Viva Philadelphia

Michael Krajewski

The Philly POPS is opening its new season with the theme “Viva Philadelphia” under the direction of their new music director Michael Krajewski.  The POPS’ 35^th season begins on Columbus weekend, with performances on Friday October 11 through Sunday October 13.  Friday concerts will be held at 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday concerts will be 3 PM matinee performances. The concerts will continue to be presented in Verizon Hall of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on the Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia.   In this concert series, Krajewski will share the stage with many vocal talents…Eddie Bruce, the “Poperazzi” vocal trio and the POPS Festival Chorus.  They will provide tributes to Mario Lanza, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra and Andrea Bocelli.   The season continues with the annual Holiday POPS! Series, followed by the sounds of Simon and Garfunkel and then a salute to Marvin Hamlisch.  It  then continues with the movie music of legendary John Williams and ends with the four original stars of Broadway’s “Jersey Boys”, now known as the Midtown Men with music of the 60’s.  Season subscription tickets and individual tickets are available. For more information or tickets call 215-893-1999 or visit online at www.phillypops.org.    

The Importance of Being Ernest

James Ijames and Chancellor Dean

 Mauckingbird Theatre Company, located in the Off-Broad Street Theatre of the 1^st Baptist Church at 1636 Sansom Street, is presenting The Importance of Being Ernest through August 25. Touted as the only theatre company in the nation devoted solely to presenting works seen through a “queer” lens, Mauckingbird has once again created a first class production.  Having recently reread The Importance of Being Ernest, I can attest to the fact that although Peter Reynolds adapted Oscar Wilde’s play to give it a gay bent, he has left the script virtually intact; Jack (Chancellor Dean) falls in love with Gwendolyn, portrayed by Brent Knobloch and his cousin Algernon (James Ijames) fancies Jack’s ward, Cecily, portrayed by David Hutchison. As in any farce, circumstances change from one minute to the next followed by laughter from the audience. The acting is first rate;every actor delivers his lines with a straight face although I believe there were twinkles in the eyes of some as the laughter from the audience reached the stage. Gwendolyn’s mother and Algernon’s aunt, Lady Bracknell, is played by the incomparable Nancy Boykin. The antithesis of every other character, her formality in the absurd brings the house down. Set in Victorian England in both the city and the country, set designer Andrew Laine designed a brilliant set that  looks like an authentic aristocratic Victorian parlor, then magically becomes a place in the country. Watching this performance is truly an incredible experience.  Find out for yourself just what The Importance of Being Ernest is.  For more information or tickets, call 215-923-8909 or visit online at www.mauckingbird.com.

You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!

Abramson and Johnstone

The national tour of You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!, a side-splitting relationship comedy, is continuing in Philadelphia at the New Penn’s Landing Playhouse (inside the Independence Seaport   Museum) at 211 S. Columbus Blvd and Walnut St. Previews will begin September 18, following by a planned Opening Night on Wednesday October 2. The show is scheduled to run through December 29, 2013.

You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up! takes a humorous look at a relationship that seems on edge from the start due to powerful opposing personalities. After a series  of trials and tribulations the couple learns to navigate the conflicts that come with romance, money and children by embracing each other’s differences, taking on parenting as a competitive sport and dropping out of couples’ therapy. Writers-actors- and real-life married couple Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn have adapted their memoir of the same name for the stage.  Directed by Van Kaplan, the play stars Robin Abramson and Gregory Johnston who have been given rave reviews all over the country.

You Say Tomato will run in the evenings at 7:00PM Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:00PM Fridays and Saturdays with additional matinees performances at 2:00 PM on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. For tickets or further information, call 855-448-7469 (855-HIT-SHOW) or visit online at www.PLPlayhouse.com.

