PIFA 2018 Brochure

Photo: Ralph Alswang

MAY 31-JUN 10

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 3

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5 6 7 8 9 11 11 12 13

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PIFA Gala Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music Inventive Mothers: A Tribute to Frank Zappa Cristal Palace Water on Mars Doggie Hamlet My Organ My Seoul Schedule of Events SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) The Fever Tape Riot The Joke is Mightier than the Sword: A Discussion with Bassem Youssef The Planets: An HD Odyssey featuring the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia ¡La Noche Cubana!

Sittin’ In featuring Rare Essence Lampshade Bouquets Street Fair PIFA Sponsors

Museum of the Moon to be at 2018 PIFA Gala Artist: Luke Jerram

JOIN US FOR THE

2018 PIFA GALA  MAY 31 The most talked about and exciting black-tie gala in our region is about to stage a return!

This fundraising Gala allows the Kimmel Center to continue the tradition of celebrating artists in our region and bringing unprecedented international artistry to Philadelphia. It also supports the Kimmel Center’s year-round arts education and community programs that serve a broad and diverse audience in our city. We hope you’ll join us for a memorable evening, with unique performances and the opportunity to connect with community and business leaders.  For more information, visit kimmelcenter.org/gala Special thanks to M&T Bank | Wilmington Trust and Comcast NBC Universal

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2016 PIFA Gala

Dear Friends,

Join me in welcoming the return of the Kimmel Center’s crown artistic jewel: the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, or PIFA! PIFA showcases a breadth of international performances and installations, attracting tens of thousands of visitors with unique and inspiring works that evoke emotion and spark conversation.

The Kimmel Center’s gift to the City of Philadelphia, PIFA 2018 is 11 days of gasp-inducing goosebumps. Our Producing Artistic Director and PIFA Curator, Jay Wahl, has tirelessly brought together more than 50 performances – original works of art commissioned and curated by the Kimmel Center and performed by some of the world’s top awardwinning artists.

Artists will defy gravity atop a giant, outdoor chandelier in a 360-degree immersive dance party along the banks of the Schuylkill River; MacArthur Genius Taylor Mac will present his critically-acclaimed, 24-hour performance art concert in two 12-hour segments, telling a 240-year social history of the U.S. in song; five performers, three dogs, and a flock of sheep will take over Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park; prepare for daredevil acrobatics, jugglers, a satirical superhero, and much more!

Thank you to our tremendous Kimmel Center staff who work hard all year long to transform lives daily through the arts on and off our campus.

Join us!

Anne Ewers, President & CEO Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Jay Wahl, Producing Artistic Director Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Anne Ewers, President & CEO Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts 2

TAYLOR MAC: A 24-DECADE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC

Extravaganza USA

Taylor Mac’s mission is nothing short of extraordinary: to chart a complete social history of a nation through the music that scored its rebellions and revolutions, triumphs and tragedies.

Presented over two weekends, this critically-acclaimed, bedazzled mashup of music, history, and theater will be presented in two distinct 12-hour parts. Mac enlists the aid of over one hundred local performers—from acrobats and burlesque artists to choirs and marching bands—to join this fearless quest.

Hailed as a Ring Cycle for the 21st century, this once-in-a-lifetime experience is part celebration and part exorcism; it’s a no-holdsbarred extravaganza!

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE VENUE

Merriam Theater

SCHEDULE

Part I: 1776–1896 JUN 2 12 PM–12 AM Part II: 1896–Present JUN 9 12 PM–12 AM Show contains adult themes and content  For Taylor Mac's full FAQ, visit kimmelcenter.org/pifa 

Taylor Mac is co-produced with Pomegranate Arts. Major support for this program has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

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Tickets and more information at:

“One of the great experiences of my life” The New York Times

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

Studio Dan

INVENTIVE MOTHERS: A TRIBUTE TO FRANK ZAPPA

Visionary Orchestra Austria

Studio Dan is the only Austrian large ensemble belonging neither to the jazz big band mainstream nor to the strictly interpretive contemporary chamber music culture. Far more than a tribute to Zappa’s work, this ensemble brilliantly combines composition and improvisation, exploring beyond the bounds of simplistic genres from classical to rock and from jazz to doo-wop.

