engravings, sketches, and ceramics from the shipwreck and rescue genre. The “Hope and Heartache” section focuses on 17th century to 20th century shipwrecks from the perspective of those waiting on land, while “They’re Saved! They’re Saved!” examines the theme of romantic rescue, on display through December 16, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia.
Apple Festival and Pumpkinland at Linvilla Orchards
The Apple Festival at Linvilla Orchards is Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23 beginning at 8am both days with family fun including apple picking, pie-eating contest, live music, costumed characters, hayrides, pony rides, and more including “Pumpkinland,” with piles of pumpkins in all shapes and sizes, and a large selection of straw bales, corn shocks, and fall decorations of all kinds, through November 4, 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, PA. Free.
10th Annual Fine Arts and Crafts Festival
The Community Arts Center hosts the 10th Annual Fine Arts and Crafts Festival, Saturday, September 22, 10am-5pm, offering visitors the opportunity to purchase works directly from artists working in wood, jewelry, ceramics, oil, sculpture, photography, glass, drawing, and other media. The art-filled day will also include live music, raffles, food, and children’s activities, State Street, Media, PA. Free.
Tap Dogs hit the Stockton Performing Arts Center, bringing their rocking theatrical entertainment – part theatre, part dance, part rock concert – reinventing tap dancing with a new show, Saturday, September 22, 7:30pm, created by two-time Olivier Award-winning choreographer Dein Perry, with a construction site set by designer/director Nigel Triffitt and a score by composer Andrew Wilkie, 101 Vera King Farris drive, Galloway, NJ. Tickets $30 adults, $10 children.
The Tin Angel presents an evening with AG, Garrison Starr, and Maia Sharp, Saturday, September 22, 7:30pm. Supporting her new EP of Beatles’ covers, AG plays a show with Garrison Starr and Maia Sharp that gives the audience a chance to see the artists collaborate on stage. Each musician takes the spotlight while the other two serve as a backing band, 20 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia. $12. 21+.
Shinobi Ninja and Mambo Sauce at The Blockley
Brooklyn-based hip-hop and party rock circus Shinobi Ninja brings their explosive live show to The Blockley, Saturday, September 22, 8pm, along with Mambo Sauce, Kuf Knotz and more, 38th and Chestnut, Philadelphia. Tickets: $12-$15
Pianist Di Wu joins Music Director Rossen Milanov and the Symphony in C to perform Rachmaninov’s “Second Piano Concerto” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 6,” Saturday, September 22, 8pm. The night begins as a celebration of the Symphony’s 60th Anniversary with Douglas Buchanan’s award-winning piece, “Malleus,” Rutgers Camden Center for the Arts, North 3rd Street & Pearl Street, Camden, NJ. $23-$50.
The Diary of Anne Frank at Second Street Players
Second Street Players takes on a new adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” directed by Ben Lonski, opening this weekend through September 30 at the Riverfront Theater, 2 South Walnut Street, Milford, DE. $17.
Five Minute Follies at the Adrienne
“Five Minute Follies” comes to the Adrienne, this Sunday, September 23, bringing fast-paced, eclectic, all-ages entertainment to the stage with comics, magicians, musicians, jugglers, and hoop dancers, performing for no longer than five minutes each, in the same vein as vintage TV variety shows. Doors open at 2:30pm, show starts at 3pm, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia. $15 advance, $18 at the door.
Bill Hebert’s Choreography Showcase
Photographer Bill Hebert celebrates the Philadelphia Dance community with the 4th installment of his Choreography Showcase, Sunday, September 23, 7:30pm, Community Education Center (CEC), 3500 Lancaster Avenue, Philadelphia, featuring Monarch Dance, MM2 Modern Dance Company, Underground Dance Works and more. Tickets: $12 General Admission, $10 for dance professionals, students and seniors with ID.
