{"id":244910,"date":"2026-07-16T14:51:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T14:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/244910\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T14:51:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T14:51:28","slug":"things-to-do-world-cup-to-take-center-stage-in-reading-things-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/244910\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to Do: World Cup to take center stage in Reading | Things To Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FIFA<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

69 WFMZ-TV | Chad Blimline<\/p>\n

The 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament is coming to a close, and Reading is inviting soccer fans to attend FIFA\u2019s official World Cup Fan Zone<\/a> at the Santander Arena<\/a> on Penn Street this weekend. Admission and parking are free.<\/p>\n

Soccer fans can get in on the global excitement on both Saturday and Sunday. The air-conditioned arena will transform into a high-energy hangout, where fans of all ages can cheer, chant, and catch every big moment of action together on the giant screens.<\/p>\n

The outdoor festival on Penn Street will feature food and drink vendors, live music, elite youth clinics, mini tournaments, interactive games, and kid-friendly activities, creating a fun, welcoming experience for everyone. The event will offer families and friends the perfect opportunity to spend the day together and be part of the global excitement close to home.<\/p>\n

\"Setup<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

69 WFMZ-TV | Chad Blimline<\/p>\n

\u201cReading is a hard-working city built on culture, diversity, and community,\u201d the city\u2019s mayor, Eddie Moran, said when the FIFA Fan Zones were announced in March. \u201cWe know how to come together to celebrate, whether for the arts, music, or one of the biggest sporting events in the world this summer. We look forward to bringing folks together and inviting people from all over to experience the pride and energy that Reading has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Saturday, the featured game will be the World Cup bronze final at 5 p.m., with musical guest The Main Squeeze on the main stage. Also entertaining the crowd will be Mariachi Tierra Mia, DJ Evolution, Root Settaz, DJ Rizo.Ritmo, Grahamage, Nightshift, and DJ Johnny V.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, the main event will be the World Cup Final at 3 p.m., with musical guests Sugar Ray and Ax & Hatchetman on the main stage. The entertainment lineup also features Bad Slice, DJ Q-Ball, Supreem & The New Experience, DJ DynaMike, Lost Dad, Milou Sky, and DJ Houdini.<\/p>\n

Admission to the Fan Zone is free, however, online registration<\/a> is required to attend.<\/p>\n

Free parking will be available from 8 a.m. Saturday through 10 p.m. Sunday at the DoubleTree Hotel garage (750 Court St.), the South Penn garage (635 Franklin St.), and the Reed & Court garage.<\/p>\n

\"Reading<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sherlock Holmes play<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival<\/a> will premiere a Sherlock Holmes adventure with \u201cKen Ludwig\u2019s Moriarty<\/a>\u201d at Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, which is located on the campus of DeSales University at 2755 Station Ave. in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County.<\/p>\n

Playwright Ken Ludwig said he never planned to become an author of Sherlock Holmes plays. In 2015, Ludwig adapted Arthur Conan Doyle\u2019s most famous Sherlock Holmes adventure, \u201cThe Hound of the Baskervilles,\u201d into a comedy\/mystery titled \u201cBaskerville.\u201d The play used five actors to play more than 35 characters and gave the play \u201can antic theatricality that I liked,\u201d Ludwig shared.<\/p>\n

\u201cBaskerville\u201d was such a hit that Ludwig decided to return to Holmes and see if there was another play there.<\/p>\n

Ludwig found himself intrigued by Doyle\u2019s \u201cThe Final Problem,\u201d the only Sherlock Holmes story in which Professor Moriarty, Holmes\u2019 arch-nemesis, appears. Ludwig also was attracted to other iconic characters from Doyle\u2019s books, including Irene Adler from \u201cA Scandal in Bohemia\u201d and Sherlock\u2019s brother Mycroft from \u201cThe Bruce-Partington Plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ludwig created a back story in which Moriarty is Holmes\u2019 professor from his days as a student at Cambridge University.<\/p>\n

Ludwig said in his vision, Moriarty is \u201ca beloved mentor who betrayed the trust of his young acolyte and escaped into the underworld to wreak havoc on London. Holmes, blaming himself for failing to see the evil in Moriarty, dedicates his life to bringing criminals to justice in an attempt to atone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Maboud<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Maboud Ebrahimzadeh<\/p>\n

In the story, Sherlock Holmes, played by Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, and Dr. Watson, played by Doug Hara, take on the case of the Bohemian king\u2019s stolen letters which quickly spirals into an international web of spies, blackmail, and deception. To take down criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, played by Ian Merrill Peakes, and his ruthless network, Holmes and Watson join forces with American actress Irene Adler, played by Cassia Thompson, whose razor-sharp wit and magnetic charm add a delicious twist to the chaos. The five-person cast, which include Karen Peakes, bring more than 30 characters to life.<\/p>\n

Adding to the madcap mystery are a cast of puppets created by Angel D\u2019Andria, who also created puppets for the children\u2019s show \u201cSheila the Magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMoriarty\u2019 is my attempt to give us all yet another opportunity to experience the comic joy and melodramatic pyrotechnics of the Sherlock Holmes legend,\u201d Ludwig said.<\/p>\n

The show features original music by Alex Bechtel, played by musicians Tyler Borneo, Arrianna Daniels, Darin F. Earl II, and Eli Lynn.<\/p>\n

Understudies are Mariana Marcel, Teddy Novak, Ryan Plunkett, India Proffit, and Shawn Taylor.<\/p>\n

The creative team includes Matt Pfeiffer as director; Brian Sidney Bembridge as scenic designer; Alison Roberts as costume designer; David M. Greenberg as sound designer; Thom Weaver as lighting designer; and Daniel Espie as music director.<\/p>\n

\u201cKen Ludwig\u2019s Moriarty\u201d will play in repertory with William Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cRomeo and Juliet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and July 23, 25, 29, and 31; at 6:30 p.m. July 21 and 28; and\u00a0at 2 p.m. July 22, 26, and Aug. 1.<\/p>\n

The July 23 audience can meet the actors for an informal discussion after the show.<\/p>\n

An audio-described and open-captioned performance for the blind and visually-impaired and deaf and hard-of-hearing will be performed at 2 p.m. on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cEpilogues,\u201d a free discussion and a behind-the-scenes look at the show, will be presented at 10 a.m. on July 25. It will allow audience members to gain deeper insight and ask questions.<\/p>\n

Local farce\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Reading<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Reading Theater Project<\/a> will present a staged reading of “Just What the Doctor Ordered,” a farce by local playwright Judd Lear Silverman, at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Wyomissing Public Library<\/a>, which is located at 9 Reading Blvd. in Wyomissing, Berks County. A question-and-answer session with the playwright will follow.<\/p>\n

In this Moliere-meets-Orton farce, a Jewish mother, on her deathbed, insists her son should be married to inherit the family fortune, but with gay marriage legal, he should marry a gay doctor. Counter-plots ensue and complications follow. The show is directed by Kimberly Patterson.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Silverman, a Berrilla Kerr Foundation grant recipient, sets the play sometime after 2008, when Connecticut legalized gay marriage, using the farce to explore desire, obligation, and family sabotage against the backdrop of early 21st-century America. While not autobiographical, Silverman said the work draws on the same contemporary, farcical instincts as his literary influences.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Silverman’s plays have been published by ArtAge, Samuel French, the Pirandello Society of America, and Applause Theatre Books’ \u201cBest American Short Plays.\u201d They are featured on the New Play Exchange. His play “Proud” opened RTP’s 2025\u20132026 “Embracing Our Humanity” season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tickets cost a suggested price of $10 or pay-what-you-will and can be purchased online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jason Robert Brown cabaret<\/p>\n

\"Spotlight\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Star of the Day<\/a> will present a cabaret titled \u201cThe Last 30 Years: The Music of Jason Robert Brown\u201d at Between the Lines Studio Theatre, which is located at 725 N. 15th St. in Allentown.<\/p>\n

