Performing Arts

Please call the phone number listed with the venue for specific dates, times and ticket information.

dance

• ASH CONTEMPORARY DANCE SPRING GALA The program features the world premiere of two new works: "History," a half-evening length piece set to original music performed by Angela Ai and "Finding My Way," a solo piece specially choreographed for special guest Caroline Lewis. The company's signature piece, "Ghosts of Things to Come," is also performed. Fri-Sat, March 23-24, 8-10pm, $30, Mandell Theater, Drexel University, 33rd & Chestnut sts., 212-868-4444.
• FUTURE STARS OF BALLET Professional and pre-professional dancers from Pennsylvania, Conneticut, New York and South Carolina perform classical and contemporary works of renowned choreographers, with the International Ballet Classique performing excerpts from the well-known but rarely performed "Walpurgis Night." Sat, March 24, 7:30pm, Sun, March 25, 2pm, $25, Meagher Theatre, Neumann College, Concord Rd., Aston, 212-868-4444.
• JUNK ROCK Recycled Percussion presents a performance featuring a mix of African, Latin and American rock and hip-hop rhythms using trash can lids, ladders, drills, water tanks, and other "junk." Thu, March 22, 8pm, $8, Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, West Chester University, 13-15 University Ave., West Chester, 610-436-2266.
• MCDADE SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE Dancers from the McDade School perform rich traditions of Irish step and figure dancing, Sun, March 25, 11:30am, FREE , Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999.
• THE PARTITA PROJECT Lisa Kraus and Dancers and violinist/composer Diane Moore present a dance-music program that slides between classical forms and contemporary doubles, based on the Violin Partitas of J.S. Bach, Sat, March 24, 7pm, FREE , Bryn Mawr College, 101 N. Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr, 610-526-5210.
• SENIOR DANCE CONCERT Once more, with feeling: UArts senior dance students present their fourth dance concert of this season. Thu-Fri, March 22-23, 7pm, FREE , UArts Dance Theater at the Drake, 1512 Spruce St., 215-829-9800.
• SHUT UP & DANCE The dancers of PA Ballet presents its 15th annual benefit for MANNA, with original works choreographed and perfomed by the dancers in a funky and spirited style. Reserved seating tickets include an after-party at PURE Nightclub with the dancers, Sat, March 24, 8pm, $25-$175, Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St., 215-49-MANNA.
• SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY Australia's foremost contemporary dance company returns with director Graeme Murphy's "Grand," a tribute to piano music, ranging from Bach to honky-tonk to classics. Runs March 29-31, $32-$44, Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900.
• WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE Senior dance students Ashley Seldon and Eric Bean Jr. experiment, mix and brew together various styles and techniques to create an eclectic performance as part of the choreography emphasis program. Runs March 29-31, 7pm, FREE , UArts Dance Theater at the Drake, 1512 Spruce St., 215-829-9800.
• YA'LLA Penn's Middle Eastern dance troupe presents two nights of sultry bellydance and drumming. Thu & Sat, March 22 & 24, 7pm, $5-$7, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-573-3234.