Arranger Dan Riegler leans away from ‘cover band’ appearances, embracing his vision of an orchestra that conveys the celebrated sounds of Zappa with a character all its own.

AMERICAN PREMIERE VENUE

SEI Innovation Studio Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 2 JUN 3

8:00 PM 2:00 PM

“Frank Zappa is in good hands” The Standard

Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

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Transe Express

CRISTAL PALACE

Aerial Dance Party/ Interactive France

More than 200,000 witnessed the “jaw-dropping sensation” during the 2011 PIFA, when aerial performers dangled hundreds of feet in the air above Broad Street and transfixed the crowd with an otherworldly spectacle.

“Transe Express is back with an all new spectacle” The Philadelphia Tribune

Transe Express, the celebrated French performance troupe, returns with the world premiere of Cristal Palace, a 360-degree immersive event featuring a human chandelier as the centerpiece for the best dance party Philly has ever seen.

WORLD PREMIERE VENUE

Fairmount Park On the banks of the Schuylkill

SCHEDULE

JUN 1 JUN 2 JUN 3 JUN 5 JUN 6 JUN 7 JUN 8 JUN 9 JUN 10



8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM 8:00 PM

For Cristal Palace's full FAQ, visit kimmelcenter.org/pifa Family-friendly

OPENING ACT NOBUNTU: ALL-FEMALE A CAPPELLA GROUP Zimbabwe

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Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

Plastic Boom

WATER ON MARS

Gravity-defying spectacle Sweden

A high-flying, not-your-averagefeast for the eyes, Water on Mars combines jaw-dropping athleticism, eye-catching acrobatics, and has been praised

by The Circus Diaries as “a pure display of extraordinary skill.” This performance is a circus of dizzying tricks and gravity-defying stunts bursting with comedy, chocolate, 400 roles of tape, and out-of-thisworld airborne geometry!

Warning: This show delivers an unforgettable multi-sensory experience that will not be forgotten. The physical rigors are real. The backflips are bold.

The fun is unrelenting.

“A visual rush of sugared adrenaline!”

The Circus Diaries

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE VENUE

Perelman Theater Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 1 JUN 2 JUN 2 JUN 3 JUN 3

7:00 PM 11:00 AM 2:00 PM 11:00 AM 2:00 PM

Family-friendly

Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

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Ann Carlson

DOGGIE HAMLET DANCE WITH SHEEP

USA

What has five performers, three herding dogs, a flock of sheep, and hay bale seating? Doggie Hamlet! This outdoor performance weaves dance, music, visual, and theatrical elements with aspects of competitive sheep herding trials.

This work explores sentiments such as instinct, sentience, attachment, and loss. The animals, humans, and the earth’s surface are at once performing as themselves and as living symbols in this work and ask us relevant questions of our time: What does it mean to follow? What is instinct, and how does that differ from a reaction?

“But is it art?

In the case of Doggie Hamlet, Yes” The New York Times

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE VENUE

Fairmount Park Belmont Plateau

SCHEDULE

JUN 3 JUN 3 JUN 4



10:00 AM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM

For Doggie Hamlet’s full FAQ, visit kimmelcenter.org/pifa Family-friendly

The presentation of Doggie Hamlet was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

“Dance, Theater, and Shepherding!”

The Dartmouth

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Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

Ambiguous Dance Company and Ahreum Han

MY ORGAN MY SEOUL

IRREVERENT DANCE

South Korea

Direct from South Korea, K-pop artists Boram Kim and Jang Kyeong-min dazzle audiences with their witty exploration of individual rhythm and freedom of expression in this world premiere featuring the Kimmel Center’s Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ.

