A group of six women outside in gowns outdoors during magic hour, a pot over a fire, Lena stirs with a wooden spoon

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 7-13, 2023

SVADBA, West Philly Holiday Fest, Concert for Coats, and Books & Wires

An award-winning opera film streams, Multiverse hosts a sci-fi-inspired soundscape, holiday events off the beaten path, and writing about everyday moments. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Portrait shot of Dueñas, wearing a white gown and holding a violin.

Celebrating 125 years of Deutsche Grammophon with Philadelphia Orchestra

An anniversary soirée at the Orchestra

The music recording label opens a global celebration of 125 years, and the only soirée of its kind happening in the US is right on Broad Street. Cameron Kelsall previews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Previews 3 minute read
Joseph in all black tights crouches in a rehearsal space, turning away from the camera. Other dancers look away, in mid-pose

PHILADANCO! presents Intangible Influences

Reflections through dance

PHILADANCO! opens the stage with a program featuring the works of new and familiar choreographers, touching on intimate stories and reflections. Camille Bacon-Smith previews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Previews 3 minute read
Wide shot of a large audience fills the indoors of Kimmel Center, with seasonal lights cast over the walls

BSR Classical Interludes, December 2023

Singing into the holiday spirit

Holiday cheer, community carols, and the return of the “Silent Night” Sing-in highlight the month. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
About 8-10 dancers or so can be seen on stage, snow falling on/around stage, dancers in all white in mid-movement

First ever tour brings Dorrance Dance’s Nutcracker Suite to Penn Live Arts

Tapping into Black vernacular tradition in the snow

The New York City tap dance company pays a visit to Philly this weekend with a unique take on the winter classic. Eileen B. Fisher previews.
Eileen B. Fisher

Eileen B. Fisher

Previews 2 minute read
Neil, Alaina & Kyle lean on the railing of a 4th-floor roof-deck on a sunny day, the Philly skyline behind them

BSR Behind the Scenes: An inside look at our editorial process

Going backstage at BSR: how do we publish so many writers?

Did you know that BSR is Philly's top destination for professional arts journalism...and that we're a small, independent nonprofit made up entirely of remote-working part-timers? Here's how we do it.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 4 minute read
In the foreground, Thomas sings passionately into a mic, with the others behind him on a porch awash in purple light.

The Wilma Theater presents James Ijames’s Fat Ham

High on the hog

Fat Ham comes home in this new production at the Wilma, onstage as it was meant to be, after the company debuted a filmed version in 2021. Everyone is welcome to the cookout. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 6 minute read
On an orange-lit set with neon bars & a Philly skyline backdrop, four actors in orange jumpsuits pose outlandishly on chairs.

1812 Productions presents This Is the Week That Is

Satire wanted

A Philly tradition since 2006, This Is the Week That Is attempts to wring mirth from the news, but this year’s iteration ranges from offensive to baffling. Emily Schilling reviews.
Emily Schilling

Emily Schilling

Reviews 3 minute read
Six cast members pose on the steps of a blue-lit stoop with Coleman, a Black woman in a sleeveless orange costume, at center

The Kimmel Cultural Campus and the Shubert Organization present the national tour of Company

Still in good company with Sondheim

Sondheim still abounds, despite his recent passing, and the new tour of Company takes a gender swap to the 1970 story, with uneven results that nevertheless keep the joy of the show alive. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 4 minute read
Close-up on Cicchetti, a young woman with dark glossy curls, putting her hands to her face and looking up as she sings.

Quintessence Theatre Group Presents The Fantasticks

Try to remember

In Quintessence Theatre Group’s December production of The Fantasticks, complex poetries meet deceptively simple story and design, honoring both youthful sparks and older gratitude. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 3 minute read
Black & white photo of Cooper as Bernstein conducting intensely, from the view of the musicians.

Netflix presents Bradley Cooper’s Maestro

A powerful realization of Leonard Bernstein’s life and loves

Star, director, co-writer, and co-producer Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, the new Netflix biopic on Leonard Bernstein, has important connections to Philadelphia’s creative life and music. Victor L. Schermer reviews.
Victor L. Schermer

Victor L. Schermer

Reviews 3 minute read
Crisp photo of a small gray songbird perched alertly on a twig, with pink and green foliage a blur behind it.

