Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 41

Philadelphia Dally New .1995 .41 I'" yTTllaS1Bri.ia Thurs 8 30 Fri 8 30, 11PM Sat 7 30 9 15. 11 30 ($81 GALA OPENING NIGHT JAN 30. 8 PM JIM SAMUELS MIKE DONOVAN RICH CfclSL ER Center City's New Comedy Cabaret Garaqe parking next door Credit Cards COMEDY CONNECTION 2031 Sanaom St. (215) 557-9041 LIMITED ENGAGEMENT! TONIGHT AT 8 PM TOMORROW AT 2 4 8 PM WINNER 7 TONY AWARDS Including Best Musical 1983 WINNER OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD Best Musical 1983 CATS A Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber Based on 0d Possum's Book of Practical Cats by Eliot Tickets ($22 at Box Office. Ticketron.

and 24-hour Tele-charge (215) 236-9030 1-(800) 472-2272 FORREST THEATRE 1114 Walnut Street (215) 923-1515 4, 4 i aft. mnm-iiimii rimriiiririnn Tiw'iiitiwitrMMfiimmii. mm, itm am Staff Photography by Q. Lola Grotsmann Rodriguez pause in front of a mural in the 2900 block of N. 5th St.

1 I II? TF FIRST APPEARANCE IN PHILADELPHIA ONE NIGHT ONLY Saturday. Feb 2 at 8 PM, $9 00 A MUSICAL EVENING WITH JOSH LOGAN FRIENDS WAYNE CONCERT SERIES 51 North Warn Wayne M7-M0S TONIGHT AT 8 00 THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA RICCARDO MUTI conducting Eugene Foflof violin Stetama Toczyska. meao-soprano Wieslaw Ochman. tenor Westminster Choir Joseph Flummeffelt, Director Program works by Handet Paaanini Scnabm THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC Broad 4 Locuat St. Tkta.

avaN. today (215) M3-1930 Tuesday, February 12 at 8 PM All Star-Forum piesents ANDRE WATTS $19 50. $15 50 $9 00 at Box Ottice CHARGIT6fi5-8051 ACADEMY OF MUSIC Broad 4 Locuat Sta. 993-1930 mm: February 6. 7.8.9 Tharp's dancers remain, as ever, la creme de la creme" Examiner TWYLA THARP DANCE Feb.

6. 7, 8 PM Brahms' Paganmi, The Fugue. Nine Sinatra Songs Feb. 9. 2 PM8 PM Sorrow Floats.

Short Stones. Baker Dozen Dance Celebration Tickets $20. $18 (eves $18. $16 (mat To OfOr call 898-6 701 ANNENBERG CENTER Univ. of Pa.

MM Walnut St. The Critics say "These kids are hot" "Contagious energy" "Steamy sassy and sexy" WAVES A JAZZ DANCE CONCCRT CHOREOGRAPHED BY SHIMON BRAIJN Feb 1.2 and 3 Performance times: Fn Sat 8 PM Sun 7 PM Tickets $18 50. $15 00 $12 00 Ticketron Chargrt 665-8051 SHUBERT THEATRE Sprue Ticket Office 735-4788 A SMASHING HIT MUSICAL I DO! I DOI Evenings Wed thru Sat from $18 95 Matinees Wed Sun $17.95 Tax and Gratuity Included Group Discounts Reservation 922-7077 D. MD (800) 523-7515 RAMADA DOWNINGTOWN INN RESORT Houf 30 Downtnqtown, Pa, THE FANTASTICKS Now through February 3rd 7 PM Thurs Fri ($20.50) Sat ($22 50) Sun 3 PM ($20 50) Thurs. Matinee at Noon ($18 50) THE WARRINGTON DINNER THEATRE RoutM 611 132.

