Nectar’s beautiful outdoor deck overlooks an Asian garden.
Photo courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Ardmore

Plate
www.platerestaurant.com
Ever since Reese (Witherspoon) decided to dine frequently at Plate last summer while filming her movie with Paul Rudd, Plate has enjoyed a very sweet flurry of activity. For those wishing a meal outdoors, Plate offers a full-service outdoor dining area that seats 75. Their chic cedar pergola and café tables and chairs allow diners to savor a good meal while basking in the beautiful weather. Afterwards, take in all the great shopping Suburban Square (Lilly Pulitzer, Blue Mercury, and Ann Taylor) has to offer.

Berwyn

Nectar
www.tastenectar.com
Chef Patrick Feury’s fantastic menu is enough reason to experience one of the Main Line’s most popular restaurants. Add to that a back patio-that is in high demand-with a serene Asian garden and you are good to go.

Tango’s outdoor deck is located just off the train tracks in Bryn Mawr.
Photo courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

Bryn Mawr

Tango
www.tastetango.com
Tango’s menu offers contemporary American cuisine in a comfortable setting, located just off the train tracks in Bryn Mawr. A large wrap-around patio comfortably seats guests under a shaded canopy or along a fun and fabulous Cantina Bar. Visit Tango’s happening deck bar for happy hours, for a bite to eat or dine out under the stars. Main Liners can watch the trains roll by as others are wading their way home from their hectic day.

Chesapeake City, Maryland

The Bayard House
www.bayardhouse.com
If you are looking for a bit of a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Main Line, hop in your car and head to Cecil County, Maryland. A little over an hour from Wayne, Chesapeake City’s Bayard House Restaurant offers romantic dining along the C&D Canal. Enjoy lunch or dinner on their front lawn with spectacular views of a serene waterfront. The Tournedos Baltimore will not disappoint.

Chesapeake City’s charm includes outdoor dining on the C&D canal at The Bayard House.
Photo courtesy of Jubilee Photography

Downingtown

Firecreek Restaurant
www.firecreek-restaurant.com
Firecreek Restaurant and Bar is located on the bank of the Brandywine River in the center of Downingtown, PA. Firecreek offers an expansive outdoor dining area, all with panoramic views of the Brandywine. The Historic Paper Mill structure is a paradigm of vernacular architecture. Firecreek Restaurant preserves the building’s historical integrity and pairs it with modern decor, to create an exciting and eclectic dining destination.

Gulph Mills

Bar Savona
www.barsavona.com
Last summer, Savona Restaurant reinvented its upscale, popular dining experience into Bar Savona ($30 and under) in what has turned out to be a terrific business decision in an unknown economy. Part of the introduction of the more casual menu was the sexy outdoor patio-which is hopping seven nights a week with some of the Main Line’s most beautiful people-and biggest movers and shakers. If you want to dine outside to be ‘seen’, Bar Savona is your place.

Malvern

McKenzie’s Brew Pub
www.mckenziebrewhouse.com
With locales in Malvern and Chadds Ford, McKenzie’s offers fantastic beer and two outdoor patios. The Chadds Ford locale, on Route 202 and just five minutes north of the Delaware state line, just opened their new outdoor deck this summer.

Media

Dining Under the Stars
www.visitmediapa.com
Media boasts a warm weather outdoor dining event well known and loved called Dining Under the Stars: ‘Stroll, Shop, Dine!” Every Wednesday night now through mid-September from 5pm to 10pm, State Street in Media, PA is closed to traffic to provide ample space for outdoor dining at Margaret Kuo’s, Azie on Main, Sligo’s on State and more. Don’t forget to grab your honey’s hand once dinner is wrapped up and shop Media’s fantastic retail scene. Live entertainment rounds off the experience!

Plymouth Meeting

Redstone Grill
www.redstonegrill.com
Right off 476, Redstone American Grill is one of the burbs’ hottest up and coming al fresco dining destinations. Main Liners are flocking to their outdoor patio year round thanks to a fire pit that will make you think you are closer to a Rocky Mountain High than a major suburban roadway.

Radnor

Susanna Foo’s Gourmet Kitchen
www.susannafoos.com
Foo’s two outdoor patios are serene and simple-and are ideal for a business party or rehearsal dinner. Chic torches offer the perfect touch when the sun goes down and the party heats up. Foo’s main patio seats about 60. An adjacent patio which connects with a private room (good for about 75) seats another 40.

Gullifty’s Gaarden
Photo courtesy of Courtney Apple Photography

333 Belrose
www.333Belrose.com
Available for private parties, Belrose’s elegant outdoor patio is ideal for baby and wedding showers, intimate family functions, rehearsal dinners and more. Chef Carlo DeMarco is considered one of the Main Line’s top chefs-and his seasonal cuisine never disappoints. Plus, it’s a hop, skip and jump from the Blue Route.

Rosemont

Gullifty’s
www.gulliftys.com
Gullifty’s Gaarden is one of the Main Line’s premier outside dining experiences. The Gaarden opened in July of 2004 and is truly a unique experience-with a fully functioning, self contained outside kitchen and bar. The menu is exclusive to outside customers and everything is prepared in an open kitchen behind the bar. The Gaarden seats 90 people and prices range from $8 to $22. This season Gullifty’s Gaarden, in cooperation with Lancaster fresh farms has introduced grass fed, pasture raised and grazed, and 100% organic beef burgers.

Wayne

Christopher’s
www.christophersaneighborhoodplace.com
Molly Todd and chef Chris Todd have a good thing going with Christopher’s right on restaurant row in the heart of downtown Wayne. Come spring and through the first week of October, Wayne restaurants open their sidewalks to their patrons-and Christopher’s is one of the great places to grab a bite al fresco. With six rotating draft beers and a friendly staff, almost any night there’s a good reason to choose Chris’s.

Great American Pub
www.greatamericanpub.com
Rare is a sunny afternoon or evening along the Main Line’s top dining scene (Wayne) that GAP’s outdoor seating area is not completely packed. Main Line singles, moms, shop owners and more make this the place to network and ‘be seen’ seven days a week. Thanks to a new fountain and growing greenery, diners experience a fun, more private ambience with just North Wayne Avenue traffic only a few feet away.

