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Of all the performing arts, it's music for which Philadelphia is most renowned and the Philadelphia Orchestra of which its residents are most proud. Though the Orchestra has undergone some financial hardships in recent years, the hope is it can rebound and regain its place among the world's elite. The city also serves as a major stop for touring productions of shows from A Chorus Line to Spring Awakening, and the local theater scene, which supports more than two dozen regional and local companies, is thriving.
Since the opening of the Kimmel Center in 2001, Philadelphia has enjoyed an embarrassment of riches when it comes to performance space. The Academy of Music, the Philadelphia Orchestra's previous home, remains open in all its finery; the Annenberg and Painted Bride house everything from theater to performance art; and both the Mann Center and the Susquehanna Bank Center remain premier outdoor amphitheaters.
Classical music in Philadelphia begins with the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra, which, under music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, has kept its remarkable pedigree. But there is also the Chamber Orchestra, which is also housed in the glorious Kimmel Center; the venerable Philly Pops; and the very talented students of the Curtis Institute, to round out the bill.
Symphonic music, jazz, rock, contemporary music (hip-hop, R&B, pop, and more), Broadway theater, opera, dance, and movies are presented in the popular open-air TD Pavilion and the standing-room-only (bring a blanket or chair) Skyline Stage in Fairmount Park from May through September. In summer, the Philadelphia Orchestra has some performances at the Mann. The site has great skyline views.
Opera Philadelphia's season runs from September to May, with a recent emphasis placed on affordably priced shows. The group stages five or six productions a year at the Academy of Music; some operas have international stars. All performances are in the original language with English supertitles above the stage.
Artistic director Angel Corella leads the company through a season of classic favorites and new works; they dance on the stage of the Academy of Music and at the Merriam Theater at the University of the Arts. Their annual production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker is a holiday favorite.
This striking complex evokes Philadelphia's traditional redbrick structures, while making a contemporary design statement. The 450,000-square-foot facility by architect Rafael Viñoly includes the 2,500-seat cello-shaped Verizon Hall, the more intimate 650-seat Perelman Theater, a restaurant run by chef Jose Garces, a rooftop terrace, and public plaza—all topped by a dramatic glass-vaulted roof. Along with its resident companies, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra, and the American Theater Arts for Youth, the center presents touring orchestral, jazz, and dance performances.
The Arden, formed in 1988, is known for premiering new works and offering a mix of classic drama, comedy, and musicals, with a special affinity for the works of Stephen Sondheim; the company has won many local Barrymore Awards. Its home is in Old City.
The resident artists at the Academy of Vocal Arts, a four-year, tuition-free vocal training program, present four or five fully staged opera productions during their September to May season. They are accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and perform at various venues in and around the city.
Directed by David Hayes, this prestigious group performs chamber music from September to May at the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.
The gifted students at this world-renowned music conservatory give free recitals several times a week from October through May. All of its students are on full scholarships; its alumni include such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, and Anna Moffo. The school also has an opera and symphony orchestra series.
With more than 5,200 reserved seats (and room for 600 on the lawn) in its East Fairmount Park amphitheater, the Dell offers open-air summer concerts featuring established and upcoming musicians. Some are family-focused; other concerts present genres such as R&B, jazz, soul, and hip-hop. It also has community events. Ticketmaster ( ticketmaster.com) and the Dell box office have tickets.
The Forrest is the place to catch Broadway blockbusters in Philadelphia. Eight to 10 high-profile shows are presented each season—think hits like The Book of Mormon, Six, Back to the Future, and The Sound of Music.
Across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey, this urban amphitheater (formerly called BB&T Pavilion) programs everything from classical to hip-hop and rock in an adaptable space. Between the outdoor lawn and seated pavilion, it can host crowds as large as 25,000, with the indoor portion able to accommodate 7,000. Best reached from Philadelphia by car, PATCO, or ferry (during summer).
The oldest and most active African-American theater in Pennsylvania is nationally renowned. Performances are scheduled throughout the year, primarily from September through June.
This 1,300-seat hall is a former vaudeville house and cinema that's on the National Register of Historic Places. Known for its fine acoustics, it hosts rock, jazz, country, comedy, and other entertainment.
The Met began life in 1908 as the lavish Metropolitan Opera House, and today the 3,500-seat venue presents concerts and other programming, such as speakers like Michelle Obama and comedians such as Chris Distefano, in the elegantly detailed beaux arts space. The look may be old-style, but the sound is good and the artists varied, including John Legend, Jeezy, and Patti Smith.
