Ensemble Arts Philly and the
Shubert Organization are presenting the Tony Award winning Girl from the North
Country at the Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut Street. Written and
directed by Conor McPherson, Girl From the North Country is basically a
vehicle for 22 of Bob Dylan’s songs. Many actors have an opportunity to shine
with a solo or instrumental accompaniment on the drums or other acoustic aid,
but the most remarkable renditions of his songs are rendered by the entire cast
singing in gorgeous harmonies. The play is set in Bob Dylan’s hometown of Duluth, Minnesota during the Depression of
1934. Many characters lead depressing lives - a mother with dementia, a young
daughter who is an unwed mother, a con-man preacher and a nearly penny-less father running an
unsuccessful boarding house where characters come to spend the night or drop in
for breakfast. These characters are involved with others in short skits intermingled
with big musical numbers. The music, however, does not always seem to relate to
anything that is happening on stage. The lighting design is outstanding throughout.
The use of dark and bright spaces on the stage is extremely effective. The show
can be seen through Sunday, March 10, 2024. For more information or tickets, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.
Beyond My Backyard
Friday, March 1, 2024
Girl From the North Country
Friday, February 23, 2024
Groucho : A Life in Revue
Dreya Weber, Frank Ferrante & Matt Roper
Groucho: A Life in Revue The
Musical graces the mainstage of the Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut
Street, through March 10, 2024. Written by Robert Fisher and Groucho Marx’s son,
Arthur Marx, the show is a tribute to Julius Henry aka “Groucho” Marx,
America’s beloved comedian , vaudeville star and star of radio and television. The
revue is bursting with one-liners from Groucho’s storied life - “There’s no such thing as an old joke if you’ve
never heard it before.” Comedic actor Frank
Ferrante is no stranger to “Groucho”,
having performed this role nearly 40 years ago off-Broadway and again 20 years
ago at the Walnut . His representation
of Groucho is superb from the time Julius is a young man through his many career
changes as Groucho Marx. The Walnut Street stage rotates
so the sets change and Groucho appears to be in different places at various times. Matt Roper does an excellent job of portraying both Chico and Harpo. He treats the audience to a comedic harp “solo”
by Harpo and a piano “solo” by Chico. Dreya
Weber is the woman of many faces and voices as she beautifully portrays a multitude
of characters. For more information to this delightful treat of non-stop chuckles, or to purchase tickets, call 215-574-3550, or visit online
at walnutstreettheatre.org or ticketmaster.com
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
March events at the Kimmel
Ensemble Arts Philly presents comedian. actor and writer, Alex Edelman in his one-man show Just for Us at the Miller Theater on March 3, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. He comes to Philadelphia following a hit run on Broadway and international engagements in London, Edinburgh, and Melbourne. Directed by Adam Brace, this theatrical experience is an exploration of identity and our collective capacity for empathy. After a spate of anti-Semitic language pointed at him online, stand-up comic Edelman decides to go straight to the source- Queens- where he covertly attends a meeting of White Nationalists. What happens next forms the backbone of these relevant, hilarious stories that are the basis of Just for Us. He appeared on The Later Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! and others. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org. In person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m.- 6.p. m at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street.
Ensemble Arts Philly and the Philadelphia Orchestra present international drag superstar RuPaul on his international book tour to celebrate the release of the highly anticipated memoir The House of Hidden Meanings. This one night only event will take place inside the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater on March 6, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. RuPaul is a force in pop culture, challenging norms, and inspiring millions to embrace their individuality. The Emmy Award-wining host, producer and performer is renowned for his pioneering efforts to bring drag culture into mainstream popularity through his hit T.V show, RuPaul’s Drag Race.Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.ensemblephilly.org.. In person tickets can be purchased between 10:am – 6p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul goes on sale March 5, 2024.
