A dancer looks down holding red fabric, camera up at trees with yellow leaves under bright sunlight, other dancers behind her

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, May 15-21, 2025

PrideFest, FirstGlance Film Festival, Dancing Divas, and more

Highlights from the upcoming week include an HBCU festival in West Philly, Pride in New Hope, international and local film screenings in Old City, and more. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 3 minute read
Gay and Landau, at far left, stand in front of a crowd in a bright, gilded corridor of City Hall turned into a gallery

Does Philly’s proposed 2026 budget cut arts and culture? City arts leaders explain.

Arts supporters must raise their voice in every budget cycle

Recent reporting showed Philly’s arts and culture budget is getting yet another proposed cut from the mayor, but arts leaders say the truth is more complicated, and they urge public advocacy. Alaina Johns looks closer.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Features 6 minute read
On a torso mannequin, a two-piece halter-and-shorts swimsuit made from a vintage WWII pilot’s map.

The PMA’s BOOM sparks a closer look at women in the art and design of the 1940s

What did the transformative decade of WWII mean for women artists?

BOOM, a new exhibition at the PMA surveying American art and design in the global tumult of the 1940s, also offers a chance to reflect on evolving roles for women in American art history. Wendy Univer considers.
Wendy Univer

Wendy Univer

Essays 7 minute read
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B&W film still. Two people stand next to each other outdoors in daylight, wearing wintry jackets.

Tony Lawton’s Goldfish premieres at the FirstGlance Film Festival

From the stage to the screen

Local theater artist Tony Lawton talks about his new film that debuts in Philadelphia this week. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 4 minute read
Two sculptures of two people’s heads face each other in a gallery with people visiting in the room.

Celebrating a history of LGBTQIA+ activism and community with Homecoming

Exploring themes of home

In a humble Victorian in Lansdowne, visitors can explore the comforts and complexities of queer domestic life this spring, through the work of 20 LGBTQIA+ artists. Dara McBride previews.

Dara McBride

Previews 2 minute read
Sepia toned portrait photo of Lee in an aviator suit, stands in front of the wing of a small plane.

BSR Classical Interludes, more in May 2025

Music takes flight

More classical music happening in May 2025, including performances by Choral Arts, Tempesta di Mare, and a world premiere that honors the life of aviator Hazel Ying Lee. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
Bright-colored painting of two slim men with light brown skin in preppy clothes, arms around each other casually.

Woodmere Art Museum presents Eye of the Beholder: Two Philadelphia Collectors’ Visions of Beauty in Art

The collectors’ art of resistance

Eye of the Beholder, now on view at Woodmere Art Museum, curates picks from the collections of two luminaries of the local art scene with an eye for goodness and beauty. K.A. McFadden reviews.
K.A. McFadden

K.A. McFadden

Reviews 4 minute read
Thomas, in a green jacket and plaid kilt, naps in an armchair while Maslova, in full white tutu, poses with arms outstretched

Philadelphia Ballet presents August Bournonville’s La Sylphide

The oldest surviving Romantic fairytale ballet

Philadelphia Ballet rose to the challenge of August Bournonville’s difficult technique in a new production of La Sylphide, the oldest surviving ballet of its kind, plus an outing with Harald Lander’s modernist Etudes. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 4 minute read
Show logo: title in blue & green at top left, over a single large eye with curly eyebrow & striped green & yellow pyramid.

Drexel University’s Paul Peck Alumni Center Gallery presents Kurt Vonnegut Jr. As a Visual Artist

When words fail, draw

A timely new exhibition of drawings by Kurt Vonnegut, many of which have never been displayed publicly, offers a new perspective on the iconic author that resonates in our own time. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 4 minute read
In a gold-lit room with an arched doorway, six people pose gracefully, some with hula hoops.

Philly arts organizations speak up after the Trump administration revokes their NEA grants

“We’re all banding together. Otherwise, we’re not going to exist.”

The Trump administration is clawing back hundreds of thousands of dollars of NEA grants already promised to arts groups around the country. These cuts are hitting hard in Philly, but artists tell Anndee Hochman they will not stop their work.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Features 6 minute read
The four dancers, all in black, stand in a line facing away on a black stage, right arms bent upward to rest on their heads.

The Performance Garage presents Megan Mazarick’s soapbox

Deconstructionist dance winningly asks, “What is your platform?”

Dance artist Megan Mazarick concluded her Performance Garage DanceVisions residency with the world premiere of soapbox, an engaging interdisciplinary dance/theater piece considering digital-age identity. Melissa Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 4 minute read
View from the ground floor of the grand multi-story hall of Macy’s, crowded with people listening to the organ.

Could the Wanamaker Building become a hub for Philly’s 250th anniversary events?

