Once - Music, Love and a Bar on Stage

Entering the theater to see "Once" is very unlike any other performance. The stage is open pre-performance for guests to check out the set (no photos allowed, and no touching!) and the Kimmel Center was selling beer, wine and water from the on-stage bar.

The show begins even before the real show begins. As people are milling about on stage, grabbing a drink and checking out the set, the cast come on stage and start singing, dancing and entertaining the crowd. As show time nears, guests are ushered off the stage and back to their seats while the cast continues to sing and dance until the "guy" begins to sing and all the other cast members drift to chairs along the side of the stage. During his song, another character appears on stage from the theater and the show goes from there.

This is a fun musical with a lot of beautiful music filled with heart and soul that you will be humming days afterwards. Find when "Once" is coming to a theater near you (or check the Broadway schedule) here.

War Horse

War Horse, which finishes its run at the Kimmel Center's Academy of Music in Philadelphia on Dec. 2, is on its first national tour.  Running at about 2 and a half hours, this play keeps the audience deeply involved in the emotions of the actors, as well as the horses.

The horses are done through a type of puppeteering that really allows the audience to get the feeling that a living horse is on the stage.  It takes 3 men to operate each horse, and they do a marvelous job.  The life-like feel they bring to the horse is what really sets this play apart and makes it so worthwhile to see.

The overall story follows the same path as the recent movie, but I found the play to be much more moving and interesting. There is a very minimal amount of props used in the show and minimal scenery, but the cast is still able to bring everything including a battlefield to life.

I'd definitely recommend this show to all fans of Broadway plays around the country as it continues to tour.

FELA!

Traveling around the country currently is the Tony Award winning smash hit "FELA!".  This true story about the life of Fela Anikulapo Kuti in Lagos, Nigeria mostly takes place in his club "Shrine".  One of the most dangerous areas in all of Africa, it shows how great music can still bring people together no matter how hard the times are.

The music in the show is very energetic and is bound to please people who like any genre of music.  Audience participation in dancing is encouraged during some songs as well as having the actors and actresses dance in the aisles.  The main character, Fela, even did some improvisation with some audience members shouting out various comments.

I was able to catch the show in Philly at the Academy of Music, which is a great place to see a musical.  The show is touring all around the country now and if it comes to your city, definitely make plans to go see it!

STOMP - A smashing good time!

STOMP just came to Philly at the Merriam Theater and it was a privilege to see it last night.  This raucous show features 8 performers using various props and their bodies in percussive ways to create rhythmic music to entertain the crowd.  They find unique ways to make music without any instruments and with no vocalizations.  In addition to the music, with their body language they add plenty of comedy to the music keeping the audience laughing throughout the performance.  One character played a goofball and especially stood out to make everyone laugh on numerous occasions.

I'd highly recommend this show to anyone who has it come to their town as it is constantly touring.  Check out their main site at www.stomponline.com/tickets_tour.php for dates in your area!

Blue Man Group: A comedy and rock show all in one

 At this point, I'm not sure if there's a single person in America who hasn't heard of the Blue Man Group. They've been used in countless advertisements to promote various products, in addition to their own shows and merchandise (most of which can be found right here on Amazon). This group of men painted blue, along with their musicians, go from city to city entertaining sold out theaters with their hilarious acts that contain absolutely no talking.

They hit Philadelphia to end 2010 and finished their last show this past Sunday, January 2. I was thrilled to be a member of the audience (although I was not one of the lucky few that got to become part of the show). For 90 minutes, they entertained the crowd with their hard rock grooves, strange body movements and comedic performances. It was an exhilarating experience that I'd encourage everyone to try at least once.

While they have finished their current slate of shows in Philadelphia at the Merriam Theater, they are bound to come back again as they make their way around the country. For their current schedule around the country, check them out at www.blueman.com. Of course, if you're ever in Vegas, they perform there almost every day of the year at the Venetian, so definitely add that to your list of things to do out there (I guarantee they're much more fun to see than watching yourself gamble your life savings away). If you can't wait that long to see what all the hype is about, get one of their DVD's on Amazon and watch them over and over again.

Kimmel Center For The Performing Arts

This massive building opened in December 2001 and is the centerpiece of Philadelphia's performing arts district. Two separate venues are inside this structure that are perfect for plays, musicals, orchestras and other performances.  Tours are offered on a regular basis from Tuesday to Sunday at 1 PM.  On this particular trip, we weren't able to take the tour, but we plan to in the not-too-distant future (and of course we'll be reporting on it).

At the top of the atrium of the building is the Dorrance H. Hamilton Garden, which is a simple garden with various trees.  It's something you won't really see at other performing arts centers, so it's a nice sight to see.  Be prepared though...it's EXTREMELY warm in the garden.

We also bought tickets to see the Blue Man Group in January 2011 while we were there.  This is a show I saw in Vegas a few years ago, and I can't wait to check it out again.  It's an excellent show that I'd recommend everyone in the area to go see!

Also, located in the main lobby, is one of the 20 Philly Phanatics that have been placed around the city.