Weekly Entertainment Guide – Prom photos and Ice Cream Fest
From Center City to the Jersey Shore, we’ve got your week covered. 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:
Prom: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark
The Philadelphia Museum of Art offers viewers the chance to reflect back on their senior prom with, “Prom: Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark.” Portraying the mutual innocence and daring spirit of prom, this exhibit leaves visitors reflecting on their ambitions and views at the close of their high school career. Using a rare 20-by-24 Polaroid Land Camera, Mark visited thirteen high school proms from 2006-2009 and created versatile portraits of the various attendees. The photographs are complemented by a 33 minute video, directed by Mark’s husband, Martin Bell, who explores with humorous and thoughtful insight the range of adolescent thought and behavior. Presented in conjunction with the J. Paul Getty Museum’s publication of the book by the same name, “Prom” runs through October 28 in the Perelman Building, 2525 Pennsylvania Ave, Philadelphia. Museum Admission: Adults $20, Seniors (65+) $18, Students/Youth $14, Member and Children (12 and under) Free.
“Take a Seat” at Morris Arboretum
The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania invites visitors to “Take a Seat!” with a new exhibit featuring more than 70 artist-designed Adirondack chairs, on view now through Labor Day. Each chair and its unique design, ranging from stone decal to specialty carving to vibrant and rare paint colors, are meant to celebrate summer “as it used to be” – relaxing, cheery and surrounded by nature. Eight of the chairs are on the porch of the Woodmere Art Museum (9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA) and the rest are on display throughout the Morris Arboretum at 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. Admission: youth (3-17) $7, students and active military (w/ ID) $7, adults $16, seniors (65+) $14.
Paper Play at Asian Arts Initiative
The Asian Arts Initiative presents “Paper Play: New Works by Jeonghan Yun and Choonhyang Yun,” an exhibit featuring two- and three-dimensional paper works that embody the artists’ Western and Asian cultures while exemplifying various papermaking techniques, on view July 6 through August 17. The papermaking techniques of this husband and wife team begin with an ancient Asian tradition, during which the inner bark of a paper mulberry (“dak” in Korean) is peeled off, steamed, grinded and dyed. The product is a “tough, texturized, nontoxic canvas” (or “hanji”) that can be cast and shaped into sculptural art or painted with bright oil to create contemporary abstract pieces. Opening reception is Friday, July 6, 6pm, 1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA. Admission is free.
U.S. Army Vessel El Caney arrives in Philly
The Delaware River Waterfront hosts special events: The United States Army Vessel El Caney arrives on Friday, July 6, 11am with tours from 2-4pm and Saturday, July 7, 9am-7pm, at Market Street and Delaware River; The United States Army Band Pershing’s Own performs Saturday, July 7, 7:30pm, on the RiverStage, Great Plaza, followed by a Fireworks Salute with a live musical soundtrack; The Awesome Fest Free Film Series continues on Saturday, July 7, 8:30pm with a screening of Pilgrim Song, Race Street Pier; Sunday Funday on July 8, 1-5pm with free art lessons from Young Rembrandts and free face, Race Street Pier, Penn’s Landing.
The Rockwood Ice Cream Festival, “Delaware’s longest running family picnic,” is back with family fun for all ages, including live music, vendors, local restaurants, eco-crafters and local creameries serving the region’s best ice creams, Saturday, July 7, 11am-6pm, and Sunday, July 8, 11am-5pm, 4671 Washington St. Extension, Wilmington, DE. Admission: Adults $5, Children under 12 $1 (includes free scoop).
Opera New Jersey celebrates its 10th anniversary with Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore” and Verdi’s “Il Trovatore, July 8-22, McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ. Tickets: $20-$110.
Philadelphia’s QFest returns July 12-23 with over 200 international films, special events and parties throughout the 11 day period. The Festival opens Thursday, July 12 with “Elliot Loves,” at 7:15pm, followed by the opening night party, Way Gay Sing-Along, dinners with producers, directors, and actors and closing night party. Check the website for an official schedule and locations. Tickets: Regular Screenings $10, Opening/Closing Film $15, Opening Party $35, Closing Party $25, Festival Pass $90, All-Access Badge $260. Discounts for PCA Members.
The Wedding Singer at Playcrafters of Skippack
Playcrafters of Skippack present their upcoming musical, “The Wedding Singer,” based on the film by the same title, July 12-28, performed in an historic, converted barn, 2011 Store Road, Skippack, PA. Tickets: Patron $15, Group of 20+ $14.
The Colonial Theatre’s 13th Annual Blobfest is back, a kitschy, family-friendly event saluting the 1958 classic sci-fi movie The Blob, filmed in and around Phoenixville, PA including inside the Colonial Theatre, Friday, July 13-15 with screenings of the movies and a street fair, Saturday, July 14, 11am, 227 Bridge Street. Tickets $5-$10, street fair free.