Built in 1918 as the Shubert, the ornate 1,688-seat theater has had many stage greats, including Al Jolson, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Sammy Davis Jr., Angela Lansbury, and Sir Laurence Olivier. Formerly called the Merriam Theatre, the lavishly decorated Miller hosts a full schedule of national tours of Broadway shows, modern dance companies, and solo performers, from the magicians Penn & Teller to tap dancer Savion Glover.
By day it's a contemporary art gallery showing bold, challenging works. By night it's a multidisciplinary, multicultural performance center, with performance art, prose and poetry readings, folk and new music, jazz, dance, and avant-garde theater. The gallery is open Tuesday–Saturday noon–6.
PECO, Philadelphia's primary electric provider, sponsors a series of free-to-attend summer festivals along Penn's Landing. Each installment focuses on a different cultural tradition, welcoming food, music, dance, and vendors from around the world. Programming changes yearly, but recent slates have included ACANAfest, by the African Cultural Alliance of North America; Brazilian and Mexican independence celebrations; the Philadelphia Irish Festival; and the Islamic Heritage Festival. The events may be held in several locations in the Penn's Landing area, so be sure to check in advance.
Best described as artsy but accessible, Penn Live Arts presents national and international works of dance, music, circus, theater, and multidisciplinary groups at the Annenberg Center of Performing Arts. The performing arts complex on the UPenn campus features the 115-seat Bruce Montgomery Theatre and the 936-seat Zellerbach. Check out what's happening—this is a good bet to find high-quality performances, even last-minute tickets are usually available, and the Zellerbach has very few bad seats.
From October to May, the society presents numerous concerts featuring nationally and internationally known musicians. The schedule is packed with pianists, vocalists, and chamber music series, a jazz series, and string recitals. Performances are held in the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, at the American Philosophical Society, and at other locations in the city.
Dedicated solely to jazz, including its history and instruction, the Clef Club boasts a 200-seat theater for live concerts, celebrating both the present and past of Philly jazz.
This modern troupe, also known as PHILADANCO!, is recognized for its innovative performances that meld contemporary and classical forms and the traditions of other cultures, with a particular emphasis on African American dance heritage.
This two-week extravaganza in late October organized by the Philadelphia Film Society is filled with screenings, seminars, and events attended by critics, scholars, filmmakers, and cinema buffs. It's held at various venues around the city.
Formerly the Prince Music Theater, the theater has evolved into a regular venue for movie screenings and the society's fall film festival, though it also hosts concerts, cabaret, opera, comedy, and more.
Considered one of the world's best symphony orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra is overseen by the effervescent Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The orchestra's present home is the cello-shaped Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The 2,500-seat hall is the centerpiece of the performing arts center at Broad and Spruce streets—a dynamic complex housed under a glass-vaulted roof. Orchestra concerts during the September–May season are still among the city's premier social events. In summer the orchestra performs at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts.
Philadelphia and world premieres of works by contemporary American playwrights are performed here. In 2007 the Philadelphia Theatre Company moved to their new permanent home, the 365-seat Suzanne Roberts Theatre on the Avenue of the Arts.
This annual festival of contemporary LGBTQ+ cinema takes place in a variety of venues around the city. qFLIX Philadelphia hosts other film-related events throughout the year.
Quintessence mounts quality, and at times innovative, productions of classic plays both ancient and modern.
A former playhouse, mainstream movie theater, and art-house cinema, the TLA is a South Street institution that helped launch the careers of many indie filmmakers; it was known for hosting screenings of cult hits like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Nowadays, it’s a midsize live-music venue, hosting a range of rock, blues, hip-hop, and alternative acts.
Founded in 1809, this is the oldest English-language theater in continuous use in the United States. The schedule includes musicals, comedies, and dramas in a lovely 1,084-seat auditorium where almost every seat is a good one. Smaller stages showcase workshop productions of new plays and are rented by other theater companies.
Under founding artistic directors Blanka and Jiri Zizka, Czech natives who joined the Wilma Project feminist collective as its artists-in-residence in the late 1970s, this experimental theater has grown in size and renown, gaining favorable critical notices for innovative presentations of American and European drama. (Blanka remains the Artistic Director Emeritus; Jiri passed away in 2012.) Its season runs from November to June.