People’s Light and Theatre Company presents The Emperor’s New Clothes, through July 11, 2010. A world premiere production, with a script by Richard Hellesen, it is based on the children’s classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

People’s Light & Theatre Company presents The Emperor’s New Clothes, from June 16 – July 11, 2010, on the Main Stage. A world premiere production, with a script by Richard Hellesen, it is based on the children’s classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Abigail Adams directs.

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a slapstick, mad cap, puppet-romp version of the classic tale of an Emperor with a passion for fashion. In the Empire of Abalonia, the bratty new Royal demands a trendy new wardrobe. Enter two scamming rogues who are only too happy to help while trying to loot the royal treasury.

Artistic Director Abigail Adams says, “This script pays homage to the Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello—it is wacky and zany and we’ve assembled a very talented cast and artistic team to help tell this familiar tale in a fresh and funny way.”

People’s Light Mary Elizabeth Scallen plays the Policeman in the play and is a puppeteer. “This production is pulling from a lot of classic comedy traditions from the past and, combined with the puppets, it really offers a unique spin on a classic fairytale. Because it’s a slapstick comedy, the play is very fun and surprising. The characters in the play create a lot of mayhem-sort of like rambunctious kids getting in a lot of trouble so the kids will really love it. And the parents will appreciate the quirky tone of the Marx Brothers. The only person in the town who ‘sees the truth’ in the end is the youngest person in the play and there is a neat message in that,” explained Scallen.

The Emperor’s New Clothes, part of the TARGET Family Discovery Series, features Resident Company Members Kevin Bergen, Alda Cortese, Marcia Saunders, Mary Elizabeth Scallen and Tom Teti, who join guest artists Pete Pryor, Andrew Kane and Claire Inie-Richards, in addition to over 50 handmade puppets by Martina Plag. Before each show, children are invited to D.Y.O.B. (Decorate Your Own Boxers) for free. The crafts will begin one hour before each performance in the upstairs lobby. Go to www.peopleslight.org for details.

The play opened on Friday, June 18th at 7pm and runs through July 11th. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each performance to discuss the production. People’s Light & Theatre Company is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org. This project is supported in part by TARGET.

Single tickets start at $20 for youth and $29 for adults, with special discounts available for students and groups of 10 or more. 10am student group performances, discount meal packages, and talk-backs with the artists are also available. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900, ext. 134 or email group@peopleslight.org. Actors, prices, performances dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges may apply.

About People’s Light

People’s Light, a professional theatre founded in 1974 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration.

Click here to view a slideshow of the Ball on Facebook.

Download an invitation to the Black Tie and Boots Ball.

Carson Kressley, who starred in “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”, has ridden his gaited horses in the Saddlebred divisions at Devon for about twenty years. He will emcee the live auction at the ball again this year.

The fifth Black Tie and Boots Ball, featuring cocktails, dinner, dancing and a live auction, will be held Saturday, May 8 at Bryn Clovis, Brushwood Farm in Malvern. The Ball benefits the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Foundation, and limited tickets are available. Guest will spend a truly magical evening in a one of a kind setting. Enjoy cocktails and tasty nibbles under the centuries old oak trees overlooking the rolling paddocks at dusk. A buffet dinner, courtesy of Jimmy Duffy Catering, and dancing under a sparkling tent will follow.

For the second time, there will be a live auction with television star and long time Devon Saddlebred exhibitor Carson Kressley acting as emcee. Kressley, who starred in “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”, has ridden his gaited horses in the Saddlebred divisions at Devon for about 20 years.

There are some fabulous trips and tours going under the gavel. Some of the exciting prizes being offered this year are limousine transportation and a behind-the-scene tour of the Cartier Mansion in New York City; a trip to San Francisco with an insider tour of the Museum of Modern Art; a trip to Lexington to visit some of the famed stud farms; a tour of the Eagle Rare Bourbon distillery and a week in Boca Grande, Florida. The Ball features cocktails, dinner and dancing from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Enjoying last year’s Boots Ball at Bryn Clovis L to R: Nikki and Steve Maloney of Villanova; Claire Bailey Johnson of Wayne; Nicole Falcone of Newtown Square; and Steven and Liz Kania of Villanova

During the cocktail hour, the traditional Champion of the Year Award for service to the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Foundation will be given to one person from the Horse Show and one from the Country Fair. “The Black Tie and Boots Ball started because we were celebrating our 110th anniversary and wanted something special to acknowledge it. It’s quite a cultural event. We call it Black Tie and Boots because people love to come and sport creative cowboy boots,” explained Devon Country Fair co-chair Mimi Killian.

Bryn Clovis is the thoroughbred breeding farm owned by Betty Moran, who has campaigned such champion race horses as Belmont Stakes winner Crème Fraiche, Aintree Grand National winner Papillon and I’m Sweets. In 2004, Brushwood Stable bred Hard Spun, who, in the colors of Rick Porter of Wilmington, Delaware, went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby, third in the Preakness and fourth in the Belmont Stakes.

Only in its fifth year, BTBB (as many Devon supporters refer to it) has become one of the most highly anticipated late spring social events on the Main Line. The lead sponsor of this year’s event is once again Pepsi Bottling Group.

Kressley, who gained national fame with the popular BRAVO series, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and currently represents a clothing line on QVC, has been a Saddlebred competitor for more than twenty years. “I grew up in Pennsylvania, outside of Allentown and my grandparents were horse and pony breeders. It was always a dream of mine to show at Devon. And finally, when I was about 15 or 16 years old, we started showing. I show horses all over the country and world, including. Devon is not a horse show, it’s a lifestyle. It’s a great American tradition. And, I am very much vested in preserving it,” explained Kressley.

Stylish Devon supporters Michael and Jeanne Dechiario enjoy the backdrop of Bryn Clovis at last year’s Black Tie and Boots Ball.

