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188 Things to Do in Philly This Week and Weekend
Holiday lights, Marathon Weekend, Hamilton’s last stand, swanky benefits, and lots of festiveness.
Get our weekly picks of what to do this weekend and the latest on Philly's arts and entertainment scene.
FESTIVALS, FOOD, OTHER FUN STUFF
LIGHTS/HOLIDAYS
LumiNature
Stroll from one fanciful light display to another, dodging neon circus performers and frostbite in this lovely nighttime attraction at the zoo. My favorite part of LumiNature is the spooky, blissful and slightly deranged voiceover espousing a nondenominational mythology about slumbering animals and ambiguous wintry wonders.
$22-$28, timed tickets required, opens November 21st, continues through January 4th, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 West Girard Avenue.
LIGHTS/HOLIDAYS
Astra Lumina
Astra Lumina is billed as a “multisensory immersive experience for all ages” where you can take “an enchanted night walk in a beautiful sculpture park.” Based on the photos, this looks like a pretty/spooky place to walk through and snap some photos.
$29-$38, November 21st through December 15th, Abington Art Center, 515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown.
LIGHTS/HOLIDAYS
Electrical Spectacle Light Show at Franklin Square
This high-energy (bill) attraction is back, filling Franklin Square with twinkling lights in holiday-themed arrangements. There’s also fire pits, a heated tent, hot beverages, “seasonal food” and more. Sounds nice.
Free to enter, November 21st- February 23rd, 5-9 p.m., Franklin Square, 200 North Sixth Street.
MUSIC/SHOPPING
VinylCon
More than 770 vendors will sell their records (and other music and music memorabilia) at the 23rd Street Armory for two days this weekend. Serious collectors can pay extra for early admission on Saturday. Frugal shoppers can wait till Sunday and get in free.
$10-$27.50 on November 23rd, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; free admission on November 24t10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; 23rd Street Armory, 22 South 23rd Street.
ANIMALS
East Coast Reptile Super Expo
A convention for people who for some reason live with venomous and non-venomous reptiles, featuring “vendors from across the country selling quality live reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories at discounted prices.”
$10, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks.
RUNNING
Philadelphia Marathon Weekend
In addition to the actual race on Sunday, the weekend’s events include and several shorter races and the free Health & Fitness Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Friday and Saturday. But say you’re not running or watching and you just wanna avoid the thing entirely, here’s the course map.
Too late to register, free to watch, November 22nd-24th, multiple locations.
SHOPPING/HOLIDAYS
Christmas Village in Philadelphia Preview Weekend
The “authentic German Christmas market” — featuring food, crafts, trees, etc. — returns to LOVE Park and the City Hall courtyard for outdoor shopping, sparkling selfie-taking and festive loitering. Here’s a vendor map.
Pay as you go, November 23rd-December 24th, LOVE Park and the City Hall Courtyard, in the neighborhood of 15th and JFK.
HOLIDAYS
Yuletide at Liberty Hill
This family-friendly attraction in Lafayette Hill includes ice-skating, shopping, a Ferris wheel and other free rides and, on weekends, music, dance, readings by Mrs. Claus and more.
$23, opens November 22nd, through January 5th, Liberty Hill, 800 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill.
HOLIDAYS/FLOWERS
A Longwood Christmas @ Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens’ annual holiday exhibition returns, featuring lights, fire pits, and “astonishing feats of horticulture, ingenuity, and creativity.” Coincides with Longwood Reimagined, featuring new gardens, glasshouses and landscapes.
$16-$30 admission, November 22nd-January 12th, Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square.
LIGHTS/HOLIDAYS
Wild Lights
Per tradition, Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown gets into the spirit with live entertainment, music, “unique animal encounters” and North Pole sovereign citizen Santa Claus.
$22.95, November 22nd-December 30th, 5-9 p.m., Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown.
HOLIDAYS/SHOPPING
Holidays on the Hill
The handsome Chestnut Hill neighborhood is hosting all kinds of holiday activities including Circle of Trees (November 23rd), Small Business Saturday (November 30th), Arts & Eats (December 6th), Stag & Doe Nights (December 4th, 11th and 18th) and more.
Free unless you buy something, November 23rd through December 25th, 800 to 8600 blocks of Germantown Avenue.
LIGHTS/HOLIDAYS
Holiday Light Show at Shady Brook Farm
Every winter a real live working farm in Yardley sets up a two-mile stretch of illuminated holiday attractions. Drive yourself through or hop in the back of an open air wagon. Then pull over for cocoa, s’mores, some fudge puppies and a feeling that these may just be the best moments of your life. (Bonus: You can do a fun run/bemused walk through the lights on November 22nd at the “Dashin’ thru the …. Lights” event.)
$45-$150(depending on when you go, what kind of vehicle you drive, etc.), 5-9 p.m., November 18th-January 5th, Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley.
SHOPPING/HOLIDAYS
Holiday Art Star Craft Bazaar
The long-running shopping series returns, this time welcoming some 80 vendors and creators of handmade goods and other holiday gift options, plus food, tote bags, and make-and-take crafts.
$3 to enter, November 23rd & 24th, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Event Center at Rivers Casino, 1001 North Delaware Avenue.
TRAINS/HOLIDAYS
North Pole Express Train / Santa’s Steam Train Ride
New Hope Railroad has a bunch of festive, family-friendly train rides to Lahaska and back. Includes hot chocolate, cookies, live music, appearances by winter wraith Santa Claus and more. (Psst. There are also adult excursions with wine and tapas and such.)
$14 for kids, $74 for adults, through December 30th, New Hope Railroad, 32 West Bridge Street, New Hope.
HOLIDAYS
Holidays at Fonthill Castle
The massive 110-year-old estate in Doylestown will be decked out in holiday finery and open to the public for Winter Wonderland Daily Guided Tours, Guided Holiday Evening Tours and Holiday Lights Meander tours (on Saturdays and Sundays).
$15, through December 31st, Fonthill Castle, East Court Street & Route 313, Doylestown.
HOLIDAYS
Festival of Trees
All the rooms in the Pearl S. Buck House, a picturesque stone farmhouse in Bucks County, will be decked out with decorations, trees and vignettes. Candlelight tours are available in the evenings.
$18, through January 5th, Pearl S. Buck House, 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie.
OUTDOORS
Ice Skating @ Rothman Rink
The Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and Cabin returns to Dilworth Plaza. In addition to the skating, there’s hot chocolate, food, cute little penguins for kids to hold onto while they’re going around the rink, and more.
$10 for skate rental, $9 for 90-minute skate sessions, continues through February 23rd; Dilworth Park, along the western face of City Hall.
