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The cover: black & white photo of small boy in a police uniform holding a protest sign; title in yellow block at bottom right

Reforming Philadelphia, 1682-2022, by Richardson Dilworth

The three hundred years’ war

What makes city reform possible, and how did we achieve it in the past? A new book on the history of Philly’s political reforms explains, and argues, we’re on the cusp of another cycle of change. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Jan 09, 2023 Reviews 5 minute read

In a red-lit scene like a rock concert, McLeod, hand to her heart, dances passionately with 10 cast members.

The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents the national tour of Jagged Little Pill: The Musical

They oughta know

Now at the Academy of Music as part of a national tour, Jagged Little Pill retrofits Alanis Morissette’s seminal album to a relentlessly topical contemporary musical. Cameron Kelsall reviews.

Cameron Kelsall

Jan 06, 2023 Reviews 3 minute read

Book cover. Title in white & yellow over a photo of the elderly Lakey smiling broadly while 2 police lead him away handcuffed

Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice, by George Lakey

The right side of history

Lifelong Philly-area activist George Lakey takes us from his working-class Pennsylvania childhood to his career as a leading practitioner, theoretician, and teacher of nonviolent social-change activism. David W. Webber reviews.

David W. Webber

Jan 02, 2023 Reviews 4 minute read

Malone, a young Black man, smiles broadly. He wears a faded pink ensemble. Other cast members are behind him in the barn.

Arden Theatre Company presents E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web

Back in the barn

The Arden restages its popular adaptation of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web with a new cast sure to delight audiences of all ages. Krista Mar reviews.

Krista Mar

Dec 19, 2022 Reviews 3 minute read

Photo of Raphael’s Adoration of the Magi, with a blue-robed Mary & chunky Christ child at center of bowing crowd of robed men

Piffaro presents Festa di Natale!

A welcome, layered, and moving musical experience

Piffaro’s much-anticipated holiday concert invites us to Christmas in Renaissance Italy this year, and will be available to stream as a recording for those celebrating at home. Gail Obenreder reviews.

Gail Obenreder

Dec 13, 2022 Reviews 5 minute read

Skybell as Tevye: he stands smiling, arms outstretched, in white shirt and black vest and cap, Hebrew letters behind him.

National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene presents Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish

The balm of the mamaloshen

Since Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer first reviewed Fiddler on the Roof in 2018, antisemitism has continued to rise, and this new production from the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene strikes just the right note for our historic moment.

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Dec 13, 2022 Reviews 7 minute read

The Institute of Contemporary Art presents Sissel Tolaas: RE_____

Follow your nose

An enigmatic exhibition at Penn’s ICA showcases an ever-present but often underappreciated perception: our sense of smell. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Dec 12, 2022 Reviews 5 minute read

Book cover. An abstract illustration in purple, yellow, blue, and orange, with author and title in white.

The Book of I.P., by Chris Courtney Martin

Poetry against the machine

In The Book of I.P., a poetry-and-essay chapbook collection, Philly native Chris Courtney Martin breaks from the strictures of Hollywood to craft a blazing manifesto of art on its own terms. Kiran Pandey reviews.

Kiran Pandey

Dec 06, 2022 Reviews 4 minute read

Gaffney as Poppins, wearing a red jacket with black lapels & a flat-brimmed straw hat with goggles on it. She holds a letter

Quintessence Theatre Group presents Mary Poppins

A jolly holiday

A Mary Poppins for the stage at Quintessence, based on the original stories by P. L. Travers and the 1964 film, marries a book by Julian Fellowes with the original Sherman Brothers music (plus some new songs). Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer reviews.