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Philadelphia Theatre Company feat. Josh A. Campbell · philly has heART

0:14
Hey, Lucinda. How are you? Very well. How are
0:16
you today? I'm doing great. Excellent. Excellent.
0:19
Did you have an art -filled week? Ish. Yeah?
0:23
We had a busy week. Thursday night, a co -worker
0:29
and I went up to Next Fab. Oh, how was that?
0:43
Pieces all made from cork. And they were all
0:48
lamps. These were the bougiest lamps you had
0:52
ever seen. They were beautiful. I love a bougie
0:55
lamp. I mean, any type of like. Who doesn't love
1:01
a bougie lamp is the question. I think Katie
1:05
from the Museum for Art and Wood mentioned. Henry
1:11
Merker was awarded the 2025 Winter Fellowship.
1:15
Oh, right. Yes. So this was also a kind of project
1:20
within that as well. And, you know, I know Katie
1:24
certainly mentioned that cork is a form of wood.
1:27
And a recycling of wood. Yes, indeed. While I
1:32
was there, I also saw Katie herself as well as
1:36
Nava. Oh, I also saw Sam. And I saw Colin, Sam's
1:42
partner. We're going to have Colin on in the
1:46
next few weeks. He's got a project, again, with
1:50
the Museum for Art and Wood. They are, I would
1:54
say that maybe they are the sun in the universe.
1:57
It's coming. It's coming to that. It's coming
2:00
to that. Yeah. Our podcast, Philly Has Art, is
2:03
just a little asteroid in that universe. Shooting
2:07
around. Shooting through. Wayward. Hopefully
2:10
not making destruction. Hopefully we don't crash
2:12
into anything. Armageddon over here. So other
2:16
than checking out Next Fab, which the space is
2:21
insane. It's like a maker's space. Oh, perfect.
2:25
So there's multiple makers within it. So many
2:29
makers. Also a Mexican restaurant. No way. Yeah.
2:35
I also popped into Bridget Meyer's gallery yesterday.
2:40
Okay. And I checked out The Vault, which right
2:44
now is featuring art from, I think he's DC -based,
2:49
Alan Bentley. And the subject is dance. There's
2:54
a lot of ballroom dance, but he also features
2:56
ballerinas, like more classical dancers in his
3:00
work. It was really beautiful. Now, The Vault,
3:03
it's actually that inset. Do you remember when
3:06
we went during the Paffa show and there was that
3:10
inset where they were keeping the alcohol? That
3:13
is where the vault is. And it's like a really
3:15
nice way to show off another artist while giving
3:20
the primary artist proper attention. I also went
3:25
to Locke's gallery. Really? So intimidating.
3:29
What did they have there? A series of charcoals
3:33
that were in the $8 ,000 to $25 ,000 range. Yeah,
3:37
I took a picture of the door with private written
3:41
on it and called it a Jeff Koons on stories.
3:45
That's nice. That is nice. Okay, before we get
3:49
into trouble with anybody, let's get to our conversation,
3:52
eh? Excellent. Sounds great. Greetings. This
4:10
is Robert Marsh, and you're listening to Philly
4:12
Has Heart Podcast. In this podcast, we sit down
4:16
with artists, gallerists, educators, curators,
4:19
and creatives who comprise the Philadelphia art
4:22
world to discuss upcoming performances, exhibitions,
4:25
and other events and initiatives that are not
4:29
to be missed. The art scene in Philadelphia is
4:32
so rich that it can seem daunting. Consider this
4:36
your weekend cultural recommendation. With me
4:39
always is my producer, Lucinda Degerlin. Hello,
4:42
hello. And today we have Josh A. Campbell of
4:46
Philadelphia Theatre Company. We're so happy
4:49
to have you today. Thank you for having me. I'm
4:51
excited. Yes. So Josh, tell us a little bit about
4:55
Philadelphia Theatre Company origin story. Great
4:59
question. I can say I can only speak to the last
5:02
maybe 30 years. But Philadelphia Theatre Company
5:05
has been in Philadelphia for about 50 years.
5:07
So we're currently in our 50th anniversary season.
5:10
Wow. From my understanding, it started with Rob
5:15
Headley, who was a theater actor and director.