How I Learned to Drive at Villanova Theatre
Paula Vogel’s award winning drama, “How I Learned to Drive” comes to the Villanova Theatre, Tuesday, September 25. Shifting backward and forward through time, the play shows Lil Bit’s progression through adolescence into adulthood and the control she gains behind the wheel of her uncle’s ’56 Chevy, through October 7, 800 East Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA. $19-$25.
The Fringe Wilmington Festival arrives Wednesday, September 26, a five-day arts festival showcasing unconventional and experimental performances, films, and visual arts and featuring nearly 200 local, regional and national artists including Belynda Criddell, Green Chair Dance Group, Melomanie, the Baltimore Physical Comedy Colloquium (pictured), and more, through September 30, in venues around Wilmington, DE. $5-$25.
1812’s This Is The Week That Is: The Election Special!
“This Is The Week That Is: The Election Special!” comes to the Plays & Players Theatre, 1812 Production’s annual political satire show, this year taking on the 2012 presidential election with a newscast parody rewritten nightly to stay relevant. See the presidential candidates croon in “Presidential Idol” and compete in a Presidential Pageant with a swimsuit competition. Skewering politics, local news, and entertainment tabloids, and sparing no one from their humor, September 27 through November 4 at 1714 Delancey Street, Philadelphia. $22-$38.
Other events in Philly
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society hosts the Fall Garden Festival, Saturday, September 22, 9am-5pm, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard with a day of food, music, gardening tips and workshops, children’s activities, and more, 4747 South Broad Street, Philadelphia. Free.
Frankford Hall celebrates Oktoberfest 2012 with a street Festival, Saturday, September 22, noon-10pm, with family activities, live music, beer tents, food stations serving traditional German food, 1210 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia.
The 40th Street Summer Series concludes with a special John Coltrane Birthday Celebration including Bobby Zankel’s Warriors of the Wonderful Sound, featuring Dave Liebman and Odean Pope performing Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, Saturday, September 22, 6pm, behind the Walnut Street Free Library, 40th and Walnut Streets, Philadelphia. Free.
The Mt. Airy Art Garage hosts its 3rd Annual Art Auction Gala, Saturday, September 22, 6pm-10pm. The silent auction will feature works by over 45 different artists, including Doris Grey, Ellen Benson, Melvin Chappell, and Tom Herbert. Jewelry, gift certificates, and classes will be auctioned off as well. The Passage Jazz Band provides live music and food by Hershel’s East Side Deli at Reading Terminal, 11 West Mt. Airy Avenue, Philadelphia. $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
B. Someday Productions presents “3 Wishes,” a play that revolves around 1950s female executive Cornella Jansen’s promise of three wishes to a janitor. The world premiere, adults-only play for Philly Fringe runs through September 23 at Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia. $10.
Montreal-based 7 Fingers’ “Sequence 8” carries emotional dynamics and physical feats to a point of explosion and propulsion, incorporating the strongest of theatrical elements at an even higher acrobatic level. Using simple props such as mirrors, a tape deck with instructive recordings and a portable projector, this U.S. premiere tempts and tests the fine line between “self” and “other,” onstage through September 23 at the Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia. A co-presentation of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. See website for ticket prices.
Onstage at Stagecrafters Theater is Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” through September 30, 8130 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia. $17 online, $20 at the door.
Old Academy Players presents Shakespeare’s comedy “The Taming of the Shrew,” through September 30, directed by Carla Childs and produced by Helga Krauss and Dale Mezzacappa, the company’s 479th production, 3544 Indian Queen Lane, Philadelphia. Free on-site parking. Tickets $15.
The Association for Public Art (aPA), formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association, presents “Open Air,” by media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, a world-premiere public art project combined with mobile technology to create a spectacular, interactive experience that will illuminate the night sky from Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Parkway. Created specifically for Philadelphia, spectators can use a free mobile app to participate live in the project, to form a canopy of light over the city, seen up to 10 miles away, through October 14 from 8pm-11pm each evening, located between 21st and 24th Streets on the Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia.
