My Week In Culture

Before we get to my main topic, I just noticed...well, actually, I noticed it yesterday...that my last post was number 777. I do like the number 7, as you can guess from various email/screen names of mine. I'd like it to live up to its reputation and actually be lucky, though.

So this week I ventured away from my usual movies/sports/TV show morass. Twice. But hey, I have a good excuse: I was supporting my friends.

First up was a visit to the Shubin Theater, a very intimate -- okay, small: it seats just over 40 people -- venue around the corner from 4th and South Streets, for "All in the Timing" by David Ives. It's the inaugural production of the new WAG Theater Company, and the company's founder Brian Sell is on my softball team, so a bunch of us took in the show. "All in the Timing" is actually six short plays, very loosely connected by a theme of communication (and miscommunication) and its effect on the lives of people -- and, in one play, chimpanzees. (No actual chimps were harmed in this production.) One or two of the six plays were, for me, a little off-target, but overall the show was quite witty and at times hilarious.The actors (including Brian, who played one of the chimps) did very well. And the good news is, you can still see it, with three more shows June 23, 24 and 25. (Read more about the show and the company here and here.)

Then, tonight, it was time for "Mmm Bop: Best of the Boy Bands," the season-ending concert by the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus, at the Temple Performing Arts Center (formerly called the Baptist Temple) on the Temple campus. The entire show consisted of medleys of songs made famous by "boy bands." They use that term a little loosely, in my opinion, but it's technically accurate. Every song was by a duo or group consisting of males only. So while there was
certainly representation from the Backstreet Boys/'NSync/Jonas Brothers contingent, there were also many songs from acts such as the Beatles, Doobie Brothers, Temptations, Queen, Pet Shop Boys and Hall & Oates. Oh, and the Village People...



The pic is kinda blurry. Sorry.

It was a very entertaining show. Unfortunately, unlike "All in the Timing," this was one day only (afternoon and evening shows), so you missed out if you weren't there today.

And in case you were wondering who's peekin' out from under a stairway, calling a name that's lighter than air...well, let's just ask my friend Kurt Hirsch, a member of the chorus, who made his solo debut (well, as part of a duet, but still...) and answers that very question:



Unfortunately, the video is shaky at the start as I was making sure I could see Kurt (he's all the way to the left at the start). And the audio quality isn't that great. This is from my phone, remember. If you want better video from me, buy me an expensive high-quality camera!