Archive: February, 2011

POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011, 8:00 PM
Filed Under: Critical Mass Fashion

Neighborhood Watch usually looks for Philly's most fashionable, but this week Kala focuses on the stars who strutted down the red carpet at last night's Oscar ceremony.

In the wake of  what many are calling the worst Oscars broadcast ever (they say that every year), what else can we do but feast our eyes on the styles of cinema's elite?

Anne Hathaway wore eight different dresses while she was on stage (and each was sincerely remarkable), so we'll only comment on her red carpet Valentino, the biggest miss. The bust seems ill-fitting, and the huge bustles are reminiscent of tumors. This red seems like a bit much for her—she wore a deeper, richer red dress on stage that suited her far better.

Amy Adams' look is almost perfect. The L'Wren Scott dress is a gorgeous color and looks fabulous on her body, but that necklace is all kinds of wrong.  She should have worn her hair up as well.

Both Black Swan ladies pulled out the purple this year, and Mila's light-lavender Elie Saab is to die for. Perfect for her coloring, and the romantic draping and delicate lace suits her.

It would have been nice to see something more fun on Natalie, but she's pregnant and probably very uncomfortable. This purple Rodarte is classy and fits her very well, and the beaded neckline is very flattering to her décolletage.

Absolutely perfect. This Marchesa is so age-appropriate, chic and lovely on Hailee. The gold shoes seem like an odd choice, but everything else comes together fabulously.

Bright red, skintight, and boob-tastic? This screams Baywatch. She looks absolutely fantastic, but the Oscars call for something more formal than this Calvin Klein.

Obviously this showy Versace worships Jennifer's new svelte figure, and the color is perfect for her. However, it's doing horrible things to her boobs.

This Givenchy couture gown landed on some worst-dressed lists, but it's perfectly keeping with Cate's typical red-carpet risk-taking. It's delightfully unusual, visually interesting, and she's rocking the hell out of it. Not many women could pull this off. She can, and that's why it works.

Man, did Melissa ever crave that Oscar, which was adorable, but this Marc Bouwer dress is mostly a miss. The lace over-shiny gold foil is bold, but it does look a little like a doily, and the sleeves and color are stiff and ridiculous.

Bow down, ladies. Helen consistently dresses better than girls 40 years her junior. The Color, style and fit are all fantastic on this Vivienne Westwood.

Leave it to Helena to bring the crazy. This actually doesn't look bad on her. Everyone expected her to show up wearing a reconstructed piñata or something equally insane. She just looks like a Goth barmaid. Seems like a step in the right direction.

This 50s couture Charles James moved beautifully on Marisa, but it's a bizarre dress. That tulle seems like it's a different color than the rest of the dress, but not enough so that it seems deliberate. The bottom seems like it's stapled on as an afterthought.

Gwyneth's skirt is very cool with its fluid-like shimmer, but I'm not loving the dropped waist and the neckline is absurd on this Calvin Klein. She should have done something more interesting with her hair.

This Dolce & Gabbana seemed great at first, probably because of the color (purple was huge this year, apparently), but she could barely walk in it, and the lace seems sort of dowdy yet slutty at the same time.

It's hilarious how much taller Nicole is than her husband. She got some flak for this Dior, but it's original and the beading is lovely. The problem is the color, which washes her out.

Color is great on Sandra, and it's a nice silhouette, but she could have stepped it up with something more interesting than this Vera Wang.

Halle always looks fabulous (oh, how women loathe her), but the color on this Marchesa isn't great, and the messy tulle at the bottom looks like she got into a fight with Portman's Black Swan character.

Like Helen, Annette looks fabulous in a silver-grey. Attention-grabbing without being in-your-face, visually interesting, and the perfect fit on this Ermenegildo Zegna.

This Armani fits Reese beautifully, but it's really boring and a little out of style. Whatever was going on with her Barbie clip-on ponytail was not okay, though.

Javier looks smoking hot in the three-piece suit, and Penelope looks like a glittering chili pepper in this L'Wren Scott. The sequins and style are a little bit prom-y, but she makes it work and looks gorgeous.

Okay, I just threw him in so we can all laugh at his scraggly moonshiner beard.

(All photos from nymag.com's Vulture blog.)

Posted by Kala Jamison @ 8:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011, 7:00 PM
Filed Under: Critical Mass | Man Cave

Man Cave is a testosterone-laden Monday feature that highlights the weekend haps of an everyday, pop culture-loving Philly dude.

Saturday night I went to N'East for a stand-up competition at the Comedy Cabaret. Congrats to Mike Casey, Tom Cassidy, Mary Radzinsky and Nick Baker. They'll be competing along with Frank Genzano, Bob Marsdale, Erin Mulville and James Royale for a cash prize this Friday at the Cabaret (11580 Roosevelt Blvd, 9 p.m.).

