The 2013 Made in America Festival: A Highly Anticipated Blend of Indie, Pop & Rap

The list of all the artists who will be featured during the Philadelphia 2013 Made in America Festival have recently been announced within the last few weeks. The newly annual musical extravaganza, which began just last year with the help of rap superstar Shawn Carter (a.k.a. Jay-Z), has now made the highly anticipated list available for all music lovers’ eyes.

Some of the artists who will be performing during the two-day concert include Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé, the late eighties/early nineties rock band Nine Inch Nails, French alternative group Phoenix,   relatively new R&B singer Miguel, soulful indie band Fitz & The Tantrums, and much more (check out the full list of 2013 Made in America Festival artists here).

What’s great about the Philadelphia Made in America Festival is that the event is not limited to one genre of music. The concert truly attracts individuals of all musical tastes including hardcore rap, rock, soul, indie, R&B, alternative, pop, and a mixture of all the musical genres.

2013 Made in America Festival will be take place at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on August 31^st through the following night of September 1^st. For ticket information, go to Ticketmaster.com

 

(Photo courtesy of “United Virtuoso”)

The Running Dead: The Zombie Apocalypse Sprints Through Philly

OUT WITH THE VAMPIRES AND IN WITH THE ZOMBIES!!!!

It appears that Americans have a new fad to obsess about. For several years, vampires have been the popular go-to characters to have some fun with, especially in terms of fiction writing, televisions shows, and movies. But now, new blood-thirsty creatures have arrived on the scene: Zombies.  Zombies are currently taking over American pop culture such as the ever-popular television series The Walking Dead and, more particularly, their appearance in the city of Philadelphia.

Sunday April 7^th, marked the beginning of the Zombie Run in Philadelphia. Organized by two Philly college students, Andrew Hudis and David Feinman, the Zombie Run is a truly theatrical experience. As if a movie, Hudis and Feinman created a backstory detailing the evolution of the zombie population: A new medicine called C-894 was meant to help wounded soldiers, but the medicine malfunctioned and has transformed soldiers into flesh-eating demons (who apparently enjoy a nice run in the Park).

The Zombie Run involves participants running a 5K around FDR Park in South Philly, wearing belts that have three balloons signifying different organs. Once all balloons are popped by a running zombie or at least three zombies, a participant is presumed “dead.”

Many volunteers who signed up to be the 250 running zombies are University of the Arts’ acting students. Some of the U Arts students portrayed zombie survivors and rehearsed their roles through an actual script as well. All zombies were made up by professional makeup artists and were also specially trained for in order to achieve the “zombie way of life” (or death, that is).

The Zombie Run will contribute to “attack” runners all across the United States including cities such as Louisville, Charlotte, Seattle, and Miami. Ultimately, the Zombie Run will take place in 16 cities total (Philadelphia was the kickoff location).

For more information regarding registration for the Zombie run and other locations, click on the link embedded above or just go to the website: https://www.thezombierun.com/

*But be sure to hold on to your vital organs when running!!!!

 

(Photo courtesy of examiner.com)

The Cinedelphia Film Festival: A Marathon of Philadelphia-Based Movies

Last week on April 4^th marked the beginning of the first annual Cinedelphia Film Festival. This film festival, which runs all the way through April 27^th, offers several films in various locations around Center City Philadelphia. Most of the films will be shown at the International House Philadelphia in the University City neighborhood, as well as the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art (also known as PhilaMOCA) in the Callowhill section of the city.

Some of the films that are featured during this almost month-long event include The Crumbles, Massacre Gun, The Mutations, Vanishing Waves, and so much more. What do these films have in common? They are all, in fact, Philadelphia-related. The movies themselves were either filmed in Philadelphia or feature Philly-natives.

However, a majority of people have probably never even heard of these particular film titles before. Why is this the case? Perhaps, you are thinking: “Why isn’t M. Night Shyamalan’s movies included in the Cinedelphia Film Festival list?”

