The Philadelphia Ballet presents The Dream and Prodigal Son

Choreography and character

The Philadelphia Ballet closed its season with Frederick Ashton’s crowd-pleasing Dream and George Balanchine’s strange and wonderful Prodigal Son with revelatory dancing by Zecheng Liang. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.

Camille Bacon-Smith

May 13, 2024 · Reviews · 4 minute read

InLiquid Gallery presents The Naked Show

What does nakedness show us? What does it hide?

A new ensemble exhibit featuring 15 InLiquid Gallery members poses plenty of worthwhile
questions along with its nudes, but something is missing from the show’s promise to honor humanity’s infinite variations. Anndee Hochman reviews.

Anndee Hochman

May 07, 2024 · Reviews · 5 minute read

1812 Productions presents Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song

Keeping the flame lit

The new version of Harvey Fierstein’s classic comedy, revised from the original into a shorter two-act production, gets its regional premiere at 1812 in a show that aptly emphasizes the writer’s historical era. Josh Herren reviews.

Josh Herren

May 07, 2024 · Reviews · 3 minute read

People’s Light presents Madeleine George’s Hurricane Diane

Dionysus has a new agenda in New Jersey

Dionysus is back, but this time, he’s not out for destruction. In Hurricane Diane, now getting its regional premiere at People’s Light, he tries to enlist four Jersey housewives for a new, eco-friendly regime. David Block reviews.

David Block

May 07, 2024 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Azuka Theatre and Simpatico Theatre present R. Eric Thomas's An Army of Lovers

Queer revolutionaries in the digital age

With a multifaceted script and powerhouse lead performance, Azuka Theatre and Simpatico Theatre's An Army of Lovers invites audiences into a world of complex queer politics,
surveillance, and the thorny issue of legacy. Natalie Layne reviews.

nat čermák

May 07, 2024 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Philadelphia Artists’ Collective presents Maxim Gorky’s Children of the Sun

The Russian Revolution resonates in the US today

This rattling and thrilling new production of Maxim Gorky’s Children of the Sun, set in 1862 and written in a St. Petersburg prison in 1905, has devastating resonance for Americans in 2024. C.M. Crockford reviews.

C.M. Crockford

May 06, 2024 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Koresh Dance Company presents Hollow Apple

Expansive themes in dance

The world premiere of Koresh’s Hollow Apple tackles a timely subject in its 2024 Spring Home Season performance. Melissa Strong reviews.

Melissa Strong

Apr 30, 2024 · Reviews · 3 minute read

Opera Philadelphia presents Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

A radiant metamorphosis

Opera is grappling with the iconic creations of Giacomo Puccini: can we reverse harmful depictions of marginalized people while
honoring the work’s integrity? Opera Philadelphia finds a way with its new
Madame Butterfly. Linda Holt reviews.

Linda Holt

Apr 30, 2024 · Reviews · 5 minute read

Big Telly and Tiny Dynamite present The Worst Café in the World

An undercooked dramatic menu

Big Telly and Tiny Dynamite present The Worst Cafe in the World, a conceit that offers theater as dinner but never amounts to a complete meal. Kiran Pandey reviews.

Kiran Pandey

Apr 29, 2024 · Reviews · 3 minute read

BalletX presents its 2024 Spring Festival

Great ballet meets live music at the Mann

BalletX’s spring 2024 performance combined otherworldliness with riveting historical narrative, all alongside captivating live music at the Mann. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.

Camille Bacon-Smith

Apr 29, 2024 · Reviews · 4 minute read