Measure for Measure

Time after time, year after year, The Lantern

Theater Company has proven itself to be the premiere theater company for Shakespearean productions.  This year, when the company decided to tackle Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s problem plays, it again proved to be no problem for director Charles McMahon nor veteran actors Anthony Lawton and Ben Dibble. The production might have been a taxing one as everyone in the eight member cast has multiple roles but the very talented ensemble cast pulls it off with ease. Anthony Lawton is in top form and Ben Dibble is at the top of his game.  Chris Anthony, Adam Hammet, Kirk Wendell Brown and Jered McLenigan are marvelous additions to the ensemble cast as are Charlotte Northeast and Claire Inie-Richards who performs an amazing Isabella.  Despite the problems that had to be overcome, this is a comedy and quick costume changes add to the humor. The second act is quite a bit funnier than the first. The conclusion is not obvious until the end of the play and even in the final seconds there is a humorous twist. Whether you are a Shakespeare fan or not, this is a production you won't want to miss.   For tickets or more information, call 215-829-0395 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time will be playing on Walnut Street Theatre’s main stage through April 28, 2019. Austin Nedrow, who celebrated his 18^th birthday onstage opening night, brilliantly portrays Christopher Boone, an autistic 15 year old who has difficulty relating to his surroundings. Because Christopher takes everything literally, there are several humorous albeit bittersweet moments in the script. Alicia Roper, while portraying Christopher’s teacher, Siobhan, creates a loving,safe environment for him. Both Ian Merril Peakes and Karen Peakes (Chrisopher's parents) demonstrate the frustrations and foibles of raising a child on the autism spectrum. Set designer Roman Tatarowicz modeled the piping on the stage after the neurons in the brain of an autistic child. While the acting is first rate in this production, the piping, lighting, sounds and video projections are  electric characters as well. The entire creation is purposed to give the audience an insight into Christopher’s mind. It is fascinating and beautifully done. For more information or tickets, call 215-574-3550, 800-982-2787, or visit online at www.walnutstreetheatre.org or ticketmaster.  

April Events at the Kimmel

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The Grammy® nominated international music group Celtic Woman is returning to the Academy of Music on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. as part of their new tour Ancient Land. In Ancient Land, Celtic Woman continues their tradition of excellence in telling stories through song – songs that bring a piece of Ireland to audiences everywhere. Ancient Land is the group’s 13^th studio album and features all new material including original compositions, traditional Irish songs and re-imagined contemporary works. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center Box office.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, in association with Nickelodean and VStar Entertainment Group , presents PAW Patrol Live!  "Race to the Rescue". an action-packed. music-filled production. The pups are from the  preschool series Paw Patrol. On stage, they share lessons about citizenship, social skills and problem solving. The performance features up-tempo music and a cleverly written script that is a great introduction to theatre for young children.In addition to classical scenery, there is a high-tech video well that visually transports families to an authentic PAW Patrol environment, including locations from the TV series.Performances will be held in the Academy of Music  from Friday April 5 - Sunday April 7, 2019.

The Kimmel Center’s Cultural Campus is presenting the Philadelphia premiere of ANASTASIA at the Academy of Music from Tuesday, April 9 through Sunday, April 14, 2019 as part of the Kimmel Center’s 2018-19 Broadway Philadelphia season. Tickets are on sale now at www.kimmelcenter.org.  This new musical has played to sold out crowds since its official Broadway opening in April 2017. It has garnered multiple Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards and nominations. The original cast recording is available at BroadwayRecords.com, Amazon.com. and iTunes. For more information about performance times, Visit www.kimmelcenter.org.

The Kimmel Center’s resident dance company, PHILADANCO returns to the Perelman Theater Friday. April 12, through Sunday April 14, 2019 with an all-new production entitled Dance Philly Style, a celebration of Philadelphia’s contribution to the dance world. The company’s founder, Joan Myers Brown, has chosen work from Philly-made choreographers - artists known to have touched on African-American traditions, socio-political issues and other culturally relevant themes, among them Anthony Burrel, known for his work on Beyoncé’s music videos. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org. or at the KimmelCenter Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 215-790-5883.

