Upcoming Events in March at the Kimmel

The first-ever live tour of the hit Nickelodeon show Paw Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue”, coming to the Merriam theater on March 3-5, 2017, is presented by the Kimmel Center for the Preforming Arts in association with VStar Entertainment. Based on the hit animated TV series on Nickelodeon that airs weekdays at 12:p.m., Paw Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue" brings the pups to the stage for an action-packed, high energy, musical adventure. These favorite characters teach children to use teamwork to solve everyday problems. Children of all ages learn lessons about citizenship, social skills and problem solving as the characters use their unique skills.

World-renowned vocal trio IL Volo will have a one night only performance of Une Notte Magica- A Tribute to Three Tenors at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. The three young Italian tenors, Piero Barone, Ignazio Boshetto and Gianluca Ginoble will provide a night of music that fuses classical and pop influences with traditional Italian, Spanish and English songs complemented by a full orchestra. The trio has won numerous awards and returns to America following their time at #1 on the Billboard Classical chart. 

Drumline Live's World Tour is bringing a brand new production to the Merriam Theater March 9-10, 2017.  Drumline Live exemplifies the soulful, high-stepping style of the Historically Black College and University HBCU marching band experience with rhythms, beats and high energy all set to classic music and top 40 hits. Drumline Live is an international tour with content based on HBCU marching band tradition, incorporating original composition and soul-infused interpretations of today’s top songs.

Shaping Sound, America’s hottest dance company will perform a new show entitled After the Curtain at the Kimmel Center’s Merriam Theater on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Founded in 2012 by Emmy Award winning choreographer Travis Wall, the company is a collaboration of diverse artists who describe themselves as “visual musicians.” After the Curtain is the second show for this dance company. Travis Wall will be dancing in the show and will be joined in various cities by Kyle Robinson and Nick Lazzarini.

Philadelphia’s favorite Drag Queen, Martha Graham Cracker, is returning to the Kimmel Center’s SEI Innovation Studio in a brand new musical Lashed but Not Leashed. Martha Graham Cracker is Dito van Reigersberg’s alter ego and will perform March 16-18. The musical was written for and stars Martha Graham Cracker where she belts out a bevy of original and eccentric songs. Directed by Joanna Settle, the show is a collaboration between van Reigersberg and David Sweeny, Vince Federici and Eliza Hardy Jones. Dito van Reigersberg is an alumnus of the Kimmel Center’s Theater Residency Program which annually invites world-class performing artists to join their program to create new works.

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with Sun and Sky Entertainment, welcomes back 16-year old piano prodigy and philanthropist Ethan Bortnick to the Perelman Theater on Friday March 17 at 8:00 p.m. Recognized by Guinness World Record as “The World’s Youngest Solo Musician to Headline His Own Concert Tour.” Ethan raised more than $40 million for charity. Ethan’s performance will include a performance from cover artists, great classical artists, and original works.

Joey Alexander, the world’s youngest Grammy nominee makes his Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts debut at the Perelman Theater March 18-19, 2017. He will perform music from his recording debut album My Favorite Things and his upcoming album, Countdown. Fresh off his performances at the GRAMMY Awards and ABC’s CMA Country Christmas Special, Alexander will appear with his Trio for these performances, a group that has performed in major festivals and well-known venues across the United States and all over the world. His 2015 debut album My Favorite Things won two Grammy nominations for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album and “Best Improvised Solo.”

Tony® and Emmy Award®-winning comedian, actor, producer, writer and director, Billy Crystal, has added two shows to his Spend the Night with Billy Crystal Tour. It will be in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center on March 20 and 21. A stand-up comic turned television star, Crystal hosted the Academy Awards nine times, starred in movies, such as “When Harry Met Sally”, and has written best-selling books.

The 2016-17 Broadway Philadelphia Season, presented in collaboration between the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and The Shubert Organization continues with the national tour of the Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s The King & I, which will play at the Academy of Music March 22-April 2, 2017. The King and I won four 2015 Tony Awards® including Best Revival of a Musical. The creative team has many awards to their credit as well.

tenThing, the internationally acclaimed Norwegian brass ensemble, makes its Kimmel Center debut in a program that combines original works for brass with pieces that feature Verizon Hall’s Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ. The program, which takes place on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 8:00 p.m., will feature the 10 member all-female group alongside organist Jeffrey Brillhart, to perform non-traditional and original works. Formed in 2007 by Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth, tenThing is rapidly establishing itself on the international music scene.