Weekly Entertainment Guide – ‘Raisin in the Sun,’ Tug Boat art, and Theatre Confetti

Looking for something to do this week? WHYY’s Robin Bloom has some recommendations on what’s happening in the Philadelphia region. Here are her picks:

 

“Tug Boats: The Art of Dave Boone” at Independence Seaport Museum

“Tug Boats: The Art of Dave Boone” is on view at The Independence Seaport Museum, displaying the artist’s highly detailed watercolor paintings of historical and contemporary ships and tugboats. The collection follows his life as well, from his days as a young boy, sketching the sea traffic along Newton Creek, to his work as Operations Manager at Curtis Bay Towing Company. Boone’s artwork is well known in the maritime community and reflects his passion and extensive knowledge of these ships, through August 4 in the Museum’s 2nd floor community gallery, Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia.

“Imagined Places” at Delaware Art Museum

The Delaware Art Museum explores playful, fairy-tale worlds with “Imagined Places: The Art of Alexi Natchev,” over 60 paintings and prints of the Delaware College of Art and Design professor, on display through August 4. Natchev, born and educated in Bulgaria, has illustrated 17 children’s books and won numerous national and international awards, including the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE.

 

 

“A Raisin in the Sun” at Arden Theatre

Onstage at Arden Theatre Company is Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun.” In Chicago’s South Side, the Younger family dreams of buying a house in the all-white Clybourne Park. A life insurance check makes this dream possible, but racial intolerance of the early 1950s threatens to crush it. Directed by Walter Dallas, former Artistic Director of Freedom Theatre, the play stars Kash Goins, who makes his Arden debut, U.R. (pictured), Lena Younger, and more at 40 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia.

 

“Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them” at Theatre Confetti

Theatre Confetti (formerly Nice People Theatre Company) presents the Philadelphia premiere of “Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them,” written by the Hodder Fellow in Playwrights at Princeton, A. Rey Pamatmat. The show is a provocative work that follows three adolescents growing up on an isolated farm in Middle America, stars Bi Jean Ngo, Justin Jain, and Steve Pacek, and runs through March 24 at The Power Plant Basement, 233 North Bread Street, Philadelphia.

 

“Moby Dick – Rehearsed” at Iron Age Theatre

Onstage at Iron Age Theatre is Orson Welles’ “Moby Dick – Rehearsed,” directed and designed by John Doyle and Randall Wise, starring Adam Altman, Michelle Pauls, Ray Saraceni, and more, through March 24 at 208 DeKalb Street, Norristown.

 

 

“In the Next Room, or the vibrator play” at McCarter Theatre

Sarah Ruhl’s “In the Next Room, or the vibrator play,” takes to the stage this weekend at McCarter Theatre Center. Set in the late Victorian era at the dawn of the electrical age when a new medical device was invented to treat female “hysteria,” the production is directed by Princeton University senior theater student Sarah Hedgecock and features senior theater student Taylor Mallory in the lead role of Catherine Givings, March 8-15, 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ. The production deals with mature themes of sexuality and may not be suitable for all audiences.

 

Philadelphia Chamber Music Society concerts

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society hosts spring concerts: Artemis Quartet, Friday, March 8, 8pm, Independence Seaport Museum; Curtis Chamber Orchestra with Jaime Laredo and Jennifer Koh, violin, Monday, March 11, 8pm, Kimmel Center; Musicians from Marlboro II, Tuesday, March 12, 8pm, Independence Seaport Museum; Time for Three (pictured), Thursday, March 14, 8pm, American Philosophical Society; Korbinian Altenberger, violin and Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano, Sunday, March 17, 2pm, Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 

Keswick Theatre March concerts

Keswick Theatre hosts March concerts and events: The Irish Rovers, Friday, March 8, 7:30pm; Standing in the Shadows of Motown LIVE with Peabo Bryson, Saturday, March 9, 8pm; George Thorogood & The Destroyers (pictured), Thursday, March 14, 7:30pm; Liel Kolet, Sunday, March 17, 7:30pm; Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Tuesday, March 19, 8pm; Amy Schumer, Friday, March 22, 8pm; The Fab Faux, Saturday, March 23, 8pm; “Jesus Christ Superstar,” March 28-30; Glenside, PA.

Golden Dragon Acrobats at State Theatre

The World-renowned Golden Dragon Acrobats of China bring skillful acrobatics, incredible costumes, music, and theatrical techniques to The State Theatre this Sunday, March 10, 1pm and 4:30pm, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, PA.

 

 

Charles Searles exhibit at LaSalle University Art Museum

LaSalle University Art Museum showcases the work of Charles Searles with “The Mask of Abstraction,” an exhibit of 52 paintings, small-scale sculptures, and sketchbook drawings by the local African American artist, providing an overview of his artistic development, from his early figure drawings of the 1960s to his abstract paintings and sculptures of the 1970s and beyond. Loaned from private collections, his artwork reflects not only the changing social times during his career, but also his evolving vision as an individual inspired by Africa and other cultural traditions, on display March 11 through May 31 with related programming and events including an opening reception, March 13, 5-7pm, 1900 West Olney Avenue, Philadelphia.