Guests of BTBB are highly encouraged to incorporate boots into their black tie-optional attire-whether that is with a gentleman’s tuxedo and jeans or a formal ball gown-to play up the backdrop of Bryn Clovis. “Black Tie and Boots really opens itself up to being a whole lot of fun and not fussy, but a great celebration of the upcoming Horse Show,” added Ball Committee member Janet Heaton. “Fashion at the Devon Horse Show, and BTBB, is a key part of the culture and great celebration. People come out to celebrate, just like the Head of the Charles. It’s a great part of the tradition.”

Proceeds of the ball benefit the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit organization that’s funds the maintenance and improvement of the historic Devon Horse Show and Country Fair property. “The Devon Horse Show is one of the preeminent equestrian events in the United States,” explained President Wade McDevitt. McDevitt is actively involved in the fundraising efforts of Devon and the evolution of a show that is over one hundred years old. “We have to constantly challenge ourselves to keep the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair a world class event while honoring traditions that have been part of our history for over a century. The Black Tie and Boots Ball is not only an opportunity to celebrate Bryn Mawr Hospital and the fundraising efforts of the Devon Horse Show, but also to reinforce Devon as a preeminent equestrian event.”

Download an invitation to the Black Tie and Boots Ball.

The 114th Devon Horse Show and Country Fair runs May 27th through June 6th. It is one of the largest and most prestigious outdoor equestrian events in the country, proceeds benefit Bryn Mawr Hospital. For more information, call 610-688-2554 or visit devonhorseshow.org.

Claire Inie-Richards as Primrose and Nathaniel Brastow as David in Y York’s EGGS based on the acclaimed novel by Jerry Spinelli. “I think Primrose just wants to be a kid and she doesn’t want to take care of anyone else, let alone her mother. Then, along comes David and the winds of change are put into motion,” said Inie-Richards.

In EGGS, People’s Light and Theatre company’s rendition of the popular book by Jerry Spinelli, which is enjoying an extended run through Sunday May 31st, 9-year-old David and 13-year-old Primrose are both pretty unhappy with life at home. David is sent to live with his grandmother after the death of his mother, and Primrose’s mom is a fortuneteller who barely notices when Primrose moves into the van parked outside their house. Nathaniel Brastow plays the role of David. “He is very sad that his mother has died and confused. The reason he is so mean to his grandmother in EGGS is that he feels like he has to save this space in his heart for his mother and without that space, the hope of his mother coming back is gone,” explained Brastow.

Their unlikely friendship includes midnight trash picking and hanging out with Refrigerator John, the local refrigerator repairman. They set off on an unexpected journey that leads to self-discovery and new perspectives on friendship and family. Playwright Y York summed up the EGGS experience. “I think this is a play of complex characters and of life lessons on how fragile each person is as a human being. And, I don’t think you leave EGGS with all the answers. It’s one of those plays that will stick with you and keep offering a valuable experience after you walk out of the theater.”

EGGS has extended its run at Malvern’s People and Light Theatre through Sunday May 31st. Photography courtesy of Mark Garvin Photography markgarvinphoto.com

Director Mark Lutwak, York’s husband and part of the dynamic pair that have translated Spinelli’s novel so captivatingly to the stage, explained EGGS is about the fragility of human relationships. “What is moving me most about the play is this theme of care and universally caring about people. This is the matrix that we base our lives and when you break that, when there is a rupture in someone’s life like David and the untimely death of his mother, it has a ripple effect. EGGS demonstrates what happens when the care relationships are reversed, what happens when someone else steps up and cares because no one else is. And that is the thematic terrain for me with this play.”

An underlying theme of the play, explained York, is that there are more important things in life than what you own. “The only thing of value on the stage is the human beings. And, even if there were nice things in (David’s grandmother) Margaret’s house it would not matter because of the state the house has fallen into. And there is no love between David and his grandmother. There is false hope between the two characters with David and Primrose. They have to relinquish the biggest hope of their lives in order to have real hope because the hope they are holding onto is not possible-David to bring his mother back and for Primrose it’s for her mother to tell her the photograph of her father is not really her father,” explained Y.

Claire Inie-Richards, 17 and a Kimberton resident, portrays the role of Primrose, and is appearing in her fifth production at People’s Light. “Primrose is a total tomboy who is struggling with her relationship with her mother. Half her battle is that she wants her mom to grow up and Primrose just wants to be a kid and she wants her mother to grow up and be the adult. And Primrose’s mother has fabricated this bizarre story that Clark Gable is her daughter’s father. And, so this picture of Clark Gable, this old black and white picture, is this ticking time bomb where Primrose and her mom have to come to grips with the reality. It makes for an interesting relationship throughout the play,” explained Inie-Richards.

“What is moving me most about the play is this theme of care and universally caring about people. This is the matrix that we base our lives and when you break that…it has a ripple effect,” explained EGGS director Mark Lutwak.

Jerry Spinelli Goes One-on-One with AML Publisher Sarah Lockard as he discusses his inspiration for EGGS, childhood memories of Norristown and exciting details on his next two upcoming books.

AroundMainLine.com: Let’s start with where the premise for the book, EGGS, came from. It’s an interesting story of the complexities of human relationships—but, like we have discussed before with many of your literary inspiration, its roots lie in your childhood memories.

Jerry Spinelli: Yes, EGGS started simply from the annual Easter egg hunt as a child. I do remember it very clearly. All the kids in Norristown would line up along this windy road and there was this grassy hill that led into a forest of pine trees. After you ran down the bottom of the hill, there were eggs for the taking. The problem every Easter (for me) was that I’ve always been very indecisive, even as a young boy. So, I would end up standing there admiring the perfect pastel eggs, all looking very compelling, but unable to decide quickly which one I was going to grab first.

AML: Are you a Libra by any chance? Because I am and I’m very indecisive…

JS: Nope, Aquarius. So, I never did a good job of coming back with eggs because by the time I made up my mind, they were all scooped up!

AML: So you take that simple five second memory of an Easter egg hunt and it becomes a best-selling children’s book? How does that process really work? Because we all have those same memories but we are not translating them into gems of children’s lit.

