{"id":45536,"date":"2026-05-22T14:16:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T18:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=45536"},"modified":"2026-05-22T14:17:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T18:17:58","slug":"on-stage-swing-that-cat-is-about-all-about-music-not-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=45536","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Swing That Cat is about all about music, not pets"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><strong>By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, <em>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\n<div id=\"attachment_21388\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21388\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-21388\" src=\"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/cat.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21388\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Swing That Cat<\/p><\/div>\n<p>There is a band headlining a show at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, <a id=\"OWA7b72300d-dec7-1c9b-f72f-c74a83c0e1ef\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.118northwayne.com\/\">www.118northwayne.com<\/a>) on May 22 that has a name that, if misunderstood, could draw PETA advocates to protest outside its shows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The band is Swing That Cat, which was formed more than a decade ago by vocalist Michele Peraino and her husband guitarist Chris Peraino. It is a band that has one foot in the swing era and one foot in the present.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Fortunately, the band\u2019s name has nothing to do with the act of swirling around a hapless feline in the air.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cI wanted a name that had cats in the name \u2013 a reference to cats and hep cats which were terms used in the swing era,\u201d said Chris Periaino, during a phone interview yesterday from the couple\u2019s home in Wenonah, New Jersey.<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cI also wanted a name that had a sense of movement. It should sound like \u2018swing that, cat\u2019 but you can\u2019t just put a comma in when you\u2019re saying the name.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Swing That Cat\u2019s music is a sonic smorgasbord drawing from jazz, swing music from the 30s, 40s and 50s, blues, R&amp;B, gypsy music, jump blues, cabaret and New Orleans jazz.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">On its Facebook page, the band posted, \u201cWe\u2019re a crazy bunch of cats who love that rock and roll thing mixed with jump blues, jazz and lots of horny swing! Add a dash of panache from the cabaret and a splash of the way the Gypsies play. Shaken well, then served straight up, or on ice. We like it all &#8212; dirty, neat and nice.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Swing That Cat straddles the Delaware River between South Jersey and the Philadelphia area.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe live in South Jersey \u2013 in the Gloucester area,\u201d said Chris Periaino.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cFor about 30 years, they have had a one-night benefit concert in the area. Chris and I had both been in it for several years.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cOne year, we did a song and recruited horn players from Rowan University. That was back in 2012.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cThe idea of having a horn-led band had fallen out of favor. We wanted to go back to swing as a forerunner of rock and roll. We looked at swing bands from the 30s, 40s and 50s in a modern context.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Michele Periaino said, \u201cChris and I went to an open mic at The Bus Stop Music Caf\u00e9 in Pitman. We began playing there a lot. We even ended up practicing there.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">That was the beginning of Swing That Cat.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The band currently features Michele Peraino, Vocals; Chris Peraino, Guitar; Hugh Luck, Flute; Sam Harasink, Bass; Styx Latte, Drums; Andrew Donaghy, Sax; Pavan Chary, Sax; Rickey Rhoem, Trombone; and Dawn Webster, Trumpet.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Swing That Cat is a band that is Philly born and bred.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cI\u2019m from Broomall \u2013 a 1983 Marple Newtown grad,\u201d said Chris Periaino. \u201cOur drummer is from Havertown. Sam is a Jersey boy \u2013 his family is from Wenonah. Hugh is from West Virginia, but he\u2019s lived in South Jersey for a long time. Our horn players are all from South Jersey.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Michele Iacovittti Periaino is from Norristown \u2013 East Norriton actually.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">She is one of several national music talents from the Norristown area including late jazz greats bassist\u00a0Jaco\u00a0Pastorius and Hammond legend Jimmy Smith, Humblemanband leader Charlie Cooper and the late Tim Boyle, who was one of the most sought-after recording engineers in Southern California.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe started with 13 in the band and then scaled down to seven or nine,\u201d said Chris Periaino.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe used our flute player as lead guitar with a four-piece horn section. And the band also features bass, drums and guitar. Our first gig was at The Bus Stop in July 2013.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cAfter a while, we were playing gigs in Philadelphia \u2013 Underground Arts, the Troc, Kung Fu Necktie. I think we\u2019ve played just about every venue in Philly. We just did a record release last fall at the Ardmore Music Hall.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Michele Periaino said, \u201cThere was an influence by Louis \u2013 three of them. I grew up listening to Louis Prima. Chris was listening to Louis Jordan. And we agreed that Louis Armstrong was king.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cIt was a learning lesson in this music and what it became. It\u2019s a reminder to people of how it started.