Cirque Dreams: Holidaze

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, November 4, 2019) – Cirque Dreams: Holidaze brings its latest electrifying and re-

imagined live family holiday spectacular to Philadelphia December 26 – 29, 2019, at the Merriam Theater on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus for eight unforgettable performances during the holiday season. This critically-acclaimed extravaganza is both a Broadway musical and new Cirque adventure wrapped into the ultimate holiday gift for the entire family! 

“This magical stage spectacle is the perfect show the entire family can experience together during the holiday season,” said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “Part of our ongoing, back-by-popular-demand Family Discovery Series, this engagement has wide appeal, from Broadway to cirque fans. It also forwards our Cultural Campus mission to engage the community – and our littlest arts lovers – with live performance and education.”

The one and only Cirque Dreams: Holidaze has been hailed by The New York Daily News as “A delicious confection of charm, sparkle and talent by the sleighload.” It’s “the perfect holiday gift and show everyone will enjoy,” raved BroadwayWorld of the sold-out performances that “dazzled…at The Kennedy Center,” Washington Post. The Tennessean proclaimed it “A dazzling Holidaze Spectacle…for both young and old” at the Grand Ole Opry House.

Broadway Director and Cirque Dreams Founder, Neil Goldberg, has searched the world to assemble a remarkable cast of incomparable cirque artists, singers, dancers, and talent to mesmerize audiences with new acts, holiday scenes, theatrical innovation, and much more in 2019.

Set in a multi-million-dollar wonderland of elaborate scenes and dozens of original holiday production numbers, this spectacular show celebrates the most wonderful time of the year as they experience over 300 spectacular costumes and 20 of the world’s most astonishing acts. 

Broadway singers perform original music along with a new twist on seasonal favorites such as “Deck The Halls,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” On the edge-of-your-seat acrobatics are performed by toy soldiers, snowmen, penguins, candles, reindeer, gingerbread, carolers, Santa, plus colossal ornaments flying, balancing, and stretching imaginations in this groundbreaking holiday stage spectacular. It’s “Las Vegas…meets family entertainment…meets musical theatre” touts the Boston Globe.  

CIRQUE DREAMS: HOLIDAZE

Performances are at the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus’ Merriam Theater on

Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.,

Friday, December 27, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.,  3 p.m.,  and 8:00 p.m. and

Sunday, December 29, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

Cirque Dreams: Holidaze is part of the Family Discovery Series, sponsored by Santander and is recommended for ages 5 and older.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (215) 893-1999, visiting www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling (215) 790-5883. More information at www.kimmelcenter.org.

Shrek The Musical

Nichalas L. Parker &
Ben Dibble

Walnut Street Theatre, located at 825 Walnut Street, is presenting Shrek the Musical, on its mainstage through January 5, 2020. Nichalas L. Parker is the endearing ogre Shrek; Julia Udine  is a “beautiful” princess with a big secret and Dana Orange is an excellent Donkey trying to be a “best friend” to Shrek. It is Ben Dibble, however, who steals the show as the mean Lord Farquaad. Spending the entire production on special knee pads, Ben Dibble gives us a pint sized Lord Farquaad whose ambition is to marry a princess in order to become king. Not willing to come in contact with the dragon who protects the castle where the princess lives, Lord Farquaad sends Shrek to rescue her. When Princess Fiona and Shrek develop a certain closeness through joint rude behaviors, the audience becomes hysterical, and it is not just the kids in the audience who laugh. Robbie Roby’s choreography throughout  is spell bounding. The ensemble astounds as Pinocchio & Fairy Tale Character’s sing and dance in clockwork precision in several numbers. This is a delightful production for people of all ages. For more information or tickets, please call 215-574-3550 or visit www.walnutstreettheatre.org.    

The critically-acclaimed, award-winning THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL will make its Philadelphia premiere at the Forrest Theatre as part of Broadway Philadelphia, presented by the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus and The Shubert Organization. Winner of the 2018 Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Desk Awards,  It can be seen at the Forrest Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 3, 2019 through   1:00 p.m. Sunday December 15. 2019.

SpongeBob and his friends leap from television to the Forrest Theatre stage in a Broadway blockbuster event featuring original music. Bring the entire family to celebrate friendship and cooperation, and learn the power of unity and inclusion. THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL explodes with energy and features an original pop and rock-infused score by several Grammy® Award-winning songwriters: Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil’C and songs by David Bowie & Brian Eno, and by Tom Kenny & Andy Paley. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music is by Tom Kitt.

 Led and conceived by visionary director Tina Landau (2018 Tony Award nominee) and a Tony Award®-winning design team, the production brings the spirit of SpongeBob to life with humanity, heart, and pure theatricality. THE SPONGE BOB MUSICAL features a book by Kyle Jarrow, orchestrations and arrangements by TomKitt, musical supervision by Julie McBride & Tim Hanson, and choreography by Christopher Gattelli. The design team includes scenic and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Kevin Adams, projection design by Peter Nigrini, sound design by Walter Trarbach, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, make-up design by Joe Dulude II, 

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is a one-of-a-kind musical event with original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady Antebellum, Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., Domani & Lil’C and songs by David Bowie & Brian Eno, and by Tom Kenny & Andy Paley. Additional lyrics are by Jonathan Coulton. and  additional music is by Tom Kitt.

The Original Cast Recording is available now from Masterworks Broadway wherever music is sold and streamed. 

SpongeBob SquarePants launched on July 17, 1999, and has reigned as the number-one kids’ animated series on TV for the last 17 years, generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base.  SpongeBob SquarePants is the most widely distributed property in Viacom International Media Networks history, seen in more than 208 countries and territories, translated in 55+ languages, and averaging more than 100 million total viewers every quarter.  SpongeBob SquarePants is created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank, Calif.  The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (212) 239-6200, visiting www.telecharge.com, or in-person at the Forrest Theatre Box Office (1114 Walnut St.). Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling (866) 302-0995 or visit www.broadwayinbound.com.  For more information visit www.kimmelcenter.org.

Next to Normal

Donna Vivino, Liam Snead
 & Danny Vaccaro

Bristol Riverside Theatre, located at 120 Radcliffe Street is presenting the much-acclaimed rock musical Next to Normal through November 24, 2019. Director Keith Baker’s production is nothing short of brilliant.  Roman Tatorwicz has designed a simplistic yet perfect set with two sets of spiral staircases and a loft overlooking the downstairs living area of the family home. Barrymore Award winner Ryan O’Gara, the associate lighting director for Hamilton, has done outstanding work with this set. The lights that flash on and off the set give the impression of waves of electricity generating throughout the air, mimicking electro-shock therapy. Next to Normal’s strong ensemble cast readily succeeds in showcasing the deterioration of one person’s mental illness  and how it can affect her entire family. Tom Kitt’s music and Bryan Yorkey’s lyrics are beautifully sung and frequently in exquisite harmonies by two or three cast members. Donna Vivino is very convincing as Diana, the confused mother who suffers from various forms of mental illness and cannot seem to find a treatment that works. Danny Vaccaro is Dan, her loyal husband who stands by her. Laura Giknis beautifully portrays Diana’s teenage daughter who gets no attention from her parents.  Gary Lumpkin is new to the professional stage and I look forward to seeing more of him. He was a great foil for Natalie, staying steadfastly by her side. Liam Snead is phenomenal as the spirit of Gabe, particularly during his number, “I’m Alive,” which he performs while singing, dancing and running up and down two sets of staircases. Scott Greer is always synonymous with great and this time is no exception as he portrays two different doctors, trying to help Diana. For more information or tickets to this truly marvelous show, call 215-785-0100 or visit brtstage.org.  .

A Small Fire

Bebe Neuwirth & John Dossett

A Small Fire by Adam Bock is being presented by the Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard Streets through November 10, 2019. This exquisite one-act, starring the talented ensemble cast of Bebe Neuwirth, John Dossett, Oge Agulué, and Sarah Gliko suspends belief and returns it in the play’s innovative ending. John Bridges (John Dossett) becomes the rock in this drama as his wife Emily (Bebe Neuwirth) first loses her sense of smell which is almost disastrous when she cannot smell a gas leak at the construction firm she operates. Loss of smell equates with loss of taste, which is not helpful in choosing items for her daughter Jenny’s wedding. Understandably, perhaps, Emily is cantankerous about these losses. Neuwirth is superb as she undergoes various changes after losing even more senses. Before the wedding, she loses her sight. As she has to lean on her husband, she is appreciative and mellow in her dependence. Hysteria sets in when she realizes she can no longer hear. But John is always by her side as a calming influence as he maintains, “Love isn’t what you get from someone; it’s what you give.” Bebe Neuwirth’s performance as a woman who has lost her sense of smell and taste, sight and hearing, is phenomenal. Her portrayals are not only convincing but a character study as her entire personality changes. Jenny Bridges (Sarah Gliko) is disturbingly believable as she portrays a daughter who is a “daddy’s girl” and has little sympathy for a mother who never liked her husband. Chelsea M. Warren has done an outstanding job with the set design. Backdrops are lowered onto the stage to create new scenes while other sets are behind it. For more information or tickets to this intriguing play, call 215-985-0420 or visit PhilaTheatreco.org.

Beyond My Backyard

Ensemble Cast

Broadway Philadelphia is presenting the Philadelphia Premiere of the Tony Award ® Winning  Come From Away at the Academy of Music through November 3, 2019. This must-see musical has everyone glued to his seat during the performance and standing up giving kudos after. Based on the true story of several planes that were diverted out of US airspace on 9/11 and rerouted to a small town in Newfoundland, Canada and the people who so generously cared for them, the scenes ingeniously alternate between the Newfoundlanders and the passengers and crew on a plane. With the dimming of the lights and shifting of a few chairs, the Town Hall becomes an airplane. As the floor rotates, the plane flies, the lighting changes in this miraculous production, and the audience scarcely realizes that the plane is no longer visible.  The chair alignment has changed and the Newfoundlers are sitting around a bar, listening to news on a radio. The change from one scene to another is seamless with most actors playing dual roles. The story-line is fascinating but the production itself is even more so. The lighting changes are brilliant. The quick chair realignment to indicate a new scene is outstanding. The backdrop which has a hidden door that opens to indicate the inside an airplane is ingenious. And oh the glorious music! Almost all of the cast members are given an opportunity for a solo. Together their music is resplendent.  Don’t miss this show! Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, visiting www.kimmelcenter.org or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Group sales are available for ten or more by calling 215-790-5883. More information is available at www.kimmelcenter.org.    

The Roomate

Jennifer Childs & Grace Gonglewski

1812 Productions, Philadelphia’s only all comedy theatre company, is presenting the Philadelphia premiere of Jen Silverman’s The Roommate through October 20, 2019 at Plays and Players Theater, 17^th and Delancey Streets. Starring Jennifer Childs and Grace Gonglewski, the play progressively explores how two very different middle age women can share a home and alter each other’s lives. Jennifer Childs portrays Sharon, a recently divorced woman who describes herself as” retired from my marriage.” Grace Gonglewski portrays Robyn, a woman from the Bronx who has done “this and that.” Jennifer’s facial expressions are phenomenal. When Sharon discovers some of Robyn’s secrets, such as growing pot and then selling it, she is astonished and then wants to be “part of the game”. It is hysterical when she enthusiastically develops a client base among her friends and Robyn has to stop her from recruiting 12 year olds to sell to their friends. Robyn is not altogether thrilled with these new developments as she had moved to Iowa from the Bronx to escape her old life. As Sharon has said repeatedly, “Nothing ever happens in Iowa.” When pressed, Robyn tells Sharon some of her other adventures: scamming people on the phone to get their credit card information, car theft, petty theft…Sharon is delighted and wants to learn how Robyn operates. There are many scene changes indicating a new day. Lighting and music are excellent indicators of the scene change and the costume changes are perfect indicators as well. This is a very humorous play. It is not non-stop gag-lines or fall out of your seat funny as some productions are, but is has many laugh lines and is extraordinarily well done. Both veteran actors Jennifer Childs and Grace Gonglewski deliver their lines with a straight face or, as in Jen’s case, with a startled one, and the audience breaks out in laughter. The story-line is somewhat bittersweet but well worth your while to come and explore it. For more information or tickets, call 215-592-9560 or visit online at 1812 productions.org