Two women around a piano on stage. One sits at the piano playing the keys, another is at a desk close by writing

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 4-10, 2025

Little Women, Slay Bells Ring, and the Philly Rare Book Fair
Previewing the week, with features from Hedgerow Theatre Company, the Arden, InterAct, and the Philadelphia Gay Man’s Chorus. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Close-up on many hands of diverse people in a huddle, in different stages of reaching out and grasping each other.

Philly arts and culture PR is suffering. Here’s why that matters to audiences.

It’s getting harder for us to work with the arts institutions we cover.
With nearly 20 years as a journalist on Philly’s arts and culture scene, Alaina Johns has a clear eye on its trends, including a worrying situation with arts PR that affects everyone, including audiences.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
Two tiny human figures in circus costumes venture in a nighttime wood of tall, naked, foreboding black trees.

The Barnes Foundation presents Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets

Enchanting mysteries endure
An enchanting new exhibition at the Barnes exploring the weird, unsettling, and captivating world of Henri Rousseau will travel to Paris next spring. Emily Schilling reviews.
Emily Schilling

Emily Schilling

Reviews 5 minute read
Mullen, in a red 19th-century British officer costume, sings with his hands spread while the costumed listens anxiously.

Quintessence Theatre presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance

Savoyard shipwreck
Quintessence Theatre forays into operetta with The Pirates of Penzance, but the company doesn’t seem to trust the material. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Nézet-Séguin on stage conducting, wearing a festive blazer and a Christmas tree slightly out of focus in background

BSR Classical Interludes, December 2025

Carols and chamber music for the holiday
Covering the first half of the month with classical music offerings, with a few in the holiday spirit. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 4 minute read
Collage of smiling headshots of Grayce, Jill, and Alaina, white women, and Kyle, a Black man.

HELP US HELP YOU: The PR Webinar for Artists is back for 2025!

Join us December 10 on Zoom to learn the basics of good PR
It's back! Our popular 90-minute webinar full of tips for reaching out to the media is back on Wednesday, December 10. Get the details and grab your ticket.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Previews 3 minute read
View from below of the giant Christmas tree, decked in blue lights, above the massive Wanamaker Organ.

The Wanamaker Light Show is back for 2025, along with new surprises

Philly pulls together to save a favorite Christmas tradition for another year
Beloved Christmas attractions at the Wanamaker faced an uncertain future after Macy's closed earlier this year, but Philly pulled together to bring them back for 2025. McCaillaigh Rouse has the details.
McCaillaigh Rouse

McCaillaigh Rouse

Features 6 minute read
A lumpy light-brown “snowperson” creature with button eyes, a top hat, and a snail for hair is both friendly and creepy.

Woodmere Art Museum presents Peter Paone’s Snowpeople

Wintry creatures celebrate the opening of Woodmere’s new Maguire Hall
The Woodmere marks the opening of its new Maguire Hall with prolific Philly painter and printmaker Peter Paone’s Snowpeople, an arresting look at a traditionally cheery sculptural medium. K.A. McFadden reviews.
K.A. McFadden

K.A. McFadden

Reviews 5 minute read
A dancer on stage in white tutu extends her left leg up and out, right arm up, on her right toes. Dancers behind her on stage

Philadelphia Ballet presents The Nutcracker

Tutus bring the sparkle
This year's production of Nutcracker from Philadelphia Ballet finds magic and sparkle in its tutus. Camille Bacon-Smith previews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Previews 3 minute read
Movie poster in black and white, with Uma Thurman’s character’s face split between a sword

The BSR December 2025 repertory movie roundup

It’s a Wonderful Whole Bloody Affair Life
A special screening of the Kill Bill duology, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Shining, and the holiday classic It's A Wonderful Life screen in the Philly area. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 4 minute read
Large-scale view from aloft of the huge, vibrant mural, with diverse human figures making art and music.

New research from Philly’s Mural Arts Institute proves public art has a huge civic impact

Art is an inalienable human right
An October forum for scientists, scholars, artists, and city leaders explored new insights into just how much murals affect our everyday lives. Anndee Hochman was there.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Features 6 minute read
Five youth dancers are center stage, four adult dancers at opposite ends of stage. A muslin wall that look like a ball hall

The Month in Philly Dance, December 2025

Nutcrackers abound!
A roundup of Nutcrackers shows in Philly, and a variety of other non-holiday-inspired dance performances happening this month. Camille Bacon-Smith previews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Previews 4 minute read
Carter, in a purple velvet robe with ornate floral embroidery, stands smiling next to a display of her Black Panther costumes

The African American Museum in Philadelphia presents Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design

Ruth E. Carter Forever
A lavish touring exhibition of stunning costumes by Ruth E. Carter, including outfits from Black Panther, Sinners, and many others, lands at AAMP. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 5 minute read

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The multiracial ensemble, in 19th-century costumes, gathers lovingly around a piano onstage that one person plays.