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Chris Periaino said, \u201cAfter a while, we were playing gigs in Philadelphia \u2013 Underground Arts, the Troc, Kung Fu Necktie. I think we\u2019ve played just about every venue in Philly.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cAt first, we thought it was just going to be something little for fun. Then we got more gigs and it escalated. It became its own animal. To be able to show that side of me was great.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cOur first recording was an album a few years ago \u2013 \u20183 To Get Ready and 4 To Go.\u2019 It was a live double EP featuring three original songs and four standards. We recorded at a 2016 show at Philly Sound Studios.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe just did a record release of our new album last fall at the Ardmore Music Hall.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Swing That Cat released a new full-length studio album, \u201cLEAP,\u201d in July 2025.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe started working on \u2018LEAP\u2019 just before COVID,\u201d said Michele Periaino. \u201cWe had a couple band changes. Our old bass player was on three songs on the album and then left.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe went through three or four bass players and then got Sam (Harasink). He\u2019s our music director. He and I work on orchestrating songs so we can bring them back to the band. I wrote four songs on the album.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Her songs were written in the 2020s but could just as easily been created by swing bands from the 1930s and 1940s.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">According to her, \u201cOur music is not trapped in an era &#8212; it\u2019s a call to action that makes you shimmy, shake, and wanna leap off your seat to dance your tail off!\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Video link for Swing That Cat \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_Jef7sRcwAk\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/_Jef7sRcwAk<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The show at 118 North on May 22, which has The Wonton Soups as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Tickets are $20.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Other upcoming shows at 118 North are Pure Petty on May 23, Peter Holsapple + Don Dixon Duo on May 24 and<b> <\/b>MT Jones on May 27.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\n<div id=\"attachment_21389\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21389\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-21389\" src=\"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/toadies-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-21389\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Toadies<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For The Toadies, making an album with Steve Albini as the producer was a match made in music heaven.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">It was a match that the band from Fort Worth, Texas wanted to see happen for a long time.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">It was a match that took a long time to actually take place.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">And it was a match made just in the nick of time.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Toadies, who will be headlining a show at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, <a id=\"OWAec69b61f-77b6-c342-4fb6-0ec8591ac1a0\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.utphilly.com\/\">www.utphilly.com<\/a>) on May 22, released their new album, \u201cThe Charmer,\u201d on May 1 via Spaceflight Records.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Toadies are Vaden Todd Lewis\u00a0(vocals), Clark Vogeler (guitar), Mark Reznicek\u00a0(drums) and Doni Blair\u00a0(bass).<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Spaceflight Records\u00a0is an Austin-based nonprofit record label supporting those who make music through physical releases, distribution, and hands-on release management.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Its work focuses on creating sustainability by restoring record sales as a meaningful source of income for working musicians.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">On January 8, 2024, The Toadies announced that their eighth studio album, \u201cThe Charmer,\u201d which was recorded with <a id=\"OWA6372cd89-6b67-2294-1596-5f5f389ca2be\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" title=\"Steve Albini\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steve_Albini\">Steve Albini<\/a>, was scheduled to be released later in the year.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">However, following Albini\u2019s death in May of that year, the album was delayed multiple times before its release a few weeks ago.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The album was done with\u00a0Albini at\u00a0his Electrical Audio\u00a0in Chicago and is among the few projects Albini recorded before his unfortunate passing that have not yet been released.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Albini\u00a0was a highly acclaimed musician and\u00a0audio engineer.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">He founded and fronted the influential\u00a0post-hardcore\u00a0and\u00a0noise rock\u00a0bands\u00a0Big Black\u00a0(1981\u20131987),\u00a0Rapeman\u00a0(1987\u20131989), and\u00a0Shellac\u00a0(1992\u20132024).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">He engineered acclaimed albums such as\u00a0the Pixies\u2019\u00a0\u201cSurfer Rosa\u201d\u00a0(1988),\u00a0PJ Harvey\u2019s\u00a0\u201cRid of Me,\u201d\u00a0Nirvana\u2019s\u00a0\u201cIn Utero\u201d\u00a0(both 1993), and\u00a0Manic Street Preachers\u2019\u00a0\u201cJournal for Plague Lovers\u201d\u00a0(2009).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">After Big Black\u2019s dissolution, Albini became a sought-after recording engineer, rejecting the term \u201crecord producer.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">He recorded several thousand records, collaborating with acts such as\u00a0the Breeders,\u00a0the Jesus Lizard,\u00a0Page and Plant,\u00a0Godspeed You! Black Emperor,\u00a0Joanna Newsom,\u00a0Cheap Trick\u00a0and\u00a0Slint.