After that, I shot down to Center City for the late show at Chris' Jazz Café where tenor saxophonist Korey Riker and his band played his new CD, Prehumous. Riker — who's played with The Roots, John Legend, Erykah Badu — cranked his lively album over two robust sets. Supported by an upright bassist, keys/pianist, drummer and brief guest trombonist, the 31-year-old saxophonist wailed his modal, Coltrane-summoning heart out with original licks and deliciously sloppy solos from everyone in the band till last call at 2 a.m.

Sunday night was all about the Oscars. I found five moments more memorable than the rest ...

5) Marissa Leo gets Tourette's. Even though her speech was plenty awkward well before it had to get delayed for an "F"-bomb surprise.

4) True Grit Spoiler Alert! The Oscars may not realize their gaffe — showing Josh Brolin get shot in the chest on national television — but to be fair, the original film won the Duke an Acadamy Award in 1969, so there's no true western fan who hasn't been given a fair chance to enjoy the plot.

3) You know you're up there in age when Michael Douglas is your son. Kirk Douglas shows Dick Clark who's boss in the "too old for TV" department. YIKES!

2) James Franco dons a dress (and wig). Turns out "Holywood Pretty-Boy" is just an expression. *shudder*

1) The King's Speech wins Best Picture. Kudos to the Academy for awarding the top prize to what they thought was simply the best film, rather than giving in to pressure from the defining epic of contemporary America (The Social Network). They already made that mistake in '94 with Forrest Gump — whose Best Picture contenders (Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption and Four Weddings and a Funeral) have all arguably aged better. Personally, I enjoyed The Social Network more, but this ain't the peeps' choice awards; it's the academic elite, keeping it real.

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 7:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011, 6:00 PM
Filed Under: Music The Showdown

Monday: When Marc Broussard opens his mouth, the storied legacy of Louisiana blues pours out. With three albums including a collection of soul favorites to cull from, Broussard's live shows are electric in every manner. Always appearing with an incredibly tight backing band, Broussard's music is gritty, soulful and downright American. Broussard's recently been drifting closer to the rhythm side of rhythm and blues, but he maintains the heartfelt delivery of the Delta. w/ Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, 8 p.m., $29.50, Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Ave., 215-257-5808.

Tuesday: If you have yet to experience the joy that is a Jonathan Richman concert, now is the time. The pioneer of indie pop returns for another career-spanning set of wide-eyed romantic tunes. Things you are bound to hear: selections from his latest release (last year's O Moon, Queen Of Night On Earth), staples from his catalogue like "I Was Dancing In The Lesbian Bar" and "Pablo Picasso," and at least a few songs sung in Spanish. For your visual enjoyment, Richman will show off his dance moves which, as you know if you've already seen him, are second to none. 8 p.m., $17.50, $15, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980.

Wednesday: Local treasure Jim Boggia does not, in fact, belong in a museum. Sure, he mines pop music's more obscure history for forgotten gems and songwriting tricks, but his own music is refreshing and modern. He also has a knack for roping in other top-notch musicians for his albums and live shows. For this performance, Boggia will be joined by Tracy Bonham who, in addition to a Grammy-winning rock career, boasts her own eclectic musical tastes. w/ Bleu, 8 p.m., $18 - $20, World Café Live

Thursday: It's time to get old timey, folks! The Carolina Chocolate Drops are one of the finest interpreters of traditional bluegrass tunes around today. Not only that, but the instrument-switching trio has a knack for rearranging contemporary tunes into older styles. Century-old songs of the Carolinas are played with reverent precision, though the guys and gal have plenty of fun while they're at it. The Chocolate Drops' latest album, Genuine Negro Jig, has brought them a heap of well-deserved acclaim, so come see what all the hollerin' is about. w/Birdie Busch & The Great Unknown, 8 p.m., $25, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

Friday: Though they tried (very creatively) to sidestep the possibility of their new album leaking to the internet, Akron/Family's latest eventually did just that. Their efforts were not in vain, though, as Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT remains a confounding and impressive record. The first part of the record's unwieldy title is appropriate enough; this is their second album with their streamlined lineup. Though they're now a trio, Akron/Family still manages to fill up every possible space with boundless creativity. w/ Delicate Steve & The Love Club, 8:30 p.m., $10 - $13, The Blockley Pourhouse, 38th & Chestnut Sts., 215-222-1234.

