Results tagged “wilmatheater”

You know we love BalletX. But have you had a chance to experience it for yourself yet?

Phillyist's quick-picks for your evening agenda.

Freshness: we has it, in the form of neighborhood food co-ops.

I don't think that I'll ever get tired of BalletX. They are probably the most consistent performing arts group in Philadelphia, and even their older pieces, the ones that I've seen two or three times, deliver.

It's that time again! Time for us to tell you how much we love Ballet X, extol its virtues as a preeminent dance company, and urge you dear readers to check out the action for yourselves. Featuring some of the most technically competent performers in our fair city, Ballet X kicks off their Spring Series tomorrow night at the Wilma Theater with choreography from each of the Artistic Directors and also a work from Edwaard Liang.

There's something immensely satisfying about a well-constructed play—something that ensures that you will like the play, even if you don't enjoy every moment of it.

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Schmucks is the second Roy Smiles play that the Wilma has produced in as many years. And between it and last year's Ying Tong, two things are obvious about the playwright: he treats the comics who went before him as Greek Gods—Greek because his characters are infinitely fallible but still worthy of reverence—and that he has a healthy love for the absurd. Last year's production largely took place inside Spike Milligan's nervous breakdown; this year's includes a visit from the dead, performed as a comic ballet. What sets the shows apart, though, is that where last year's production failed to find its mark, this year's avoided many of the same pitfalls.

The opening of BalletX's fourth season (and their second as the resident company at the Wilma Theater) did not disappoint. As always, the dancing is tight and precise, and the collection of three premieres, two world and one America, showcases the taut and technically precise choreography we’ve come to expect from this company. Even though they’re not the new kids anymore, they're still pretty sassy.

BalletX, one of our favorite dance companies in the city, is in the middle of a five-night run at the Wilma Theater—this time, featuring three female choreographers. If you have the time this weekend, we definitely recommend the show. See this video for why.

Students of classical studies take note: if you're heading to The Wilma Theater for some good old fashioned Greek mythology, prepare to be surprised. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless.

ballet: the dancers are on point, sure, but oftentimes, that's where the similarities end.

I'm a bit of an Anglophile. I love British just-about-everything, except for the food. But I especially love British humor. And after attending and enjoying a staged reading of Roy Smiles' last spring, I figured I'd really love the fully-mounted production at The Wilma Theater.

Mary Poppins, or at least Disney's Mary Poppins, makes the British Suffrage movement look like fun. You paint signs and you go out and sing songs about equality.

Linda Griffiths' play, Age of Arousal, currently being produced at the Wilma Theater, takes a different approach, showing things in what is likely a far more realistic light.

The Age of Arousal Ticket Giveaway
12/5/07-12/10/07

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

The Academy of Music, 8PM, $22-124. (Halloween party $25) This performance runs through November 3.

Walking into the Wilma Theater's transformed auditorium, draped in white fabric with cardboard chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, all drawn aside and covered in artificial cobwebs, it's impossible not to feel completely immersed in the world of Peter Shaffer's , thanks equally to set designer Robert Pyzocha, costume designer Janus Stefanowicz, and lighting designer Jerold R. Forsyth. Soon enough, you'll discover that it's intentional: you feel a part of the play because you are. Antonio Salieri (Dean Nolen) will be addressing you this evening, invoking you, his visitors from the future, to bear witness to this, his final night. It's only fitting that you should be attending on his whims from within his decrepit home.

Madi Distefano, Director of A 24-Hour The Bald Soprano

The final week of this year's DanceBOOM! at The Wilma Theater will feature a whole evening with an old favorite of Phillyist's: BalletX. We loved them last summer at DanceBOOM! and during last fall's PLAF, so we're really psyched to see their world premiere of "I Like You Different," choreographed by company founders Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, along with fan favorites "Menscheit" and "Frequencies." If this weekend's production is anything at all like past BalletX performances we've seen, expect lots of impeccable ballet technique combined with a modern aesthetic and some really rockin' contemporary music.

Week two of DanceBOOM! at the Wilma kicked off on Broad Street in a big way with the N.E. Frankford Boys and Girls Club, American Legion Post 224 Drill Team and Nicetown Stars Dance Team. The Nicetown girls were adorable, and the drill team was really impressive in their precision. (It was lots of fun to watch terrified people try to figure out how to walk past without getting trampled, too.) None of the performers in either group of the pre-show were over eighteen, so it would be unfair of me to give any real criticism to the groups, but I'm certainly glad that I arrived at the Wilma early enough to see them.

Phillyist goes to a live entertainment. But we find that our dance consumption is sorely lacking of late, which is why we are pleased as punch that it's DanceBOOM! time once again at The Wilma. Three weeks of programming (with a different show each week!) kicks off tonight with "Men Dancing," a celebration of the strength and power that men bring to dance performance, with Chosen Dance Company, danceTactics, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Lionel Popkin, and a special streetside pre-show performance by Kingsessing Morris Men outside on Broad Street. If this year's line-up is anything like last year's, we're sure to see a great show. Stay tuned to Phillyist for the next two weeks' line-ups as well...

What are you doing this afternoon? Working, you say? Why would you want to go and do a thing like that when you could take off early and go catch a reading of Roy Smiles' cast members Scott Greer, Scott Barrow, and Ross Manson." Anything that has to do with Peter Sellers sounds absolutely great to us, so you'd best believe that the reading appeals to the Phillyist staff.

I haven't studied a lot of Brecht. But from what I have studied, I feel very safe in making the assertion that Brecht is either someone that people either adore and worship and elevate, or he's someone whose work people really can't stand. I lean heavily toward the former, which is why I was so excited to see The Wilma Theater's production of .

There are certain things that I'm willing to accept from books that I struggle with on the stage. That's why for me, stage adaptations don't always work. (Okay, so I love in high school—you knew they were all speaking Greek, even if you weren't reading Greek.)