The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus welcomes Italy’s NoGravity Dance Company as they perform their aerial and acrobatic show, From Hell to Paradise in the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall on Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. The show features gravity defying dancers and extraordinary effects. Their performance is a perfect blend of magic, illusion, and aerial art. NoGravity Dance Company blends various art forms to produce a unique look, combining Baroque and Renaissance movements with aerial dance. Additionally, the show features a non-stop parade of effects and live music on the Kimmel Center’s Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ performed by organist Alan Morrison.

The all-female critically-acclaimed Diva Jazz Orchestra is celebrating 25 Years with a new high energy show Swingin’ It Forward and will be on stage at the Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater on Saturday April 27, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. The ensemble emulates big bands sounds while incorporating original compositions and solos of their own.  The group is comprised of 15 very talented women who have toured the world to critical and popular acclaim and have performed in numerous jazz festivals in notable venues, among them Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Hollywood Bowl. Additionally the group toured with Maurice Hines for his autobiographical musical Tappin’ Through Life.

World-renowned physicist Professor Brian Cox will appear at the Kimmel Center for his immersive live experience, UNIVERSAL: Adventures in Space and Time on April 28, 2019 at 7:00 PM in Verizon Hall. The program will use ultra-high resolution LED screens to present state of the art graphics and imagery from ground-based telescopes and space probes. Professor Cox will explore the latest missions to the planets, the nature of space and time from the Big Bang to black holes, and the origin and fate of life and intelligence in the Universe. He will also address questions about the value of science, how we acquire scientific knowledge and why we should trust it. Brian Cox is Professor of Particle Physic at the University of Manchester as well as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He is an award-winning broadcaster and has published several best-selling books.

Jazz organist and composer Lucas Brown will be performing in the Kimmel Center’s SEI Innovation Studio on Sunday, April 28, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. The world premiere jazz project is SKYVIEWS by Lucas Brown. A graduate of Temple University and Westminster Choir College, Lucas Brown excels in both Jazz and Classical Music, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Museum, the Jazz Standard and the Blue Note. In addition to Brown, the performance will feature Behn Gillece (vibraphone), Doug HIrlinger (drums), Sean Markey (guitar), Victor North (saxophone), Elliot Bild (trumpet) and Nick Lombardelli (trombone). This is a free event. 

March Events on the Kimmel Campus

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus following a sold-out engagement in 2017. The renowned dance company led by Artistic director Robert Battle and featuring Ailey’s extraordinary dancers will bring three performances to the Academy of Music on Friday March 1 and Saturday March 2, 2019. This year’s repertoire includes the Philadelphia premiere of Lazarus, the company’s first two-act ballet, as well as beloved classics, including Ailey’s seminal work, the American classic, Revelations. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater began with a now fabled performance in March 1958 at the 92^nd Street Y in New York City. Since that first iconic performance of young African American modern dancers led by Alvin Ailey, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has gone global, performing for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries on six continents – as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings and online platforms. Lazarus, inspired by the life and legacy of Mr. Ailey, addresses racial inequities our nation has faced, both in 1958 when the company was founded and today. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling 215-903-1999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org.  or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. 

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present RENT 20^th Anniversary Tour, coming to Philadelphia on March 5 - 10 at the Merriam Theater on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus as part of the Kimmel Center’s Broadway Philadelphia 2018-19 series. RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams. In 1996 RENT won a Tony Award for best musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Ticket availability is currently limited. Continue to check www. kimmelcenter.org in the event new tickets become available.  A limited number of seats will be available for $25 (cash only) for each performance. These tickets must be purchased at the Merriam Box office on the day of the show two hours before the performance. The tickets are limited to two tickets per person.

The world’s most celebrated professional taiko company, KODO presents the Philadelphia premiere of Evolution at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall Tuesday March 12, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Evolution invites audiences to step into the world that explores the rhythmic possibilities of the traditional drum while forging ahead in new directions.  This one-of-a-kind production showcases a wide variety of drums with impeccable precision, while highlighting dance, bamboo flute performances and incredible visual effects. In Japanese, “Kodo” has two meanings. It can be translated as “heartbeat”, the primal source for all rhythm. It also means “children of the drum” which reflects the group's desire to play the drums with the simple heartbeat of a child. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or visiting online at www. kimmelcenter.org. 

