Anthony Lawton & Leonard C. Haas

Tom Stoppard’s Travesties is being performed by Lantern Theater Company at St. Stephen’s Theater 923 Ludlow Street, Philadelphia, Pa. through October 9, 2022. Stoppard has done it again! While none of his works are similar in nature,   ( The Lantern has produced 6 of them), they are all large in scope, almost like a 1,000-piece puzzle that seems impossible to understand at first glance but appears less intricate as pieces fit into place.  Travesty is defined as “a false, absurd, or misrepresentation of something”. There is a bit of all three in Travesties. Enjoy the ride! Scenic Designer Nick Embree did an excellent job with the sets that convert back and forth from libraries to apartments. The brilliant lighting and sound designs engineered by Drew Billiau and Christopher Colucci also indicate scene changes as well as spotlighting Cecily (Campbell O’Hare) waving  goodbye to Lenin( Gregory Isaac) as he leaves Switzerland by train to go to Russia to join a Revolution. The eight-member ensemble cast is fantastic. James Joyce (Anthony Lawton – who is ALWAYS SUPERB ) and  Tristan Tzsara (Dave Johnson) are both in love with Cecily while she and Gwendolyn ( Morgan Charéce ) are in love with someone named Jack ( Leonard Haas )who is actually playing Henry Carr while pretending to be Jack. Confused yet? Come see the outstanding set and the superb performances and figure it all out. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.lanterntheater.org or calling 215-829-0389.

 

Fresh Ink Shorts

                                                                The Ensemble

Theatre XP is presenting the world premiere of Fresh Ink Shorts  September 8 through 18, 2022 in the Skinner Studio at Plays and Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place as part of the Fringe Festival. R.T. Bowersox developed Fresh Ink Shorts  to showcase his work and the work of other writers whose own outstanding writing might never have been produced. The ten short plays range in length from 1 minute to 25 minutes, but all are delightful. The one minute “Final Apathy” has theatre goers saying “aha” while the longer “Please Begin Scanning” has the audience roaring in laughter. Spoiler Alert! Some of these shorts have a surprise ending. Curtain is at 8:00 for all performances. This is a delightful way to spend an evening. The excellent acting and good theatre don’t disappoint, For tickets, visit fringearts.com/66315 or get tickets at the door.

Dear Evan Hansen

                                                         Anthony Norman & Coleen Sexton

Dear Evan Hansen can be seen at the Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut Street, through August 28, 2022. The music and lyrics were written by the team of Justin Paul and Ben Pasek  and were inspired by Ben’s time in Friends Central School. Dear Evan Hansen is a heartwarming and thought-provoking musical that follows a high school senior with social anxiety as he deals with the aftermath of a classmate's suicide .Through a series of lies, Evan becomes a hero at school and community-wide. The story follows Evan as he tries to navigate his newfound social status, while also dealing with the guilt he feels over the death of a classmate he barely knew. Hundreds of images are projected against the back curtain throughout the performance to enhance the set. The beautiful music is performed on a raised platform on the stage, and the lyrics are incredibly moving. The ensemble cast is similarly phenomenal, with everyone giving outstanding performances. Dear Evan Hansen is an amazing musical that will stay with you long after you see it. It's a must-see for any musical theatre fan. For more information or tickets call 215- 239- 6200  or visit the Forrest box office at 1114 Walnut Street, Philadelphia. Pa.

Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Cultural Campus

 

 

 THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AND KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS kick off  a new season on Saturday September 17, with the Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Featuring a diverse sampling of festival-style performances, this FREE event shines the spotlight on the rich and diverse arts and culture scene across the region. Interested arts organizations are encouraged to visit the website to sign up and participate, or search https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/events-andtickets/events/philadelphia-fall-arts-fest/. More about the 2022–2023 season is below: Broadway The 2022–23 Broadway season is the biggest and most critically acclaimed yet. Presented collaboratively by the Kimmel Cultural Campus and The Shubert Organization, this season features 14 dazzling productions, including Broadway’s newest blockbusters, and returning fan favorites, with a combined 49 Tony Awards® and 46 Drama DeskTM Awards. With a wide range of stories, the lineup covers the best of contemporary theater with the newest award-winning shows to come out of New York, plus returning classics and several Philadelphia premieres. The 2022–23 Broadway series includes: Annie (October 11 – 16, 2022); Les Misérables (November 2 – 13, 2022); TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (November 22 – December 4, 2022); Blue Man Group (December 27 – 31, 2022); Jagged Little Pill (January 3 – 15, 2023); A Soldier’s Play (January 24 – February 5, 2023); Come From Away (February 7 – 12, 2023); 1776 (February 14 – 19, 2023); CATS (March 14 – 19, 2023); SIX (March 21 – April 9, 2023); Jesus Christ Superstar (May 2 – 7, 2023); Beetlejuice (May 30 – June 11, 2023); Moulin Rouge! The Musical (July 5 – 30, 2023); and Disney’s The Lion King (August 16 – September 10, 2023). The Philadelphia Orchestra has an impressive schedule for the 2022-2023 year under the direction of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The season opens on September 28, 2022. For more information about tickets to any of the events, contact www.kimmelculturalcampus.org

