Reading Civic Theatre, Reading Theater Project announce upcoming productions [Spotlight]

Oct. 22—Reading Civic Theatre is celebrating the spooky season with their production of Richard O'Brien's "The Rocky Horror Show," running Friday through next Sunday and Nov. 3-5 at their theater in the former Fox East, Exeter Township.

This cult classic, starring Tim Curry, opened on the West End in 1973, and was released as a movie musical in 1975. This rock musical tells the tale of a young, wholesome couple who suffer a flat tire on their way to celebrate their engagement, and instead find themselves at the mercy of Dr. Frank 'N Furter and his devoted followers, a group of alien beings visiting Earth and enjoying themselves in some unusual and frightening ways.

The production features a cast of 20, an experienced staff and a fun new vision for the show, with lots of surprises in store. RCT is "Time Warp"-ing the show to the 1980s, with costumes inspired by legendary rock and pop stars of the day.

In another twist, much of the choreography for the show is inspired by burlesque, via lead choreographer Bex Lynn Hudgins, burlesque performer and producer. Director Nicole Napolitano, a long-time fan of all things "Rocky," feels as if these updates fit the show perfectly.

"I just think that if Dr. Frank had been time-traveling through the ages on Earth, he would have immediately fallen in love with the age of excess that was the 1980s, and the art of burlesque resonates with his love of performing and sensual nature."

The production will follow the classic tradition of inviting the audience to become part of the show by dressing up, taking part in cast-led games and offering prop bags and "call out" guides for sale at the theater. Please note, no additional props may be brought from home for cast and audience safety.

"The Rocky Horror Show" is best suited for mature audiences, as it contains strong language, sexual situations, violence and revealing clothing.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 11:45 p.m. Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, then 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3-4 and 2 p.m. Nov. 5.

Ticket prices range from $25-$35. Additional details and ticketing information can be found at the theater website, ReadingCivic.org.

----The Reading Theater Project will stage the first play of its "Season of Wonder": "Silent Sky" by Lauren Gunderson, from Nov. 2-5 at the Yocum Institute's Schumo Theater, 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn.

Highly theatrical and beautifully told, "Silent Sky" is the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. The play explores the idea that social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications.

Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and our lives on Earth.

The cast features Meegan Gagnon as Henrietta Leavitt; Griffin Yeyna as astronomer Peter Shaw; Jane Ney as astronomer Annie Cannon, and Aileen Lynch-McCulloch as astronomer Williamina Fleming, with Andrea Kennedy Hart as director and set designer. Chris Heslop composed new music to be performed by

percussionist Tarrah Bilto.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2-4 and 2 p.m. Nov. 5. All productions follow the Pay What You Will ticket

pricing model: an audience member can choose their own price for a ticket, including free. The recommended price is $20 for this production, and those who are able are encouraged to pay the $40 Pay It Forward price.

Tickets are available online or by calling 484-706-9719. More information can be found at ReadingTheaterProject.org/Silent-Sky.

Music

As the last event of its 38th season, the Fall Festival of the Arts in downtown Reading will present a world class vocal recital featuring Robin Bier, contralto, and David Lutz, pianist, next Sunday at 4 p.m. at the WCR Center for the Arts, 140 N. Fifth St.

They will be performing songs by American composer Amy Beach and British composer Gerald Finzi, as well as songs by Schubert, Schumann and Brahms.

Bier is a rare genuine contralto, praised as deep, dark, rich and expressive. Her career encompasses solo and ensemble singing, especially in early and contemporary music. She has appeared with the prestigious Sarasota Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, English Symphony Orchestra and Bach Festival of Philadelphia. She recently debuted with Opera Philadelphia. In 2011, she co-founded the renowned solo-voice early music ensemble Les Canards Chantants with her husband, Graham Bier.

Berks County native David Lutz is one of the world's leading collaborative pianists, having taught at the prestigious Vienna Conservatory, and worked with such stars as Nicolai Gedda, Lucia Popp, Thomas Hampson and Hermann Prey. He has appeared at the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna Festival and others, and led master classes in many cities around the world.

The recital is themed "Lover, Mother, Queen," representing woman in all three roles, through songs of the various composers.

Tickets are $10 for students and $20 for adults. For tickets, visit https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/fallfestivalofthearts/7250.

----The Friends of Chamber Music of Reading has announced its 71st season of classical chamber music concerts, with a six-concert series which begins on Friday, Nov. 3. During the course of its history, the Friends of Chamber Music has always offered its concerts free and open to the public, and this season continues that tradition, supported by generous donations from local patrons.

All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and take place in the WCR Center for the Arts, 140 N. Fifth St., Reading, now handicap-accessible with its new wheel-chair lift. For the first time, each concert program this season includes at least one piece which will be a series premiere for our audiences.

The 2023-2024 Series features two home-grown artists: pianist Matthew Bengtson, kicking off the season on Nov. 3 with the Amernet String Quartet, and violinist Rachel Kitagawa Shapiro, performing on Jan. 19 with the Aeolus Quartet. Their program for the opener will feature works by Philadelphia-based composers George Walker, Samuel Barber and Vittorio Giannini.

The winter portion of the season will feature two piano trios new to the series: the Weiss-Kaplan-Stumpf Trio on Feb. 16 and the AYA Piano Trio on March 8. The series concludes with two more string quartets: the Dali Quartet on April 12, with a program mixing Latin-American chamber music with European classics, and the Brentano String Quartet on May 25, with guest artist soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon.

For further information, visit chambermusicreading.org.

----The Penn State College of Arts and Architecture in cooperation with Reading Symphony Orchestra League will present the next installment in the "Know Your Symphony Lecture Series" on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at The Highlands, 2000 Cambridge Ave.,Wyomissing.The lecturer will be Peter Brye, cellist with the Reading Symphony Orchestra. The lecture will preview the RSO's Nov. 4 concert at the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading.

Art

Marky Barto will host her first solo exhibition, "In the Footsteps of the Old Masters," at the Art Plus Gallery, West Reading, from Nov. 1-30. A reception will be held on Friday, Nov. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The exhibition will feature her classically inspired still lifes and thought-provoking portraits the artist has become well-known for in the art community. Marky has exhibited and won awards in numerous exhibitions over the past five years.

Born and raised in the former Czechoslovakia, Barto moved to study in The Netherlands. Upon moving to the United States, she brought along her rich traditions and inspirations and began studying with the renowned Classical artist, Eric Armusik.

In December 2018, she began a long-term apprenticeship working in his studio on paintings for private clients and churches worldwide. Inspired by the style of the old masters, she is currently embarking on a body of work that shares more of her rich heritage and Slavic culture through captivating, and dramatic paintings.

Besides painting and drawing, Barto has enriched her repertoire with paper filigree, which goes back to 14th century Europe. Her works under her brand "Art by Marky" and her artwork has been purchased and commissioned by collectors in both United States and Europe.

For more information, visit www.artbymarky.com.