  theater

• ALMOST, MAINE This off-Broadway comedy tells the story of residents of a small fictional town in northern Maine, who are falling in and out of love at an alarming rate. Directed by Dan Kern. Runs through April 8, $25-$40, Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-645-0200.
• ANGELS FALL Simpatico Theatre Company presents the story of a group of strangers who test their faith in their lives while stranded at a church in a remote Navajo reservation. Directed by Carol Laratonda. Runs through March 25, $12, 2nd Stage @ the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-423-0254.
• BABY CASE REUNION CONCERT A one-night engagement to support the Arden Theatre Company's new works, the original cast members reunite to perform this musical about the abduction of the infant son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh. Reservations required, Mon, March 26, 7pm, $100-$250, Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd St., 215-922-8900.
• BENT A play focused on the persecution of homosexuals during the Holocaust. Directed by Leonard Kelly. Runs March 27-April 1, $12, E.O. Bull Center, Rosedale Ave. & High St., West Chester, 610-436-2533.
• CAROLINE, OR CHANGE Arden Theatre Company presents the story about a divorced Black mother of three working as a maid in 1963 Louisiana who finds herself in the middle of a family conflict when the lady of the house allows her to keep any spare change she finds while doing laundry. Directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Runs through April 8, $27-$45, Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd St., 215-922-1122.
• CHEKHOV LIZARDBRAIN The Pig Iron Theatre Company presents a comic mash-up of neuroscience and surrealism, pulling inspiration from doctor/playwright Anton Chekhov and the three-brain theory of Paul D. MacLean to create highly physical vignettes based on the absurdities of human nature. Runs March 28-April 15, $20-$30, The Latvian Society, 531 N. 7th St., 215-627-1883.
• CHESS An American musical theater cult favorite (with lyrics by Tim Rice) about star-crossed lovers during the Cold War, set against the riveting stage of political espionage and chess championship games. You can just hear the clock ticking. Runs through March 24, $10-$12, West Chester & Barley Sheaf Playhouse, 810 N. Whitford Rd., Lionsville, 610-363-7075.
• THE CHOSEN The Players Club of Swarthmore Theater presents the stage-adapatation of Chaim Potok's story about two Jewish young men whose chance friendship by chance changes their lives in unexpected ways. Directed by Dennis Bloh. Runs March 22-April 7, $8-$15, The Players Club of Swarthmore, Fairview Rd., off Rt. 320, Swarthmore, 866-811-4111.
• THE DEVILS Based on real events, this is a story set in 17th-century France about demonic possession and revenge. Directed by David O'Connor. Runs through March 24, $20, Tomlinson Theater, Temple University, 1301 W. Norris St., 215-204-1122.
• THE DOMESTICATION OF WOMEN: A HOUSEWARES PARTY IN TWO ACTS A comedy celebrating the fighting spirit of women trapped in consumer hell, the play starts with Elaine, whose husband just left her, fleeing to her friend Julie's housewares party for a taste of normalcy. Directed by Jose Aviles. Runs March 22-April 7, $12-$20, Walnut Street Theater, Studio 5, 825 Walnut St., 215-551-3376.
• DRIVING MISS DAISY Can anyone match Morgan Freeman's or Jessica Tandy's performance in the Hollywood adaptation? Only one way to find out. Starring Louisa Flaningam, Roscoe Orman and Scott Wakefield. Directed by Meredith McDonough. Runs through March 25, $28-$48, Delaware Theatre Company, 200 Water St., Wilmington, DE, 302-594-1100.
• ENCHANTED APRIL Two lonely married women rent and share an Italian villa with a crusty English woman and a lonely aristocrat, expecting a relaxing vacation, until their husbands make a surprising visit in this Broadway musical hit. Runs through April 29, $10-$57.50, Walnut Street Theatre, 9th & Walnut sts., 215-574-3550.
• AN EVENING OF ONE-ACTS The Jameson Project presents a program of one-act plays staged and performed by the students at the Rutgers University Mason Gross School of Arts. Runs March 27-April 1, $5-$15, Jameson Theater, Rutgers University, 30 Jones Ave., New Brunswick, NJ, 732-932-7511.
• FATHERS AND SONS Set in 1870s Deadwood, the elegiac Western finds Wild Bill Hickok, the famed lawman and gunfighter, reunited with Calamity Jane, Colorado Charlie, and other Deadwood denizens while Jack McCall and his pals angle for a showdown. Directed by Randall Wise and John Doyle. Runs March 23-April 22, $15-$20, Center Theater, 208 DeKalb Street, Norristown, 610-279-1013.
• GOD VIEWS Curt Cloinger presents a show that reframes God's image as a loving, waiting father. Donations accepted, Sat, March 24, 7:30pm, Hatboro Baptist Church, 32 N. York Rd., Hatboro, 215-675-8400.
• GODSPELL A musical based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew transposed into a contemporary urban setting, including the stories of Lazarus, the Good Samaritan, Judas' kiss, and more Christian parables and stories, all in song. Directed by Ann Rosen. Runs through March 31, $8-$15, Barnstormer's Theater, Ward & Tome sts., Ridley Park, 610-461-9969.
• THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE DEADLY This murder mystery dinner theater takes place in the Old West, so expect an evening of can-cans, outlaws, sharp-shooting and maybe a murder or two. Every Sat. Runs through April 28, 7pm, $40-$45, Fisher's Tudor House, 1858 Street Rd., Bensalem, 215-244-9777.
• GREASE! Innocent first loves: watch Danny Zuko and Sandy fall in love while Rizzo talks tough and everyone at Rydell High sings and dances in poodle skirts and leather jackets. John Travolta may not be in this local stage adaptation of the musical favorite, but "Greased Lightning" will go on without him. Runs through April 22, $47, The New Candlelight Theatre, 2208 Millers Rd., Ardentown, DE, 302-475-2313.
• THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, PART II The Curio Theatre Company brings Douglas Adams' modern classic radio script to the stage with more than 200 sound effects, a selection of actors reading multiple characters, and original storyboard illustrations created by Nonthaporn and Ray Saunders. Runs through April 7, $10-$22, Calvary Center, 48th & Baltimore sts., 215-525-1350.
• THE HOBBIT The Philadelphia Children's Theatre brings the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, uncle of Frodo Baggins, to the stage. Watch out for spiders, trolls, elves, goblins and Gollum. Runs March 26-31, $9-$13, Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St., 866-811-4111.
• IN THE CONTINUUM Named by New York Times as one of the top four plays in 2005, this is the story of the darkly comic events of two young women living worlds apart in L.A. and Zimbabwe with one life-changing thing in common: a positive diagnosis of HIV infection. Directed by Robert O'Hara. Runs through April 15, $33-$51, Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey St., 215-985-0420.
• INFINITE ACHE Hope and Charles are in bed and about to say good night when they find themselves on a journey through time, flashing back to the beginning and forward to the end, from the couple's first date to their first child in a humorous take on love and relationships. Runs through April 1, $28, Walnut Street Theater, Studio 5, 825 Walnut St., 215-574-3550.
• MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL This celebration of hot flashes, night sweats, memory loss, chocolate binges and "The Change" includes such chart-toppers as "I Heard It Thru the Grapevine; You No Longer See 39" and "Stayin' Awake! Stayin' Awake!" Ongoing, $45, Society Hill Playhouse, 507 S. 8th St., 215-923-0210.
• MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT Lovingly ripped off of the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," this musical comedy is a chronicle of the perils (killer rabbits! Taunting Frenchmen!) faced by King Arthur and his knights in their search for the Holy Grail. Directed by Mike Nichols. Runs through April 8, $28-$100, Academy of Music, Broad & Locust sts., 215-731-3333.
• MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Yet another Shakespearean battle of the sexes: this time with the incorrigible Benedick and the sarcastic Beatrice, whose hate at first sight translates to marriage before long. Runs through April 14, $17-$25, The Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Haddon Township, NJ, 856-858-5230.
• THE ODD COUPLE Felix and Oscar, together again: the classic Neil Simon comedy about a recently separated sportswriter and his friend who find their mismatched selves under the same roof. Runs through March 24, $25, Broadway Theatre, 43 S. Broadway, Pitman, NJ, 856-384-8381.
• ONCE IN A LIFETIME The Drama Group presents this Kauffman and Hart classic about three down-and-out Vaudevillians who head out to Hollywood in the 1920s to teach silent movie stars how to speak properly and the adventures they encounter along the way. Runs through March 31, $8-$12, First United Methodist Church of Germantown, 6023 Germantown Ave., 215-438-3677.
• OTHELLO See Iago lie. See Iago plot. See Iago ruin the lives of Moorish general Othello, Othello's trusted friend Cassio, and Othello's wife Desdemona in this Shakespearean tragedy about race, geopolitics and deception. Directed by Carmen Khan. Runs through May 19, $12.50-$25, Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival, 2111 Sansom St., 215-496-8001.
• PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES Media Theatre Company presents a country and Western musical, featuring a story that involves gasoline pump boys joining forces with the ladies of the Double Cupp Diner for a good time of singing, dancing and banging on kitchen utensils. Whoo-wee. Runs through April 1, $22.50-$39, The Media Theatre, 104 E. State St., Media, 610-891-0100.
• RADIO GOLF This sequel to August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean" is set in the Pittsburgh Hill District in 1997, about a successful real estate developer and mayoral candidate who confronts his heritage when his aunt's house is slated for demolition. Directed by Kenny Leon. Runs through April 8, $28-$40, McCarter Theatre, 91 University Place, Princeton, NJ, 609-258-2787.
• THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM A darkly comic Southern fairy tale against a bluegrass score about a charming gentleman bandit, the rich plantation owner's daughter he loves, the wicked stepmother who wants her dead, and an evil thief who carries his brother's head around in a trunk. Directed by Peter Reynolds. Runs March 27-April 22, $7-$24, Villanova Theatre, Vasey Hall, Villanova University, 610-519-7474.
• SEEING DOUBLE This musical farce deals with the conflict in the Middle East by telling the story of a Palestinian American youth and a Jewish American youth who both make it back to their homeland in order to claim the same piece of land. Runs March 28-31, $2-$5, Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center, Ursinus College, Collegeville, 610-409-3795.
• SEVEN MEN FROM NOW Philadelphia actor and playwright Jerry Perna's serio-comic play of one man's journey through his childhood cultural influences, Tue, March 27, 7pm, FREE , The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-573-3234.
• THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC Peregrine Arts Productions presents a multimedia theatrical re-visioning of British composer Gavin Bryar's 1969 score of the same name, incorporating new film and video elements and texts. Directed by Bob McGrath. Thu, March 29, 7:30 & 9pm; Fri, March 30, 6pm, $10-$250, Union League of Philadelphia, 140 S. Broad St., 215-760-1634.
• SMALL FISH 1812 Productions inaugurates its new Development Series with a new musical performed entirely by puppets about La Pulcina Piccola, a vivacious chicken who leads a life of adventures and intrigues as a feathered prima donna in the underwater world of the Bermuda Triangle. Created by Susan J. Vitucci and composer Henry Krieger. Runs through March 25, $10, 1812 Productions Rehearsal Studio, 421 N. 7th St., 2nd floor, 215-592-9560.
• SOUVENIR This musical comedy is about a widowed society matron who followed her dreams all the way to Carnegie Hall in 1944 — as the "the worst singer who ever lived." Directed by Anders Cato. Runs through March 25, $28-$62, George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 732-246-7717.
• SPRING AWAKENING Written in 1891, this cutting-edge classic about the sexual awakening of a group of 14-year-olds launched the 20th century avant-garde theater. Directed by Lane Savadove. Runs through March 25, $28, Adrienne Theatre, 2030 Sansom St., www.egopo.org.
• TAKING STEPS A farce about a hard-drinking tycoon who attempts to buy a reputedly-haunted house (and former brothel) to please his wife, who is about to walk out on him. Runs March 23-April 29, $25, Hedgerow Theatre, 164 W. Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211.
• TINY DANCER An intimate musical comedy about a Scottish Orthodox Jewish immigrant, his wife, their soon-to-be-born baby, and their struggles in America in the 1980s to pursue art and love. Runs through April 1, $25-$40, Prince Music Theatre's Black Box, 1412 Chestnut Street, 215-569-9700.
• TROY STORY: YOU ODYSSEY IT TO BELIEVE IT Mask and Wig presents a story of myths and legends: following the death of her beloved father, an average Greek girl lands in the Trojan War after attempting to save her family estate from the Athenian government. Runs through March 30, $12-$25, Mask and Wig Clubhouse, 310 S. Quince St., 215-923-4229.
• TWELFTH NIGHT A classic Shakespearean romantic comedy about a girl who loves a boy who loves another girl who loves another boy who's actually the first girl in disguise. Witty hijinks and surprises abound. Directed by Abigail Adams. Runs through April 7, $28-$48, People's Light & Theatre Company, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, 610-644-3500.
• TWO ROOMS Azuka Theatre and Blue Ridge Theatre Fesetival present a story about a woman's tug-of-war with the government and the media when her husband, an American professor teaching in Beirut, is abducted by Shiite militiamen. Directed by Bev Appleton and Deborah Seif. Runs through March 24, $10-$20, Playground at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-733-0255.
• VICTIMS OF DUTY Ionesco's 1952 work, a parody of conformist modern life, is comic story about a bourgeois couple who becomes involved with a detective's attempt to track down the previous tenant of their flat. Presented by the Idiopathic Ridculopathy Consortium. Runs through March 28, $15, L'Etage, Beau Monde, 2nd floor, 6th & Bainbridge sts., 215-925-9665.
• WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST Kristina Wong presents a quirky and subversive one-woman show exploring the remarkably high incidence of mental illness among Asian-American women and the challenges of getting access to mental health care that face marginalized communities. Fri-Sat, March 23-24, 8pm, $20, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914.
• YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU A 1930s "Meet the Parents": UArts Theater presents Kauffman and Hart's classic love story about a boy and a girl. Hijinks ensue when the boy's buttoned-down Wall Street parents meet the girl's good-hearted, offbeat clan, teaching us to love our neighbors for their heart of gold, never for their gold. Runs March 28-April 1, $8-$16, Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St., 215-545-1664.

