Drexel University

Pennoni Honors College

Fall 2008 Schedule of Events

Students MUST sign up at the front desk of the Pennoni Honors College Office (5016 MacAlister) and leave a $20 cash refundable deposit. Students who attend performances must pick up their $20 deposit in the Honors College Office no later than one week after the performance by showing a ticket stub/Playbill.  Please put your physical ticket in a safe place.  Please note that lost tickets cannot be replaced.

All ticketed events are first come, first served.  If in doubt, call or stop by the Honors Office. Watch your e-mail for additional programs and events. 

October

Thursday, October 2nd at 7:30 PM
Rock ‘N’ Roll
The Wilma Theatre – 265 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
This monumental and extraordinarily theatrical event from Academy Award and four-time Tony® Award winner Tom Stoppard (The Invention of Love), was a recent hit on Broadway following a record-breaking run in London. In 1968, as the world is ablaze with rebellion, Jan, a young Cambridge graduate student with little but a prized collection of rock albums, returns to his homeland of Czechoslovakia just as Soviet tanks are rolling into Prague. Back in England, Jan’s mentor, Max, a professor of Marxism, faces his own crisis as the idealism he so strongly held onto smashes against the landscape of political upheaval. Stoppard’s epic tale combines history, conflict, and passion, and spans 22 turbulent years, at the end of which, love remains – and so does rock ‘n’ roll.

Tuesday, October 7th at 8:00 PM
State Fair
The Walnut Street Theatre – 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Rodgers and Hammerstein's State Fair! Leave the farm in Iowa and head off to the State Fair for blue ribbons and dreams of success. Find romance and adventure on the Midway. Wonderful surprises await you in this Broadway musical based on the classic Academy Award-winning film. The sumptuous score includes "It Might As Well Be Spring," "You Never Had it So Good," and "It's a Grand Night for Singing." Set against the colorful backdrop of an American heartland tradition, Rodgers & Hammerstein's State Fair is a winning start to this historic season!

Wednesday, October 8th at 6:30 PM
Candide
The Arden Theatre – 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
A bold and brand new version of Voltaire's wicked satire, this sexy, funny musical cuts to the core and will rock, shock and thrill you! Leonard Bernstein's legendary score is brought to vivid life by an all-star cast of Philadelphia's finest, including Ben Dibble as Candide, Scott Greer as Dr. Pangloss, and Mary Martello as the Old Woman with one buttock. Expect the unexpected.

Friday, October 10th at 8:00 PM
AND
Wednesday, October 15th at 7:30 PM
Opera Company of Philadelphia - Fidelio
The Academy of Music—Broad and Locust Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Revolutionary Spirit!
What would you risk to free the one you loved? When her husband Florestan is wrongfully imprisoned by his political enemy, faithful wife Leonore daringly disguises herself as the young man Fidelio in order to pursue justice and her true love's freedom. Wrought with suspense and political intrigue, Fidelio is the sole opera by composer genius Beethoven, whose orchestral and choral work is known equally for its quiet beauty and thunderous fireworks. Internationally-renowned artist Jun Kaneko designs a new production with Director Robert B. Driver for the Opera Company of Philadelphia that marries the spirit of this timeless drama with a striking, contemporary landscape.

Thursday, October 16th at 7:30PM
Parsons Dance Company
Annenberg Theatre – 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
David Parsons, once a celebrated dancer with Paul Taylor, has emerged as a major American dancemaker, recognized for his accessible, high energy works that are filled with humor, creative partnering, and sizzling sensuality. While his dancers and choreography are easy on the eye, Parsons has already created contemporary classics that have found their way into the repertory of many other companies. First introduced to Dance Celebration in 1986, the company has become a favorite, returning often. It will be three years since their last visit, and there are marvelous new works to see, besides strobe lights catching a dancer midair in Caught.

