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

The City of Philadelphia has recently received $25 million in federal funding for the “Great Streets PHL” project, which aims to make safety improvements to high-crash corridors in historically disadvantaged communities and areas of persistent poverty.

The funding comes from a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability & Equity (RAISE) Grant, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The funding will make improvements along seven high-crash corridors in the city, including the following streets in West Philadelphia: Continue Reading

The School District of Philadelphia in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) has released updated COVID-19 health and safety protocols for the 2022-23 school year.

For the first 10 days of the new school year – from August 29 through September 9 – all students and staff will be required to wear masks while in school, regardless of the COVID-19 Community Level (see CDC COVID-19 Community Level Indicators).

Beyond the first 10 days of the new school year, masking is optional but encouraged for students and staff except under certain circumstances: Continue Reading

The West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) is once again partnering with the University of Pennsylvania on a paid job training program. The partners are seeking compassionate, patient-focused, and computer-proficient individuals with experience in customer service (call-center experience is a plus) to train for Access Services Associates. Those accepted to the program will receive cutting-edge job connection strategies resulting in 95 percent of graduates finding employment and a $150 weekly stipend while enrolled.

If hired, Access Services Associates are paid starting salaries of $17.69 an hour. 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.

The second annual Back-to-School Celebration and Bus Tour, organized by the School District of Philadelphia, kicked off today. The tour, which features a specially-wrapped school bus, will make a total of 10 stops comprised of four mega-events and six pop-up events across Philadelphia.

Students and their families are invited to attend these events for an opportunity to receive a free backpack, school supplies and important back-to-school information. Parents and guardians can also register their children for pre-Kindergarten through grade 12 and sign up for the Parent Portal.

In addition to opportunities provided at the pop-up event, at each mega-event families will have opportunities to receive free state-mandated immunizations and the required school and sports physicals as well as free COVID-19 vaccinations. Mega-events will feature food trucks, ice cream and interactive, educational activities for children.

The following Back-to-School events will take place in West Philadelphia: Continue Reading