5:18
And he got together with a group of actors and
5:21
students to put on new works and works derivative
5:25
of Shakespeare. And from there, the company has
5:27
blossomed. and grown under the leadership of
5:30
Sarah Garosnick. She made a Philly story. We
5:33
were doing new work by some of America's promising
5:36
playwrights. We were doing reimagined classic
5:40
work and works by women and people of color,
5:44
especially at a time in which Philadelphia wasn't
5:46
doing these kind of stories. So whether you were
5:49
LGBTI, Black, Latino, Asian American, we started
5:55
doing new work and we have everything. from new
5:58
play festivals to opportunities for the audience
6:01
to engage with the playwrights actually this
6:05
close, as close as we are in conversation right
6:07
now. Oh, that's great. And so from there, we've
6:10
continued that work of producing work that was
6:13
on Broadway. So Philly had an opportunity. You
6:16
didn't have to worry about going to New York
6:18
to see that play. It was going to come to Philadelphia
6:20
for you to experience. And really opening the
6:23
doors around accessibility as well. We partnered
6:26
extensively over our time with ArtReach so that
6:30
folks of different abilities and backgrounds
6:32
could have experiences. Up close at the theater,
6:36
whether it was doing sensory tours, getting the
6:39
chance to see the props and the costumes and
6:41
the lighting beforehand. now in our 50th season
6:45
still doing new work brave work under the leadership
6:48
of co -artistic directors tyler dobrowski and
6:51
tabie magar this season what i could say um we
6:54
just actually wrapped up our production of nightside
6:57
songs which was a musical about cancer. So when
7:02
you think about musical and cancer, you're probably
7:04
like, how does that work? Who's bringing them
7:07
together? Written by Daniel Patrick Lazor. It
7:10
was a musical for caregivers and it allowed the
7:14
audience to come together and think about their
7:16
relationship to illness and wellness. Their journey.
7:21
So it was following Yasmeen as she is navigating
7:25
her cancer diagnosis. We spent a lot of time
7:27
dealing with her in remission, which is new for
7:30
those type of stories. So we're looking at her
7:32
getting married. We're looking at her and her
7:35
mom navigating their relationship and what it
7:39
means to let go and move parents in. And so the
7:42
way it would work is that the... Actors will
7:44
actually teach the audience the songs. So you
7:48
will learn the melody. You will learn the harmony
7:52
and the different rhythms. you would sing with
7:55
them. So it became a space of communal healing.
7:57
Oh, beautiful interaction. And so what was so
8:00
beautiful about this is that we were able to
8:02
do a two -week tour throughout Philadelphia.
8:05
So we took it to all the hospitals. So staff
8:09
and folks who were battling or in remission were
8:13
able to see the show. We took it to libraries
8:15
and community centers. So we did that for two
8:18
weeks. Oh, wow. I know. It was magical. And then
8:22
we parked it. How immersive. Immersive. It's
8:24
the best way to put it. Bring it into the community
8:26
where they are. Meet them where they are. Literally.
8:29
Yeah, that's where we are at 50th season. So
8:33
to sum up PTC in a nutshell, we do new work.
8:37
World premieres that no one has ever seen, heard,
8:41
or produced. We do emerging artists, those who
8:44
have had their first productions or looking to
8:47
expand their productions. We do musicals. We
8:50
love a good song and dance and story about love
8:55
and community. And we do work that is... For
8:59
the community. That is the new vision for year
9:01
50 moving forward is thinking about the ways
9:04
in which we can invite the community in to experience
9:08
and really open the doors. How many productions
9:10
a year do you normally do? It changes. I'll say
9:14
for this season, we have three productions. We're
9:18
prepping for production number three, which is
9:19
Small Ball, which is a really tender musical
9:23
that blends Michael Jordan's love of basketball
9:26
with Gulliver Travels. Really, at the heart of
9:29
it, it's about how do we as a community learn
9:32
to embrace and adapt each other despite our differences?
9:36
So Michael Jordan, he's six foot something and
9:39
he's afraid to pass the ball to the Lilliputians
9:42
because they're so tiny. And so the musical is
9:45
about them working through their differences
9:46
as a community. What a unique story. I'm going
9:50
to link that in the show notes. Yes. You know,
9:53
look, it took me a while to be like, all right,
9:54
what is this show? I watched it once or twice.
9:58
and I read the script and I just laughed out
9:59
loud and just was like, this is... especially
10:03
at a time in our current political climate where
10:06
we need a little bit more laugh and a little
10:08
bit more community and a lot more joy. Oh, yes.
