Ben Around Philly

“1776” debuts on Valentine’s Day in Philly at the Forrest Theatre on the Kimmel Cultural Campus. This is a perfect show to premiere in Philadelphia of all places, almost 250 years after our founding fathers helped to shape this country. This incredible and unique revival has a whole new take on the best musical winning show. It especially has a new take on the Founding Fathers themselves. Described as “a glorious multiracial cast of female, transgender, and nonbinary actors portrays the fiery founders of this country, putting history in the hands of the humans who were left out the first time around.” Liz Mikel who plays Ben Franklin in the show, also starred as John Hancock in the Broadway cast.  She’s incredibly talented, and super sweet to talk to. Listen as Kristen speaks with Liz about the music and characters in the show, the Eagles vs. Dallas, and another topic too. The conversation takes a turn into a chat about another very familiar television role Liz played. Let’s just say she ‘smashed it”. Hint: C

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is jam-packed with so many songs we all know and love. Catch the show when it’s in town this week, playing February 22nd-27th at the Academy of Music. Listen as Kristen speaks with Ryan Farnsworth who plays Barry Mann in the show.  Buy your tickets for Beautiful at KimmelCulturalCampus.org. Find more on Ryan at RyanFarnsworth.net.  

The Broadway hit Hadestown won 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score AND a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. The show is headed to Philly for the first time ever on its inaugural North American tour and will be at the Academy of Music on the Kimmel Cultural Campus from Wednesday, February 9th – Sunday, February 20th. Kristen speaks with Bex Odorisio who stars in the show, about growing up in Ardmore, the tour so far, the mythology behind Hadestown, the costumes, the music, and lots more.   Purchase tickets at KimmelCulturalCampus.org.  Follow Bex on Instagram @benditlikebexy and check out her website: https://www.bexodorisio.com/.

Linda Torelli, Marketing Director at the Brandywine Valley SPCA returns to BEN Around Philly ahead of another Mega Adoption Event. The Brandywine Valley SPCA has once again teamed up with a number of other local rescues to host their Mega Adoption Event which will feature over 500 animals that will be up for adoption this weekend. Find your new family member Saturday and Sunday, December 4th and 5th at all Brandywine Valley SPCA locations. For just $35, you can take your new pal home with you - that same day - spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations. Pick up your new best friend, 11am to 5pm either day. Learn more at MegaAdopt.com.

Kristen’s cousin Xavier is 15 years old, and has been playing on a wheelchair basketball team called Katie’s Komets since he was 7. The team’s venue, the Carousel House in West Fairmount Park was slated by the city for demolition, and so the league is currently searching for a new space to play in Philadelphia. They have a fundraiser running this week to raise money for equipment, paid court time and travel expenses. If you are able to donate, they would very much appreciate every dollar toward their goal. Thanks for considering!  Follow the team on Facebook HERE.

Broadway Philadelphia is back! Anastasia is headed to Philly from November 23rd to 28th at the Merriam Theater. Kristen had a chance to catch up with Madeline Raube who plays Countess Lily in the show. Madeline was born in Camden, NJ, grew up in Hatboro, PA, and most recently resided in West Chester, PA. She’s super excited to return home to perform this week and gives all the details on the audition process, costumes, and can’t miss numbers in the show.  Find Madeline on Instagram @mdrsinger or check out her website at madelineraube.com.  Don’t miss Anastasia - Thanksgiving week at the Merriam Theater. Check out kimmelculturalcampus.org for tickets and more information.  

MANNA helps those who are battling serious illnesses by providing nutritional meals suited to each individual’s dietary and medical needs. Laura Payne, Senior Manager Marketing and Events for MANNA gives the details on Pie In the Sky, the organization’s BIGGEST fundraiser. Purchase a pie (or 6!) for Thanksgiving, and help support this awesome organization. The pies are delicious too! They have Aberdeen Apple Pie, American Airlines Sky Pie, Berry Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Sweet Potato Pie.  Order by THIS FRIDAY, November 19th! Learn more at Mannapies.org.  

