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SVADBA, West Philly Holiday Fest, Concert for Coats, and Books & Wires
The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup, December 7-13, 2023
Kyle V. Hiller
This week, catch the award-winning SVADBA, which was co-produced by Opera Philadelphia, who continues to make a name for itself with creating opera films. Then, sit by the Stoop for a workshop on the little everyday moments, or visit West Philly for a more low-key (but still robust!) holiday market and festival. Broad Street Ministy also hosts a coat drive concert, and new space Multiverse will create soundscapes that will make you feel like you’re in Bladerunner.
Stay warm, Philly.
SVADBA
Streaming online via YouTube
The Boston Lyric Opera film co-produced with Opera Philadelphia just won a prestigious award at Opera America’s 2023 Digital Excellence in Opera Awards this week, and as a thank you to the fans, the film is streaming on BLO’s YouTube page. SVADBA combines “the power of the unadorned human voice with the visual beauty of a dreamy oceanside cottage” to tell the story of six women who celebrate the eve of a wedding and all its ritual, emotion, fun, and reflection. The dance-led opera film draws from Serbian poetry and Balkan folk music, and saw its first debut on Opera Philadelphia last winter.
Writing About Everyday Moments
Thursday, December 7, 4pm
Streaming online via Zoom
Blue Stoop continues its Thursdays on the Stoop with another entry for writers and creators. This week features Kabria Rogers, who will dive into the small things, the rituals, and even the details we may be missing that not only make up our day but can potentially make up a narrative. Get ready to write out “a routine not for the sake of writing a list but for the thoughts that live beneath the routine.” The event is free and open to the public, but be sure to register ahead of time.
If you missed other editions of Thursdays on the Stoop, check out the streams on Blue Stoop’s YouTube.
West Philly Holiday Fest
Friday, December 8, 4-8pm
Saturday, December 9, 2-8pm
Lawn at uCity Square, 3701 Filbert Street, Philadelphia
The second annual Holiday Fest returns to University City for a two-day winter festival. Expect an artisan marketplace with local goods, a pop-up ice skating rink, live performances, DJ dance sets, holiday karaoke, a beer garden, and the only Christmas tree lighting in West Philly. The gathering will be perfect for those who want to avoid the crowds at the Christmas Village.
Concert for Coats
Friday, December 8, 7:30pm
Broad Street Ministry, 315 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
Broad Street Ministry teams up with the Philadelphia Wind Symphony to present Concert for Coats, a special one-night concert designed to help those experiencing deep poverty during the holiday season. Donations of gently used coats and winter gear are requested in lieu of tickets. Be sure to check out more of Broad Street Ministry’s mission and see how you can help contribute to their cause if you can’t make the concert this weekend.
Books & Wires
Saturday, December 9, 3-5pm
Multiverse, 8026 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia
Modular synthesizer artists Chaka Benson and Gralin Hughes post up at Multiverse this weekend to perform sci-fi-inspired electronic soundscapes this Saturday. Multiverse is new around town, founded by Hughes and Sara Zia Ebrahimi Hughes this year. The couple has been brewing the idea for Multiverse, a space for fans of speculative fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and horror through books, comics, toys, games, and more, for years now. Show the Multiverse some support this weekend and beyond!
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