THEATER TALK
By Herbert and Lore Ert

 ACADEMY OF MUSIC (215/731-3333)

Fresh from Broadway, “Wicked,” a new musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, will make its Philadelphia debut, March 22 – April 9. Winner of  15 major awards including a Grammy  and three Tony Awards, it  is the untold story of  the Witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. “Wicked” tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch.

BRISTOL RIVERSIDE THEATRE (215/785-0100)

“Proof,” by David Auburn will be presented, March 14 – April 2. Winner of both, a Pulitzer and a Tony Award, “Proof” combines elements of mystery and surprise with old- fashioned storytelling to provide a compelling evening of theater.

On the eve of her 25th birthday, Catherine, a young woman who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, must deal not only with his death, but with the arrival of her estranged sister Claire. In addition, she has to cope with the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father’s who hopes to find valuable work in the note books he left behind.

WALNUT INDEPENDENCE STUDIO ON 3  (215/574-3550)

“Forrest: A Riot of Dreams” will be presented in the Walnut Street Theatre’s Independence Studio on 3, March 14 – April 2. This new play is based on the life of Edwin Forrest, the celebrated actor who brought passion, drama and larger-than-life sbattle that ensued mirrored the public craving for fame and scandal.

PHILA. SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL (215/496-8001)

The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival has announced its ninth season, running from March 8 – May 21. Comedy dominates the upcoming season as three productions will be featured in repertory, starting off  March 8 with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” (Abridged). This irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays   is heavily influenced by Monty Python and Bugs Bunny, which condenses all 38 plays into 97 minutes. Next up it’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” a comedy about love, opening on March 24. Concluding the season April 14, will be “The Tempest,” also about love, it creates a vast world of characters, of steadfast virtue and ingenious treachery. The plays will be performed at 2111 Sansom Street.

ACT II PLAYHOUSE (215/654-0200)

“Syncopation,” a romantic comedy by Allan Knee will be in the spotlight from March 10 to April 9. The story is set in 1911 when a 38-year old Jewish meat packer in New York city decides that he really wants to be a ballroom dancer and places an ad for a partner. The woman, Anna, who answers his ad is 23. Things really become interesting as every dance-filled scene chronicles their subtle transforming relationship against the larger political backdrop of the times.

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