Philly PR Girl is throwing their 6th Annual Turkey Day Tailgate this Sunday, partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence and The O’Hara Home Team. Get to the Eagles/Saints game EARLY this Sunday, November 21st beginning at 9am for food and fun to benefit an awesome organization. Hosted by Fox29’s Mike Jerrick, there will be amazing raffles, special guests, Thanksgiving inspired food and cocktails and much more! You could even win club level tickets to the Eagles/Saints game and a parking pass! Enter by Friday, November 19th at 3pm. (More HERE: https://e.givesmart.com/events/oot/i/_All/fLoq/?search=) For more information, and to buy tickets, check out: https://phillyprgirl.com/turkey-day-tailgate/. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence, and how you could become a BIG, check out: https://www.independencebigs.org/.

Steve Griffith, Public Relations Director for the Kennel Club of Philadelphia joins Kristen to give all of the details on the National Dog Show 2021. The show runs November 20th and 21st at the Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks. Head to the National Dog Show for a day, or the whole weekend to see over 2000 dogs from over 190 different breeds. There will be agility dogs, therapy dogs, and show dogs galore. Plus, don’t miss the Saturday Thanksgiving Day TV taping, which will air on Thanksgiving Day from 12-2pm on NBC. Due to the pandemic, this year’s National Dog Show will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Tickets are $16 for adults who are vaccinated.  Unvaccinated individuals, including children under the age of 12, will not be permitted entry. For tickets and information, www.nds.nationaldogshow.com.    

Delaware County Literacy Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free literacy services to adults in Delaware County, including GED preparation, basic skills instruction, and English as a Second Language instruction. Susan Keller, Development and Communications Coordinator for the Delaware County Literacy Council gives details on the organization’s upcoming Expert Academy Online Telethon on Wednesday, October 20th.  The Expert Academy Online Telethon will feature three experts with roots in Delaware County sharing their wisdom through exciting online workshops. Catch Phil Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and star of Somebody Feed Phil, who will discuss writing for TV. Also Kathy Deitch, Shin Shin from the original Broadway cast of Wicked, will share tips on how to sing in full voice. Finally, Alex Garfinkel, chef and owner of Balboa Catering in Philadelphia, will demonstrate how to prepare tapas--small dishes from Spain. Each presentation will be about 20 minutes in length.  Brad Inglesb

Hamilton is returning to Philadelphia! The show will be at the Academy of Music from October 20th through November 28th to kick off an amazing Broadway Philadelphia season at the Kimmel Center. Kristen had a chance to speak with Ta’Rea Campbell who plays Angelica Schuyler in the show.  Ta’Rea has played Nala in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, Deloris in Sister Act, and performed in Book of Mormon, Little Shop of Horrors, and so many incredible shows. She’s born and raised in Philadelphia, and excited to come perform in her home town for such an extended period of time. Hear Ta’Rea talk about returning to the stage that she graduated high school on, practicing with (and without) the turntable moving stage, the lightning fast lyrics in the show, and lots more.  Be sure to check HERE for details on how to enter the digital lottery for the show. It’s your chance to win $10 tickets! Find more details and ticket information at KimmelCenter.org. 

The Many Saints of Newark will be in theaters and streaming on HBO Max this Friday, October 1st. This full length prequel to the Sopranos series stars Michael Gandolfini (the late James Gandolfini’s son) as a teenage Tony Soprano, stepping into his father’s iconic role for the film. Alessandro Nivola plays Tony Soprano’s uncle and role model Dickie Moltisanti. The two actors recently visited Philadelphia and sat with Kristen for an interview about the film at the Bistro Romano restaurant in South Philly. Thanks to Bistro Romano for hosting the press event. The restaurant proved to be a “Tony Soprano worthy” setting for the interviews. Check out Bistro Romano for upscale cuisine and service in an old-world setting. The piano bar on Friday & Saturday nights is the perfect setting for dinner with friends or cocktails before and one of the few in the City offering live piano music.

NBC10 Investigative reporter Claudia Vargas talks with Kristen about a local, true-crime docuseries produced by NBC10 called “Who Killed Barbara Jean?”  The 11-part series looks into the murder of a 4-year old little girl in the late 1980s in the Castor Gardens section of Northeast Philly.     The entire series is available on NBC10’s App and streaming platforms (Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire). Find more HERE.

