Reviews

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Book cover: with red bars above & below, the focal image is a collage-like illustration of an owl in flight.

The History of Temple University Japan: An Experiment in International Education, by Richard Joslyn and Bruce Stronach

An American first in Japan
A new book about the surprising history of Temple University’s expansion to a Japanese campus is full of diplomatic intrigue, political ambition, last-ditch rescues, frenemies, and heroes. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Reviews 5 minute read
Miller, in a velvet jacket & gold crown, pauses in thought. Behind, Parkinson wears a strapless dress, holding a wine glass

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Shakespeare’s Macbeth

A rare expansion of the Scottish play
Quintessence Theatre Group stages a blockbuster Macbeth with an expanded script and an all-male cast, thrilling even when its reach exceeds its grasp. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 5 minute read
Bowman as Elsa, smiling with blond hair, a crown, an embroidered turquoise dress and gloves, and a purple cape.

Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization present Disney’s Frozen

Let it snow
Disney’s Frozen makes its way to Philadelphia for the first time, landing at the Academy of Music and drawing passionate franchise fans into the magic of live theater. Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 3 minute read
In evening wear in a luxurious hotel suite, the characters react differently to something that one is reading on a smartphone

Act II Playhouse presents Terence McNally’s It’s Only a Play

Waiting on the reviews
The review is in for Act II's It's Only a Play, the show about theater artists waiting to hear the critics' opinions. Frank Burd reviews.

Frank Burd

Reviews 3 minute read
Thomas & Torriente lie onstage in spotlights at the sides. 16 dancers advance at center, each with 1 hand on hip & 1 raised

Philadelphia Ballet presents Dance Masterpieces

Three grand finales: Ailey, Forsythe, and Tharpe
The Philadelphia Ballet offered a trio of grand finales for its March program: favorites by Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe, and Twyla Tharpe brought heart, speed, skill, and whimsy. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 4 minute read
Tofte, in a chaotic outfit of colorful rags, spreads his arms above a pram, facing a surreal shower of blue confetti.

Curtis Opera Theatre presents Les Mamelles de Tirésias and The Seven Deadly Sins

An inventive double bill on 20th-century women
Curtis Opera Theatre inventively pairs two works from the 20th century that consider the struggles of women in society: Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s The Seven Deadly Sins. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read

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Baroque orchestra plays on a stage with a light wooden floor. Bragle sings in a red dress at center; Solis seated at left.

Tempesta di Mare presents Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans

Freeing Judith from the screens
Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans, a 1716 oratorio about Judith and Holofernes that premiered with a famous all-women Venetian ensemble, is little known today. Philly’s baroque orchestra revives it with stunning effect. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
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