World Café Live concerts in Philly & Wilmington
World Café Live hosts concerts and special events in Philadelphia: Smash Palace, Saturday, July 7, 9pm; Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday Celebration with Mason Porter and Friends, Sunday, July 8, 7pm; Willy Mason, Tuesday, July 10, 8pm; He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, Wednesday, July 11, 8pm; The Mumbles, Thursday, July 12, 8pm; Greensky Bluegrass (pictured), Thursday, July 12, 8pm; Hezekiah Jones with Griz and Cheers Elephant, Friday, July 13, 8pm, 3025 Walnut Street and in Wilmington: The Romantics, Saturday, July 7, 8pm; John Mayall, Tuesday, July 10, 8pm; 4W5 Blues Jam, Wednesday, July 11, 7pm; The Jolly What!, Thursday, July 12, 8pm; Summer Bash with The Hyde, Ever/After, The Shawn and Hobby Band & STONE, Saturday, July 14, 7:30pm, 500 N. Market Street. Tickets $8-$51
Philadelphia
John F. Collins Park hosts concerts in the park every Tuesday and Thursday, noon-1:30pm: Rittenhouse String Quartet, July 10; Yoomi Kwan, Cello, July 12; Frank Butrey, Guitar, July 17; Magdaliz Roura, Guitar, July 19; 1707 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Free and weather permitting.
Mazeppa Productions opens their summer season with the Tony-Award winning musical, “Spring Awakening,” Wednesday, July 11-28, Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre, 20 North American Street, Old City, Philadelphia. Mazeppa is the first resident theater in Philadelphia to present this musical. Tickets: Online Purchases $20, At the Door $25.
Lights of Liberty’s newest multimedia production, “The Liberty 360 Show,” takes you on a 15 minute, 3-D journey through the symbols of freedom, hosted by Ben Franklin in the PECO Theater, Historic Philadelphia Center, 6th and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia. Family Four Pack $20, adults $6, student/senior/military $5, children 12 and under $5.
The National Museum of American Jewish History remembers the religious freedom on which our country was founded with a special exhibition, “To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Freedom,” focusing on George Washington’s historic 1790 letter to the “Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island,” where he states that Jews living in the US would enjoy “the exercise of their inherent natural rights.” Other examples of religious tolerance featured include a letter to the Quaker community, early printings of the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson’s Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, and a portrait of Washington, ca. 1800. A George Washington Walking Tour, featuring sites in Philadelphia related to the exhibition, is also available, on view through September 30 at 101 South Independence Mall East, Philadelphia. Admission: Adult $12, Youth/Senior $11, Children/Military Free.
PA Suburbs & Delaware
The Lenape Chamber Ensemble kicks off its 26th summer season with a concert Saturday, July 7, 8pm, featuring Kyu-Young Kim, founding first violinist of the Daedalus Quartet along with pianist Marcantonio Barone and Lenape artists performing Beethoven’s Piano Quartet and Dvorak’s last String Quartet and more, Delaware Valley College, Doylestown, PA. Adults $18, Seniors and students, $15, adult subscription $45, senior and student subscription $35.
New Hope Film Festival returns for a third year to discover and nurture independent filmmakers from all over the globe, July 6 through 15. This year features a total of 81 films from 12 countries, including “Brush,” “Seven Years Underground,” and “Carbon for Water.” Films will be screened in three venues: New Hope Arts Center, Stephen J. Buck Memorial Theater at New Hope-Solebury High School, and the County Theater in Doylestown, PA. Tickets: At the Door: Patrons $12, Students/Seniors, Matinees $6. Advance Ticket Prices Vary.
The 63rd Annual Kutztown Folk Festival commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with the theme “Pennsylvania and the Civil War,” introducing experts on the Pennsylvania Dutch involvement, Quilts: Directional Signs for the Underground Railroad, reenactments, and more. The festival offers traditional Pennsylvania Dutch quilts, crafts, music, dancing, food, and treats, through July 8, 9am-6pm, Kutztown Fairgrounds, Kutztown, PA, Route 222, between Allentown and Reading. Admission: One Day Pass Adult $14, Senior (55+) $13, Junior (13-17) $5, Children (12 and under) Free.
Rehoboth Art League explores seven unique private homes and gardens for their 63rd Annual Cottage Tour, featuring the Homestead, a 1743 colonial home filled with beautiful antiques, artwork, and landscaping, Tuesday, July 10 and Wednesday, July 11, 10am-3pm. Pick up the Jolly Trolley at 550 Stockley Street to visit the various locations in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Tickets: $30.
