Celebrating 50 years of creating and touring, GRAMMY award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Melissa Manchester has inked a deal with Green Hill Productions to release her upcoming 25th album.
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The producers of Funny Girl, the classic Broadway musical, announced principal casting for the North American Tour, and it features Grammy-Award® winning singer-songwriter, Melissa Manchester as Mrs. Brice. I’ve never seen this musical or Melissa in a musical, so this pairing is kismet. The show will visit more than 30 cities, including Philadelphia, and you can bet I’ll be giving my friend Melissa a standing ovation when she’s in the City of Brotherly Love. Below are all the details about this fabulous news.
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The Kimmel Cultural Campus presents A Tribute to Jerry Blavat, a one-night-only event in the Academy of Music on Saturday, October 21 celebrating Philadelphia’s iconic radio DJ, the late Jerry Blavat. Jerry Blavat AKA the Geator with the Heater AKA the Boss with the Hot Sauce was a fixture on the Campus and an even greater presence in the city of Philadelphia and music world for decades. Lineup includes: Darlene Love, The Intruders, The Happenings, Bobby Wilson, and The Chantels.
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The Kimmel Cultural Campus will present the return of the RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour, back by popular demand, in the Kimmel Cultural Campus’ Merriam Theater on March 4 – 6, 2022. Additionally, former Kimmel Education student and Philadelphia native Shafiq Hicks, a graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts and a voice major at Temple University, will star in the role of ‘Tom Collins.’ Read on for more details.
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The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret is an in-your-face rock and roll drag cabaret starring Pig Iron Theatre Company co-founder Dito van Reigersberg as Miss Martha Graham Cracker, the world’s tallest and hairiest drag queen. For more than 14 years, Martha has entertained audiences in Philly, New York, Vegas, and elsewhere with her high-energy and hilarious shows that are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Tomorrow, Martha celebrates a gigantic milestone—her first studio album: Lashed But Not Leashed. To mark the occasion, a special one-night-only performance is taking place at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. My wife and I will be in attendance for this show, and we can’t wait. After buying a ticket to what promises to be an epic evening, read my interview below with the greatest drag queen you will ever see: Martha Graham Cracker.
Following a sold-out March 2019 engagement, RENT is back by popular demand in Philadelphia to celebrate its 20th anniversary. I attended the opening night, and it was my first time seeing this show. The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical is taking place at the Merriam Theater October 18-20, and it’s absolutely worth seeing. RENT is an unconventional, frenetic show that gave me chills and made me cry, smile, and laugh multiple times. Unlike Hamilton, which I found to be underwhelming because of its grating music, shallow characters, and limp ending, RENT blew me away with its unique musical compositions, incredible cast, and emotionally moving story. Add to this a hot crowd full of people who had seen the show before and loved it, and I felt like I was at a rock concert more than a musical. This high-energy atmosphere made this excellent production even more enjoyable, and I now understand why people choose to see RENT more than once.
Jason Michael Paul, the producer of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, is bringing this massively successful show to Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on December 27. I’ve seen this show two times, and I look forward to seeing it again – it’s that good! Each time the music is updated to reflect new video games in the Zelda series or simply shaken up to offer something new for repeat attendees, such as myself. If you’ve never seen the show before, witnessing this performance in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center is the perfect way to do so. It’s a beautiful venue with wonderful acoustics, and the intimate environment will further immerse you in the spellbinding show that is The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. In addition to picking up tickets to see The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses in Philadelphia on December 27, check out my interview below with Jason Michael Paul. We covered a lot of ground in this interview, including how this show came to be, Jason’s favorite Zelda video games, how he started off his musical career with Luciano Pavarotti at the Kimmel Center, and more. Enjoy!