Ensemble Arts Philly and the Philadelphia Orchestra welcome one of the mist dynamic young musicians today , Emmet Cohen, leading the Emmet Cohen Trio inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ Perelman Theater on March 14, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. Emmet Cohen became a recognized prodigy at a young age. He is part of the jazz season, representing young artists. While he is an excellent solo performer, he also leads his ensemble trio through an extensive repertoire. He is both producer and pianist for each of his albums. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.ensembleartsphillyorg
Ensemble Arts Philly presents Tay Tay Dance Party set to the electrifying beats of DJ SWIFTIE at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman’s Theater on March 16, 2024, at 8 p.m. This two -hour themed dance party comes with a professional laser show crafted around everyone’s favorite Taylor Swift songs. DJ SWIFTIE has received acclaim for his remixes of Taylor Swift’s hits and never fails to create a memorable fusion of beats that will keep fans moving all night. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org . In person tickets can be purchased daily from 10: a.m. - 6p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad. Street.
Ensemble Arts Philly, in association
with Outback Presents welcomes KevOnStage and That Chick Angel in their comedy tour Here’s
The Thing at the Miller Theater on March 30, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. Here’s The
Thing is a podcast co-hosted by Kevin Fredericks aka KevOnStage and Angel
Laketa Moore, aka That Chick Angel. The podcast has been described as a ”
live comedy show with a little podcast." Both Kevin and Angel are actors and comedians.
The duo brings a unique mix of humor, insight, and raw honesty incorporating
their firsthand experiences and the African American perspective. They each
have multiple TV series experiences to their credit. Tickets can be purchased
by calling 215 893 1999 or online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org. In person ticket sales can be purchased daily
from 10 a.m – 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad
Street.
Ensemble Arts Philly and the Philadelphia
Orchestra, in partnership with the Shubert Organization and Disney Theatrical
Group will present Disney’s Frozen the hit Broadway Musical, for a
three- week engagement at the Academy of Music, March 21- April 7, 2024. Disey’s
Frozen has played to rave reviews all across the country. There are currently
four productions playing around the world, including Tokyo, London, and Hamburg.
Frozen has been created for the
stage by an award-winning team and features songs from the original Oscar-winning
film plus a dozen new numbers by the film's song songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen
Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. The entire creative team has won a
total of 16 Tony Awards. For information, visit FrozenTheMusical.com/Tour. Tickets
may be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or online www.ensembleartsphilly.org. In person
ticket sales can be purchased from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box
Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Faith Healer
The
Lantern Theater Company is presenting Faith Healer through
Sunday, March 3, 2024, at St. Stephen’s Theater in Center City Philadelphia. The
play is a series of monologues in which each character relates a story from
their perspective. The drama is surprising , but even more astounding are the diverse
accounts for the same events. Frank Hardy ( Ian Merrill Peakes) is a Faith Healer
who doesn’t always have faith in his ability to heal. He is accompanied on his British
Isles tour by his manager Teddy ( Anthony Lawton) and Grace, (Genevieve Perrier), whom he refers
to as his mistress. Frank frequently finds comfort in the bottle and can be verbally
abusive to Grace. Grace’s monologue is an eye-opener. She resents Frank and
calls him a liar for referring to her as his mistress rather than his wife. After
seven years on the road with him and his abuses, Grace returns home to face her ailing father
who cannot forgive the fact that she gave up a promising career in the legal field to run away with Frank. She tells of fleeing her father’s house and returning home to Frank where she gets
pregnant and delivers a stillborn 9 months later in Scotland .The end of this
second monologue foreshadows the end of the fourth. Gracie yells to come quick to see Frank. Teddy
(Anthony Lawton) is the Faith Healer’s promoter and begins the third monologue.