Saturday: He Gets Me High, the new EP from the Dum Dum Girls, suggests a more diverse set of influences than their already extraordinary debut, I Will Be. Aside from a Smiths cover are three new originals that find Dee Dee and the gang in a much more brooding rocker pose. Think more Velocity Girl than girl groups. It's quite a remarkable turn considering that most fans would've likely been fine with more of the garage-punk blasts that the Girls have perfected. Still, this is one new direction that's well-executed and just plain rocks. w/ MINKS, Party Photographers, Dirty Beaches¸9 p.m., $12, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684.

Sunday: If the Wu-Tang Clan had an artsy counterpart (which it does), it would be Minneapolis' Doomtree (which it is). Their assemblage of emcees, DJs and producers is a mainstay of the city's musical community, with members having worked with acclaimed projects like Gayngs and Atmosphere. Andrew Sims (just Sims to you and me) is one of Doomtree's newest breakouts, having released a new solo album in mid-February. A fusion of hip-hop, electronica and avant-jazz, Bad Time Zoo is a fascinating and intricately-crafted record. Seeing as how Doomtree is a very fluid project, expect at least a few other members to make an appearance during Sims' set. w/ Astronautalis, Zilla Persona & Voss, 7 p.m., $10, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298.

Posted by Eric Schuman @ 6:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011, 5:00 PM
Filed Under: Shopping | I Am Woman Fashion

In contrast to our weekly dude column Man Cave, I Am Woman adds a feminine touch by chronicling the weekend adventures of a single Philadelphia socialite.

I should buy stock in H&M. All the cash I've spent in that store would make me one rich investor. What started out as a simple return on Friday, turned into a shopping spree — thanks to a 50-percent-off sale that provided incentive to stay. Plus, spring is approaching, which means all of my favorite stores are rolling out new merch. So I have this irrepressible obligation to buy, buy, buy. And the shops in Rittenhouse, I'm sure, will thank me for it.

Saturday I wanted to reward myself for the amazing job I've been doing in school lately so I went for a simple manicure/pedicure and called up a few friends for lunch that afternoon. The meal was decent and the price was reasonable. I had to let my wallet heal from the beating I gave it shopping. We capped the night off by seeing Blue Valentine at the Ritz.  I really liked it because it doesn't showcase the typical Disney-fied love story where everything is perfect. It also feed my anti-Valentine emotions that were still lingering. I am not a pessimistic person when it comes to love and romance. I just have a love/hate relationship with love much like the love/hate relationship I have with John Mayer or red meat.

The following day I took a drive out to West Philadelphia for a get together my friend Aaron was hosting. I was not in the mood to go because Aaron and his significant other have the type of relationship that feels like it's being crammed down your throat. But at least it would provide me an opportunity to wear one of my new outfits. I would just sit happily through the story about how they met at Woody's if they dared to tell it for the millionth time.  I secretly wanted to Blue Valentine their love. At his house Aaron made martini's so the constant eye batting between the two love birds was ironically easier to handle.

Posted by Jillian Weir-Reeves @ 5:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011, 4:00 PM
Filed Under: Critical Mass

This year's Oscars went back to the old formula of humor and entertainment. The underrated Anne Hathaway hosted with glamour and charm. Smug and annoying James Franco (who I prefer stuck in the cave) hung out in his suit. She could have hosted it herself, actually. Maybe next year.

It started with a dramatic countdown of nominee clips, and then the time-old favorite of inserting the hosts into the reels. Hathaway danced the "Brown Duck" at Natalie Portman's Nina, feathers falling everywhere, while Franco stood there in a bodysuit. Hathaway and Franco rode into Alec Baldwin's psyche a la Inception, after Baldwin was about to give the secret to hosting the Oscars, only to be knocked out by his Ambien Capri Sun. Morgan Freeman's voice came on during the elevator ride, and I just knew he'd be standing there. It turns out to be Franco's dream, though, and both take the Back To The Future car to the Oscars.

What the hell was Franco doing with a cell phone when they walked out? God, what a prick. Their opener was funny, Franco complimenting Hathaway, who said, "You look very appealing to a younger demographic as well." Hathaway gave a shoutout to her mom, whom we saw stand up. I thought it was an awkward distraction until I realized she was mic'd. "Stand up straight honey," she said, "Mr. Steven Spielberg is here." So cute. Franco's grandmother stood up and made a joke about Marky Mark. (I don't have to say that Franco sucks, do I? Ok, then.)

Next came a retrospective on Gone With the Wind and Titanic (sniffle) for winning Oscar trifectas. Alice In Wonderland took Best Art Direction, and Inception took Best Cinematography. Neither a big surprise. So far everyone seems to be respecting the time limit.