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Albini founded the Chicago recording studio\u00a0Electrical Audio\u00a0in 1997, dedicated to recording a live sound at a cheap price. He refused to accept royalties, preferring to charge a fixed fee.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">At the time of his death, Albini charged $900 a day, less than a quarter of the rate a producer of his experience would typically charge. He would occasionally work unpaid if an act ran out of money, preferring not to leave work unfinished.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">In 2018, Albini estimated that he had engineered more than 3,000 records.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Noted for his outspoken and blunt opinions, Albini was critical of local punk scenes and the music industry, which he viewed as exploitative of artists.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Albini preferred to record bands together in live takes rather than overdubbing, believing this created the most natural result. He was a strict adherent of\u00a0analog recording.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe recorded the album in August 2023,\u201d said Doni Blair, during a recent phone interview from a tour day off in Atlanta.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe were one month with Steve on tour the year before. We were in Chicago in 2023, so we went to his studio to say \u2013 hi, how are you doing?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cA little while later, our manager had set up a meeting which went by really quite quick \u2013 very cordial and very business-like. He had his rates posted on his website. We had our budget and it worked out.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe started each day at 9:30-10 a.m. and were done at 7 p.m. Steve was very workmanlike. He had a reputation for acerbic wit and not doing things wrong. We\u2019re the same way.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">According to Reznicek, \u201cWhen we first signed with the major label back in 1993, they asked us who we wanted to record with and we all replied \u2018Albini!\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Albini\u2019s\u00a0technique of capturing bands raw and live was the perfect match for band\u2019s energy resulting in the classic\u00a0Toadies\u00a0sound.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">According to Blair, \u201cSteve was as advertised. He had an acerbic wit and dark sense of humor, so we felt at home.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cHis dedication to the craft of recording blew my mind. We won\u2019t see his kind of engineer ever again and recorded music will suffer because of it.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Though a mostly \u201chands-off\u201d producer, Albini did help the band land on specific guitar tones and piece other parts together.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cHe was our sound guy,\u201d said Blair. \u201cThere were so many things sonically that he did. He had a really good hand in it. We knew we had found our guy \u2013 and then he passed away.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Fortunately for The Toadies, they were able to complete the album before Albini\u2019s ticker betrayed him. Albini died from a\u00a0heart attack\u00a0at his home in Chicago, on May 7, 2024, at the age of 61.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe did \u2018The Charmer\u2019 that month in August 2023,\u201d said Blair, whose brother Zach Blair is lead guitarist of Rise Against and was also\u00a0Flattus Maximus\u00a0of\u00a0GWAR.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe were all set up \u2013 the four of us in the same room \u2013 playing live to analog tape. Steve had guitars in the bigger room. Mark was in a room-within-a-room \u2013 an enclosed drum room.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">According to Vogeler, \u201cThe amps are in the room, and the soundwaves are bouncing off each other and doing weird, magical things. The sound of us playing together in the room comes through loud and clear on the album.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Toadies followed with a second session at the studio in the Windy City.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe went back and did some more recording for another few weeks,\u201d said Blair. \u201cThat second session was in April 2024.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWe did a lot of pre-production for this album. We also worked a lot on the songs in our live shows.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cBefore heading to Chicago, we spent about four weeks of pre-production in Fort Worth. We wanted to show up more than prepared.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Toadies were no strangers to analog recording.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cPeople who know us are used to hearing our songs that way,\u201d said Blair<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cThe band recorded the \u2018Rubberneck\u2019 album analog \u2013 playing together live to tape.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">In the three decades-plus musical career, The Toadies\u00a0have built one of alternative rock\u2019s most enduring legacies.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Formed in Fort Worth in 1989, The Toadies blend the band\u2019s love for MTV staples such as Talking Heads and the Pixies with its affinity for classic rock, ZZ Top and traditional country.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">They added to their popularity by playing major festivals including\u00a0Lollapalooza\u00a0and\u00a0Austin City Limits.\u00a0Their hometown of Fort Worth has even declared an official\u00a0\u201cToadies\u00a0Day.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">December 30 is officially \u201cToadies Day\u201d in Fort Worth to celebrate the band\u2019s contributions to Dallas\u2019 Metroplex neighbor.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Their platinum-selling 1994 debut\u00a0\u201cRubberneck\u201d\u00a0spawned the iconic singles\u00a0\u201cTyler\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cPossum Kingdom,\u201d\u00a0hit #1 on\u00a0Billboard\u2019s Heatseekers\u00a0chart, and spent 49 weeks on the\u00a0Billboard 200.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Toadies were scheduled to play the Shadow of the City Festival in Asbury Park on May 23.