Wanamaker News

PHILADELPHIA, PA (October 2, 2014) - Philadelphia's treasured musical tradition - The Philly POPS Christmas Spectacular - returns to Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for eight festive performances from December 6-20, 2014, led by Britain's celebrated Philadelphia-raised conductor David Charles Abell, who is back by popular demand with The Philly POPS. As The POPS' exceptional musicians present beloved seasonal tunes in exciting arrangements, each concert also features three spectacular choirs and the ever-popular audience sing-along, in a rousing program guaranteed to please audience members of all ages. For 2014, The Philly POPS is pleased to welcome Broadway's renowned Phantom Hugh Panaro, a Philadelphia native, who makes his POPS debut during this annual family favorite.

This season's revival of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's Pulitzer Prize-winning play YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU opens on Broadway tonight, and in honor of the playwriting pair's long list of contributions to the theatre, we've rounded up some of their most notable works. Scroll down to learn more about the duo's canon!

Folger Theatre continues its relationship with Shakespeare's Globe in London with the touring production of KING LEAR, continuing in D.C. for a limited engagement through September 21. Directed by Bill Buckhurst, the acclaimed production has toured for months in the UK, Europe, and Asia. The Folger will be its debut here in the States. Check out a first look at the production below!

Octet of actors makes for memorable evening.

Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is currently transforming its Front of House areas by installing a number of stylish lounges and concept bars. Having invested more than £3 million in the roll out of 22 Ambassador Lounges and 10 premium bars so far, ATG has planned a further investment of £600,000 by the end of 2014.

For the first time in North America, the complete film trilogy The Lord of the Rings will be presented live, in concert, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, New York, April 8-12, 2015. Beneath a giant screen, the Academy Award-winning scores by Howard Shore will be performed by 250 musicians, on stage, including symphony orchestra, chorus and soloists, in two trilogies, Wednesday-Friday, April 8-10, and Saturday-Sunday, April 11-12. The production is created by CAMI Music, and follows acclaimed concert presentations of the first two films of The Lord of the Rings trilogy at Radio City Music Hall (2009 and 2010).

Full casting is announced for Gregory Doran's new production of the rarely-performed Jacobean domestic tragedy by Dekker, Ford and Rowley, The Witch of Edmonton. As previously announced Eileen Atkins returns to the RSC in the title role of Elizabeth Sawyer as the RSC continues to stage the plays of Shakespeare's contemporaries in the Swan Theatre. The Witch of Edmonton opens for previews on the 23 October 2014 and will play in repertoire with an extended run of The White Devil until the 29 November 2014.

Award-winning playwright Richard Bean unveils the second of his three world premieres to be staged this year, and renews his collaboration with acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark for Pitcairn at Chichester, prior to London and a national tour.

Fans of Agatha Christie's brilliant Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, can content themselves with the remaining three new episodes of David Suchet's career-capping portrayal, now being streamed by AcornTV. ELEPHANTS CAN REMEMBER, the 90 minute reworking of Christie's 1972 novel (here more successfully set in 1938), features Poirot and his irritating friend, crime write Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker) in an adaptation that remains long on incredible plot (the chestnut of twins and unrecognized identity) but finds its success in nuanced, layered performances. This episode includes sufficient red herrings to divert the casual Christie viewer, but there are fewer superfluous characters. This tighter core of suspects renders the still-complex intersecting plotlines easier to follow and savor than some previous outings. SPOILER ALERT: Pay attention to Dr. Willoughby's research on twins as a key to the original murder, and to secretary Marie McDermott's bland disregard for St. Patrick in solving the second.

CBS Sports' final-round coverage of the 2014 PGA Championship on Sunday, Aug. 10 (3:00-9:00 PM, ET), which saw Rory McIlroy win the Wanamaker Trophy, earned an average household rating/share of 6.0/13, up 36% from last year's 4.4/10 in the Nielsen metered markets.

