Broadway on Sixth series announced, with 'Book of Mormon' leading it off

Jun. 11—"The Book of Mormon" will kick off the 2023-24 Broadway on Sixth series at the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, with performances on Nov. 6 and 7. Tickets go on sale to the public on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at ticketmaster.com.

"The Book of Mormon," winner of nine Tony Awards including best musical, is a musical comedy that follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing-room-only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, it has truly become an international sensation.

Here is the remainder of the Broadway season, with tickets for these shows going on sale Friday at 10 a.m.:

—Nov. 26: Cirque Dreams Holidaze — Singers, dancers, penguins, toy soldiers and reindeer invoke the dreams behind a child's eye on the most magical of nights in this holiday spectacle featuring a world-renowned cast of performers accompanied by an original music score including new twists on seasonal favorites such as "Deck the Halls," "Winter Wonderland" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

—Feb. 1: "Annie" — This classic family musical based on the popular comic strip of the same name tells the extraordinary story of a little orphan who ends up in the lap of luxury with Depression-era billionaire Oliver Warbucks, who agrees to help her find her real mom and dad. Warbucks' whopping reward attracts the attention of con artists Rooster, Lily and the wicked Miss Hannigan, who hatch a plot to kidnap Annie.

—April 10: "Come From Away" — This New York Times Critics' Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

—April 29: "Jesus Christ Superstar" — Appealing to both theater audiences and concert music fans, this production pays tribute to the historic 1971 Billboard Album of the Year while creating a modern, theatrical world that is uniquely fresh and inspiring. The story is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes "I Don't Know How To Love Him," "Gethsemane" and "Superstar."

Also booked last week for the Santander Performing Arts Center was an Oct. 25 concert by rockers Blues Traveler, known for the hit singles "Run-Around," "Hook" and "But Anyway." Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com.

Art

One of the most dynamic voices in contemporary Latin American art today, Carlos Luna, is featured in a monographic exhibition, "Carlos Luna: Beyond the Surface," which will be on view through Sept. 10 at the Reading Public Museum.

Luna creates impactful and memorable works that enlist engaging narratives, graphics, texts and a visual vocabulary that is uniquely his own. The exhibition, which is on view in the museum's first floor galleries, features nearly 30 paintings, works on paper, sculpture and tapestries that range from the late 1990s through his most recent works.

The dazzling iconography employed in his paintings includes dancing Latin lovers; representations of Guajiro rural culture; symbolic animals such as the rooster, crocodile, horse, lion and elephant; and coffee and sewing machines from the domestic realm. Music, dancing, religion and elements from the oppressive government of his childhood are also explored in his visually complex works.

He builds up his compositions with multi-layered and richly-textured surfaces, employing bold outlines and intricate patterning that contribute to the overall meaning and narrative of each work.

His debut exhibition in Reading features a group of large-scale paintings on canvas and wood, monumental traditional amate (bark) paper mixed media works, a selection of sculptures and tapestries all featuring elements of iconic Cuban culture.

The museum will host a reception on July 20 and the artist will give a gallery tour on July 21 at 1 p.m. Visit readingpublicmuseum.org for details and to RSVP.

The museum is open daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (w/ID).

----The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown Reading will host its Second Sunday Studio Crawl today from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Many of the facility's 30 studio artists will be in their studios to meet and chat with visitors. The featured Artists of the Month on the second floor are Ren Hernandez and Fran Parzanese, and on the third floor, Alan Cernak and Lily Cernak.

Hernandez captures memories, scenes and emotions through lively and vivid dancing color in his paintings. He has been a registered nurse since 2013. What has always been with him is a love of art and color. A self-taught artist, he takes advantage of continuing education opportunities to increase skills as well as explore new subject matter.

Parzanese uses paint to express her feelings for the beauty that surrounds us all and the passion with which she has lived for 40 years. Trained by taking numerous workshops in watercolor, she learned to love the spontaneity and transparency of this medium. She was introduced to alcohol inks a few years ago and fell in love with their startling brilliance; they are the perfect mediums to paint nature's colors and designs.

Alan Cernak works in a variety of media, including paper sculpture, acrylic paint, pencil and digital illustration, and enjoys working with local schools and youth groups to create large-scale art projects. After traveling to southern Japan in 2013 as an artist in residence at Studio KURA, he began working on his current series of Shrine Pictures, in which he strives to digitally recreate ancient Japanese shrine and temple artwork that has been damaged by weather and the passage of time.

Lily Cernak is a graphic novelist and Japanese-English translator. She works primarily digitally or in marker, and has written and illustrated several online webcomics. Her translations include several manga comic books for independent publisher GEN Manga. She also leads tours of Japan and gives classes in Japanese language, manga drawing and graphic novel creation.

----Studio B Fine Art Gallery, 39A E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, will host the art exhibit opening and book release of "Legacy: Remembrance Matters" on Friday, June 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit continues through Aug. 27.

"It is said that the greatest longing in the human soul is to be remembered," said Jane Stahl, Studio B's director of community relations. "I wanted our writers and artists to explore what will 'remain,' something about us that we hope to pass on — whether it be a tangible item or an example unique to our character or reputation to guide those who follow us. I hoped some would explore what foundations or expectations have been left by communities — families, hometowns, nations — etched as their marks on our lives."

Creating an immersive experience during the exhibit, fragrance artist Eric Vinskie will offer a collection of familiar fragrance accords available for sampling and for purchase — scents that will bring back memories, such as fresh-cut grass, pipe tobacco, suntan lotion, baked apples and grandma's soap.

Also in attendance will be co-editor for Studio B's 10th book of poetry, prose and art, Eileen (Mish) Murphy. Assistant poetry editor for Cultural Daily magazine, she teaches English and Literature at Polk State College, Florida.