Performance Package....

Experience the Arts!
Introducing the AVENUE OF THE ARTS, INC. PERFORMANCE PACKAGE
The Avenue of the Arts, Inc. (AAI) Performance Package is your ticket to enjoying Philadelphia’s distinguished artists, wonderful shopping and superior restaurants.
The AAI Performance Package is a flexible way to see the performances you want to see when you’re available to see them. It makes a perfect gift for friends, family members and employees who love the arts. Use the AAI Performance Package as an opportunity to experience something new or something familiar! The Package is flexible to fit your lifestyle.
Here’s how it works:

• You can order the package for $200.00 online at www.avenueofthearts.org by looking for the Performance Package icon or at Upstages Box office. Each package includes two vouchers, each redeemable for two “general admission” tickets (that’s a total of 4 tickets!) to a variety of performances at participating venues, as well as a complimentary package of discounts and special offers to a variety of participating businesses.
• Call the chosen venue at least three days prior to the show you would like to see to ensure seating.
• When arriving at the venue, submit your voucher with your completed contact information on the back to the box office and enjoy your performance!

The AAI Performance Package participating organizations include

• The Wilma Theater
• Philadelphia Chamber Music Society
• The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
• The Prince Music Theater
• Philadelphia Theatre Company
• Piffaro Renaissance Band
• InterAct Theater Company.

Complimentary discounts include:

• Bonte Coffee and Wafflerie, 10% discount
• Portfolio at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 10% discount off entire purchase
• The Standing O at the Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia, complimentary appetizer
• Academy Café at Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia, complimentary dessert
• The Library Company of Philadelphia, complimentary note cards
• The Print Center, 10% discount off entire purchase
• Sotto Varalli, 10% discount and Upstairs at Varalli, 10% discount.

The beauty of the Performance Package is it’s flexible, it’s a fabulous gift and with so many great performances you’ll become an arts connoisseur.
For more information contact AAI at 215-731-9668 or visit www.avenueofthearts.org

To purchase the package either call Upstages at
215-569-9700 or
visit www.aaiperformancepackage.com

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA

With its latest big top production

KOOZA

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY DAVID SHINER

Tickets available starting December 9 at 9:00am

The latest Cirque du Soleil touring show, KOOZA, proudly presented by Shares, will premiere in Philadelphia on May 8, 2008. KOOZA will perform for a limited engagement under the trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) on the Avenue of the Arts (at Broad and Washington).

The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza,” which means “box,” “chest” or “treasure,” and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box.”

KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil that combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

“KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says the show’s writer and director David Shiner. “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.”

The show starts with The Trickster bursting onto the scene like a jack-in-a-box right in front of The Innocent, and that is just the first of many surprises to follow. The Innocent’s journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Heimloss, the Pickpocket, the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.

Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement.

The show presents an unprecedented approach to the High Wire and a breathtaking Wheel of Death – an act that Cirque du Soleil has never before presented under the big top.

North American Tour: KOOZA is now playing in San Francisco. Following this engagement KOOZA will travel to San Jose and Hartford before playing in Philadelphia.

Sponsors and Partners: Cirque du Soleil gratefully acknowledges iShares®, Presenting Sponsor of the 2008 US Tour as well as CGI, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, American Express, Panasonic and Delta Air Lines as the Official Sponsors. The media partners are Philadelphia City Paper and KYW-TV (CBS 3).

Cirque du Soleil: From the 20 or so performers that the company featured when it all began in 1984, Quebec­based Cirque du Soleil has become a leading provider of quality entertainment with over 3,800 employees, including 1,000 artists who hail from 40 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has thrilled over 70 million spectators in more than 100 cities on four continents. With its International Headquarters in Montreal, the organization is presenting 15 different shows around the world in 2007.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

GPFO Spring & Summer Events at a Glance

“SIP” (Set In Philadelphia)  2008
Presented the Greater Philadelphia Film Office at the Philadelphia Film Festival
April 5th | ALL DAY beginning at 10:30am
Marvin Comisky Conference Center
Blank Rome LLP
One Logan Sq,
30 N 18th St Philadelphia
  
Spend the day discussing creative development with the experts and swap stories with other screenwriters and producers of every level.  Join us and many high-profile industry professionals to discover what makes a good script worth pitching at PhillyPitch 2008! And attend the press conference where the 2008 SIP winners will be announced.

