OVO

Created 15 years ago, the famous show OVO ( “egg” in Portuguese ) by Cirque du Soliel will be making a stop in Philadelphia with a new version. The OVO team will be presenting the new iteration of the show: a reimagined set design, new acrobatic acts, original characters with reimagined costumes and reinvented music. Comprised of100 people from 25 different countries, including 53 artists. OVO brings to the stage high-level acrobatic acts, redefining the limits of the human body. After captivating audiences in 40 countries , OVO is returning to North America and will be at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia from July 11-13,  2025. Tickets are available at  www.cirquedusoleil/OVO.

 

Beetlejuice

 

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization will be presenting the return engagement of Beetlejuice.  The smash hit musical comedy will be returning by popular demand to the Academy of Music from July 29 – August 3, 2025. Tickets are on sale now for members at www.ensembleartsphilly.org  ;  tickets will be available to the general public on Friday, March 7, 2025. Based on the beloved Tim Burton film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, an unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with stripes. Beetlejuice won the Drama Desk Award for best Scenic Design and was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best New Musical when it opened in 2019 at Broadway’s Wintergarden Theatre.  The design team is phenomenal. Members of the design team are all multiple nominees or award winners of the Tony Awards or Drama Desk Awards.   Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1993 or visiting online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org . In-person tickets can be purchased daily from 10 a.m.- 6p.m.at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. For more information, see  www.ensembleartsphilly.org.  

Groups of 10 or more can save money! For more information, call 215-790-5883 or email at groupsales@ensembleartsphilly.org                      .

Hay Fever

 

Ensemble cast in the Bliss' home

Walnut Street Theatre is presenting Noel Coward’s Hay Fever through March 19, 2025, on its main stage. Gifted set designer Roman Tatarowicz has designed a palatial home with many exits and entrances for the actors. Hay Fever premiered in London’s West End in1925 and was a smash hit. It has had many revivals in the intervening years. Although today’s production is a bit dated, there are enough ridiculous situations presented to make the comedy down-right laughable. The first act takes place on a Saturday afternoon.  It introduces the members of the Bliss family and their plans to invite guests for the weekend. No one respects anyone else’s wishes and there is quite a bit of arguing about who should sleep in “The Japanese Room.” Act Two takes place Saturday evening. It is quite a bit more frantic, with Judith Bliss (Alicia Roper) switching men with her daughter Sorel (Anna Baily) and her son Simon Bliss, (Brandon O’Rourke), announcing an engagement to Jackie Coryton ( Ellie Mooney ) . In Act 3, guests all arise before the rest of the household and agree to escape before breakfast, leaving a tip for Clara  (Carlotte Northeast) the maid. The acting is commendable. There are a few scenes when the actors have to speak at the same time as if they were in a big argument. This is very well done.  In other scenes the actors have to keep a straight face while delivering a ridiculous line. They also  do this  well. For tickets or more information, visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster or call 215-574-3550.

& Juliet

 

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization will be presenting the hit musical & Juliet  Academy of Music from March 25 - April 6, 2025 , as part of  its 2024- 25 Broadway Season. Created by the Emmy- winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, this hilarious new musical asks- What would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Juliet finds a new ending to her tale and a new  beginning to her life with a second chance at love. Her story is accompanied by a playlist of many old - time favorites of songwriter/producer  Max Martin, including “Since U Been Gone,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” & Juliet  has now been performed on four continents since its World Premiere in September 2019  at the Manchester Opera House in England. Tickets can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or visiting online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org.     In-person tickets can be purchased daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street.  See www.ensembleartsphilly.org. for more information.

