This week I headed down into Philly for the opening night of the amazing musical EVITA at the Academy of  Music, in town now through this Sunday. An actress portraying Eva Peron stood on the balcony and welcomed us all before we headed inside for VIP treatment with several of our friends. Tango dancers strutted their fancy movies on the sidewalk below Eva for a fun and festive start to opening night.

Below I am here with two wonderful blogging friends, Jo-Lynne, who came into the city with me, and Julie. The show was amazing and a interesting look at Eva’s life and death and the history of the country at the time. The show did end on a strange note (a tidbit of Eva’s history) that I won’t spoil in my comments here but it did send us to our smartphones on the way home to look up what happened to her body after death. I love shows and movies that both entertain and educate and this one definitely fit that requirement. Eva was an amazing woman who shockingly only lived to 33 but what an impact she made on the world.

The Kimmel Center is fully engaged in the summer portion of its 2013-2014 Broadway series and I have thoroughly enjoyed the rich variety of shows we have seen over this last year. It’s been an incredible experience to share with my daughters, my sister, my friends. The shows not only get me out the door of my house and into the Academy of Music but also into Philadelphia in general where we often enjoy a meal beforehand. They are a great addition to all that the Kimmel Center venues offer.