Ambiguous Dance Company and organist Ahreum Han weave together a smart and charming physical harmony through the universal language of dance.

Every human is born with a rhythm that is all one’s own. Ambiguous Dance Company embraces that freedom through choreography that complements the powerful organ in a one-of-a-kind performance.

WORLD PREMIERE VENUE

Verizon Hall Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 3

“Witty and dynamic” KNCD

Tickets and more information at:

3:00 PM

My Organ My Seoul is presented in association with KMP Artists & Producer Group DOT. Generously supported by Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Korea Arts Management Service; Center Stage Korea.

Organ programming is generously supported by the Wyncote Foundation.

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

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PIFA SCHEDULE OF EVENT MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY 31

6:00 PM PIFA Gala Pg. 1

Plastic Boom

Water on Mars Gravity-Defying Spectacle

Ambiguous Dance

My Organ My Seoul

Irreverent Dance 600 HIGHWAYMEN

The Fever

Interactive Theater

10 AM–10 PM

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5



Commonwealth Plaza Install

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6:00 PM Doggie Hamlet Pg. 8

5:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

5:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

5:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

8:00 PM ¡La NOCHE Cubana!

Featuring Ariacne Trujillo Durand and Yusa Lopez Pg. 15 Bridon

7:00 PM SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) Pg. 11

7:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12

7:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12

7:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

7:00 PM SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) Pg. 11

7:00 PM SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) Pg. 11

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

7:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

7:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

7:30 PM The Joke is Mightier than the Sword: A Discussion with Bassem Youssef Pg. 13

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

Ann Carlson

Doggie Hamlet Dance with Sheep

Bassem Youssef

Satirical Superhero

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3 9:00 PM Sittin’ In Featuring Rare Essence Pg. 15

10 AM–10 PM  Commonwealth Plaza Install

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World Premiere American Premiere ■ @KimmelCenter #PIFA2018 ■ #ArtHappensHere

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MAY 31–JUN 10, 2018

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FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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2

SUNDAY 3

7:00 PM Water on Mars Pg. 5

11:00 AM Water on Mars Pg. 5

10:00 AM Doggie Hamlet Pg. 8

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

12:00 PM–12:00 AM Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: Part I Pg. 4

11:00 AM Water on Mars Pg. 5

2:00 PM Water on Mars Pg. 5

2:00 PM Inventive Mothers: A Tribute to Frank Zappa Pg. 6

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

2:00 PM Water on Mars Pg. 5

8:00 PM Inventive Mothers: A Tribute to Frank Zappa Pg. 6

3:00 PM My Organ My Seoul Pg. 7

Taylor Mac Extravaganza

6:00 PM Doggie Hamlet Pg. 8 8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

lation: TILT Lampshade Bouquets

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Pg. 15

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5:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

11:00 AM– 7:00 PM PIFA Street Fair Pg. 15

7:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12 7:30 PM Tape Riot Pg. 12

12:00 PM–12:00 AM Taylor Mac: A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: Part II Pg. 4

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

7:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12

8:00 PM The Planets: An HD Odyssey featuring the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia Pg. 14

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

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2:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12 6:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12

Asphalt Piloten

Tape Riot

Urban Dance Journey

8:00 PM Cristal Palace Pg. 3

10:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12

10:00 PM The Fever Pg. 12

Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia

The Planets: An HD Odyssey

STREB

SEA (Singular Extreme Actions) Daredevil Artistry

lation: TILT Lampshade Bouquets

Tickets and more information at:

Pg. 15

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

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Elizabeth Streb

“Danger and beauty hang in the air.”

SEA (SINGULAR EXTREME ACTIONS)

DAREDEVIL ARTISTRY

The New York Times

USA

From the mind of MacArthur “Genius” Award winner Elizabeth Streb, human bodies careen through, around, and above invented hardware, thrilling audiences with athleticism and a healthy dose of bravery.

