Features

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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
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
Photo portrait of Joachim, a Haitian American woman, in a turquoise leather top, dramatic blue eyeshadow, and a coral lip.

Opera Philadelphia composer-in-residence Nathalie Joachim calls Philly “a historic music city”

Letting others find themselves in our stories

Acclaimed performer and composer Nathalie Joachim kicks off her Opera Philadelphia residency with a November 19 performance in the Wanamaker Building. She speaks with Maria Thompson Corley about joining Philly’s musical landscape.
Maria Thompson Corley

Maria Thompson Corley

Features 5 minute read
Daytime view of the theater’s 1920s-style marquee promoting the show, with a long line of people entering by the box office.

After an 18-year restoration, the Lansdowne Theater reopens with A Bronx Tale

Delaware County revives a destination venue

Veteran actor and playwright Chazz Palminteri welcomed Delco audiences back to the Lansdowne Theater after a lengthy renovation transformed the 1927 movie house into a destination concert venue. Stephen Silver visits.
Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver

Features 5 minute read
A bridge with flat gray boards and metal railings in angled sections crosses a stony brook. Three people walk on it.

Three Chestnut Hill projects reimagine old spaces while keeping history alive

Architecture with a heart for local heritage

Three architectural projects in Chestnut Hill—a pedestrian bridge and two 19th-century mansions—maintain the neighborhood’s historic character while opening new spaces to the public. Clark Perks visits.
Clark Perks

Clark Perks

Features 5 minute read
Collage of headshots of the three people on a white field.

Philly theater artists launch the Jewish Theatrical Resource Guide

Offering free guidance worldwide for anyone producing Jewish theater

Three Philly arts leaders were on the team that developed a new resource guide for theaters tackling Jewish stories. They sit down with Jill Ivey to discuss how it all happened and what the guide offers theater-makers worldwide.
Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey

Features 6 minute read
Five pre-teens in simple costumes perform on a homemade outdoor stage, the girl at left holding up a gold crown.

A Germantown performing arts troupe says “Yes! And…” to kids’ creativity

Where the next generation takes the stage now

At Yes! And… Collaborative Arts, a Germantown-based performing arts group, staffers don’t
just talk about the next generation of art-makers. They invite kids’ creativity right now by mounting their all-original shows. Maggie Dougherty visits.
Maggie Dougherty

Maggie Dougherty

Features 4 minute read
An entrance to Fort Mifflin with a thick brick archway built into the grassy hillside, under a red, white & blue striped flag

Discover Revolutionary history on both sides of the river at Fort Mifflin and Red Bank Battlefield Park

Defending the Delaware

Looking for Revolution-themed summer or fall day trips? Learn about the history of Fort Mifflin, Fort Mercer, and the Pennsylvania State Navy with historic sites spanning the Delaware River. Bart Stump visits.
Bart Stump

Bart Stump

Features 6 minute read
A diverse cast of seven, some seated and some standing and gesticulating wildly, perform on a black stage with music stands

PlayPenn’s 20th anniversary conference takes root in Philly neighborhoods

The 2025 New Play Development Conference goes local

Despite cruel NEA cuts, PlayPenn's 2025 New Play Development Conference opens on Saturday, July 5. Camille Bacon-Smith sits down with conference leaders and resident playwright Lori Felipe-Barkin.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Features 6 minute read
Godfrey, an Asian American dancer wearing black, strikes an angled pose with one leg extended, their hand on the ankle

Philly’s trans and nonbinary artists push the gendered boundaries of dance

Why is the gender binary so entrenched in dance?

Both locally and nationally, dance is benefiting from increased visibility and representation of openly trans and/or nonbinary artists, but dance still clings to stereotypes of gender more than other art forms. Melissa Strong considers.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Features 5 minute read