Monday, October 27, 2008 from 7:00PM to 10:00PM
Honors Halloween Bash
World Café Live – 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Come to our Halloween Party at World Café Life! There will be Music, Dancing, Hors d'oeurvres and Desserts! Wear a Halloween costume! Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes! No deposit is required for the Halloween Bash; however, students MUST stop by the Pennoni Honors College Office to sign up and pick up a ticket. Tickets MUST be presented in order to gain entry to the party.

Thursday, October 30th at 8:00 PM
Pennsylvania Ballet – Balanchine and Tharp
The Academy of Music—Broad and Locust Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19102
The Company will perform George Balanchine’s Ballo della Regina on a program that includes the Company premieres of Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove and Mauro Bigonzetti’s Kazimir’s Colours.

November

Wednesday, November 5th at 8:00 PM
Hairspray
The Walnut Street Theatre – 825 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
This Broadway sensation explodes onto the Walnut stage with an all-new production bringing big songs, big hair and big dreams to the holiday season! Get out your Hairspray! It's 1962 and it's time for change in Baltimore! Tracy Turnblad has one passion in life—to dance on The Corny Collins Show. When her chance arrives, she grooves her way into instant stardom and the eyes of teen dream Link Larkin. But with the program's scheming producer against her, trend-setting Tracy will need the help of her best friend Penny, her big-hearted mother and the sassy Motormouth Maybelle to show the world that all it takes to make a dream come true is a toe-tappin' beat and a lot of Hairspray!

Thursday, November 6th at 7:30PM
Rubberbandance Company
Annenberg Theatre – 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Victor Quijada grew up in LA after emigrating from Mexico. As a young man, he became one of the best club hip-hop dancers on the West Coast. Although he never had a dance class, he auditioned and was accepted to the High School for the Performing Arts, where he heard classical music for the first time. On a lark, he accompanied his girlfriend to a Twyla Tharp audition. Tharp invited him into her touring company. Three years later, he is a principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. Hip-hop and ballet may seem an unusual pairing, but Mr. Quijada's company, now in residence at Montréal's Place des Artes, fuses these two styles and traditions into something fresh and exciting. It is called Phase II, a ground-breaking multimedia work that redefines dance—and Dance Celebration gets to host the world premiere.

Friday, November 7, 2008 at 8:00PM
Cassandra Wilson
Kimmel Center (Verizon Hall) – 260 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
From pop standards to experimental fusion, Cassandra Wilson is a trailblazing jazz vocalist known for the melodic glides and phrasing slides of her smoky voice. From her debut album Blue Light 'Til Dawn, to her most recent, Thunderbird, she has earned critical acclaim and enjoyed crossover appeal internationally for her savvy blues style. Wilson is joined by Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band for a performance that promises to overflow with eye-opening novelty. The Fellowship Band is led by drummer-composer Blade, a mainstay with jazz legend Wayne Shorter, who has recorded with stars ranging from Seal to Joni Mitchell, and was hailed "one of jazz's best young drummers" by the New York Times.

Tuesday, November 11th at 7:00 PM
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Utah Jazz
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Come watch the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Utah Jazz!

Tuesday, November 11th at 7:00 PM
Gee’s Bend
The Arden Theatre – 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Gee's Bend is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit. The Pettway women of Gee's Bend, Alabama are strong African-Americans. Through segregation, family turmoil and the Civil Rights Movement, the women turn to quilting to provide comfort and context to their lives. These quilts, a labor of love and necessity, turn out to be valuable works of art. Featuring three strong women and interwoven with gospel music, Gee's Bend is a deeply personal story of family, self-discovery and artistic expression. This Philadelphia premiere will coincide with the exhibition of Gee's Bend, The Architecture of the Quilt, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from September 16 - December 14.

Students MUST sign up at the front desk of the Pennoni Honors College Office and leave a $20 cash refundable deposit. Students who attend performances must pick up their $20 deposit in the Honors College Office no later than one week after the performance by showing a ticket stub/Playbill. 

All ticketed events are first come, first served.  If in doubt, call or stop by the Honors Office. Watch your e-mail for additional programs and events