Legendary actor Kirk Douglas presented Best Supporting Actress, but the dude was having a senior moment and had trouble speaking. For a while he went off on tangents and cracked jokes on actors in the front rows, and I was getting pret-ty nervous. Finally he said "Melissa Leo," and there was a sigh of relief. Leo was humble and flustered, and oops! dropped an F-bomb. Fucking finally — it is primetime. Anne Hathaway made the weirdest noise after introducing Justin Timberlake, kind of like a bark. I guess it was nerves.

JT confessed that he is Banksy. I'm so happy he got that off his chest. Toy Story 3 won Best Animated Feature like everyone thought it would, followed by more old movie tributes. Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin came out dressed like Mark Twain for some reason, to present the Screenplay awards. Their shiny all-white tuxes were very dapper. Aaron Sorkin won Best Adapted Screenplay for The Social Network. Winter's Bone was much more deserving. That film flowed like hot butter. And I'm so tired of that merely cool movie being treated like a work of genius. Sorkin wouldn't shut up and got cut off by music.

David Seidler won Best Original Screenplay for The King's Speech, which cleaned house tonight with four wins. Seidler, who's up in years with hair as white as Bardem's and Brolin's suits, began, "My father always said to me, I would be a late bloomer."

Hathaway opened the next bit in a Liza-esque suit, and broke into song about Hugh Jackman not duetting with her. She would fit in on any Broadway musical, and she could've done something more ambitious. Franco came out dressed like Marilyn, and made a Sheen joke ...

Russell Brand and Helen Mirren presented Best Foreign Language film. (Dogtooth y'all! FTW! Pleeease?!?!) Brand and Mirren did their bit, and my pick was beat out by In A Better World. I'm pretty sure the voice-over announcer stuttered on "academy." Oops.

Reese Witherspoon presented Best Supporting Actor, which went to Christian Bale for The Fighter. Meh. I think it was weight-loss/career length points. Bale's performance was convincing, but not outstanding. My picks were Jeremy Renner for The Town or John Hawkes for Winter's Bone. At least Bale managed to wrap things up without the music.

Aussies Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman presented Best Original Score, with the orchestra playing classics from E.T. and Star Wars. To my frustration, it went to mother-effing The Social Network. It should have gone to Inception for its score's intricacy and suspense. Inception did manage to pick up Sound Mixing and Editing.

Cate Blanchett (one of my favorites; chameleon extraordinaire) presented Best Makeup and Best Costume Design. She  said, "That's gross" at The Wolfman, which won Best Makeup; and Alice in Wonderland's Colleen Atwood picked up Costume Design, her third win. Atwood then bored us with a stuffy speech and got the GTFO music.

Coolest speech of the night was from Luke Matheny, who won Best Short Film for God of Love. "Oh wow, I shoulda gotten a haircut," he said under a mess of curls. He went on, "Finally my mother, who did craft services for the film," which got a round of applause, and called his girlfriend his "dream come true." Really rad, dude. I'm gonna see his movie just for that.

Gawd, Anne Hathaway's dresses are gorgeous. The blue one; you can't deny the blue one. What if Exit Through the Gift Shop won? Who would accept Banksy's award? We'll never know; Inside Job got it. Bob Hope retrospective y'all; he's still kinda funny. Inception got a well-deserved Visual Effects win. I loved how subtle its use of computer graphics was.

A.R. Rahman's and Florence Welch's performance of "If I Rise" from 127 Hours featured her haunting voice and dramatic lighting. Hey, it's Celine Dion! (For the In Memoriam part.) OMG, that old lady from Titanic just died! Leslie Nielsen is dead? So are legends Dino de Laurentiis and Lena Horne. Halle Berry, who's still stunning, did a tribute to Horne, whom she admired during her emotional acceptance speech in 2002. And The King's Speech got Best Director for Tom Hooper.

Seriously? Best Actress and Actor before 11:30? You guys rock! Jeff Bridges presented Best Actress. Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Williams were outstanding and truly deserved their noms, but Portman's been a shoe-in for months. And she won. Her speech showed loyalty and gratitude, and it's a softer Portman than I remember seeing.

Colin Firth, ev-eryone's pick, won Best Actor for The King's Speech. "I have a feeling my career has just peaked," he started. He tried to finish, he said, before his "stirrings" to dance made their way to his legs. And finally, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some impulses I have to attend to backstage."  Only he could get away with sounding like, well, the king of England.

The King's Speech won Best Picture for a quadruple-whammy of Best Actor, Original Screenplay, and Director as well. I'm just happy it wasn't The Social Network. 'Cause all unauthorized biographies of billionaires are comparable to Citizen Kane, don't ya know.

A kids' chorus from PS 22 in Staten Island finished the night off. Now kids' choruses can get away with some mediocre stuff, but not these guys, who did a perfect "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The T-shirts were not so appropriate for the occasion, though. The curtain rose and the hosts and all of the winners walked out. Now that is a proper ending.