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Because of a nasty weather forecast for the area this weekend, the outdoor show has been postponed until August 28 at the same venue.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Fortunately for Toadies fans, the announcement was made early enough to allow them to make plans for attending the show in Philly instead.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Video link for The Toadies \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/GaSRR4inWXA\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/GaSRR4inWXA<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The show at Union Transfer \u00a0on May 22, which has Local H and The Vandoliers as openers, will start at 7:30 p.m.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Tickets are $58.26.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Another show at Union Transfer this weekend will be Superheaven on May 23.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern,<a id=\"OWA5cf98661-119d-8633-b85a-9bfd0dcfe843\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" title=\"Protected by Outlook: https:\/\/peopleslight.org\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Click or tap to follow the link.\" href=\"https:\/\/peopleslight.org\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting \u201cThe Woman Question\u201d now through May 24.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">A new play with local roots,\u00a0\u201cThe Woman Question\u201d\u00a0unearths the stories of medical pioneers who led the charge for women\u2019s health and reproductive freedom 150 years ago.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">This world premiere docu-fantasy follows the 1894 class of the Woman\u2019s Medical College of Pennsylvania, an intrepid cohort of students whose struggles and joys reverberate across centuries.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The play is written and performed by acclaimed theatre-maker Suli Holum (\u201cHurricane Diane\u201d) in collaboration with Company Artist Melanye Finister (\u201cA Raisin in the Sun\u201d) and a remarkable cast and creative team.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Holum is an award-winning director, performer, choreographer and playwright based in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Holum\u2019s \u201cThe Woman Question\u201d is a multi-year research and performance project which has been created in partnership with the Drexel University Legacy Archive and People\u2019s Light Theater Company, with support from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Finister is a 30-year member of the Philadelphia theater community. In 1991, she joined the resident acting company at People\u2019s Light where she appeared in more than 30 productions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The creative team also features director\u00a0Melissa Crespo, choreographer Fatima Sowe, scenic designer\u00a0Ann Beyersdorfer,\u00a0Costume Designer\u00a0Lux Haac, lighting designer\u00a0Lily Fossner, sound designers\u00a0Daniela Hart,\u00a0Bailey Trierweiler, and\u00a0Noel Nichols, projection designer\u00a0Lisa Renkel, and composer and music director\u00a0Daniela Hart.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cThe Woman Question\u201d\u00a0blends archival research, flights of collective imagination, and a delightful, Victorian-infused theatricality.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The play centers on the\u00a01894 graduating class of the Woman\u2019s Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP)\u00a0\u2014 the first degree-granting medical school in the world exclusively for women, founded in 1850.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cThe Woman Question\u201d is running now through May 24 at People\u2019s Light.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Ticket prices start at $30.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Candlelight Theater (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, <a id=\"OWA87cb9d59-f154-e098-4ea6-89452e3491f5\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" title=\"http:\/\/www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org\/\" href=\"http:\/\/www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is presenting \u201cArsenic &amp; Old Lace\u201d now through June 20.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cArsenic and Old Lace\u201d\u00a0is a\u00a0play\u00a0by American\u00a0playwright\u00a0Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the 1944\u00a0film adaptation\u00a0starring\u00a0Cary Grant\u00a0and directed by\u00a0Frank Capra.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The play opened on\u00a0Broadway\u00a0at the\u00a0Fulton Theatre\u00a0on January 10, 1941.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The play, a clever combination of the farcical and the macabre, centers on two elderly sisters who are famous in their Brooklyn neighborhood for their numerous acts of charity.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Unfortunately, however, their charity includes poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging. The two women are assisted in their crimes by their mentally challenged nephew who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and who frequently blasts a bugle and yells \u201ccharge\u201d as he bounds up the stairs.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Matters get complicated when a second nephew, a theater critic, discovers the murders and a third nephew appears after having just escaped from a mental institution.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cArsenic &amp; Old Lace\u201d revolves around drama critic Mortimer Brewster, whose engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts\u2019 window seat.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Mortimer rushes to tell Abby and Martha before they stumble upon the body themselves, only to learn that the two old women aren\u2019t just aware of the dead man in their parlor, they killed him.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The \u201cmurderous old lady\u201d plot line may also have been inspired by actual events that occurred in a house on Prospect St in\u00a0Windsor, Connecticut, where a woman,\u00a0Amy Archer-Gilligan, took in boarders, promising \u201clifetime care,\u201d and poisoned them for their pensions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cArsenic &amp; Old Lace\u201d runs through June 20 and features a themed meal and free parking.