“La Gringa,” a play that holds a 30-year record off-Broadway, will make its premiere at the Pennsylvania Playhouse, which is located at 390 Illick’s Mill Rd. in Bethlehem.
The Obie-winning play by Carmen Rivera-Tirado opened in 1996 and has become the longest-running Spanish-language play in off-Broadway history. The version being presented by the Pennsylvania Playhouse is the playwright’s English version of the play.
“La Gringa” is the story of María Elena Garcia, a young woman traveling to Puerto Rico for the first time during the Christmas holidays. Though she has always felt deeply connected to the island, studying Puerto Rican culture in college and dreaming of her heritage, she quickly discovers the reality is more complicated. On the island, she is labeled an American, a “gringa,” leaving her caught between two worlds. If she is Puerto Rican in the United States but American in Puerto Rico, where does she belong? With the help of her uncle, Manolo, María learns that identity is not defined by others, but is something she has carried within her all along.
The cast includes Tatiana Torres as Maria; Sonia Strockyj as Norma Burgos; Charles Dalrymple as Uncle Manolo; Nick Lopez as Victor Burgos; Julisa Trinidad as Iris Burgos; and Justin Ferguson as ‘Monchi’ Reyes.
Lopez also directs.
Set and lighting design is by Brett Oliveira and costume design is by Todd Burkel.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and March 28 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday and March 29.
Tickets cost $30 for adults, $26 for seniors, and $18 for students.
The March 21 performance is “pay as you are able.”
‘The Nightingale’ rescheduled
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem will present a family concert, which was rescheduled because of weather, at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.
The “Greg Funfgeld Family Concert – The Nightingale” is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday at Zoellner Arts Center, which is located at 420 E. Packer Ave.
A music-theatrical collaboration with Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, featuring puppetry, live actors, full Baroque orchestra and choir, and recorder virtuoso Tricia van Oers, Bach Choir’s interactive family concert is designed to engage, delight, and educate audiences of all ages.
A reimagined adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale,” this collaboration was 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 is reprising her role as the Nightingale. Bursting with heart, wit, and wonder, this performance offers timeless lessons in beauty, truth, and the power of live music.
Greg Funfgeld, artistic director and conductor emeritus of The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, will return to the stage as harpsichordist for this performance.
After “The Nightingale” comes to life on stage, children and families are 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.
New composers’ works
The Allentown Symphony Orchestra will present its second of two new chamber music concerts “America 250: Voices and Reflections” at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, March 24, at the Resurrected Life Church (formerly Zion’s Reformed United Church of Christ) on Hamilton Street in Allentown. The church is a fitting venue to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary as a nation, given it was where the Liberty Bell was hidden during the American Revolution from September 1777 to June 1778.
This special concert will showcase original compositions by local composers, featuring any combination of violin, cello, piano, and baritone voice. Composers were challenged to select a historic text by an American author or historic figure as their inspiration and use it as either inspiration for the piece to be projected behind the musicians, spoken word, or lyrics for the baritone soloist, Michael Kelly.
Nine composer finalists were chosen in September by Clarice Assad, the symphony’s composer-in-residence, and Diane Wittry, the ASO’s music director and conductor. Each composition, limited to approximately five minutes or less, was required to include a full score, individual parts for musicians, and an MP3 recording. Some composers also included detailed notes for musicians. In addition to these new works, the concert will feature a piece by Assad.
“The program opens with ideals as aspiration, immediately questions them at the founding moment, then moves through American history’s crucibles, such as the Civil War and World War II, while centering voices historically excluded such as immigrants, Black Americans, laborers and women,” Assad said. “The program pivots to contemporary warnings about propaganda and complicity, then closes not with despair but with an invitation to build together, acknowledging painful truths while insisting that the work of creating a more inclusive democracy continues.”