10:12
Do you have a core cast, or is the cast consistently
10:15
changing as the shows change? Consistently changing.
10:18
So my work really lies at the intersection of
10:21
artistic. So Tyler and Tabe get to choose the
10:25
script, and I get to say, great, how are the
10:27
different ways in which we invite? audience and
10:30
community in. So that's everything from after
10:33
school classes and programs to when the show
10:36
happens. I started developing robust programming.
10:39
So we do a community night out. We do a black
10:42
theater night out so that those audiences can
10:45
have opportunity to experience theater and deepen
10:48
their engagement. I do pre -show talks. So for
10:52
our first show this season, La Egoista, I was
10:54
fortunate enough to actually bring in two stand
10:57
-up comics. to teach comedy because the show
11:01
itself has several stand -up comic routines.
11:04
So I got to teach the audience, like, here's
11:07
some foundational things, and now we're going
11:09
to let a comic do it so he can prepare you for
11:11
the show. Because that's not my forte. I'm funny,
11:14
but I'm not stand -up comic funny. And so those
11:16
are the kind of things we do in my department
11:18
in community engagement and public programs and
11:21
outreach. Do you do any student work as well?
11:26
We're starting to. We had a history where we
11:29
would do in -school residencies where we would
11:31
partner with schools, and you have a teaching
11:33
artist for up to 12 weeks, and students would
11:35
write an original. 12 -minute, 10 -minute play
11:39
that they would then perform on stage. Wow. And
11:42
so now I have the added opportunity of not only
11:45
having seen it when I was at PTC previously,
11:49
but also thinking about the ways in which we
11:51
can now do that in this post -COVID. Yes. Right?
11:54
Because that, you know, educational landscape
11:56
has changed dramatically. Oh, yes. And so I'm
11:59
always thinking about the different ways in which
12:01
we can invite young people to participate. So
12:04
this season... we have relaunched our student
12:08
matinee series. So we've been able to actually
12:12
do for Nightside Songs and that show, we did
12:13
three student matinees, which was new for us
12:17
as a team. And so we were able to do that successfully,
12:20
and all those students had a wonderful time.
12:23
And so future plans, which include after -school
12:27
classes, my first class will probably be March,
12:30
I believe, 25th, so that students can come to
12:33
the theater. We have the best and affordable
12:34
classes. My focus as an educator really is centered
12:39
on what are the most dynamic ways in which we
12:42
can tell our stories. So we had everything from
12:46
singer -songwriters, like how do you compose
12:48
the next pop hit for a Broadway musical, to writing
12:54
hip -hop theater. We know hip -hop is in the
12:56
culture as they just finished celebrating their
12:57
50th anniversary. So how do you write plays that
13:00
involve hip -hop aesthetics to costume design,
13:04
sound design? Because there's some students who...
13:08
They're like, I don't want to get on stage. Right,
13:10
right. It's not for them. Not for them, right.
13:12
But there are multiple facets that go into all
13:15
of the production. All the production. Yep. So
13:17
teaching them the ways in which they can participate
13:20
and do that work as well. And also we love songs.
13:23
Yes. You know, PTC is a musical. It's a house
13:26
of a musical. And so. How do we teach them how
13:31
to even be able to sing background vocals? And
13:34
how do you look at a musical theater scene and
13:36
be able to make decisions about your character?
13:39
What are they feeling? And then how does that
13:41
even work in an ensemble? So in thinking about
13:43
all of the things that Philly School District
13:46
does and is doing, thinking about my own experiences,
13:49
I have over 14 years' experience teaching in
13:52
Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, the DMV, Northeast
13:55
Corridor, Amtrak. I spent eight years in D .C.
13:59
Yeah! Shout out to DC. So, yeah, really looking
14:02
at all of those different things that students
14:04
are really excited about. Like, what does it
14:06
mean for us to say we're going to do a wicked
14:09
sing -along? Right. Right. You know, those things
14:11
get folks excited. So that's what I get to sit
14:14
and plan and curate. Excellent. Josh, could you
14:17
tell us more about your Philadelphia Theater
14:20
Company journey? Oh, yes. We started talking
14:23
about this earlier. PTC launched my arts education
14:26
journey. The director of education at the time.
