Performing Arts

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

dance

• BALANCHINE and BEYOND The opening performance of the Philadelphia Ballet's season features "Ballo della Regina" by George Balanchine, "Kazimir's Colours" by Mauro Bigonzetti and "Push Comes to Shove by Twyla Tharp." Runs through Nov. 2, $24-$129, Academy of Music, Broad & Locust sts., 215-893-1955.

 

 

• PHASE II Mexican-American-Canadian choreographer Victor Quijada's dance troupe, the Rubberbandance Group, has created a new multimedia dance performance. The work, making its premiere in Philly, fuses hip-hop and ballet into a distinctive new style of dance. Runs through Nov. 8, $32-$48, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut St., 215-898-3900.

  theater

• A FEW GOOD MEN Before it was a Tom Cruise movie, it was a kickass play. The Players Club presents Aaron Sorkin's well-known Marine legal drama. Directed by Joseph Southard. Runs through Dec. 1, $8-$15, the Players Club of Swarthmore, Fairview Rd., off Rt. 320, Swarthmore, 610-328-4271.

 

 

• GEE'S BEND In tandem with the PMA's exhibit on Southern quiltmaking, the Arden presents Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's drama about women from the community of Gee's Bend, Alabama. The piece navigates black women's history in the south, threading it together with the town's longstanding quilting tradition. Directed by Eleanor Holdridge. Runs through Dec. 7, $29-$48, Arden Theatre Co., 40 N. 2nd St., 215-922-1122

 

 

• HAIRSPRAY Good morning, Baltimore! The classic film that became a musical that became a film again will be gracing the stage at Walnut Street for the next two months. Runs through Jan. 4, $10-$70, Walnut Street Theatre, 9th & Walnut sts., 215-574-3550.

 

 

• AN IMPENDING RUPTURE OF THE BELLY Matt Pelfrey's dark comedy makes its Philadelphia debut. Directed by Flashpoint's Michael Osinski, the piece centers on one man's struggle with suburban paranoia — the kind where you worry about nuclear terrorism instead of what's going on in your own home. Runs through Nov. 22, $5-$18, 2nd Stage @ the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., 215-665-9720.

 

 

• THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Oscar Wilde's witty masterpiece mixes snappy dialogue with even snappier outfits. Madi Distefano directs the tale of love lost, love found and love temporarily misplaced. Runs through Nov. 2, $10, Tohill Theatre, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Rd., Glassboro, NJ, 856-256-4545.

 

 

• MAGNETIC NORTH A recent work by William Donnelly about fidelity (or lack thereof), this drama tells the story of a young husband tempted by an old flame during the breakdown of his marriage. Directed by Bud Martin. Runs through Nov. 16, $20-$30, Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-654-0200.

 

 

• MASTER HAROLD ... AND THE BOYS A drama of the historical sort, Athol Fugard's piece examines South Africa in the time of Apartheid. Director Richard Corley's production centers on a white teen and his black servants. Runs through Nov. 2, $33-$47, Delaware Theatre Co., 200 Water St., Wilmington, DE, 302-594-1107.

 

 

• MY FAIR LADY Girl meets guy, guy tries to "civilize" girl, guy falls in love, girl falls in love, and they're so very British. The Media Theatre's production will have all the songs and trappings you remember — lov-er-ly. Runs through Nov. 2, $22-$42.50, the Media Theatre, 104 E. State St., Media, 610-891-0100

 

 

• PSALMS OF A QUESTIONABLE NATURE After their spell in Philly Fringe, the Nice People Theatre Company presents Marisa Wegrzyn's piece about two stepsisters settling family affairs and burying twisted family secrets. Directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh. Runs through Nov. 9, $15-$20, Walnut Street Theatre, 9th & Walnut sts., 215-480-7423.

 

 

• SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE FINAL ADVENTURE This mystery-turned-drama pits Sherlock against his nemesis Moriarty before the backdrop of seedy Victorian London. Directed by Janet Kelsey. Runs through Nov. 16, $22-$30, Hedgerow Theatre, 164 W. Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211.

 

 

• THIS IS THE WEEK THAT IS Also known as "The Election Special," 1812 Productions' beloved political satire about the history of the U.S. presidency piece couldn't come at a better time. Runs through Nov. 2, $30-$35, Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey St., 3rd Floor, 215-592-9560.

 

 

• UNUSUAL ACTS OF DEVOTION After Kathy Bates' unfortunate departure last season before the show could run, PTC is once again producing the latest from playwright Terrence McNally. Leonard Foglia directs this meditation on love and fidelity in all its forms. Runs through Nov. 23, $10-$59, Philadelphia Theatre Company, 230 S. 15th St., 215-985-0420.

 

 

• THE VAMPYRE Before there was Bram Stoker's "Dracula," there was John Polidori's "The Vampyre." The tale, adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly, is one of the earliest works of gothic horror and suspense, setting the tone for all works in the genre to come. Directed by Deanna Daugherty. Runs through Nov. 1, $12, Footlighters Theater, 58 Main Ave., Berwyn PA, 610-296-9245.

 

 

• THE WAR PARTY Vincent Delaney's work, presented by InterAct and directed by Rebecca Wright, deals with what happens when a conservative Republican woman loses her office. Runs through Nov. 23, $15-$28, InterAct Theater Co., 2030 Sansom St., 215-568-8079.