Shyamalan’s Philly-based films such as The Sixth Sense and The Happening are not scheduled in the film lineup because the Cinedelphia Film Festival only presents independent and very obscure films related to the City of Brotherly Love.

Viewers of the film festival may be disappointed if they expect to view the obvious Philly-based film, Philadelphia, staring Oscar-winner Tom Hanks or even spot Sylvester Stallone jogging up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps in the widely known film franchise Rocky. Instead, the Cinedelphia Film Festival would much rather introduce audiences to more innovative and unique Philly-related films. The film festival also have designated days that focus on particular styles of film such as short films, horror films, Asian-American films, and more.

*Ticket prices vary and greatly depend on the specific film venues. Click on the embedded links above for more information.

 

(Photo courtesy of “Destination360”)

Journalism Expert Kate Couric Offers Interviewing Advice

*I know that this post doesn’t directly have to do with Philadelphia arts, entertainment, and pop culture. However, I feel that it does relate to the actual steps necessary for finding and reporting about Philadelphia, as well as any other journalistic endeavor.*

Although I am deeply in love with writing and journalism, I have to admit that I do get nervous when it comes to interviewing individuals for a story. Of course, the level of my nervousness greatly depends on the specific event I am covering and the people I am interviewing. In my short time as an aspiring journalist, I haven’t had any really embarrassing or horrible interviews (thankfully). Although, I have interviewed people who were obviously not willing to talk to me. Since I am a beginner when it comes to interviewing, I have been looking for some helpful tips on how to conduct a successful interview.

Recently, I stumbled upon a video of journalist Katie Couric giving advice on interviewing. Despite Katie Couric being a broadcast news journalist rather than an arts & entertainment print journalist (which I tend to gravitate towards), I still believe her advice can apply to different forms of journalism. I summarized Katie Couric’s interviewing tips in a list that I would like to share with any aspiring journalists out there (I also I posted the video to check out below):

1.)    Be a gracious and empathetic host- create a warm atmosphere in order for the person being interviewed to feel at ease

2.)    Ask open-ended questions (not “yes” or “no” questions) – this will elicit more detailed responses from interviewees.

3.)    Prepare with follow-up questions if you can predict how an interviewee will respond

4.)    Use already-prepared questions as a template, but be willing to veer off in a different direction depending on interviewees’ answers.  

5.)    Keep viewers (or readers in mind)- remember what viewers and readers want to learn from the interview or article

6.)    LISTEN, LISTEN, AND LISTEN to the interviewees’ responses!!!!

News Criticism on Journalism & the Arts

When it comes to journalism, I personally enjoy writing and reading about arts & entertainment. Hence, the creation and topic of this Philadelphia-based blog. Honestly, I am not very interested in daily and world news (although I probably should be).

With that being said, Mary Louise Schumacher of the Journal Sentinel wrote a thought-provoking article titled, “Are We Leaving the Arts out of Journalism?”, which discusses art and culture reporting and how it is effecting the world of journalism today. In the article, Schumacher states that the public will always crave information regarding the arts, entertainment, and current cultural aspects of society. However, many readers who are merely interested in “important” news have become discouraged due to the bombardment of culture and art-based articles.

Essentially, Schumacher is suggesting that arts and culture journalism is exciting, as well as fun to explore. Nevertheless, this type of journalism does not attract the majority of readers. Generally speaking, most readers are interested in breaking, daily, and world news (aka “need-to-know” news). Since arts and culture journalism is seen as enjoyable and more for entertainment purposes, it is not exactly as important to read.

Even though I think that “need-to-know” news helps readers become more well-informed, I still believe that arts, entertainment, and pop culture journalism is the most fulfilling.