Avenue Q

some residents of Avenue Q

Mazeppa Productions, located in Christ Church Neighborhood House Theatre on 20 N. American St, Philadelphia, Pa is presenting   Avenue Q through July 27. You might miss the theatre’s location, as I did, the first go round as it is located off 2^nd Street between Market and Arch, but it is well worth driving around the block to find it. I expected to be shocked by the language of the show (I was not) . I expected to be amused. (I laughed …A LOT) What I did not expect was the talent in the cast of this fledgling theater company.  Mazeppa Productions has only been in existence since 2011 and was founded with the express goal of bringing exciting works of musical theater to Philadelphia.  While all of the cast members of Avenue Q have some on-stage experience, many of them are still students or very recent graduates with degrees in musical theater.  The aggregate talent of these young performers is astounding. Kudos to Mazeppa Productions founders Rob Henry and Brian Seaman for providing a venue for such talent to be heard and to blossom. The cast not only works well with puppets. Prop Designer Annie Heath’s talking boxes were also a huge hit with the entire audience.  Erin McCourt must also be acknowledged for designing such a perfect set.  The season continues with cabaret-style performances and a two-day Rapunzel event.  I hope that as this theater company matures they will be able to add more full length productions to the schedule. This will not only provide further experience to the cast members resumes, but bring additional enjoyment to Philadelphia musical theater lovers as well. For further information or tickets, call 265-559-9602 or visit online at www.mazeppaproductions.org. 

Love, Loss and What I Wore

The Philadelphia Theatre Company, located in the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at Broad and Lombard Streets, is presenting  Nora and Delia Ephron’s  Love, Loss and What I Wore through July 7. This wildly successful off-Broadway hit not only strikes a nerve in every woman in the audience, but has the male audience members appreciating it as well.  Insightful and down-to earth, witty and genuine, each anecdote and one-liner is something  audience members can personally relate to…from “The Bra” to “The Prom Dress”, from "The Dressing Room” to “I Hate My Purse”,  from “The Closet” to “I Just Want to Say....” along with many others.  “Oh yes, that was me," audience member after audience member nudged one another during the opening night performance., laughing and poking each other gently.  The room was alive with non-stop laughter from the minute the play started until ninety minutes later when it ended.  Not enough excellent things can be said about the brilliant ensemble cast of Mary Birdsong, Aisha De Haas,  Kate Flannery, Ashley Austin Morris and Concetta Tomei.  Experienced actors all, they brought the Ephron sisters’ stories to life through various hilarious techniques. This show has a very short run.  Don't miss it. For further information or tickets call 215-985-0420 or visit online at PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin

cast of Uncle Tom's Cabin

EgoPo Classic Theater Company, located in Plays and Players Theater at 17^th and Delancey Streets, Philadelphia, is presenting a unique and electrifying rendition of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin through June 9.  From the opening moments of this production, the audiences is totally involved with the actors, witnessing frequent flashes of light and stop-and- go movements of the people on stage.  Although the story of slavery told in Uncle Tom’s Cabin is well known, EgoPo has made the intriguing decision to racially reverse the cast.  The result is spellbinding.  Hearing racial epitaphs spouted out of Black actors mouths may be unnerving at first as well as the subservience of the white cast members to their ”massahs”, but the show is so well performed, that the story-line becomes the important character, rather than the actors, as is the intent. That having been said, Ed Swidey makes a marvelous Tom and Langston Darby an extraordinarily credible Simon Legree. Newcomer Nia Ali is such a poised and perfect Eva, it is difficult to believe that she is only a sophomore theatre major.  I know we will be seeing her in many more theatrical productions in the future. An excellent performance is also given by Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez who portrays both a young slave boy and Topsy.  You can’t afford to dawdle to get tickets for EgoPo’s outstanding performance of the year.  For more information or tickets, call 267-273-1414 or visit online at www.egopo.org. 

A Little Night Music

The Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N 2^nd Street in Olde City, Philadelphia, is presenting Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music on its F. Otto Haas stage through June 30. With Grace Gonglewski, as Desiree Arfmfeldt, Ben Dibble, as Count Carl-Magnus, and Christopher Patrick Mullen as Fredrik Egerman leading the cast of 15, The Arden’s 25^th Season is ending with a colossal bang!  The 5 member chorus brings not only class but clarity to the production.  Their voices ring with the quality of an operetta as they set the stage for the action throughout. Thanks to costume designer Rosemarie E. McKelvey, their formal attire sets a grand tone.  Scenic Designer James Kronzer in conjunction with lighting Designer Thom Weaver, have done a masterful work with the set. The frequent scenes changes are made seamlessly.  Actors move back and forth across the stage, belting out one Sondheim tune after another, while scene after scene is highlighted.  Aside from Sondheim’s well known, “Send in the Clowns”, the lyrics may be unfamiliar, demanding strict attention from the audience to follow the story line. Every minute of attention paid is well worth the effort, for this is a marvelous production, one of the highlights of this theatre season.  For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1122 or visit online at www.ardentheatre.org.