20 Best Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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.

Inspired by Milan's La Scala opera house and completed in 1857, the Academy of Music is the oldest grand opera house in the country still used for its intended purpose. An architectural marvel as well as a center for culture, the Academy features a lavish, neo-baroque interior, with red velvet seats, gilt, carvings, ceiling murals, and a huge crystal chandelier. Home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Ballet, the landmark also plays host to performances by major orchestras, theatrical and dance touring companies, and solo artists.

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 Dirk Brossé, 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 at 8 pm. 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.

The Forrest is the place to catch Broadway blockbusters in Philadelphia. About eight high-profile shows are presented each season—think hits like The Book of Mormon, Bullets Over Broadway, Pippin, and The Sound of Music.

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. Named after a local benefactor, the lavishly decorated Merriam 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.

The company stages five or six productions a year between October and May 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.

From October to May, the society presents 60 concerts featuring nationally and internationally known musicians. The schedule is packed with a piano, vocal, and chamber music series, a special-events and jazz series, and string recitals. Performances are held in the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and at other locations in the city.

Dedicated solely to jazz, including its history and instruction, the Clef Club boasts a 240-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 weld 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.

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 Verizon 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 they moved to their new permanent home, the 365-seat Suzanne Roberts theater on the Avenue of the Arts.

Owned and operated by the Philadelphia Film Society, the Prince has evolved into a regular venue for movie screenings, though it also hosts concerts, cabaret, opera, comedy, and more.

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.

Music director Michael Krajewski leads an orchestra of local musicians in programs that swing from Broadway to big band, or from ragtime to rock and roll, with ease. They perform at the Kimmel Center, as well as at other local venues, from October to May.

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 1,052-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, the Wilma has gained favorable critical notices for innovative presentations of American and European drama. Its season runs from September to June.