An urban garden area, with lights beaming, hanging from wooden deck ceiling. PHS logo is projected on a wall

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, March 28-April 3, 2024

Miniball, ‘The Last Yiddish Speaker’, and the return of Pop Up Gardens

Miniball arrives this weekend with both new and familiar performances, catch April Fool’s Day inspired slasher films with PFS, and drink for a cause with the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Miller, in a velvet jacket & gold crown, pauses in thought. Behind, Parkinson wears a strapless dress, holding a wine glass

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Shakespeare’s Macbeth

A rare expansion of the Scottish play

Quintessence Theatre Group stages a blockbuster Macbeth with an expanded script and an all-male cast, thrilling even when its reach exceeds its grasp. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 5 minute read
Bowman as Elsa, smiling with blond hair, a crown, an embroidered turquoise dress and gloves, and a purple cape.

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization present Disney’s Frozen

Let it snow

Disney’s Frozen makes its way to Philadelphia for the first time, landing at the Academy of Music and drawing passionate franchise fans into the magic of live theater. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 3 minute read
Parkinson, in a strapless bodice, pulls Miller, wearing a green & blue plaid kilt, seductively toward him face to face.

As a trans actor, I’m dismayed by the “testosterone-driven” concept of the all-male Macbeth at Quintessence

If we don’t break down gender barriers in casting, Philly theater will continue to stall.

A promotional note from Quintessence Theatre Group artistic director Alex Burns about why he’s staging an “all-male” Macbeth drew a strong response from the Philly theater community. Bruce Baldini speaks up as a trans male actor.
Bruce Baldini

Bruce Baldini

Essays 6 minute read
A grainy film photo/still of a 1930s Polish family

The BSR April 2024 repertory movie roundup

‘90s action, a Philly classic, and youth rebellion in Japanese film

Classic action flicks from the 90s, a Philadelphia-shot film from the 80s, and a new film series from Lightbox. Stephen Silver rounds up.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 4 minute read
Production shot of the three stars, standing in a row wearing 19th-century suits. Green letters behind read Lehman Brothers

Arden Theatre Company Presents Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy, adapted by Ben Power

When speculation trumps slavery

A well-acted, well-crafted new production of the epic Lehman Trilogy, now getting its regional premiere at the Arden, can’t overcome this play’s moral bankruptcy. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 4 minute read
Close-up of Tom, an elderly white man, with glasses, a tan cap, white goatee, and calm smile.

The man who called me an optimist: remembering writer Tom Purdom

“This is my editor.”

In January, the BSR community lost one of our founding members: science-fiction and music writer Tom Purdom. Near the end of his career, he never balked at having a youngster for his editor. Alaina Johns remembers a treasured friend and colleague.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 7 minute read
Close-up on smiling Kate. She wears diamond earrings and a high-necked blue dress, her brown hair curving around her face.

Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis could remind us to stop projecting our own fears of illness and death.

Before and after, for Kate and for me

Princess Kate’s cancer announcement brought up Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer’s own memories of fighting cancer as a mom in her late 30s. This news is an opportunity for us all to look inward and stop projecting our fears about illness and death.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Essays 5 minute read
The cast, in vaguely military costumes, processes in a U-shape toward the camera, around a fancy cloth-covered dining table.

The BSR Podcast, Season 8, Episode 3: Talking with Quintessence director Alex Burns about his all-male Macbeth

Back to the roots of the Scottish Play?

Podcast host Darnelle Radford sits down with Quintessence Theatre Group artistic director Alex Burns to talk about his new production of Macbeth.
Darnelle Radford

Darnelle Radford

Podcast 1 minute read
In evening wear in a luxurious hotel suite, the characters react differently to something that one is reading on a smartphone

Act II Playhouse presents Terence McNally’s It’s Only a Play

Waiting on the reviews

The review is in for Act II's It's Only a Play, the show about theater artists waiting to hear the critics' opinions. Frank Burd reviews.

Frank Burd

Reviews 3 minute read
In the crowded gallery, Wong, holding papers, looks down smiling at Steinborn, who sits on the floor and looks up.

