A selfie of Melissa, a white woman in her early 40s, by a pond. She wears a puffy coat, glasses, and a blue hat.

Spending the winter holidays alone? You’re not the only one.

The joy of going solo
We often make solo holidays sound like a problem to be solved, instead of an opportunity for personal enjoyment, reflection, and renewal free of others’ expectations. Melissa Strong shares her traditions.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Essays 4 minute read
Malone, a young Black man, smiles broadly. He wears a faded pink ensemble. Other cast members are behind him in the barn.

Arden Theatre Company presents E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web

Back in the barn
The Arden restages its popular adaptation of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web with a new cast sure to delight audiences of all ages. Krista Mar reviews.
Krista Mar

Krista Mar

Reviews 3 minute read
Three performers stand on each other's shoulders, three others minding them at their base in a rehearsal space with lights

Almanac Dance Circus Theatre presents I Hear You and I’d Like to Respond

A circus show to push the limits
Almanac Dance Circus Theatre’s I Hear You and I’d Like to Respond offers thrills and big thoughts. Eileen B. Fisher previews.
Eileen B. Fisher

Eileen B. Fisher

Previews 2 minute read
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Skybell as Tevye: he stands smiling, arms outstretched, in white shirt and black vest and cap, Hebrew letters behind him.

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene presents Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish

The balm of the mamaloshen
Since Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer first reviewed Fiddler on the Roof in 2018, antisemitism has continued to rise, and this new production from the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene strikes just the right note for our historic moment.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Reviews 7 minute read
A dancer is wrapped in ariel silks high up in a darkened room, their arm and leg extended out long, looking down

The Weekly BSR Arts and Culture Roundup, December 14-20, 2022

Holiday laughs with Crossroads, dancing through Motion Sickness, and more
The week features offerings from Crossroads Comedy Theater, Miniball Festival, Watermelon Bathtub, Sun Ra Arkestra, and more. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
A nighttime photo of Broad Street packed with hundreds of baseball fans, many wearing red. A flag flies above the crowd.

This year’s World Series run reminded us what Philly needs—and what we deserve

We all know the feeling
The Phillies had a miraculous run to the 2022 World Series, and nowadays, you don’t have to be a baseball fan to relate to the need to hold onto heartbreak alongside the joy. Kyle V. Hiller was watching.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Editorials 5 minute read
Santoro adjusts a student’s posture, three students in leotards in the rehearsal space by a ballet barre.

Jaime Santoro and the magical children of Philadelphia Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Setting the stage for the children
Camille Bacon-Smith sits with faculty member and children’s ballet stager Jaime Santoro on staging The Nutcracker and teaching children how to perform.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Profiles 3 minute read
Screengrab of the podcast recording with each face in one fourth of the screen. We're all wearing headphones and smiling.

The BSR Podcast: season 7, episode 2: DABC (Don't Always Be Consuming)

Suggestions for your feed in 2023
BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford gets BSR staffers Alaina Johns, Kyle V. Hiller, and Neil Bardhan in the virtual studio to talk book, TV, and podcast recs for your 2023 feed.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Podcast 1 minute read
Seen in profile, an Asian woman wearing blue sniffs intently at a glass beaker mounted in the ICA gallery.

The Institute of Contemporary Art presents Sissel Tolaas: RE_____

Follow your nose
An enigmatic exhibition at Penn’s ICA showcases an ever-present but often underappreciated perception: our sense of smell. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Photo of Raphael’s Adoration of the Magi, with a blue-robed Mary & chunky Christ child at center of bowing crowd of robed men

Piffaro presents Festa di Natale!

A welcome, layered, and moving musical experience
Piffaro’s much-anticipated holiday concert invites us to Christmas in Renaissance Italy this year, and will be available to stream as a recording for those celebrating at home. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 5 minute read
Gaffney as Poppins, wearing a red jacket with black lapels & a flat-brimmed straw hat with goggles on it. She holds a letter

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Mary Poppins

A jolly holiday
A Mary Poppins for the stage at Quintessence, based on the original stories by P. L. Travers and the 1964 film, marries a book by Julian Fellowes with the original Sherman Brothers music (plus some new songs). Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer reviews.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Reviews 4 minute read
In one section of a white-walled gallery, six people with their backs to the camera examine several colorful artworks.

