11 Things to Do in Philly This Week
Dirty Dancing opens at Academy of Music; Five Dollar Comedy Week; Macy's Spring Flower Show; and more things to do in Philly this week.
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If you're a fan of Broadway's Billy Porter, best known for originating the role of Lola in the musical Kinky Boots, make sure you head over to the Philadelphia Theatre Company on Monday evening to see the singing actor discuss his work. A playwright and director, Mr. Porter recently received a NAACP Theater Award for his work on Once on this Island at Reprise Theatre Company. Monday, March 23rd, 7 pm, $25, Philadelphia Theatre Company, 480 South Broad Street.
This Tuesday, grab your lunch and head over to Dilworth Park for a free interactive Lunch and Learn session, which will feature nifty tips about weight loss, diabetes prevention, fitness, and more. Doctors from Rothman Institute will be on hand to discuss orthopedic treatment and injury prevention. Tuesday, March 24th, 12 to 1 pm, free, Dilworth Park, 1 South 15th Street.
This Tuesday, Philadelphia's mayoral hopefuls will be tackling a subject that is clearly an important matter for the city's future: education. Join this free open forum at G.W. Childs School where candidates will discuss Philly's educational future, co-sponsored by Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary, Friends of Jackson, and Newbold Neighbors. Tuesday, March 24th, 6:30 to 8 pm, free, G. W. Childs School, 1599 Wharton Street.
No one puts Baby in the corner! If you're a fan of the iconic movie Dirty Dancing, you'll love the stage production that plays this week at the Academy of Music. All of your favorite hits from the '80s film are here, and, as the name suggests, the dancing will be out of this world. This production opened in Australia in 2004, and has since broken records in London and around the world. Through April 5th, various times, $20-105.50, Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street.
Philadelphia native Eric Owens teams up with gorgeous soprano Susanna Phillips in a one-night-only concert with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Mr. Owens, who will be starring in the upcoming production of Don Carlo with Opera Philadelphia, and Ms. Phillips will be performing an all-Schubert recital. Tuesday, March 24th, 8:00 pm, $28, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street.
This late-night special, aptly titled The Bit Show, is part of Five Dollar Comedy Week. On Tuesday, theater goers will be able to experience 16 different shows in under 90 minutes. Each "act" will get shorter and shorter as the evening goes along, and the show features over a dozen local Philadelphia comics and storytellers. Tuesday, March 24th, 10 pm, $5, Plays and Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Street.
Yes, there is another flower show in town: The gorgeous Macy's Spring 2015 Flower Show is offering a series of events this week. Stop by this Wednesday at 1 pm for a seminar with floral designer Yoli Lagurerre (complete with tea and snacks) and this Thursday, create your own arrangement during a crafting session starting at 5pm. Of course, don't forget to take in the blooms throughout the store. Runs through April 4th, various times, free, Macy's, 1300 Market Street.
The National Museum of American Jewish History has teamed up with First Person Arts to present an evening of storytelling and music in honor of the original 1969 Freedom Seder. Performers include Nimisha Ladva, Lisa Nelson-Haynes, Romona Riscoe Benson (pictured), Jacob Winterstein, and more. A Kosher dinner is included in the price of admission. Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30 pm, $18-25, National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 South Independence Mall East.
Director Blanka Zizka's vision for Shakespeare's Hamlet will be coming alive this week at the Wilma Theater. Leading the cast as the title character is actress Zainab Jah, who wowed Wilma audiences in last season's production of The Convert. Philadelphia theater favorites Sarah Gliko, Krista Apple-Hodge, Ross Beschler, and Keith Conallen round out the cast. Opens Wednesday, March 25th, various times, $25, Wilma Theatre, 265 South Broad Street.
Join the Saxbys Book Club this Wednesday at the Rittenhouse location as they enjoy coffee, conversation, and literature. This session, the group will be discussing Paula Hawkin's novel Girl on the Train, and everyone is invited to share their thoughts about the book. If you can't make the group on Wednesday, log on to Twitter on Thursday between 4 and 5 pm to take part in a chat using hashtag #SaxbysBookChat. Wednesday, March 25th, 6 to 7 pm, free, Saxbys Coffee, 2000 Walnut Street.
Celebrate small presses this Thursday at an all-day festival at Community College of Philadelphia. This free event features panel discussions, a catered lunch, spoken-word performances, fiction reading seminars, a literary journal swap, and a book fair where participants can share their own special projects. Thursday, March 26th, 9:30 to 4 pm, free, Community College of Philadelphia, 1700 Spring Garden Street.
Have an event you'd like featured in an upcoming "Things to Do" post? Send information at least two weeks in advance to Josh Middleton at jmiddleton@phillymag.com.
