OVO

WILL BE PRESENTED

AT THE LIACOURAS CENTER

IN PHILADELPHIA

STARTING MAY 11, 2016 

     AND AT THE BOARDWALK CITY HALL

                         IN ATLANTIC CITY

                STARTING JUNE 22, 2016

 The wildly popular Cirque du Soleil, OVO, which elated over 4.5 million people world-wide since its inception in 2009 in Montreal, is coming to Philadelphia in May, 2016. The production will be presented at the Liacouras Center from May 11 to May 15. OVO will also be performed in Atlantic City N.J. starting June 22, 2016 at the Boardwalk City Hall. There will be seven performances only at each venue. Both shows will be presented by Visa Signature. Advance tickets for  the OVO production in Philadelphia are now available online exclusively to Cirque Club members through December 17. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits includes access to advance tickets, special offers and special behind the scenes information.  To join, go to www.cirqueclub.com.  Tickets will be available to Cirque Club members for the Atlantic City show on December 14, 2015. Tickets for the general public for both shows will be available starting Friday, December 18, 2015. Buy early for the best tickets. 

The Arden

Cabaret series

Jeff Coon

The Arden Theatre is excited to present a new concept - a four part cabaret series - in its new intimate 100 seat Hamilton Family Arts Center Studio Theatre located at 62 N. 2^nd Street. The cabarets will feature local artists. The first is Jeff Coon who will be followed by Joilet Harriet,  Kristine Fraelich and another artist to be named at a future date.  The series is directed by Associated Artistic Director Matthew Decker and the Music is supervised by Amanda Morton. Jeff Coon, accompanied on the piano by Amanda Morton and on the cello by Justin Yoder, used the intimate setting to tell his story through song and anecdotes. His performance was extraordinary, giving the close audience members an inside look at the individual behind the persona of the actor and singer Jeff Coon. His routine was raw, emotional and unbelievably gratifying…80 minutes of non-stop remarkable performance. If the upcoming Cabaret performances are half as stirring, they will be an absolute must to put on your calendar. This new concept has all the earmarks of an unqualified success for the Arden Theatre Company.

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

Adam Green, Matt Zambrano,
 Crystal Finn, Henry Clarke  &
Ron Menzel

The Philadelphia Theatre Company is presenting the McCarter Theatre/Arena Stage production of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes’s Mystery through December 27. The production can be seen at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard Streets. The ensemble cast of Henry Clark, Crystal Finn, Adam Green, Ron Menzel and Matt Zambrano constantly skirt on and off the stage as different persona.  Their costume changes are lightning quick and nothing short of remarkable. The special effects are spell-binding. Lighting Designers Philip S. Rosenberg and Joel Shier have outdone themselves, using over 100 strobe lights to create the mood of the mysterious moor. Sound Designer Joshua Horvath has the audience members shrinking in their seats in fear of the hounds and set designer Daniel Ostling has made excellent use of the openings on the stage floor which allow people and props to appear and disappear almost magically. The plot in first act is a bit confusing, but enjoy the speed with which everything is done and be assured that everything will be tied up neatly in the second act. For more information or tickets, call 215-985-0429 or visit online at PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. 

insects around the egg

OVO- A Cirque du Soleil Show

will be coming to the

Philadelphia and Atlantic City

areas in 2016

OVO, which premiered in Montreal in 2009 and has been seen by more than 4.5 million people worldwide, will soon be performing in cities across North America.  Among the scheduled stops for 2016 are Philadelphia, Pa. and Atlantic City, N.J. It will be presented by Visa Signature. OVO, which means egg in Portuguese, mysteriously arrives in the midst of brilliantly colorful and curious insects that juggle, tumble and soar through the air. The cast of OVO is comprised of 50 performing artists from 12 countries specializing in many acrobatic acts. Cirque du Soleil has appeared in front of audiences in over 600 cities.  The company has 1300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries. For more information about Cirque du Soleil visit http://www.cirquedusoleil.com. Be on the lookout!  Information about tickets and show dates will be issued soon.

Menopause The Musical

new friendships forged in dept store

The international hit show Menopause the Musical, is currently playing at Penn’s Landing Playhouse with a run that has been extended through December 22 due to popular demand. It is easy to see why this production has been extended on so many occasions. A professional woman (Cecelia Ann Birt ), A Soap Star (Beth Buczkowski),  an Earth Mother (Barbara Pinolini and an Iowa Housewife (Karen Gedissman) meet while fighting over a black lace bra  that is on sale in a department store. The show is brimming with parodies of pop songs from the ‘60’s – ‘80’s as the women discover their commonalities and lament the problems they endure with “the change.” “I’m having a hot flash,” sung to the tune of  “A Tropical Heat Wave” is sung more than once and the accompanying dance and body language makes the audience roar. To the tune of “In the Jungle” from The Lion King, all are involved in a fantastic routine of “On the sofa or in the guest room, my husband sleeps tonight.” Scenes change from  floor to floor of the department store, but each floor has ladies’ rooms (which are frequently needed), and props for more parodies. After a discussion in which all four discover that they need a little something to take the “edge” off (Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax) they burst out with a song and dance routine of “Thank you doctor, thank, thank you doctor…”  Menopause The Musical is in its 14^th year of production but this hysterical show will only be seen in Philadelphia for three more weeks. If you have not seen it yet, don't miss your opportunity to have the laugh of a lifetime. Tickets may be purchased by calling 855-HIT_SHOW (855-448-7469) visiting online at www.plplayhouse.com or at the Penn’s Landing Playhouse box office. Penn’s Landing Playhouse is located at 211 S. Columbus Blvd. (at Walnut St.). The theatre is inside the Independence Seaport Museum.

Hans Brinker And The Silver Skates

girls race for the silver skates

The Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N 2^nd Street, is presenting the electrifying World Premiere of HANS BRINKER AND THE SILVER SKATES on the F. Otto Haas stage through January 31, 2016. Upon entering the theatre and finding their seats, both adult members of the audience and children seeing this presentation of the Arden Children’s Theatre are mesmerized first by the striking sight of five whirling windmills and second by a stage that appears to be a sheet of ice.  Scenic Designer Davis P. Gordon has done an incredible job of recreating a set of the frozen canals of 19^th century Holland, replete with falling snowflakes. Hans Brinker (Brian Ratcliffe) and Gretel Brinker (Lauren Hirte), two poor teenagers who have only hand carved wooden skates, are ridiculed by most of the neighborhood teens until Heidi van Gleck (Ciji Prosser) and Peter van Holp (Matteo Scammell) befriend them. Hans and Gretyl join local boys and  girls as they enter a skating contest to win a pair of silver skates. The race is nerve-racking as first the girls, then the boys skate around the stage, exit, re-enter, and circle again .When skaters change the lead in each lap, the uncertainty has the audience cheering on their favorites. Make sure you see this incomparable world premiere by Laura Eason. Children and adults alike are exhilarated by this astounding production. For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1122 or visit online at www.ardentheatre.org.

This Is The Week That Is

1812 Productions is presenting the 10^th Anniversary Production of This Is The Week That Is at Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Street. The show can be seen through December 31.  Political satire is never funnier than when performed by the 1812 troupe of Aimé Donna Kelly, Dave Jadico, Alex Bechtel, Jennifer Childs, Sean Close and Justin Jain along with head news writer Don Montrey. The evening starts with each actor giving a campaign pledge and asking audience members to give similar pledges to the theatre in envelopes enclosed in their playbills. Hot topics of immigration reform and same sex marriage are only slightly veiled with Star Wars characters such as Chewbacca immigrating and the long awaited marriage of C3P0 and R2D2  celebrated.  Let us not forget the ever-important interview from the lobby, in which an audience member is dragged from his seat to be interviewed. Is it a set up?  I’ve seen this this show for years and can’t be sure.  The audience participant is certainly a good sport  and always seems surprised. Do you have a favorite presidential candidate?  Donald Trump? Ted Cruz? Bernie Sanders?  Hillary Clinton?  Don’t worry. No one has been neglected.  No presidential candidate gets away unscathed.   All are hysterically skewered. This extraordinarily talented cast jokes, sings, plays instruments and most of all, makes you double up with laughter, holding your belly ‘til it hurts. This production is fresh every night; as new events occur, the writers are busy rewriting the next show. Plan to see This Is The Week That Is.  You won’t be disappointed.  For more information or tickets, call 2215-592-9560 or visit online at www.1812productions.org. ..