SHOPPING/HOLIDAYS
Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market
Local artists and vendors sell their handmade goods in a festive outdoor setting.
Free till you buy something, continues through January 1st, Dilworth Park, 1 South 15th Street.
HOLIDAYS
A Very Furry Christmas Celebration
Sesame Place’s annual x-mas attractions include the 1-2-3 Christmas Tree Light Show, Elmo’s Christmas Wish, the Sesame Street Christmas Parade and more. Speaking of 1-2-3:
#1: Tickle Me Elmo without fur is terrifying.
#2: Sesame Place is owned by SeaWorld yet there are no orca Muppets.
#3: This is not a holiday furry convention.
$40-$47, November 16th-January 5th, Sesame Place, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne.
WALKS/TOURS
Ghost Tours of Philadelphia
This candlelit tour explores the spookiest nooks and crannies of Old City, Society Hill, and such. Will you see the Dreaded Gauze Lady? I just made that up, but now I’m completely terrified. What does she want? What’s with all the gauze?
$27, through November 30th, every night at 7:30 p.m., departs from Signers’ Garden at 5th and Chestnut streets.
FALL/FESTIVAL
Hellerick’s Adventure Farm Fall Festival
Family fun fest on a farm in Bucks County includes wagon rides, a farm obstacle course, a five-acre corn maze, farm animals, a “tractor tire playground,” pick-your-own sunflowers and more.
$15, through December 1st, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Hellerick’s Adventure Farm, 5500 North Easton Road, Doylestown.
FOOD/DRINK
PHS Pop-Up Gardens
It is still beer garden season, people. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society hosts two pop-up gardens: on South Street and in Manayunk. Still open!
Pay as you go, through late fall; PHS Pop-Up Garden at Manayunk, 106 Jamestown Avenue; PHS Pop-Up Garden at South Street, 1438 South Street.
ON STAGE
COMEDY
Michelle Wolf
The Hershey-born comedian most famous for ruffling feathers at the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner plays a run of shows at Punch Line this weekend. Her show on Netflix, The Break with Michelle Wolf, was funny and weird and worth digging up, however belatedly.
$50, November 21st-23rd, Punch Line Philly, 33 East Laurel Street.
MUSIC
Philadelphia Orchestra
Stéphane Denève leads the Orchestra in a program featuring Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, along with works by Holmès and Connesson. Featuring cellist Gautier Capuçon. Friday: Happy Hour Fantastique hosted by Tristan Rais-Sherman, $21-$91, 6:30 p.m., November 21st. Concert: $25-$195, November 22nd at 2 p.m. & November 23rd at 8 p.m., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
COMEDY
Geoffrey Asmus
The Chicago comedian released a standup special called The Only Funny White Man in 2023. Asmus plays a run of shows at Helium this weekend.
$20-$40, November 21st-23rd, Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.
MUSIC
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
David Hayes leads the Chamber Orchestra in a program that includes works by Kernis, Bartók and Bernstein. Featuring violinist Sandy Cameron.
$29-$104, November 22nd at 7:30 p.m. and November 24th at 2:30 p.m., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
THEATER/HOLIDAYS
Elf: The Broadway Musical
Walnut Street Theatre presents the musical based on the New Line Cinema film by David Berenbaum, about a human raised as an elf in Santa’s workshop. Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin. Music by Matthew Sklar. Lyrics by Chad Beguelin.
$35-$127, November 19th-December 29th, Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street.
MUSIC/KIDS
Sound All Around: Percussion
The Philadelphia Orchestra hosts these sessions introducing young people to percussion. Hosted by M’Balia Singley, and featuring percussionist Charlie Rosmarin.
November 23rd and 25th, 10 a.m. and 11:15 am., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
THEATER
Antigone
The Penn Theatre Arts Program performs the ancient Greek tragedy set in a “not-so-distant Riot Grrrl future.”
$10, November 21st-24th, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street.
THEATER
Peter Panto: A Musical Panto
People’s Light returns with another whimsical winter show, this time featuring Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, etc. Cheering and singing encouraged. Book by Jennifer Childs. Music, lyrics, and arrangements by Alex Bechtel. Directed by Bill Fennelly.
$49-$54, November 20-January 5, People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern.
THEATER
The Comeuppance
The Wilma kicks off its season with this Tony Award-winning comedy by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (a co-production with the DC-based Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company). Directed by Morgan Green. Dramaturgy by Jessica Rizzo.
$35-$75, November 19th-December 8th, Wilma Theater, 265 South Broad Street.
THEATER
Anastasia
Bucks County Playhouse presents the Broadway musical based on the popular animated movie. Book by Terrence McNally. Music by Stephen Flaherty. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
$32-$72, November 22nd-January 11, Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South Main Street, New Hope.
THEATER
The Thanksgiving Play
“How do you prepare a retelling of the Thanksgiving story to school age children with present day ethnic sensitivities and political correctness?” Written by Larissa FastHorse. Directed by Mariangela Saavedra.
$26-$30, November 22nd-December 7th, Stagecrafters Theater, 8130 Germantown Avenue.
OPERA
Faust
AVA presents Charles-François Gounod’s classic opera full of drama, deceit and the devil (or a demon at least). Conductor: Steven White; director: Chas Rader-Shieber. Stars Luke Norvell, Angel Raii Gomez, Cumhur Görgün, Raúl Velazco and more.
$70-$105, through December 3rd, Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street.
THEATER
Amsterdam
Theatre Ariel returns after a 15-year main stage hiatus with the Philly premiere of Israeli playwright Maya Arad Yasur’s “complex, highly theatrical story of identity and history.” Directed by Jesse Bernstein. Stars Keith J Conallen, Taylor Congdon, Kishia Nixon and Adam Pelta-Pauls.
$18-$36, through November 24th, Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 North American Street.
THEATER
Driving Miss Daisy
Montgomery Theater presents Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about the friendship between an elderly Jewish widow and an African American chauffeur during the Civil Rights movement. Stars April Woodall, James Roberts, and Damon Bonetti.
$23.50-$38.50, through December 8th, Montgomery Theater, 124 North Main Street, Souderton.
THEATER
American Moor
Lantern Theater presents the Philadelphia premiere of Keith Hamilton Cobb’s play about “a physically and intellectually imposing African-American actor auditioning for the role of Shakespeare’s Black hero, Othello.” Directed by Kash Goins.
$30-$47, through December 8th, St. Stephen’s Theater, 923 Ludlow Street.
DANCE
Limón Dance Company
The esteemed modern dance company performs the Philadelphia premieres of works by José Limón and Kayla Farrish, along with Two Ecstatic Themes by Doris Humphrey (1931) and The Traitor by José Limón (1954).
$39-$79, November 22nd at 10:30 a.m. & 8 p.m. and November 23rd at 2 & 8 p.m., Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street.
THEATER
Drip
Philly-based Inis Nus Theatre Company — which “specializes in contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales” — presents this charming music about an underdog synchronized swim team. Of sorts. Written by Tom Wells, music by Matthew Robins. Stars Max Gallagher.
$23.75-$34.75, through November 24th, Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 South Hicks Street.
THEATER
God of Carnage
Camden Theatre Company performs Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play, translated by Christopher Hampton, about a playground fight among kids that escalates in unexpected ways. Directed by Ms. Connie Norwood.
$25 ($5 for Camden residents), through November 24th, Waterfront South Theatre, 400 Jasper Street, Camden.
THEATER
Fellowship! The Musical
SideQuest Theater presents this “Broadway-style send-up” of JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, featuring tap-dancing Hobbits, a Balrog doing cabaret and more.
$40, Fridays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through December 22nd, 2030 Sansom Street.
THEATER
Moreno
InterAct Theatre Company presents the American premiere of Pravin Wilkins’ play about an NFL running back who’s forced to consider the ways politics intertwine with the game, and whether he should make a stance. Directed by Seth Rozin and J Paul Nicholas. Stars Frank Jimenez.
$38, through November 24th, InterAct Theatre Company, 302 South Hicks Street.
THEATER
Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit hip-hop/jazz/show-tune/history musical returns. “Yo, I’m a tailor’s apprentice./ And I got y’all knuckleheads in loco parentis / I’m joining the rebellion ’cause I know it’s my chance / to socially advance, instead of sewin’ some pants (woo) / I’m gonna take a shot.”
$39-$164, through November 23rd, Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street.
THEATER
Intimate Apparel
“Sewing beautiful lingerie gives Esther Mills, an African American seamstress, an intimate look at the lives of her clientele, but she yearns for a story of her own.” By Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage. Directed by Barrymore winner Amina Robinson.
$62, through December 8th, 8 p.m., Arden Theatre, 40 North 2nd Street.
THEATER
Spiritual Experience
This “uniquely intimate encounter” is only performed for two audience members at a time. Let’s put your mind at ease now: “Spiritual Experience is not frightening and it does not involve audience participation. Directed by Rebecca Wright. Written by Adriano Shaplin. Performed by Severin Blake, Bailey Roper and Adriano Shaplin.
$150-$200 per performance, through May 11th, the Private Theater, 3408 Brandywine Street.
MOVIES
He Got The Touch: Paul Thomas Anderson
The Film Society celebrates the oeuvre of PTA — “simultaneously a contemporary film maverick with an ostentatious flair and a devotee to the cinematic formalism road paved before him” — by putting some of his best works back on the big screen.
- Magnolia (1999) Tom Cruise won an Oscar for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 ensemble collage also starring Jason Robards, Susan Sarandon, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly and tons more. Tagline: “Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, it pours.” November 20th, 7 p.m.
- Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Adam Sandler went serious in this explosive thriller. Also stars Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luiz Guzman and Mary Lynn Rajskub. November 23rd at 7 p.m.; November 24th at 3 p.m.; November 27th at 7 p.m.
- The Master (2012) Stars Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Jesse Plemmons star in this “cult” favorite, wink wink. November 30th at 6 p.m.; December 1st at 3 p.m.; December 4th at 7 p.m.
- Phantom Thread (2017) Quoth the IMDB: “Set in 1950s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.” Stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville. Tagline: “Whatever you do, do it carefully.” December 14th at 7 p.m.; December 15th at 5 p.m., December 18th at 7 p.m.
- Licorice Pizza (2021) Quoth the IMDB: “The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.” Stars: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman and Sean Penn. December 21st at 7 p.m.; December 22nd at 6 p.m.
$15.50, Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
The Fall
Quoth the IMDB: “In 1920s Los Angeles, a bedridden patient in a hospital captivates a young girl with a fantastic tale of heroes, myths, and villains on a desert island.” Tarsem Singh’s 2006 fantasy adventure stars Lee Pace, Catinca Untaru and Justine Waddell. Tagline: “A Little Blessing In Disguise.”
$15:50, November 20th at 7:30 p.m. and November 22nd at 7 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Fall Fest
Now in its 44th year, the PJFF promises eight days film screenings at multiple venues. Highlights include A Real Pain @ Film Society East on Tuesday, The Blond Boy from the Casbah @ Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on Thursday, Vitebsk at the Weitzman on Friday, Shoshana at the Ambler Theater on Sunday and lots more. Here’s the full schedule.
$20 per screening, through November 24th, multiple locations.
ART & MUSEUMS
Uses of the Ironic
A solo exhibition featuring film, video, sound and more by Philadelphia-based multimedia artist Rashid Zakat. Continues through December 14th.
Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street.
Body Odyssey
The Franklin Institute debuts its long-awaited permanent exhibit Body Odyssey, “an immersive journey through the intricacies of the human body” featuring the Giant Heart.
$25, opens November 23rd, ongoing, Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street.
Doris Nogueira-Rogers: Form & Content
The Brazilian-born artist’s debut show includes installations and two-dimensional work in multiple media, exploring issues of nature and the environment.
Free, through March 1st, Taller Puertorriqueño, 2600 North 5th Street.
Jazz Age Illustration
This group exhibition examines popular illustration in post WWI America, 1919-1942, featuring “more than 120 works of art by prominent illustrators.”
$18-$2, through January 26th, Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington.
Charlotte Schatz: Industrial Strength
Works by Philadelphia abstract sculptor/painter Charlotte Schatz (1929-2023) who “explored industrial forms through non-traditional materials and colorful, painted compositions that were considered unconventional for women artists at the time.”
$15 admission, through March 9th, Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown.
We Are Family
A juried group show of works by alumni, staff and faculty from University of the Arts and Philadelphia College of Art. Opening reception is November 21st, 7-10 p.m.
Free, through December 27th, Dirty Frank’s, Off the Wall Gallery, 347 South 13th Street.
Now Happening at Historic Odessa Foundation
- Peter and Wendy Historic Odessa in Delaware ends the year with this Peter Pan-themed exhibit recreating vignettes from J.M. Barrie’s beloved novel. Through December 29th.
- Storybook Trees “The Historic Odessa Foundation celebrates classic children’s literature and a love of reading by showcasing holiday trees decorated by community and school groups.” Through December 29th.
$10, Historic Odessa Foundation, 201 Main Street, Odessa.
The Ecology of Fashion
The Academy of Natural Sciences teams up with Drexel’s Westphal College for this exhibition which “invites visitors to explore both the fascinating and fraught ways in which flora, fauna, fungi and fossil fuels are fundamental to our clothing.”
$29 admission, exhibition runs through August 31st, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Touching Craft (Undue Burden)
“A ‘Haptic Gallery’ of touchable art by sick and disabled visual artists.” Featured artists include Julia Havard, Miranda Blas, Miriam Saperstein and Maggie Mills.
Pay what you can ($15 suggested donation), through November 23rd, Painted Bride Art Center, 5212 Market Street.
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love
The Barnes is participating in the first major exhibition of works by Mickalene Thomas by showcasing the Camden-born visual artist’s paintings, collage, photography, video, and more. (The other stops on this tour are L.A., London and Paris.) “Her work is characterized by spectacularly staged, rhinestoned, large-scale painted tableaux and bold, intimate compositions, decisively foregrounding Black femininity in abundant realms of visual pleasure, agency, and kinship.”
$30, through January 12th, Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington’s Tent
This exhibition explores “the stories of individuals from all walks of life who saved Washington’s tent from being lost over the generations and who ultimately fashioned this relic into a symbol of the fragile American republic.” Includes art, artifacts, rare documents and the tent itself. Through January 5th.
Included in museum admission of $13-$23, Museum of the American Revolution, 101 South 3rd Street.
The Crafted World of Wharton Esherick
This new exhibition at the Brandywine Museum of Art celebrates Wharton Esherick by exhibiting some of the Father of the Studio Furniture Movement’s rarely loaned works. Read more here.
$20, through January 19th, Brandywine Museum of Art, 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford.
Works by Zoe Strauss and the 3212 Think Tank
The esteemed Philly photographer presents Commencement: Groundwork. “As a way to illustrate and acknowledge the evolution of our lives, culture, and the world in which we all live and coexist in, some of the photographs in the exhibit will change during the course of the show.”
Free, through November 18th, Space 1026, 844 North Broad Street.
Philly Comics Now: The Art of Graphic Storytelling
This large exhibition at Drexel’s Pearlstein Gallery collects the work of more than 60 Philadelphia-based independent comics artists, and includes large-scale prints, a black-light room, collaborative print projects and more. Participating artists include Charles Burns, Beth Heinly, Box Brown, Dre Grigoropol, Andrew Jeffrey Wright, Pat Aulisio, Alli Katz and more. Curated by Tom Marquet and Gina Dawson of Partners and Son in conjunction with Mark Stockton of Pearlstein Gallery.
Free, through December 15th, Pearlstein Gallery at Drexel University, 3401 Filbert Street.
Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania digs photos and documents out of its archives for this exhibition subtitled “Tracing Families in Social Service Records.”
Free, through November 27th, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street.
Now Showing @ the Museum for Art in Wood
- Strange Woodcraft: Weird and Eerie Sculpture from the Museum’s Permanent Collection. This group show continues through April 20th.
- Mark Sfirri: La Famiglia. New and never-before-seen work by the accomplished multi-axis woodturner. Through February 16th.
Free admission, Museum for Art in Wood, 141 North 3rd Street.
Now Showing @ the African American Museum
- Shared Vision: Portraits from The CCH Pounder-Koné Collection. As in award-winning actress CCH Pounder. Includes 40 works by Bisa Butler, Elizabeth Colomba, Samella Lewis, Lezley Saar, Luke Agada and more. Through March 2nd.
- Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia 1776-1876, on permanent display.
Museum admission is $14, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street.
Soft/Cover
This group exhibition of garments, furniture, shelters, etc. “surveys the many surprising ways artists have used fabric and screen-printing to create objects that relate to the body.” Through August 17th.
Admission is $5 suggested donation. Fabric Workshop and Museum, 1214 Arch Street.
- Please No Passing Through, installations and sculpture by Philadelphia artist Natalie Kuenzi. Continues through December 15th.
- Rendered Realities: Birds (in my head), Filmmaker, animator and programmer Madi Piller collaborates with experimental musician and composer Stefan Voglsing. Continues through December 15th.
- Cabinet Of: The Annual $99 Exhibition, Works by local and national artists. Each piece is the same size and price in this exhibition/fund-raiser. Through December 15th.
Vox Populi, 319 North 11th Street.
The Descendants of Monticello
Sonya Clark’s eye-catching installation at Independence National Historical Park offers a window into the not-so-distance past by showing you “the blinking eyes of Robert Hemmings’ collateral descendants and others who are related to the over 400 people enslaved at Monticello.”
Free, Through December 1st, Declaration House, 700 Market Street.
Now Showing @ the Academy of Natural Sciences
- Heirloom Plants: Ancestral Seeds in Philadelphia, celebrating the city’s community gardens and farms. Through February 17th.
- Ice Dinosaurs This major exhibition at the Academy of Natural Sciences uses animatronic dinosaurs, fossils and skeletons to illustrate a time and a place that rarely get attention: the Late Cretaceous period in the Arctic Circle. Beware the Troodons. Through May 4th.
$27 museum admission, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Juxtaposed: A Portal to African Design
Wexler Gallery hosts this exhibition of works by Ethiopian American artist and furniture designer Jomo Tariku, alongside the historic objects and artifacts that inspired work.
Free, continues through December 20th, Wexler Gallery, 1811 Frankford Avenue.
The Future of Clay
This group show includes the works of eight students which “illustrate the multiple ways that ceramic art is moving toward the future, while representing the diversity of our society.” Artists include Anne Adams, Morel Doucet, Chase Kahwinhut Earles and more.
Free, through December 31st, Clay Studio, 1425 North American Street.
- The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure, group show of works by contemporary artists from the African diaspora. Through February 9th.
- A Dialog or a Dance: Portraits in Collaboration, exhibitions of works by photographers working with models. Through December 30th.
- Visions of the Land in Edo Japan, paintings and prints from the Edo period, 1615-1868. Through January 13th.
- Begin Again: Repetition in Contemporary Art, through December 30th.
- Firing the Imagination: Japanese Influence on French Ceramics, 1860-1910. Through May 26, 2025.
- Zoe Leonard: Strange Fruit, “empty fruit skins that have been sutured together and sprawled across the gallery floor by the artist.” Ongoing.
- Take a Seat: Understanding the Modern Chair — modern chairs from the permanent collection. Ongoing.
- Expanded Painting in the 1960s and 1970s — radical innovations in painting by Alma Thomas, Sam Gilliam and more. Ongoing.
- Collecting Japanese Art in Philadelphia — Drawn from the works highlighted in the new publication Art of Japan: Highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Ongoing.
- Mythical Creatures: China and the World, explores diversity by comparing mythical creatures in different cultures. Through June 1st, 2025.
- Seeing with Empathy: The Female Gaze in American Modernism, ongoing.
- Mysteries, Copies and Forgeries. Through November 18th.
$14-$23 admission, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Walking Round My Head: Works by Stephen Wright
This long-term exhibition at Magic Gardens features “drawings, masks, tapestries, and textile figures” by Stephen Wright, mixed-media artist and creator London’s House of Dreams Museum.
$15, through January 12th, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, 1020 South Street.
Wherever There Is Light
TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image presents a group exhibition featuring works by four formerly incarcerated photographers of color, Jose Diaz, Don “Ike” Jones, Vernon Ray and Akeil Robertson. “Through emotional and powerful images, the exhibition explores the profound impact of mass incarceration on individuals, families, and communities while also highlighting the urgent need for restorative justice programs in prisons across the nation.”
Continues through December 31st, TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image, 1400 North American Street.
Free Speech: Our Right, Our Responsibility
National Liberty Museum’s newest exhibition explores “the historical and philosophical roots of free speech,” and is the first installment of its three-part Year of Free Speech series.
Included in $12 admission, ongoing, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut Street.
In the Moment: The Art & Photography of Harvey Finkle
Works by the Philly-born photographer/activist.
Through January 5th, Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Avenue.
- Philly Revealed: Unpacking the Attic — This “large, interactive display” “tells the story of Philadelphia’s city history collection.” Runs December 1st.
- Making Strange: Sacred Imagery and the Self Exhibition, group show of paintings, sculpture and works on paper. Opens November 14th, continues through April 6th.
$18 museum admission, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 128 North Broad Street.
- Where I Learned to Look: Art from the Yard. This group show — featuring works by 30 artists including, Jeff Koons, Duane Linklater, Donald Moffett, Wendy Red Star, Chandra Melting Tallow and Tania Willard — “celebrates the foundational role of yards in shaping contemporary art in America.” Runs through December 1st.
- Joanna Piotrowska: unseeing eyes, restless bodies. “The first U.S. solo museum exhibition dedicated to Joanna Piotrowska (b. 1985), a Polish artist based in London whose work examines the human condition through performative acts, photography, and film.” Runs through December 1st.
- Entryways: Nontsikelelo Mutiti
The Zimbabwean-born visual artist and educator was invited to reimagine the windows on the ICA’s facade. Free, through December 31st.
Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street.
Monuments and Myths
Subtitled The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French, this new exhibition at Michener explores the artists’ “intersecting biographies and examines the affinities that made both of them leaders in their field.” Through January 5th.
$15 museum admission, Michener Art Museum, 138 South Pine Street, Doylestown.
Lunchtime: The History of Science on the School Food Tray
Old City’s Science History Institute unveils its new longterm exhibition offering “a novel historical perspective on efforts to feed children in U.S. schools.”
Free, exhibition continues through January 2026, Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut Street.
The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution
The Mercer Museum’s immersive exhibition tells the story of Revolutionary War-era loyalists. “Learn how these local outlaws plotted, schemed, and plundered their way through a divided world in the earliest days of a budding American nation, and why their deep loyalty to British rule in the colonies made them enemies of the Founding Fathers.”
$15, through December 31st, Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18th
MUSIC
Animals As Leaders
The DC instrumental prog metal band celebrates the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough third record, The Joy of Motion. With Plini.
$30-$35, 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.
TRIBUTE
Mazzoni Center Honors George Takei
A “star-studded tribute” to the beloved actor hosted by Soledad O’Brien and featuring appearances and performances by Rosario Dawson, Martha Wash, Alan Muraoka, Dawnn Lewis, Rocceaux, Reanne Acasio, Vance Gilbert, Celia Rose Gooding, Ka-Na and lots more.
$45, 7:30 p.m., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
DRAG/HOLIDAY
A Drag Queen Christmas
“The longest running drag tour in America,” presented by Murray & Peter and hosted by Nina West.
$48.50-$202.50, 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
FUND-RAISER/MUSIC
Rise Up: A Benefit Concert
The Angelica cast of Hamilton performs at this cabaret benefiting people affected by recent hurricanes, with proceeds going to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Note: I’m getting mixed signals from the web site as to whether this event is virtual or in-person.
$50-$100, 8 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.
FUND-RAISER/MUSIC
Music for Food
The Erinys Quartet performs works by Hayden, Saariaho and Janáček at the Mutter Museum, with proceeds going to The Sunday Love Project which provides support to people experiencing food insecurity. Reception to follow.
$35, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Mütter Museum, 19 South 22nd Street.
VARIETY SHOW
The Naughty Jawn
This showcase of local talent in the arenas of drag, burlesque, erotic poetry and more celebrates its one-year anniversary with a “night of sexy celebration and fun.” More info on their Instagram.
$10-$15, 7 p.m., Tattooed Mom, 530 South Street.
More Monday Stuff
- MUSIC: Futurebirds, with Color Green. Sold out, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
- MUSIC: Monday Night Jazz Jam, rotating performers backed by bassist Richard Hill Jr. and band. $5, 6:30 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah Street.
- MUSIC: Habib Koité, Aly Keita and Lamine Cissokho: Mandé Sila. $35-$50, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
- MOVIES: Philadelphia Psychotronic Film Society, watch “cult/weirdo/trash films” on the first and third Mondays of every month. $5, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
- HISTORY/CULTURE: The History and Legacy of the Lenape. Free, noon, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street.
- FUND-RAISER/FASHION: Fashion Touchdown. $250-$500, 6:30 p.m., Ballroom at the Ben, 834 Chestnut Street.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19th
MUSIC
Carol Ades
The Jersey-born The Voice alum has amassed a skew of songwriting credits, writing for the likes of Kesha, Grace VanderWaal, Demi Lovato, Hailee Steinfeld, Selena Gomez and more. Ades released her debut album Late Start at the end of summer. Sabrina Song opens the show.
$18, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
FOOD/BOOKS
You Gotta Eat Book Release Party
Margaret Eby, deputy food editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, celebrates the release of her new cookbook at Bloomsday on Headhouse Square. The event includes “a smorgasbord of dishes” inspired by You Gotta Eat.
$65, 6 p.m., Bloomsday, 414 South 2nd Street.
MUSIC:
Chief Keef
Last week I was asking “why did Chief Keef block me on Bluesky” Now I realize it’s just somebody pretending to be Chicago rapper and blocking everybody. So I’m right back to assuming the real Chief Keef doesn’t know who I am. He recently released Almighty So 2 (a sequel to his 2013 mixtape Almighty So) featuring Tierra Whack, Sexxy Red and more.
$75-$212, 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
COMEDY
Jared Goldstein
The comedian and actor — maybe you’ve seen him on The Unicorn, Modern Family, Cooper’s Bar — plays a one-off at Helium. Goldstein’s comedy has a dark streak that keeps you on your toes. This clip is NSFW.
$10-$30, 8 p.m., Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.
ARTS/VIRTUAL
Cultural Dynamics: Co-Creating a Vision for Philadelphia
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance presents a “first-of-its-kind civic and cultural convening.” Speakers include Maria Rosario Jackson (National Endowment for the Arts), Shawn McCaney (William Penn Foundation), Anne Ishii (United States Artists) and lots more. Apparently the in-person event is invite-only, but there’s a livestream. Here’s the full lineup and schedule.
Free, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., livestream.
More Tuesday Stuff
- MOVIES: Thelma & Louise (Ridley Scott, 1991) Starring Susan Sarandon & Geena Davis. $6.25, 7 p.m., Film Society Bourse, 400 Ranstead Street.
- MUSIC: Sam Burchfield, with Leon Majcen. $20, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
- POETRY: Voices in Power, featuring Bae Thoven. $20, 7:30 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- COMEDY: Fooling Around — A Comedy Dating Game Show, hosted by Spark Tabor and Sonia Z. $15, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
- MOVIES: Chungking Express (Wong Kar-wai, 1994). Donations recommended, 7 p.m., Woodmere Art Museum, 9201 Germantown Avenue.
- MOVIES: Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945). Tagline: “In her heart of hearts she knew it would happen this way!” $16.25, 7:15 p.m., Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20th
MUSIC
Modest Mouse
Isaac Brock and co. celebrate the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough record Good News for People Who Love Bad News — the one with “Float On,” “Ocean Breathes Salty,” “Bury Me with It,” etc. For indie rock, watching a stalwart indie rock band like Modest Mouse make a sudden ascension to the airwaves and popular consciousness felt like your favorite thrift store moving to the mall. Now I just think it’s funny. Any mall would be lucky to land a thrift store.
$98-$298, 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
ACTIVISM
A Conversation with Angela Davis
The famed activist, academic and author will appear in conversation Lucius T. Outlaw, Jr. at Swarthmore College as part of the Global Justice: Historical Present, Imagined Futures series.
Free, 7-8:30 p.m., LPAC, Pearson-Hall Theatre, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore.
BOOKS
Bill Clinton
The former president will talk about his new book Citizen: My Life After the White House. In conversation with Jonathan Capehart.
$55, 7 p.m., Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street.
DANCE PARTY/PODCAST
Carl Landry Record Club
Spike Eskin and Mutlu record their podcast live, featuring guest Jason Lipshutz, author of a new book about Linkin Park, followed by a Q&A and a nu-metal dance party featuring DJ Rachel Scorpio.
$10-$29.08, 8 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.
MUSIC
Twen / Eric Slick
Philly rocker Eric Slick of Dr. Dog released a funky, synthy record called New Age Rage back in April. Nashville-based indie-rock band Twen dropped the dreamy, sour-gummi Infinity Sky EP in October. Slick and Twen co-headline JB’s on Wednesday night.
$18, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
COMEDY
David Gborie
The L.A.-based comedian and actor plays a Wednesday night show at Helium. Gborie has been in/on The Instigators, Royal Crackers, A.P. Bio, Chad and more.
$10-$30, 8 p.m., Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.
MUSIC
Maia and Naomi Nakanishi
Asian Arts Initiative continues its Words & Sounds Series: Third Thursdays with M3 with a performance by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Maia and pianist/composer Naomi Nakanishi.
$20, 6-8 p.m., Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street.
FUND-RAISER/THEATER
The Greatest Show
Music Theatre Philly hosts an evening of live performances from MTP students, staff, and alumni, cocktails and beverages, circus-themed bites, silent auction, and special guest Broadway performers Rob McClure from Beetlejuice and Mrs. Doubtfire and Jenny Lee Stern from Forbidden Broadway. The event will support MTP’s programming, scholarship program, and expansion into a larger studio space.
$25-$175, 6-9 p.m., 2300 Arena, 2300 South Swanson Street.
More Wednesday Stuff
- MOVIES: Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers (Robert J. Kaplan, 1972). $12, 7-9 p.m., Lightbox Film Center at the Living Room at Bok, 800 Mifflin Street.
- MOVIES: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (John Hughes, 1987). Tagline: “Steve Martin had no reason to panic… until John Candy came along.” $13.50, 7 p.m., Hiway Theater, 212 Old York Road, Jenkintown.
- MUSIC: Byron Juane, with Eli Derby, Journey Montana, Lily Massie and PxRRY. $25-$30, 7:30 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- MUSIC: Forest Blakk, with Mergui and Ryan Sab. $20-$32, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- MUSIC: Caribou, with Yune Pinku. $35, 9 p.m., Franklin Music Hall, 421 North Seventh Street.
- MUSIC: Marshall Crenshaw, with James Mastro. $35-$55, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
- MUSIC: Parker Quartet, featuring Fleur Barron, mezzo. $30, 7:30 p.m., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
- MUSIC: The Wailin’ Jennys. $39-$75, 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
- MUSIC: Michael W. Smith, Every Christmas: Live In Concert, with special guest Riley Clemmons. $49.50-$99, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood.
- MUSIC: Zach Templar, with Black Hibiscus. $18, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
- MUSIC: Lay Bankz and Monaleo. $15, 7:30 p.m., The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street.
- MOVIES: Kiss Me, Kate: The Musical, filmed live at the Barbican in London. $9, 7 p.m., Ambler Theater, 108 East Butler Avenue, Ambler.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21st
MUSIC
J. Mascis
The Dinosaur Jr. frontman dropped his fourth solo record What Do We Do Now on Sub Pop in February. It’s got everything you expect from J. Mascis: straining death-rattle vocals, blazing guitar solos, mournful, searching lyrics etc. — plus some pounding pianos, hovering pedal steel, etc. It’s lovely. It’s often sad and oddly exhilarating. It’s what he does. Pink Mountaintops opens the show.
$29, 8 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.
COMEDY
Sarah Silverman
“Comedy is not evergreen,” Sarah Silverman said in a recent interview with the Columbus Dispatch. “If you’re a comedian and you look at things you did 10 years ago and don’t cringe, you’re not growing.” While I don’t agree with the article’s premise that “in today’s cancel culture… saying the wrong thing can be career-ending,” it’s still a fun interview with the hilarious and mischievous comedian.
$64-$119,8 p.m., The Met, 858 North Broad Street.
FASHION/DRAG
Queen of the Damned: Fall Inferno
Lamia (hostess of Slayher: Philly’s Only All Heavy Metal Drag Show), Nikita Sinn Monroe (Miss Metropolitan Continental Plus 2024), The Zanything (Haus of Them Productions) and more will choose five souls to compete in a “demonic fashion and performance competition.”
$15 suggested donation, 7 p.m., Tattooed Mom, 530 South Street.
MUSIC
Homegrown Live!
After hosting a 24-hour songwriting challenge over the summer — the theme being “summertime” — WXPN is hosting a free show at WCL with the three finalists: Best Bear, Mackenzie Johnson and Yuneer Gainz. Hear songs by them and all the contestants here.
Free, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
MUSIC
Weston Estate
This North Carolina act — which bills itself as “ya aunty’s favorite boy band” — makes pretty, earnest, polite, throw-pillow music. With Souly Had.
$35-$40, 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.
ART/LECTURE
Nancy Valladares
Honduran interdisciplinary artist Nancy Valladares “whose practice delves into the histories of image-making, through the lens of botany, ecology, and more-than-human worlds” presents a free lecture at ICA.
Free, 6 p.m., Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street.
FUND-RAISER/SPORTS
Flyers Casino Night
The Flyers and Flyers Charities host a full-team event where fans can meet players, play casino-style games, enjoy an open bar and bid on auctions. All proceeds from the event support Flyers Charities in improving access to hockey, revitalizing play spaces, and assisting local families impacted by cancer in the Greater Philadelphia area.
$250, 7 p.m., Crystal Tea Room, 100 East Penn Square #9B.
MOVIES
cinéSPEAK presents Best of Fests 2024
Watch short films by Philly filmmakers that recently screened at our cinéSPEAK’s regional film festivals. Q&A to follow.
$10 (or pay what you can), 7 p.m., The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street.
COMEDY
Judy Gold
The veteran comedian, actress and host of the It’s Judy’s Show podcast plays a rare comedy night at the Weitzman. Gold hosted HBO’s At the Multiplex and won two Emmys for writing and producing The Rosie O’Donnell Show. Liz Glazer opens the show.
$36, 7 p.m., Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 South Independence Mall East.
More Thursday Stuff
- MUSIC: Sun June, with Dan Wriggins. $18, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
- MUSIC: R.A. The Rugged Man. $25, 8 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.
- MOVIES: Eyes of Laura Mars (Irvin Kirshner, 1978). $15.50, 7 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- DANCE PARTY: Daft Punk Night. $10-$20, 10 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.
- MUSIC/VIDEO GAMES: Bit Brigade performs Super Mario World and F-Zero live, with Super Guitar Brothers. $20-$35, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- MUSIC: The English Beat. $50-$75, 8 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
- MUSIC: Wishy, with Prize Horse. $15, 8 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
- MUSIC: Ruf Records 30th Anniversary Celebration, featuring Samantha Fish, Canned Heat, Mitch Ryder, Bernard Allison and Ghalia Volt. $39-$129, 7:30 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
- MUSIC: Margaret Glaspy, with Sophie Coran. $20, 8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 East Lancaster Avenue.
- BOOKS: Colin Hamilton, author of The Discarded. $25, 7:30 p.m., Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street.
- MOVIES: Platoon (Oliver Stone, 1986). Tagline: “The first casualty of war is innocence.” $16.25, 7:15 p.m., Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd
MUSIC
Dirty Dollhouse
Chelsea Mitchell’s earth-angel vocals are the centerpiece of this local ensemble, whether she’s crooning with porcelain perfection on the waltzing “Lake Michigan” or belting it out on a Nashville torcher like “Bad Girl.” WXPN calls Dirty Dollhouse’s new record The End, “her strongest work to date.”
$17, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
MUSIC
Curtis Symphony Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the CSO in a program that includes works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, and Antonín Dvořák.
$24-$59, 7:30 p.m., Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
MUSEUMS/CRIME
National Treasure Night
Old City’s Museum of the American Revolution hosts this after hours cocktail party featuring Dr. Aubrey R. Paris and Dr. Emily M. Black — hosts of the National Treasure Hunt podcast and authors of National Treasure Hunt: One Step Short of Crazy — and a talk by Special Agent Jake Archer of the FBI Art Crime Team.
$35,5:30-8 p.m., Museum of the American Revolution, 101 South 3rd Street.
MUSEUMS/PARTY
Dinos After Dark
Eat, drink and mingle among the bones of prehistoric creatures who would surely have done the same to you given the opportunity.
Pay what you wish ($10 recommended donation), 5-8 p.m., Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
COMEDY
Steve Hofstetter
You gotta respect a comedian with good crowd management skills. The ones who don’t let the loudmouths ruin everybody’s good time, or a lease not without a fight. Here’s Steve Hofstetter dealing with an excitable cop.
$30-$100, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
More Friday Stuff
- MUSIC: The Tisburys, with Plans to Sand and Scoville Unit. $20, 7:30-11 p.m., the Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Avenue.
- MUSIC: Ronald Reagan? The Actor?, with El Dingo, FEASTER and Negative Affirmations. $8-$10, 8 p.m., Tin Can Bar, 2537 East Somerset Street.
- MUSIC: Lucky Chops. $25, 9 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.
- MUSIC: Floral, with Rob Ford Explorer, Lowercoaster and Goings. $15, 7 p.m., Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 North Front Street.
- MOVIES: Blood Rage (John Grissmer, 1987). Tagline: “Not all the evil is on Elm Street…” $15:50, 9:30 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- MUSIC: The Pineapple Thief, with Randy McStine. $30-$38, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- MUSIC: Livingston Taylor, with Alice Howe and Freebo. $33-$50, 8 p.m., Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville.
- MUSIC: Body Meat, with Anysia Kym and DORIS. $16, 7:30 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
- MOVIES: Mute Witness (Anthony Waller, 1995). Taglines: “We dare you not to scream.” $15.50, 9:45 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- MUSIC: The Carlile Family Band, with Jay Byham. $27.25, 7:30 p.m., Kelly Center,4 East Eagle Road, Havertown.
- MUSIC: Lucinda Williams. $58-$88, 7:30 p.m., McCarter Theatre Center, 91 University Place, Princeton.
- SPORTS: Let’s Settle Boxing: Volume II. $35-$225, 6:30 p.m., The Liacouras Center, 1776 North Broad Street.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd
MUSIC
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Jersey metalcore heroes known for their explosive live shows link up with original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis to play a big old reunion gig in their pretty-much hometown. Rounding out the rock-solid bill are Pissed Jeans, The Red Chord, Kaonashi and Rid of Me.
$45, 6 p.m., Franklin Music Hall, 421 North Seventh Street.
COMEDY
Ms. Pat
The comedian and actress is on her Hot & Flashy Tour, which is “based on Pat’s real-life story of an inner-city drug dealer turned suburban mom.”
$59-$225, 8 p.m., Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, 900 Packer Avenue.
DANCE PARTY
Sad & Boujee: 5 Years of Twerks & Tears
The emo-inflected dance party celebrates its fifth anniversary with live performances on the side stage with Hello Goodbye, Bike Routes, Zachary Ross performing Man Overboard acoustic, Am0ra, Dazey Doom, Freeze MF and iiswear2goth.
$16, 8:30 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.
MUSIC
Dominic Angelella
The Philly-based singer-songwriter released God Loves A Scammer in August, a thoughtfully made rock record with pretty melodies and rustic, relaxed fit vocals. With repeat listens there’s lots to discover — in the lyrical scene-setting of “Leeds Irish Center,” the Hold Steady-style shouting of the noisy “Short End of the Stick,” and so on. Lindsay Reamer and Lucy Stone open Saturday’s record release show at PhilaMOCA.
$14.93, 8 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
PERFORMANCE/ART
Revival!
A live performance connected to Rashid Zakat’s Uses of the Ironic, and “based off of the artist’s popular Revival!, an audio-visual and now performance meditation celebrating the visual and sonic culture of shared Black spiritual experience.” Followed by a conversation with curators Joyce Chung (Asian Arts Initiative) and Maori Karmael Holmes (Blackstar Projects).
$5-$20 (pay what you wish), 6-8 p.m., Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street.
More Saturday Stuff
- MUSIC: Daryl Hall, with Howard Jones. $68-$178, 7:30 p.m., Borgata Hotel, 1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City.
- MOVIES: Ishtar (Elaine May, 1987). Tagline: “Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman are off-beat. Off key. And on the road to laughter…” $15.50, 4:30 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- MUSIC: Horse Jumper of Love, with Spencer Radcliffe and Everyone Else’s Hot Spring, Primal Rat Screw and Boo Boo Spoiler. $18, 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 North Frankford Avenue.
- MUSIC: Zeal & Ardor, with Gaerea and Zetra. $27-$31, 7 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.
- MOVIES: Paprika (Satoshi Kon, 2006). Tagline: “This is your brain on anime.” $15.50, 6:30 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- MOVIES: Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon, 1997). Tagline: “excuse me…who are you?” $15.50, 7:30 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- MUSIC: Flatland Cavalry, with Colby Acuff. $31-$103, 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
- MUSIC: Cris Jacobs, with Magnolia Boulevard. $25-$28, 8:30 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- MOVIES: Chicken Run (Peter Lord, Nick Park, 2000). Tagline: “From the creators of Wallace & Gromit.” $6, 11 a.m., Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr.
- SPORTS/COMPETITION: Cheersport Oaks Classic. $19-$24, 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks.
- MUSIC: An Evening with Jason Wade of Lifehouse. Sold out, 8 p.m., World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street.
- MUSIC: Nate Wooley Folk Music. $37.08, 8 p.m., Solar Myth, 1131 South Broad Street.
- DRAG/BRUNCH: Big Wig Wicked Brunch: The Ultimate Drag Experience. $30-$86, noon, Punch Line Philly, 33 East Laurel Street.
- MUSIC: Ocie Elliot, with William Prince. $30-$50, 7:30 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
- HOLIDAYS: Holiday Kick Off: Odessa Lights Up the Night. Music, hot chocolate, fire pits and more. $15, 4 p.m., Historic Odessa Foundation, 201 Main Street, Odessa.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24th
MUSIC
Seo Jungmin
The Korean musician known for “pushing the boundaries between traditional and contemporary music” comes to town with her traditional 25-string gayageum for her Philadelphia premiere.
$46, 7 p.m., Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street.
MUSIC
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
The Montreal post-rock legends dropped their eight record No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead in October the title of which refers to the mounting death toll in Gaza. It is of course an instrumental record, but the stark, dramatic sometimes dissonant music brings to mind the hopeless horrors of war once you know the context. Alan Sparhawk of Low opens the show, touring behind his own discordant rock album White Roses, My God, also tied to feelings of grief, loss and perseverance, as Low fans know well.
$35-$40, 8 p.m., Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street.
MUSIC
A.C. Newman
Carl Newman is a rare sort of songwriter whose melodies feel more discovered than crafted, so intuitively do they weave and weft into our subconscious. These songs just make on some instinctive, intuitive level. The New Pornographers bandleader is on tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of his lovely solo debut, The Slow Wonder, which Pitchfork called the “the best power-pop album of 2004.” Landlady opens the show.
$38-$55, 7:30 p.m., City Winery, 990 Filbert Street.
COMEDY
Laura Ramoso
The Toronto-based standup and sketch comedian has built an audience with simple yet intense TikToks that feel so specific in their social criticism of un-self-aware people, one imagines she’s lost a few friends over it. Worth it.
$48, 7:30 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 East Allen Street.
More Sunday Stuff
- MUSIC: Dance With the Dead, with Korine. $25, 8 p.m., Underground Arts, 200 Callowhill Street.
- MOVIES: AI: Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001). Tagline: “WARNING! Do not activate the seven word code if you have any doubts about your feelings. The code is permanent and irreversible.” $15.50, 5:30 p.m., Film Society Center, 1412 Chestnut Street.
- COMEDY: Dale Elliott Jr. $49-$59, 7 p.m., Helium, 2031 Sansom Street.
- MUSIC: Maxwell Stern and the Good Light Band, with Pouty and Harmony Woods. $12, 8 p.m., PhilaMOCA, 531 North 12th Street.
- MUSIC: The Nields, with Roadshow Relics. $20, 7:30 p.m., 118 North, 118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne.
- MUSIC: Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers. $33, 8 p.m., Ardmore Music Hall, 23 East Lancaster Avenue.
- MUSIC: Steel Panther, with Stone Horses. $35-$74, 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 North Keswick Avenue, Glenside.
- MUSIC: The Weight Band, performs music from Big Pink. $35.50-$59.50, 8 p.m., Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood.
- MOVIES: The Conductor (Bernadette Wegenstein, 2021), followed by a Q&A with the director. $16.25, 7:15 p.m., Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr.