Architectural Walking Tours
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia has launched the 2012 season of its award-winning Architectural Walking Tours. The Walking Tours will run, rain or shine, on Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. from May through October. Reservations are not required.
Tours range from Center City locales, including Society Hill and Rittenhouse Square, to notable neighborhoods such as South of South and a subterranean tour of SEPTA stations. There are also specialized themed tours such as the popular “Littlest Streets” and “Bankers’ Heaven.”
The 2012 Walking Tour season will feature a tour for Jane Jacobs Walk, an annual commemoration of the birthday of the great urban thinker Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) with a brief “birthday party” followed by a free guided walking tour of “Around Washington Square” on Saturday, May 5 at 2 p.m. Meet at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, center of Washington Square Park.
Tours are led by a lively group of experienced and enthusiastic volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds who share a passion for architecture, urban design and social history. Their passion and knowledge has enhanced understanding of the region’s architectural heritage for thousands of participants and has received awards and accolades. Philadelphia magazine honored the walking tours with a 2008 “Best of Philly” award, noting they are the “best reason to take a walk.”
May through October
Tickets: $10; $8 for students
www.preservationalliance.com
Pennsylvania Ballet’s “Peter Pan”
Escape to Neverland with this whimsical ballet starring the boy who never grew up. Based on the classic story by Sir James M. Barrie, “Peter Pan” takes you on an adventure with all your favorite characters, including the Darling children and Captain Hook himself.
Choreographer Trey McIntyre reinterprets the fairy tale with a twist for the new millennium, complete with spectacular flying sequences, swashbuckling swordfights, and costumes inspired by punk fashion. “Peter Pan” is the perfect introduction to dance for audiences of all ages.
Academy of Music at 240 S. Broad St.
Thursday, May 3 through Sunday, May 13
Tickets: $20-140; student rush tickets available two hours before showtime
www.kimmelcenter.org
Drexel Holi
With winter neatly tucked up in the attic, it’s time to come out of our shells and enjoy spring. Holi — the festival of colors — is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous of all Indian festivals. A day that transcends beyond barriers of religion and language, it’s an occasion that brings in unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music and dance, and of course, lots of bright colors! Friends, family and strangers bind in the company of “powdered colors” that they sprinkle over one another with respect, love, or sometimes just plain fun. The celebration of Holi marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. The second day — called Rang Panchmi, Phagwa or Doljatra, depending on which part of the country you are in — is celebrated by spraying colors on each other.
Presented by the Drexel Indian Undergraduate Students Association (DISHA) and Urban Playground, gulal (powdered colors) and free snacks and music will be provided. Come in your white T-shirt and clothes you won’t mind getting messy!
Drexel Park
Saturday, May 5, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
www.uphilly.com
“Skins & Songs”
Painted Bride Art Center proudly presents “Skins & Songs: Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra meets Philip Hamilton’s Voices,” a world premiere concert engagement.
Throughout the ages, mankind has intrinsically used the drum (skins) and voice (songs) to communicate cultural significance and to express the heartbeat and spirit of a people. Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra and Philip Hamilton’s Voices project brings together two large ensembles, 22 artists and over 33 music traditions from around the globe to deliver a groundbreaking body of compositions and arrangements live onstage. “Skins & Songs” offers audiences an unforgettable evening of world travel and exploration as well as a rare opportunity to witness the strength and beauty within humanity when cultural diversity prevails.
Celebrated regionally and respected nationwide for their explosive live concert performances, Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra features 14 of the most disciplined and renowned hand drummers from the Philadelphia region. Since 1996, Spoken Hand has championed the natural unification of four distinct music culture traditions: North Indian tabla, Brazilian samba, West African djembe and Afro-Cuban bata to present an unprecedented sound to the modern world of music, “the kind of rhythmic extravaganza you can listen to all day, every day, forever,” the Philadelphia City Paper hailed.
An a cappella performance ensemble led by Philip Hamilton’s Voices, it combines eight accomplished vocalists from around the world and an array of international vocal tones and techniques. Tuvan throat singing, Congolese mouth-clicking, Balinese monkey chant and hip-hop’s beat boxing are accompanied by the rich sounds of diverse a cappella singing styles including doo-wop, Bulgarian choirs, barbershop quartets, work songs, South African miners’ songs and Gregorian chants.
Painted Bride Art Center at 230 Vine St.
Thursday, May 10 through Sunday, May 13
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 day-of; students receive 25 percent off
www.paintedbride.org