The Bach Choir of Bethlehem will present the “Greg Funfgeld Family Concert – The Nightingale” at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Zoellner Arts Center, which is located at 420 E. Packer Ave. in Bethlehem.
A musico-theatrical collaboration with Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, featuring puppetry, live actors, full Baroque orchestra and choir, and recorder virtuoso Tricia van Oers, the choir’s interactive family concert is designed to engage, delight, and educate audiences of all ages.
A reimagined music-theatrical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale,” this collaboration between the choir and the theater has been created by local arts legends Doug Roysdon, Greg Funfgeld, and Bridget George.
The performance is infused with artful selections by Bach, Couperin, Mozart, and more to make the story come alive with sparkling soundscapes and visual poetry.
Internationally acclaimed recorder player van Oers will reprise her role as the Nightingale. Bursting with heart, wit, and wonder, this performance is perfect for audiences of all ages — offering timeless lessons in beauty, truth, and the power of live music.
Greg Funfgeld, the choir’s artistic director and conductor emeritus, will return to the stage as harpsichordist.
After “The Nightingale” comes to life on stage, children and families will be invited to meet the puppet characters up close in the atrium from 4:15 to 5 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity for young audience members to see the beautiful craftsmanship of the puppets, ask questions, and even take photos with their favorite characters from the performance.
Tickets cost $28.57 for adult and $9 for students.
Operatic Goldilocks
Berks Opera Company, in collaboration with Yocum Institute for Arts Education and Reading Area Community College’s Miller Center for the Arts, will present “Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears” on Friday and Saturday. The Miller Center is located at 4 N. Second St. in Reading’s Entertainment Square.
Opera meets fairy tale in this hilarious and tuneful twist on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldie B. Locks, a curious young girl with a passion for music, stumbles upon a family of opera-singing bears and learns important lessons about honesty, respect, and harmony, both musical and personal.
Written by John Davies, the show will feature music by Mozart, Offenbach, and Rossini. The cast features Maya Burdick, Connor McLaughlin, Myleigh Snyder, and Orin Strunk.
Following Friday’s performance, the audience will be invited to enjoy a dessert reception in the lobby, featuring photo opportunities with the cast; a cupcake decorating station where students can make their own mini bear cupcake; a coloring station for young artists and hot chocolate and other sweet treats.
Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for children.
Free parking is available in RACC’s student lots on a first-come, first-served basis.
Absurdist play
Act 1 Productions at DeSales University will present the absurdist comedy “Rhinoceros” at the Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, which is located on the campus of DeSales University, 2755 Station Ave., in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County.
The provocative and darkly comic play was written by Eugène Ionesco in 1959. Exploring themes of conformity, mob mentality, and morality, it’s set in a small provincial French town. When a rhinoceros appears in a town square, followed by more, people begin to transform, including Bérenger’s (Ryan Plunkett) friends and love interest, Daisy (Mariana Marcel). Bérenger, initially lazy and a heavy drinker, becomes the lone figure fighting against the transformation.
The play is an allegory for the rise of fascism, mass conformity, and the struggle to maintain individuality and logic in the face of overwhelming social and political pressure. It explores themes of alienation, mob mentality, and the absurdity of human existence, as Bérenger grapples with his own identity while the world around him succumbs to the “brute force” of the rhinoceroses.
“‘Rhinoceros’ asks us to consider the cost of holding onto our individuality in the face of mounting groupthink,” said Jessica Bedford, director and Act 1 artistic director. “Herds can be tempting. There’s safety in numbers, but what happens to a society when we abandon critical thinking? While these pressures have always existed, they’re amplified for young people today, living with constant peer and social pressure. Ionesco’s play isn’t nihilistic, though. Through the unique comedy of absurdism, ‘Rhinoceros’ reminds us that life is worth living and that humans must persevere. As one of my mentors says, ‘When you’re laughing, you’re thinking.’”
The production team includes movement direction by K. O’Rourke, scenic design by David Gallo, costume design by Amy Best, lighting design by Eric T. Haugen, sound design by Madeline Ashby and Andrew McGill, and projection design by Kenton Jones.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and Feb. 25, 26, 27,and 28; at 2 p.m. on Sunday and March 1; and at 9:45 a.m. on Monday.
There will be talkbacks with the cast after this Sunday and Monday’s performances.
Sunday’s show will also provide open-captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and audio descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. Tickets are half price for patrons using those special services on Sunday. Call the box office for more information.
After the Feb. 27 show, there will be “Rhinos & Reflections,” a post-show event of reflection and playful nonsense that will invite the audience to step beyond the stage and into the strange, but familiar world of “Rhinoceros.” Audience members can participate in absurd art and activities, enjoy thematic treats, and reflect on the play’s questions of identity, conformity, and courage.
The production is recommended for ages 13 and up.
Tickets cost $23 for adults and $21 for students and seniors Wednesday through Friday, and $27 for adults and $25 for students and seniors Saturday and Sunday.
The Feb. 28 performance will be pay-what-you-can.
Harry Potter satire
The Cedar Crest College Department of Performing Arts will premiere “Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic,” a satire based on a well-known boy wizard, at Samuels Theater, which is located at 100 College Dr. in Allentown.
“Puffs” is a comedic parody play by Matt Cox that retells the Harry Potter story from the perspective of members of the Hufflepuff house, or Puffs, focusing on the students who weren’t the main hero but were just trying to survive wizarding school.
The play follows a group of Puffs, including Wayne, played by Nik Georgievski; Oliver, played by Salem Perez Torres; and Megan, played by Ashley Rodriguez, as they navigate classes, bullies, and the looming threat of a dark wizard, all while the famous “boy who lived” takes center stage. It’s a fast-paced, joke-filled romp that is affectionate toward the source material but not officially part of the Harry Potter canon. The show ran off-Broadway in 2016.
