Susanna Foo Restaurant
1512 Walnut St.
Until Sun Feb. 12, $65
(215) 545-2666
www.susannafoo.com
If you think Chinese food is all about the greasy spring roles, sesame chicken and vegetable stir-fry that's too mushy to enjoy, take a step out of University City. Susanna Foo's Restaurant will be offering a five-course tasting meal for $65. This native Mongolian chef will reawaken your senses with her fusion of cooking techniques from around the world. Not banking on MSG to satisfy her customers, she uses herbs like Mexican ancho chili, star anise, and go-shi to create her flavorful sensations. Not only is the food beautiful, it is prepared completely by her.
The Quest for Equality: African-Americans as Pioneers in the Sport of Basketball
National Liberty Museum
321 Chestnut St.
Daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., until Feb. 6, free
(215) 925-2800
www.libertymuseum.org
If you are more than just a fan, don't miss this opportunity to travel back in time to view the struggle for equality and justice that paved the road for the game of basketball as we know it. With some forms of racism still existent in the U.S., how did society come to idolize those African-Americans that were able to make it to the big leagues? The answer: it wasn't always like this. If Glory Road is on your movie list, then it wouldn't hurt to see the real story first at the National Liberty Museum.
Hatch Show Print Artist Jim Sherraden
Drexel University
Mandell Theater
Thurs, 7 p.m., free
(215) 895-2787
So, you've always been into art, even though you're a cognitive science major. And you've taken those painting classes for fun, but you're looking for more enrichment. Well, look no further; artist Jim Sherraden, who's worked with the Hatch Show since the mid-1980s, will be speaking at Drexel University about his graphic designs using letter press. Furthermore, he'll talk about how this art affects everything from American entertainment to politics and music. Even if you don't intend on becoming an artist as a career, Sherraden's speech is sure to be interesting and intriguing.
Winter Birds
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
86th St. and Lindbergh Blvd.
Sun, 8:30 a.m., free
(610) 645-9030
www.lmconservancy.org
Wondering what the rest of America is doing in their free time? Well according to 60 Minutes, it's "birding." So if you think you're ready to take part in this new national hobby, get your binoculars and rubber boots and take SEPTA over to Pennsylvania's largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh. You will be looking for loons, black-crowned night herons, common snipes and American pipits. Who knows? If you're lucky you might even spot an American Bald Eagle.
Martin Luther King Celebration: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Graduate Student Center
3615 Locust Walk
Thu, 6:30-7:30 p.m., free
(215) 746-6868
www.gsc.upenn.edu/programs/film.htm#mlk
Yes, MLK's birthday was a few weeks ago, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue to celebrate his legacy. This weekend, the Graduate Student center is airing a PBS documentary on race relations in America between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement; it is being shown in four parts over the course of four Thursdays on Locust Walk. This week shows the first part of the documentary from 1865-1896 and talks about the ways that blacks were let down after the promises of Northern whites never came through. It highlights the work of prominent blacks at the time such as Booker T. Washington and Ida B. Wells. So if you're interested in learning more about the rise and fall of Jim Crow laws, celebrate Black History and come watch the show.
First Fridays at Painted Bride Art Center (featuring "Adam Parker Smith: Sweetness" and "inliquid.com: exhibit 3")
230 Vine St.
Fri, 5-7 p.m., free
(215) 925-9914
www.paintedbride.org
Like an ugly bride on her wedding day, Adam Parker's nylon, cotton and yarn dolls expose themselves in all their grotesque glory at the Painted Bride gallery. These dolls have explored the world and landed at the Gallery for the months of February and March, alongside InLiquid.com's Exhibit 3, in its primary off-line exhibition space. Exhibit 3 uses materials ranging from the organic to the synthetic. The dolls report that Exhibit 3 is one of the greatest things they've seen in all their travels, including the time they were arrested at the Vatican for indecent exposure.
Penn Museum Exhibit: In Focus: National Geographic Greatest Portraits
Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
Merle Smith Gallery
3260 South St.
Tue-Sat, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sun, 1-5 p.m.
Free with PENN card
(215) 898-4000
www.museum.upenn.edu
Anyone who has ever had a class at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology knows that getting there is a walk and a half and the class is hardly ever worth it. However, don't let that stop you from seeing this exhibit at the Penn museum; there, you'll see 50 images, in both black and white and color, of groups and individuals from the past 100 years taken by National Geographic. But don't worry if you miss it this weekend; this nationally-touring exhibit will be here until April 15th. You may not make it to your 10 a.m. class at the museum, but you should at least trek down there to see this.
Triumph Through Adversity
WHYY Independence Foundation Civic Space
Independence Mall West
150 North 6th St.
Thu, 6:30-8:30 p.m., free
(215) 351-0511
www.whyy.org/community/johnsonhouse.html
You're at Penn. At some point in your life someone has probably made you read Toni Morrison, Their Eyes Were Watching God or, my personal favorite, Follow the Drinking Gourd. But the fact is that most of us have only been exposed to a few select examples of the art created about slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the experience of blacks in America. "Triumph Through Adversity" is a good chance to expand your knowledge of this era of history and the art created about it.
Javon Jackson Quartet
Zanzibar Blue
200 South Broad St.
Fri-Sat, 7:45 p.m. & 10 p.m., $25
(215) 732-4500
www.zanzibarblue.com/music_calendar.htm
Everyone knows jazz is the biggest aphrodisiac out there. Sure, Kenny G had some crazy hair, but you know he was hittin' it with his adoring middle-aged crowd. No doubt Javon Jackson does even better for himself; he plays the saxophone like he was making tantric love to a beautiful woman: passionately, patiently and oh-so-pleasurably. Take that elusive chick you've been seeing, and then help her get her old-school funk groove on. All night long.
Rockin' the Rotunda
The Rotunda
4014 Walnut St.
Fri, 8-10 p.m, free
So, you're looking for something fun to do at Penn that's low on expenses and isn't all the way down town. Well, look no further: the junior class is sponsoring Rockin' the Rotunda this Friday, featuring free pizza, free kegs of root beer and a free concert by some of Penn's most talented musicians. Performers include Andy Kaplan & The Four Leaf Clovers and Dov Kogen. And for all you college juniors, there will be free "Class of 2007" sweatbands available. Free music, food and sweatbands: what could be more fun?
Jeremy Denk, Piano
American Philosophical Society
427 Chestnut St.
Fri, 8 p.m., $22, $10 for students
(215) 569-8080
www.pcmsconcerts.org
Word association: Beethoven. If you did not immediately think of the slobbering St. Bernard (or Beet-Oven of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure),then perhaps you're cultured enough to enjoy an evening entirely of Beethoven (as in the music of the famous composer). This weekend, world-renowned pianist Jeremy Denk will perform a program that consists solely of Beethoven for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. And if classical music isn't your "thing," you can always spend your night re-watching those aforementioned cinematic classics.
Lifehouse with Mozella
House of Blues -- Atlantic City
801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ
Fri, 7 p.m., $17-$27
(609) 236-BLUE
So, you love those boys from Lifehouse; you swoon when you hear Jason Wade belt out his songs and you've been "hangin' by a moment" 'til you found out they'd be here in concert. Well, wait no longer; the Seattle-based band is coming to a venue (relatively) near you. Okay, so maybe Atlantic City is a little far from Philly, but hey, the boys'll be performing material from their new album released in 2005, so don't miss it.
Tommy Makem's "Songs of Rebel
lion"
Zellerbach Theatre of the Annenberg Center
3680 Walnut St.
Sat, 8 p.m., $19-$33
(215) 898-3900
www.annenbergcenter.org
Back in the summer of '69, my old Uncle Paddy drank 16 pints and then went to see Tommy Makem perform. In the middle of the Godfather of Irish Folk Tunes' set, he started a fight with a leprechaun, and three days later, was found splashing around in a pool of urine hugging a sack of potatoes behind a pub in the meatpacking district. It took him 30 years to get over it, and his eyes still get misty whenever he hears a banjo. Needless to say, Tommy Makem rocks out with a very Irish cock out.
American Composers Orchestra
With Metropolitan Opera soprano Lauren Flanigan
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut St.
Sat, 7:30 p.m., $23-33
(215) 898-3900
www.AnnenbergCenter.org
You like new twists on old classics: Coca-cola with lemon and inside-out Oreos. The American Composers Orchestra offers such a twist, as it stretches the limits of classical music with unique combinations of instruments and the integration of multimedia in the show "Underground Mix." Additionally, it features the soprano Lauren Flanigan, known as the "adrenaline diva." So if you want rock with your classic music, then this evening cannot be missed.
Black Symphony
Tribal Home Gallery
56 North 3rd St.
Fri, 5 p.m., free
(215) 592-4215
www.monicamcintyre.com
Everyone needs a good breakup music playlist. But, by the time you've been at Penn for a while, you might be as sick of the songs as your ex was of you. Monica McIntyre, a cellist who will be performing this Friday at the Tribal Home Gallery, is my new breakup music crush. She's sort of a mix between Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill, and she's a million times better than listening to Dashboard Confessional again.
Cheryl B. Engelhardt
Penn Bookstore
3601 Walnut St.
Fri, 4-5 p.m.
upenn.bkstore.com/
In between booking gigs, writing original music on the piano,and performing with her band, Cheryl B. Engelhardt still finds time to update her blog. Like many up-and-coming artists today, Engelhardt uses her MySpace to promote appearances and her self-produced album, Shoes Off and Run. This weekend, she's performing at Penn in collaboration with World Cafe Live. She only has 375 friends, so hurry up and add her, and then go check out her high-octane fusion of rock, jazz and funk at the Penn Bookstore.
Emergence-see!
Freedom Repertory Theatre
1346 North Broad St.
Thu-Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 3 p.m.
