Berks County will get its first fully professional production of an opera in nearly a decade.
Berks Opera Company will stage Puccini’s classic opera “La Bohème” at Reading Area Community College’s Miller Center for the Arts in Reading’s Entertainment Square at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The tragic opera is directed by Joel Gori and features a 14-piece orchestra conducted by Brent Chancellor.
In “La Bohème,” artists experience love, friendship, poverty, illness, and heartbreak. The story unfolds through music that is soaring and passionate, fun and tragic. Puccini’s masterpiece captures the beauty and vulnerability of youth and its dreams, remaining one of the most popular operas of all time.
The cast features Berks County natives Frederick Schlick (Rodolfo) and Mary Fetterman (Musetta) alongside Suzannah Waddington (Mimi), Tom Sitzler (Marcello), Connor McLaughlin (Schaunard), John T.K. Scherch (Colline), Steven Condy (Benoit/Alcindoro) and Matt Mangus (Parpignol).
The chorus features sopranos Cheryl Markofsky, Nikki DiFabrizio, Julie Johnson, Vishi Agrawal, Dara Himes , Alivia Haines, and Elise Lied; mezzo-sopranos Rachel Folk, Joyce Farmer, Denise Mastrocola, and Holly Bowman; tenors Matt Mangus, Zach Chan, and Jack Burrell; and basses Jason Rosenberger, Richard Black, and Adam Crotty.
Tickets cost $40.
‘Evita’ in concert
Civic Theatre will stage “Evita In Concert,” a concert version of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice’s hit musical about Argentinian first lady Eva Perón. It will be performed with a 36-piece live orchestra.
According to director William Sanders, performers will “bring the story and music to life with scripts in hand, allowing the iconic score and sweeping orchestral arrangements to take center stage.”
“Evita” is a sung-through musical with music by Webber and lyrics by Rice that covers the early life, rise to power, charity work, controversies, and death of Perón (Jada Fontanez), the second wife of the Argentine president Juan Perón (Marquett Ferrell).
The cast also features Alejandro Rodriguez, Jarrod Yuskauskas, Mia Garcia, Pat Birnbaum, Wendy Borst, Mark W. Boyer, Sophia-Isabel Candelo, Li-Lon L. Dawson, John H. Klinges, Ruthanne Metzquer, Caleb Nush, Madison Richards, Dave Scarlatella, Chelie Setzer, Victoria Spruiell, Lily Suero, Marie Ann Sutera, Kate Varley, Malana Wilon, Ayana Alicea, Miranda Abbott, Julia Brown, Karima Brown, Kensi Christman, Christine Ebert, Khylah Eure, Emma Funderburk, Mariah Gorian, Joseph Mowad, Eli Porciuncula, and Allie Silva.
The youth ensemble features Beckett Edwards, Connor Simmons, Xavier Hetrick, Cashton Morrow, Gabriella Beahm, Madeline Torrence-Griffiths, and Camryn Achenzie.
The musical began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London’s West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for best musical, and in 1979 on Broadway, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for best musical.
“Evita” is filled with unforgettable melodies, dramatic storytelling, and some of musical theater’s most celebrated songs, including the hit song “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.”
The performance features music direction by Steve Reisteter and choreography by Mariel Letouneau.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Civic Theatre, which is located at 527 N. 19th St. in Allentown.
‘Rent’ at Bucks
Bucks County Playhouse will mark the 30th anniversary of Jonathan Larson’s iconic rock musical “Rent” with a new production that honors the landmark musical’s legacy while inviting a new generation to experience its timeless story of love, friendship, and community.
Directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-nominee Jennifer Weber (Broadway’s “& Juliet,” “KPOP”), “Rent” will run through September 13.
Leading the cast are Austin Turner (“Rent” at North Shore Music Theatre) as Roger Davis, Sam Primack (Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen”) as Mark Cohen, Alysia Velez (“Into the Woods” on Broadway) as Mimi Marquez, Owen Scales (“Frozen” at Fulton Theatre) as Tom Collins, David Merino (Broadway’s “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”) as Angel Schunard, Veronica Otim (Broadway’s “& Juliet,” “Redwood”) as Joanne Jefferson, Tiernan Tunnicliffe (Broadway’s “& Juliet”) as Maureen Johnson and Kevin Trinio Perdido (Broadway’s “Once Upon a One More Time”) as Benjamin Coffin III.
The company also features Dré Hinds, Aubrey Jones, Jack Hopewell, Michael Marrero, JP Qualters, Lauren Soto, and Sunayna Smith.
The creative team includes Alexander Tom as music director, Tom Rogers as scenic designer, and Nicole V. Moody as costume designer.
Since its Broadway premiere in 1996, Jonathan Larson’s “Rent” has inspired generations with its unforgettable score and powerful story of friendship, resilience, and chosen family. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama and four Tony Awards, including best musical, the musical helped transform Broadway and continues to resonate with audiences around the world 30 years later.
Rather than attempting to recreate the original production, Weber approaches “Rent” as a living work of theater, one that remains rooted in New York City’s East Village of the 1990s while speaking directly to today’s audiences.
“‘Rent’ is 30 years old, but we still tend to think about it as if it was written yesterday,” Weber said. “There are people in our cast who weren’t even born when ‘Rent’ premiered. They’re discovering this story with fresh eyes, and that creates an exciting conversation between the original generation of ‘Rent’ fans and a new generation experiencing it for the first time.”
Known for her highly physical storytelling, Weber creates a unique choreographic language through which the characters express emotion, explore memory and experience connection. Inspired by her own years living in a New York artists’ loft, Weber envisions the production’s iconic setting as the heart of a creative hub where diverse artists gather, collaborate, struggle, celebrate and ultimately, find community.
“I want audiences to reconnect with ‘Rent’ in a way that feels present,” Weber said. “I want people to hear the music differently because of what they see on stage.”
Set in New York City’s East Village during the height of the AIDS epidemic, “Rent” follows a close-knit group of artists navigating friendship, love, loss, and the pursuit of their dreams. Featuring songs including “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” “Take Me or Leave Me,” and “I’ll Cover You,” Larson’s electrifying score celebrates the enduring power of community and reminds us that the measure of a life is found in love.
Star of the Day
Star of the Day Event Productions will present Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka JR.” at St. John’s United Church of Christ, which is located at 139 N. Fourth St. in Emmaus, Lehigh County.
This production, designed for younger performers, follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Wonka’s rules in the factory or suffer the consequences.
“Willy Wonka Jr.” brings the magical, candy-colored world of Roald Dahl’s classic to life through beloved, nostalgic songs. It offers wholesome entertainment that captivates younger children while keeping adults thoroughly entertained with its fun, fast-paced storytelling and timeless moral lessons about kindness and gratitude.
The show features iconic songs from the classic 1971 Gene Wilder film (such as “Pure Imagination” and “The Candy Man”) alongside exciting, upbeat new numbers.
Tickets cost $18.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Shakespeare in Bethlehem
Truth and Light Media Productions, started by the five singing Gilbert siblings from Forks Township, Northampton County, will present Shakespeare’s comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at First Baptist Church, which is located at 3235 Linden St. in Bethlehem.
Truth and Light was started by Sing for America, a group founded in 2003 by sisters Taryn, Tasia, and Teara Gilbert and brothers Jewel and Jorne Gilbert to raise money for local causes. The siblings perform in, direct, choreograph, and do costume and set design for all their shows.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is set in Athens and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans. The fairies themselves are also in conflict, as the King and Queen of Fairies argue over a changeling boy.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $12 to $20.
Southside block party
Homebase Skateshop, in partnership with Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) and Archive, will welcome artist Lucas Beaufort for a weekend block party celebrating the art, music, and skateboarding communities of south Bethlehem. The weekend’s events will be free and open to the public.
The festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday with a panelist discussion featuring Beaufort and local arts advocates, hosted by Lehigh University Art Galleries, at 420 E. Packer Ave. in Bethlehem (inside Zoellner Arts Center). Following the panel, at 7:30 p.m., there will be an opening reception of a curated exhibition of local artists at Archive, which is located at 308 E. Third St. in Bethlehem.
The festivities will conclude with a community block party from 3 to 8 p.m. on Sunday outside Homebase Skateshop, which is located at 29 W. Fourth St., and along Vine Street between Fourth & Rink streets.
The block party will feature live art demonstrations with Beaufort, hands-on community art-making in partnership with artists from Lehigh Valley Artist Meetup, kids’ skateboarding activities and “best trick” skate contests with Homebase’s Push Ahead program, and music by The Nite Liters. Food and drinks will be available to purchase from Deja Brew Coffeehouse & Deli.
Born in Cannes, France, Beaufort is a world-traveled painter whose work centers on playful, mischievous characters that help spread messages of peace and hope. Heavily inspired by pop culture, photography, and a deep love for skateboarding, Beaufort’s art centers on the beauty of human connection and global exchange. His iconic, positive style has led to collaborations with global brands including Nike, Adidas, Converse, The North Face, Lacoste, Ford, Virgin Atlantic, and Four Seasons.
French Fry Fest
The eighth annual West Reading French Fry Fest is an outdoor event showcasing restaurants or vendors’ take on everyone’s favorite food: French fries! The pedestrian-friendly event will take place on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 600 and 700 blocks of Penn Avenue in West Reading. Nearly 30 vendors will dish up French fries in every way imaginable.
Vendors will be Midtown, West Reading Tavern, 3rd and Spruce, Brewers Bar and Grill, Winnie’s Tee Bar, West Reading Motor Club, West Brew Izakayam, Chef David’s, Little Loaf Bakery, Let’s Taco Bout lt. Comali Taqueria. Fritura Kings, Pretzel Revplution, Honey Belle Events, Nonno Albys, Doughboys Kitchen, Le Petit Macaroons, Spuds, Famous Fries, Pip and Lily’s,Elsie’s Place, JR’s Brisket, Archie’s. The Pulse Cafe, Sammy’s Steaks & French Fries, Why Not Burger, and Buckwalters.
Admission is free, and French fries are pay-as-you-go.