Meet FRIEDA, where an intergenerational community (re)connects over food, arts, and culture

An antidote to the loneliness epidemic

With its versatile Walnut Street storefront in Old City, FRIEDA has become a magnet for transplants and Philly natives alike. Wendy Univer talks to the founders about this burgeoning cultural hub’s found family and latest exhibition, POMBAA.
Wendy Univer

Wendy Univer

Features 5 minute read
Brown and Wolf on stage with a mic in front of a full house audience, blue and purple neon lighting.

Stand-up for everybody with Next in Line Comedy

A laughing matter

Manny Brown talks comedy and community with the collective Next in Line Comedy, now with a new venue at The Coop. Kiran Pandey profiles.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Profiles 2 minute read
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A dozen or so dancers all stand on dimly lit stage with their arms extended out the same way in unison

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, March 21-27, 2024

Chicana Collaborative, something soft, and My Love Affair with Marriage

Rounding up the week with offerings from Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Chicana Art Song Project, Painted Bride, and more. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Two portraits spliced together of two Black men in formal black suit jackets and white buttonups, both with wind instruments

BSR Classical Interludes: March 22-28, 2024

Music rising in time for Easter

Open Organ Day, Avery Fisher Career Grant virtuoso brothers Anthony and Demarre McGill come to town, and new organizations Liberty City Arts and Musica Tevere show off their talents. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
Two dancers, all white background, in mid-motion. One stands, holds the other dance up from the floor by one hand

Equilibrium Dance Company presents Watercolors

A kaleidoscope of movement

Equilibrium Dance Company's spring concert Watercolors promises a fusion of artistry. Dara McBride previews.

Dara McBride

Previews 2 minute read
Thomas & Torriente lie onstage in spotlights at the sides. 16 dancers advance at center, each with 1 hand on hip & 1 raised

Philadelphia Ballet presents Dance Masterpieces

Three grand finales: Ailey, Forsythe, and Tharpe

The Philadelphia Ballet offered a trio of grand finales for its March program: favorites by Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe, and Twyla Tharpe brought heart, speed, skill, and whimsy. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 4 minute read
Tofte, in a chaotic outfit of colorful rags, spreads his arms above a pram, facing a surreal shower of blue confetti.

Curtis Opera Theatre presents Les Mamelles de Tirésias and The Seven Deadly Sins

An inventive double bill on 20th-century women

Curtis Opera Theatre inventively pairs two works from the 20th century that consider the struggles of women in society: Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s The Seven Deadly Sins. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Baroque orchestra plays on a stage with a light wooden floor. Bragle sings in a red dress at center; Solis seated at left.

Tempesta di Mare presents Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans

Freeing Judith from the screens

Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans, a 1716 oratorio about Judith and Holofernes that premiered with a famous all-women Venetian ensemble, is little known today. Philly’s baroque orchestra revives it with stunning effect. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
Close-up on the conductor, with gray hair, glasses, and a black tux conducting with a baton, with darkness behind him.

The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Carl Orff’s Carmina burana

Springing ahead with a popular classic

The Philadelphia Orchestra teamed with conductor Fabio Luisi, the Mendelssohn
Chorus of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, and Philadelphia Girls Choir for a much-anticipated Carmina Burana. Linda Holt reviews.
Linda Holt

Linda Holt

Reviews 4 minute read
Keisha and Doug pose for a portrait style photo against a cream/beige backdrop

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, March 14-20, 2024

Intercultural Journeys, Power/Play, Embracing the Light, and more

Moving through the water with Water Speaks, animation for change, and finding light in dark places in this week’s roundup. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Schmit, Charles pose together. Schmit wears all black with a blazer, Charles in a print T and jeans, against a white curtain

Pleasurable sex re-education with DTF: Darryl & Timaree Fun Hour

Getting nerdy and dirty

Collaborators Timaree Schmit and Darryl Charles, hosts of DTF, talk sex, comedy, education, and being kindred souls. Daralyse Lyons profiles.

Daralyse Lyons

Profiles 4 minute read
Four players dressed down in mostly all black. Two hold a viola, a cello, and two hold violins

BSR Classical Interludes, March 15-17, 2024

Music from 16th-century France and Italy to the Harlem Renaissance

Classical music happening in the Philadelphia area this week, including performances from Piffaro, Artcinia, The Crossing, and Opera Philadelphia. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read