Penn Live Arts Blog / Page / 19

Penn honors composer Henry Threadgill with an Honorary Doctor of Music

Posted May 13, 2020

Special Features Penn Live Arts Recommends Jazz

Photo by Caitlin Ochs / The New York Times
Last year, Annenberg Center staff clocked in to work very early in the morning on Monday, May 20. The caterers wheeled in the continental breakfast at 4:30 AM. By 7 AM, Facilities had set up chairs and flags throughout the main lobby, and the Penn Bookstore arrived to begin setting up their regalia stations. Faculty members arrived around 8:30 to robe and mingle over bagels and coffee, and by 9 AM, President Gutmann made brief remarks to the 390 people that had gathered. By 9:30, everyone exited the Annenberg Center in an orderly fashion, and the 263rd Commencement Procession began, complete with marching bands blaring down Locust Walk. It was one of the most important celebrations of the academic year.

This year, the 264th Commencement will be held Monday, May 18th at 11 AM. Like every year since 2003, the event will be live-streamed; however, due to the unprecedented circumstances of COVID-19, this year’s celebration will take place exclusively on-line. Read more...

Stream Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers' Faith Project/The Door for a limited time

Posted May 13, 2020

Penn Live Arts Recommends Dance

This weekend, we recommend streaming Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers’ (KYL/D) 2018 original dance work Faith Project/The Door. From Saturday at 9 AM to Sunday at 11:30 PM, enjoy free access to KYL/D’s full-length performance that took place at the Esperanza Arts Center on Mar 6 of this year.

We chose to recommend Faith Project this week for several reasons. First, we had the pleasure of presenting KYL/D just last season as part of our dance series. The company performed an exciting mix of past and present favorites as well as the world premiere of Spring 101, a piece celebrating Kun-Yang Lin’s 101st choreographic work. Lin’s signature hybrid of Asian philosophies and Western culture was truly an 18/19 season highlight and we can always count on KYL/D for performances of beauty and grace. Read more...

ListenUp: World Music Playlist

Posted May 13, 2020

ListenUp World Music

Listen up to the styles and rhythms of an array of different cultures reflected in this week’s world music playlist. We showcase outstanding artists we welcomed in our 19/20 season—Angélique Kidjo, Sweet Honey in the Rock and Danú, as well as 47SOUL, who made their Philadelphia debut, and Jesse Cook, who made his Annenberg Center debut. And we bring you the brilliant blend of traditional and contemporary Mexican music of Annenberg Center favorite Lila Downs and Jarana Beat (who would have made their Annenberg Center debut), artists we were sorry to miss hearing this spring. Get ready to experience this colorful mix of some of the best artists that cross our stages!

Celebrate our Philadelphia Children's Festival's 35th birthday from home

Posted May 7, 2020

Penn Live Arts Recommends Children's Festival Family

From our 2019 Children's Festival
Photo by Mark Garvin
Even though we can’t be together for our Philadelphia Children’s Festival’s 35th birthday, we’re still celebrating from home with some of the best virtual content from this year’s performers. We look forward to seeing you at the 2021 Children’s Festival. Please enjoy! Read more...

Spot Gourmet Burgers owner Josh Kim responds to the COVID-19 pandemic by giving back to communities in need

Posted May 6, 2020

Children's Festival Special Features

Photo by Steven Falk / Philadelphia Inquirer
If you’ve been to the Philadelphia Children’s Festival in recent years, you know the Spot Gourmet Burgers food cart, which serves up the best burgers, fries and hot dogs, hands-down. Spot Burgers is owned by Josh Kim, and his food cart is one of the most well-loved additions to the Festival. In fact, Spot (and Kim’s companion hot dog cart, Winky’s) quickly became the Annenberg Center’s official, exclusive food vendor of the Festival. While he opened an actual brick-and-mortar restaurant on Girard Avenue in 2016, Kim still continues going out to events and festivals because he loves the human and community connection that has always been part of his work. Read more...

ListenUp: Children's Festival playlist

Posted May 6, 2020

Children's Festival Family ListenUp Music

This week, listen to one of our most lively playlists yet. Every year, the excitement of our Children’s Festival goes beyond our theatres with a fun mix of popular, kid-friendly songs playing in our lobby and outdoor plaza all day. From “Can’t Stop the Feeling” to “I’m a Believer,” get on your feet and dance to some of the best songs you would have heard at this week’s event.

Discover the best virtual activities from our Children’s Festival plaza partners

Posted May 6, 2020

Penn Live Arts Recommends Children's Festival Family

PlazaMania, the lively outdoor component of the Children’s Festival, allows kids to explore their own creativity with a feast of hands-on activities provided by arts partners from across Philadelphia. We invite you to visit them in their own online spaces, via the following list, where you’ll find a whole host of cool activities to keep the whole family busy. So take in a show, then fire up the playlist and have fun creating your own PlazaMania! Read more...

World music superstar Angélique Kidjo remains active on the virtual stage

Posted April 30, 2020

Penn Live Arts Recommends World Music

Chart-topping world music superstar Angélique Kidjo shone radiantly when she performed in the Zellerbach Theatre back in February (co-presented by World Café Live) and she remains a beacon of light since then, participating in multiple projects that push her incredible artistry out into the virtual space for us all to enjoy. This busy, four-time Grammy® Award winner recently performed on the new online series Live with Carnegie Hall, along with Nigerian Afropop star Yemi Alade, Senegalese singer-guitarist Baaba Maal, and another recent Annenberg Center performer, jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves. The session was moderated by John Schaefer of WNYC. 

Kidjo also performed Bella Bellow’s “Blewu” with Yo-Yo Ma as part of his #SongsofComfort series, appeared on Read more...

The ultimate resource for all things dance on the web

Posted April 29, 2020

Penn Live Arts Recommends Dance

Countless dance companies have risen in quick and wonderful ways to help us through the pandemic. In addition to sharing their artistry through exclusive archival footage for all to enjoy watching, many of our favorite dancers and companies are teaching us, motivating us to stand up and move with classes for all ages. Following is a selection of the virtual dance that is flooding our feeds at the Annenberg Center.  Read more...

ListenUp: Jazz Playlist

Posted April 29, 2020

Jazz ListenUp

This week’s ListenUp playlist features artists from our jam-packed 19/20 jazz season. We kicked things off in October with the electrifying pianist Hiromi in a rare solo performance. In November, we welcomed drummer Ralph Peterson, who brought with him a group of elite alumni from the Jazz Messenger bands, in a show celebrating the 100th anniversary of Art Blakey’s birth. The following week, we were delighted to present the Philadelphia debut of vibraphonist Joel Ross. Two of today’s top jazz vocalists, Dianne Reeves and Alicia Olatuja graced our stages in December and February, and the sizzling hot salsa and Latin band Spanish Harlem Orchestra returned to the Annenberg Center on a cold night in January. Earlier this month, SFJAZZ Collective was slated to celebrate the 50th anniversary of two essential albums: Sly and Family Stone’s Stand! and Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way. Although we missed them this time, we can’t wait to have SFJAZZ Collective back next April.