Announcing the 25/26 season
Artists have played a vital role throughout our nation’s history, uplifting the aspirational ideals of democracy, challenging social injustices and inspiring collective action. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, our
25/26 season centers on the creativity and influence of America’s artists. Through the lens of music, theatre and dance, we examine our journey since the Declaration of Independence, exploring its enduring promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Read more...5 Questions with Lakecia Benjamin
Jazz
Alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin impressed Philadelphia audiences with her radiant performances in our 2022 Coltrane Festival. Now,
the Grammy®-nominated rising star returns to our stage on May 9. In today’s 5 Questions feature, we spoke with Benjamin about her musical beginnings and the artists that she admires.
Read more...France’s Magnificent Malandain Ballet Biarritz makes its Philadelphia Debut
Dance Philadelphia Debuts
Malandain Ballet Biarritz makes its glorious debut at Penn Live Arts May 2-3 with its full-length spectacle,
The Seasons. One of France’s most treasured neoclassic ballet companies, Ballet Biarritz is recognized worldwide for its visually stunning productions, virtuoso dancers and inventive works. French newspaper
Le Figaro exclaims that
The Seasons is “one of the most beautiful dance pieces to be seen.”
Read more...Program Spotlight: Student Discovery
Children's Festival
When Micah Sell was eight years old, he attended a RUBBERBAND performance through our Student Discovery program and, a few hours later, enthusiastically informed his mother that he wanted to join the company someday.
“I think the physicality of the RUBBERBAND show is what attracted me to it all those years ago,” Sell reflected recently. “I remember being fascinated by their non-balletic vocabulary; it made me realize that there don't have to be rules to dance. At its core, it is just about the movement.” Read more...
5 Questions with The 7 Fingers’ Shana Carroll
Circus Family Penn Live Arts Debuts
Making its Penn Live Arts debut,
The 7 Fingers performs Duel Reality on Apr 5, an acrobatic tour-de-force inspired by Romeo and Juliet. Ahead of this daredevil showdown, we spoke with Shana Carroll, co-founding artistic director of the Canadian circus company and director of Duel Reality, about her trajectory in the artform and what guides the creative process for a 7 Fingers' show.
Read more...Exploring Street Dance with Rennie Harris
Dance World Premieres
“When I say ‘street dance,’ it’s a euphemism – it means community, not that we were literally in the streets,” choreographer Rennie Harris told a crowd one Friday afternoon this February. Framing community and collaboration as pillars of the many American varieties of street dance is at the center of
American Street Dancer, Rennie Harris Puremovement’s new work that had its world premiere on March 14 as part of the company’s three-year residency. In events across the city this winter, audiences got a window into the creative process that drives Harris and his company as well as an off-the-cuff education in the history and techniques of these urban American dance forms.
Read more...5 Questions with the Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington
New Music
An early Penn Live Arts favorite,
Kronos Quartet “has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do.” (The New York Times) This renowned new music ensemble celebrates composer and longtime collaborator Terry Riley’s upcoming 90th birthday with its Mar 30 performance. Ahead of the show, we spoke with lead violinist and founder David Harrington about the focus of the group’s work and its longstanding relationship with Riley.
Read more...Program Spotlight: Accelerator Program
Accelerator Program U.S. Premiere World Premieres
Our Accelerator Program, which formalizes a significant investment in our artists and their future, began formally in the 22/23 season as an outgrowth of our longstanding commitment to new work. Since opening our doors in 1971, our programming has always filled an important niche, and we have played an instrumental role in bringing eclectic works to our stages.
Read more...My Wicked Life
Theatre
I was what you might call an early adapter to
Wicked. I’m an American theater historian with a particular interest in musicals. In fact, it’s the topic I’ve taught most often in my 34 years at Penn. So of course, I follow trends and what’s coming.
Beyond that, though, I was fascinated by the idea of Wicked Read more...
Education & Engagement with the Negro Ensemble Company
Accelerator Program Theatre World Premieres
The Negro Ensemble Company returned to Penn Live Arts the first week in February with a revival of
Day of Absence, a biting work of satire by Douglas Turner Ward, one of the company’s founders.
Day of Absence imagines a day in a southern U.S. town in which all the Black residents disappear, launching a panic predicated on invisible labor, dependence, and the boundaries of white identity.
Read more...