Copyright 2007 by Hachette Book Group, Inc. Cover photos copyright by Corbis, MasterfileCover design: Gail Doobinin

JS: I guess the best way to explain it is that my imagination comes into play. I think back to how it was and the thought of as a young boy, moving further and further away from the hill and into the woods looking for more eggs. And, then as I am working through the concept of a book based around an annual childhood event, things come to mind. I came up with the idea that the young boy at the bottom of the hill moves further and further away from the hill and into the forest. And, he sees this pile of leaves and starts moving them around to look for eggs. And, instead, under the leaves he discovers a (dead) body of a pretty young girl in that forest, just a few feet from the pastel eggs everyone is scrambling to collect.

AML: So, if I can understand this–it starts with the great juxtaposition of something so horrible and dark on a day of new life and celebration and innocence?

JS: It’s a crude idea, I guess the contradiction appealed to me to begin with-and I take that and work on how I can define the premise into a full story. Of course, that’s only the first three pages and there are two hundred more to work with. That concept became a book called Who Cares, which I wrote fourteen years ago. It did not include the idea of a dead body, although to the main character she (the young girl) appears to be dead at the time. I sent it to my editor at the time and she had major problems with it. So, I started to work through fourteen typed-written pages from my editor on things she insisted I rework for Who Cares. That’s just a tremendous amount of edits-but I tried to be professional about it and conquered the first two pages…then let it sit for a month. I was getting so discouraged and I was really running out of stomach for it. So, I switched horses and started to go into a different direction with another book I had an idea with.

AML: So, you put Who Cares on the shelf and ran with another book?

JS: Yep, it started jiving after a week and before I knew it I had finished this book called Wringer–that same one you walked into this interview with.

[AML publisher Sarah Lockard brought a copy of Wringer, to the interview for Spinelli to autograph for a family friend. In 1998, Wringer was named a Newbery Honor book.]

AML: You are kidding, that’s so ironic. So, what happened to Who Cares?

JS: Fast forward about ten years after Wringer and my wife Eileen and I are traveling up to BEA [Book Expo America] in New York, the national convention, and Eileen asked me, ‘What ever happened with that book you were writing years ago that the editor did not like?’ And, neither of us, for the life of us, could remember what the name of it was. So, when we got back I looked all over for the manuscript and could not find it. Then, I found it in a pile of about 200 I had all the way at the bottom of a closet in my office. And, since Eileen is an author too, I gave it to her to read back over and she came back to me and said, ‘I really don’t understand what all the issues were that your former editor had with this book. I think it’s quite good.’

AML: And, so you ‘dusted off’ Who Cares and it became EGGS?

Brian Anthony Wilson as Refrigerator John and Claire Inie-Richards as Primrose in Y York’s EGGS

JS: In essence yes, we reworked it and that’s the story of EGGS. And the interesting thing is the cover does not have the name of the book on it, just the image. Just like Stargirl has the image of the young girl–those are my only two works where the name is not on the cover.

AML: And, so this stark symbolism of the egg carton is very interesting.

JS: Parenting is a huge issue in the book, with both David and Primrose being, to the extent, half orphans with one missing a father and the other a mother. And that’s where Refrigerator John steps in to foster both of these children because they have this fragility, much like an egg.

AML: What I have deduced from your books and your career is that you always have drawn from your childhood, from your memories in Norristown. Those seem to shape your characters and stories.

JS: I’ve given workshops at writers’ conferences called ‘Mining Your Memory.’ We all have these shared life experiences-but we have all interacted with the world in our own individual way.

AML: What is your next book that the millions of Jerry Spinelli fans across the country, across the world, can look forward to?

JS: Hokey Pokey.

AML: Ok, that is the name of the book? So, I’ll take the ‘scoop’ …

JS: Yes, When I was a young boy in the ’50s there was this man in Norristown called the Hokey Pokey man. This predates what we now call water ice. He was from Italy and he would push this white cart with two handles and big wooden wheels up and down the streets of Norristown. He had this huge block of ice that he would scrape with a big metal scraper, dump it out into a paper cone and drizzle with one of his container of syrupy flavors. He had it down pat and he knew what time the kids were getting out of what schools, and there he would be.

So, the Hokey Pokey man became absolutely iconic in Norristown. If you go to Norristown now and ask people who have lived there all their lives, their eyes will glaze over. At the time he was just part of the scene, you did not give him much thought. But, forty, fifty years later there is a treasured memory and a signature memory that represented that time and place in a way few other things could. And now that is gone forever, along with the Hokey Pokey man himself.

AML: Forever.

JS: Yes, forever and ever. There will never ever be another Hokey Pokey Man.

AML: So, it’s called Hokey Pokey…

JS: Yes and a man with a cart will make an appearance. It’s not finished, working on it with Harper Collins.

AML: And that’s your next book?

JS: That is the next work of fiction; I have a book coming out with Eileen this fall. It’s our first collaboration together. It’s called Today I Will.

AML: Cool, what is the premise?

JS: It’s a book of inspirational thoughts, every day there is a little note to read to treasure and inspire someone.

AML: That’s great. I so needed that by my bedside this morning. It’s sometimes just those one or two sentences that can lift you, an affirmation…or motivate someone or point an individual in the right direction. I so believe in the power of positive and intentional, goal-oriented thinking. It has a way of creating its own results, successes.

JS: I’m very much looking forward to it. It was Eileen’s idea and I guess to round this out, if I hadn’t listened to my wife that one morning on the way to New York we wouldn’t be here talking about EGGS, there would be no EGGS. Eighty-percent of my ideas come from Eileen.

AML: That’s a nice way to end this interview. I’m sure your fans across the Philadelphia region and the country will very much enjoy reading this, especially the children. And, as always, I feel so fortunate to have this time to learn more about your work and get to know you better. It’s very generous of you and a distinct pleasure, thank you!

JS: You are most welcome.

QUICK FACTS

WHAT: EGGS by Y York, based on the novel by Jerry Spinelli

WHEN: April 23 – May 31, 2009 on the Steinbright Stage
Because of the success of the play, EGGS has been extended a week from its original schedule.

WHERE: People’s Light & Theatre Company 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355

PRICES: Adult tickets are $29 and youth tickets are $20, with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more.

GROUPS: Meal and ticket packages available for groups of 10 or more at Places! Bistro, our on-site restaurant. Call Adria Charles for more information at 610.647.1900, ext. 134 or email group@peopleslight.org.

CONTACT: For tickets or information call the Box Office at 610.644.3500 or visit www.peopleslight.org

“I am really surprised about how cool the beer scene is in the ‘burbs, it blows me away,” enthused Tom Peters, co-founder of Philly Beer Week. Pictured: Bartender Steve Keenan of The Oakmont Pub, Havertown

On this morning of the eve of what has become America’s largest beer festival, there is a feeling of the calm before the storm. A storm that entails a tsunami of suds that is steering its way to the Philadelphia and Main Line region. Philly Beer Week 2009, in only its second year, is just shy of 700 individual events spread throughout its ten day gargantuan celebration of the region’s, the nation’s and the world’s best beer. PBW 2009 will kickoff with an amazing celebration at The Comcast Center lobby and Winter Garden tonight—and be followed by a flurry of fun for anyone and everyone who loves lager. From food and beer pairings, to a 5k Sunday run, beer brunches and lunches, lumberjack contests, a refined ‘Meet the Brewer’ cocktail party at The Four Seasons’ Swann Lounge and more, PBW offers something for everyone. With almost 70 events a day to choose from, it’s a most dizzying selection for any beer lover near or far.

Where did this smorgasbord of suds suddenly arise from? The three founding fathers of Philly Beer Week, who are now heralded for their ingenious idea across the city of Brotherly Love, are Tom Peters, owner of Philly’s Monk’s Café which is considered one of the greatest Belgian taverns in the country, Don Russell (best known as Daily News columnist Joe Sixpack) and Bruce Nichols, President of the Penn Museum Catering Company. In 2007, the three compatriots had just finished a very successful annual beer weekend with internationally-renowned beer aficionado Michael Jackson at the Penn Museum. The trio took note that a city-wide event called The Book and The Cook, an annual foodie festival and fair, had seen waning interest.

Philly Beer Week will bring a nation of beer lovers, and international industry experts, together to toast a love of lagers. Main Liners can experience America’s biggest beer festival right in their own backyard as dozens of events are planned in the suburban region.

Jackson, known in the industry as The Beer Hunter and now deceased, had presided over the beer dinner and weekend organized by Nichols for seventeen years. With a strong following of beer enthusiasts (who had participated in the Jackson event) established and a beer-drinking city primed for a new, exciting annual celebration, the three friends saw a window of opportunity. Thus, the inauguaral Philly Beer Week 2008 drew over 15,000 participants and boasted no less than 100 events over the 10-day city-wide celebration.

One of the area’s of greatest expansion, besides a beer gut or ‘Milwaukee tumor’ as they call them south of the Mason Dixon line, is the increased participation from the Main Line and suburban bars. “This year the suburbs have really stepped up! It’s amazing how many people are participating and the range of events totally blows me away. It’s now not just a city event. The surrounding region is fully participating and I could not be more pleased,” said Tom Peters. “Some of the restaurants, like Wayne’s Teresa’s Next Door, participated in our inaugural event last year. And, I think many of them thought it was more Center City centric. But Teresa’s, TJ’s Everyday (Paoli) and Capone’s (in Norristown) sold out every single one of their events in ’08 so that’s when we (and our participating restaurants) realized it was going to evolve into a more regional event the second time around,” explained Peters.

Philly Beer Week cofounders Don Russell (far right) and Tom Peters (second from right) with the staff of Gullifty’s in Rosemont. AroundMainLine.com is hosting one of the eight PBW events at the restaurant: Beer and Pizza Bites Night Thursday March 12th from 7-9pm.

Matt Guyer, of Wayne’s popular beer distributor The Beer Yard, echoed Peters’ sentiments. “It is amazing how big this has gotten in just one year. Last year, it was bigger than they thought it would be and this year it is just going to be insane! Hopefully, PBW ‘09 will get people to try new places and their old favorites. A big goal of Beer Week is to bring people in town—it’s a nice opportunity to bring friends into Philly or to visit in the burbs and show them around. I think it will get people to try new places and go back to their favorite neighborhood haunts,” said Guyer.

With a seamless and sensationally successful first event in ’08, this fall at the fifth annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver (which boasted 46,000 attendees), Philly Beer Week was all the buzz. “When we got out to Denver, it had really sunk in. People were talking and asking us how we did it the first time around,” Nichols said. The Denver festival is a weekend event confined to the Denver Convention Center and it’s the biggest judged beer festival in the world. Russell explained that the concept behind Philly Beer Week was to capture the culture of a region– from the city to the suburbs and everywhere in between. “What made PBW so unique (the first time around) is that it celebrated the tavern culture in Philadelphia and the suburbs. For the first time, people were realizing just how many places you can go in the city and just outside Philly to get a beer. I wrote a book about this last year (Joe Sixpack’s Philly Beer Guide: A Reporter’s Notes on the Best Beer-Drinking City in America , Camino, 2007), and I managed to put together a list of over 400 locations in this area that lend themselves to a sensational bar scene. Philadelphia is Belgium USA, we have world-class Belgian bars here right in the city—bars that would be right at home in Brugge or Antwerp or Brussels,” enthused Russell.

Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne is one of the great spots Main Liners can party responsibly with Septa’s Sip Safely campaign, a new initiative with PBW 2009. If Teresa patrons show their Septa tickets, they will qualify for special discounts during the ten day celebration. Pictured here third from left and in orange: Suzanne Woods (beerlass.com) with her In Pursuit of Ale Club.

