The City of Philadelphia is certainly not lacking in creativity, even after a year of quarantining amidst a pandemic. In fact, the city’s theatre community has found very unique ways to still produce and inspire others to continue to find ingenious resources to spark Philly’s artistic culture. 11th Hour Theatre Company is one of those organizations, and even before COVID-19, the company was dedicated to producing musicals, all the time, and especially in intimate settings. This spring is going to be no different.
According to a release, starting March 20, 11th Hour is offering a spring extension of their virtual membership consisting of three Quarantine Cabarets featuring extraordinary singing duos. These evenings will be filled with stories and songs performed by some of Philadelphia’s most entertaining stars. All events begin at 7:30 p.m., and will be available to stream at your leisure for up to two weeks after the original air date.
First up on March 20 are Rob Tucker and Billy Bustamante, and this duo of longtime friends and University of the Arts graduates will be presenting an evening of music as an ode to some of the greatest Broadway ballads out there, which is right up their alley. The dynamic duo has plenty of experience in the spotlight with Tucker having credits on the stage not just regionally, but also throughout the country and Bustamante as a co-founder of Broadway Barkada, a Filipino cultural organization.
The second performance will be premiering in April and will feature Elena Camp and Rajeer Alford, who both have credits at 11th Hour themselves. Camp was in ‘Company’, ‘Urinetown’, and ‘Broadcast’, and even Assistant Directed ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ while Alford was last seen as Mitch Mahoney in ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’. The real-life couple’s show on April 24 will feature moving duets, unique interpretations of classical musical theatre pieces and more.
Lastly, performers Amanda Jill Robinson and Jenna Pinchbeck are bringing you an evening of laughs as their hilarious alter egos: Ruth & Estelle on May 22. Who are they? The official description for their alternate egos reads: On a winter night in 2014, while rehearsing for a holiday cabaret, Amanda Jill Robinson and Jenna Pinchbeck started playing around as two spunky, big-hearted, open-minded broads with a love of cocktails, bagels, and rock n’ roll. They never could have imagined that six years later, these women would not only teach and entertain, but become their method for putting something positive into the world. Whether they’re performing at events, teaching their Masta Class, or hosting their podcast, “Learning Through Laughter”, they are dedicated to creating engaging, joy-filled, inclusive experiences through bold storytelling, humor and heart.
For the show premiering in May, these spunky, big-hearted, cocktail-loving broads will treat you to their “Summer Playlist” that got them through the trials and tribulations of 2020.
Memberships for 11th Hour are $50 and include access to all three events, while individual tickets are also available for each event separately for $20 per household. Tickets can be purchase online at 11thhourtheatrecompany.org/shows/virtual-membership or by phone at 267-987-9865.
