My first time at Villanova Theater and it was GREAT!…read more I was so excited to see half-price tickets to 'Nova's theater on Philly Funsavers! I was also thrilled to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" for Nov because it is traditionally played in spring or summer. Grabbed a very well priced ticket, and took myself out for a mom escape night. I called ahead about parking, and was politely helped so I knew where I could and could not park (which is a PiTA on any college campus). A quick walk up to Vasey Hall (the theater's current home), and a lit marquee shows you where to enter (the side facing 30). Their lobby is standard, with professional ticket box. Ushers greet you with a program. Theater is black box style, with seating on 3 sides of the stage. I was SO impressed with the quality of acting! I wasn't sure what I'd get from a college performance, but this was major cool! I've been to other local college theater productions, and I am impressed every time. As good as local community theater (and our community theaters hire talent from all over). Shakespeare is often performed in themes, time periods, etc. to drive home a classic point with double meaning in the new context, clever duplicity, which the Bard is known for himself. It also shows the relativity of any given play's drama currency to a time or theme, because Shakespeare is always relevant (which is why he is everpopular). The director of this production did an almost all-female cast. Only three characters were male. The females playing male parts were super well done with costume, expression, mannerism, and voice. They exaggerated the machismo a bit, and a bit of chauvinism came through to me, which was so ironic because female actresses cultivated this rendition of the play. I have seen/read this play a ZILLION times, and never noticed this stance could be lifted from the text. When the Athenians are reveling at the wedding dinner, the only female who speaks is Hippolyta, and briefly. This was underscored in the 'Nova production by making the women all sit at their man's feet. This scene is always done to show the Athenian audience's thoughts on the amateur play (a reference to Shakespeare's own awareness of his audience, as well as a reference to the drama that unfolded the night before in the woods, when these lovers themselves were "fools these mortals" to the fairy kingdom, who played them silly). But this director's choice to dress Theseus like a tacky craps player, and raise the volume on the men's brouhaha manner of heckling the wedding play, was further evidence of machismo superiority, which I have never before seen emphasized as such in other productions (all of which did their own unique take on the play). This is what I love about Shakespeare! Additionally, this director took the Titania-Bottom scene allll the way there, per the references in prose. Never saw that either. Oh la la! So funny! Oh, and I can't be sure, but when Bottom gets turned into an ass, I think his hat was meant to look like a MAGA one. LMFAO! It was also interesting that the director had Bottom be a woman when a human character (normally assumed to be a male), and when she turns into an ass, she becomes a man (with a MAGA hat). Again, more innuendo, which the Bard would love, especially because this almost-all-female cast was doing the very same thing across the rest of the play. Note that in Elizabethan times, only males were allowed to act, so all the female roles were done in drag. 'Nova's reverse gender bender is yet another layer of twist, totally characteristic of the Bard's canon. I am an avid Shakespeare fan, and I thoroughly enjoyed this performance! No one can replace Christian Bale for my Demetrius, nor Lloyd for Puck (Evan Matthew Cohen in a "Malcolm in the Middle" episode), but the 'Nova cast did a hella great job just the same! I can't wait to go back to see more from Villanova Theater! Look up the famous quotes from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," you will find familiar lines you hear often in pop culture... and they're over 420 years old! Shakespeare was the man!

A little known gem! High quality theatre at an affordable price on the Main Line. They produce a…read morewide range of plays and musicals. Free parking in the VU Main Lot @ Lancaster & Ithan Avenues. Shows are on par with all professional theatres in Philadelphia (They have been nominated for over 50 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre since 1995), but the cost is much more reasonable. Perfect for an easy night out on the town, esp. with so many local restaurants nearby. Also home to a renowned graduate program where students can earn their Master's in Theatre, a graduate certificate in practical theatre, and a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management. They also just launched a partnership with Ireland's National Theatre, The Abbey. Definitely worth checking out, if you haven't already!

Upper Darby Summer Stage performs here during the summer. It is truly a find in Delaware County for…read moreboth the young performers and the public. They perform a variety of popular shows geared to a younger audience during the summer and a Main Stage show with adult actors later in the summer. I've seen many Main Stage performances over the years that are just as good as Broadway shows. The theater itself is comfortable and not too big so the views are excellent. There are also two sets of restrooms on both sides of the theater and lots of free parking. Enjoy!

The musical was amazing! The performers were outstanding! I felt like we were watching a…read moreBroadway production! The costumes were amazing!

