Harvey

Ben Dibble  Susan Riley Stevens, 
Ellie Mooney  & Mary Martello

Walnut Street Theatre, located at 825 Walnut Street, is presenting Harvey through March 6 on its main stage.  Harvey is an age-old Pulitzer Prize winning gem, which, thanks to its supremely talented ensemble cast and excellent creative team, has its present audience enthralled as much as the original which ran on Broadway for four years when it premiered in 1944.  Although the play is stylized, the actors portray their roles so well that you can laugh right along with them as well as laugh at them and their farcical antics. Mary Martello, who enriches every script she touches, is none-the-less remarkable as the slightly hysterical Veta Louise Simmons, society wanna-be. Ben Dibble is perfectly cast as good-natured Elwood P. Doud, kind to all, including his best friend who just happens to be an invisible 6’3” tall rabbit.  Ellie Moonie is very convincing as Myrtle Mae Simmons, desperately longing for a social life that seems beyond her reach because of her unusual uncle. Ian Merril Peakes and Greg Woods, two other local favorites, portray psychiatrists at the sanatorium where Elwood and his Aunt Vita are alternately and intermittingly committed. Spoiler Alert! Perhaps the doctors should be committed as well! There are two totally different sets which are changed after the curtain closes for less than a minute. Thanks to scenic designer Robert Koharchik and the days of modern miracles, an ornate mansion’s mahogany library becomes the sterile white ante room of a psychiatric facility. This is not a show to be taken seriously but one to be taken for the sheer  fun of it. Laughter abounds at the utter absurdity that happens onstage and off. For more information or tickets, call 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787, or visit online at www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.

Funnyman

Bruce Graham has done it again! He has written another well-crafted, exquisitely subtle smash hit! Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N 2^nd Street is presenting the world premiere of his play Funnyman on its Arcadia stage through March 6, 2016.  Set in NYC in 1959, Funnyman relates the tale of  an aging Vaudevillian who struggles to find relevance in a time when his art is no longer in vogue. Bewildered by the changes around him, Chick Sherman (Carl N. Wallnau)   takes offense at being called a comedian. “Comedians say funny things. I am a comic. I AM FUNNY,“ he declares.  Yet, he is tormented and cannot share this torment with a daughter (Emily Krause) who longs to engage him in a meaningful conversation.  The rest of the ensemble cast of Kenny Morris, Keith Conallen, Brian Cowden, and Charlie DelMarcelle, are affected by his “shtick” to a greater or lesser degree. The story line unravels so seamlessly that the actors do not even appear to be acting; rather they are enabling Bruce Graham’s tale to unfold. While many productions have an obvious star or two, the star of this production is the play itself.  Added to Bruce Graham’s craftsmanship is the extraordinarily talented artistic team including Scenic Designer Brian Benbridge, Lighting Designer Thom Weaver and Sound/Video Designer Jorge Cousineau. The set is brilliant in its simplicity.  A desk moved horizontally or vertically on the stage transforms one office to another and a chair pushed across the stage is added to an easy chair to form a living room. There is nothing about this production that doesn’t work.   Purchase your tickets now as some performances are already sold out.  For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1122, visit online at www.ardentheatre.org, or walk up to the box office at 40 N 2^nd Street.

PIPPIN

The Manson Trio 

             Broadway Philadelphia Presents

               The Philadelphia Premiere of

             Four-Time Tony Award Winner

                 PIPPIN

     National Tour of the Award-Winning Revival Comes to

                             The Academy of Music

                              February 23-28, 2016

Broadway Philadelphia presents the Philadelphia Premiere of the 2013 Tony-Award winning revival of Pippin for a limited engagement at the Academy of Music from February 23-28, 2016. This is the first revival of Pippin since its original run on Broadway 40 years ago.  With a wonderful score by Tony nominee Stephen Schwartz, Pippin relates the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence. The production features choreography by Tony Award nominee Chet Walker in the style of Bob Fosse and circus creations by Gypsy Snider of the Montreal based circus company Les 7 doigts de la main (also known as 7 fingers.) Performances will be on Tuesday through Sunday evenings with matinees added on Saturday February 27 and Sunday February 28.  Tickets are on sale to the general public now and can be purchased by calling (215) 893-1999, visiting www.kimmelcenter.org, and 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. For more information, visit www.PippinTheMusical.com.

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RAIN A Tribute to the Beatles

EXPERIENCE AN ALL NEW SHOW!

Featuring New Songs and High Definition Imagery

For the 2016 Tour!

