The Allentown Art Museum will celebrate the start of Verano Vibrante — a “vibrant summer” of bilingual programming —with an indoor/outdoor Nuyorican Hip-Hop Bash on Saturday. The event will be free to attend and open to all ages from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Inside the museum, visitors will be able to view three featured artworks by artists of Puerto Rican heritage on loan from El Museo del Barrio along with the new exhibition, Revolution Retold.
On North Fifth Street, in front of the museum, there will be music, dance performances, art-making inspired by graffiti culture, food trucks by La Frikitona and Tita’s Piraguas, and more.
Starting at 11 a.m. outside, DJ Lazar and the “Mega Monster” mobile DJ soundstage by La Mega Radio will provide music; artist Rafael Menendez (of Maltas Con Leche) will lead graffiti-inspired art-making, and vendors will include El Patio de Mi Casa, artist Rosa Camacho, and artist Dreadydee.
At 11:30 a.m. inside, there will be all-ages art-making in the Crayola Classroom and lessons on how to dance in hip-hop/bomba fusion style in the Community Gallery.
On the outdoor main stage at 12:30 p.m., Ely Dance Studio will perform, and at 1 p.m., DJ Chenzo will play Afrobeat, Soca, and Reggaeton.
Kids can join the Arte y Español bilingual literacy program at 1:30 p.m. at the museum’s welcome desk.
There will be gallery tours in English at 1:30 p.m. and in Spanish at 2 p.m.
At 3 p.m. outside, there will be a Taíno ceremony led by Miguel Sangué-Marchiran of the Caney Indigenous Spiritual Circle.
Women past, present, and future
Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem will present its annual production of “Fresh Voices,” which will include three works that focus on the past, present, and future of womanhood.
“Fresh Voices” is a series of original devised performances created by first-year students in Moravian University/Touchstone Theatre’s master of fine arts program.
What began more than 20 years ago as part of Touchstone’s apprenticeship program has evolved into the capstone project for first-year MFA candidates. Developed over the course of six months under the guidance of the Touchstone ensemble, the works debut every June as the students’ first opportunity to introduce themselves to the community as artists. Past productions have explored a wide range of styles, including film, movement, pop-up experiences, and guerrilla-style experimental theater and touch on a variety of themes, including school shootings, Black female identity, parasocial relationships, and faith.
Creators Jolie Lanning and Anisa Hosseini were both interested in telling stories through a feminist lens. Through exploring this shared interest, they developed two solo works and one collaborative piece that address the past, the present, and the future. Each piece tells a distinct story in a unique style, unified by themes of female empowerment.
Hosseini’s solo performance introduces Ṭáhirih, a Persian poet and women’s rights advocate. The piece weaves together the experience of an American-born Iranian college student with the harsh realities faced by women in Iran during the Qajar Dynasty.
Lanning’s solo performance, “Period,” explores the present-day experiences of young girls and menstruating youth navigating puberty in the age of social media. Inspired by watching her younger sister begin puberty, along with her own research into social media, this performance art and video projection piece sparks conversation about how communities can better support youth and destigmatize menstruation. In conjunction with the performance, there will be a period product drive benefiting S.T.A.R. Bethlehem and the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT+ Center.
The final piece is footage from Lanning and Hosseini’s youth empowerment initiative, “In the Future, Girls Can…,” a party for girls ages 9-14 focused on celebrating creativity, community, and imagining the future through art and play.
“We want to end the performance with hope,” said Lanning. “We delve into some very raw, sometimes dark, and upsetting topics. We’re looking ahead with dreams for a better future, and this current generation of young girls is pivotal to that dream coming true.”
Tickets are pay-what-you-will. This performance is recommended for audiences aged 13 and older.
Performances will be at 8 p.m. on Friday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday. at Touchstone Theatre, which is located at 321 E. Fourth St. in Bethlehem.
‘Million Dollar Quartet’
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival will present the jukebox musical inspired by an impromptu jam session by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
“Million Dollar Quartet“ will be presented June 10 to 28 at the Main Stage Theatre on the campus of DeSales University, which is located at 2755 Station Ave. in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County.
“Million Dollar Quartet” tells the story of Dec. 4, 1956, when the four great musicians all happened to visit visionary producer Sam Phillips at his Sun Studio in Memphis. Phillips, known as the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” oversees an unplanned recording session, while careers hang in the balance.
The musical, with a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, is inspired by the true story of the recording session and the artists, all of whom were in their 20s and on the verge of stardom.
The actors are also musicians and play instruments on the 20 hit rock-and-roll songs, which include “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Who Do You Love?” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog.”
“Million Dollar Quartet,” which played on Broadway in 2010, was nominated for three Tony Awards and won one for actor Levi Kreis, who played Jerry Lee Lewis.
Jim Helsinger directs and Dominique Scott, who plays Jerry Lee Lewis, is music director.