14:29
Maureen Sweeney. She I had a class, so it was
14:32
like theater for young audiences. So we did a
14:34
production of Jackie Goldfinger. She is a Philadelphia
14:37
legend as a playwright. Her production of Little
14:39
Women. So I had to learn, like, what is theater
14:41
for young audiences? And we actually had, UR
14:44
has had a student matinee. I don't think they've
14:45
ever done it before or since. It's safe to say
14:48
that they're not going to do it again. From there,
14:50
I was a camp counselor. And then I was an intern.
14:54
So I spent a lot of time in the education department,
14:56
learning everything from how do you develop braille
14:59
programs. our print programs to what does it
15:03
mean to do an audio described performance and
15:05
open captioning? What are those needs? I think
15:08
I spent about two and a half to three years working
15:12
there. So I worked in company management. So
15:14
I got to see how do we take care of actors and
15:16
also do contracting? How do we fundraise? What
15:20
does it mean to put a season together? So it
15:22
really was a master class in how does theater
15:26
work and operate? I left there. I went to McCarter
15:29
Theater. spent about seven, eight years freelancing,
15:32
doing everything. So my background is multidisciplinary,
15:36
so I spent some time working at a music venue,
15:39
running education programming, a film company.
15:42
So Tyler and Tabe gave me an opportunity to come
15:45
back home 10 years later to be a director. So
15:48
I actually started 10 years to the day. that
15:52
I first was introduced to PTC. Oh, wow. So a
15:55
full circle moment. Yes, it is. I know. Homecoming.
15:58
Yes, it is. I guess it's the season, you know,
16:01
we just had Venus in retrograde or something.
16:03
Yes. Yeah, that's my journey with PTC. So I've
16:07
been in this role. for about eight months, and
16:11
it's been an incredible joy to come back and
16:16
relearn what I thought I knew with a completely
16:19
different audience and just imagining what the
16:21
future could be. Josh, it's great to see that
16:24
you have allowed art to run deep. within you
16:30
and then also be able to share that with others
16:35
and allow them the accessibility to learn art
16:39
and be able to enjoy art and allow artists to
16:45
share that as well and create space for it to
16:51
continue to be shared. Which is great. You need
16:55
each of that. As we continue to speak with...
16:59
different parts of the artist's world, we need
17:02
to make sure that we continue to support not
17:05
only the artists themselves, but the people that
17:08
create the space for the artists to then be able
17:11
to share their art with others. And so the work
17:15
that you're doing is incredible. I appreciate
17:16
that. Yes, yes. And I think that's the new vision
17:20
of PTC. So if I had to give an elevated pitch
17:22
for Philadelphia Theatre Company, it's really
17:25
centered around... and really now more than ever
17:30
creating space for authentic community. I don't
17:36
want to say work because that word is so general,
17:39
but really create space for authentic community
17:41
exchange. Oh, I like that. Not only do we want
17:45
you to come in, but we want you to feel welcome
17:47
and we want you to come back. Or even if it's
17:49
just that one time that you're coming to visit
17:51
us because, you know, subscription and people's
17:54
desire to want to engage changes based off of
17:58
life and circumstance. We really want to make
18:00
sure that whenever you decide to come through
18:02
those doors, that we have something for you.
18:06
We have something that allows you to connect
18:08
that feels personal. And something that will
18:11
stay with you. Oh, that's great. And so that's
18:14
the exchange. Beautiful. And invitation. I think
18:16
that's the best way to describe it. So we do
18:18
new work, classic work, musicals. centered around
18:22
community exchange and stories. Josh, does Philadelphia
18:25
Theatre Company have a brick and mortar? Yes.
18:28
We're located at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre,
18:30
so most folks get this confused. Suzanne Roberts
18:33
Theatre is not the name of PTC, but it is the
18:36
name of the building. So we're located right
18:38
there on Broad and Lombard, so it's easily accessible
18:41
on the Broad Street line. You get off at Lombard
18:44
South, and you get off at the Lombard exit, it
18:46
puts you... Cross the street or across the street.
18:48
Excellent. From PTC, Cincinnati Rapids Theater.
18:51
So it's 480 South Broad Street. Look at me. I
18:54
knew all of the addresses. I know. Who knew?
18:57
That was great. That was growth, okay? Before
19:01
we got into rapid fire questions, was there anything
19:05
else you wanted to share about Philadelphia Theater
19:07
Company? Yes, I just want to plug our upcoming
19:11
show, Small Ball. The run of Small Ball begins
19:14
June 6th through June 29th, 2025, and we'll be
19:18
announcing some of our public programming for
19:20
that. In addition, as I said, with after school
19:23
classes, we're also offering a spring break intensive.
