Happy New Year!
Photo courtesy of Ensembleartsphilly.org/ Philadelphia Orchestra
FunTimes Magazine Culture + Entertainment column, week of December 23, 2024
“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.”
— Author Anamika Mishra
As the 1977 Chic song goes: Everybody dance, clap your hands! December is a good reason to dance. It marks the official kickoff of winter, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and more … It’s the month of new beginnings and old endings, as January calls in the near distance. Indulge in these celebratory activities to usher out the old and ring in the new. But don’t forget: When event-going, take precautions, especially when among groups and while indoors, with the ongoing risk of COVID-19 variants and other infectious illnesses.
Time To Reset For New Year…
Thursday, December 26, 2024. Check out an engaging and enlightening post-event (and post-Christmas Day) virtual series, Comfy Couch Conversations, a 90-minute virtual follow-up of the annual in-person 5th Annual Celebrating Sisterhood Presents SHE SHINES Conference. That summit of power women was organized by Robin Maddox in Mt. Airy on November 9th. SHE SHINES engaged women who are disenfranchised and underrepresented in healthcare, education, business, and many walks of life. Get a recap and also dive deeper into the empowerment conference’s timely and most impactful conversations. The first post-conference session will be Emotional Health in Today’s Society focusing on our well-being as we usher in a new year. Learn about emotional stressors during the winter holiday season, coping with the loss of loved ones and navigating grief; processing feelings in the aftermath of the recent elections, and overcoming emotional entanglements. The goal is to reset and identify strategies to enter 2025 emotionally ready to embrace a balanced, healthy lifestyle all year round. The workshop will be led by panelist TW Suggs, author, storyteller, and host of “The TOMMIE! Talk Show,” P3 Christian Radio; Jennifer Harris, a marriage & family therapist, motivational speaker & Founder of Chozen Counselors Inc., and Donovan West, City of Philadelphia Director of Business Roundtables, and former President & CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania. New Jersey and Delaware. Free, 7 p.m. EST. Live on StreamYard. 267-328-4592 or Celebratingsisterhood1@gmail.com. Register at: https://streamyard.com/watch/GY8WENH3X7CV.
Divas Devoted To Women’s Empowerment
Sunday, December 29, 2024. Eat, drink and be merry at Holidaylicious organized by DivaGirl Tribe, an organization that provides a support system for young women; the group educates, empowers, and connects young women through seminars, workshops, special events, conferences, and travel adventures worldwide. Celebrate the end of 2024 and welcome the start of the new year with joy, laughter, and some tasty treats. Sip on seasonal drinks, enjoy shopping and music. Bring friends and family. $25; 3 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. 6228 North 8th St. eventbrite.com or divagirltribe.com.
The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure exhibit
The Exhibit Looks At Modern Black Life
Through February 9, 2025. The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure exhibit features 28 Black and African diasporic contemporary artists who use figurative painting, drawing, and sculpture to chronicle Black contemporary life. Curated by Ekow Eshun, The Time Is Always Now is derived from a phrase in James Baldwin’s essay in the 1960s about desegregation. The promotional literature explains: “The exhibit highlights a sense of urgency around contemporary artistic expression while acting as a reminder that Black artists exist within an always-evolving artistic lineage.” More than 60 contemporary works focus on three themes: Double Consciousness, Past and Presence, and Our Aliveness. Double Consciousness, a theory introduced in 1897 by African-American sociologist W.E.B Du Bois, explores belonging and Blackness as a psychological state. Past and Presence examines the absence of Black figures in many mainstream narratives and shows artists’ responses. Our Aliveness features celebrations of Black gatherings. $35 (adults); $33 (seniors), $19 (students); free entry for persons, ages 18 and under; free audio guide and admission to the entire museum; Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays & weekends (first Sunday of each month, pay as you wish); 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. Philadelphia Museum of Art (Dorrance Galleries / Main Building), 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. 215-763-8100 or philamuseum.org.
Get Into The Hunt …
Through Tuesday, December 31, 2024. Looking to end the year with something different? Philadelphia Phrenzy Scavenger Hunt may be of interest. Check out the newest twist on a scavenger hunt. Search out scenic spots, and even hidden gems, in Philadelphia. The cityscape takes on a whole new vista. Embark on a digital journey with a live and interactive remote host/guide while exploring carefully curated locations indoors and outside in person citywide. Walk or drive to “checkpoints,” as you interpret creative tasks and accept various challenges. Text photos and videos to your remote host who assists as you navigate the city. The hunt is a bonding experience that’s family and pet-friendly, as well as entertaining and educational for individuals, couples, and groups. $24 per person; mornings. Starting site: Lombard Café, 542 Lombard St. eventbrite.com.
Ring In The New Year For Cheap
Tuesday, December 31, 2024. New Year’s Eve is the only time of the year that it’s okay to drop the ball. So, take part in a Ball Drop at midnight at the New Year’s Eve Party at The Cauldron. Enjoy music by DJ Gavin and Aman Adwin, an hour of free appetizers, and champagne to toast the new year. It will be a bargain night, as far as New Year’s outings go. The event is for those at least age 21. General admission: $5; 9 p.m. EST until closing. (You can upgrade to a 3 hour-open bar package, $80, and a VIP level, $275). The Cauldron, 1305 Locust St. Follow the event on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecauldronphilly/ or register at eventbrite.com.
Paint Party Is A Brush Stroke Of Genius
Saturday, December 28, 2024 & Sunday, January 5, 2025. A sip of wine, a stroke of the brush. It will be a paint party and a unique way to “Sit up the paint!” at Girl with the Green Earring’s Stir Up the Paint- Paint and Sip Event. Enjoy your favorite cocktails and leave with a masterpiece under the direction of a master artist. Get instructions to create your take-home suitable-for-framing art. If you don’t turn into an artist like Alma Thomas or Joshua Johnson, at least you will love the superb cocktails. Host Tapster offers a self-serve bar where you sample beverages, and then self-pour your favorites. The event is designed for painters, novices, or seasoned pros who are 21 and older. Art supplies will be furnished. Pick one of two dates: December 28 2024 or January 5, 2025. $35; arrive promptly. 1 p.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST (Doors open at 12:45 p.m.). Tapster Philadelphia, 1601 Sansom St. Email: stirupthepaintphl@gmail.com, eventbrite.com or https://pa.stirupthepaint.com/contact-us/.
This musical is a good reflection of the ‘Man in the Mirror.
‘King Of Pop’ Is Back On Top
Wednesday, January 8 to Sunday, January 19, 2025. In movies, books, and the theater, it’s always tricky to tackle a legend’s life. But based on the rave reviews, from Broadway to London’s West End, the production MJ the Musical featuring Michael Jackson is a Thriller! ‘The King of Pop,’ is now, posthumously, the King of the Theater. The Tony Award-winning production will Moonwalk into the Academy of Music for its Philadelphia debut. The multiple Tony Award®-winning musical highlights the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ skillfully zooms in on the artistic genius of Jackson. $39 to $179; show times vary. Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org.