Opening on February 11 for a limited engagement at

The Merriam Theater

Experience an all new show when the internationally-acclaimed Beatles concert, RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles, returns to Philadelphia February 11-14.  They will appear at the Merriam Theater as part of Broadway Philadelphia, presented collaboratively by The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Shubert Organization. RAIN performs the full-range of Beatles music, from their early hits to their later ones. The performance will include updated sets with LED High-Definition Screens as well as some new songs that the Beatles recorded in a studio but never performed before an audience. Just as the Beatles were outstanding performers, so, too are the members of RAIN. For more information, visit www.raintribute.com.  Tickets are on sale to the public now and can be purchased by calling (215) 983-1999, visiting online at www.kimmelcenter.org, at the Kimmel Center box office, or at the Merriam Theater box office (open during performances only).Group sales are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (215) 790-5883.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

JC McCann as Joseph

The national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is being presented by Broadway Philadelphia at Kimmel Center’s Merriam Theater through January 3, 2016. This long-running musical has been popular with audiences for decades and this production is one of the best I’ve seen. Special effects get the audience in the mood for the dream themes as projections are swirled in clouds of smoke above Joseph’s (JC McCann) head while he reclines on a bed as the audience members are filing into their seats. There is so much to enjoy about this show.  Laura Helm is a gifted narrator as she sings Joseph’s story from his early days with his brother in Canaan through his life in slavery, prison, and as Pharaoh’s right hand man in Egypt.  Lighting Designer Howell Binkley is the architect of phenomenal effects using strobe lights throughout the show. Costume Designer Jennifer Caprio has hit a home run with her multiple costume changes for the ensemble and award winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler is responsible for the exciting choreography. Video and projections have come to be almost commonplace in the theatre today but Daniel Brodie, video and projection designer, has made the art fresh and awe-inspiring. The young men portraying Joseph’s brothers are all extremely talented and act with lock-step precision in numbers that have them sitting at a dining table. Their rendition of “Those Canaan Days” is particularly funny. The artistic members of the ensemble not only sing but dance a variety of routines and do acrobatic turns as well. JC McCann is in his first national tour but with a voice as dynamic as his, it certainly won’t be his last. A very engaging ending to the production is almost an overture in reverse; many of the stars return to center stage and do a short remix of the songs they have sung during the show. Tickets for the remaining shows may be purchased by calling (215)893-1999, visiting online at kimmelcenter.org, visiting the Kimmel Center Box Office or the Merriam Theater Box Office (open during performances only).

The Three Maries

No Attytude Productions is presenting the World Premiere of composer and lyricist Michael Ogborn’s The Three Maries. This “Philadelphia Phable” is a fictional account of an historical event - the 1926 Philadelphia visit of Romania’s Queen Marie. With a riff on Pygmalion and Cinderella, Little Marie (Rachel Brennan) is remarkably engaging as she first loses her Philadelphia accent in the quest for respect in the workplace and then her shoe as she flees Romanian Royalty(Mary Martello and Jeff Coon) at a ball in their honor. Big Marie (Kathy Deitch) is equally humorous as she tries to get her daughter to stay home and help with the housework and perhaps marry a mummer and give her a grandchild.  From Roaring twenties flair, to jazzy tap routines, to mummers’ struts, this production has it all. Projections of City Hall and William Penn add to the authenticity of this “Philadelphia Phable”, as do the stops on the Broad Street El which are flashed on a backdrop as Little Marie  “takes the train” to work, This show is truly phunny. In between laughs, you will be checking on your own accent as you practice saying, “I want a coke and a hoagie to go.”   You’ll even have a chance to do a little strutting of your own as you join the very talented ensemble in their rendition of the Mummer’s Strut.  For a phun-philled evening, get tickets to see this phabulous new musical by calling 215-422-4580 or  by visitingPrinceTheater.org.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:The Musical  is premiering on the Merriam stage Dec 17-20 as part of Broadway Philadelphia.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer became a classic after it appeared for the first time on television in 1964.  Bob Penola, producing partner, wrote the adaptation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:The Musical and has kept it true to the original animated film.  A parallel story is told of Hermey the elf (Wesley Edwards) who is different from all the others because he wants to be a dentist instead of making toys and Rudolph (Lexy Baeza) who is different from the other reindeer because of his red nose.  Hermey and Rudolph  meet after they both run away from home and instantly form a friendship. Puppeteers appear throughout the performance working animals, the Abominable Snow Monster, and misfit toys. The children seem mesmerized, but when a huge mechanical dog appears pulling the sleigh carrying Yukon Cornelius (Ben Burch), giggles are heard throughout the entire theater from the younger members of the audience. The special effects on a projection curtain are excellent. My young granddaughter’s favorite part of the show was Rudolph's flying through the air, but the beautiful snow storm projections are hard to beat. The grand finale has the entire audience participating and leaving the theater with smiles from ear to ear. Tickets can be purchased for the eight remaining performances by calling 215-731-3333, visiting online at kimmelcenter.org/broadway, at the Kimmel Center box office, Broad & Spruce Sts.(open daily 10 am to 6 pm) or at the Merriam Theater box office 250 S. Broad St. (open during performances only).