Just Us Girls
Some 200 local little ladies hit the runway March 6-7 at the Desmond Hotel for the eighth annual American Girl Fashion Show, modeling the clothes and hairstyles from the beloved book series with dolls in hand. Hosted by Wayne’s Saturday Club, the event also features a doll salon, free lunch, favors and raffle prizes. Proceeds benefit the Saturday Club’s Children’s Fund and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. $45. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 1 Liberty Blvd., Malvern. Call (610) 687-9975 or visit saturdayclub.org. —Katie Doud
Hear (and See) Them Roar
When Disney’s The Lion King hit movie theaters in 1994, it was an instant classic. Sixteen years later, the Academy of Music hosts the well-traveled stage adaptation of this adventure-packed coming-of-age tale March 23-April 24. Large-than-life shadows, fiery orange backdrops, starry nights, sculpted animal headpieces, and elaborate puppet versions of the film’s unforgettable characters set the scene for a compelling plot that moves effortlessly from the doldrums of Simba’s self-exile to the heroic resurgence of the mighty felines. The award-winning score includes both new works and well-known favorites by Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, interspersed with Hans Zimmer’s reflective instrumentals. $23 and up. Broad and Locust streets, Philadelphia. Call (215) 731-3333 or visit kimmelcenter.org. —Shannon Hallamyer
Birthday Bash
Proud to claim Samuel Barber as an alum, the Curtis Institute of Music joins local arts groups in celebrating his 100th birthday with a full slate of events, many of them in the late composer’s hometown of West Chester. Among the highlights: a March 6 piano recital by Immaculata University’s Stephen Campitelli and a March 7 performance by the Curtis Institute of Music Ensemble, both at West Chester’s First Presbyterian Church; the Curtis Contemporary Music Ensemble’s interpretation of an unfinished violin sonata at Field Concert Hall in Center City on March 9 (Barber’s actual birthday); and Curtis on Tour’s rendition of Barber’s String Quartet, Op. 11, at Longwood Gardens on March 13. For more on these and other Barber events, visit firstpreswc.com, curtis.edu, chestercohistorical.org and longwoodgardens.org. —K.D.