Equal parts dance, acrobatics, gymnastics, and daredevil stunt work, SEA is a kaleidoscope of movement where every performer is dubbed an “action hero”.

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE VENUE

Perelman Theater Inside the Kimmel Center Photo: Ralph Alswang

SCHEDULE

JUN 5 JUN 6 JUN 7

7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM

Family-friendly 600 HIGHWAYMEN

THE FEVER

A CONVERGENCE OF EMPATHY

The New Yorker

USA

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE VENUE

SEI Innovation Studio Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 6 JUN 7 JUN 8 JUN 8 JUN 9 JUN 9 JUN 10 JUN 10

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7:00PM 7:00PM 7:00PM 10:00PM 7:00PM 10:00PM 2:00PM 6:00PM

Tickets and more information at:

“One of New York’s best nontraditional companies” In The Fever, Obie Awardwinning contemporary theater artists 600 HIGHWAYMEN test the limits of individual and collective responsibility and our willingness to be there for one another. Performed in intimate collaboration with the audience, this bold exemplification of human connection and disconnection looks at how we assemble, organize and care for the bodies around us. Who will you be when our eyes are on you? What will we see when we all look your way? Extremely limited capacity.

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

Asphalt Piloten

TAPE RIOT

URBAN DANCE JOURNEY

Switzerland

“Unpredictable and always in motion” Metropolis

See Philadelphia in a whole new way! Without the constraints of a theatrical performance structure, this hybrid performance art tour permits audience members freedom of movement throughout the city.

Starting at a Center City, Philadelphia, mystery location, audiences will experience morsels of artistry from an award-winning quartet of performers who combine electronic soundscapes, improvised dance, and graphics to create a dynamic performance that undulates through the City of Brotherly Love.

AMERICAN PREMIERE VENUE

Center City, Philadelphia Mystery locations to be revealed to ticket holders

SCHEDULE

JUN 5 JUN 5 JUN 6 JUN 6 JUN 7 JUN 7 JUN 8 JUN 8 

5:30 PM 7:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM 5:30 PM 7:30 PM

For Tape Riot’s full FAQ, visit kimmelcenter.org/pifa Family-friendly

This program is generously supported by The Knight Foundation.

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union

Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

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THE JOKE IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: A DISCUSSION WITH BASSEM YOUSSEF

“The Egyptian Jon Stewart” The Hollywood Reporter

SATIRICAL SUPERHERO

Egypt

Bassem Youssef created and hosted the first political satire show in the Middle East. He entertained 40 million viewers on TV, and he inspired his country with his hilarious and bold criticism of the ruling powers.

Accused of being “anti-Islam” and insulting the President of Egypt, Youssef was arrested and interrogated before being released on bail. In its final season, Youssef announced the show's termination due to overwhelming political pressures.

In his stage show, The Joke is Mightier than the Sword, Bassem shares his personal story and his thoughts on the political climate that led to the Arab Spring, its parallels to the current state of American politics, and how propaganda lays the foundation for dictatorial regimes.

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE VENUE

Verizon Hall Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 6

13

7:30 PM

Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

“Spinning through space, with help from NASA” The New York Times

THE PLANETS: AN HD ODYSSEY FILM EXPERIENCE FEATURING THE JAZZ ORCHESTRA OF PHILADELPHIA

USA

Experience modern space exploration through a stunning cinematic visual canvas as the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia performs Gustav Holst’s The Planets with a world premiere arrangement as this symphony is performed by a jazz orchestra for the first time. Journey to Mars, Mercury, and Saturn with a live jazz soundtrack. The film, The Planets: An HD Odyssey, was created by celebrated director/producer Duncan Copp in cooperation with NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory and originally produced by The Houston Symphony.

Artists  Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia Conducted by Terell Stafford  Opening Act: The Jazztet of the United States Army Field Band Arrangers  Todd Bashore (Mars & Mercury)  Joseph Block* (Venus)  Jack Saint Clair (Jupiter)  Mark Allen (Saturn & Uranus)  Nick Lambardelli (Neptune) *Joseph Block is a former student from the Kimmel Center’s own Creative Music Program.