Sam
Posted 2011-02-28 11:32:42
Douglas had a stroke and he knew exactly what he was doing...I laughed the hardest cause he was the funniest. You don't know as much Jack as you think
OMG
Posted 2011-02-28 11:57:40
Anne Hathaway really wasn't a favorite of mine let's face it the Oscars are a time on tradition of class and dignity and I found her Woo Hoo's to be very in appropriate and at the end when she was basically jumping on the stage, giving a high five and yelling we did it we did it was I  feel she did an injustice to the whole thing. And when she would woo hoo after announcing a presenter there was just no class. Respect the event don't make a mockery of the whole thing. Just my opinion.
poncho
Posted 2011-02-28 12:58:12
"The underrated Anne Hathaway hosted with glamour and charm."  



Seriously? She was disingenuous and undeserving of her Oscar-hosting duties.  Were you watching when she faltered, said "Flub" and then told the at home audience to drink? Or notice the number of times she giggled nervously? I can't imagine what we would have been subjected to had she been left to host the event solo.
Brian
Posted 2011-02-28 13:03:58
It's nice to hear your thoughts on the Oscars and what your picks would have been. I like James Franco but the writing was horrible and I found him to be embarrassed to be there and doing the motions of material he didn't even like. They need seasoned comedians that can handle most of their own material. 



He carried a phone because he was taping his own entrance and taking videos throughout the production and posting livetime to twitter - which was a big hit apparantly. I could watch his backstage intro and see the crowd from his perspective on MY phone from his phone in a matter of minutues of it happening.
g
Posted 2011-02-28 14:33:49
AGREED
Posted 2011-02-28 20:10:55
Atleast Anne acted like she wanted to be there,

unlike James with his "I just work here, face"

                      Hey James get it together dude

                                          c'mon
Tamil Expert
Posted 2011-03-01 12:57:51
I watched Luke Matheny's movie and I can only say that this guy is gifted. Luke is really fortunate to won an award for his graduate thesis film. I consider we will hear more about his world soon.
Posted by Bianca Brown @ 4:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011, 3:00 PM
Filed Under: Arts | To-Do List Theater
Each day we dig into a different category of our listings database to compile a to-do list of our favorite entries. Today: Thespians abound in our week's worth of theater listings.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Love is as mysterious as the night, full of sensuality, intrigue, and passion. A Little Night Music is a musical about these themes of love and its limitless possibilities. Runs through March 13, $5-$16, Kelsey Theatre, Mercer Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Rd, West Windsor, NJ, 609-570-3333.

Mark Gavin
Rob McClure as Mozart

AMADEUS Experience the critically acclaimed Amadeus at the Walnut Street Theater. See the confrontation between mediocrity and genius and between the court composer Salieri and God. Runs through March 6, $10-$85, Walnut Street Theatre, Main Stage, 825 Walnut St., 215-574-3550.

CATS One of the world's acclaimed musicals opens The New Candlelight Theatre's 2011 season. With all the lights, costumes, and spectacle, Cats will have you purring, or maybe licking on the poor chap next to you. Runs through March 12, $15-$55, New Candlelight Theatre, 2208 Millers Rd., Ardentown, DE, 302-475-2313.

DOUBT Still cringe at the thought of nuns teaching (and beating) you back in Catholic school? Doubt is about one nun's desire to keep tradition alive in a changing word and changing church. Runs through March 20, $12, Old Academy Players, 3544 Indian Queen Ln., 215-843-1109.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Being forced to read this in high school probably blinded you to the seat-gripping story. Boy from the wrong side of the tracks chasing a rich girl, a convicted thug on the run, and who can forget Miss Havisham? Runs through March 5, $10-$15, Curio Theatre Co., 815 S. 48th St., 215-525-1350.

GUYS AND DOLLS Got a gambling problem? "Guys and Dolls" is about one man's reform and how he helps his friends find repentance for their own sins. Runs through March 12, $10-$17, Shannondell at Valley Forge Performing Arts Center, 10000 Shannondell Drive, Audubon, 610-277-9505.

Anthony DeSando as Don Juan

JULIUS CAESAR Director Mark Wade reimagines Shakespeare's classic with an all-female cast. Runs through March 6, $10-$15, Arcadia University MainStage, 450 S Easton Rd, Glenside, 215-572-2112.

DON JUAN Quintessence Theatre Group presents the greatest lover in history, Don Juan, and his conquest of every woman's heart in the Italian countryside. Runs through March 13, $10-$30, Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., 215-248-92298206.

