Love, Loss and What I Wore

The Philadelphia Theatre Company, located in the Suzanne Roberts Theatre at Broad and Lombard Streets, is presenting  Nora and Delia Ephron’s  Love, Loss and What I Wore through July 7. This wildly successful off-Broadway hit not only strikes a nerve in every woman in the audience, but has the male audience members appreciating it as well.  Insightful and down-to earth, witty and genuine, each anecdote and one-liner is something  audience members can personally relate to…from “The Bra” to “The Prom Dress”, from "The Dressing Room” to “I Hate My Purse”,  from “The Closet” to “I Just Want to Say....” along with many others.  “Oh yes, that was me," audience member after audience member nudged one another during the opening night performance., laughing and poking each other gently.  The room was alive with non-stop laughter from the minute the play started until ninety minutes later when it ended.  Not enough excellent things can be said about the brilliant ensemble cast of Mary Birdsong, Aisha De Haas,  Kate Flannery, Ashley Austin Morris and Concetta Tomei.  Experienced actors all, they brought the Ephron sisters’ stories to life through various hilarious techniques. This show has a very short run.  Don't miss it. For further information or tickets call 215-985-0420 or visit online at PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin

cast of Uncle Tom's Cabin

EgoPo Classic Theater Company, located in Plays and Players Theater at 17^th and Delancey Streets, Philadelphia, is presenting a unique and electrifying rendition of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin through June 9.  From the opening moments of this production, the audiences is totally involved with the actors, witnessing frequent flashes of light and stop-and- go movements of the people on stage.  Although the story of slavery told in Uncle Tom’s Cabin is well known, EgoPo has made the intriguing decision to racially reverse the cast.  The result is spellbinding.  Hearing racial epitaphs spouted out of Black actors mouths may be unnerving at first as well as the subservience of the white cast members to their ”massahs”, but the show is so well performed, that the story-line becomes the important character, rather than the actors, as is the intent. That having been said, Ed Swidey makes a marvelous Tom and Langston Darby an extraordinarily credible Simon Legree. Newcomer Nia Ali is such a poised and perfect Eva, it is difficult to believe that she is only a sophomore theatre major.  I know we will be seeing her in many more theatrical productions in the future. An excellent performance is also given by Rachel O’Hanlon-Rodriguez who portrays both a young slave boy and Topsy.  You can’t afford to dawdle to get tickets for EgoPo’s outstanding performance of the year.  For more information or tickets, call 267-273-1414 or visit online at www.egopo.org. 

A Little Night Music

The Arden Theatre Company, located at 40 N 2^nd Street in Olde City, Philadelphia, is presenting Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music on its F. Otto Haas stage through June 30. With Grace Gonglewski, as Desiree Arfmfeldt, Ben Dibble, as Count Carl-Magnus, and Christopher Patrick Mullen as Fredrik Egerman leading the cast of 15, The Arden’s 25^th Season is ending with a colossal bang!  The 5 member chorus brings not only class but clarity to the production.  Their voices ring with the quality of an operetta as they set the stage for the action throughout. Thanks to costume designer Rosemarie E. McKelvey, their formal attire sets a grand tone.  Scenic Designer James Kronzer in conjunction with lighting Designer Thom Weaver, have done a masterful work with the set. The frequent scenes changes are made seamlessly.  Actors move back and forth across the stage, belting out one Sondheim tune after another, while scene after scene is highlighted.  Aside from Sondheim’s well known, “Send in the Clowns”, the lyrics may be unfamiliar, demanding strict attention from the audience to follow the story line. Every minute of attention paid is well worth the effort, for this is a marvelous production, one of the highlights of this theatre season.  For more information or tickets, call 215-922-1122 or visit online at www.ardentheatre.org.