Theatre in the X is back at Malcolm X. Park (5100 Pine St.) with the opening of celebrated musical Dreamgirls on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m.

Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio “The Dreams,” who become music superstars.

The city’s Black theater company will stage four performances this year, including another 7 p.m. show on Aug. 19 and Saturday and Sunday performances (Aug. 20-21) beginning at 5 p.m. Admission, as always, is free. Just bring a chair or a blanket or whatever you want to sit on.

Dreamgirls is based on the Broadway hit by playwright Tom Eyden and composer Henry Krieger first staged in 1981. The play was adapted as 2006 film that starred Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy, and also features Jennifer Hudson and Danny Glover.

West Philly native Ozzie Jones is directing the production and Sanchel Brown is choreographer. Will Brock will provide music direction and original compositions. Continue Reading

University City District (UCD), in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation and Friends of Clark Park, is bringing back a popular summer event – free outdoor movies in Clark Park every Friday night in August! This year, UCD will present four Music Movies, with great music at their center (see the schedule below).

All movies are screened at dusk (after 8 p.m.), in fair weather only (don’t forget to bring your blanket or chair). The event may also be postponed if the ground is too wet. Friday, Sept. 9 has been reserved as a rain date to screen one film.

August 5: Summer of Soul (2021)
August 12: Wayne’s World (1992)
August 19: Soul (2020)
August 26: West Side Story (2021)
September 9: Rain Date

More information is available here.

Artwork by Allison Rich

Shakespeare in Clark Park is set to return this week with The Taming!, a “raucous comedy” presented in two “very different” acts. The new production pairs Shakespeare’s problematic masterpiece, The Taming of the Shrew, with a community-created adaptation of John Fletcher’s Elizabethan revenge play, The Tamer Tamed.

The Taming of the Shrew is directed by Kathryn MacMillan while The Tamer Tamed has been adapted by Charlotte Northeast and is directed by Ang Bey.

The creative team of The Taming! is exploring themes of love, patriarchy, and domestic violence, and will contextualize Shakespeare’s original text from a modern viewpoint and from multiple perspectives. The community members who make up the Active Conscious Chorus in the adaptation of The Tamer Tamed will respond to the text. Continue Reading

Several Philadelphia’s cultural institutions and agencies, including the Academy of Natural Sciences, The Barnes Foundation and WHYY, are offering free summer learning opportunities for children ages 5 and under and their families.

A number of activities and programs have been scheduled at various locations in West Philadelphia through mid-August (for more locations, check out the Summer Pod Brochure 2022):

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Discover, Play, Share: Summer Family Fun

When: July 23 and August 6, 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

Where: Mt. Vernon Park, 37th and Mt. Vernon St.

What: Outdoor storytimes, puppet shows, STEAM experiments, music, and movement. Take-home learn-and-play kits and snacks. Continue Reading

The Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival is returning Saturday, July 16 live and in-person! The 2022 Festival will be held at Saunders Park Greene (39th & Powelton) from Noon-7 p.m. and promises to be the best one yet.

The all-day event, which celebrates West Philadelphia and jazz musicians, is free and open to the public. It is organized by People’s Emergency Center (PEC), The Producer’s Guild of Philadelphia, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and a committee of community members, with technical assistance from Nu Millennium Media Productions.

The headliner this year is the Orrin Evans Quartet, performing from the TD Bank Main Stage. The Quartet is led by none other than pianist, composer, and independent recording artist Orrin Evans, gracing the Lancaster Avenue Jazz & Arts Festival stage for the first time. Continue Reading

Shakespeare in Clark Park

Friends of Clark Park (FCP), the non-profit organization that manages one of West Philly’s most popular public spaces, is already planning for the next year and currently seeking community input. FCP wants to know how and how often you use the park and whether you attend any events there among other things. Does the park need changes or improvements?

Clark Park hosts numerous events and sports activities throughout the year, such as Saturday Farmers Market, Uhuru Flea Market, Spruce Hill May Fair, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Youth Soccer League, Movies in Clark Park, Party in the Park, Woodland Avenue Reunion, and more. In recent years, even more events have launched at the park, such as cinéSPEAK’s outdoor independent film festival, Under the Stars at Clark Park.

Community members are invited to complete a short online survey (click here). The results of the survey will help the Friends of Clark Park to plan how to best utilize the park the space in the upcoming year.