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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 6h

Who robbed the Louvre? The Phantom knows.

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 10h

It’s like he’s writing “Tristram Shandy” fan fiction.

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Reposted by Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Diep Tran @diepthought.bsky.social · 11h

Ragtime reminds me there’s not enough shows written for baritone voices. There’s an overemphasis on high notes in contemporary musicals; people have forgotten how comforting and powerful low notes can be

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Reposted by Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Adam Feldman @feldmanadam.bsky.social · 1d

It’s been fifty years since Lynn Ahrens, the lyricist of Ragtime, wrote and sang this episode of Schoolhouse Rock www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvOZ...

SchoolHouse Rock - No More Kings

YouTube video by tennesseejed93

www.youtube.com

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 1d

Oct 18, 1934: Eva Le Gallienne and Ethel Barrymore opened in Rostand's "L'Aiglon" in Philadelphia.

Despite a famous incident from the previous year - when both actresses had insulted a group of Philadelphia society ladies - the production was warmly received by both audiences and critics. #theatre

Eva Le Gallienne in costume as the Duc de Reichstadt in Rostand's play "L'aiglon". She is wearing knee boots and carrying a riding crop.

Insets of newspaper clipping announce her performance in the play in Philadelphia. One headline reads: "L'aiglon Superb with Le Gallienne - Ethel Barrymore Also in Rostand Play."

A 1934 photo of Eva Le Gallienne, dressed in a male military costume of the early 19th Century, bends to kiss the hand of Ethel Barrymore, who is seated on a divan, dressed in a large hoop skirt. A newspaper headline is superimposed on the image: "The Show Shops: Call Out the Marines! Le Gallienne and Barrymore are Marching on Philadelphia!"

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 2d

No idea, but I'm reminded of that great repeated line in the Coen Brothers' film "Miller's Crossing" . . . "What's the rumpus?"

a man in a blue jacket is peeking out of a door

ALT: a man in a blue jacket is peeking out of a door

media.tenor.com

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 3d

April 4, 1966: Jerry Herman's "Mame," starring Angela Lansbury, had its world premiere performance at the Shubert Theatre in Philadelphia.

The house was packed, wrote the Inquirer's critic, and "with not the slightest dissent from this reviewer, [all] seemed to think it was the opening of a hit."

LEFT: Angela Lansbury, in shiny striped pants suit and high heels, poses sitting on a grand piano, her arms crossed around her raised right knee.

RIGHT: A 1966 Philly newspaper ad proclaims: "Phila. Loves 'Mame' SOCKO! A BOUNTIFUL SHOW. ANGELA LANSBURY TRIUMPHS IN ZESTY MUSICAL HIT" - Schier, Bulletin. "A ROLLICKING RAUCOUS, RHYTHMIC MUSICAL COMEDY HIT." - Murdock, Inquirer. "OPULENT AND EYE-CATCHING. 'MAME' CAKEWALKS ONTO SHUBERT STAGE." - Gaghan, Daily News.

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Reposted by Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 3d

Happy Angela Lansbury's 100th birthday!

Angela Lansbury in a publicity shot for the Jerry Herman musical Dear World.

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 3d

Oct. 16, 1944: Ethel Barrymore, 65, being interviewed about doing "Embezzled Heaven" in Philadelphia.

"The old Walnut Street Theatre is where . . I first did 'Captain Jinks' [in 1901] . . " She paused, thinking back to when she was 20. "It's odd, but I never came here in another play until now."

A photo of Ethel Barrymore in "Embezzled Heaven." The actress sits reading a letter, glasses on, wearing a dark dress and a patterned apron.

(Photo from the collection of Museum of the City of New York)

Above, a newspaper ad from 1944: "Walnut . . Tomorrow Eve., . . The Theatre Guild presents "Ethel Barrymore in Embezzled Heaven."

Below, a photo of Barrymore in a dark coat and hat. Behind her stand two men. One is wearing a light-colored suit and is nervously mopping his neck with a handkerchief. The other is in a long Catholic priest's frock. Across the table from Barrymore is a young woman in a striped skirt, leaning forward.

A Philadelphia newspaper review of "Embezzled Heaven" above a photo of Ethel Barrymore in the play standing next to Sanford Meisner, center.

A photo from a Philadelphia newspaper, January 1901, of a young Ethel Barrymore in the play "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" at the Walnut Street Theatre.

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 4d

Oct. 1966: "Holly Golightly" began a tryout run at the Forrest Theatre, with Mary Tyler Moore & Richard Chamberlain.

A photo shows the Philly-raised songwriter Bob Merrill blindly "playing" the piano for them - though he did not read music. He composed on a toy xylophone that he bought for $1.98.

A man (Bob Merrill) wearing a jacket, at tie, and dark sunglasses sits at a piano. Behind him, two people (Mary Tyler Moore and Richard Chamberlain) stand and sing - their eyes firmly fixed upwards, as if they are trying not to laugh at Merrill's attempt to play the piano like it was his toy xylophone.

There is an inset of an October 1966 newspaper ad for "Holly Golightly" at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia.

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 7d

Or rather, words to that effect . . .

