The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 12-18, 2024
The Sincerity Project, a circus holiday, West Craft Fest, and more
Team Sunshine continues its long-running show, Curio and Shakespeare in Clark Park open new shows, circus holiday shows from Circadium, and much more populate the week. Kyle V. Hiller rounds up.
Previews
5 minute read
How to have a Hallmark Holiday in Philly
Christmas time around the way
Breaking the holiday formula with a curated selection of things to do in Philly this holiday season, with festivals, food, light shows, volunteering opportunities, and more. An Nichols rounds up.
Previews
3 minute read
The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History presents Humans of Judaism
The popular online platform honoring the diversity of modern Jewish life comes to museum walls
The Weitzman on Independence Mall honors the diversity of the modern Jewish experience with a new exhibition based on the popular social-media platform Humans of Judaism. Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
People’s Light presents Peter Panto: A Musical Panto
A childlike delight
Sail away for a mad-cap family-friendly adventure with a heart-warming message about family and self-acceptance in A People’s Light world premiere of Peter Panto: A Musical Panto. Jill Brooke previews.
Previews
3 minute read
BSR Holiday Classical Interludes, December 2024
Scoring the holiday
Holiday music outside of the (beloved) carols and Mariah Carey stratosphere happening in the Philly area this December. Gail Obenreder previews.
Previews
4 minute read
The BSR Podcast, Season 9, Episode 7: The world premiere of The Complete Works of Christmas (Abridged)
Shakespeare in Clark Park tackles Christmas
Podcast host Darnelle Radford sits down with Shakespeare in Clark Park artistic director Shamus to hear all about a new Christmas-themed show at the Drake starring Amanda Schoonover.
Podcast
1 minute read
Quintessence Theatre Group presents Cole Porter and Sam and Bella Spewack’s Kiss Me, Kate
Kate is still great
Quintessence Theatre Group scores a hit with a new production of the Golden Age musical Kiss Me, Kate. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Meet the young Philly singers who help make The Nutcracker magical
The voices behind the Philadelphia Ballet’s “Waltz of the Snowflakes”
Each year, Philadelphia Ballet's Nutcracker is a holiday destination for area families. Camille Bacon-Smith takes us behind the scenes to meet the young singers who make the show stand out.
Features
6 minute read
PHILADANCO! presents Our Voices, Our Choices…This is Us!
Another emotionally powerful performance
PHILADANCO! honored director Lee Daniels, an alum of the company’s classes, at a program showcasing four Black women choreographers, including company favorites as well as rising star Martha Nichols. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Dolce Suono presents Great Arrangements
Variations beyond Bach
Great Arrangements by Dolce Suono made for a compelling afternoon of chamber music, featuring arrangements of well-known and less-well-known works that differed from the composer’s original vision. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
At BSR, our values do not change based on elections.
Justice is not a self-improvement project.
We offer a huge range of opinions here at BSR from journalists who know what they’re talking about. But this diversity of opinion is built on the value of respect for our shared humanity. We will keep that respect no matter what. Will you join us?
Editorials
5 minute read
Arden Children’s Theatre presents Douglas Irvine’s adaptation of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan
Welcoming thrills for young audiences
The Arden’s stage adaptation of Peter Pan, featuring some of Philly’s favorite actors under award-winning director Whit MacLaughlin, holds youngsters rapt. Jill Brooke reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
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Also on BSR
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 5-11, 2024
Holiday laughs, Make Ready Again, Humans of Judaism, and more
Comedy from CSz Philly and PHIT, portraits of culture and community courtesy of the Weitzman, Al-Bustan, and Journey Arts, and more decorate the first full weekend of December. Kyle V. Hiller previews.
Previews
3 minute read
The BSR December 2024 repertory movie roundup
RockyFest, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and more
Die Hard, the Muppets, and other Christmas classics, and a Rocky marathon highlight December movies in the area. Stephen Silver previews.
Previews
5 minute read
BSR Classical Interludes, December 2024
'Tis the season
Classical music offerings from the first half of December in Philly and the greater area. Gail Obenreder previews.
Previews
3 minute read
BSR Podcast, season 9, episode 6: The Wilma's Comeuppance with actor Taysha Marie Canales
Go behind the scenes with the Wilma's Hothouse acting company
Podcast host Darnelle Radford sits down with actor Taysha Marie Canales for a backstage look at the Wilma and Woolly Mammoth co-production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's The Comeuppance, now extended through Saturday, December 14, 2024.
Podcast
1 minute read
Walnut Street Theatre presents ELF: The Broadway Musical
Singing loud for all to hear
A beloved holiday film comes to the Walnut stage with ELF: The Broadway Musical. But does this spirited production offer anything new for fans of the movie? nat čermák reviews.
Reviews
2 minute read
PAFA presents Making Strange: Sacred Imagery and the Self
Spiritual art … with a twist
A new exhibition at PAFA spanning the 19th century to today (but rooted in a movement launched in the 1500s) explores religious imagery that has been distorted to signify the artists’ divergent views. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
The Please Touch Museum presents XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness
A chance for Philly youngsters to explore compassion
XOXO, a traveling installation now at the Please Touch Museum, welcomes youngsters for a variety of displays and activities exploring their feelings and compassion for others. Jill Brooke reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
The Delaware Art Museum presents Jazz Age Illustration
Illustrators deserve to be on museum walls
In the first half of the 20th century, the music and culture of America’s Jazz Age drove major social change. Now, a new exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum captures the era’s masterful illustrators. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Penn Live Arts presents Limón Dance Company, with works by José Limón, Doris Humphrey, and Kayla Farrish
Bridging the past and future of modern dance
New York’s Limón Dance Company, an icon of modern dance founded in 1946, visited Philly’s Penn Live Arts for a mix of classic and new choreography. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
The Wilma Theater and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company present Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s The Comeuppance
The reunion from hell
The Comeuppance at the Wilma considers every weighty topic under the sun as a quintet of unhappy Millennials gather for their 20th high-school reunion, but too often the stakes feel frustratingly low. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read