  opera

• AT THE LAKE WITH GIACOMO: AN EVENING OF PUCCINI In this Blue Planet Opera/Theatre production, friends visit the maestro as he is working on his latest masterpiece at his lakeside home and end up singing Puccini's greatest hits, Sat, March 24, 7:30pm, $18, Mainstage Center for the Arts, Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ, 856-227-3091.
• THE COUSIN FROM BATAVIA Concert Operetta Theater presents the Philadelphia premiere of Kunneke's German operetta about a young girl waiting for her first love to return, only to discover after their reunion that her memory of him is much more appealing than the actual person. Sung in an English translation. Directed by Jeremy Gill. Sat-Sun, March 24-25, 4pm, $20-$25, AVA Helen Corning Warden Theater, 1920 Spruce St., 215-389-0648.
• IL TROVATORE The Amici Opera Company presents a fully staged production of Verdi's tragic story about a troubadour and a lady-in-waiting whose love is thwarted by a jealous count. They die remaining faithful to each other, leaving the count in despair of his love for the girl. Love's a many-splendored thing indeed. Sung in Italian; summary of story before show, Sun, March 25, 2:30pm, $10-$22, The Chapel at Dock Woods Community, 275 Dock Dr., Lansdale, 215-224-0257.

  cabaret

• BEAUTY & THE BRUCE Bruce Clough introduces Miss Delaware 2005 (niece Becky Bledsoe) to the world of cabaret, mixing his R&B stylings with Bledsoe's opera-trained voice in an evening of serious and bawdy fun. $10 food/drink minimum. Sun, March 25, 7:30pm, $8-$30, The Stockton Inn, 1 Main St., Stockton, NJ, 609-397-1250.
• BOB'S BIG MONDAY SHOWCASE These weekly shows present performances by seven to eight singers, with two songs apiece. A special Monday menu is offered by the restaurant; a minimum $10 food or drink is required. Every Mon, 7:30pm, $8, The Stockton Inn, 1 Main St., Stockton, NJ, 609-397-1250.