Please visit www.film.org/events for event details

How to Raise Money for Your Independent Film
Presented by Cozen O’Connor and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office
Moderator: Justin Wineburgh, Esq.
April 8th | 4:30-6:30pm
Location: Brasserie Perrier, 1619 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Learn how to structure deals and start the ball rolling once your film is complete. Investors will tell you what they look for; filmmakers who have done it will tell you how. Financial experts will address the budgetary breakdown and the attorneys will tie it all together. If you’re sitting on a film waiting for the right funding opportunity, you don’t want to miss this.

Thanks to our event sponsors: Cashman & Associates

Denise Beek
marketing assistant
greater philadelphia film office
100 south broad st., suite 600
philadelphia, pa 19110
215.686.2668
215.686.3659 (fax)
www.film.org

Kimmel Center

The Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia is hosting a wonderful Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday, May 11th…
For Reservations Call: 215-893-1600

e-Events is the Hilton Family's online booking channel for small groups and events: www.hiltonfamilyeevents.com. Whether for a weekend family reunion, a wedding or all-day business meetings, e-Events is the only tool in the industry that lets customers book their events from start to finish online, without the need for an RFP or time consuming paperwork.

Pre-Show Wine Tasting At The Wilma Theater Join us for an exclusive Pride Night Pre-Show Party at The Wilma Theater. Celebrate Philly's LGBT community, and enjoy wine tastings and snacks courtesy of Tria. Friday, May 30th Reception 7:00-8:00pm / Curtain at 8:00pm FREE with ticket to that night's performance of Eurydice Eurydice, by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Blanka Zizka, runs April 30 - June 1 at The Wilma Theater. Call 215.546.7824 or visit www.wilmatheater.org for more information.

Whether you’re on the lookout for a great meal in the city without the usual mad rush, or yearning for the kind of Tasting Menu that food critics have always enjoyed, Upstares and Sotto Varalli Restaurant might just have the perfect solution. Long known as a destination for consistently great food and service at a great value, especially for pre- and post-theatre diners, Upstares and Sotto Varalli Restaurant, located in the heart of the theatre district at 231 S. Broad Street along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts, is now offering two new ways to enjoy their award-winning cuisine: a $33 “Beat the Crowds” Menu and a $45 Tasting Menu.   The $33 “Beat the Crowds” menu is available from 4:30 to 5:45pm Monday through Saturday. (Not available on Sundays.) Come in early, beat the crowds, and enjoy a four-course meal from soup to dessert! Menu choices and details for the $33 “Beat the Crowds” menu can be found on Varalli’s website at: http://www.varalliusa.com/prixfixe.php.  The $45 Tasting Menu, featuring a five-course feast of Varalli favorites is available at all times. An optional Wine Pairing is also available to compliment the Tasting Menu. Menu choices and details for the $45 Tasting Menu and optional Wine Pairing can be found on Varalli’s website at:    http://www.varalliusa.com/tastingmenu.php. Both the Beat the Crowds and Tasting Menu choices will change seasonally.

First Person Arts and the Gershman Y present this dynamic multi-disciplinary arts event for one night each month! Select artists share memoir and documentary work of all kinds in an engaging and interactive format:
 
Wednesday May 14th, 7-9 pm
 
Music by Matt Davis and Aerial Photograph http://www.mattdavisguitar.com
 
Solo performance by Martha Kemper

Poetry by Tamesha Hawkins <http://www.myspace.com/tameshashawkins>
 
Photography by Christopher Paquette <http://chpaquettephotos.blogspot.com>
 
First Person Salons at the Gershman Y take place every 2nd Wednesday from 7-9pm at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad). Admission is $5 but additional donations are gratefully accepted!  Work submissions are evaluated for inclusion by staff from First Person Arts and the Gershman Y and are accepted on a rolling basis at salons@firstpersonarts.org.  More information can be found at www.salons.firstpersonarts.org

AVENUE TOURS!
The Brandywine Workshop:
An interview with Stan Issacson conducted by Holly Kapral

What is the history of the building?  How long has it existed? 
What was it before?
The Brandywine Workshop used to be a firehouse back in the 1800s. 
It was home to the Harmony Engine Co. Number 6.  The Brandywine Workshop
is named Brandywine because it was originally located on Brandywine St. before
it moved to the Avenue of the Arts.

