Performing Arts
With options as diverse as Broadway musicals, jazz, the Philly Pops and the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts offers a full calendar of performances. Groups can make a night of it with meet-and-greets and private dining at the Academy of Music, inspired by celebrity chef Jose Garces. Complimentary tours offer a glimpse into the Kimmel Center’s many facets. The Building and Theater tour features an in-depth look at the architecture and the art collection. The Art and Architecture tour visits the historic Baroque opera house.
In Center City, the Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1809, is America’s oldest theater and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It claims many firsts for American theater, among them gas footlights, the curtain call and copyright laws protecting American plays. Upcoming shows for 2018 include “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Humans.”
Elsewhere in the city, the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts of the University of Pennsylvania showcases innovative theater, music and dance. Each year, the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) presents four to five fully staged opera productions accompanied by live orchestras. Additional AVA performances feature young singers who have potential for international stature.
Festivals and Events
Horticultural design is living art, and the Philadelphia Flower Show delivers a blooming extravaganza. Founded in 1829, it’s the world’s largest and longest-running indoor flower show, and it might be the most spectacular one, too. Next year’s edition will be held at the Philadelphia Convention Center, March 3-11. The theme, Wonders of Water, will feature fountains, ponds and rain gardens. Other delights will include numerous restaurants and shops, themed events, cooking demonstrations by top chefs, garden teas, a designer’s studio, a butterfly garden and make-and-take flower creations.
For more information go to www.discoverphl.com