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes back Martha Graham Cracker to the SEI Innovation Studio from Thursday March 14, 2019, to  Saturday March 16, 2019, for an encore performance of Lashed but not Leashed. Dito van Reigersberg’s raw talent emerges in his alter ego Martha Graham Cracker as she performs an electrifying performance of a bevy of original songs. This is a BYOB performance. Guests are invited to bring their own bottle of wine or a  six-pack of beer. For more information, contact www.kimmelcenter.org. Lashed But Not Leashed had its world premiere on March 16, 2017. It was commissioned and developed through the Kimmel Center’s Theater Residency Program, a partnership with Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts as part of Broadway Philadelphia, presents Miss Saigon from March 19, 2019 - March 31, 2019 at the Academy of Music. Miss Saigon tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim who is orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer.  There she meets and falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon.  For three years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea that he has fathered a son. This new production features stunning spectacles and a sensational cast of 42 performing the amazing score. Miss Saigon has been performed in 32 countries, over 350 cities and has won over 70 awards, including 2 Olivier Awards and 3 Tony Awards. The new production of Miss Saigon opened in London in May, 2014 to critical acclaim. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, visiting www.kimmelcenter.org. or the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group Sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 215-790-5883. 

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes the Monterey Jazz Festival’s fifth national tour to Verizon Hall on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. This performance will feature some of the most critically acclaimed Grammy® award-winning jazz artists of their generation, including three winners of the “Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. The tour creates a top roster of diverse and international millennial talent and the leaders of jazz’s future, including Cécile McLorin Salvant, vocals; Christian Sands, piano, music director; Bria Skonberg, trumpet, vocals; Melissa Aldana, tenor saxophone; Jamison Ross, drums, vocals; and Yasushi Nakamura, bass. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-8931999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center Box Office; For more information,. see www.kimmmelcenter.org. 

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes Double Dare Live! to the Merriam Theater on Thursday March 28, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. and Friday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. Inspired by the iconic game show Double Dare, originally filmed in Philadelphia, Double Dare Live! features two teams comprised of audience members competing to win prizes by answering brain-bending trivia questions, competing messy physical challenges and ultimately facing its legendary obstacle course. Double Dare premiered on Oct 6, 1986 on Nickelodeon and ran from 1986-1993, making it the network’s long running game show. Mark Summers served as the original host of the show and he is hosting the Double Dare Live! tour as well. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999. Group sales are available for groups of ten or more and can be purchased by calling 215-790-5883.

The Kimmel Center For the Performing Arts welcomes the kid-friendly musical Peg + Cat Live! to its Merriam Theater on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Created by co-creators Billy Anderson and Jennifer   Oxley, this hilarious stage adaptation of the Emmy-award winning PBS show features wild comedy, countless songs, large puppets and Peg and Cat’s signature problem-solving methods.  When Peg’s mom asks Peg and Cat to mail some really important letters, they come face-to-face with a really big problem – a really big dog!  To solve the problem, they’ll need math – bar graphs, size comparison, position words, fair sharing, and a whole lot of counting. They’ll also need to count on each other and the audience to solve their problem! As part of the Kimmel Center’s Family Discovery Series, Peg + Cat Live!  is eligible for 3-show packages starting at just $10 per show. Other shows in the series include KODO: EVOLUTION (March 12) Paw Patrol Live! Race To The RESCUE (April 5-7) The Illusionists- Live from Broadway (May 10-11) and Rennie Harris: Funkedified (June 7-8) Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center Box Office.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes Noura Mint Seymali to its SEI Innovation Studios for a BYOB performance on Saturday March 30, 2019. Noura is from the Republic of Mauritania, in West Africa and will be performing vocals accompanied on psych guitar by her husband Jeich Ould Chighaly. The husband-wife team is accompanied by Philadelphia native and drummer/producer Matthew Tinari who joined the group following a happenstance meeting in Senegal. Both Seymali and Chighaly are Moorish griots, poets, storytellers and musicians who maintain a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa. They have combined their roots in Moorish music with a contemporary style to gain critical acclaim with chart-topping albums and electrifying performances. See www.kimmelcenter.org  for more information. 