 

“Good People” at Walnut Street Theatre

The Walnut Street Theatre’s production of the Broadway sensation, “Good People” begins with previews Tuesday, March 12. The Boston neighborhood of Southie is a working class neighborhood, and home of Margie Walsh, who just lost her job as a cashier. When she has a chance meeting with an old flame, now a successful doctor, she sees him as her opportunity to finally get out of Southie, onstage through April 28, 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia.

 

Owen Wingrave opera collaboration

Opera Philadelphia and the Curtis Institute join forces to perform Benjamin Britten’s chamber opera “Owen Wingrave,” Wednesday, March 13, 7:30pm, Friday, March 15, 8pm, and Sunday, March 17, 2:30pm. Based on a short story by Henry James, the opera tells the story of a young man desperate to keep the love of his would-be bride and determined to prove his inner strength, even if it leads to his own mysterious end. Sung in English, the fully staged production features the Curtis Opera Theatre, under Artistic Director Mikael Eliasen, the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, led by George Manahan, and members of the Philadelphia Boys Choir. Director Daniel Fish makes his Curtis Opera Theatre debut with scenic designer Laura Jellinek, costume designer Tilly Grimes, and lighting designer Mark Barton, in the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center, Philadelphia.

 

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Brooklyn

Big hair, polygamy, and ukuleles join together in The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Brooklyn’s one-act musical comedy, “Missionary in Manhattan: Big Philly Style,” March 14-17 at the Playground at the Adrienne. The show follows three polygamist pop stars as they track down their missing husband in Philadelphia, 2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia.

 

“Lost in Yonkers” at Steel River Playhouse

Steel River Playhouse presents Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” the Pulitzer Prize and a Tony award-winning comedy about a family in 1942 New York City, living above their candy store. Jay and Arty are left with their crusty grandmother and a vivid array of family characters which in turn create a universal story of family tribulations. Sparking the tradition of sit-coms in plays, television, and film, Neil Simon is the only playwright to win the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for the use of comedy to observe society’s injustices. Performances run through Sunday, March 24, 245 East High Street, Pottstown, PA.

 

“A Flea in Her Ear” at Hedgerow Theatre

Mistaken identities and misunderstandings are the highlights of Georges Feydeau’s 1907 farce, “A Flea in Her Ear,” onstage at Hedgerow Theatre, Thursday, March 14 through April 28. Romance goes awry in a Parisian hotel as the beautiful Raymonde tries to catch her husband cheating on her, 64 Rose Valley Road, Rose Valley, PA.

 

64th Annual Chadds Ford Art Sale & Show

The 64th Annual Chadds Ford Art Sale & Show is Friday, March 15, 7pm-10pm and Saturday, March 16, 10am-4pm, at Chadds Ford Elementary School, featuring over seventy works by artists from the Brandywine Valley and beyond. Explore cartoon art with professional cartoonist, self-publisher, award-winning designer and Comic-Con exhibitor John Gallagher, free guided Art Tours through the elementary school’s art collection of Brandywine art showcase pieces from the late 1800s to today, and an Art Café offering children the opportunity to create their own masterpieces in a studio atmosphere, 3 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, PA.

An Evening with Lennon & McCartney and Philly POPS

Philly POPS Music Director Designate Michael Krajewski makes his first appearance for “An Evening with Lennon & McCartney,” sharing the stage with the Beatles tribute band Classical Mystery Tour, Friday, March 15, 8pm, Saturday, March 16, 3pm, and Sunday March 17, 3pm. Enjoy symphonic renditions of “Eleanor Rigby,” Love is All You Need,” and many more classic songs in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center of Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia.

Other events and listings throughout the region:

The 13th annual New Jersey Home & Garden Show is March 8-10, with the latest trends in home design, including landscapes and outdoor living, free seminars, wine tastings, expanded art, gift and gourmet area, Kid’s Zone with workshops, green living exhibits, live plant sale, and presentations by special guest Roger Hazard, home stager on A&E’s “Sell This House,” Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ.

The Mt. Airy Art Garage hosts a weekend celebration of International Women’s Day and women in the arts, March 8-10, honoring the artistic contributions of women to society, featuring a wide array of local and citywide female talent, choirs, poets, spoken word artists, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, actors, painters and more, 11 West Mt. Airy, Avenue, Philadelphia.

