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Arvo Pärt and Michel Legrand

Anguish and other 21st-century sentiments

The Mendelssohn Club and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia present two 21st-century pieces that focus on very different sets of contemporary emotions.

Tom Purdom

Feb 27, 2014 Articles 3 minute read

Rasta Thomas’s Bad Boys of Dance at the Annenberg Center

Rasta Thomas specializes in high-energy jazz- and hip-hop-infused dance, heavy on rhythm and athleticism. The highly charismatic group of "Bad Boys" executed the physically demanding choreography with a gymnastic poise and strength as well as polished balletic technique.

Gary L. Day

Feb 25, 2014 Articles 4 minute read

Taking a master class from a true master.

'The Tightrope' by Simon Brook

A glimpse into Peter Brook's creative process

The legendary Peter Brook is once again working his theatrical wonders — this time in a filmed master class called The Tightrope, directed with precision and reverence by his son, Simon.

Carol Rocamora

Feb 25, 2014 Articles 5 minute read

When skaters danced outside: Irene and Walter Muehlbronner.

When ice dancing was young: talking with Irene Muehlbronner

Before Meryl and Charlie — Irene and Walter

America’s ice-dancing champions stand on the shoulders of another talented and charismatic couple, who waltzed, spun, and leaped on ice in simpler times.

Sharon Skeel

Feb 21, 2014 Articles 4 minute read

Avoiding the issue: Marina Pardo as Federico García Lorca in "Ainadamar"

Opera Philadelphia's 'Ainadamar'

A life of frustrated love

This production of Ainadamar effectively blended mesmerizing music and gorgeous images into a visually and aurally stunning experience with dreamlike video projections and steamy flamenco dancing.

Steve Cohen

Feb 20, 2014 Articles 3 minute read

'Stop Hitting Yourself' at Lincoln Center Theater

Stop Hitting Yourself is an energetic, often entertaining attempt with a meaningful message. But these noble ends don’t justify some of their rough artistic means.

Carol Rocamora

Feb 20, 2014 Articles 5 minute read

Blanka Zizka, founding artistic director of the Wilma Theater, shows how it's done.

The role of the theater critic

Diversity Onstage: A Critical Issue

Some critics don’t concern themselves with diversity or context, sticking to the subject before them. This is its own form of injustice as well as an abandonment of the critic’s role; to see exclusionary practices and not comment on them is to perpetuate them, but also, to pretend a show exists in a cultural vacuum does a disservice to the role of art.