What is the history/mission of the Brandywine Workshop?  What or how does
the art work focus or symbolize this?
The mission of the Brandywine Workshop is to promote fine art printing and also
multicultural art as well as dealing with the multicultural communities therein. 
For example, we may have an exhibit of all Asian influenced work.  We promote
everyone to visit and see the exhibit but hope to attract attention from the Asian community as well.  We also strongly encourage art in education since many schools do not have many resources to teach it.  Artists serve as role models within our schools and we want to help promote and educate children about art and teach them to appreciate art as well.  As part of our promotion of art in education we have started the "Arts across the curriculum" in schools where we put together programs that teach students about art in its various forms.  The Brandywine workshop is a non-profit who obtains most of our funding through grants and corporations as well as buy selling prints of artwork to the community and beyond.  The Brandywine Workshop is about to undergo major changes to the building with the restoration and Plaza Project.  We are looking to make Brandywine more attractive and grab more people's attention. To accomplish this, we have developed a new plan for the side and front of our building which includes a courtyard, larger gift shop and coffee shop as well as a display of the Gilliam mural (a glass mosaic tile) by Sam Gilliam to enclose a set of stairs.  The galleries are likely to be expanded as well.

When do you offer tours to the public?  What do these tours tell/show people that the website doesn't?
We are eager to tour with any group, at any time.  All you have to do is contact us and set up a date so we can arrange for a tour.  Since we do have limited staff, it helps to make arrangements in advance.  Also, by making arrangements in advance, we can set up the tour around what they are interested in.  In all actuality, it becomes more of an event when we do a tour and a tour can be more than just looking in the gallery.  And by visiting our facility, you are able to see real work and the process behind it in our printing facility.  Although, you can see artist's work online, it does not provide the same interaction as being there.  You can see the exhibits we have going on and get your questions answered right there.  We even do lectures and seminars that would not be the same as viewing them online.

Any other information you would like the public to know that they might not?
We are an unbelievable resource that many people don't even know about.  We many be known all over the world but there are so many that don't even know we are here and what we are about.  Our restoration and plaza project, we hope will help with that.  Major museums nationwide, and also the Philadelphia Museum of Art, showcase our artist's work.  We are looking to attract a younger audience to our website as they are the next artist connoisseurs.  We are in the process of creating virtual tours to help entice a younger audience as well as more viewers in general.  In this way, you can tour our facilities online although we always entice you to come and see it for yourself, if you can't get to Philadelphia, by visiting our website and viewing the virtual tour, you won't miss out.  The Brandywine Workshop is an educational and cultural value in the community and beyond and a learning resource for schools and children.  We are also working on DVD lectures that could be sent to schools so children can learn what goes in and what goes out. 

The Brandywine Workshop is located at 730 South Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19146
For more information regarding tours please call 215.546.3675 or visit www.brandywineworkshop.com

One of the many galleries open to the public to visit	Workshop Space

107th Annual Student Exhibition
Samuel M. V. Hamilton Building
May 10 - June 1, 2008
Preview Party: May 8, 2008, 5 - 8:30 p.m.
Free Public Opening: Friday, May 9, 5 - 8:30 p.m.

The Pennsylvania Academy's 107th Annual Student Exhibition, underwritten by the Women's Board of the Pennsylvania Academy, unveils the work of our third- and fourth-year Certificate and graduating Master of Fine Arts students.

An Academy tradition for more than a century, the exhibition represents the culmination of training in the Academy's disciplines of painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture.  Visitors will enjoy more than 1,000 works, which showcase a diversity of styles that combine traditional skill and contemporary vision and are available for sale at accessible prices. The exhibition features the art hung "salon style" throughout the first two floors of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton building.

The exhibition opens with a benefit Preview Party, presented by Mather & Co., a division of Bollinger, Inc. in partnership with AIG Private Client Group, and hosted by the Women's Board on Thursday, May 8, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.  The event represents a unique opportunity for collectors and the public to meet the students and have the first chance to purchase exhibited works. Entry is timed by ticket level.  Proceeds support scholarships and programs of the Academy. For information regarding the Preview Party, call 215-972-7639 or purchase tickets online at www.WBsecure.org.

A free public preview reception of the Annual Student Exhibition will take place Friday, May 9, from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Spot Check: Academy Contemporary
March 1 - June 8, 2008
Morris Gallery, Historic Landmark Building

Since 2004 the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has set aside a portion of its acquisition funds to purchase work by emerging artists. This Morris Gallery focus installation spotlights over a dozen objects that have entered the Academy’s collection through the Contemporary Art Development Fund. Spot Check: Academy Contemporary will showcase art that engages in a wide range of current practices. It features work by Astrid Bowlby, Joy Feasley, Jane Irish, Tristan Lowe, Rob Matthews, Eamon Ore-Giron, Ben Peterson, Isaac Resnikoff, Huston Ripley, Jane South, Monique van Genderen and others. From an elaborate low-tech wall construction to a meticulously rendered California futurescape, an anthropomorphic architectural creature to startling ruminations on sexual, religious, and racial identity, this installation promises an exciting look at an important subset of the Academy's contemporary collection.