He sells tickets for the events and
tries to have large audiences of people who need to be healed. He tells of one
night that had 10 cures by the Faith Healer although he wasn’t sure if it was the
actual cure or the audience’s faith that promoted the cures. Teddy’s love for Grace
is evident as he relates her child labor in Scotland and his calling out to
Frank who runs away up a hillside. Teddy laments a father-to be leaving Grace and
when the child is still-born, he follows her directions; buries the child; and
marks the spot with a small wooden cross. In the fourth monologue, Frank is
warned to leave a pub where he had bragged that he could heal someone in a
wheelchair. He was told if he didn’t cure the man, the crowd would kill him. He
said he would wait for the wheelchair to arrive. Lights out. The three actors portraying Frank, Grace and
Teddy are among the best in their field. Anthony Lawton has perfected the
monologue with his productions of Charles Dicken’ A Christmas Carol, but
Ian Merrill Peakes and Genvieve Perrier give excellent performances as well. For
more information or tickets, call 215-829-0395 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Stepmom Stepmom Stepmom
Abdul Sesay & Jessica Johnson
InterAct
Theatre Company,
located at the Proscenium Theatre at the Drake . 302 S. Hicks
Street, is presenting the World Premier of Stepmom, Stepmom, Stepmom
through February 18, 2024. Known for its commitment to diversity and promotion of dialogue on societal issues, InterAct
does not disappoint in producing this play. Kaila, (Jessica Johnson) is a Black woman unsatisfied
with the sex-life in her marriage. She wants her husband Louis ( Scott R. Sheppard) to be rough and hit her. Louis , a
white male, has lived his life respecting
women and can’t imagine the optics of his raising a hand to his wife. Kaila fantasizes
about what her life would be like with her very good-looking ex. After hearing some
of her fantasies which were accidentally recorded on his laptop, Louis begins
to wonder if perhaps he might be able to accommodate his wife and still stay
true to himself. Abdul Sesay is very convincing as Kaila’s ex-boyfriend, Marc.
Donovan Locket does an excellent job of portraying Tichelle, Kaila’s best friend, who tries to get Kaila to determine
what she really wants in life. InterAct hosts discussions for audience members
almost every day of the week after the show. For tickets and show times, visit https://www.interacttheatre.org/step-mom-step-mom-step-mom.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
The Flatlanders
Scott Greer & Jennifer Childs
Bruce Grafham’s, The Flatlanders, produced by 1812 Productions, Philadelphia’s All Comedy Theatre Company, can be seen at Plays and Plays Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place. Be sure to catch A Bright Comedic Duo of comedy in this hysterical rendition In it, artistic director and founder of 1812 Productions, Jennifer Childs, and Scott Greer, her real-life husband are stranded in a blizzard in the Poconos the night before their wedding. Bruce Graham has written a marvelous one act play that is replete with laugh lines which Jen and Scott deliciously deliver deadpan. There is also slapstick which generates streams of laughter from the audience as well as some kink with hidden sex toys. The show is uproarious. This excellent gem is a must-see for all Jennifer Childs and Scott Greer fans in addition to anyone else who enjoys a good laugh. The play can be seen through February 18, 2024 in Philadelphia and will open in March through April in Delawatre.
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Ensemble Arts Philly
The Kimmel Cultural Campus and
The Philadelphia Orchestra are announcing Ensemble Arts Philly, a new brand
name to encompass a wide variety of genres including Broadway, comedy,
theatre., jazz, dance, and family presentations across three venues: the Kimmel
Center for the Performing Arts, the
Academy of Music, and the Miller Theater. The new brand name will also represent
free programming, community service partnerships, digital rush opportunities,
and educational activities- including the new Musical Theatre Program:
Set The Stage for 5-7 graders.
The new name and accompanying URL (www.EnsembleArtsPhilly.org) will
ensure ticket purchases are made though official channels and will enable
guests to purchase tickets to events from multiple genres in one transaction-
including The Philadelphia Orchestra and Broadway. Tickets to events can also
be purchased in person at the Box Offices at all three venues- The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, The
Academy of Music, and Miller Theater- or by calling Ensemble Arts Philly Audiences
Services at 215-893-1999. Visit www.EnsembleArtsPhilly.org/plan-your-visit/box-office/
to check box office hours and locations. All visitors to the old website will
be redirected to the new web page. Ticket Philadelphia will become the ticketing
and audience services department of Ensemble Arts Philly, continuing exceptional
customer service under the new name.