RABBIT HOLE Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, a family falls through a rabbit hole and learns to deal with tragedy in order to find hope and meaning in life. Runs through March 12, $10-$12, Forge Theatre, 241 First Ave., Pheonixville, 610-935-1920.

SHIRLEY VALENTINE A wisecracking comedy about a middle-aged English women named Shirley and her lust for adventure. Runs through March 13, $10-$25, Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211.

THE CRUCIBLE Witchcraft and wizardry isn't as cute and cuddly as Harry Potter suggests. Taking place during the Salem Witch Trials, "The Crucible" tells a deceitful tale about the lies and betrayal surrounding the accusations. Runs through March 18, $13-$21, Tri-Pac Performing Arts Center & Village Productions, 245 E High St, Pottstown.

Brian Sydney Benbridge

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL First NASCAR, now musical theater: It looks like hicks won't stop at anything in their attempts to take over the entertainment industry. This doozey of a comedy is about a trailer park turned upside down by its newest resident, a stripper. Pull out the Miller Lights and lawn chairs ready for this one. Runs through March 3, $28-$37, Montgomery Theater, 124 Main St., Souderton, 215-723-9984.

THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE This dark comedy set in Ireland promises to be the goriest event of the season. Directed by Matt Pfeiffer. Runs through March 13, $18-$40, Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey Street, 215-735-0630.

THE UGLY ONE Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the ugliest of them all? When a salesman finds out he's too ugly to sell his own product he turns to the knife for a face lift that will hopefully raise his sales figures too. Runs through March 2, $30, Walnut Street Theatre, Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut St., 215-574-3550.

Need more drama? You'll find more in our theater event listings database.

Posted by Massimo Pulcini @ 3:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, February 25, 2011, 9:30 PM
Filed Under: Critical Mass

