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‘LOVE in the Park,’ holiday performances, and ‘Facing Change’ this weekend
Kyle V. Hiller
We’ve got another robust virtual weekend to soothe your quarantine blues. Dance with the Martha Graham crew, listen in on poetry from local prophets, find LOVE in the park in your living room, and continue your self-education on race in America with the Barnes’s new monthly series.
Stay safe and stay warm. Black lives still matter.
Quintessence Theatre Group is running a virtual production of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess starting December 9 and running through December 27. The diverse four-person ensemble features Leigha Kato, Simran Bal, Renea Brown, and Jacinta Yelland. Find out more about the show and buy tickets at Quintessence online.
Phoenix Theatre, in Chester County, is hosting Fire and Light: A Phoenix Holiday, a virtual, one-night, family-friendly fundraiser on Thursday, December 10, at 7pm. Proceeds will be donated to the Young Center, an organization dedicated to the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children.
The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts hosts the Martha Graham Dance Company for a set of solos and duets livestreamed Thursday, December 10, at 7pm, and available on demand through December 12 at the Annenberg Center online.
Haven’t gotten your opera fill yet? Opera Philadelphia’s got you covered. This weekend, they’ll be premiering LOVE in the Park, a five-episode series featuring 16 singers in concert in Dilworth Park. The stream and its theme of “love in all its forms” features Broadway favorites and opera arias. Tune in on Friday, December 11, at 8pm, with on-demand access through May 31, 2021, for season pass holders.
Philly-based publisher Recenter Press will host an online poetry reading Friday, December 11, at 7pm, for the newly released debut poetry collection by Patrick Blagrave, Profit | Prophet. Blagrave is the founder of Prolit Magazine, a literary journal focusing on themes of money, work, and class. All proceeds will be donated to the Philadelphia Liberation Center’s Unity and Survival program, which delivers food and supplies to at-risk families in Kensington and Southwest Philadelphia. The event features Blagrave and authors Ryan Eckes, Gina Myers, Warren Longmire, and Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela. Register online and pick up your copy of the book at Recenter Press.
If you’re looking for something for the kids or have an insatiable sense of curiosity yourself, then the Academy of Natural Sciences has a pair of educational events this weekend. On Friday, December 11, at 7pm, ANS opens its virtual Door 19 for Dino Night, a choose-your-own-adventure exploring a dino-themed tour. Then, on Saturday, December 12, at 10am, ANS hosts its Junior Scientist Virtual Workshop, focusing this time on hands-on bird-themed activities that help discover how avian adaptations “allow our fine feathered friends to survive in the harshest environments.”
Looking for a twist on the Nutcracker? The Kimmel Cultural Campus has one with the streaming premiere of The Hip Hop Nutcracker. Coming on Saturday, December 12, at 7pm, the holiday mashup is reimagined through a multicamera production with a dozen breakdancers, a DJ, a violinist, and a guest appearance by MC Kurtis Blow. Pick up tickets online at the Kimmel Center.
On Sunday, December 13, at 4pm, Al-Bustan hosts an online literary and musical performance celebrating and honoring its community, artists, and the growth of the Arab-arts based organization itself. Readings and musical interludes culminate in a conversation with the artists in this free event. Donations are suggested. Register or make a gift at Al-Bustan.
The Barnes Foundation has a new monthly series for you: Facing Change. The new online speaker series brings artists, scholars, and community activists for a multicultural and intergenerational conversation about race in America. This month features panelists Kalela Williams, Ani Gavino, Loraine Ballard Morrill, and BSR contributor Rob Buscher. Watch the program on Monday, December 14, at 6pm, and find out more about the panelists and registration at the Barnes Foundation.
Image Description: A group of young adults dressed in bomber jackets, jeans, beanies, and sneakers holding red plastic cups watch as one of the performers dances, holding himself up mid-air on one hand.
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