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 9d

A soundbite from our new episode, released today!

A conversation with Seth Rozin, the founder and artistic director of InterAct #Theatre of #Philadelphia.

Seth shares some great stories about the early years of the company, including the tour of Ireland in the autumn of 1988.

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Reposted by Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 11d

Susanne Sulby, the accent expert behind "Mare of Easttown," taught the Delco drawl to the cast of "Task."

"I’m pretty bold. I’ll be sitting somewhere, I’ll hear someone speaking and I’ll say, ‘Oh, you have a really fantastic accent. Tell me about that,'" she said.

The dialect coach from Yardley who makes actors perfect the ‘O’s’ of the Delco accent

Susanne Sulby, the accent expert behind 'Mare of Easttown,' taught the Delco drawl to the cast of 'Task,' which includes actors from London, Ireland, Howell Township, and beyond.

www.inquirer.com

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Reposted by Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Tobias Wilson-Bates @phdhurtbrain.bsky.social · 12d

It’s unfortunate that the general aging population doesn’t get as much interaction with curious, hardworking young people as college professors do. They really will give you hope about the future on a daily basis 🤔

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 14d

Ah! Forgive me. At first I wrote: "Ethel Barrymore is Good" but that seemed inadequate, so I changed it.

But I honestly don't remember if I saw your post first, and just channelled your exact phrase. I must have done, I guess. Seems the obvious explanation. Or maybe . .

a man in a tuxedo with glasses and a mustache is sitting in a crowd of people .

ALT: a man in a tuxedo with glasses and a mustache is sitting in a crowd of people .

media.tenor.com

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 15d

The official longstanding position of this shop: Ethel Barrymore Was As Fine an Actress As There Ever Was.

(Admittedly, we have some local biases regarding this matter. But we brook no opposition!)

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 16d

Gift article! . . . We only caught TWO of the fascinating Philly Fringe* shows covered here, and we're jealous of anyone who saw them all!

*Yes we know it's "FringeArts" - but no one around here seems to call it that.

The Philly Fringe Festival shows that made us laugh, think, and cry

A not-comprehensive recap of the city’s biggest-ever Fringe Fest.

share.inquirer.com

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 18d

Triphthongs!

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 18d

I think that guy is maybe putting on a show of the accent. But the Philly Captain is the real deal. “Herrre we arrrrre!” youtu.be/ltqXdfJG5lk?...

PARTY IN KENSINGTON- HISTORY IN FRANKFORD- EXPLORING PHILADELPHIA

YouTube video by The Philly Captain

youtu.be

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 19d

They have LFC rattled with all their Shithousery. These guys are masters of the art of Falling Down to get penalties, free kicks, and yellow cards against us. As the expression goes, they “feel gravity more strongly.”

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 19d

The early influence of the "Pennsylvania Dutch" speech patterns (i.e. German Protestants from the Palatinate area of the Upper Rhine who emigrated to Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th Centuries) is not to overlooked either.

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 19d

September 30, 1935: The Group Theatre came to town, and the old Broad Street Theatre was packed to see two plays by Philadelphia-born author Clifford Odets: “Waiting for Lefty” and “Awake and Sing!”.

A Philly critic praised the two shows' "irresistible urgency," and "terrifying vehemence.

A 1935 magazine photo of Clifford Odets, seated, wearing a white smock commonly worn by doctors. The text under the photo reads: CLIFFORD ODETS: Actor-member of the Group Theatre, amateur of music, young man of intense political convictions, a writer of correspondingly forceful style, and author three highly successful plays now running on Broadway – Waiting for Lefty, Till the Day I Die, and Awake and Sing!

A newspaper ad from October 6, 1935 in the Philadelphia Inquirer for "Awake and Sing!" and "Waiting for Lefty" - 2 plays by Clifford Odets, with Original New York Cast. The ad includes a pull quote from the critic Peter Stirling of the Philadelphia Record: "The American theatre seldom has created any drama more deeply effective - The acting is brilliant!"

Elia Kazan is shown, arms upraised, leading a labor rally in the 1935 Clifford Odets play "Waiting for Lefty."

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Reposted by Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia

Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com · 21d

“Given the destruction playing out in various quarters — governmental attacks on places of learning, the stripping of federal funding for arts and culture and public media — spending time in the company of creation has become an act of resistance in itself.” — Inquirer critic Peter Dobrin

Philadelphia has the classical music scene you need this fall. It needs you, too.

Be it Bach, Beethoven, or Schubert, wvery concert is a chance to vote for culture, each donation is a hedge against the demise of an institution you wish to see flourish.

inquirer.com

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 23d

NEW EPISODE!!! Find us on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

(Or . . here is a link to the episode page on our website)

www.aithpodcast.com/interview-to...

108. Interview: Tom Teti

A conversation with actor Tom Teti about his life, his career in Philadelphia theater, and his long association with People's Light and Theatre Company in Malvern.

www.aithpodcast.com

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Adventures in Theater History: Philadelphia @aithpodcast.bsky.social · 24d

Post-1930, eh? Well that rules out "Fifty Million Frenchman" - opened in November of 1929.

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