19:27
Oh, tell us more about that. It's five days throughout
19:29
spring break, and what I love about it is that
19:32
each day is something different. So kids can
19:34
sign up for the whole week. or they can sign
19:37
up for one day. So it's everything from acting
19:40
to sound design to building your musical theater
19:44
book to musical theater songwriting and composition.
19:47
Excellent. And what age? I'm sorry to interrupt.
19:50
Oh, no, that's a great question. Yep. Is this
19:52
targeting? Middle and high school. Unfortunately,
19:55
our space isn't kid -friendly at the moment.
19:57
We're working on that. And so one of the other
19:59
initiatives that we've been piloting, particularly
20:00
with each production, is doing like a childcare
20:02
matinee in which parents can see the show and
20:05
there's some programming for their littles that
20:07
will happen throughout so that it becomes a whole
20:10
experience for the family. Are you expecting
20:12
to have any summer programming this year? We
20:15
are hoping to. Again, one -off events right now.
20:19
The calendar gets a little crazy. Oh, yes. So
20:21
between my start date and now, the calendar has
20:24
gotten a lot crazier. If you could describe the
20:29
Philly art world in one word, what would it be?
20:33
Renaissance. The sentiment of a renaissance.
20:36
Yes. If you could see one live production. of
20:45
performance art in its original form, what would
20:48
it be? That is a good question. Actually, I'm
20:52
going to pivot this answer. Is that I, and I'm
20:56
going to focus on Philly, I would love to see
20:59
a play that is so Philly it hurts have multiple
21:05
different playwrights writing about the same
21:08
event but through their lens and identity. That's
21:12
what I would want to see. Excellent. Because
21:14
I think Philly is a home of new work. And this
21:17
is just me as a playwright and being like, we
21:19
need different stuff. We need more playwriting
21:21
opportunities. That's what I would love to see.
21:24
Like, if it was something crazy, like, I want
21:26
you to write about where you were when a... Eagles
21:29
won the Super Bowl. I knew you were going to
21:31
say that. That'd be great. Writing about what
21:35
that was for you, that's what I would love to
21:37
see. It would bring everyone together. It would
21:39
bring everyone together because I think that's
21:41
what we need the most now. They each have their
21:43
own story too. Each have their own story. That's
21:46
what I would love to see. Old stuff, we got that.
21:48
We archived that. Yes. Bring us home. We want
21:54
to relive that over and over again. Absolutely.
21:56
Next year. Okay. A current artist that people
22:01
are sleeping on. Now, what medium are we talking?
22:04
Whatever one you want. I will say myself, but
22:07
that's not. That's okay. We could be, Josh. You
22:11
know what? I will say myself. I think, well,
22:15
I'll say an organization because I do a lot of
22:17
community work. Organization I think people need
22:19
to pay more attention to is the Asian Arts Initiative.
22:22
Their work and programming has even inspired
22:26
and pushed me to think about the ways in which
22:29
art and community can intersect. Also, we'll
22:35
say PTC, clearly, because I work there. But I
22:38
think the work, especially with nice -ass songs,
22:42
I think that kind of work is needed. And I think
22:44
folks are craving that kind of... communal experience.
22:49
And then I'll also want to uplift Project 440.
22:53
As a music education community organization,
22:57
I think that they do incredible work with students,
23:00
getting them to think about how music can intersect
23:03
with community and community engagement. What
23:07
does 440 do? 440 is an amazing organization where
23:10
they get kids ready for college. So they spend
23:13
half a semester or half a year going through
23:16
a program around financial literacy and planning
23:19
for college. And then the other half really centered
23:22
on using entrepreneurship. Wow. So they get to
23:27
pitch a project that they get funding for. Oh,
23:29
that's great. And then the last one I'm all about
23:32
connecting is Opera Philadelphia. I get a chance
23:35
to partner with them extensively through PTC.
23:38
Shout out to Veronica Chapman -Smith and Abby
23:40
Weissman. They prepare students for technical
23:43
careers in the arts. So they're learning carpentry.
23:48
They're learning financial literacy. They're
23:50
learning wellness. They're learning costume design,
23:52
hair and makeup. And their community engagement
23:55
work and initiatives, that really inspires me.
24:00
And they're a phenomenal partner. And those students
24:03
really... are some of the best and brightest.