A new season of the Food Network’s hit show Halloween Baking Championship premieres this Monday, September 13th and one of the chef contestants is from South Jersey. Pastry Chef Anirudh Mamtora talks about his history as a pastry chef and about the upcoming  season of Halloween Baking Championship which pays tribute to 1980s classic slasher movies! Tune in to the Food Network this Monday at 9pm, and keep up with Anirudh and his next projects on Instagram. 

The 36th Annual Mushroom Festival in Kennett Square is happening September 11th and 12th! Come check out the Mushroom Growing Tent, an Amateur Mushroom Cooking Contest, a Fried Mushroom Eating Contest, music, food, kids activities and lots more! Lori Harrison, Director of Communications for the American Mushroom Institute and Editor of Mushroom News gives all the details on this year’s festival, and lots of fun facts about mushrooms too!  Find more about the Mushroom Festival at www.MushroomFestival.org, and download the new Mushroom Festival App on the Apple Store or Google Play. 

Jaime Blackburn, Director of Public Relations for the White Dog Cafe returns to BEN Around Philly with the details on the 4th Annual Dining Out for the Dogs at the White Dog Cafe to benefit Alpha Bravo Canine.  Alpha Bravo Canine provides trained service dogs to U.S military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and other combat related disabilities. Come out on August 16th beginning at 5pm to the White Dog Cafe participating suburban locations at 379 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, 200 W Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, and the new Glen Mills location at 81 Baltimore Pike for a fantastic meal while supporting an incredible organization. Find more information HERE. 

Let the Philly Tailgate Games begin! Andrea Helfrich, In-Arena Host and Producer at the Philadelphia Flyers (and Gritty’s best friend) gives the details on the first ever Philly Tailgate Games. The Wells Fargo Center is hosting the ultimate tailgate party, with big prizes in all of your favorite tailgate games. You could win FREE BEER for a year, free concert tickets for a year (in a SUITE), or free Flyers season tickets just by beating out your competitors in your favorite tailgate game.  The Philly Tailgate Games are presented by Yuengling Traditional Lager and will be held on Saturday, September 25 in Lot E at Wells Fargo Center.  * Cornhole Tournament – Winner receives FREE BEER FOR A YEAR* * Ladder Golf Tournament – Winner receives FLYER SEASON TICKETS * Jenga Tournament – Winner receives tickets to see a concert in a suite *Must be 21+ to win. Drink responsibly.

If partying with friends and cheering for the tournament players is more your thing, general admission tickets are ONLY $10. Everyone will

Karen Verderame, an Invertebrate Specialist from the Academy of Natural Sciences returns to BEN Around Philly to give all of the details on this year’s Bug Fest! Happening August 13-15th, you can participate in person or virtually to enjoy a number of fun creepy crawly events. The big favorites are returning, like Bugs on the Big Screen, The Roach Race 500, Ask the Scientists and lots more - PLUS check out new events like Science in the Wild: Bug Night Crawl and Academy Nightcap: Bugs in Bondage (a virtual event about bug mating rituals).  Find the list of events, and all of the details at ANSP.org.  

Philadelphia’s ACCT shelter is full! Gillian Kocher, Director of Public Relations for the Pennsylvania SPCA returns to BEN Around Philly to talk about the importance of adopting and fostering, and all of the amazing animals available and waiting for their forever homes.  Plus, a great list of fun events that help to benefit the PSPCA. Find your new best friend at Philadelphia Union home games this year, Caturdays at Philadelphia Brewing Company, Sippin’ and Stichin’ on July 24th, and Yappy Hour at Morgan’s Pier. Save the date for their Bikes, Barks and Brews event on September 18th and the 11th Annual Springer Golf Outing on September 27th.  Learn more at PSPCA.org.

Eddie Keels, Owner and Publisher of Philly Current Magazine returns to BEN Around Philly to talk about the magazine's 9th Annual PC Picks issue. To check it out for yourself, head to PhillyCurrent.com/subscribe.