PBW 2009 promises to bring tens of thousands to the city and surrounding region within the next ten days. As for Main Liners and suburbanites, with the new campaign SEPTA Sips Safely, many can stay right in their neighborhoods and travel safely along the R5 to have a fulfilling and fun Philly Beer Week in the burbs. Gullifty’s in Rosemont is hosting eight PBW events and has creatively taken the idea of March Madness and developed a ‘Beer Menu Madness’ where patrons get to vote on their favorite beer (via their pocketbook) and the best selling brews advance to the next round or bracket. “I do think you can spend a week looking at all the events trying to decide where to go! Teresa’s Next Door and The Flying Pig are doing great events and many others. I think the SEPTA sips safely pass not only is a good, responsibility promotion for the suburbs, but it will also encourage those in Center City to hop on the train and check out what the suburbs have to offer. And, there is plenty going on in and around the Main Line region. I am really surprised about how cool the beer scene is in the burbs, it blows me away,” said Peters.

While a few local restaurants participated last year, that number has skyrocketed as younger chefs have become intrigued with beer and food pairings, Nichols explained. And, now that PBW has a cult following and a vested interest in becoming known as a regional event, the suburbs are an integral part of a successful second run. “The breweries know they have a strong following in the suburbs and its awesome branding for them to be at a local corner bar with the brewery owner themselves meeting and greeting patrons who love their beer. That’s got a great, positive feel for everyone. And, there are seven other cities across America trying to duplicate what we have going on here. So, as they say, ‘imitation is the best form of flattery,’” said Russell. As for a nation, and now a founding city, psyched about a booming beer culture…Peters offered his take. “The beer world is so different than the wine world. There is a great camaraderie in this industry and a lack of competition. If any brewery has a problem, another brewer will pitch in and help out without asking for anything in return, I think that is why there is a communal friendship in this industry. And, its one reason why this culture thrives. When the river rises, we all go up with it!”

Philly Beer Week Highlights for Main Line and Philadelphia Suburban Restaurants (listed in alphabetical order)

Boathouse Restaurant, Conshohocken & Wayne

Conshohocken location, Saturday March 7th 1pm-5pm
Victory Brewing Company’s Conshohocken Mini-Bar Crawl
Bring your friends to one of Conshy’s great neighborhood bars for an afternoon mini-crawl as Wild Devil will be flowing all day long.

Conshohocken location, Friday March 13th 5pm-7pm
Sierra Nevada Happy Hour
Featuring Sierra’s Imperial Smoked Porter, ESB, and Pale Ale—plus word on the street something even fresher may be served. Can someone say Stout Cask?

Wayne location, Monday March 9th 7:30pm
Meet The Brewery Rep, Anchor Steam
Former Phillies announcer Andy Musser brings in his Anchor Steam Small Batch to hook up at the Boathouse’s newest locale in downtown Wayne! Musser is the man if you have anything baseball (or beer) related to chat about.

Capone’s, Norristown

Sunday, March 8th 10:30 am
Meet the Brewer for Brunch: Patrick Rue of The Bruery
Start your first Sunday of PBW 2009 off right with one of the newest Belgian-style American brewers, Patrick Rue. Rue will have on hand some of his finest craft creations.

Saturday, March 14th 11:00 am
Meet the Brewer: Rob Tod of Allagash
Come meet Rob Tod at Capone’s as you head down the homestretch of your best Beer Week excursions. Tod will be featuring many of his award-winning beers on draft, including lots of Belgian-styles and some aged beers soured with Brettanomyces yeast.

Flying Pig Saloon, Malvern

Wednesday, March 11th 7-9pm
Meet the Brewery Owner: Bruce Pia of Erie Brewing Company
AroundMainLine.com is sponsoring the great Erie Brewing Company, makers of some of Pennsylvania’s best craft beers, as Bruce Pia and Erie Sales Manager Jim Hicks hang at ‘The Pig.’ Attendees will have a chance to spin a prize wheel and walk away with free Erie t-shirts and six-packs of some of their finest brews.

General Lafayette Inn, Lafayette Hill

Monday, March 9th, 7pm
General Lafayette Inn/Green Flash Beer Dinner $69 per person
Enjoy a six-course beer dinner with Brewmasters Chris Leonard of General Lafayette Inn and Chuck Silva of Green Flash in a clash of coasts and brewing styles. A six-course comfort food cuisine will be served. Silva and Leonard are old acquaintances as Silva served as Leonard’s apprentice at a San Diego brewpub. Both are graduates of The American Brewers Guild, located outside of Sacramento.

Gullifty’s Pizza Grille & Bar, Rosemont

Monday, March 9th
Meet the Brewers
7-9pm, Weyerbacher : With 27 beers, and counting, Weyerbacher Brewery (Easton, PA) has poured their passion into their beers. Come out and let them stoke (or incite) your passions!
9-11pm, Victory: We’ll hear from one of the multiple-award-winning Victory’s representatives and have an opportunity to find out why they have experienced so many victories in the beer world. Wednesday,

Wednesday, March 11th 7pm
Meet and Greet With Joe Sixpack
Meet the real Joe Sixpack, Daily News columnist, beer author and aficionado Don Russell who will be on hand to chat it up with Gullifty’s great patrons and beer lovers. Enjoy a few of Russell’s favorite hops and take home an autographed book with you!

Thursday, March 12th 7pm
AroundMainLine.com Beer And Pizza Bites Night
AroundMainLine.com will host a great night of complimentary brick-oven pizza appetizers paired with Gullifty’s great selection of craft brews—at one of the Main Line’s staple neighborhood restaurants.

Oakmont National Pub, Havertown

Friday, March 6th 7pm
Cheese, Chocolates & Craft Beer
Enjoy complimentary Cabot cheeses and chocolates served with Sam Adams Double Bock on draft at The Oakmont and tastings of Imperial White and Stout with free glassware!

Saturday, March 7th 7pm
All Aboard At The Oakmont!
AroundMainLine.com is hosting a highly anticipated Saturday night event at the Oakmont, as Erie Brewing Company brings their award-winning Scottish Ale, Railbender Ale to Havertown. The party and giveaways start at 7pm sharp tomorrow night followed by fantastic live music and great food and company—all at The Oakmont!

