In high school, we were used to watching or performing in our usual squeaky-clean, chorus-line musicals. You know, your Grease, Guys and Dolls, Bye-Bye Birdie – all-American theater. But Harry S. Truman High School in Levittown Pa. is getting down and gritty with their current production of Rent.

This is the first time Jonathan Larson’s 1996 AIDS-centered musical has been performed by a high school.

This production has been only slightly edited for the grade-school audience. Same-sex couples Maureen and Joanne, and Angel and Collins still heat up the stage.

According to an article in the Inquirer, approximately 300 students auditioned for the 25 available roles in the musical.

EDIT: Larson died of an aortic aneurysm. Continue reading →

Jimmy Eat World energized a sold-out Electric Factory on Saturday night, but my experience began several hours ahead thanks to a radio 104.5 contest that allowed me and a handful of other people to watch JEW play a private mini-set.
“We’re going to play a few songs so you can see how boring it is for a band to warm up,” Jimmy Adkins greeted us as we funneled into an empty Electric Factory. They played “Big Casino” and a few others from their new album Chase This Light before mingling with us.

Remembering my obligation as journalist, I pondered for a witty question to ask Mr. Adkins, which is usually easy, but I knew practically nothing about Jimmy Eat World, except a quote by Adkins in an old Newsweek article about how his original name for the band was “Tarantula.” Why I could remember such an obscure detail from years ago instead of my Poli Sci material from last week is beyond me, but my brief conversation with Atkins went something like this.

Continue reading →

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Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul came to Independence Mall this Saturday afternoon to address supporters and veterans. After about an hour of introductory speeches, the Texas Congressman himself finally got up to speak. He spoke for a little over 45 minutes, covering everything from the war to returning to the gold standard. Check out the slideshow by Rachel Playe, above. Check out the story, here.