Eugene Mirman (Flight of the Conchords, Bob's Burgers, Delocated) performs at the Northstar Bar (2639 Poplar St.) on Sat. March 5. We caught up with him for a chat. City Paper: Have you performed in Philly much? Eugene Mirman: I've played lots of music venues in Philly, I've never played a comedy club there. I've played the Northstar, TLA, Troc, Khyber ... I like doing comedy in a theater or seated rock club. A lot of comedy clubs have an affectation to them that's sort of, I guess cheesy ... or there's a two drink minimum. But at the rock clubs, you buy a ticket to a show and you can get very very drunk if you like, but you don't have to.
eugenemirman.com
CP: Are there any particularly bad shows you want to fess up to? EM: I did have one time that I was supposed to do eight shows in Las Vegas, it was just going to be short sets before the headliner. It was very funny though because there was an insane mismatching between me and the audience — who were mostly on respirators. I think I mentioned the Internet (it was 2001), and you could see in their eyes right away like, "They don't know what the Internet is." Anyway, I only ended up doing two shows. The guy that was hosting tried to help me. He asked, "Do you have any Jewish jokes or fart jokes?" He was really trying to help me, he was trying to think of anything I can do. It was so bad that someone else did the rest of the shows. That's the thing that's awesome about doing comedy in these music venues. Because nobody's there by accident, generally. Everybody who's coming to see comedy there essentially has a very good idea of what they're gonna get. And I don't want an audience to not have fun, so I'd rather them go to a place to find what they like. Which is me. CP: Tell me about the show you're bringing to Philly? EM:It's called "Pretty Good Friends." It's a show that me and Julie Smith (executive produce of the Onion TV show) have been doing a long time — us and this other woman Caroline Craighead. The three of us have been running this weekly show for five years, and then we started doing these bigger shows, and we put on a festival. We're trying to branch out to other cities. Right now we're just doing Boston to D.C., it's a trial sort of thing. Kumail Nanjiani and Reggie Watts will be on the show with me and since we're still close to NY, there may or may not be other surprise guests at the last minute. CP: How long have you been performing? EM: Sixteen years, give or take. I majored in comedy in college, I went to a liberal arts school where you can design your own major. I did a one hour stand-up act as my thesis. I wrote papers on the physiology of laughter and Lenny Bruce's affect on culture. I was always sort of serious about comedy, so instead of spending all that time doing something else, I got to focus on it. There wasn't really a place to do comedy, so I started a weekly comedy show in the basement of my dorm. CP: What are your thoughts about the Louis CK-style work ethic? EM: If you're ever visiting a city you've already visited, you need new material. That's why I try to do stuff that I haven't put on CD, or haven't done last time I was in that city. And that's pretty much how the rest of the world does it, they perform an hour show for a year, and then write an entire new hour. CP: Do you have a sort of 'home away from home' or place to tour where you get a particularly good reception? EM: Austin is very fun. Boston, Seattle... I don't have one particular spot, usually three to four hundred people know who I am in most of the major cities. Flight of the Conchords was extremely popular. When I was in the Hollywood Bowl performing for sixteen thousand people, I realized how popular Flight of the Conchords really was. I've never been to New Zealand but I imagine I would do pretty well there. CP: As a comedy major, do you have any broad generalizations to make about The Internet? EM: The great thing about the internet is that you can just make a thing and put it online, and if it becomes popular, you can have a career. It's no longer in the hands of people who have to figure out what to do with you. Years ago, you'd be seen by industry people and they'd go, "Well, you're very funny but we don't know what to do with you." And now you remove that need for the middle man. So you can become very popular on twitter, and tell people where you'll be performing. You can produce and distribute CD's very cheaply. It's helped my career imensely. Eugene was asked to do a commencement speech at his alma mater. Check it out:
Posted by Ryan Carey @ 9:30 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, February 25, 2011, 9:00 PM
Filed Under: Music | DJ Nights Blogged DJs
WHO: DJ Gino Caporale, DJ MXM, Linda Leigh/L3 WHAT: Ms. Linda Leigh has been holding it down at Liberty Bar for quite a while, but starting this week she's flipping it up and moving to a new night —every fourth Saturdays. To kick off her new gig, she's organized a reunion that's been a long time in the making. Two original residents of one of Philly's legendary old school clubs, Christine's, are back together for an intimate evening of house beats and beers. WHEN & WHERE: Sat., Feb. 26, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., free, Liberty Bar, 2204 Market St., 215-496-9797, 2204libertybar.com. WHY: Its cool to check out internationally known vets doin't it up in their hometown!
Posted by Gair Marking @ 9:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, February 25, 2011, 8:00 PM
Filed Under: Critical Mass | Ice Cubes
Dafni D. Comerota
Meryl Levitz, Ed Cambron, Anne Ewers and Roz McPhearson
It's impossible to not think of yourself as part of the French Foreign Legion this month. The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) has everyone and everything tied up in knots. Or maybe a French braid is a better analogy. The Philadelphia International Flower Show and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's "Springtime in Paris," themed week kicks off with a private event on March 5, runs from March 6 to 13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and I know there is more than one gig that the Parisian-jazz inspired Hot Club of Philadelphia will play. Liberty Place and Reading Terminal have held pre-PIFA parties in the last few weeks as did Sofitel at the end of 2010. All that set the stage for staring at the animated video cube in front of the Kimmel Center and the hanging at the PIFA food/fashion preview that took place at Hamilton Rooftop Garden; all in anticipation of PIFA shows and its Opening Night Gala on April 7 where their first Culinary Visionary Award goes to Chef Georges Perrier. (Perrer's Le Bec Fin along with a handful of local restaurants including, Bibou, Caribou Café, Fork, Lacroix, Parc, and R2L will host chefs from Lyon, Perrier's place of birth). Where fashion is concerned, on April 8 a PIFA catwalk/soiree run by SPW (that's Sharon Waxman, y'all) is set with work of Philly's Ralph Rucci to be gifted with the Visionary Award for Fashion. Rucci became the first American designer in 60+ years to be invited to show in Paris by the French Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Other locals involved in THAT show include: Melani Von Alexandria and Sarah Van Aken.
