Lewis Whittington

Contributor

BSR Contributor Since February 2, 2006

Lewis Whittington's articles on the performing arts have appeared in several publications, including the <i>Philadelphia Inquirer, City Paper, The Advocate, Pointe, Dance</i> Magazine and <i>Metro.</i> He lives in Center City.<p>

Lewis Whittington's articles on the performing arts have appeared in several publications, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, City Paper, The Advocate, Pointe, Dance Magazine and Metro. He lives in Center City.

By this Author

79 results
Page 1
Jimmy Heath: The brothers disagree.

Heath Brothers: Vintage jazz at the Perelman

Good riddance to jazz clubs?
Even in their 80s, the jazz legends Jimmy and Tootie Heath still make terrific sounds together. They differ on just one issue: Does jazz sound best when served in clubs or in concert halls?

Lewis Whittington

Articles 2 minute read
833 torrado

Pennsylvania Ballet's "Messiah' (2nd review)
So much of Robert Weiss’s Messiah rises and falls on the Messiah himself, and the audience couldn’t get enough of principal Sergio Torrado in the role.

Messiah. Ballet by Robert Weiss; music by George Frideric Handel. Pennsylvania Ballet production through March 9, 2008 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Sts. (215) 551-7000 or www.paballet.org.

Lewis Whittington

Articles 1 minute read
819 wei shen small

Shen Wei Dance Arts at Perelman Theater
Shen Wei, founder of China’s first modern dance company, is as much painter and designer as master choreographer. To watch his Map is to see the work of the artist under repressive regimes.

Shen Wei Dance Arts. February 15-17, 2008 at Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center. 215-893-1999 or www.kimmelcenter.org

Lewis Whittington

Articles 2 minute read

Opera Company's "Cyrano' (2nd review)
David DiChiera’s Cyrano is still an operatic work-in-progress. It deserves a future life if only for its lofty ambitions.

Lewis Whittington

Articles 4 minute read
786 Milanov

Milanov and Orchestra's Bernstein Festival
Rossen Milanov demonstrated that he’s a specialist in exploring early 20th-Century European musicality.

Philadelphia Orchestra: Bernstein, Barber, Stravinsky. Joshua Bell, violin; Rossen Milanov, conductor. January 31-February 2, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1900 or www.philorch.org.

Lewis Whittington

Articles 1 minute read

Paco PeÓ±a at Verizon Hall
People pound the rafters even after two and a half hours of authentic, undistilled, uncommercialized Spanish dance without any decoration.

Paco Peña Flamenco Ensemble. January 27, 2008 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center. (215) 893-1999 or www.kimmelcenter.org.

Lewis Whittington

Articles 1 minute read
784 martha2

Pig Iron Theatre's fund-raiser
Pearls dripped before the VIP swine at Pig Iron Theatre’s annual fund-raiser.

The Swining. Pig Iron Theatre fund-raiser, January 25, 2008 at the Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. (215) 627-1883 or www.pigiron.org

Lewis Whittington

Articles 1 minute read

"M. Butterfly's' sword dancers
The sword dancers enlivened a lumbering first act.

M. Butterfly. Drama by David Henry Hwang; directed by Joe Calarco. Philadelphia Theatre Co. production through February 24, 2008 at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard Sts. (215) 985-0420 or www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

Lewis Whittington

Articles less than a minute read

nEW Festival's winter installment
The winter installment of nEW Festival’s “Dancehouse” collective of works in development was a frisky, sleeker sampler with concepts and sketches trying to break through to actual performance.

nEW Festival winter festival. Produced by Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre Jan. 18-20, 2008 at UArts Drake Theater, 1512 Spruce St. (215) 359-7775 or www.nEWfestival.net.

Lewis Whittington

Articles 2 minute read
765 cchapel

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
Choreographic provocateur Bill T. Jones has created new dialogues in dance arts from every physical angle and emotional perspective. But his tepid Chapel/Chapter seems like a complete commercially artsy indulgence.

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. January 29-30, 2008 at Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 898-3900 or www.pennpresents.org.

Lewis Whittington

Articles 3 minute read
758 misanthrope

Mauckingbird's "The Misanthrope'
This Misanthrope works both as over-the-top gay soufflé and as a dishy Molière comedy that revels in character and literary satire. The nine-man cast conveys the airy tightness of ensemble playing.

The Misanthrope. Comedy by Molière; directed by Peter Reynolds. Mauckingbird Theatre Company production through February 2, 2008 at Adrienne Theatre Second Stage,
2030 Sansom St. (215) 563.4330 or

Lewis Whittington

Articles 3 minute read
734 Higdon Jennifer

Orchestra plays Higdon 'Concerto 4-3'
Could the great Leonard Bernstein possibly be upstaged at the opening night of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s “Bernstein Festival”? Such was the case with Philadelphia composer Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3, which electrified the almost-sold-out audience at Verizon Hall.

Philadelphia Orchestra. Opening program of the Bernstein Festival: Higdon Concerto 4-3; Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet overture; Bernstein West Side Story Dances

Lewis Whittington

Articles 3 minute read

Pennsylvania Ballet's "Nutcracker'
Does the new physical production of Pennsylvania Ballet’s Nutcracker live up to its $850,000 buzz? A resounding yes. With only one noticeable exception, Judanna Lynn’s 85 new costumes were both theatrically vibrant and dance functional. Better sets and costumes seemed to improve the dancing, too.

Pennsylvania Ballet: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Through December 31, 2007 at Academy of Music, Broad and Locust St. (215) 551-7000 or

Lewis Whittington

Articles 3 minute read

José LimÓ³n Dance Company at Annenberg
The Mexican choreographer José Limón died in 1972 but left an artistic bounty that remains a valuable resource when it comes to building the complete modern dancer. His distinctive style came through with joy at the Zellerbach even in an erratically danced program.

José Limón Dance Company. December 6-8, 2007 at Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St. (215) 898-3900 or

Lewis Whittington

Articles 3 minute read
689 Harth Bedoya

Orchestra's "Night of the Mayas'
Under the baton of Peruvian conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, an epic musical narrative of Mayan civilization became a fabulous tour de force for and by the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Philadelphia Orchestra: Revueltas, Night of the Mayas; Ravel, Rapsodie Espagnole and Markus Groh; Liszt, Piano Concerto No. 1. Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting; Markus Groh, piano. November 23, 2007 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel center. (215) 893-1900 or

Lewis Whittington

Articles 2 minute read