With spring just three weeks away, it's time to roll out the red carpet, trade those snow shovels for garden tools and think green. It's 'Lights, Camera, BLOOM' as the 2015 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show "Celebrates the Movies." What better way to set the scene than with some of the world's greatest floral and garden designers using Disney and Disney Pixar films as inspiration for their exhibits. The fun starts Saturday and continues through March 8 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets.
The silver screen will burst in living color with floral displays highlighting film favorites from "Cars" to "Frozen" and "Maleficent" to the new, live-action "Cinderella." Beginning with the show's entrance garden, an art deco theater façade topped with a marquee of flowers and lights in blazing neon colors will lead visitors to a garden of interiors of 1920s movie palaces. From there will be mountains of creations by award-winning landscape designers from around the world.
Continuing with the movie theme will be Reading film fashion historian and TV host Gene London's Hollywood costume collection, featuring more than 50 costumes worn by such legends as Marilyn Monroe, Vivien Leigh, Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Rita Hayworth, plus more.
In the exhibit, "Miniature Settings," designers have found inspiration in the tiniest of details by designing mini versions of scenes from major films on a slightly smaller scale and budget.
According to show staff, special show guests will be Ethan Wayne, son of John Wayne, who will sign bottles of Duke Bourbon on Saturday and present a display of memorabilia of the Academy Award-winning actor. On March 6, film and television star (and SNL's) Dan Aykroyd will sign bottles of his additive-free Crystal Head Vodka.
For further info: theflowershow.com
ARTS ROUNDUP
The "Neil Diamond World Tour 2015" is coming to the PPL Center in Allentown on Friday and Sunday, with both concerts at 8 p.m. The iconic Grammy Award-winning rock and pop singer/songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member is kicking off his tour with a new album, "Melody Road," on Capital Records.
Diamond is the recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, a Golden Globe Award, and 13 Grammy nominations. In 2011, he received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture.
For further info: pplcenter.com
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The second annual William Allen High School A Cappella Showcase will be held Friday at 7 p.m., in the school auditorium in Allentown. Scheduled to perform are the Macungie Minstrelaires, Lehigh Valley Harmonizers, ffourtissimo, Lehigh Valley Women's Chorus, MP4, Vocalz from East Stroudsburg University, Carmen Rolon with Nathaniel Stuart, Blue Mountain High School, Freedom High School, William Allen Dance Academy, and AllenCapella.
According to Jeffrey Dutt, World Cultures teacher at William Allen and advisor to AllenCapella, the fundraising event will help the William Allen singers to participate in the SingStrong A Cappella Festival in Reston, Virginia, March 5-8. Dutt said the group will be participating in a competition involving high schools from across the country on March 7.
He also added that AllenCapella will be performing the national anthem at the Baltimore Arena prior to the semi-finals of the Colonial Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament on March 8 at 2:30 p.m. The event will be broadcast on the NBC Sports network.
Tickets are available at the door; all seats are reserved.
For further info: 484-765-5000.
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"The Sing-Off Live Tour" comes to the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem on Wednesday at 8 p.m., featuring fan-favorite groups from NBC's #1-rated a cappella music competition.
Featured will be Voice Play (season 4) and Street Corner Symphony (season 2), plus groups from this past December's two-hour TV special. Tour musical director is Deke Sharon, musical director and arranger for the films, "Pitch Perfect" and "Pitch Perfect 2."
For further info: sandseventcenter.com
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The Japanese road show exhibit, "Along the Eastern Road: Hiroshige’s Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido," features 55 revolutionary prints by Utagawa Hirosige (Japanese, 1797-1858), recording scenic views along the famous "Eastern Road" that linked Edo (now Tokyo) with Kyoto, the ancient imperial capital of Japan. The exhibition is at the Reading Public Museum through May 24.
The series is drawn from the museum's own collection and part of its popular "Touring Exhibition" rental program. It was originally published in 1833-1834 and established Hiroshige's reputation as the foremost artist of the topographical landscape. In 1832, Hiroshige journeyed and lodged along the historic Tokaido, comprised of 53 towns and villages, and recorded numerous views of the surrounding landscape, towns and people. He was trained in the tradition of the ukiyo-e – "floating world" – wood-block print making.
For further info: readingpublicmuseum.org
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The Hannah Young Play-a-Thon, the annual fundraiser of the Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association, takes place throughout Saturday and Sunday at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township, Northampton County, near Easton.
Students will be performing various styles of music on a grand piano in studio recital fashion at two performance locations at the mall for the enjoyment of passers-by. Prior to their performances, the student musicians collected cash pledges from family and friends. Proceeds of the event provide scholarships to selected college music majors and music camp scholarships for high school applicants. Throughout the year, students can be seen in recitals at such venues as local colleges and Musikfest.
For further info: lvmusicteachers.org
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"Flashdance The Musical" can be seen Friday at 8 p.m., in Baker Hall of the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem. It's the inspiring story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer.
The score, alone, is unforgettable with such hits as the Academy Award-winning title song, "Flashdance – What a Feeling." Several new songs have been written for the musical with music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Robert Cary and Roth.
For further info: zoellnerartscenter.org
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Now you can shout "Let It Go" at the top of your lungs when Disney's "Frozen Sing-A-Long" takes place on Saturday at 3 p.m., at the Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St., New Hope. The interactive theater event also is a costume parade for children of all ages. This is a screening of the sing-a-long version of Disney's 2013 motion picture, "Frozen," based on the classic fairy tale, "The Snow Queen," written by Hans Christian Andersen.
For further info: bcptheater.org
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The Red Hot Chilli Pipers are back by popular demand on Friday at 7:30 p.m., at the State Theatre in Easton. Opening for the group once again will be the Liberty High School Grenadier Band & Bagpipers. The Grenadier Band is a five-time winner of the Lehigh Valley Music Award for best marching band.
The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, formed in 2002, is an eight-piece ensemble consisting of pipers, guitarists, keyboards and drummers who have performed their 'Bagrock' – described as a combination of traditional Irish and Celtic bagpipe and rock music -- worldwide.
For further info: statetheatre.org
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Dancing Granny dances her way to the stage of the Charles A. Brown IceHouse in Bethlehem as the Mock Turtle Marionette Theater celebrates Black History Month. "The Dancing Granny: Tales of African Origin" will be presented Saturday at 10 a.m., featuring stories from Africa and Afro America, as performed by marionetteer Doug Roysdon and Grace Hochella of the Bach Choir. Each tale is told in its own unique way employing song, storytelling and a variety of puppets including shadow, rod and marionettes. A workshop will follow the performance.
For further info: mockturtle.org
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