Jillian Rossi
As it looks ahead to its 100th anniversary next year, MunOpCo Music Theatre will hold an original music revue show to raise funds and awareness. The premiere of “A Day In The Life: the Ultimate Beatles Soundtrack Concert” is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday at Emmaus Theatre, which is located at 19 S. Fourth St., in Emmaus, Lehigh County. The show will be performed again on Sunday at 2 p.m..
“A Day in the Life” is a new work written and directed by Jillian Rossi, a local performer who is founder and lead singer of the SwingTime Dolls.
The company, Allentown’s oldest community theater, had been on hiatus since it staged “Rock of Ages” in September 2024. MunOpCo postponed its production of “Urinetown, The Musical,” which was scheduled for February 2025, because of “financial impacts and timing considerations,” according to the board of directors.
Rossi, who said she has been involved with MunOpCo for 20 years, wanted to help the company save money on its next show. She said she decided to write the show, her first, to save money. One of the biggest costs for theater groups is production rights, which include licensing fees, royalties, and material rentals, and can total $1,000 or more, plus 8% to 12% of ticket sales.
Rossi said she decided to write a show based on the music of The Beatles and weave together characters mentioned in The Beatles’ song, such as Jude” (Moriah Faith), Desmond (Ryan Doncsecz), Molly (Catherine Logan Blanar), Eleanor (Geri Kery and Rossi) and Maxwell (Kerry McGuire) into a storyline, in which the characters meet in a hospital waiting room.
“It is a storyline about love, hope and meeting people,” Rossi shared. “And there is a twist at the end. There are 72 Beatles songs intertwined with the character’s stories.”
She said the songs, many of which are in medleys, include favorites as well as less frequently heard songs, such as “Let It Be,” “Octopus’ Garden,” “Here Comes The Sun,” “Yesterday,” “Lady Madonna,” “In My Life,” Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and “All You Need Is Love.”
The show is fully produced with a set and costumes. Rossi also choreographed the show and said there will be lots of singing and dancing.
The large cast features Ryan Zickafoose, Johnny Bertone, Sherilyn Glose, Micah Henning, Darice Hoffman, Jim Hoffman, Brenda McGuire, Rebecca Pieper, Daimon Price, Lissa Scearce, Lori Sivick, Lisa Suppan, Phillip Wallens, and Colleen Zajacik.
The chorus features Patricia Kery-Donchez, Aaron Falkenstein, Bob Falkenstein, Deb Jacoby, Arianna Jones. Dave Scarlatella, and Linda Sherer.
MunOpCo, established in 1927, is the sixth-oldest municipal opera company in the country and the oldest linked to a recreation commission
“We want to keep MunOpCo’s name out there,” Rossi said. “We want to keep the company alive.”
Tickets cost $20.
‘Sister Act’ in Exeter
Reading Civic Theatre will present “Sister Act The Musical” at RCT Performing Arts, which is located at 4350 Perkiomen Ave. in Exeter Township, Berks County.
Deloris Van Cartier is an aspiring singer in Philadelphia, where she is auditioning to perform at her gangster boyfriends nightclub. Deloris believes that Curtis is going to introduce her to a big producer, but is upset when he tells her she is not ready. Hurt and rejected, Deloris decides to break up with him, but when she goes to find him she accidentally sees him kill one of his cronies. Deloris runs to the police, who place her in hiding at a convent until Curtis is brought to trial. At first, Deloris feels as though it will be the worst thing in the world, chafing against the constraints of convent life and an immovable Reverend Mother, but once she is introduced to the struggling choir at the convent, everything changes. She finds that many of the nuns at the convent are not that different from her, and that they are quite fun to be around. They help give her a bigger purpose in her life, showing her a genuine love and affection that was missing prior to her arrival at the convent. Sister Act is a joyous show that uses music to bring different communities, and lifestyles, together.
The cast features Davina Lopez as Deloris; Melisse Weber as Mother Superior; Sofia Stankiewicz, Kelly Kantner, Betsy Chapman, Shirley Pisano and Jeannette DeAngelo as nuns; Jeff Yoder, Matthew Allen, James Barksdale, Cody Hoppes, James Francisco, and Kyriakos Vachaviolos.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and April 17 and 18 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday and April 19.
Tickets cost $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, and $25 for students.
Sondheim at Lehigh
Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem and the Lehigh University Department of Theatre will present Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s beloved musical “Into the Woods” at the Diamond Theater.
The beloved musical intertwines classic fairy tales, from Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood, into a rich and unexpected story exploring wishes, consequences, and the complexity of human choices.
Through Sondheim’s unforgettable music and Lapine’s imaginative storytelling, the production invites audiences on a magical journey that moves beyond traditional fairy tale endings to explore the deeper meaning of responsibility, community, and the cost of dreams.