Hedgerow Theatre Company presents Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, adapted by Kate Hamill

A new take on Alcott has very mixed success
Hedgerow Theatre Company stages a highly questionable adaptation of Little Women that gives the audience whiplash at its conclusion. Mina Reinckens reviews.
Mina Reinckens

Mina Reinckens

Reviews 4 minute read
A display featuring a huge black & white photo of the 1963 march, letting the viewer imagine what King saw during his speech.

The Museum of the American Revolution presents The Declaration’s Journey

The Declaration heard ’round the world
A new exhibition at the Museum of the American Revolution examines the ripple effects of our Declaration, at home and abroad, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. Constance Garcia-Barrio reviews.
Constance Garcia-Barrio

Constance Garcia-Barrio

Reviews 4 minute read
Seen from below in a wooden attic, Williams leans joyfully out holding a lighted umbrella while Peakes looks frightened.

People’s Light presents A Christmas Carol, adapted from Dickens by Zak Berkman

Now and 1843; here and Dickensian England
People’s Light revives its holiday production of Zak Berkman’s Christmas Carol adaptation, honoring the Dickens original with a production that speaks to our time, too. An Nichols reviews.
An Nichols

An Nichols

Reviews 4 minute read
Merrill in a peacoat, top hat, and with a cane sits in a cushioned chair, a set being built behind him.

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 20-26, 2025

Cultural arts festivals and screenings, and some pirates
This week features a variety of screenings and festivals centered around a variety of cultural groups, identities, and communities. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
Ngo & Pierce, in cozy patterned sweaters, emerge surprised from under a table in a small floral, brick & plaid kitchen

The Wilma presents Evgeny Schwartz’s The Snow Queen, adapted from Hans Christian Andersen

The Wilma’s first family show is not your standard fairy tale
The Wilma’s production of The Snow Queen is a modern fairy tale for our times, and its first offering for families. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 3 minute read
Seven dancers in casual clothes strike the same dynamic pose next to four musicians grouped at right.

Penn Live Arts presents Ephrat Asherie Dance’s Shadow Cities, with Arturo O’Farrill

Street dance dazzles in the shadows
Street dance met Afro-Latin jazz in Ephrat Asherie Dance’s Shadow Cities, featuring legendary jazz musician Arturo O’Farrill in its world premiere at Penn Live Arts. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 3 minute read
On a chancel, a Black male preacher holding a mic and a white female rabbi join one hand and hold it aloft.

Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Festival presents Lost Cause, All God’s Children, and Fantasy Life

An ambitious lineup of documentaries, drama, comedy, and more
The 2025 Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Festival imagines Stephen Miller’s Yom Kippur, explores dialogue between a Black church and a synagogue, and evokes Woody Allen with a twist. Stephen Silver reviews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Reviews 5 minute read
Ornate, high-ceilinged clothing store with Maitin’s banners in the corridor, featuring a blue & orange swooping eagle.

Penn presents Sam Maitin in We the People and The Mayor of the Arts

Honoring a world-famous artist who chose Philly
Two exhibitions at the University of Pennsylvania explore the work of Sam Maitin, which is an indelible part of our city’s social, civic, and economic fabric—whether or not we know it. Pamela J. Forsythe.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Aerial view of the gardens showing curving paths, green gardens, and trees, with the Philly skyline rising close beyond.

Calder Gardens is a beautiful addition to Philly’s art world

Welcome home, Calder
With major public artworks by the Calder family already dotting the Parkway, our city welcomes the world’s only museum dedicated to Alexander Calder, an endearing native Philadelphian. K.A. McFadden reviews.
K.A. McFadden

K.A. McFadden

Reviews 4 minute read
Vintage color illustration of a giant, fearful Uncle Sam clutching a US flag while an ocean of immigrants sweeps toward him

The Delaware Art Museum presents Imprinted: Illustrating Race

How illustration defined three centuries of America
Imprinted: Illustrating Race, a powerful and sensitive exhibition exploring the role of published images in shaping our attitudes on race and culture, comes to the Delaware Art Museum. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read