Phoenixville Bar Crawl

Saturday, March 14th 1pm-5pm
Details Courtesy of MainStreetPhoenixville.com

Main Street Phoenixville has gathered their restaurants and bars together for a one-day Pub Crawl/Meet the Brewer event to be held on Saturday, March 14th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will give beer-lovers a chance to both sample the latest and greatest brews and meet their creators, all while getting a taste for Phoenixville’s beer scene. Among the brewers participating in the day’s events will be famed Guinness brew master Fergal Murray as well as Weyerbacher’s Chris Lampe, Flying Fish’s Drew Perry and Southampton’s Spencer Niebuhr.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant (130 E. Bridge Street): “HEAVY MEDALS.”Throughout the day, Iron Hill will offer all six of their 2008 Great American Beer Festival medal winning brews. Come by and taste the beers and meet the brewers who created them.

Sly Fox Brewhouse & Eatery (519 Kimberton Road): “Meet the Brewer,” with Sly Fox Brewmaster Brian O’Reilly and Standard Tap owner and former brewer William Reed. The pair will be featuring their collaboration beer-Standard Ale, a 5.6% cask-conditioned brew.

Columbia Bar & Grille (148 E. Bridge Street): “Meet the Brewer,” featuring Lancaster Brewing Company’s, Bill Moore.

101 Bridge ( 101 Bridge Street ): “Meet the Brewer,” featuring Stoudt’s Brewing Company.

Molly Maguire’s Irish Restaurant (195 Bridge Street): “Meet the Brewer,” featuring Guinness and Victory. Pay as you go with Guinness brew master Fergal Murray – 1 p.m-3 p.m. and Victory Brewing Company’s, Bill Covaleski 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

Pickering Creek Inn (37 Bridge Street): “Meet the Brewer,” with Weyerbacher Brewing Company’s Chris Lampe. The Inn’s event will also feature Southampton Brewery’s Spencer Neibuhr.

PJ Ryan’s (231 Bridge Street): “Meet the Brewer,” with Flying Fish Brewing Company’s Drew Perry. Troegs Brewing Company will also be featured.

Epicurean Restaurant & Bar (902 Kimberton Road): “Meet the Brewer,” featuring Yard’s Brewing Company and Dogfish Head Brewery.

Teresa’s Next Door, Wayne

Friday, March 6th 7pm
Meet the Brewer Curt Cameron of Thomas Hooker
A keg of 2007 Old Marley Barleywine has been hiding in Teresa’s cellars for just this event! Thomas Hooker Liberator and Imperial Porter on draft as well for all to enjoy.

Saturday, March 7th Noon
Basement Blowout!
Teresa’s is bringing up some of their favorite cellared gems to share with the lucky crowd who can get in—starting at noon sharp. Many rare, vintage beers will be on hand to purchase and treasure.

Tuesday, March 10th 12:30pm
Luncheon with Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewery
Enjoy a five-course lunch paired with some of Sam’s most sought-after, strange and off-the-wall beers. Expect this event to sell out!

Friday, March 13th 7pm
Second Annual Chimay Night with Bobo
Another night with Bobo, the best personality in the business! Enjoy all three Chimay beers paired with some of Philadelphia’s most fantastic Belgian cuisine.

TJ Drinkery’s, Paoli

Monday, March 9th 7pm-9pm
Meet the Brewers Night-Suburbs

This is the night that PBW and the suburban bar owners deemed “Meet the Brewers Night – Suburbs”. TJ’s is hosting the brewer from Brewery Ommegang out of New York. (Ommegang is under the same corporate umbrella as D’Achouffe and Duvel.) TJ’s will be featuring some fantastic D’Achouffe products as well as the premiere of Duvel Green on draft–Duvel Green is the single fermented version of the popular Duvel “original.”

Grab your friends and celebrate safely with SEPTA’s affordable and responsible Philly Beer Week promotion. Pictured: The beer lovers from In Pursuit of Ale (www.beerlass.com)

Beer will be flowing and the ’burbs and city bars will be bustling as the highly anticipated second annual Philly Beer Week 2009 kicks off Friday, March 6th. And this year, nearing close to 500 events across the region, PBW ’09 is going to the rails—the SEPTA rails! PBW has announced an exciting collaboration with SEPTA entitled: Sip Safely with SEPTA. The Sip Safely campaign offers an unlimited, all-day, bus-trolley-rail pass for $9.00, and is valid any one day during the ten-day beer week celebration March 6th through March 15th. This pass is to encourage PBW participants to travel safely, rather than driving from event to event.

The second annual Philly Beer Week runs March 6th through March 15th. Want to know where to grab a cold one in the 'burbs and downtown? Stay tuned to AML for a complete PBW breakdown of the hottest events…coming soon!

Matt Guyer, owner of Wayne’s popular beer distributor The Beer Yard, Main Line brew aficionado and good friend of AML, acknowledged the importance of this initiative. “The Sip Safely Campaign is just awesome! To me, it’s one of the greatest things that could have evolved from the first event. I think that it will actually bring a lot of people out from Philly. So for nine dollars, you can head out and stop at Gullifty’s in Rosemont, then Teresa’s and Boathouse on Restaurant Row in Wayne, and easily hop on the R5 headed west to TJ’s Drinkery and The Flying Pig all in one pass. And, even if you live in Berwyn, it’s a good reason to have fun in your neighborhood safely. It is a smart idea that will reacquaint people with SEPTA and I am sure SEPTA will be happy with that,” said Guyer. The pass is valid for unlimited rides, all day long, until the end of service, and will feature a festive, specially designed PBW 2009 logo to signify SEPTA’s partnership with Philly Beer Week and their unified commitment to the safety of participants.

