West Philadelphia’s Curio Theatre Company invites everyone to the Philadelphia premiere of Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, a unique theater/music hybrid inspired by the true tale of two Jewish Romanian refugees finding love after arriving on the shores of Canada in 1908. This hilarious and edgy story is interwoven with a high-energy Klezmer concert.

The play is written by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch and features songs by Ben Caplan and Christian Barry. At Curio, Old Stock will be directed by Rachel Gluck with sound and music direction by Damien Figueras. Artistic Director Paul Kuhn will bring his set design talents to the stage, using his well-known ability to create detailed worlds using repurposed materials (read more about Curio’s recycling efforts here). In addition to Gluck, Kuhn, and Figueras, Aetna Gallagher joins the crew as Costume and Prop Designer.

The show features themes of hope and of learning to love after being broken by the horrors of war.

“As a Jewish woman, I feel as though Old Stock could be about my ancestors who came to the New World looking for refuge from anti-Semitism at the beginning of the 20th century,” says Gluck. “Old Stock is a raucous, deeply moving punk-Klezmer musical that challenges us all to see ourselves as a part of a larger narrative that continues to this day. It’s the story of refugees banging on the door, begging to be let into a place where they hope that they might finally be safe.”

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West Philly residents have a chance to weigh in on the proposed city budget in an upcoming City Council Budget Townhall meeting hosted by Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. The meeting will take place on Monday, April 29 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at West Philadelphia High School (49th and Chestnut).

The series of Neighborhood Budget Townhalls kicked off last week in South Philadelphia with a goal to give residents and community leaders a chance to review and provide feedback on the City’s $6.29 Billion Fiscal Year 2025 (FY ’25) Operating Budget, proposed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on March 14.

The City Council’s last budget townhall series was held in 2016, so this is a great opportunity for residents to advocate for their budget priorities.

For more information about the proposed budget, visit: https://phlcouncil.com/budget2025.

All are welcome to one of West Philadelphia’s oldest community traditions – the Spruce Hill May Fair in Clark Park. It will take place on Saturday, May 11, 12-6 p.m. at 43rd and Chester.

As always, this free, family-friendly frolic features live entertainment, food trucks, children’s games (including the wildly popular petting zoo) and scores of vendors and community service information tables.

The event is organized by the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), which is inviting community groups and vendors to take part in the fair. Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans. SHCA will provide a 6-foot table, table covering and chair in a 10-foot space. Vendor fees are set affordably low: $40 or less for the day. No second-hand goods, commercial products or food table sales, please. If you have a truck/cart, please contact Evan Johnstone (evanjay@gmail.com). Prospective vendors should request a table online by Sunday, May 7. Follow this link.

The organizers will work around any threatening showers if at all possible and hold the event as planned. However, in the event of significant rain, SHCA may have to cancel the event on that morning. If you have questions, please email Monica Calkins, Spruce Hill Community Association, mcalkins@upenn.edu.

– Tony West

BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet, returns to TD Pavilion at the Mann for two extraordinary nights of dance and live music – on April 26-27.

This year’s Festival at the Mann features works by Natasha Adorlee, Takehiro Ueyama, and Jamar Roberts, with live music by Grammy-nominated singer Jac Ross, composer Kato Hideki, and ensemble132!

Arrive early and enjoy pre-show festivities featuring local dance groups, live musicians, and circus acts.

More info and tickets are available here.

#BXMannfest

The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll is coming back again this year! University City District (UCD), the longtime event organizer, has scheduled two Strolls this summer – on Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, Sept. 5.

The event draws thousands of neighbors and visitors to enjoy dollar deals from participating local businesses and community vendors. In 2022, the price levels vendors can offer were expanded from $1 deals to deals for $1, $3, or $5.

Currently, UCD is accepting applications from both community food vendors and community merchandise vendors to join in this event as official participants. If you are a community vendor interested in selling either food or merchandise, please email Margaret Leidy Starke, Senior Manager of Events and Community Partnerships, at margaret@universitycity.org. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 19.

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Spring is here and it’s time to think about what plants you want for your porch, yard, or garden. Check out these plant sale events in West and Southwest Philly and shop for flowers, veggies, herbs, berries and other plants locally this spring.

The University City Garden Club has kicked off their annual Spring Plant Sale. Orders can be made online through April 15, with pick-ups scheduled for Saturday, May 4. Also, UC Garden Club members will be selling plants at the Spruce Hill May Fair in Clark Park on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit: https://ucgcshop.square.site.

Bartram’s Garden is hosting the annual Spring Fest on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Fest will feature Bartram’s plant nursery’s seasonal kick-off and sale, where guests can shop for partial-full sun plants and shade plants including veggies and herbs, and pollinator plants. For more details, visit https://www.bartramsgarden.org. You can also shop for plants online. The online sale is expected to kick off later this month.

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