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Berks County will get its first fully professional production of an opera in nearly a decade.<\/p>\n
Berks Opera Company<\/a> will stage Puccini\u2019s classic opera \u201cLa Boh\u00e8me<\/a>\u201d at Reading Area Community College\u2019s Miller Center for the Arts<\/a> in Reading\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n In \u201cLa Boh\u00e8me,\u201d artists experience love, friendship, poverty, illness, and heartbreak. The story unfolds through music that is soaring and passionate, fun and tragic. Puccini\u2019s masterpiece captures the beauty and vulnerability of youth and its dreams, remaining one of the most popular operas of all time.<\/p>\n The cast features Berks County natives Frederick Schlick (Rodolfo) and Mary Fetterman (Musetta) alongside Suzannah Waddington (Mimi), Tom Sitzler (Marcello), Connor McLaughlin (Schaunard),\u00a0John T.K. Scherch (Colline), Steven Condy (Benoit\/Alcindoro) and Matt Mangus (Parpignol).<\/p>\n The chorus features sopranos Cheryl Markofsky, Nikki DiFabrizio, Julie Johnson, Vishi Agrawal, Dara Himes\u202f, Alivia Haines,\u202fand 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.<\/p>\n Tickets cost $40.<\/p>\n \u2018Evita\u2019 in concert<\/p>\n Civic Theatre<\/a> will stage \u201cEvita In Concert<\/a>,\u201d a concert version of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice\u2019s hit musical about Argentinian first lady Eva Per\u00f3n. It will be performed with a 36-piece live orchestra.<\/p>\n According to director William Sanders, performers will \u201cbring the story and music to life with scripts in hand, allowing the iconic score and sweeping orchestral arrangements to take center stage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvita\u201d 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 Per\u00f3n (Jada Fontanez), the second wife of the Argentine president Juan Per\u00f3n (Marquett Ferrell).<\/p>\n The cast also features Alejandro Rodriguez, Jarrod Yuskauskas, Mia Garcia, Pat Birnbaum, Wendy Borst,\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n The youth ensemble features Beckett Edwards, Connor Simmons, Xavier Hetrick, Cashton Morrow, Gabriella Beahm, Madeline Torrence-Griffiths, and Camryn Achenzie.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cEvita\u201d is filled with unforgettable melodies, dramatic storytelling, and some of musical theater\u2019s most celebrated songs, including the hit song \u201cDon\u2019t Cry For Me Argentina.\u201d<\/p>\n The performance features music direction by Steve Reisteter and choreography by Mariel Letouneau.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u2018Rent\u2019 at Bucks<\/p>\n Bucks County Playhous<\/a>e 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.<\/p>\n Directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-nominee Jennifer Weber (Broadway’s “& Juliet,” “KPOP”), “Rent” will run through September 13.<\/p>\n 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,\u201d \u201cRedwood\u201d) as Joanne Jefferson, Tiernan Tunnicliffe (Broadway’s “& Juliet”) as Maureen Johnson and Kevin Trinio Perdido (Broadway’s “Once Upon a One More Time\u201d) as Benjamin Coffin III.<\/p>\n The company also features Dr\u00e9 Hinds, Aubrey Jones, Jack Hopewell, Michael Marrero, JP Qualters, Lauren Soto, and Sunayna Smith.<\/p>\n The creative team includes Alexander Tom as music director, Tom Rogers as scenic designer, and Nicole V. Moody as costume designer.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Rent\u2019 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.”<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n 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 Boh\u00e8me,” “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.<\/p>\n Star of the Day<\/p>\n Star of the Day Event Productions<\/a> will present Roald Dahl’s \u201cWilly Wonka JR.\u201d at St. John’s United Church of Christ, which is located at 139 N. Fourth St. in Emmaus, Lehigh County.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWilly Wonka Jr.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Tickets cost $18.<\/p>\n Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday.<\/p>\n Shakespeare in Bethlehem<\/p>\n Truth and Light Media Productions<\/a>, started by the five singing Gilbert siblings from Forks Township, Northampton County, will present Shakespeare\u2019s comedy \u201cA Midsummer Night’s Dream\u201d at First Baptist Church, which is located at 3235 Linden St. in Bethlehem.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cA Midsummer Night’s Dream\u201d 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Tickets cost $12 to $20.<\/p>\n Southside block party<\/p>\n Homebase Skateshop<\/a>, in partnership with Lehigh University Art Galleries<\/a> (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\u2019s events will be free and open to the public.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The festivities will conclude with a community block party from 3 to 8 p.m. on Sunday outside Homebase Skateshop,\u00a0 which is located at 29 W. Fourth St., and along Vine Street between Fourth & Rink streets.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 skateboarding activities and \u201cbest trick\u201d skate contests with Homebase\u2019s Push Ahead program, and music by The Nite Liters. Food and drinks will be available to purchase from Deja Brew Coffeehouse & Deli.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n French Fry Fest<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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