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts welcomes world-renown concert organist Nathan Laube to perform on the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ in Verizon Hall on Sunday, March 31, 2019 at  2:00 p.m. Laube, a graduate of Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, has quickly earned a place among the organ world’s elite performers. His brilliant playing has thrilled audiences throughout the United States as well as throughout Europe. The recording of his performance of the Stephen Paulus Grand Concerto recorded with the Nashville Symphony received a Grammy® Award. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org. or at the Kimmel Center Box Office.allon Sunday March 31, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.. LAUBhHH A GRADUATE OF pHILADELPHIA’s Curtis InstituteH

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On Golden Pond

Jeanne Lehman & Keith Baker

Bristol Riverside Theatre, located at 120 Radcliffe Street, Bristol, Pa., is presenting the classic On Golden Pond, through February 10, 2019. Veteran BRT actor Keith Baker appears on the stage as curmudgeon Norman Thayer Jr, about to celebrate his 80^th birthday.  Broadway’s Jeanne Lehman portrays his younger and much more tolerant wife, Ethel. Michael Satow nails his performance of Charlie Martin, the somewhat dim-witted local mailman with a turets-like recurring laugh and past boyfriend of Chelsea Thayer. Chelsea is portrayed by Eleanor Handley and Danny Vaccaro portrays Bill Ray, Chelsea’s boyfriend. Billy Ray, Bill’s son, is remarkably played by Henry Parker, in his debut performance on a theatre stage. Although Chelsea comes back to her family’s summer home bitter and angry about events in her past, there are farcical elements in the play. There are several entrances and exits to the main living area of the cabin, thus setting up the perfect stage for family members to “lose” one another, much to the audiences’ amusement. Perhaps the most noteworthy part of the entire production, however, is its magnificent lighting effects. For more information or tickets, call 215-785-0100 or visit online at brtstage.org.

Comedy of Tenors

Ben Dibble, Frank Ferrante &
Jacob Tischler

The Walnut Street Theatre, located at 825 Walnut Street, is presenting perhaps one of the wittiest shows to arrive on a Philadelphia stage, Ken Ludwig’s Comedy of Tenors. Appearing on the main stage through March 3, Comedy of Tenors provides over-the-top non-stop laughter with its finely tuned farcical elements. In addition to directing this piece, Frank Ferrante portrays two tenors, the world famous Italian Tito Merelli and Beppo, the bellhop who just happens to be a “dead ringer” for him. The speed with which one disappears off stage and the other reappears is a bit mind-boggling but adds to the fun. Preparing for their big concert, Max (Ben Dibble), Carlo (Jacob Tischler) and Tito (Frank Ferrante) rehearse a delightful rendition of "La Traviata". Such harmony is not long-lived. In whirlwind cases of mistaken identity, Tito thinks Carlo is having an affair with his wife, Maria (Karen Peakes); Mimi (Alanna J. Smith) thinks her boyfriend Carlo is having an affair with her mother Maria; Maria thinks her husband is having an affair with old girlfriend Racón (Dreya Weber) and bellboy Beppo can’t believe his luck in having two hot women who want him to come into their bedroom. The perfectly orchestrated slaps that Mimi smacks upon an unsuspecting Carlo’s face just add to the hilarity. Add to the mix funnyman Scott Greer portraying a flummoxed Sunders, the producer of the three tenors’ big concert. For more information or tickets to this purely delightful experience, call 215-574-3550, 800-982-2787 or visit online at www.walnutstreettheatre.org or ticketmaster.

Betrayal

Gregory Isaac & Jered McLenigan

The Lantern Theater Company, located in the theatre of St. Stephen’s Church at 10^th and Ludlow Streets, is presenting Harold Pinter’s unique, muli-layered, and astounding Betrayal through February 17, 2019. Told in reverse chronological order, the saga begins in 1977 and ends in 1968. In the beginning of all  four scenes of each act, super titles are displayed on the wall, denoting date and location. At first glance, the betrayal appears to be that of a wife betraying her husband.  Upon closer look, so cleverly has Pinter written this play, it appears that a case can be made for each of the characters betraying one another.  Pinteresque plays have been noted for their understatement in character’s speech. With this in mind, the audience shouldn’t be too surprised at the lack of emotion displayed in what might otherwise seem to be characters’ indifference. Despite this, the acting is first-rate. Genviève Perrier, (Emma) plays the innocent with her husband, but lathers up a face full of tears as she confesses her betrayal. Gregory Isaac (Robert) is stoic throughout, speaking only in clipped tones to express his displeasure both with his wife and his best friend Jerry. Jered McLenigan (Jerry) is concerned with himself foremost, professing his love for Emma but never taking the relationship out of their rented flat. For more information or tickets for this distinctive presentation, call 215-829-0395 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org.