Every summer over 700 young people from the Delaware Valley area study and perform family theater with Upper Darby Summer Stage. The 2012 season kicks off with Nickelodeon’s Dora, the Explorer, LIVE!, July 11-13; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, July 18-20; Seussical, Jr., July 25-27; Annie, Jr., August 1-3; How I Became a Pirate, August 8-10; A Disney Spectacular, August 15-17. The season culminates in the Main Stage Musical, “Hairspray,” August 3-11. Times range from 10:30am or 7:30pm, 601 N. Lansdowne, Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA. Tickets: Children’s Theatre Musicals $6-$9, Main Stage Musical $10-$13. Member Discount $1 off.
Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” in their Free Theatre in the Park series: Thursday, July 12, Abington Arts Center, Abington, PA; Friday, July 13, West Pikeland Township Cultural Center, Chester Springs, PA; Saturday, July 14, Elkins Estate-Elkins Park, PA; Sunday, July 15, LOVE Park, Philadelphia. Concerts continue at various venues through July 28, rain or shine, 7pm.
Hedgerow Theater’s 11th annual Ray Cooney farce is onstage this year with “Not Now, Darling!” through August 12, 64 Rose Valley Road, Rose Valley, PA. $10-$32
The Bucks County Playhouse reopens after almost 2 years with “A Grand Night for Singing,” through July 29. Directed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Lonny Price, this production features over 40 songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, who called Bucks County home until Hammerstein’s death in 1960. The Bucks County Theatre also presents a Late Night Cabaret series throughout the summer, 70 South Main Street, New Hope, PA. Tickets: $25-$54.
Rudyard Kipling’s novel comes to life in the Media Theatre’s musical, “The Jungle Book,” a collection of fables following the child Mowgli, who develops relationships with personified animals through music and choreography as they work together to build a community, through July 28, 104 East State Street, Media, PA. Tickets: Adult $12, Child $10.
Clear Space Theatre Company presents their summer repertory season with performances six nights a week of “Annie,” “Broadway at the Beach” and “Cabaret,” through Labor Day, less than a block from the beach, 20 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE. All shows start at 7:30pm.
New Jersey
The Collingswood Community Theatre celebrates their 10th season with the Sondheim musical, “Into the Woods,” a web of beloved fairy tales twisted with the consequences of reality, July 11-13 in the Ballroom at the Scottish Rite Theatre, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, NJ. Tickets: Adults $17, Students/Seniors $12.
Audrey II takes over the Cumberland Players as their production of the horror rock musical, “Little Shop of Horrors,” opens Friday, July 13 through 22, Sherman Ave. and the Blvd, Vineland, NJ. Tickets: $7.50-$15.
“Down the Shore”
Celebrate South Jersey’s maritime history with the 2012 Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Maritime Festival as historians, authors, artists, and even pirates celebrate the Sea in Angelsea, Saturday, July 7, 9am-5pm, and Sunday, July 8, 9am-4pm, with live music, food, crafters, children’s activities and more along Central Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ. Admission: Free with $4 Lighthouse Tour.
Margate’s Beachstock 2012 celebrates the summer season with live music, food, children’s activities, and much more including sunset movie on the beach, this Saturday, July 7, 10am-10pm, Huntington & Granville Avenues, Margate, NJ. Free with charges for some activities.
The Stockton Performing Arts Center hosts summer concerts and events at the beach: Jay and The Americans, Monday, July 9, 8pm; Summer Playhouse “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Wednesday, July 11, 10:30am; Dave Mason, Monday, July 16, 8pm; Summer Playhouse “The Three Bears,” Wednesday, July 18, 10:30am; Cape May Convention Hall, Cape May, NJ. Tickets $8 Summer Playhouse, $30 concerts.
The Emlen Physick Estate, Cape May’s Victorian house museum, hosts a “Kids’ Day” with hands-on activities like Victorian hat-making, dressing in Victorian costumes, tall tales, tea with your teddy bear and more, Wednesday, July 11, 10am-3pm, 1048 Washington Street. $7 children’s ticket includes activity packet and self-guided Physick House tour; special house tour admission for adults is $7.
The Wings N’ Water Festival is back for the 30th year with “A Celebration of Water” and a new family atmosphere with events such as turtle releases, live animal exhibits, kayaking, bird walks, cocktail cruises, benefit concerts, and live and silent auctions, Thursday, July 12 through Saturday, July 14 at The Wetlands Institute, 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd, Stone Harbor, NJ. Tickets: 2 Day All Access Pass $12, Children $10; 1 Day All Access Pass $7, Children $5; Venue Admission $5, Children $3. Boat cruises, kayak tours, family night and benefit concert priced separately.
To submit an event to be considered for the Weekly Entertainment Guide email Robin Bloom at artscalendar@whyy.org.
Kelly Hagerty and Pamela Seaton contributed reporting to this week’s guide.
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