Tom Peters, owner of Monk’s Café and co-founder of Philly Beer Week, said the campaign is a great way to encourage more participants across the region. “I do think you can spend a week looking at all the events trying to decide where to go! And now this year, once you have made that decision, you can affordably hop on the train and go! When I look at the Main Line and what is happening for PBW, Teresa’s Next Door and The Flying Pig are doing great events. I think the SEPTA Sips Safely pass not only is a good, responsible promotion for the suburbs, but it will also encourage those in Center City to hop on the train and check out what the suburbs have to offer. And, there is plenty going on in and around the Main Line–I am really surprised about how cool the beer scene is becoming in the burbs, it blows me away. And, Philly Beer Week will certainly showcase that with the help of SEPTA in a fun, safe way,” said Peters.

The Flying Pig Saloon on King Street in Malvern will be offering discounts during Philly Week for patrons who present their Septa tickets.
Photo Courtesy of Kevin E. McPherson

Sip Safely with Septa passes are not valid on Regional Rail Trains arriving in Center City before 9:30 AM and are not valid for travel to or from stations in the State of New Jersey. Philly Beer Week 2009 (www.phillybeerweek.org) is the second annual celebration of Philadelphia’s dynamic and diverse brewing culture. More than 10,000 attendees are expected to attend the over 400 events, tastings, tours and educational seminars on all things beer and brewing. National and international brewing celebrities will attend, as well, bringing with them their incredible depth of knowledge and of course, kegs and casks of their esteemed lagers and ales.

For a complete list of sales locations, or to purchase a pass online, please visit www.phillybeerweek.org and click on travel.

For SEPTA travel information, please visit www.septa.org or call 215.580.7800.

Need assistance planning your Philly Beer Week schedule in the ‘burbs, city and surrounding region? For a comprehensive listing of the most highly anticipated events, stay tuned to AroundMainLine.com’s own PBW 2009 preview. Next week we will offer you a comprehensive look at whats to come, where to go and whose pouring at the best bars around town. We’ve consulted with the experts to identify the coolest spots in the Main Line region and in the city. And, we will be helping to guide the thousands of beer lovers visiting the area to the best Philadelphia Beer Week 2009 has to offer. Beer lovers…stay tuned!

Kim Carson and Christopher Patrick Mullen star in People’s Light and Theatre Company’s CINDERELLA

Malvern’s People’s Light and Theatre delivers another entertaining and unpredictable holiday performance with this year’s production of Cinderella. The American classic, by Kathryn Petersen, is being produced in the English tradition of Pantomime, a theatrical approach that dates back over 100 years. Pantomimes almost always take place around the holiday season and are usually based around traditional children’s fairytales and stories. This is People’s Light and Theatre’s fifth consecutive holiday ‘Panto’ style show.

Director Pete Pryor, a veteran of two previous People’s Light and Theatre holiday performances (Treasure Island ’07 and Sleeping Beauty ’04), makes his PL&T directorial debut with Cinderella. “We are doing a pantos for the holidays, which People’s Light has done very successfully for each of the last five or six years. A pantomime takes a story that is very well-known and skewers it, turning it on its’ ear and making it into a fractured fairytale. Things are very silly, things are anachronistic and things are not what you expect to happen,” Pryor explained. “It very loosely adheres with some plot line but the main idea is that it is a time to have fun. So, you go to the theater with the family, and you just have a lot of fun with the music, topical references and twists and turns.”

Audience participation and a dame, who is the MC of the play and the audience’s guide, help to engage the audience from the start in an unpredictable and interactive experience. Children love that they get to boo the villains and argue with or cheer on the characters.

Pillow Fight!
A Panto is a comical interpretation of a popular fairytale that encourages audience participation and promises unpredictable twists and turns.

Kim Carson stars as Cinderella and says director Kathryn Petersen took life lessons from the American classic and brought them to the forefront in this version. “Kathryn has written just a fantastic script. It’s a little bit more about figuring out what you want in life and going for it! One of my favorite lines in the play is ’Being good isn’t about being a doormat and trying to please everybody all the time. Being good means bringing yourself to the party.’” Carson said. “In the older versions of Cinderella, the fairy godmother has control of everything that is happening and it is all because of her magical powers that things happen. In this version, Cinderella has a say, and so does the fairy godtree and the animals as well. So, it’s more of a modern interpretation.”

Chris P. Mullen stars as the prince’s valet. “My character is the trusted valet and in the play he actually makes a bet with the prince that he could find his girl if he switches roles with him. And, so the valet pretends to be the prince at the ball so there is a bit of an identity-switch going on with the prince and myself which makes for an interesting scenario,” Mullen explained.

A stellar cast will wow family and friends alike.
(Clockwise from left) Chris Faith as Big Gus, Andrew Kane as Tom Cat, Elena Bossler as Sudsy Squirrel, and Maggie Fitzgerald as Flea in Kathryn Petersen's CINDERELLA: A MUSICAL PANTO, with music and lyrics by Michael Ogborn.

Mullen, 45, a Malvern native and Great Valley grad, loves to perform for his hometown crowd — he has performed in dozens of productions at the theater over the years. He enjoys the pantos approach and the uniqueness of each and every performance. “It can be a righteous amount of fun because there is a keen awareness of the audience. It is not a wink to the audience, as much as it is a complete integration of the audience at every single moment. To the point where us, as actors, get a response from the audience in places you would never imagine. It’s unpredictable and just a lot of fun,” Mullen added.

Some regular Panto cast members return this year in key roles. Erin Weaver and company member Susan McKey are the evil stepsisters, Tom Teti plays the father, and Mark Lazar is the “Grand Dame/MC” in the role of the fairy godmother. Michael Ogborn returns as composer and lyricist and has written nine original songs. Whatever performance you choose, director Pryor promises a fantastic family experience. “It is going to be a total hoot; the play will be fantastic for everyone who comes to enjoy it. The music is incredible and all the people who come to the show will have a unique and memorable experience,” enthused Pryor.

Other pantomimes successfully produced by People’s Light and Theater include Sleeping Beauty, Robin Hood, and Treasure Island.

People’s Light & Theatre Company presents CINDERELLA, by Kathryn Petersen, with music and lyrics written by Michael Ogborn, from November 19, 2008 – January 4, 2009 on the Main Stage. Pete Pryor directs. People’s Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern. Tickets are $29-$48, with special discounts available for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit www.peopleslight.org.