Featured composers are Scott Watson, Calvin Kiefer, Tom Maher, Ethan Monberg, Howard Buss, Bettina Gray, Ava Bloomfield, Keith Donahue, and the ASO’s new musician-in-residence, Jorge Vera.
Tickets cost $10 and will be available at the door or through the Miller Symphony Hall’s box office.
Students 21 and under will be admitted free.
Charts musical
The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts’ (Charter Arts) production arts department will present the hit musical “9 to 5: The Musical.”
The show, based on the 20th Century Fox film, features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, and a book by Patricia Resnick.
Three unlikely friends, stuck in a dreary office, transform their workplace into a powerhouse of female empowerment. With the help of timeless tunes, daring antics, and unforgettable moments, they show there’s nothing they can’t do, even in a man’s world.
This production is directed by Kelly Minner-Bickert and choreographed by Jennifer Weaver. Music is directed by Erica Dickson.
Leading the orchestra is Joseph Bucci. Scenic and lighting design is by Ellen Schmoyer, costume design is by Amy Handkammer, and sound design is by Carlo Acerra.
The show features a student cast, with lead roles played by Raeya Bell as Violet Newstead, Della Baird as Doralee Rhodes, and Rosie Grellet as Judy Bernly. Andi Schubert plays hapless boss Franklin Hart Jr.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $20 for adults and $12 for students.
Reading at RTP
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Continuing with the season theme of “Disruption,” the Reading Theater Project will present a staged reading of Josh Cohen’s “Deb’s Dresses” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, at GoggleWorks’ Boscov Theater in Reading. The reading, featuring script-in-hand performances by local actors, is directed by Patrick O’Neill and stage-managed by Jody Reppert.
In the play, siblings Mark and Rachel Aronson try to give their wayward sister Becca a lifeline when she returns home to Cleveland from New York City and takes a job at a family friend’s dress shop. But Becca has betrayed their trust before, and she has demons from her past that could derail her life and endanger her relationships.
Cohen is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, and now lives in Montgomery County. In addition to play writing, Cohen also writes songs and poems. One of his poems was included in “Keystone Poetry: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania” (2025).
Tickets are pay-what-you-will, with a recommended price of $10.
‘America 250’
As the Reading Choral Society celebrates its 150th anniversary season, it’s joined by another Berks musical institution, the Ringgold Band, for “America 250,” a concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Scottish Rite Cathedral, which is located at 430 S. Seventh Ave. in West Reading, Berks County.
The centerpiece of the concert is “The Testament of Freedom” by Randall Thompson (known for his beloved “Frostiana”), which sets texts from the writings of Thomas Jefferson. The concert will include other favorite patriotic works such as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and the national anthem.
Founded in 1875, the Reading Choral Society has, from its earliest days, pursued performances characterized by vocal excellence and musical distinction. Under its current music director, Graham Bier (the 12th person to hold this position), the society continues to evolve and change. Its educational programs now encompass performances with invited local high school and college choirs. Performances include collaborations with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, Ringgold Band, and the Reading Pops. While continuing the tradition of programming choral masterworks, the society has expanded its repertory to include the more frequent performance and commissioning of new music and the exploration of more “popular” literature, like folksong, spirituals, and current composers.
The 80-voice Reading Choral Society is comprised of dedicated amateur singers from all walks of life and all ages.
Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students.
‘Dog Man’ at State
Based on the worldwide bestselling hit series by Dav Pilkey, “Dog Man:The Musical” is a hilarious and heartwarming production following the chronicles of Dog Man, who with the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture.
The show, based on the beloved character, will be presented at the State Theatre in Easton at 6 p.m. on March 26.
While trying his best to be a good boy, can Dog Man save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings, catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on Dog Man and help George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime? The epic adventure features all the memorable characters from Pilkey, the creator of “Captain Underpants” and “Cat Kid Comic Club.” The show features book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila, music by Brad Alexander, and original direction and choreography by Jen Wineman.
Tickets cost $38.45 to $69.50.