HISTORIC MASONIC TEMPLE’S DIRECTOR RECEIVES AWARD

The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania is pleased to announce that this nonprofit organization’s Executive Director, Andrew A. Zellers-Frederick, received the prestigious 2007-2008 Hunter-Burley Award given by the Small Museum Association.  This honor is awarded each year to the professional individual with the most outstanding contributions to the advancement of public access to a museum or historic site and also for the exceptional growth and expansion of this institution.  For over two years, Andrew Zellers-Frederick, has served as the first Executive Director of this cultural institution located within Philadelphia’s beautiful 1873 National Historic Landmark Masonic Temple.  Previously, he diligently worked for nearly 17 years as the first executive director of Historic RittenhouseTown; a National Historic Landmark, located in Philadelphia’s Northwest Section, which was the 1690 site of North America’s first paper mill industrial community.  As with the Masonic Temple, Zellers-Frederick tirelessly worked to transform this previously forgotten historic site into a vibrant part of the area’s cultural network for both the educational benefit and enjoyment of visitors and local residents.

During his relatively short tenure as the Masonic Temple’s Executive Director, Zellers-Frederick has embarked on a major campaign to significantly transform this previously under-visited historic edifice into a significant partner among the region’s cultural community.  Utilizing a series of collaborative programs with other area cultural institutions, special events, expanded guided tours, an improved museum gift shop, and additional public hours, the Masonic Temple’s visitation has expanded to over 15,000 individuals, and many groups, during 2006 & 2007.  In addition, the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania has played host to several illustrious historical and cultural events such as the 250th birth commemoration of Williams Rush, the  great 18th century America’s sculptor; a weekend of programs to honor the 250th birthday of the Marquis de Lafayette; and festivities for Dr. Benjamin Franklin’s Tercentenary.  Currently, the Masonic Temple is undergoing a massive and vitally important $10M restoration of the building’s exterior under Zellers-Frederick’s overall support and guidance.

Zellers-Frederick currently resides in Warminster Township, Bucks County, in a circa 1820 house with his wife Julie.  He holds a BA Degree with Honors from Temple University; a certificate in Historic Preservation from Bucks County Community College (where is has also taught in the historic preservation program; and is currently attending the Graduate Program in History at La Salle University.  He has served on numerous cultural and related organizational boards of directors and holds memberships with many cultural and historical organizations.  An author, he has several works printed in international publications.

The Small Museum Association is an all volunteer organization of over two hundred institutional and related memberships serving museums and cultural institutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region and beyond.  The organization annual presented the Hunter-Burley Award at its annual February Conference held in Ocean City, Maryland.

For additional information about the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania, please call (215)988-1900 or visit online at www.pagrandlodge.org.

  
Hunter-Burley Award Winner Andrew Zellers-Frederick (right) with John Pentangelo, the Small Museum Association Awards Chair & Curator of the USS Constellation Museum

   Capital Grille Opening Early for Mother’s Day!

The Capital Grille is the perfect spot for a Mother’s Day dinner, May 11th.  We will be opening early at 2:00PM – 10:00PM.  Located on the Avenue of the Arts at the corner of Broad and Chestnut Streets, The Capital Grille has an exciting yet intimate atmosphere with a touch of relaxed elegance and style. The Capital Grille specializes in dry aged Steaks, Chops, a variety of fresh seafood, and large North Atlantic lobsters The award-winning wine list features over 400 selections and there are five private dining rooms with seating from 10-64 guests.  Let the masters of steak provide the perfect dining experience. 

THE CAPITAL GRILLE
1338 Chestnut Street
Corner of Broad and Chestnut
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 545-9588

Spend the day discussing creative development with the experts and swap stories with other screenwriters and producers of every level.  Join us and many high-profile industry professionals to discover what makes a good script worth pitching at PhillyPitch 2008! And attend the press conference where the 2008 SIP winners will be announced.

Please visit www.film.org/events for event details

How to Raise Money for Your Independent Film
Presented by Cozen O’Connor and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office
Moderator: Justin Wineburgh, Esq.
April 8th | 4:30-6:30pm
Location: Brasserie Perrier, 1619 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Learn how to structure deals and start the ball rolling once your film is complete. Investors will tell you what they look for; filmmakers who have done it will tell you how. Financial experts will address the budgetary breakdown and the attorneys will tie it all together. If you’re sitting on a film waiting for the right funding opportunity, you don’t want to miss this.