Quoixotic Professor Qiu

                                                              Bi Jean Ngo & Justin Jain

InterAct Theatre Company, housed  in the Proscenium Theatre at the  Drake, 302 Hicks Street, is presenting the world premiere of The Quixotic  Professor  Qiu through February 23, 2025. Though a satire, this work is based on several actual occurrences. Professor Qiu, (Justin Jain) a mathematician, has received a  small grant toward his research in prime numbers from a Chinese institute through the auspices of his childhood friend Bi Jean Ngo). Valeria. his teaching assistant, (Madeline Garcia), reading more into a dinner than a casual date with the Professor, feels spurned and turns to the FBI with wild conspiracy theories which the FBI are thrilled  to embrace. The professor embarks on a trip to China to plead with his friend to clear his name. What he discovers gob smacks him. The acting in this ensemble cast is mesmerizing. David Pica and Tamir Periasamy play multiple roles. The lighting changes orchestrated by lighting designer Lindsay Alayne Stevens are phenomenal. Following the Saturday matinees there will be discussions with cast members on the themes of the play. On February  8 , Actors Bi Jean Ngo and Madeline Garcia will be in the discussions. On February 15, Tamir Periasamy will be participating and on February 21 Playwright Damon Chua will be in the discussion. Sunday matinees will have professionals in the after-performance discussions. On Sunday, February 9, Carol Rollie Flynn, a 30- year veteran of the CIA and consultant for the Homeland TV show will participate . On February 16, Jacques de Lisles, Professor of Chinese Law, and Politics at UPenn, and on February 23, Xiaoxing Xi, Professor of Physics who was falsely painted as a spy from China by the FBI will lead the discussions. For more information or tickets to this fascinating premiere. Visit www.interacttheatre.org. 

Driving Miss Daisy

                                           Wendy Sharfman & Johnnie Hobbs Jr. & the Car

The Puitzer Prize winning Driving Miss Daisy is appearing at the Walnut Street Theatre through February 2.  It first appeared off-Broadway in 1987 and was later staged on Broadway in 2010.   Wendy Sharfman portrays Miss Daisy, an elderly Jewish woman who is having trouble adjusting to losing some of her independence. Ms. Sharfman does an excellent job illustrating how the character ages over a period of 25 years. Johnnie Hobbs Jr. portrays Hoke, the chauffeur who is hired to drive Miss Daisy wherever she needs to go.  Scott Greer portrays Boolie, Miss Daisy’s son, who hires Hoke after his mother had a near-fatal car accident. His mother sees no need for a chauffeur and Boolie serves as a go-between the two. Driving Miss Daisy is composed of several short vignettes. Thanks to the clever design of veteran Roman Tatarowicz, scene changes take place seamlessly, with sets either disappearing into the  air or gliding on and off stage on a series of tracks. The fourth character, not mentioned in the playbill but worthy of mention here, is the Car. Actually,  there are two cars over a period of 25 years. Both have  seats for Miss Daisy and her luggage in the back with seats  for Hoke to drive in the front. The car is in several vignettes as Hoke drives Miss Daisy  to get groceries, to meet lady friends in synagogue, and to put flowers  by  graves in a cemetery. During these times, the audience sees the friendship between Miss Daisy and Hoke develop and the bond between them grow.  For tickets to this marvelous production, visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org  or Ticketmmaster.com or call 215-574-3550.

 

One-Man Nutcracker

                                                                      Chris Davis

Chris Davis is appearing in the One-Man Nutcracker at Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 Hicks Street,  through December 29, 2024. He performs to Tchaikovsky’s  well- known music narrated by Severin Blake.  As audience members enter the théâtre, each one is given a long-stemmed rose  and told that it will become part of the show. Once everyone is seated, Chris Davis appears in white ballet slippers and tights and a black jacket with tails. He demands applause from the audience and when it isn’t loud enough for his liking, he raises his arms to increase the volume until the sound is quite high. He abruptly cuts it off and turns to face the hanging sheet-like screen behind him and begins conducting the music. He performs on both sides of this sheet; when behind it, he produces a huge shadow.  He gives new meaning to dancing with two left feet. You must see the show for yourself to discover  the secret. The show is absolutely magical. Chris interacts with the audience throughout the program and the audience is always engaged. Asking the audience if they would like to see magic tricks, he has everyone chant, ” Magic, Magic, Magic” and he disappears behind the sheet to do a shadow trick. When the audience isn’t quite satisfied, he comes to speak to the audience again and tells them they know what to they must do. Again, the audience chants ,   "Magic, Magic, Magic.”   I must confess I was caught up in the moment and found myself chanting as well. Chris dons a tutu for the dance of the sugar plum fairies; he implements a swordfight between the mouse king  and the  toy soldiers and tells interesting tales behind some of the darker history of the original Nutcracker. For a finale he implores the audience to show their appreciation by throwing their roses on the stage. Amid much laughter, everyone in the audience does so.  This is 60 minutes of pure joy. Chris Davis has given us a true holiday gift. Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ .