Art for a New Year

While I know the New Year started several weeks ago, the holiday recovery time seems to take longer every year. But now that we are approaching the end of January (!), perhaps people are ready to start heading out again for theater, music, and other forms of art to engage and brighten their spirits.

Much Ado About Nothing opens tonight, Friday, February 27th, at DCP in Telford and runs through February 11, 2017. In this production of Shakespeare’s comedy;

Shakespeare’s themes of personal scandal and public reputation still hold true in today’s world of instant information and the 24-hour news cycle. This imaginative production features all the beauty of the original language blended with the trappings of our self-obsessed culture, enhanced by the original music composed by Bill Thompson (The Snow Ball).

Wine receptions are held after performances on opening weekend.DCP Theatre, (215) 234-0966, 795 Ridge Road, Telford, PA Tickets may be bought at the door, over the phone, or online.

A new farce, The Explorer’s Club has it’s world premiere tonight on stage at the Pennsylvania Playhouse, 390 Illick’s Mill Road, Bethlehem, Pa.

Set in London 1879, the hapless members of the Explorer’s Club must confront their most lethal threat yet, the admission of a woman into their ranks.  read more about the show

The show runs from January 27 – February 12, 2017.

The Allentown Art Museum, free on Thursdays from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. and on Sundays from noon – 4 p.m. (admission charge Tuesdays through Saturdays), will be unveiling its latest acquisition, the Franz Kline Mural this Sunday afternoon, January, 29, 2017. Several current exhibits will be closing in early February, so now would be a good time to run over and check them out, at 31 North Fifth Street, Allentown, PA.

This is also a great time for the movies – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story continues to play at our local Grand Theater in East Greenville, through February 2, 2017. The Hidden Figures (an amazing true story about the early days of NASA and the African-American women computers who made it a success) opens at The Grand on February 3 – 9, 2017.

Planning for Make Music Upper Perk 2017 Has Begun!

Actually, we started talking about and planning for the 2017 version of  Make Music Upper Perk  on June 22, 2016 – the day after Make Music Upper Perk 2016. But the serious work, with the help of all our partners and volunteers, begins this month.

The first meeting with representatives from the many places that serve as venues for musicians for Make Music Upper Perk (MMUP) is scheduled for Friday morning, January 27, 2017. We will be speaking with them about what times, and what genres and size groups, will best suit their locations this year.

Registration for music makers of all ages and forms will go live online in February (check back later this month for exact date), and will remain open until April 20, 2017.

Our first volunteer meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning, February 18, 2017. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers, so mark your calendar and check back later this month for more details. Volunteers are needed in the weeks and months leading up to June 21st, as well as on the day itself. read more about volunteer opportunities here

We also have some ideas and plans for yarn bombing as part of our 5th annual celebration of music. If you crochet or knit, or have a bag of yarn you’d like to get out of your closet or attic and donate to a good cause, watch this spot for information on how you can be a part of this creative endeavor.

(New to Make Music Upper Perk? Check out MMUP FAQs)