Directed by Lyam B. Gabel and Kashi Johnson, with music direction by Sarah Frook Gallo, Liz Olson, and Kyle Wernke, this production brings together talented performers and musicians from across the Lehigh University community. Into the Woods continues the university’s tradition of collaborative theatrical productions that blend music, storytelling, and stagecraft into memorable live performance experiences.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. April 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, and 18; and 2 p.m. April 12.
Tickets cost $12 and are free for Lehigh students.
New take on ‘Peter Pan’
Genesius Theatre will stage a new adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.”
Adapted from the 1905 American version of “Peter Pan” by J.M. Barrie, the show is a freshly modernized adaptation by Genesius director Douglas Carter Beane with an original score by Lewis Flinn. This family-friendly production invites audiences of all ages to partake in the most defiant act against growing up, using their imagination.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and April 15 and 17, at 3 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and on April 18, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $15 to $37.50.
Genesius Theatre is located at 153 N. 10th St. in Reading.
Political satire
Reading Community Players will present Tracy Letts’ “The Minutes” at WCR Center for the Arts, which is located at 140 N. Fifth St. in Reading.
“The Minutes” delivers a razor‑sharp satire of small‑town politics, beginning as an ordinary, comical city council meeting and spiraling into a brilliantly unsettling nightmare. With his signature wit and Pulitzer‑honed precision, Letts introduces a cast of familiar, larger‑than‑life personalities whose petty disputes — over parking spaces and missing bicycles — slowly peel back to expose something far more profound. What emerges is a bold, biting look at the stories America tells itself, and the fierce, often ugly battles over who gets to define them. It’s a timely work that captures the essence of our political moment and promises to resonate long after it.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $20.
Free parking is available across the street.
Final Bach at Noon
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem will conclude its Bach at Noon concert series with a performance at noon on April 14 at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.
The audience will hear members of The Bach Choir and Bach Festival Orchestra along with guest artists in this free, inspiring concert series. It will lso hear remarks from Christopher Jackson, the choir’s artistic director and conductor.
The program will give a sneak peak of what’s to come at this year’s 118th Bethlehem Bach Festival.
The audience will hear music by JCF Bach (Bach’s fifth son – the “Büchenberg Bach”) that was found in the Moravian Archives. For the centerpiece of April’s Bach at Noon, soprano Jessica Beebe will perform Mozart’s jubilant motet “Exsultate Jubilate” in anticipation of the festival’s May 8 performance of Mozart’s “Mass in C Minor.” The concert will close with “O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht, BWV 118,” a gorgeous, single movement motet that will be played again (but with period trombones) at the festival’s Bach at 4 concert.
Sinfonia concert
Gary White
The Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra will present “Hebrew Connections” at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Congregation Bnai Shalom, which is located at 1545 Bushkill St. in Wilson, Northampton County.
The sinfonia will perform under guest conductor Gary White.
The program will include Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City,” Ernest Bloch’s “Baal Shem Suite,” Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” and Sergei Prokofiev’s “Overture on Hebrew Themes.”
The Pennsylvania Sinfonia is a professional chamber orchestra that presents high quality, approachable classical music in the Lehigh Valley.
Ukulele orchestra
Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem will welcome the internationally acclaimed Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Baker Hall. Presented as part of Zoellner’s Presenting Series, this wildly entertaining ensemble combines masterful musicianship with sharp British humor in a genre-defying musical experience.
With nothing but ukuleles, ranging in size and register, the orchestra has built a worldwide following through its inventive arrangements and playful stage presence. Blending pop, rock, classical music, and film themes, the group delivers a musical performance full of unexpected twists, dazzling technique, and comedic charm.
The audience can expect an evening of imaginative interpretations and delightful contrasts as the ensemble transforms familiar songs into something entirely new. From beloved rock anthems to cinematic soundtracks and classical pieces, the orchestra’s signature style keeps listeners both surprised and thoroughly entertained.
Founded by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain has become a global phenomenon, performing for audiences across the world. The ensemble has appeared for members of the British Royal Family and the Houses of Parliament in London, and has captivated millions through international television broadcasts and online performances.
Tickets cost $45 and $35.
Jazz in Maxatawny
Sean Jones
Kutztown University Presents will present a performance by Sean Jones with the Kutztown University Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. on April 15 at Schaeffer Auditorium, which is located at 15200 Kutztown Rd. in Maxatawny Township, Berks County.
A trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and musical chameleon, Jones once turned a six-month stint with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra into an offer from Wynton Marsalis for a permanent position as lead trumpeter. Years later and now an internationally recognized educator, Jones currently chairs Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory and is artistic director of Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz Ensemble. On the Schaeffer stage, Jones will show he is equally adept as both a band leader and ensemble member. Celebrating Kutztown University’s strong jazz program, part of the performance will include a collaboration between Jones’ ensemble and K.U.’s Downbeat Award-winning Jazz Ensemble One.
Tickets cost $35 for adults, $34 for seniors, and $19 for students.