’Winers Take All
There could be only one William Shakespeare, one Cole Porter and one The Brandywiners, whose main show of the year is always a much-anticipated event. This year the group performs “Kiss Me, Kate!” at Longwood Gardens’ Open Air Theatre July 28-30 and Aug. 4-6. Do we need to explain Porter’s retelling of The Bard’s “The Taming of the Shrew”? The piece has been a Broadway treasure since 1948. Men who love women, women who claim to hate men, gambling problems, thugs hell bent on collection—it all adds up to classic Shakespearean comedy tweaked for our time. Hear classic tunes such as “Wunderbar,” “Too Darn Hot,” “I Hate Men” and others. brandywiners.org, (610) 388-1000 (Longwood)
Dance to the Music
Plastic Musik? It sounds vaguely like it should be the soundtrack to “Dieter’s Dance Party,” but it’s really a unique, energetic group of musicians who use traditional percussion techniques to produce new twists on familiar tunes on plastic and recycled instruments. Created by Jeremy Price of the popular “Stomp” and “Stomp Out Loud,” the show is highly entertaining, with music from classical to Motown to hip hop and beyond. What’s a boomwhacker? There’s only one way to find out. Visit The Freeman Stage at Bayside in Selbyville on July 28. freemanstage.org
A New Look at the Old
If you haven’t been yet, there’s no time like the middle of a record heat wave to visit the very cool Winterthur to see “Paint, Pattern, and People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania, 1725-1850,” perhaps one of the best insights into local material culture in many a moon. This exhibition shows the diverse and beautiful furniture of the region as a way to tell about the people who made or owned it, mainly those of British and Germanic heritage. Almost 200 stunning objects are on display, including needlework, paintings, and other items. You’ll be amazed by the wealth of objects produced in our little corner of the country. See it until Jan. 8. winterthur.org