Through Feb. 19
$18-$35
(215) 765-2793
www.freedomtheatre.org
North Philadelphia's Freedom Theatre returns from the brink of financial crisis with this acclaimed one-man show starring Daniel Beaty. And unlike the comeback of say, the Backstreet Boys, as Pennsylvania's oldest African-American theater, the folks at Freedom actually have a strong artistic legacy to live up to. Beaty portrays over 40 characters in a saga that hinges on the appearance of a 400-year-old slave ship in modern-day New York City.
Psychopathia Sexualis
Allens Lane Theater and Art Center
Allens Lane and McCallum St.
Fri- Sat, 8 p.m., $15
(215) 248-0546
www.allenslane.org/theater.cfm
You know you loved Moonstruck with Cher, so go see Psychopathia Sexualis, a play written by John Patrick Shanley, winner of a couple things (namely Oscars, Tonys and a Pulitzer). What do these two productions both have in common, you might ask? Well, besides the fact that they share the same writer, absolutely nothing. But Shanley's psychopathic drama involving shrinks, mid-life crises and nice hardwood-floored Manhattan apartments is sure to be a must-see. Who doesn't want to see a show about an engaged struggling artist with a fetish for argyle socks? If it's not wonderful, it's at least going to be entertaining.
After Ashley
Plays & Players Theater
1714 Delancey St.
Begins Previews Fri and Sat, 8 p.m., Sun, 3 p.m., $31-49
(215) 985-0420
www.phillytheatreco.com
After Ashley, not to be confused with Angela's Ashes, shares a somewhat similar plot line. Like the novel, the play centers on a young man finding himself; however, After Ashley has more jokes about Dr. Phil and less depressing WWII ash metaphors. Although the Philly production doesn't star Kieran Culkin like in New York City, the play offers pointed commentary on today's media. The Downtowner said that it "leaves you buzzed," and if that's true, I'll be there.
The End of the Moon
Prince Music Theater
1412 Chestnut St.
Thurs-Sat, 8 p.m., $38-$43
(215) 569-9700
www.princemusictheater.org/0506season.html
The End of the Moon sounds wild. Not just the title, which is a refreshing change from all of the End of the World plays that have been circling around lately. I mean that the show itself is literally "out there." How is this so? Well, Laurie Anderson, the artist who combines stories, songs and music into this production, was NASA's first artist-in-residence and gathered inspiration for the show from this interesting experience. And even though I don't really know what an "artist-in-residence" does for NASA, something tells me that this is one crazy trip.
Pennsylvania Ballet's Tribute to George Ballenchine
Merriam Theater
250 South Broad St.
Thurs-Fri, 8 p.m., Sat, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sun, 2 p.m., $19-$74
(215) 336-2000
http://www.paballet.org
Your friends may be totally supportive of homosexuality, but totally against your desire to drag them to Brokeback Mountain for the 90th time, no matter how hot that sex scene is. So you'll have to find another way to watch cowboys "support" each other, and the George Ballenchine Tribute Ballet is it. Three ballets, one Western, one Biblical and Russian (think Dostoevsky) and one tribute to Sleeping Beauty will only make you appreciate the male form more, particularly the male form of George Ballenchine.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons
Wachovia Center
3601 South Broad St.
Fri, 8 p.m., $15-$350
(215) 339-7676
Kobe, what?! Sure, I was sporting a "Free Kobe" shirt just like everyone else when the haters were trying to convict him. But when it comes down to it, Iverson has more grit. If Iverson were 6'7" he would've shot 82 points in the second half against a decent team. The 76ers are playing the Pistons this Friday. I don't care that the Pistons have a .878 win percentage, that they were on an 11-game winning streak, or have a number one seed in the Eastern Conference. Bottom line: Iverson isn't a rapist and Kobe doesn't play for the Pistons.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers
Wachovia Center
3601 South Broad St.
Sat, 5 p.m., $20-$170
(215) 755-9700
Are you stuck in a rut? Need some excitement in your life? Well, you should probably spice it up a little. One way to do this might be to talk a walk late at night through Philadelphia. Or, if you don't want a stray bullet to the leg, another less dangerous but equally thrilling way could be to see the game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers where the only shots that will be taken are on the goalies. The Flyers and the Rangers are currently the number one and two teams in the Atlantic Division of the NHL, and needless to say, this should be a good game. Regardless, there's nothing better than watching people beat the crap out of each other right in front of you in an organized event -- especially after a week of bio lectures and calc recitations.
Philadelphia Phantoms vs. Hershey Bears
Wachovia Spectrum
3601 South Broad St.
Fri, 7:05 p.m., $14-$33
(215) 465-4522
It's the moment you've all been waiting for: The Philadelphia Phantoms are playing the Hershey Bears! Now, I know what you're thinking: just who are these Phantoms? Well, they're that really great minor league hockey team who plays in the Wachovia Spectrum. Okay, so maybe they're not the Flyers, but they're still pretty talented (and cute). Watch them beat the stuffing out of those chocolate-loving Hershey Bears this Friday. Checking, hat tricks and a hot goalie: what could be better?