Other events in the region
The Kids Corner Music Festival returns to World Cafe Live at the Queen, Saturday, September 22, beginning at 11am (doors open at 10:30am). Hosted by XPN “Kids Corner” host Kathy O’Connell, the festival features crafts, a lunch buffet, family activities, and live music by Alex & The Kaleidoscope Band, Lunch Money, and The Paisley Pickles, 500 North Market Street, Wilmington. $8 for XPN members, $12 for non-members.
The Riverfront Ramble is Saturday, September 22, beginning at 11am, with live music including Morris Day and the Time, food, crafts, music, boats, contests, fireworks and more, along the Chester Waterfront, Chester, PA.
Sly Fox Brewing Company hosts the annual “Can Jam Festival” Saturday, September 22, noon-9pm, with live music by Mason Porter, Vinegar Creek Constituency, and more, along with pizza madness, craft beer and more, 331 Circle of Progress Drive, Pottstown, PA. Free. Bring a lawn chair.
The 13th annual Jenkintown Festival of the Arts is Sunday, September 23, 1pm-6pm, with over 40 artists on two stages with live music, a juried and student art show, children’s activities, food, brew tent, and more, 715 Greenwood Avenue, Jenkintown, PA.
Bristol Riverside Theatre kicks off its 2012-2013 season with David Mamet’s “Oleanna,” a drama about a college professor charged with sexual harassment after a private meeting with one of his students. Keith Baker directs the play, running September 25 through October 14 at 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, PA. $24-$45 with discounts available for students.
Wildwood, New Jersey celebrates Celtic heritage with the 21st Annual Irish Fall Festival, with music, dancing, food, vendors, crafts, golf tournament, parade, and more, September 21-23, 8am-11pm daily, Olde New Jersey Avenue, North Wildwood. Free.
On display at the Lawrence Gallery of Rosemont College is “Nature’s Skirt,” highlighting the drawings and paintings of artist Anne Milner, reflecting upon her passion for nature. Each painting is Milner’s search for an underlying essence within forms seen throughout nature. This journey within her artwork is also fueled by her own search for her biological family, which she credits as a driving force in her creative process. “Nature’s Skirt” runs through September 28 at 1400 Montgomery Avenue, Rosemont, PA.
The Players Club of Swarthmore kicks off their 102nd season with Neil Simon’s comedy, “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” The first in a trilogy of coming-of-age stories set in New York during the Great Depression, “Brighton Beach Memoirs” runs through September 29 with a special “Meet the Artists” post-show conversation on September 23, 614 Fairview Ave, Swarthmore, PA. Tickets: $15 with discounts available for students and seniors.
Onstage at Montgomery Theater is “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” written by Scott Brown and Anthony King, starring Tony Braithwaite and Steve Pacek, a two-man musical spoof, recommended for ages 14 and older, through October 6 at 124 Main Street, Souderton, PA. A co-production with Act II Playhouse. Tickets: $25-$37.
Rowan University Art Gallery presents “Harsh Realities,” an exhibit exploring strength of the human spirit through the use of stop motion animation. Co-curated by Jennie Thwing and Joshua Mosley, “Harsh Realities” showcases a number of media including clay, puppets, toys, and surface alteration. Artists include Martha Colburn, Eric Dyer, Laura Heit, Stacey Steers, Christopher Sullivan, and more, and is supplemented by workshops, lectures, and screenings with the participating artists, through October 6, 201 Mullica Road, Glassboro, NJ. Free.
East Lynne Theater Company presents the comedy “It Pays to Advertise,” through October 13, by Roi Cooper Mergue and Walter C. Hackett, First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, New Jersey at 500 Hughes Street. Tickets $0-$30.
To submit an event to be considered for the Weekly Entertainment Guide email Robin Bloom at artscalendar@whyy.org.
Brett Rader contributed reporting to this week’s guide.
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