William Penn News

The ABC Television Network has announced season finale dates for series ending their prime-time runs in May.

Rent hits the small screen once again this week. as the students of William Penn high school on the new series Schooled take on the musical Rent, See what magic happens when a jock and a theatre kid team up for one of the show's most famous duets, 'What You Own' below!

Theatre Philadelphia proudly announces the return of Philly Theatre Week with 81 organizations, 100 events and 315+ performances between February 7 to 17, 2019. This new 10-day celebration will showcase the vibrant and diverse theatre scene in the tri-state region, and help make theatre even more accessible to the community. Participating organizations range from professional regional theatres, to local community theaters, to self-producing artists, and everything in between. Events will include full performances, workshops, panels and more in Philadelphia and suburbs, plus in New Jersey and Delaware. All tickets for participating shows are free, $15 or $30. Philly Theatre Week tickets are officially on sale now at www.phillytheatreweek.org and through the TodayTix app. This year's Philly Theatre Week is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

ABC Announces Premiere Dates for New Series THE FIX, GRAND HOTEL, WHISKEY CAVALIER, and Returning Shows AMERICAN IDOL, MATCH GAME and FOR THE PEOPLE

Yesterday, City officials and partners officially opened the new Philadelphia City Archives and dedicated an interactive new mural created for the site through the City's Percent for Art Program.

“Schooled,” a spinoff of the hit comedy series “The Goldbergs,” will make its premiere on The ABC Television Network, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9. “Schooled” will air Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m., following “The Goldbergs.” “American Housewife” will move to Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m., beginning TUESDAY, FEB. 5, on the network. ABC also announced that it has added an additional episode to the “American Housewife” season order. The series is produced by ABC Studios. 

It's a spooktacular Halloween countdown on ABC as the network's comedies, “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “America's Funniest Home Videos” all celebrate with special programming leading up to the holiday. The week of Oct. 29, frightening events take place on “General Hospital.” On Halloween, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs the13th Annual Half & Half Halloween Costume Pageant as part of the evening's festivities.  Classic Halloween specials “It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “Toy Story OF TERROR!” also return for encore performances.

As an ever expanding regional arts organization with a dedication to conceptual rigor, formal experimentation, and active socio-cultural engagement, New York Live Arts is honored to share that our efforts have been significantly aided by an award from the William Penn Foundation's Creative Communities program.

Inis Nua Theatre Company will open its 15th anniversary season with the Philadelphia premiere of The Monster in the Hall, written by Scottish playwright David Greig. This funny musical play about family, love and really big motorcycles is the second production Inis Nua will stage by Grieg, following the company's 2014 breakout hit Midsummer [a play with songs]. Midsummer went on to earn four Barrymore Award nominations. Monster will be directed by Claire Moyer and stars Claris Park, Doug Durlacher, Eleni Delopoulos and Jamison Foreman. Previews run October 3 and 4, with Opening Night set for October 5, 2018. The show runs until October 21 for a total of 15 performances. All performances will take place at the Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 302 S Hicks Street in Philadelphia. Tickets are on sale now for $15-$35 by calling (215) 454-9776 or visiting inisnuatheatre.org.

The Neighborhood House program of Christ Church Preservation Trust, a catalyst for the arts at historic Christ Church, presents five free world premiere performances of In Plain Air, a work in multiple movements by composers Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen that marks the culmination of the International Contemporary Ensemble's year-long residency in celebration of Christ Church's new C.B. Fisk pipe organ, Opus 150. Performances will take place at Christ Church today, September 22 at 1pm, 3:30pm, and 6pm and on Sunday, September 23 at 3:30pm and 6pm. Movements employing Christ Church's historic bells, custom instruments, and itinerant musicians will convey audiences across the entire Christ Church campus before introducing them to Opus 150. Presented in partnership with FringeArts, all performances of In Plain Air will be free. Major support for In Plain Air has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