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Tickets are $83 for adults and $38.50 for children (ages 4-12). Tickets for show only are $43.50 (adults and children).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Cirque du Soleil\u2019s new production \u201cLUZIA\u201d just opened this week and will run through June 7 under a big top at the Greater Philadelphia Expo\u00a0Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, <a id=\"OWA58bb8c03-a698-e88e-2d43-4d712730a95c\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.phillyexpocenter.com\/\">www.phillyexpocenter.com<\/a>).<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Billed as \u201cA Waking Dream of Mexico,\u201d the show looks at our neighbors from the south.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Poetically guided by light (\u2018luz\u2019 in Spanish) and rain (\u2018lluvia\u2019), \u201cLUZIA\u201d chronicles the encounters of a parachuted traveler with the culture, nature and mythology of a dreamlike land inhabited by a mystifying menagerie of characters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Refreshing and unexpected, \u201cLUZIA\u201d enchants by artistically incorporating water into the acrobatic presentation &#8212; a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">As the sun rises, the running woman awakes an imaginary Mexico, honoring the monarch butterfly\u2019s migration.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">In a series of grand visual surprises and breathtaking acrobatic performances, \u201cLUZIA\u201d takes audiences on a surreal escape to an imaginary Mexico \u2013 a sumptuously vibrant world suspended between dreams and reality.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Smoothly passing from an old movie set to the ocean to a smoky dance hall or an arid desert, \u201cLUZIA\u201d journeys through a colorful tapestry of multiple places, faces and sounds of Mexico taken from both tradition and modernity.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Video link for \u201cLUZIA\u201d &#8212; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cirquedusoleil.com\/luzia\">www.cirquedusoleil.com\/luzia<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cLUZIA\u201d will run through June 7 in Oaks.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Ticket prices start at $25.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, <a id=\"OWAc381c07a-9804-b707-f162-7f2a4ac82b78\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org\/\">http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting The Third Arrangement with special guests The Gavani Trio on May 22 and Just Jammin\u2019 on May 23.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Steel City Coffeehouse (203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, <a id=\"OWA12ccbedc-24c2-79f4-aa18-ee735a383d22\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.steelcityphx.com\/\">www.steelcityphx.com<\/a>) will present The Treebirds on May 22 and Bob Dylan\u2019s 85th\u00a0Birthday Benefit on May 23.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, <a href=\"http:\/\/thecolonialtheatre.com\/events\">thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) will host Are You Ready For It on May 22 and Wesley Stace on May 23.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, 215-477-9985, <a id=\"OWAcf986eb6-f272-c604-b5f6-0e7fc5e60296\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.jameyshouseofmusic.com\/\">www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) is presenting Jazzmen Experience on May 22, Tom Freund on May 23 and Jamey\u2019s Blues Union on May 24.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, <a id=\"OWA78751a81-91e0-7ec5-b75c-3faba2abf821\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.elktonmusichall.com\/\">www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>) hosts \u201c<a id=\"OWA3d1a9c8f-7aba-3a54-2c92-ea0c17d1287f\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"https:\/\/link.dice.fm\/t5ea88e12e2c?pid=8d887526\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Echoes The American Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd Tribute<\/a>\u201d on May 22 and Crack the Sky on May 23.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, <a id=\"OWA2daf0814-2f4c-fb70-bda4-0474213a4c3d\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ardmoremusic.com\/\">www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will have Hezekiah Jones + Mason Porter + Chris Kasper on May 23, Lady Alma &amp; Vertical Current on May 24, Steely Dead: A Sonic Fusion of The Grateful Dead and Steely Dan on May 28 and Broken Arrow: Neil Young Tribute<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">on May 29.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.st94.com\/\">www.st94.com<\/a>) will present Tom DiMenna on May 22, Dr. K&#8217;s Motown Revue on May 23, Carl Cox and Tim Hutson on May 24, Parker Barrow on May 27, The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra on May 28, Gary Louris (of The Jayhawks) on May 29, Joe Grushecky on May 30 and Dirk Quinn Band on May 31.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The venue also gets off to a strong start in June with Jackrabbit featuring Dermot Mulroney on June 2, Sponge on June 3, crowd favorite The Slambovian Circus of Dreams on June 5 and Jann Klose on June 6.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times There is a band headlining a show at 118 North (118 North Wayne Avenue, Wayne, www.118northwayne.com) on May 22 that has a name that, if misunderstood, could draw PETA advocates to protest outside its shows. The band is Swing That Cat, which was formed more than a decade [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[6518,14872,15422],"class_list":["post-45536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-swing-that-cat","tag-the-toadies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45536"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45539,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45536\/revisions\/45539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/45534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}