Let’s meet at the Eagle for the Semiquincentennial

When plans got underway for Philly’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday, organizers didn’t know that the beautiful and historic Wanamaker Building would go empty with the closure of Macy’s. Walt Maguire asks if 2026 events could fill it up.

Walt Maguire

Essays 4 minute read
Povinelli, a little person with wavy gray hair and beard, stands proudly on a windowed stage, wearing a black suit.

Quintessence Theater Group and Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company present Naomi Wallace and Marcus Rediker’s The Return of Benjamin Lay

Benjamin Lay’s life is a call to action for us today

Quintessence brings the story of a revolutionary Quaker activist back to Philadelphia with a powerful production of The Return of Benjamin Lay, especially timely as the federal government moves to defund the arts. Alix Rosenfeld reviews.
Alix Rosenfeld

Alix Rosenfeld

Reviews 3 minute read

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A person in a swimsuit wearing swim paddles swims underwater in an underwater shot. Light seeps through water, casting colors

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, May 8-14, 2025

Endlings, The Return of Benjamin Lay, and Art Star Craft Bazaar

New performances at Hedgerow and Quintessence open this week, a multidisciplinary concert at Curtis, a legendary story of a Pennsylvania Quaker, and an experimental technology workshop at PMA. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
Stasevska in an all-white suit with jacket and black and white Chucks poses for a portrait style photo

Ukrainian-born Conductor Dalia Stasevska leads Philadelphia Orchestra performance with pianist Emanuel Ax

The music finds us

Pianist Emanuel Ax’s return to Philadelphia, paired with Dalia Stasevska, makes for a soul-searching performance in the midst of conflict. Lowry Yankwich previews.
Lowry Yankwich

Lowry Yankwich

Previews 3 minute read
Schmitz, as Washington with a toga over his military garb, looks confused next to McCann in a toga accented with the US flag

The Philadelphia Artists’ Collective presents Eli Lynn’s CATO (Remixed)

A Founding Fathers favorite, with a modern twist

For Damon Bonetti’s last outing as PAC’s producing artistic director, the company presents CATO (Remixed), based on a play that helped inspire the American Revolution, in the building that hosted the First Continental Congress. Jill Ivey reviews.
Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Reviews 4 minute read
In a wide, dynamic stance, Joubert holds Lubin by the hand as she dips backwards into an almost impossible full-body curve.

BalletX’s Festival at the Mann presents Maslow’s Peak, by Jennifer Archibald

Lord of the Flies becomes a full-length ballet

For its annual Festival at the Mann production, BalletX presented a monumental new piece inspired by William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, harnessing all the possibilities of a large outdoor stage. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 4 minute read
Mothers Day Play BSR 4 30 25

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, May 1-7, 2025

Sonic Sunsets, Variety Pack, and Mother’s Day at Theatre Exile

A new season at BalletX, a flowery festival in Germantown, film screenings at Scribe, and more this week. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Previews 4 minute read
Dlugoszewski tweaks the inside of a grand piano, with focus and intent, in a black and white photo

BSR Classical Interludes, May 2025

Maurice Ravel’s 150th birthday and the works of Lucia Dlugoszewski

Music happening in the Philly area in the first half of May, including a few concerts for Mother’s Day. Gail Obenreder previews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Previews 3 minute read
Outdoors. Men dressed in knights armor, one has a sun with a mustache on the front, the other has a tree design

The BSR May 2025 repertory movie roundup

Fifty years of the Holy Grail, Blue Velvet, Strange Darling, and a visit from Joe Bob

Movies in the Philly area coming in May, including half-century-year-old classics, and a second chance for a contemporary cult darling. Stephen Silver previews.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Previews 4 minute read
Eight dancers in various poses in mid air look on towards the camera

The month in Philly Dance: May 2025

New from BalletX, The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble, Malandain Ballet Biarritz, and more

A BalletX dance festival, a dedication to Lucia Dlugoszewski, and more dance into May. Camille Bacon-Smith rounds up.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Previews 3 minute read
A few dozen diverse high-school students pose smiling together in the opulent red and gold house of the theater.

New accessibility options at Ensemble Arts open doors to audiences who are often excluded

“We want to make every person in the diverse region feel welcome”

Ensemble Arts Philly, which runs venues including Marian Anderson Hall and the Academy of Music, is increasing its welcome to patrons who are often excluded, including Deaf and autistic folks. Anndee Hochman learns more.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Features 5 minute read
A woman dancer with one leg extended up pulls against two male dancers who lean toward her, grabbing her hands.

PHILADANCO! presents Relentless Resident Visions

Two world-premiere dances meet earlier works that resonate today

PHILADANCO! marked its 55th anniversary with world premieres by Tommie-Waheed Evans and Ray Mercer, plus works from the early aughts that are relevant today, including a tribute to Alvin Ailey. Melissa J. Strong reviews.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Reviews 4 minute read