Warrington, PA (215) 343-501 "Move On Down The Road To" THE WIZ Limited Engagement Eves from $18 95. Mats 95 Group Discounts Available Tickets Charge Information Call 925-7000 RIVERFRONT DINNER THEATRE Delaware Ave. at Poplar Phrte. 925-7000 THE PHILADELPHIA COMPANY The Hottest Oft-Broadway Theater in Town! Tonight at 6 PM! The Show About Sex, Money. Power the Movies! GENIUSES BY JONATHAN REYNOLDS "Undeniably FUNNY!" POST Thoroughly FUNNY" NEW YORK MAG.

"Blistermgly FUNNY!" VARIETY Popular Prices $7 00! Perls. Tkts. Avail at The Bourse Telecharge Into 592-8333 PLAYS PLAYERS THEATER 1714 Dalancay St S92-U33 Fn. feS PMSat 6 830Sun. 3 7 LET MY PEOPLE COME Earl Wilson Musical Comedy About Sex TELEPHONE CHARGES (VISA.

MC) 923-5560 after noon GRENDEL'S LAIR THEATER 500 South St. (215) 923-5550 THRU SUNDAY ONLY! THE DRAMA GUILD Philadelphia's major professional theatre Enter the fantasy world of Lathan Kane! LOVE GIFTS by Charles Traeger Tues.Thurs.Fri.8PMWed 1:30 8PM Popular Prices! $1 1.50-$21 60 Group Discounts Call (215) 563-PLAY BOX OFFICE (215) 898-6791 ZELLERBACH THEATRE Annwibvrg Outer 3680 Walnut Street 2 Performances! Feb. 10 at 3 00 8PM All Star-Forum presents MARCEL MARCEAU World's Greatest Mime $19 50. $15.50. $12 50.

$9 00 Boxes $21 50 Tickets at Box OMice CHARGIT 665-8051 ACADEMY OF MUSIC Broad 1 Locust St. 193-1930 Irreverent Comedy Hit! Feb. 2-17! Simon Gray's QUARTERMAINE'S TERMS bristling with wry. even uproarious comedy" N. Times Tues -Sat 8 PM: Feb 6 17.

7 PM Mats. Sun 2 PM: Feb 7. 9. 14 at 2 PM Low-priced Tkts Group Rates 574-3562. Ticketron WALNUT ST.

THEATRE COMPANY (tti and Walnut Straota Totocnargo 57 4-Ma COMPLETELY SOLD SAT AT 9 30 COMPLETELY SOLD THURS FEB 7 COMPLETELY SOLD THURS FEB. 14 "The Hottest Ticket in Town" PM Mag. SHEAR MADNESS BOX OFFICE 557-7606 All Major Credit Cards Accepted Ticketron CURTAINS THEATRE 2031 Sanaom 81. Juet oft RHtanhouao Squaro February 13-17 Maxene Andrews (ol the Andrews Sisters) in TAKING MY TURN Award-winning off-Broadway musical "A joyful experience" v. Times" Tuneful and engaging" NY.

Daily NY. Post A musica I treat Rex Reed Tickets $20. $16. $16 (Fri. Sat.

Eves.) $17. $15. $13 (all other perts Order by phone 898-6791 ANNENBERG CENTER Unto, of Pa. 3680 Wafrwt St funny and fascinating!" New York Times THE SUICIDE A COMEDY BY NIKOLAI ERDMAN NOW THRU FEB 24 Tues -Sat 8 PM: Sun 2 PM Tkts $10, $12 $14 a $15 (disc avail.) THE WILMA THEATER I Saraom St. (215) "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE iiniir AN INTERVIEW nVJIVIC WITH JUDY GARLAND" Now-Feb 10: Tues -Sat 8 PM: Sun 2 PM $8 Eves.

$6 Mats Group Rates 574-3562 Tetecharcie 574-3586 and at the door WALNUT STUDIO THEATRE Sth and Walnut 9th Fl Tatocnarpe 574-35 Roberto Medina (top) and Carlos Fifth Continued from Page 36 Rodriguez says he hopes that link would establish a community-commercial corridor where residents would have everything they need to sustain them. They could transact business, work, shop, eat and relax at places of entertainment. Industry would start moving back into the area. In short, an area that was at one time not viable -would begin to thrive. Rodgriguez sees the physical realization as by 1990.

