Delco Collage

T he crushing tear of the mighty Orca's bow rang through  The Mann Center for the Performing Arts   in Philadelphia last Saturday. The Great White's destruction was projected in high definition as part of The Mann Center’s “Jaws in Concert.” "Jaws," the original summer blockbuster, kicked off this season's Movies @ the Mann series. With the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia performing the score live, it brought a new found excitement to re-watching Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic about a Great White Shark marauding off the coast of Amity, which according to Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) means friendship. Audience members were part of a full sensory experience as the Orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brossé, heightened the excitement and anxiety as they performed the Academy Award-winning score by John Williams. Even though I’ve seen the movie many times, listening to the memorable music being performed live made it feel like I was watching the movie f...

Giant smiling pandas, a 200-foot fire breathing dragon and a serene blue elephant greet visitors to this year's impressive Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square. This celebration of light and culture features artisans from China creating magnificent steel-framed and silk-wrapped giant lighted sculptures, using traditional Chinese methods. Now until June 30, Franklin Square will glow with 28 larger-than-life illuminated groupings of 1,500 individual works of art with more than 15,000 LED lights in brilliant colors. New technology and engineering will be utilized to bring an endangered species gallery to life for the first time in the United States.  Other highlights include celebrating the Year of the Dog, tropical birds and fish, mythological animals, the world premiere of a new Fairy Tree, a walk-through Great White Shark Tunnel, and an interactive elephant lantern where visitors pedal a bicycle to change its colors. As guests gaze at all the colorful...