AAMP presents Vision & Spirit: African American Art

Quintessential American stories on loan from Bank of America
A spectacular collection of work is on display at AAMP, including Gordon Parks, Faith Ringgold, and Carrie Mae Weems, thanks to an exhibition loan from Bank of America. Hanae Mason reviews.
Hanae Mason

Hanae Mason

Reviews 5 minute read
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Also on BSR

Show logo. The title in white, incorporated a man's silhouette, superimposed in an airplane window looking out.

The BSR Podcast: season 7, episode 1: Odd Man Out at Bristol Riverside Theatre

Theater in total darkness
BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford interviews producer Carlos Armesto and actor Carmen Borla about creating an immersive show at Bristol Riverside Theatre, sans sight.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Podcast 1 minute read
A collage featuring images of Prince, Star Trek, family photos, and buildings. Flowers populate the image

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 7-13, 2022

Markets and festivals abound
Miniball keeps the spirit of Fringe alive, In Between comes to Philly, and the Moth hits a GrandSLAM. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
A man shouting, his arms extended out, bodies lie on the floor around him. Fog fills the dim stage.

The reprise of Rome & Jewels marks 30 years for Puremovement

A rare chance to see Rennie Harris’s classic dance work
The award-winning take on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet from Rennie Harris returns to Philly this weekend. Eileen B. Fisher previews.
Eileen B. Fisher

Eileen B. Fisher

Previews 2 minute read
Book cover. An abstract illustration in purple, yellow, blue, and orange, with author and title in white.

The Book of I.P., by Chris Courtney Martin

Poetry against the machine
In The Book of I.P., a poetry-and-essay chapbook collection, Philly native Chris Courtney Martin breaks from the strictures of Hollywood to craft a blazing manifesto of art on its own terms. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 4 minute read
Album cover. Title appears in small orange letters at top right above a spiral of beige paper fragments on a beige background

Adhyâropa Records presents soma schema from Joshua Stamper and color as time

Schemes for sleepiness
Philly composer/guitarist Joshua Stamper’s new album, soma schema, with his color as time sextet, presents an hour of orchestral easy-listening-meets-jazz-fusion, perfect for cleaning your house to. Aaron Pond reviews.
Aaron Pond

Aaron Pond

Reviews 3 minute read
5 dancers of different gender/race line up in identical pose, lunging forward with 1 knee bent & arms outstretched, palms up

BalletX presents its 2022 Fall Series

Ballet for the future
BalletX returns to the Wilma with world premieres by Darrell Grand Moultrie and former BalletX dancer Caili Quan, along with the Philadelphia premiere of Become a Mountain by Justin Peck. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 5 minute read
A man in a bright red Christmas sweater on stage speaks towards audience, an actor to his left is sitting, crying

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, November 30-December 6, 2022

Holiday festivities, interdisciplinary audio-visual arts, and This Is the Week That Is
December kicks off with plenty of holiday cheer—perfect if you celebrate. And there’s plenty for those who don’t. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
The title text with “an immersive experience in complete darkness’ over an airplane window looking out to the sky

Teatro Ciego and Company C present Odd Man Out

Other ways to see
Odd Man Out from Martín Bondone, Carlos Armesto, and Facundo Bogarin is an immersive experience in complete darkness, following the story of a blind jazz musician. David Block previews.
David Block

David Block

Previews 2 minute read
A portrait photo with the trio. Jie Jin stands by a cello, Yamazaki is centered, Mazzochchi holds a violin.

BSR Classical Music Interludes: December 2022

Messiah, Tuba Christmas, and more holiday cheer
Decking the halls with holiday concerts throughout December in the Philadelphia area. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 4 minute read
Film still with actor Bruce Willis close to the camera in a ventilation duct, a lighter close to the edge of the frame

The BSR December 2022 movie repertory roundup

Christmas with Die Hard and the Muppets
Holiday cheer at the cinemas, and screenings outside of the Christmas fare coming this month in the Greater Philadelphia area. Stephen Silver rounds up.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 7 minute read