Pennsylvania Ballet Announces Special Celebrity Guest 
Actor John Lithgow to perform in Pennsylvania Ballet’s premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Carnival of the Animals at the Academy of Music June 6-14, 2008

Pennsylvania Ballet Artistic Director Roy Kaiser is pleased to announce that 2-time Tony Award-winner John Lithgow will appear in 3 performances of Pennsylvania Ballet’s premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Carnival of the Animals; a co-production between Houston Ballet Foundation and Pennsylvania Ballet. Lithgow will narrate this fantastic tale of Oliver Percy, a young boy who inadvertently spends a night at the museum on opening night, Friday, June 6 at 8 p.m., as well as the noon and 8 p.m. performances on Saturday, June 7. Paul Hope, a member of the Alley Theatre Company in Houston and a regular guest performer at the Houston Grand Opera, will take on the role for the remaining performances.

Set to the familiar Camille-Saint Saëns score of the same name, Lithgow wrote the narration around which the ballet was built for New York City Ballet in 2003. Lithgow and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon had previously worked together on the smash Broadway hit Sweet Smell of Success, a performance that garnered Lithgow his second Tony Award (the first was for David Story’s The Changing Room). When Wheeldon was commissioned to create a ballet directed at younger audiences, he enlisted Lithgow to devise the story. In Carnival of the Animals, Lithgow plays Mabel Buntz, a pert pachyderm who dances to the notable “Elephant Waltz.”
John Lithgow needs little introduction. He may be most widely known for his Emmy-winning role as Dr. Dick Solomon on the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, but he has received accolades for his work in many performing arts disciplines, including Academy Award nominations for his work as Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp, and as Sam Burns in Terms of Endearment. Everything from Shakespeare to story books for children, and now Lithgow has taken a foray into the wonderful world of ballet.

At its Houston Ballet premiere in May 2007, the Houston Press said “this cute, sassy ballet is the best one for children since The Nutcracker.” Also on the program are new works from contemporary choreographers Matthew Neenan and Peter Quanz. Pennsylvania Ballet would like to thank lead sponsor, Bank of America, The Philadelphia Inquirer, US Airways, WRTI and WHYY for their generous support for the Company premiere of Carnival of the Animals. Major funding for Carnival of the Animals and the Peter Quanz world premiere was provided by The William Penn Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Performances of Carnival of the Animals are as follows:

Ticket prices for Carnival of the Animals range from $22 – $124 and can be purchased by calling 215.893.1999 or online at www.paballet.org. Groups of 10 or more can purchase discounted tickets by calling 215.587.6921.

Mother’s Day Weekend Soul Jam The best of soul music is coming to the Liacouras Center on May 11, 2008 at 4 p.m. The performers* of the Mother's Day Soul Jam include The Dells, The Dramatics, Chi-Lites, Manhattans, Ray Goodman and Brown. Take advantage of Exclusive Mother's Day Lunch! See Below for Details! *acts subject to change TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, MARCH 21 @ 10AM TICKET PRICES: $75, $49.50, and $39.50 (includes $2 facility fee) DOORS: Open at 3:00pm SETUP: 1/2 House setup PARKING: Parking for this event will be $10.00 SUITES: Please email crumer@temple.edu for suite info Mother's Day Lunch Package Enjoy a special lunch package prior to the show! Package includes: Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings Turkey with Traditional Sage Stuffing BBQ Beef Ribs Country Fried Chicken Garlic Mashed Potatoes Rice Pilaf Pasta Salad, Steamed Vegetables, Collared Greens Peach Cobbler, Cookies, Brownies, and Fruit Salad Coffee, Tea and Assorted Juices and Beverages ALL FOR ONLY $26 PER PERSON!! CALL 215-204-2400 FOR MORE DETAILS

Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross (The Gross Clinic)
Historic Landmark Building , 118  N. Broad Street
Ongoing
Cost: Adults $7; Seniors and Students with I.D. $6; Youth ages 5 - 18 $5
View Thomas Eakins' masterpiece "Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross" (The Gross Clinic), Don't miss the opportunity to see this famous painting in the place where Eakins received his fine arts education.

Caption Info: Thomas Eakins, Portrait of Dr. Samuel D. Gross, (The Gross Clinic), 1875, oil on canvas, 96 x 78 inches. Gift of     the Alumni Association to Jefferson Medical College in 1878 and purchased by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the     Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2007 with the generous support of more than 3,400 donors, 2007.2

The Tradition of Teaching
Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 2nd Floor , 128 N. Broad Street
Through May 2008
Adults $7; Seniors and Students with I.D. $6; Youth ages 5 - 18 $5
Works by thirty-six of the over two hundred artists who have taught at the Academy since its inception in 1805. These individuals stand out for their particularly strong influence on the development of students in the Academy's School of Fine Arts.