The Neighborhood House program of Christ Church Preservation Trust, a catalyst for the arts at historic Christ Church, presents five free world premiere performances of In Plain Air, a work in multiple movements by composers Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen that marks the culmination of the International Contemporary Ensemble's year-long residency in celebration of Christ Church's new C.B. Fisk pipe organ,Opus 150. Performances will take place at Christ Church on Saturday, September 22 at 1pm, 3:30pm, and 6pm and on Sunday, September 23 at 3:30pm and 6pm. Movements employing Christ Church's historic bells, custom instruments, and itinerant musicians will convey audiences across the entire Christ Church campus before introducing them to Opus 150. Presented in partnership with FringeArts, all performances of In Plain Air will be free. Major support for In Plain Air has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Inis Nua Theatre Company is proud to celebrate its 15th anniversary with the announcement of the 2018-2019 season. Music, laughter and mystery will fill the stage as Inis Nua presents the American Premieres of Inua Ellams' untitled and Monsay Whitney's Box Clever, plus the Philadelphia Premiere of David Greig's The Monster in the Hall. With the new season, Inis Nua will continue to be the only America theatre exploring exciting contemporary plays from Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. All three works from across the pond will continue to bring Philadelphia audiences provocative, shocking and jubilant work by some of the best playwrights of today. Performances will be held at Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 South Hicks Street. Subscriptions for the season are currently available and single tickets are on sale now. For tickets and more information, visit www.inisnuatheatre.org or call (215) 454-9776.

LiveConnections is proud to announce that Leonard Haas, professional actor, Vice Chair of the William Penn Foundation, and Trustee of the Wyncote Foundation, will receive the organization's 4th annual Connector Award at this year's Big Hurrah celebration on November 12, 2018.

Philadelphia Contemporary, in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC), is proud to announce its latest public project, the Festival for the People. Spread across two central piers on the Delaware River waterfront, the festival will feature a dynamic set of participatory programs and events, sculptures, installations, videos, and banners over three weekends, from October 13-28, 2018.  

The Neighborhood House program of Christ Church Preservation Trust, a catalyst for the arts at historic Christ Church, presents five free world premiere performances of In Plain Air, a work in multiple movements by composers Nathan Davis and Phyllis Chen that marks the culmination of the International Contemporary Ensemble's year-long residency in celebration of Christ Church's new C.B. Fisk pipe organ, Opus 150. Performances will take place at Christ Church on Saturday, September 22 at 1pm, 3:30pm, and 6pm and on Sunday, September 23 at 3:30pm and 6pm. Movements employing Christ Church's historic bells, custom instruments, and itinerant musicians will convey audiences across the entire Christ Church campus before introducing them to Opus 150. Presented in partnership with FringeArts, all performances of In Plain Air will be free. Major support for In Plain Air has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

In collaboration with the Neighborhood House program of Christ Church Preservation Trust, a catalyst for the arts at historic Christ Church, pianist and composer Phyllis Chen hosts the next PECO Family Jam at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (PMG) on Sunday, July 8. PECO Family Jams are PMG's one-of-a-kind, family-oriented programs, featured every second Sunday of the month between 12:00 and 4:00. Drop in with the whole gang for a variety of hands-on workshops and free kid-friendly tours at 1:00 PM & 2:30 PM.

Coming on the heels of a tremendously successful 2017-18 season that boasts the No. 1 show on television ("Roseanne"), the No. 1 new drama ("The Good Doctor") and the No. 1 reality show launch ("American Idol"), ABC is set to announce a stellar slate of programming for the 2018-19 season. Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment, will unveil the network's new lineup to the advertising and media communities this afternoon at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall in New York City.

Coming on the heels of a tremendously successful 2017-18 season that boasts the No. 1 show on television ("Roseanne"), the No. 1 new drama ("The Good Doctor") and the No. 1 reality show launch ("American Idol"), ABC is set to announce a stellar slate of programming for the 2018-19 season. Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment, will unveil the network's new lineup to the advertising and media communities this afternoon at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall in New York City.

Every once in a while, a person is born who is destined to influence the world in ways yet to be seen. Sometimes these men and women are born into a position of power, such as a king or queen, and other times they do whatever it takes to become great and powerful business or political leaders on the backs of others. But once in a blue moon there comes a man who gains fortune and fame for simply being someone who people connect with, who speaks the truth, and who does his best to make the world a better place than he left it. One such man is the sage from Oologah ,Oklahoma, William Penn Adair Rogers. As time passes, fewer and fewer people are alive who had first-hand experience reading Will Rogers' column, listening to him on the radio, or seeing his films. It is for that reason, that we are lucky a show like THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES exists, and even luckier that Goodspeed Musicals chose it for the opening production of its 2018 season. Telling his life story over the course of a Ziegfeld follies extravaganza (another thing that many today have no memory of), this dazzling, colorful, and heartwarming musical takes audiences on a journey from rags to riches with America's "Cowboy Philosopher".

Inis Nua's Pop-Up Play in a Pub is our chance to give our audience one more taste of the terrific playwrighting of Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. We gather upstairs at Fergie's Pub for the Pop-Up Play and also throw in the great taste of local East Passyunk pie shop Stargazy Pies and a Fergie's beverage. This year's offering is Charolais, a dark comedy by Noni Stapleton directed by Tom Reing.