Penn Live Arts Blog / September 2022

5 Questions with Connor Houlihan

Circus

We’re thrilled to welcome Machine de Cirque for their Philadelphia debut on October 2. The Québec-based group known for their “immensely gifted performers…and spectacular routines,” (The Boston Globe) will perform its newest work La Galerie. Leading up to the troupe’s exhilarating debut, we connected with ensemble member Connor Houlihan to learn more about the Minnesota native in just five questions. Read more...

The ever-evolving Pilobolus celebrates the Big Five-OH!

Dance

Do you remember your big 30th, 40th or 50th milestone birthday? Just back from Saudi Arabia, Pilobolus, a fun-loving over-the-top imaginative troupe, continues to wow, amaze and entertain audiences worldwide after five decades. Known as an “irreplaceable treasure,” Pilobolus returns to Penn Live Arts with its Big Five-OH! tour in conjunction with our 50th anniversary season. The company’s repertory of 120 collaborative, groundbreaking and physically stunning productions has toured to 65 countries, reaching millions of fans in performances for television, film, corporate events, educational settings and world stages. Read more...

Announcing our brand-new Stuart Weitzman Theatre

This week, we are thrilled to celebrate the announcement of the brand-new Stuart Weitzman Theatre on our outdoor plaza. As the cornerstone project in an ambitious, three-phase capital plan to renovate and expand the Annenberg Center, the Weitzman Theatre will be the first major expansion of the building since our founding in 1971. The new theatre will welcome innovative artists across genres to share their work in a flexible, reconfigurable performance space which will meet increasingly experimental styles in the performing arts. Read more...

Come to our Community Open House

We’re kicking off our season-long 50th anniversary celebration with a Community Open House on Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17. The weekend will be capped off by the 22/23 season opener – legendary gospel group, the Blind Boys of Alabama.

The festivities begin at 3:30 PM on Friday with a New Orleans-style second-line procession across the Penn campus, led by the New Breed Brass Band. Featured on Trombone Shorty's 2022 album, Lifted, and winners of New Orleans’ “Best Emerging Artist” award, this young upstart band will bring serious NOLA cred to their first-ever Philadelphia appearances. Penn Band Slam follows at 4 PM on the Annenberg Center Outdoor Plaza, showcasing The Mask and Wig Band, Penn Glee Club Band and Bloomers Band. Then, hear New Breed Brass Band pull out all the stops in a full performance in our Prince Theatre. Read more...