 

(Photo courtesy of culturamacsbc)

Girl Meets Philadelphia: Boy Meets World Stars Confirm Spinoff Roles on Tumblr

Mashable, the ever-popular website that provides viewers with social media news, recently posted an article titled, “Boy Meets World’ Star Speaks Out on Tumblr About New Sequel.” This article reports that 90’s sitcom stars, Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel, will be reprising their Boy Meets World roles in a spinoff called Girl Meets World. Both actors announced this news on Tumblr, which have many Boy Meets World fans excitedly anticipating what the spinoff will be like.

For those of you who may not remember, Boy Meets World is a sitcom that details the coming-of-age story of Corey Matthews (played by Savage). The series begins with Corey as a high school student and concludes with Corey as a man married to his high school sweetheart, Topanga Lawrence (played by Fishel).

So of you may be wondering: “What does this classic television series have to with Philadelphia?” Well, the series actually takes place in Philadelphia. Although the series was really filmed at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, the sets were created to mirror the City of Brotherly Love. Throughout the series, the cast make references to Philadelphia such as the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phillies, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Mashable reports that Girl Meets World will revolve around Corey and Topanga’s preteen daughter, Riley (set to be played by Rowan Blanchard). Boy Meets World is still a beloved show. Therefore, it should be interesting to see how the spinoff will play out for Boy Meets World fans.

 

(Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times)

Philadelphia’s Orchestra and Opera Join Hands

Orchestra + Opera = A Complete Performance

Without this basic equation, there would be no such thing as musical theater. Daniel  J. Wakin’s New York Times blog post titled, “Philadelphia Orchestra to Collaborate With Opera on ‘Salome’,”  reports that the Philadelphia Orchestra will be providing the music for Opera Philadelphia’s performance of Richard Strauss’s, “Salome,” in May of next year. For those of you who don’t know much about opera, Strauss’s “Salome” is, in fact, based on author Oscar Wilde’s play Salome. Salome details the legend of Princess Salome and her lust for the prophet, Jochanaan. The character of Salome is, perhaps, most known for demanding and desiring Jochanaan’s severed head (literally).  

In the blog post, Wakin claims that the Philadelphia Orchestra and Opera Philadelphia’s version of “Salome” will be performed at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center. This merging of two respected Philadelphia-based organizations will essentially represent the overall genius combination of music and theatre.

 

(Photo courtesy of kimmelcenter.org)

Philadelphia Graffiti: Vandalism or Works of Art?

Generally speaking, some may believe graffiti to be a form of “uncivilized” or “low class” street art. The literal act of creating graffiti is, in fact, an illegal crime when found on a public space. In many cities all over the world, not just Philadelphia, graffiti can be found etched, spray painted, and sometimes even colored-in using permanent markers on buildings, alleyways, cars, trashcans, fire hydrants, dumpsters, and the like.

However in the city of Philadelphia (aka the city of murals and overall public art), graffiti has truly become a daily staple of artistic expression. Despite this form of art being technically “wrong” when found on public property without authorization, graffiti is ultimately a way for local unknown artists to get their work out into the world. Painting a few words, phrases, or images on the side of a building is a really quick and easy way to get one’s art noticed.

“Tagging” has also become very popular in Philadelphia. Tagging is when graffiti artists create a signature phrase or image that they recreate in various public spaces all over the city. An artist’s specific tag can easily become recognizable, which may make or break the artist’s reputation. Tagging can be a great way for an artist to make their mark (figuratively and literally) in the artistic world. However, a tag repeatedly seen all around the city may also become a part of the police department’s radar.

All in all, graffiti is hairy topic. Whether or not you see graffiti as an act of vandalism, a work of art, or both simultaneously, its a form of self-expression nevertheless. Even though creating graffiti on a public space is a punishable crime, local artists are not discouraged. More and more graffiti will be displayed for many more years to come.

(Photos courtesy of Linda Heath)

The Addams Family Broadway Musical Comes to Philly—The Same Old Song & Dance?