24:07
And I'm always thinking about how do we keep
24:09
them engaged? So if Josh had to be on his teacher
24:12
and social justice platform, it's like, we need
24:13
more pipelines like that from high school to
24:16
college. So that really puts the emphasis on
24:19
the temples and the Swarthmore's and the Drexel's
24:22
and the Penn's to do your work, to partner and
24:25
to find the money, because we know that these
24:27
things are where they are, right? To really make
24:30
sure that these students stay because... Philly
24:33
as an art community and as a community is very
24:36
transient. Yes. We know this. Correct. So we
24:39
need to think about ways in which we keep and
24:41
retain talent. Yes. So that's what I would say
24:44
about Opera Philadelphia. They're really, and
24:46
all of those other companies that I mentioned,
24:48
are really at the forefront of, for me, creative
24:51
youth development and doing interesting work
24:54
that really is about bringing the arts to kids
24:57
and also teaching them the practicality and the
25:00
life that you have to live. Oh, that's great.
25:04
Last one. What is your favorite beverage of the
25:07
moment? I am really... And I've never been this
25:11
person, but Minute Maid has this zero sugar,
25:15
like, fruit punch and mango pineapple. And it
25:18
just goes great with everything. Perfect. Love
25:20
it. So that would be my beverage, yeah. Josh,
25:22
where can, other than your brick and mortar,
25:25
where can our audience find Philadelphia Theater
25:28
Company? You can follow us on Facebook. So on
25:31
Instagram, we are philatheaterco. So that's P
25:35
-H -I -L -A. T -H -E -A -T -R -E Co. You can
25:41
also email us at PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany .org.
25:45
If you have any questions about education, you
25:47
can email me either at jcampbell at philatheatreco
25:53
.org or education at philatheatreco .org. philatheatreco
25:58
.org. Feel free to engage with us that way. We
26:01
answer DMs on social media, so if you have questions
26:04
about anything, a member of our team will be
26:06
able to respond to you, and we respond promptly
26:09
to emails. Josh, I did want to ask, do you have
26:11
any subscriptions people can join for Philadelphia
26:16
Theatre Company? Do you have membership programs?
26:18
Yes. Do you have membership subscriptions, or
26:22
do you have some type of... membership society
26:25
that people can join. Absolutely. We're close
26:28
to announcing our next season. Next season is
26:32
definitely shaping up to be one for the books.
26:35
It's definitely going to be a dynamic season,
26:37
really focused on community. Lovely. As I say,
26:43
yes, community is the theme I think I've woven
26:46
throughout most of this. So we're really going
26:49
to be focusing on community and welcoming community
26:52
in. Thank you, Josh. Thank you. And thank you
26:55
to the Philadelphia Theatre Company for joining
26:57
us today. Hey, Lucinda. What are you getting
27:13
into this weekend? This is another packed weekend
27:15
for us. Aren't they all? Packed weekend. Oh,
27:17
yeah. I don't think there's enough art this weekend.
27:21
Are you sure? Are you sure? I mean, we're diving
27:24
into a lot of performance and a lot of non -performance
27:30
art. Non -performance? Well, it's a party supporting...
27:34
I mean, it's a great fundraiser. Okay, let's
27:38
break it down. Yeah, okay. Friday night, what
27:40
are we doing? Friday night, we're kicking off
27:42
the art with our absolute favorite Philadelphia
27:47
ballet. Again. Again. Bolero. Back to back. Productions.
27:54
Oh, yeah. That's challenging for them. Yes, it's
27:58
very challenging for them, but they're also in
28:01
their 20s and the best shape of their lives.
28:03
And they're going from what we would say of a
28:09
classical piece to what is my favorite is probably
28:13
a triple bill contemporary pieces that are going
28:18
to be incredible. Okay, did I tell you the story
28:21
about my Bolero tickets? No. Okay. So I originally
28:25
had. You did it again. She did it again, guys.
28:28
Bolero tickets for Saturday night. And then you
28:31
talked me into going to a different thing on
28:34
Saturday night. We will touch base on that in
28:36
just a moment. I moved my tickets to matinee.
28:41
Yep. For Saturday. Yep. Forgetting that my son's
28:45
birthday party. That I planned back in November.
