Comedian John Mulaney bringing new tour to Santander Arena [Spotlight]

Oct. 1—Comedian John Mulaney is going back on tour solo with a new hour of stand-up comedy, with a stop Dec. 1 at Santander Arena, Reading. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com.

Mulaney is a two-time Emmy and WGA award-winning writer, actor and comedian. He can be seen in his latest Netflix stand up special, "Baby J," released in April, in which he converts his personal turmoil into comedic brilliance, earning him 2023 Emmy nominations in Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) and Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special.

He has sold out venues around North America from Madison Square Garden multiple times to the Hollywood Bowl. His 2023 tour dates have included shows across the U.S., Europe and Australia.

Dance

The 38th annual Fall Festival of the Arts, sponsored by Trinity Lutheran and Christ Episcopal churches in downtown Reading, will give Berks County a rare opportunity to enjoy the groundbreaking contemporary flamenco company Pasion y Arte at the WCR Center for the Arts, 140 N. Fifth St., next Sunday at 4 p.m.

Founded in 2000 by Elba Hevia y Vaca, the all-female company is known for its contemporary/feminist twist on the art of flamenco, developed over centuries in southern Spain. As a choreographer, Hevia y Vaca combines traditional flamenco styles with various forms of modern dance, accompanied by live musicians.

Hevia y Vaca said the program will feature an excerpt from a new work, "Portales," which she has been working on for two years, along with some traditional flamenco as it is presented in Spanish "tablaos." Featured artists will be flamenco dancer Sol La Argentinita (Buenos Aires-born Glenda Sol Koeraus), guitarist Rafael Brunn and Venezuelan vocalist Barbara Martinez.

Hevia y Vaca studied flamenco and Spanish classical dance in her native La Paz, Bolivia, and continued her studies when she moved to Virginia at a young age. In Philadelphia she studied modern dance, jazz, and contact improvisation, and appeared with Flamenco Ole for a time.

But she longed to start her own company because she "had a desperate interest in honoring the power of women who danced flamenco, honoring our voices," she said, explaining that flamenco traditionally had rigidly defined gender roles, with males as the more powerful dancers.

She has created 13 works about women, for women, highlighting "our journey from restriction to liberation," and exploring the roles of mother, daughter, sorceror and others.

Then, in 2018, Hevia y Vaca made a shocking discovery: Contrary to what her family had told her and believed, her genetic makeup is 51 percent indigenous Andean (Quechua and Aymara). She instantly began researching the culture of her ancestors.

"There's a spiritual component to my work now," she said. "I want to share what I have learned about Andean cosmology, ritual and dance."

In "Portales," she has been attempting to reconcile the two sides of her heritage: the fiery, often angry flamenco, and the Andean musical tradition, which she calls "repetitive, mantric, not angry; it's earth and air."

Hevia y Vaca teaches and rehearses in her studio in west Philadelphia's Main Line area and has taught at Franklin & Marshall College in its flamenco program for 23 years, as well as at other area colleges.

To purchase tickets and for complete information about the events held during the Fall Festival of the Arts, visit https://fallfestivalofthearts.org.

Theater

Genesius Theatre will stage the comedic murder mystery "Clue: On Stage," based on the whodunit board game, starting Friday and running through Oct. 15 at its theater at 153 N. 10th St.

The show is a witty, lighthearted, retro romp filled with colorful characters in a creepy old manor house — during a terrible storm.

The movie with Tim Curry, Lesley Ann Warren and Martin Mull upped the campy aspect of the game. The new stage version takes the laughs even further. Yes, there is a murder. Several, in fact. And yes, cast members — and the audience — spend the breezy 80-minute run trying to guess "whodunit?" But the thrills here are of the comedic, not scary, variety.

The cast includes Brandon Reimer as Wadsworth the butler, Jeffrey Jones as Colonel Mustard, James Haggerty and Professor Plum, Corey Clark as Mr. Green, Susan A. Behn as Mrs. Peacock, Abigial Mack-Zuckert as Mrs. White, Veronica Bauscher as Miss Scarlett, Sarah Althen as Yvette the maid, and playing a host of other ensemble roles are Sean C. Hafer, Pete Kueny-Rongione and Dara Tatarowicz.

The production is directed by Genesius newcomer Bill Eschbach.

Show dates are Oct. 6-8 and 11-15, with a 7:30 p.m. curtain except for the Sunday shows, which start at 3 p.m. It contains adult language and suggestive content, and is recommended for ages 10 and older.

Tickets range from $15 to $32.50 at genesiusdifference.org.

Books

Mohnton resident Dawn Williams has released a book titled "Free to Conceive," seeking to raise awareness of infertility so that the subject is not so taboo and those suffering with it can feel less lonely and receive the support they so desperately need.

The book also aims to help those women who are longing to become mothers to create the ideal conditions for conception through aligning the body, mind and spirit and to shift their mindset around infertility to a more empowering one so they can take charge of it and restore their inner peace on their path to motherhood.

She said that, typically, the medical field focuses mainly on the physical components that are creating barriers to conception; however, it is just as critical to address and promote the mental, emotional and spiritual health of the individual so chances for conception can be maximized.

Williams, who struggled with infertility for six years, has interwoven her own struggles with the concepts and tools she teaches to help women identify and remove their barriers to conception. She said one in eight couples in the U.S. have trouble getting pregnant and sustaining pregnancy.

She will be appearing at a book signing on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at Bella Jules clothing boutique, 700 Penn Ave., West Reading. The book is available on Amazon.