-Mark Casasanto I’ve been a writer for a long time. Taking it all the way back to my high school days at St. John Neumann at 26th & Moore. In the early ’80s, I had the great fortune to fall in love with writing, written and speech communications on the strength of three fabulous teachers. I went on to serve as the Editor-in-Chief of the … Continue reading Lean on Me: Help Us Help You
“Stuck inside these four walls, sent inside forever, never seeing no one, nice again…” Yes, yes, we get it. Scary thought, we know. But, it damn sure sounded as if Sir Paul McCartney knew in the early ’70s what we’d all be living through in these, the-not-so-roaring 20s. Prophetic? Eh, maybe. In trying to stay up-to-the-minute-current, just trying to keep up with the terminology, let … Continue reading Some of the best things we ever ate (social distancing edition)!
-Brenda Hillegas Photo by Jeremy Daniel It’s going to be pretty bubbly here in Philadelphia as The SpongeBob Musical takes over The Forrest Theatre through December 15th. Creator/director Tina Landau and a Tony Award-winning design team bring SpongeBob and his friends to life on stage with a bright, perfectly over-the-top, fun show. Believe it or not, this animated series translates beautifully into a Broadway production fit … Continue reading The SpongeBob Musical is an incredible theatre experience. See it now in Philadelphia
-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.
-Maria Merlino Oregon Avenue, from 10th Street to 12th Street, was wall-to-wall with uniforms, muftis and black leather jackets as Cookie’s Tavern once again hosted The Marine Corps Birthday Party. It was 244 years ago, on November 10th 1775, that University of Pennsylvania educated Captain Samuel Nicholas formed two battalions of Continental Marines at the Tun Tavern as navel infantry. The original Tun Tavern, located … Continue reading The Marine Corps Birthday Party at Cookie’s Tavern
-Brenda Hillegas The Arden Theatre Company presents The Snow Queen, coming to Philadelphia between November 27th, 2019 and January 26th, 2020. Just in time for the holiday season! The all-ages play, based on Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale, was also the inspiration for Disney’s Frozen. You and your family can journey through all four seasons in this beautiful show about friendship, adventure, and magic! … Continue reading Actor Alex Bechtel can’t wait for audiences of all ages to experience “The Snow Queen” at Arden Theatre Company.
-Mark Casasanto Already a city lush with festivals and fairs, the Bella Vista neighborhood of Philly will soon serve as a launching pad for a new and unique opportunity to get out and explore, embrace and enjoy… this time, awash in the principles of Leonardo Da Vinci. Born of the creative minds at the Da Vinci Art Alliance (DVAA), the first time festival is set … Continue reading Bella Vista to host Da Vinci Fest in October 2020
-Brenda Hillegas Now playing at the Arden Theatre- Tiny Beautiful Things, a stage version of Cheryl Strayed‘s best selling book that collects highlights of The Rumpus’s “Dear Sugar” advice columns. The play explores Strayed’s time as the advice columnist and her anonymous, unpaid work that was published between 2010-2010. Actress/producer/screenwriter Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) adapted Tiny Beautiful Things for the stage along with Marshall … Continue reading “Tiny Beautiful Things” actor Akeem Davis talks about his role; on stage now at Arden Theatre.
Content courtesy of PhillyCAM; photos by Brianna Spause Local non-profit PhillyCAM– which just turned 10- is a community media center that trains Philadelphians in broadcast production and airs original content on Philadelphia’s public access television and WPPM 106.5 FM. This past Sunday, the third annual CAMMY Awards (held on national Community Media Day at Lightbox Film Center) celebrated producers whose television and radio content brings together … Continue reading PhillyCAM Awards 2019 Winners
-Brenda Hillegas Cover photo by Matthew Murphy Somewhere…in the middle of nowhere… The lyrics to the songs of Come From Away have been in my head since the first time I saw the musical, just this past May. At that point, the show’s first North American tour had been announced and I already knew it would be coming to Philadelphia as part of the Kimmel … Continue reading Come From Away celebrates the real people and stories in Gander, Newfoundland during 9/11/01.
