Reviews

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Production shot of the three stars, standing in a row wearing 19th-century suits. Green letters behind read Lehman Brothers

Arden Theatre Company Presents Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy, adapted by Ben Power

When speculation trumps slavery

A well-acted, well-crafted new production of the epic Lehman Trilogy now getting its regional premiere at the Arden can’t overcome this play’s moral bankruptcy. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 4 minute read
Close-up on the conductor, with gray hair, glasses, and a black tux conducting with a baton, with darkness behind him.

The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Carl Orff’s Carmina burana

Springing ahead with a popular classic

The Philadelphia Orchestra teamed with conductor Fabio Luisi, the Mendelssohn
Chorus of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Boys Choir & Chorale, and Philadelphia Girls Choir for a much-anticipated Carmina Burana. Linda Holt reviews.
Linda Holt

Linda Holt

Reviews 4 minute read
The Dreams pose with white-gloved arms up, against a luxe gold curtain, wearing silvery formal dresses and white feather boas

McCarter Theatre Center presents Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger’s Dreamgirls

Flashy Dreams

McCarter Theatre Center’s revival of Dreamgirls features an all-star cast, lots of glitz, and dynamic, dazzling hair and costumes. But can it overcome the show’s core flaws? Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 2 minute read
Yorke, a white woman, and DeShields, a Black man, stand in profile back-to-back, with a red light flaring overhead.

Inis Nua Theatre Company presents Sonya Kelly’s Once Upon a Bridge

Acts of violence, acts of kindness

Inis Nua’s Once Upon a Bridge dramatizes a random act of violence with empathy and suspense. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
Each actor, wearing black, smiles and holds a large piece of paper with a single apostrophe on it.

Pier Players Theatre Company presents Jeffrey Barg and David Lee White’s The Angry Grammarian

Love languages

Jeffrey Barg, author of the Inquirer’s popular Angry Grammarian column, debuts a likable musical comedy by the same name in South Philly, about two grammar nerds languishing for language, and each other. Mike Fisher reviews.
Michael Fisher

Michael Fisher

Reviews 5 minute read

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August Wilson's portrait described in the piece. Shades of blue, teal, & flashes of yellow & orange break through the black.

Arthur Ross Gallery presents Barbara Earl Thomas: The Illuminated Body

Carving with light

The layered, kaleidoscopic works of Barbara Earl Thomas, who ingeniously harnesses paper, light, and glass, are now on view at Arthur Ross Gallery. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Informal black & white daytime photo of Brodovitch walking across dozens of photos laid flat on the office floor.

The Barnes Foundation presents Alexey Brodovitch: Astonish Me

Surprising the eye

Twentieth-century designer and photographer Alexey Brodovitch revolutionized more than one field of visual arts, but he’s best known for his stint as art director at Harper’s Bazaar. His first major US exhibition, now at the Barnes, covers his entire career. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Scene from the musical: the four actors sit smiling around a simply set wooden table, against a black backdrop.

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Schubert Organization present Conor McPherson and Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country

A new kind of jukebox musical

Girl from the North Country, a Bob Dylan jukebox musical set during the Depression by acclaimed Irish playwright Conor McPherson, defies expectations. It stops in Philly on its North American tour. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 2 minute read
Three Black women in modest bathing suits & sarongs dance together in a living room, washed with blue light.

People’s Light presents Christina Anderson’s the ripple, the wave that carried me home

A deep dive into the fight for desegregation

Christina Anderson’s the ripple, the wave that carried me home, which explores a family on the front lines of desegregation in Kansas, gets its regional premiere at People’s Light. Krista Mar reviews.
Krista Mar

Krista Mar

Reviews 3 minute read
Candid photo of the musicians chatting onstage with approaching fans, instruments and music books around them.

Filament presents The Muse’s Prism

Bach, Buxtehude, and other baroque favorites

Filament, a young early-music trio of violin, viola de gamba, and harpsichord, celebrated its fifth anniversary with a concert of crystalline and perfectly balanced music at Gloria Dei Church. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read