But should none of the plans for revital-ization come to fruition, both he and Medina picture a scenario equally devastating to commercial and community life. "It's going to be another neighborhood that's completely eroded," Medina says. "It probably won't even be a neighborhood anymore." "My prediction," Rodriguez says, "is that the commericial strip would die first. Then all industry would pull out, then the housing." guez pauses. "My God, if it gets to that point, the course of corrective action would have to be complete urban renewal.

It wouldn't be salvagable." The ugly scrawls of grafitti splaying across the walls, doors and windows of the Hersch Recreation Center, 5th and Allegheny, are respecters of neither age nor beauty. They traverse the building and continue marching across to the walls of a newer wing on the left. Sprawling loops play tricks on the eye, making it difficult to discern if the newer building was ever open for business at all. Skipping up the inclined walkway, the tangled, spider-web patterns end their splotchy embellishment at the door. On the other side of this urban camouflage, the Mann Older Adult Center is an audio-visual assault that impacts all at.

once. A corridor of bright orange walls grabs your attention immediately. Years of activities and events flash frozen through the miracle of Kodak line the walls, adding their own splashes of color to a general gleam. At the end of the corridor a Puerto Rican woman wails a song in her native tongue, her words dancing in and out of the pauses between notes played by the flashing fingers of a male accompanist. Welcome to Monday morning', and the Mann Center For Older Adults.

"The center has been here 26 years, since November of 1958. I've been here since June 13, 1960. The goal then and now continues to be to keeping people healthy, strong and independent. And to help them maintain the pride in themselves, their sense of self-worth and and their sense of ego." Directer Sam Scheiner, has closed the door of his small office, transforming it into a sanctuary. The center is sponsored by the Public Health Department, receiving 75 to 80 percent of its funds from federal and state sources.

These resources in turn are managed by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, which has contracted with the Health Department to provide services. "The center was different then, in the sense that it was in the youth part of the building," said Scheiner, recounting the history of the 5th Street Center since his tenure. "We started off with the agreement between the Health Department and the Recreation Department, which agreed to permit the program to exist in the building with youth." "We could use any facility in the building as long as the youth were not using it. That worked out, because we were here during the daylight hours. We also had an adult lounge which we used continuously, and a suite of offices." That arrangement, however, was not without problems.

The center's membership were not permitted to put anything on the walls or leave equipment in any area, and members had to climb three flights of stairs for access to what was then used as a dining room, kitchen and auditorium. "In June of 1980," said Scheiner, "we lost space as you can see we have several activities existing in the same room or spilling out into the halls but we gained privacy, no stairs, and a new building." The population of the center has changed, too. "It was considered an 'anglo' center when it opened, but for 10 years we've been developing, and Hispanics have been coming in," Scheiner notes. "We've always had black members, a few self-selected individuals who came here. We had an outreach worker who managed to bring in a large Hispanic population.

Now, I'd say that 50 percent of our members are Hispanics." The Center's enrollment has dropped to approximately 125 on a daily basis, falling during the last four to five years because of the "rapid deterioration of a neighborhood whose physical structure is breaking down." Membership is open to adults at least 60 years of age and those younger than 60 with spouses in that category who live within "reasonable limits" of an area bounded by Broad Street to Erie Avenue and Cumberland to Butler streets. The center's special services include limited in-home care for members who are ill, a van available for shopping or transportation to and from the center, and breakfast and lunch programs. In addition, members choose from a menu of activities that could cause exhaustion in a youngster. One of the Center's jewels is a member-initiated English class that meets in one section of the auditorium. "It's a class for Hispanics who want to learn English and, I guess, it works the other way around," Scheiner says.

Does such a class make him feel he's working in two separate centers? "Well, the only reason the center is not totally united is because of language. As long as you have that barrier, some element of the center will always be separate. But that's not a problem here," he points out, smiling. "An anglo man and a Hispanic woman met here and' got married. And neither one of them speaks the other's language." TOMORROW: Society Hill DAILY NEWS CLASSIFIED 751-0400.