Category Archives: Acting

Philly’s Walnut Street Theatre Debuts New Sherlock Holmes Adaptation

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Bill Van Horn and Harry Smith in Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective. Photo by Mark Garvin.

The Walnut Street Theatre, America’s oldest theatre, is currently home to a thrilling world premiere: SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE GREAT DETECTIVE. As a staple of Philadelphia’s cultural scene, the Walnut has once again delivered a production that blends classic literary intrigue with high-energy stagecraft. This adaptation, inspired by the timeless stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is an anchor of the theatre’s 217th season and offers a “whimsical mystery” that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. I was fortunate to attend the opening night of a funny, entertaining show that kept my attention throughout. Read on for my full thoughts on Sherlock Holmes at the Walnut Street Theatre.

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Walnut Street Theatre’s 218th Season: A Year of Unforgettable Shows

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Walnut Street Theatre (WST), America’s Oldest Theatre and a National Historic Landmark, is excited to reveal its 218th season of live entertainment and mark its 44th season as a not-for-profit producing theatre company. The sensational 2026-27 season lineup features five captivating productions, each filled to the brim with deep emotion, hilarious comedy, brilliant spectacle, and enduring stories. With each new production – from Pulitzer Prize-winning plays to touching musicals that move the heart – WST invites audiences to what might be the greatest season in its history.

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Which Tron Movie is Better? The Ultimate Grid Comparison

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Few film franchises have a gap between installments quite like Tron. When Disney released the original in 1982, personal computers were a rarity, and the internet was a niche government experiment. By the time Tron: Legacy arrived in 2010, we were all carrying supercomputers in our pockets, hopelessly addicted to the digital realm.

These two films, separated by nearly three decades, offer a fascinating case study in filmmaking technology, storytelling trends, and visual aesthetics. They are two very different interpretations of the same universe.

Having recently re-watched both back-to-back, I plugged back into the Grid to see how they stack up. Is the original just nostalgic kitsch? Is the sequel just glossy style over substance? Here is a comparison review of Tron and Tron: Legacy.

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Slay Bells Ring: The Ultimate Guide to Christmas Horror

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The snow is falling, the carols are playing, and the scent of gingerbread fills the air. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year… for some truly terrifying cinema! That’s right, forget the cozy comfort of traditional holiday films, because today I’m diving into the wonderfully warped world of Christmas horror movies.

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Winning, Weird, and One-Time-Only: My Thoughts on The Book of Sheen

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If there is one celebrity memoir where the audiobook format isn’t just an option but a requirement, it is Charlie Sheen’s The Book of Sheen. I just finished listening to it, and I have to say: hearing Charlie tell his own story, in that distinct, rhythmic cadence of his, absolutely saved this book for me.

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Not Quite Tim Burton: The Weird Visual Identity of the Live-Action Grinch

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It has been over two decades since Ron Howard and Jim Carrey teamed up to bring Dr. Seuss’s most famous curmudgeon to life in live-action. For a generation of moviegoers, the 2000 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the definitive holiday watch. For others, it remains a fever dream of latex and noise.

Revisiting the film today, it stands as a fascinating, chaotic, and mostly successful experiment. It isn’t perfect—far from it—but it possesses a manic energy and a genuine heart that makes it impossible to ignore during the holiday season.

Here is why I still love the Green One, despite a few coal-sized lumps in the stocking.

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Experience Holiday Magic with A Christmas Story The Musical

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Opening night at Walnut Street Theatre is always special, but this week’s premiere of A Christmas Story The Musical was downright magical. I had the pleasure of attending with my father-in-law, and together we were swept into Ralphie Parker’s 1940s Indiana world.

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Why You Need To Watch Kathy Bates’ Matlock Revival

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Kathy Bates’ Matlock is one of the smartest, most compelling shows on TV right now—and if you’re not watching, you’re missing out. It’s a revival that honors the original while reinventing it for today’s audience, blending sharp legal drama with character-driven storytelling that keeps viewers hooked week after week.

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From Page to Stage: Join the Walnut Street Theatre Playwriting Contest

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Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre (WST), America’s oldest theatre and the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, has announced an exciting opportunity for playwrights nationwide: the 2025–26 Walnut Outreach Playwriting Competition. This initiative invites writers to create original works designed to inspire and engage young audiences in grades K–6.

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Rock ’n’ Roll Magic: Million Dollar Quartet at Walnut Street Theatre Delivers a Spectacular Opening

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Paul Harrold, Steve Harding, Ken Sandberg, Matteo Scammell and Ensemble in Million
Dollar Quartet. Photo by Mark Garvin.

Last night, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending opening night of Million Dollar Quartet at the Walnut Street Theatre—and what a night it was. From the very first chord, the energy in the room was electric, and by the end of the evening, the entire audience was buzzing with excitement.

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