The cast also features Rosemarie Kramer, Kyleigh Vicoso, Max McCurdy, Alyssa Weber, Jayden McFaddin, David Lippincott, Jahniya James, Michelle Rieder, and Will Windsor Erwin.
The show is directed by Jarrod Yuskauskas in his Cedar Crest directorial debut.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
There will be a “Nerd Night,” celebrating STEM minds, fandom love, and third-place pride, at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the alumnae green room. Register online.
Tickets cost $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students.
Story Cabaret at Touchstone
Touchstone Theatre will hold its “Winter Story Cabaret” at 7 p.m. on Friday at Godfrey Daniels, which is located at 7 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem.
The performance is part of Touchstone’s “UnBound Year-Round,” a new year-long reframing of its “Festival Unbound.”
“Festival Unbound” started in 2019 as a 10-day event, using the arts as a vehicle to explore questions of community and identity. Over the next five years, “Festival UnBound” evolved into a multi-day celebration of performances and workshops. Now in its seventh year, Touchstone has changed the festival to “UnBound Year-Round,” with events throughout Touchstone’s season instead of being limited to a single week.
The cabaret is an evening of personal stories hosted by Touchstone ensemble member and professional storyteller Mary Wright. It is patterned after the long-running New York City spoken-word event, “The Moth,” which brings together theater and storytelling. It was founded in New York City in 1997 and had spread to 28 cities.
The live performance will feature local professionals and an open-mic for the public to participate. Stories must be true and personal, and open-mic stories are limited to five minutes.
Guest performers will include Wright, Dave Fry, and Khalid Taylor.
Wright has been a professional actor, director, playwright, and storyteller for more than 25 years. She is a founding member of the Lehigh Valley Storytelling Guild and is on the faculty and a director at Pennsylvania Theater for Youth.
Fry is a folk musician, teaching artist, co-founder of Godfrey Daniels, and author of “Welcome to Godfrey Daniels: How a Small Folk Club Became a Legendary Venue for Musicians from Around The World.”
Taylor is a teaching artist, documentary songwriter and musician.
Stories will be on the theme of “Light.”
The program will run approximately two hours. The first hour will feature the guest performers, telling original, true, personal stories based on the theme, followed by a five-minute break, and then the open-mic portion of the evening will begin. Ten slots are available for sign-up in the open mic portion.
Tickets are pay-what-you-will.
Fresh baked goods and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit Godfrey Daniels. You may take your own beer and wine.
Classic comedy at Lehigh
The Lehigh University Department of Theatre will present Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” in the Fowler Black Box Theatre at Zoellner Arts Center, which is located at 420 E. Packer Ave. in Bethlehem.
Wilde’s masterpiece — a sparkling satire filled with wit, romance, and mistaken identities — remains one of the most treasured works in English theater, celebrated for its razor-sharp dialogue and playful critique of Victorian society. This dazzling comedy follows two friends leading double lives in order to escape social obligations and pursue love, resulting in a whirlwind of secret engagements, hilarious misunderstandings, and absurdly delightful revelations.
Tickets cost $12. Seating is limited, and advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and Feb. 25, 26, 27, and 28, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
‘90s drama
The Yocum Institute Theater Department will present “She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition” at Yocum Institute for Arts Education, which is located at 3000 Penn Ave. in Spring Township, Berks County.
Written by Qui Nguyen, “She Kills Monsters” follows high schooler Agnes Evans, who never expected that discovering her late sister Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook would launch her into a fantastical world filled with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and sword-swinging adventure, but that’s exactly what happens in this high-octane dramatic comedy.
As Agnes battles her way through the imaginary realm her sister once called home, she uncovers more than monsters. She finds courage, connection, and the chance to finally understand the sister she thought she lost. With fast-paced action, surprising heart, and plenty of ’90s pop culture, “She Kills Monsters” is a love letter to the geeks, the warriors, and the storytellers we leave behind.
As part of Yocum’s Legacies season, this play asks what it means to honor someone’s memory and how the stories we tell can keep those we love alive.
This production is rated PG-13 for mature themes and language.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $12.
Dance performance
Lafayette College’s Williams Center for the Arts in Easton will present Christopher Morgan & Artists’ “Native Intelligence / Innate Intelligence” at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Christopher K. Morgan & Artists (CKM&A) creates multi-disciplinary dance performances that synthesize dance, storytelling, original music, and multimedia design to create singular performances that explore identity, social, and cultural issues.
“Native Intelligence/Innate Intelligence” is the second work in a trilogy by Morgan that began with Pōhaku (2016) and will conclude with N(8)tive Enough.”
“Native Intelligence/Innate Intelligence” incorporates dance, Hawaiian chant and percussion, original compositions for cello, and multimedia scenic design to examine ancestry, home, and belonging. Research for the work began by questioning the word native, an identity that has become politically charged and is frequently a weapon of colonization. Collaborators explored the origins of instinct, nature vs. nurture, which aspects of our identities are shaped by our environment, and how our ancestry impacts our personalities and identities. DNA inspired Morgan to incorporate the Hilo lei making technique into the piece. The double twisting spiral in the Hilo technique is reminiscent of the double helix of DNA. The metaphor of lei as strands of our DNA informed the scenic design by Brenda Mallory and how the work weaves together stories from varied identities to build bridges that celebrate commonality and respect individuality. The fabric used onstage contains stories of identity from community members we have met over the years making this work, including from the host community of each location where the work is performed.
A free Hawaiian lei-making workshop is set to take place from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday in the friends room at the Easton Public Library. Registration is required. Leis made in the workshop will be incorporated into the performance.
Tickets cost $33 for adults and $6 for students.