A WEEKEND FOR ‘FRIENDS’ AND LOVERS … OH, AND BULL RIDERS
The following events are planned for the upcoming week throughout the region: • The FRIENDS Experience: The One Near Philadelphia, an interactive exhibition centered around the popular sitcom “Friends,” opens Friday and runs through May 29 at
King of Prussia Mall (The Court). Originally created for the show’s 25th anniversary, the space gives fans a chance to celebrate their favorite friends and revisit some of the series’ most iconic moments. The interactive space provides opportunities to explore the show’s history and revisit favorite TV moments in 12 nostalgia-packed rooms of set recreations, including peeking around Rachel and Monica’s purple door, relaxing in Chandler and Joey’s recliner or helping Ross with the famous sofa pivot. The space will also feature a recreated Central
Perk coffee shop with the legendary orange couch. The FRIENDS Experience is open Thursdays through Sundays and select Mondays. Timed entry tickets are available starting at $32plus taxes and fees. A full schedule of operating hours can be found at www.FriendsTheExperience.com/Philadelphia.
•
It’s Chocolate and Wine Pairing Weekend
this Saturday and Sunday and Feb. 18-19 on the Berks County Wine Trail. Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 during the event and include a wine and chocolate pairing at each of the 10 participating wineries. Kog Hill Winery, Morgantown, will be pairing chocolate truffles and blueberry merlot; Lily’s Vineyards and Winery, Alsace Township, will offer a cherry-blondie brownie bar paired with either sweet or dry cherry wine; Manatawny Creek Winery, Douglassville, will serve Port Chocolate Brownies topped with Port Chocolage Ganache and paired with port wine; Stonekeep Meadery and Wine Cellars, Blandon, will pair dark and milk chocolate covered crackers with Red Raspberry Mead. For tickets and the rundown of offerings at the rest of the wineries, visit berkscountywinetrail. com.
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The Newtown Theatre presents A Jazzy Valentine with the Eric Mintell Quartet
on Friday at 8 p.m. and The Best of Bob Marley and More on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Eric Mintell Quartet has been playing its electrifying brand of jazz for over 25 years, primarily in the Philadelphia region but also for some notable jazz fans, including Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. The quartet has also performed at the Kennedy Center on several occasions. To celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday, Crucial, a Philadelphia-based band known for its powerfully original style of roots, rock, and reggae, will perform reggae-inspired covers and select original songs culled from the band’s nearly 20-year history. Tickets are $30 for each show. To reserve, visit thenewtowntheatre.com.
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For Valentine’s Day, Genesius Theatre, Reading, presents the romantic musical comedy “The Other Josh Cohen”
starting Friday and continuing through Feb. 19. Two actors play the hapless-yetwarmhearted title character — one eventful year apart — in this 90-minute show that was nominated for six Drama Desk Awards and the Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical.
Josh Cohen just can’t get a break (or a girlfriend). He’s slightly overweight, broke and underemployed. To top it off, his New York City apartment is robbed of everything. What do you do when you’re broke and alone on Valentine’s Day with nothing but a
Neil Diamond CD and a vintage Darth Vader phone to keep you company? Josh decides to blast his prehistoric Walkman and let Neil’s cool vibes pull him into a fantasy world, of course. When all seems
lost, a mysterious letter arrives that could change his life forever. Performances are scheduled for Feb. 10-12, Feb. 14, and Feb. 16-19, with curtains at 7:30 p.m. except Sundays, at 3 p.m. For tickets and more information, see genesiusdifference.org.
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The Players Club of Swarthmore presents the musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”
from Friday through Feb. 19. Monty Navarro has no money, and he has no love in his life. What he does have, he finds out, is a place in line to become the Earl of Highhurst. Eighth place. Can Monty scheme to eliminate his unsuspecting relatives and rise to the earlship without getting caught? And will status bring him the love he seeks? For show times, tickets and more information, see pcstheater.org.
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PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
returns to the Santander Arena, Reading, on Friday and Saturday with the PBR Reading Rumble. Some of the best bull riders in the world will battle the sport’s rankest bovine athletes in the ultimate showdown of man vs. beast. On Friday evening in Round 1, starting at 8p.m., all 40 competing riders will attempt one bull each. The Top 10 will then advance to the championship round on Saturday at 7 p.m., where they will attempt one final bull in an effort to be crowned the event champion. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and PBR.com, at the arena or by calling 800-732-1727.
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SALT Performing Arts, Chester Springs, is staging “Disney’s High School Musical”
from Friday through Feb. 19 with a traditional cast,
then Feb. 24-26 with an all adult cast, and March 3-5 with an Acting Antics Cast, whereby actors of all abilities perform the Junior version of the show. “High School Musical” follows the exploits of Troy, Gabriella and the students of East High as they deal with issues of first love, friends and family while balancing their classes and extracurricular activities. For show times, tickets and more information, see saltpa.com.
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Comedian Steve Treviño brings his “America’s Favorite Husband”
tour to the Keswick Theatre, Glenside, on Friday at 8 p.m. and the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, on Saturday at 8 p.m. In 2020, Treviño and his wife, Renae, unveiled a joint weekly podcast entitled “Steve Treviño and Captain Evil” that has generated over 1.5 million views/streams and is now
in Season 3. He also filmed his fourth self-produced comedy special, “My Life in Quarantine,” which was picked up by Amazon Prime. His self-produced fifth special, entitled “I Speak Wife,” was released in October for free exclusively to his global audience on YouTube. For tickets and more information, visit keswicktheatre.com and santander-arena.com.
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The Keswick Theatre, Glenside, presents Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience
on Saturday at 8 p.m. Paying studious attention to Michael Jackson’s every original groove and gravitydefying dance move, Who’s Bad boasts over 100 years of professional experience and a team of dancers with resumes that include Broadway productions. The velvety vocals and pinpoint choreography of frontmen Joseph Bell and Taalib York combined with the sixpiece band’s synchronized dance routines, blaring horns and deep rhythms results in a performance delivered with soul and precision. Tickets range from $25 to $40 at keswicktheatre.com.