WORLD PREMIERE VENUE

Verizon Hall Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 8

8:00 PM

Family-friendly Bandleader Terell Stafford

Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

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FREE @ PIFA ¡LA NOCHE CUBANA!

FEATURING ARIACNE TRUJILLO DURAND AND YUSA LOPEZ BRIDON

SITTIN’ IN:

FEATURING RARE ESSENCE EXPLOSIVE HIGH ENERGY DANCE THROW DOWN

USA

TILT

LAMPSHADE BOUQUETS PLAZA INSTALLATION

France

LATIN MUSIC DANCE PARTY

Cuba

VENUE

Commonwealth Plaza Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

JUN 4

VENUE

Commonwealth Plaza Inside the Kimmel Center

SCHEDULE

8:00 PM

JUN 6

¡La NOCHE Cubana! is supported by PNC Bank

9:00 PM

VENUE

Commonwealth Plaza Inside the Kimmel Center

Familyfriendly

SCHEDULE

DAILY, 10 AM–10 PM

Sittin' In is supported by Wells Fargo

STREET FAIR VENUE

Broad Street Chestnut St. to South St.

SCHEDULE

JUN 9 

11 AM–7 PM

Street Fair's full schedule to be announced at a later time.

Visit kimmelcenter.org/pifa for more information.

Family-friendly

PIFA Street fair is generously supported by Bimbo Bakeries USA and AARP Philadelphia.

PIFA’s highly-anticipated finale combines a fun-filled atmosphere with interactive elements. Throughout seven blocks of Broad Street, the PIFA Street Fair welcomes a wide variety of vendors, artisans, and exhibitors who fill the street while Philadelphians are captivated and entertained by local and international street performers, musicians, and family-friendly programming!

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Tickets and more information at:

KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

THE PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:*

City of Philadelphia Post Brothers

The Snider Foundation in honor of the late Edward Snider

Sponsorship opportunities exist! To learn more about PIFA Sponsorship, call 215-790-5289 16

We’ve put together the best contemporary ceramic art being made in the U.S. today.

The Clay Studio National PHILADELPHIA • MAY 26 – JULY 15

ClayTogether JOIN US AS WE BUILD A NEW CLAY CENTER, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE U.S. • THECLAYSTUDIO.ORG

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Spring 2018 Keith Smith at Home Through July 8

Modern Times: American Art 1910–1950 Opens Apr 18 Design in Revolution: A 1960s Odyssey Through Sept 9

Friday Nights. Live Music. Open Late.

For more information, including a list of generous donors and organizers, visit us online.

Book Number 296 (detail), December 2015, by Keith Smith (Courtesy of the artist); Pertaining to Yachts and Yachting (detail), 1922, by Charles Sheeler (Philadelphia Museum of Art: Bequest of Margaretta S. Hinchman, 1955-96-9); “Bob Dylan” Poster, 1966, designed by Milton Glaser (Gift of Collab: The Group for Modern and Contemporary Design at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2002-146-1)

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Additional ticket fees may apply. All programs, prices, and artists subject to change.

Groups of 10+ Save!

215-790-5883 groupsales@kimmelcenter.org

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts 300 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102

IN-PERSON BOX OFFICE Open Daily, 10 AM–6 PM

BY PHONE Open Daily, 9 AM–8 PM 215-893-1999

ONLINE KIMMELCENTER.ORG/PIFA

TICKETS

USA TODAY

CCenter for the Art of Performance Administrative Offices 1500 Walnut Street, 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102

“PIFA starts with a spark and ends with a party.”

“Award-winning work that defies categorization.”

50+ performances!

Music, dance, comedy, and gravity-defying spectacles!

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHILADELPHIA, PA PERMIT NO. 6095

11 DAYS OF GASP-INDUCING GOOSEBUMPS!