The production brings together 17 of the Lehigh Valley\u2019s finest vocal talents, accompanied by Erica Silver, to showcase the songbook of the three-time Tony Award-winning composer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Known for his intensely personal, jazz-infused, and emotionally complex scores, Jason Robert Brown has shaped contemporary musical theater with iconic works like \u201cThe Last Five Years,\u201d \u201cParade,\u201d and \u201cSongs for a New World.\u201d This immersive cabaret will spotlight a stellar, diverse lineup of regional artists performing beloved fan-favorites, soaring ballads, and hidden gems from across Brown\u2019s expansive 30-year catalogue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJason Robert Brown\u2019s music is a masterclass in storytelling,\u201d said Kirsten Almeida, founder and managing artistic director at Star of the Day. \u201cHis songs capture the raw, messy, and triumphant realities of ordinary people navigating extraordinary moments. Bringing these powerhouse vocalists together under one roof guarantees a breathtaking evening of vocal power and theatrical magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Performers will be Gail Brown, Mike Daniels, Nathan Chipman, Mel Nichols, Safran Astra, Wendy Borst, Lauren Cirami, Darrah Connelly, Katy Hartzell, Rich Kliman, Zoey Lambert, Alexis Leon, Elisa Osorto, Sebastian Paff, Dave Scarlatella, and Jack Warnke.<\/p>\n

Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Tickets cost $18 to $23 and are available online<\/a> or with cash at the door.<\/p>\n

ABBA at ASO<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Allentown Symphony Orchestra will present \u201cDancing Queen\u2013The Music of ABBA<\/a>\u201d on Saturday at Miller Symphony Hall<\/a>, which is located at 23 N. Sixth St. in Allentown.<\/p>\n

Featuring four vocalists from Jeans \u2019n Classics, backed by a rock band and the orchestra, the concert will have audiences dancing, singing, and reliving the magic of ABBA, from high-energy anthems to heartfelt ballads.<\/p>\n

John Devlin will serve as guest conductor, and Katalin Kiss, Andrea Koziol, Callandra Dendias, and Kathryn Rose will be the vocalists.<\/p>\n

They will be joined by Adam Martin, guitar; Mich Tyler, bass; Jeff Christmas, drums; and Steve Holowitz, piano.<\/p>\n

Songs will include hits like \u201cMamma Mia,\u201d \u201cKnowing Me Knowing You,\u201d \u201cWaterloo,\u201d \u201cSOS,\u201d \u201cFernando,\u201d and \u201cThe Winner Takes It All,\u201d all performed in stunning symphonic glory.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Performances will be at 2 and 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tickets cost $30 to $81.<\/p>\n

Blues stars at State<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alison Krauss & Union Station will appear at the State Theatre Center for the Arts<\/a>, which is located at 453 Northampton St. in Easton at 7:30 p.m. on July 20.<\/p>\n

For nearly four decades, Alison Krauss & Union Station have upheld their legacy as one of the most influential and widely celebrated acts in bluegrass and roots music. Known for an immaculately crafted but endlessly surprising sound that transcends the boundaries of roots, country, rock & roll, and pop, Alison Krauss & Union Station released their highly anticipated new album, \u201cArcadia,\u201d in 2025. This marked their first studio album since the 2011 masterpiece \u201cPaper Airplane,\u201d a critically lauded, multiple Grammy Award-winning LP that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Album charts. Over the years, Alison Krauss & Union Station have taken their phenomenal live show to sold-out performances at famed venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Greek Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and London\u2019s Royal Festival Hall, in addition to supporting Paul Simon in Hyde Park for his 2012 Graceland reunion. They now continue the celebration of their new music with the Arcadia 2026 Tour.<\/p>\n

The players, Krauss on fiddle and lead vocal;\u00a0Jerry Douglas on dobro, lap steel and vocals; Ron Block on banjo, guitar and vocals; and Barry Bales on bass and vocals; along with celebrated tenor Russell Moore on guitar, mandolin and lead vocals, are five distinct personalities, each of whom enjoys a flourishing solo career. But when they get together, they transform into a peerless group of musicians who share a singular focus.<\/p>\n

Tickets cost $130 to $210.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"69 WFMZ-TV | Chad Blimline The 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament is coming to a close, and Reading…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":244911,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[349,7019,2233,7865,4691,736,128,130,129,12565,11868,39827,2236],"class_list":["post-244910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-berks-county","tag-concert","tag-fifa","tag-music","tag-penn-street","tag-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news","tag-santander-arena","tag-soccer","tag-watch-party","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244910"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244910\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}