The famously creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky family has finally graced the stage as Broadway musical at the Kimmel Center on South Broad Street in Philadelphia. Based on the 1960’s television show and original cartoons by Charles Addams, The Addams Family Broadway Musical has been recognized both nationally and internationally by touring in various countries all around the world. However, now the time has come for the Addams family to have some fun in the city of Philadelphia.

In keeping the Addams Family Broadway Musical in mind, it has become increasingly apparent that many upcoming movies, television programs, and Broadway musicals are based on a preexisting storyline or well-known characters (particularly in American society). Some examples include the new film Oz the Great and Powerful, which is a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s novel and the famous 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Another example would be the new A&E television miniseries, Bates Motel, which is a contemporary spinoff of the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock movie, Psycho. The United Kingdom’s Matilda The Musical is yet another production that is based off of Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel, Matilda.

Therefore, are movie makers and screenwriters becoming lazy? Are audiences merely comforted by the familiar?

This isn’t to say that prequel’s, spinoffs, or the like are poor foundations for the screen and stage. In fact, Matilda The Musical has just recently came to America and is currently on Broadway as well. This proves that just because a movie, television show, or Broadway musical is based on a preexisting story doesn’t mean that the end product will bore audiences.

The Addams Family Broadway Musical’s international success has also proved to be a performance worth seeing. Philadelphia natives can now join the flock of people who experienced and loved this kooky family for years, along with audience members discovering them for the first time.

Who says that basing stories after a classic is wrong? Sometimes its truly best to stick to what you know.

*Ticket prices range from $20.00 to $85.00 depending on the seats in the theater.

 

(Photo courtesy of the Addams Family Broadway Musical photo gallery)

5 Rittenhouse Square Sculptures That Will Add a Little SPRING to Your Step

Spring is just around the corner and the weather is getting warmer (hopefully), so why not take a nice leisurely stroll around Philadelphia’s largest park, Rittenhouse Square. Located in Center City, this charming park is perfect for a relaxing walk or even having a friendly picnic. Besides the general open and flowered splendor this area has to offer, Rittenhouse Square also contains some works of art for the public to enjoy. Specifically, there are a number of sculptures scattered in various areas throughout the park. Here are five sculptures located in Rittenhouse Square that truly help in labeling Philly as (what I would call), “The City of Public Art”:

1.) Duck Girl

This sculpture is located at the far end of the central plaza and is actually in the middle of the Rittenhouse Square’s fountain. It is a bronze sculpture depicting girl holding a duck under her left arm and was designed by Paul Manship in 1911. In the spring and summer, the sculpture appears to be floating on top of the fountain water like a small island. But, passersby can actually walk right up to the sculpture when the fountain water is drained in the winter months.

2.) Lion Crushing a Serpent

This visually violent, yet striking sculpture is located right smack in the middle of the center plaza. It was designed by artist Antoine-Louis Barye in the 1800s. Antoine-Louis Barye created this sculpture as a symbolic statement in reflection of the French Revolution. According to Barye, the figure of the lion represents good and the serpent represents evil (hence, good concurring evil).

3.) Billy

Placed about midway down the southwest path in the park, this two-foot-tall adorable bronze billy goat was sculpted by Albert Laessle and has been cherished by numerous children for many years.

4.) Giant Frog

Near the northeast pathway peaks Cornelia Van A. Chapin’s granite sculpture of a frog. This frog, which is rather “giant,” appears to be resting on a rock before leaping into the pond of surrounding greenery.

5.) Evelyn Taylor Price Memorial Sundial

This sculpture, which is my favorite of the five, is also on the northeast pathway and was designed by a Philadelphia native named Beatrice Fenton. The sculpture itself is in honor of Evelyn Taylor Price who was the president of the Rittenhouse Square Flower Association, as well as the head of the Rittenhouse Square Improvement Association. The sculpture depicts two children raising up a sunflower. The sunflower reflects Evelyn Taylor Price’s love of flowers and her involvement with the park. When examining closely, viewers can also see that the sunflower is, in fact, a large sundial.