Month: November 2019

Coming Up, Music and Arts, News

University of the Arts grad Lorenzo Pugliese plays SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical’s first national tour.

-Brenda Hillegas photos by Jeremy Daniel Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? You know who. The Tony-winning SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical is about to flood the Forrest Theatre and hopefully you’ll come along for the journey. In the role of SpongeBob himself is Lorenzo Pugliese, a Scranton-born actor who just graduated from Philadelphia’s University of the Arts last spring. I talked to Lorenzo … Continue reading University of the Arts grad Lorenzo Pugliese plays SpongeBob SquarePants in the musical’s first national tour.

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Music and Arts, Reviews

“An Evening with Sutton Foster” at Merriam Theater was a perfectly spent Friday night.

-Brenda Hillegas An actual Broadway princess came to Philadelphia last Friday night (seriously, Sutton Foster was the original Princess Fiona on Broadway in Shrek the Musical). The two-time Tony winner perfected Broadway roles such as Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Inga in Young Frankenstein, and so many others. You also probably know Sutton from hit television shows like Younger (heading into a 7th season … Continue reading “An Evening with Sutton Foster” at Merriam Theater was a perfectly spent Friday night.

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Music and Arts, Reviews

Celebrate the Magic of Christmas with The Gifts of the Magi at Walnut Street Theatre

-Brenda Hillegas Photo by Mark Garvin The season of giving, celebrating love and family, and spreading happiness and kindness to others is almost upon us. To get yourself and your loved ones into the Christmas spirit, head over to Walnut Street Theatre’s intimate Independence Studio on 3 for a musical version of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. In The Gifts of the Magi, … Continue reading Celebrate the Magic of Christmas with The Gifts of the Magi at Walnut Street Theatre

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Music and Arts, Reviews

The Philadelphia premiere of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls musical is at the Academy of Music until December 1st.

-Brenda Hillegas Photos by Joan Marcus A book, adapted into a movie, then adapted into musical. It’s a process that has been done many times before. Very rarely though does the content become a huge hit that translates amazingly across the board. In 2004, Upper Darby’s own Tina Fey took a hold of a self-help book called Queen Bees and Wannabees and wrote the screenplay for Mean … Continue reading The Philadelphia premiere of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls musical is at the Academy of Music until December 1st.

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Music and Arts, Reviews

Shrek the Musical is a big, lovable story playing at Walnut Street Theatre until January 5th.

-Brenda Hillegas (feature photo by Mark Garvin) Shrek is an unlikely fairy tale. Sure, there’s a prince and a princess, some talking animals, and true love’s kiss. But in this story, a big, scary (but lovable) ogre and his sassy sidekick donkey set out to stand up for what’s right in a sweet tale about inner beauty and finding your own tribe of people. I … Continue reading Shrek the Musical is a big, lovable story playing at Walnut Street Theatre until January 5th.

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Music and Arts, Reviews

A Sherlock Holmes classic comes to life in parody form at Theatre Horizon

Feature photo: Steve Pacek, Damon Bonetti, and Dave Johnson, Photo by Daniel Kontz -Brenda Hillegas Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are brought to life at Theatre Horizon in a fun parody of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle characters. In The Hound of the Baskervilles– playing now until December 8th- an old fashioned story of mystery and suspense is hilariously heightened as three actors … Continue reading A Sherlock Holmes classic comes to life in parody form at Theatre Horizon

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Food & Recipes, Reviews

Savor Borgata Weekend: Day Two

-Brenda Hillegas There are five fine dining restaurants in Atlantic City’s Borgata hotel and casino. Each one highlights a different cuisine, so no matter what your taste buds prefer, there’s something there for you. Chef Michael Shulson’s Izakaya (Japanese), Chef Michael Symon’s Angeline (Italian), Chef Bobby Flay’s steakhouse, Old Homestead Steakhouse from brothers Greg and Marc Sherry, and Chef Wolfgang Puck’s American Grill. The Savor … Continue reading Savor Borgata Weekend: Day Two

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