28:51
I had to book the venue back in November because
28:54
it's so popular. Forgot about it. Yes. And then
29:00
I was looking at my calendar and I was like,
29:02
oh dear. Oh dear. So then I got my Bolero tickets
29:07
moved to Friday. Friday night. Shout out to Emily,
29:10
the gifts officer at the Philadelphia Ballet
29:14
for making this happen for me. She had to do
29:16
the same for me. I had tickets for opening night
29:19
on Thursday. I have a work event. So I had to
29:23
move my tickets from Thursday to Friday. She
29:25
loves us. She must. I was being sarcastic. A
29:29
great plug for the Young Friends program at the
29:32
Philadelphia Ballet. What are you doing on Saturday?
29:36
So Saturday, I'll most likely be going to a kid's
29:40
birthday party. And then... Yeah, we need to
29:44
know if you're coming to that because the RSVPs
29:46
are closing down tomorrow. Okay. I'll probably
29:50
be making an appearance at a kid's birthday party.
29:52
Party of one. Can you wear a dinosaur costume?
29:55
That's difficult. I have the costume. Probably
29:57
not. And then I'll be going back to the Burbs
30:02
to get into our artistic... wardrobe for philadelphia
30:08
museum of arts young friend fundraiser artish
30:13
this is probably uh the greatest art party of
30:19
the city uh it's going to be or has been in the
30:23
past around 1 000 guests coming together to support
30:28
the Philadelphia Museum of Art and local artists
30:32
that the museum brings all together with the
30:36
young friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
30:39
It has grown over the years. When was the first
30:43
Artish? The first Artish, I want to say, was...
30:48
Maybe six years ago, I think it was rebranded
30:51
to Artish. You know, the Young Friends of the
30:54
Philadelphia Museum of Art was really where I
30:58
was introduced to the art world of Philadelphia.
31:02
And it was a great dynamic group of young professionals
31:08
that joined together to put a fundraiser together.
31:13
originally started as like a black tie sit down
31:16
dinner and that was the event every year and
31:20
so it was just like a younger person's gala and
31:24
then you had access after hours to the art and
31:28
that there was a dance party and that was it
31:32
now it is totally transformed there was a theme
31:37
that was added there was um There was months
31:41
and months of planning that goes into this, and
31:44
now it really focuses in on highlighting local
31:49
artists in the best ways possible. It's a multi
31:55
-level artist event that... basically pulls you
32:01
through the art museum while also highlighting
32:05
new and emerging artists as you kind of work
32:08
your way through the entire museum. It's going
32:11
to be this Saturday, March 22nd. It starts at
32:16
8 o 'clock p .m. through midnight. It has sold
32:19
out mostly every single year. So if you have
32:22
not gotten your tickets yet, if this is going
32:24
to come out on Wednesday, you need to get your
32:28
tickets as soon as possible. Tickets for young
32:32
friends and artist members of the museum are
32:35
$65, and they're $150 for everyone else. So it's
32:43
definitely worth it should you want to just become
32:46
a Young Friends member of the art museum. And
32:49
that's what I did. I renewed my membership. That's
32:52
perfect. That's perfect. Have you bought your
32:54
ticket yet, Robert? I will do it today. Get on
32:57
that. I'll do it today. There is a lot of immersive
33:02
art that you can take art in. With you? Sure.
33:08
Sure. Yes. And then their gallery space is also
33:13
open. So if you also need a break from the party
33:16
and you just want to check out the art, you kind
33:19
of have some like exclusive time with the art
33:23
at night. Fancy drab. No kids. Yeah. What are
33:28
you wearing? Oh, I'm going to stunt. Paiette
33:32
sequins are involved. Very nice. What are you
33:34
wearing? I might without this like. leopard print
33:40
silk okay yeah what about your husband my husband
33:45
doesn't really know this yet but i bought him
33:47
a shirt that is giving dad brat spring oh we'll
33:52
have some um we'll have some great conversations
33:55
about what we run into next week next week okay
33:58
so other things that are available to do katie
34:02
hudnell's exhibit is still at the museum for
34:06
art and wood It is fantastic. Go visit it. The
34:12
Da Vinci Art Alliance still has the female gaze
34:16
on exhibit as well. I would also say, you know,
34:20
we had such great reception from Meg's episode
34:25
and really just. Look up as you walk the streets
34:30
of Philadelphia and check out the murals and
34:32
the street art. Are you noticing it everywhere
34:34
now? Everywhere I go. Everywhere. And so we're
34:37
truly lucky to see the art on buildings of Philadelphia.
34:42
And, you know, as always, Philly has art. And
34:45
art! Hahahaha!