A.D. Amorosi
Rames and Hoyt
Then there's the PIFA itself - April 7 to May 1- that you'll see more of in these pages in the weeks to come. For now, at the HamiltonGarden, it was let ‘em gateau. For me, PIFA set the stage for Philly Cooks! the Philly Magazine sponsored benefit for the Ronald McDonald House at the Crystal Tea Room with some 40+ chefs participating. I got there closer to 7:45 so I missed all the Marabella meatballs. But caught more than my share of Blackfish, El Rey, Sampan, Harvest and Ladder 15 fare, which is fantastic as El Rey won the night's Best Appetizer (avocado with crab meat.), Blackfish for Dish of the Year, (Chip Roman's Hiramasa Sashimi Style) Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar for Best Entrée (Pan Seared West Coast Halibut with Soba Noodles and Asian Vegtables with Miso Broth which made me break my no noodle rule) and the Moshulu won for Best Dessert – an actual French chef, Michael Cluizel's Chocolate Espresso Torte. Since I couldn't spot the maker of the Torte, I grabbed Patrice Rames, the king of the Bistro St. Tropez and captured my own French food moment. Bon soir.
Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 8:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, February 25, 2011, 7:00 PM
Filed Under: TV Shore Trash
mtv.com
Nice knees ...
Last night's episode of Jersey Shore was kind of like a salad at a steak house. You don't really want it, you wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there, but if it's in front of you, you may as well eat it. The madness began where it left off last week. It is the morning after Snooki and Jionni's not so whirlwind tryst. Snooki didn't seem to mind that she couldn't remember his name, that the boys interrupted her when she was trying to ‘get it in,' and she didn't even seem to care that the guy hardly reaches the 5 foot mark. What is it that pisses Snooki off? He isn't t0o familiar with the whole big spoon, little spoon concept. Snooki gives him the boot, and it's bye-bye Bernard.
mtv.com
While the other half of Team Meatball is at the Shore Store with Mike and Pauly — where they work for a few solid minutes before ducking out to the boardwalk to buy a small motorcycle — Ronnie is at home, sad again. He says he needs someone who understands him and knows what he's been through. His dad must know what it's like to go bananas, emotionally berate a woman, and ruin all her things, because that's who he calls. As Ronnie bitches to his pops about how he misses Sammi and wants to go home, his dad convinces him to stay. It was like watching a kid call up his parent from summer camp, begging to go home — if, that is, summer camp was paying the kid around $25,000 an episode. Sadly, Roger is again absent from the episode. We last saw him a few weeks ago, after JWOWW dressed up like a dominatrix to bid him farewell on his journey to the unknown. Even when he isn't there, he helps JWOWW put together the puzzle of STDs, otherwise known as Snooki's hookups. It turns out that Jionni (aka Bernard) is Nick's friend (the guy with the ‘La Famiglia' tramp stamp), who is Jeff's cousin (the Irish guy?), who Snooki also hooked up with. Don't get it? That's okay, neither did Snooki. The gang eventually winds up at Karma. It's like the Mexican Restaurant debacle, when JWOWW meets a handful of respectable Seaside residents who want to play 20 Questions: The Roger Edition with her. "You know Roger?" "Are you still dating Roger?" "Where's Roger?" Roger, we find out, is in Maine. The only question that doesn't get asked is, "Why the hell is Roger in Maine?" Did he get a job catching lobster? Shooting deer? Cutting down pine trees? My list of things Maine is known for ends there.
mtv.com
Other honorable mentions from the episode were when Team Meatball had a special moment and decided to stick marshmallows all over the place. "Somebody marashmallowed the house!" Pauly  noted. Apparently that counted as a prank, because Mike decided to get them back, calling a taxi to take the pair to Times Square, instead of their planned destination about 15 minutes away from the house. It takes Snooki and Deena to realize what's going on when the cab reaches Staten Island. Momentarily not so much caring where they're headed, Snooki asks the driver, "Can you look at me real quick? Watch the road! But do I look hot?" Some hours later, they return to the house, pissed at Mike. They never actually made it to Times Square, but got pretty close. Mike doesn't understand why they didn't tell the cabbie to turn around sooner. "Deena and Snooks show yet again how they defy the law of intelligence," he says. Yep, and next week they will walk on the ceiling and show how to defy the law of gravity, too. Before she returns to the house, Ronnie called up Sammi, to guilt her and let her know how much he misses her. "Don't ruin your life over me," Sammi tells him. Ronnie, in a typical boyfriend beater response says, "You are my life, though." Just as the Ron-Ron Juice gets flowing later that night, Sammi walks in the door, resulting in a wide-eyed Ronnie. Before the two can even speak, the episode closes like an ending montage from The Hills, with Ronnie retreating to most likely sob on the balcony while sad music plays in the background. At this point, the only difference between Ronnie and Sammi's relationship and a Lifetime movie is that Sammi isn't pregnant and Ronnie isn't in jail (yet). So, we'll have to wait for next week to see how the madness plays out. Does Sammi want revenge? Does she want to get him back? Maybe she just wants to show Ronnie her new glasses. Who knows and, really, who cares? HIGH Deena is hungover at work and, understandably, is not having a good time. "I'm hungover. I'm not having a good time. Work blows dick for skittles right now. I wanna kill myself," she rants. I'm not really sure what it all means, but it made me laugh anyway. Poor Deena. LOW The fecal matter has returned. Vinny (who has had a few unfortunate meetings with pink eye in the past) gives unclogging the toilet another whirl. "It's pretty friggin' disgusting," he says. Yeah, MTV, it is. Along with scenes depicting a sober Snooki and Deena's kooka, that stuff belongs on the cutting room floor. Thanks.
stdsingle
Posted 2011-03-02 20:57:33
If you have been recently diagnosed with positive, you may be upset and confused and think your sex life is over. However, it's not the end of the world, and it's not the end of your social life. You are not alone! Check POZmingle. com.......Many cities in the US and around the world have herpes/HIV/HPV social and support groups that you can join to meet others who are in the same situation.
Posted by Diana Palmieri @ 7:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About this blog
Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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