Folger Theatre continues its relationship with Shakespeare's Globe in London with the touring production of KING LEAR, coming to D.C. for a limited engagement of 18 performances, September 5 - 21. Directed by Bill Buckhurst, the acclaimed production has toured for months in the UK, Europe, and Asia. The Folger will be its debut here in the States. Click below to go behind the scenes with the cast and creative team!

While not accompanied by his mainstay companions of many episodes (Capt. Hastings, Inspector Japp, Miss Lemon), this plot intertwines Poirot's likewise eccentric and charmingly maddening friend, crime writer Ariadne Oliver (Zoe Wanamaker). They inhabit a complex plot beset by double meanings and double identities, aided by strong production values including superb period costumes and a fabulous location: Christie's own Greenway Estate. Viewers familiar with Christie plot elements and ruses will probably catch on quickly to suspicious behaviors that scream: 'look at me, I'm a clue', but they are likely to catch novices unawares. Identifying the villain is probably easier than identifying the Motive here, and folly, whether of character or architecture, is an important theme. SPOILER ALERT: Eyes should be fixed on Sir George Stubbs (Sean Pertwee), whose hail-fellow-well-met demeanor is a thin veneer over a core of wickedness.

The curtain will rise on the 2015 performing arts season in Philadelphia soon, and budget-conscious theater and music lovers have reason to rejoice thanks to the many low-cost tickets options available to them. The award-winning Wilma Theatre introduces its new WynTix program, which offers tickets to all productions for just $25 each. At the Curtis Institute of Music, up-and-coming classical music stars deliver free performances three nights a week. And each Thursday, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance continues to send out its popular FunSavers email, loaded with half-price tickets for the coming week's shows and exhibitions.

Direct from Limerick City! Rubberbandits, the plastic-bag wearing musical comedy duo - the Chortle Award winners responsible for YouTube sensation 'Horse Outside' - bring their brand new musical CONTINENTAL FISTFIGHT to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014, straight from its critically-acclaimed, sold-out London season at Soho Theatre. CONTINENTAL FISTFIGHT, which they also recently performed to a packed crowd at Shakespeare's Globe (the first ever comedy gig to play the intimate, candle lit surroundings of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) is packed with dazzling new songs, great big hits and at least one celebrity puppet.

The London-based Shakespeare's Globe will bring their global touring production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet to Folger Theatre for three performances only this weekend, July 25 and 26, 2014, making it the only east coast stop for the company in the United States. Directed by Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurst, the production is a fresh, pared-down version of the classic tragedy of deferred revenge.

The windows in St Mary's Church, Fairford, represent the most complete set of medieval stained glass windows in any parish church in England. They were described by the Chair of the National Trust Sir Simon Jenkins as: "One of England's out-standing galleries of Church art" and the late Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, chose the lower half of the Great West Window as the luxury he wished to take to his desert island when he appeared on BBC radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

August at the award-winning East Lynne Theater is all about swashbuckling. Currently with 'Zorro!' on the mainstage, the company's Sunday Film Series, with co-sponsor The Cape May Film Society, presents two high seas adventures: 'The Crimson Pirate' (1952) on August 3 at 8:30p.m., and 'The Black Pirate' (1926) on August 10 at 8:30p.m.

Award-winning playwright Richard Bean unveils the second of his three world premieres to be staged this year, and renews his collaboration with acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark for Pitcairn at Chichester, prior to London and a national tour.

The London-based Shakespeare's Globe will bring their global touring production of William Shakespeare's Hamlet to Folger Theatre for three performances only on July 25 and 26, 2014, making it the only east coast stop for the company in the United States. Directed by Dominic Dromgoole and Bill Buckhurst, the production is a fresh, pared-down version of the classic tragedy of deferred revenge.

As part of BroadwayWorld's expansive coverage of the 68th Annual Tony Awards, we are providing the full text of all of the Tony Award acceptance speeches; from the emotional to the bizarre, and everything in between. Keep up with all of the winners' speeches on our continuously updated list.