Onstage this weekend at Allens Lane Theater is “Melancholy Play,” by Sarah Ruhl, directed by M. Craig Getting, a comical, whimsical, and heartwarming examination of sadness and its myriad causes, March 8-23, 601 West Allens Lane, Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre presents “Othello,” directed by Carmen Khan, featuring Tony-nominated actor Forrest McClendon, previews March 8-10 and onstage March 13 through May 18, 2111 Sansom Street, Philadelphia.

“Kids on 2nd Street” is Saturday, March 9, 10am-1pm, on 2nd Street from Market to Race, showcasing all the engaging activities for kids in Philadelphia’s Old City. Events include drama and dance classes, scavenger hunts, face-painting, arts and craft activities, and more, along with complimentary refreshments. Grab a map of participating venues at Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd Street. Free and open to the public.

The Arc of Delaware County hosts the “2nd Annual Celebrating Differences Art, Music and Film Festival,” Saturday, March 9, 10am-3pm, at the Delaware County Community College, featuring writer Buzz Bissinger along with live performances by disabilities rights singer & songwriter Johnny Crescendo, pianist Willy Potts and singer & songwriter Sarah Donner. Crafters will exhibit jewelry, painting, pottery, sketches and more, 901 South Media Line Road, Media, PA. The event coincides with “Celebrating the Differences” Conference presentations and seminars from 11:30am-2:30pm.

11th Hour Theatre Company’s NEXT STEP concert series continues with “Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party,” a raucous musical about a washed up couple planning “the party to end all parties.” Andrew Lippa wrote the lyrics, book, and music based on the poem by Joseph Moncure March. Performances are Saturday, March 9, 8pm, Sunday, March 10, 3pm, and Monday, March 11, 7pm, Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American Street, Philadelphia.

VDay West Philadelphia presents Eve Ensler’s award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues,” Sunday, March 10 at The Rotunda. Directed by Ruchama Bilenky, proceeds from the two shows benefit Project SAFE, which promotes the health of women sex workers in Philadelphia, Morris Home, the only Philadelphia homeless shelter for transgender and gender-variant individuals, and Global Campaign to End Violence Against Women and Girls. Sponsored by DysFUNctional Theater with performances at 3pm and 7pm, 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia.

Catch the world premiere of “Bonhoeffer,” by local conductor Thomas Lloyd, this Sunday, March 10, 4pm, a moving, provocative libretto alternating with scenes of the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s dramatic life (returning to Germany to resist the Lutheran Church’s capitulation to Germany’s fascist government, falling in love, plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler, arrest and execution in the weeks before the war’s end). The performance features the men of The Crossing chamber choir and chamber orchestra, solo dancers Tim Early and Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch, and three Crossing soloists Maren Montalbano Brehm, Rebecca Hoke, and Rebecca Siler, conducted by Donald Nally, at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 3723 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Free Parking for concert-goers directly across from the Cathedral, on 39th Street between Market and Chestnut.

Opening Wednesday, March 13 at People’s Light and Theatre is “The Trip to Bountiful,” a stage adaptation of Horton Foote’s 1953 television play. Director Abigail Adams brings a story of struggle and memory to the stage, as the aging Mrs. Carrie Watts tries to return to Bountiful, the town of her youth, onstage through April 7 on the Steinbright Stage, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA.

Kicking off their season of exploring the lives and issues faced by women, Flashpoint Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Megan Mostyn-Brown’s “The Bends,” Wednesday, March 13 at Off-Broad Street Theatre. Past and present collide in this dark and hilarious play when best-selling author Gemma returns home to see her college friends after many years, directed by multiple Barrymore-nominee Kathryn MacMillan, onstage through Sunday, March 31, 1636 Sansom Street, Philadelphia.

The 9th Annual WXPN Musicians on Call benefit concert is Thursday, March 14, 7pm, featuring Shemekia Copeland, Joseph Arthur, and Birdie Busch & The Greatest Night, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. All proceeds support a program that promotes healing through music and brings live performances to the bedsides of hospital-bound patients.

Princeton University continues its tradition of nurturing poets with the 3rd Biennial Princeton Poetry Festival, Friday and Saturday, March 15-16. Coinciding with the New Jersey State Finals of Poetry Out Loud, the Festival features an international group of twelve poets from six countries across four continents, participating in readings and panel discussions organized by Princeton professor and poet Paul Muldoon, in Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, Princeton, New Jersey.

The Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival is Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17 at the Crown Plaza in Claymont, DE with a vocal and instrument workshops, Weekend Jamming, and other activities. The Bluegrass Brothers and other bands perform, including Dede Wyland, High Octane, and Country Current, 630 Naamans Road, Claymont, DE.

Broadway Theatre of Pitman presents “On Golden Pond,” the stage version of the classic movie, through March 24, 43 S. Broadway, Pitman, NJ. Suitable for all ages.

 

Brett Rader and Sarah Pike contributed reporting to this week’s guide.

To submit an event to be considered for the Weekly Entertainment Guide email Robin Bloom at artscalendar@whyy.org.

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