Tickets Now on Sale for FringeArts' First Fall Season

As the 17th annual Fringe Festival comes to a close, FringeArts (formerly the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe) is embarking on a bold new chapter: expanding programming to include a year-round series of high-quality local and national dance, theater and music performances in a brand-new contemporary arts center on the Delaware River waterfront. Tickets to FringeArts' inaugural season performances are available now by calling 215-413-1318 or visiting fringearts.ticketleap.com.

"Our performing arts center will serve as a cultural anchor, amplifying the vibrancy of Philadelphia as a renowned artistic center and unparalleled place to live, work and visit," says FringeArts President and Producing Director Nick Stuccio of the new building, which will soft-open this fall to showcase its state-of-the-art 240-seat theater. "It has always been our plan to create a permanent home for a robust year-round series of experimental contemporary performances. We've demonstrated that there is a real audience that wants to see this type of work not just during the festival, but every week of the year."

FringeArts' debut season kicks off with 2011 Festival hit Elephant Room (Oct. 10-20), an illusionist's realm where mind and sense part ways. The show's three magic-makers - Dennis Diamond, Louie Magic, Daryl Hannah - promise to entertain, distract, confuse, confound and mystify. Called "delightfully daft" by The New York Times, the show returns to Philadelphia after a well-received U.S. tour.

The season continues in November with Svadba-Wedding (Nov. 2-3 and 6-7), a Serbian a cappella opera that ends in a Balkan feast with live music from the West Philadelphia Orchestra. This American premiere by composer Ana Sokolovi? is a co-presentation with Opera Philadelphia. Also in November, acclaimed Philadelphia theater maker Thaddeus Phillips presents the world premiere of 17 BORDER CROSSINGS (Nov. 13-17), exploring artificiality of borders, geographical conundrums and contradictions.

Finally, in December, FringeArts presents the remount of Pig Iron Theatre Company's beloved 2011 Festival show, Twelfth Night, or What You Will (Dec. 6-22), which the Philadelphia City Paper called "pure magic."

After this fall's soft opening, a spring 2014 grand opening will showcase the building's studio space, permanent festival hub, outdoor plaza, administrative offices and restaurant/bar.

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