The cast features John Gardiner as Sam Phillips; Jeremy Sevelovitz as Carl Perkins; Nick Voss as Elvis Presley; Chance Michael Wall as Johnny Cash; Chuck Zayas as Jay Perkins; Mike Lucchetti as Fluke; and Shannon Mullen as Dyanne. Understudies are Jonathan Acorn, Adam DelMedico, and Sophia Twohig.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. June 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26; at 2 and 7:30 p.m. June 13, 17, and 27; at 2 p.m. June 14, 21, and 28, and at 6:30 p.m. June 16 and 23.
The audience can meet the actors for an informal talk-back session after the June 18 and 25 shows.
There will be an audio described and open-captioned performance for the blind or visually-impaired and the deaf or hard-of-hearing on June 20.
“Epilogues,” a free discussion and a behind-the-scenes look at the show, will be presented at 10 a.m. on June 20. It will allow audience members to gain deeper insight and ask questions.
Theater fundraiser
Star of the Day will present a special performance of the children’s musical “Poppy and the Magic Tutu” as a fundraiser for Between the Lines Studio Theatre, which is located at 725 N. 15th St. in Allentown.
Written with little ones in mind, “Poppy and the Magic Tutu” focuses on Poppy, the famous hippopotamus ballerina, and her animal friends who have a major dilemma at the circus.
This high energy show is less than one hour, and it’s the perfect show to introduce children to the magic of live theater. It is interactive and filled with fun and laughter.
The show will feature Kirsten Almeida as Poppy, Isabella Robbins as Cat, Raven Whitefawn as Lion, Safran Astra as Lion, Hannah Zarate as Monkey, and an ensemble of child clowns.
Tickets cost $10 online and $15 at the door.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday; at noon, 3, and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at noon and 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The performance will be bittersweet, since Between the Lines’ founder, Rachel Williams, has announced the theater company will close the doors of its theater, which the company opened in 2018, at the end of the year because of finances. She said the company will continue to produce theater at a different location.
Side by side concert
The Reading Pops Orchestra will begin its pops summer concerts, starting with the annual Side by Side Concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Exeter Township Senior High School, which is located at 201 E. 37th St. in Exeter Township, Berks County.
The program will feature high school students from Berks County and beyond rehearsing and performing with the pops orchestra’s musicians. Tyler Readinger will conduct the program of music from the orchestra’s repertoire. The program is free to attend and open to the public.
El Sistema anniversary
El Sistema Lehigh Valley (ESLV) will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a celebration concert at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown.
Since 2011, ESLV has operated as an intensive daily music education program at three schools in the Allentown School District: Roosevelt Elementary, South Mountain Middle, and Raub Middle. ESLV provides students with a structured learning environment, fostering personal development through daily music training, homework tutoring, and public performance opportunities.
ESLV will commemorate 15 years of inspiring young musicians and building community through music. The program will feature repertoire connected to several milestones and anniversaries, including America’s 250th birthday, the 150th anniversary of Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, and 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh. Current ESLV students will be joined on stage by a special alumni ensemble made up of former students and staff, celebrating the lasting impact of the program across generations.
Admission is free, and no tickets are required.
Haring puzzle
Visitors to the Kutztown Area Historical Society in Kutztown, Berks County, can lend their puzzling skills to the Keith Haring Jigsaw Puzzle Project.
The Keith Haring: Double Retrospect puzzle by Ravensburger Puzzles has 32,256 pieces, and when the puzzle was released in 2011, it held the Guinness World Record for largest jigsaw puzzle ever made.
When complete, it measures 17.8’ long x 6’ high. It’s so large, it comes with its own dolly to transport the box.
The puzzle, created in honor of Kutztown native Keith Haring, was donated to the historical society, which is located at 212 S. Whiteoak St.
The puzzle is being built on the second floor of the building. Visitors can enter by the rear door and follow the stairs to the top. Build times will be 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday as well as 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays.
If any group would like to help at a different time, email info@kutztownhistory.org.
Rooms to View
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites will hold its 34th annual Rooms to View House & Garden Tour on Saturday at locations in Bethlehem and upper Bucks County.
Rooms to View guests will enjoy an expanded footprint of beautiful homes and gardens. They can explore a well-known artist’s creatively decorated home and studio that incorporates multimedia works of art and see plein air artists demonstrating in the garden that day.
A mid-century masterpiece in Bethlehem joins a circa 1810, sensitively renovated home along the Monocacy Creek, along with other 20th-century styles that highlight Bethlehem’s development as a community over time.
In upper Bucks, the circa 1780 Jacob Uhler House and garden, featuring a saltwater pool, is complemented by nearby 19th-century properties and the historic Durham Mill and Furnace, a nod to the area’s Revolutionary War-era history.
The tour will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From 9 to 11 a.m., ticket holders can enjoy coffee and donuts at Luckenbach Mill, where they can pick up a Rooms to View program and enjoy the Lehigh Art Alliance exhibition supporting the Overlook on History.
Following the tour, guests can enjoy a complimentary wine-and-cheese reception at the Durham Road property from 4 to 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $40 for members and $50 for guests. Registration is required.