The freedom on the bike, and the freedom in the weeds

Making magic in the ragweed

As a boy, Kile Smith knew there was no freedom like riding your own bike on your own time. But now, as he watches the world go by from his garden, a whole new kingdom opens up.
Kile Smith

Kile Smith

Essays 5 minute read
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Also on BSR

Five drag performers on stage, seeming to be in dance and song, with a collage banner behind them

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 30-December 6, 2023

World AIDS Day, Philly Zine Fest, This Is The Week That Is and more

Rounding up this week with classic shows from Quintessence and 1812 Productions, a pair of events happening in the spirit of World AIDS Day, and a decades-old zine fest. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 2 minute read
Film still. A young girl in red, everything else in black and white, in front of a crowd of Jewish people and Nazi soldiers

The BSR December 2023 movie repertory roundup

Schindler’s List, It’s a Wonderful Life, and the five best films of all time

Holiday classics abound, a milestone anniversary for Spielberg, and wrapping up the Sight and Sound top 100 films of all-time. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 5 minute read
Hetherington, a white woman, and Roberson, a Black woman, perform together, each dancing on their own low wooden platform.

Has Philly lost touch with the true musical roots of tap dance?

Tap dance is much more than learning the steps

The true art of tap, including historic Philly dancers, has its roots in collaboration and improvisation, not recorded music or memorized choreography. Philly tap dance leader Pamela Hetherington explains.
Pamela Hetherington

Pamela Hetherington

Essays 5 minute read
In profile, a young woman sits on the edge of a bed and leans over, clutching her head and stomach in pain.

Menstruation is a part of life, but pain doesn’t have to be

Why don’t we take women’s pain seriously?

Despite studies that show women experience pain more acutely, we wait longer for diagnosis and pain relief than men do—if we get relief at all. Isabel Soisson considers.
Isabel Soisson

Isabel Soisson

Essays 5 minute read
Four pale women surround one at center in a luxurious green robe; a Black child holds a burnished cup of pink roses at front.

The Delaware Art Museum presents The Rossettis

A new look at some old radicals

The Delaware Art Museum has the biggest collection of British Pre-Raphaelite artworks outside the UK, and this exhibition, which opened at Tate Britain and now lands stateside, honors the radical Rossettis. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
A multi-racial group of smiling colleagues posing together in a lofty coworking space. Alaina holds a tiny dog on the left.

BSR Behind the Scenes: Why do we need arts criticism?

Going backstage at BSR: The truth about reviewing

In our experience, some people opine that the critics are just dragging the cultural scene down—especially when a review is mixed or negative. But is that true? Not at all. Alaina Johns explains in this BSR Behind the Scenes editorial.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
Berenstain Bears logo with the cartoon family of five light-brown bears in human clothes crowded happily together.

Remembering Stan and Jan Berenstain, the Philly artists who created the Berenstain Bears

The makers of America’s favorite bear family

Stanley Melvin Berenstain met Janice Marian Grant when they were both studying art in Philadelphia—ostensibly to join the army, but their career took a very different turn. Emily Zarevich considers.
Emily R. Zarevich

Emily R. Zarevich

Essays 3 minute read
Robinson poses dramatically at center in a plaid dress; Hall & Debose, seen from behind with their hair in buns, look on.

The Lantern Theater presents Lynn Nottage’s Crumbs from the Table of Joy

Feasting on Crumbs

Crumbs from the Table of Joy, a lesser-known early work by Lynn Nottage, one of America’s most popular playwrights, still feels relevant in this Lantern Theater production. Krista Mar reviews.
Krista Mar

Krista Mar

Reviews 3 minute read
Jessica Beebe, Michele Kennedy, and Maren Montalbano sit together in formal gowns, posing for photo

BSR Classical Interludes November 2023, part 2

Market Street Music, Wister and More, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and more

Another serving of November classical music offerings popping up in the Greater Philadelphia area. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
Floyd, a Black woman, with an afro, at a podium with a flute.

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 16-22, 2023

Table Sessions, local Philly films, and music with Ruth Naomi Floyd

A short film festival from cinéSPEAK, music at the Weitzman and Bartram’s Garden, new play Shoptalk, and more highlight the week. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read