The Immersive Van Gogh Experience is definitely worth it. Absolutely loved it. Not sure how long it…read morewill be at Tower so go check it out if you haven't been yet. It's $35 and assuming you take the time to soak it all in, it will take about an hour. Be patient and watch all the moving pieces and read the placards. When you get to the big room, take a seat or lay down and enjoy the beauty unfolding. And color your own art at the end. This is such an incredible way to experience Van Gogh's art and I highly recommend it.

Checked out "Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" from seeing all the promos around the net. It was…read morea unique technological experience. In the late afternoon on Saturday, decided to purchase the basic ticket online for $49.90 and took myself on a solo date to The Tower Theater. The staff had some technical difficulties finding my ticket in their system when I arrived, but eventually they found it. Before you go into the experience, you can grab a drink, which I did. I went for the "The Van Gogh". It was a very light cocktail, and I wasn't expecting much from it. It was interesting to read some of Van Gogh's life and to see his paintings in a moving visual or in a 3D dimensional type of way. Afterwards, you can color one of his paintings with medium sized crayons and/or do the virtual reality (which I did not purchase). I think the price for the weekend was way too expensive for what was offered. The entire experience was decent. Also, was able to find nearby street parking and downloaded the needed app for meter parking.

Both of my children took piano lessons at the Nelly Berman School for years, and I myself restarted…read moreplaying the cello (after decades away from the instrument!) by taking lessons there, too. The standards of musicianship at NBS are very high, and the school does a great job of combining those standards with a supportive and encouraging community ethos. I strongly recommend it for families who are seeking a serious and fulfilling musical education/experience. Quite a few of the students there aspire to and achieve careers in music, but it is also a great place for children (and adults!) who want instrumental music to be an important part, but not the biggest part, of their lives.

Excellent teachers, difficult management and inflexible schedules…read more The teachers are wonderful. The director is extremely talented at music and teaching, but managing a business is not her talent. We had to discontinue our lessons here for a number of reasons. First, it was extremely expensive. Second, it was very difficult to reschedule lessons, and you end up losing money if you can't reschedule within the semester because you still have to pay, even if you didn't get all your lessons. Third, it was very disturbing to receive disrespectful voicemail and email messages from management. It was also annoying to receive multiple emails a day in all caps for lessons and performances that do not even apply to you. All parents receive emails for all instruments and age groups, so it's really annoying to see multiple mass emails a day. You also get nickeled and dimed for every second. There's not even time to chat with the teacher for a few minutes after the lesson because there's another student scheduled and waiting until the second your lesson is over. Some personal anecdotes from this school include being lectured and screamed at over the phone about taking a family trip and having to miss a class, instead of waiting for when the director was in Florida on her vacation.... not only was this disrespectful, but we didn't even miss class or go on vacation, as they mixed us up with a different family. Another anecdote is being charged for lessons that were rescheduled due to the teacher's schedule, only to find that unbeknownst to us, the director hired a substitute teacher 24 hours before the lesson, but we had no idea and then received rude emails and voicemails. Fantastic teachers, but we couldn't handle paying that much money for all the harassment and stress. I'd recommend this school for very serious students who want the teachers enough and are willing to pay top dollar and deal with the management.

Between all of the First Friday art visits, culture doses of concerts and theater productions, and…read morejust stopping by to pay homage to the Isaiah Zagar mosaic exterior that I've done, Painted Bride is one of those places that I could have sworn I've interviewed years ago! But sometimes one spot manages to slips through my proverbial cracks, and Yelp manages to deliver a helpful reminder for me. And seeing how it came after I did social media for Rock to the Future during their annual Music For All Ball fundraiser, and splurged on a couple of their silent auctions, that reminder couldn't have come at a better time! and when it comes to all of the above that I listed above, dance parties, educational workshops and more; the Bride is a cultural phenomenon! Much like the case with Magic Gardens and all over South Philly, the irst time I came across Painted Bride I was instantly drawn to its exterior being a mosaic wonderland. And the interior was filled with works from all kinds of local artists and photographers that I'm happy to say that I've seen carry on for 5+ years running. For music I have glimpsed all kinds of jazz shows, music showcases from High Two Productions and other local music organizations, and dance events that tied in every facet of such a culturally eclectic venue. And overall, I look forward to more.

The Painted Bride in Old City is one cool cultural arts center. It has become a Philadelphia…read moretradition with its mosaic walls outside designed by Isaiah Zagar, and its art galleries and theatre inside. There is always something interesting happening here. Today I saw a modern dance troupe from the Netherlands at the Bride which was definitely cool and definitely worth it. A lot of cities in this world would very much love to have a Painted Bride Cultural Arts Center!