Into The Woods

                                                   Katherine Fried & Ben Dibble

The Arden Theatre Company has extended its production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods through July 10, 2022. Led by the incomparable Scott Greer as the Narrator, characters from five fairy tales are interwoven into each other’s lives as they enter the woods. Ben Dibble is outstanding as the Baker who has had no success in having a child due to a witch’s curse. Tiara Greene, an understudy for the witch, is phenomenal as she explains the curse and gives four tasks to complete to break the curse. The Baker must go onto the woods to find the items. He and his wife,( Katherine Fried) must interact with Red Riding Hood to get her cape; Jack, to get his cow; Rapunzel to get some of her hair) and Cinderella to get a gold slipper).The set is masterful. The witch appears out of a trap door, appearing to have climbed up Rapunzel’s hair to visit her in the tower where she is imprisoned. Ropes are lowered from the  ceiling and fastened to the floor by members of the cast to give the impression of woods that the characters must enter. Characters appear with white rope and stretch out a path so that Riding Hood knows which way to go to her Granny’s house. At the end of Act I everyone has gotten their wish and is content with Happily Ever After. The story appears over. Act II briefly begins with everyone happy after having gotten their wishes , but the happiness soon disappears for all, as one by one characters enter back onto the woods. This is not your young child’s fairy tale, as it is rather dark, but it is extraordinarily well done. Musical accompaniment by the 6-piece orchestra is beautifully performed on a raised stage and background claps and strikes add to the intensity of the program. For information or tickets visit www.ardentheatre.org.

The Complete Works of Jane Austen Abridged

 

                               Charlotte Northeast, Trevor William Fayle & Brittany Onukwugha

Tiny Dynamite presents The Complete Works of Jane Austen  Abridged through June 29, 2022. The audience is seated around small end tables with teacups and  Jane Austin titles stacked upon them for atmosphere. The ensemble cast of Charlotte Northeast, Brittany Onukwugha and Trevor William Fayle speak to the audience as they frequently step in and out of character. Their purported mission is to portray the essence of Jane Austen’s main works in 85 minutes. Using only hats , bonnets and shawls as props, the three actors dash off stage and change their voices when appropriate, eliciting frequent laughter from the audience. If you were not a “Janite” at the beginning of the performance, you were certainly on your way to becoming one by the end. Pride & Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Sense & Sensibility and Northanger Abby were all  beautifully explored as one after another the three actors discussed among themselves then determined which to present to the audience. A recorded version of The Complete Works of Jane Austen Abridged will stream for a limited time from June 29- July 17. Visit www.tinydynamite.org  for details and tickets for the streaming release.

Blythe Spirit

                                                      Ian Merrill Peakes &  Alicia Roper

The Walnut Street Theatre is presenting Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit  through July 3, 2022, on its Mainstage. Written as a three act play in 1941, it’s a bit dated, but remains wickedly funny to this day. The spectacular set drew a round of applause from the audience as the curtain opened on Act I and gasps from the audience just prior to the curtain closing on Act III.  Ruth  and Charles Condomine  ( Karen and Ian Merrill Peakes)  invite Madama Acari ( Mary Marcello ) to perform a séance as part of research that Charles is doing for an upcoming book. The séance accidently produces the appearance of Charles’ departed first wife who can be seen and heard only by Charles. The resulting mayhem is hysterical. Mary Martello’s performance as a medium is, literally, out of this world. Her incantations are phenomenal; her persona is sublime; her every movement is designed to evoke a laugh. Alicia Roper’s appearance as Elvira,  Charles Condamine’s departed wife, is ethereal. From her head down to her toe, she appears ghostly white. The make-up, costume and wig effects are astounding. She still has designs on her husband. The big question looms- What can she do about it? Treat yourself to a delightful night out filled with non-stop laughter. For more information or tickets, call 215-574-3550 or 800-892-2787 or visit online at walnutstreettheatre.org or ticketmaster,com.