Spend the Holidays at The Colonial Theatre

There are so many reasons to spend the holidays at The Colonial Theatre (information via The Colonial Theatre’s Social Media Release).  Check out all of the great programming happening for individuals of all ages.  We think The Colonial’s cool holiday programs will help you get into the spirit of the season!

CLASSICS ON SUNDAYS: HITCHCOCK IN ENGLAND

THE 39 STEPS

Sun, Nov 21 @ 2PM

1935, Alfred Hitchcock, 89 min, NR

In this humorous, yet highly suspenseful, film Hitchcock topped the tremendous success of The Man Who Knew Too Much by bringing us the story of an innocent man (Robert Donat) who must flee London to find the leaders of a spy ring that has, most inconveniently, placed the body of a murdered woman in his flat. While being pursued across the countryside by both the police and the spies, our hero becomes involved in multiple adventures, both humorous and terrifying, with the most famous (and subtly erotic) of which taking place when he is handcuffed to the comely yet very suspicious Madeleine Carroll. As the CineBooks Movie Guide has noted, “This is one of the best films of its genre, and it richly displays Hitchcock’s complete and playful mastery of the language of filmmaking. The handcuffing sequence is one of cinema’s greatest.” (Bill Roth)

THE LADY VANISHES

Sun, Nov 28 @ 2PM

1938, Alfred Hitchcock, 97 min, NR

Leave it to Hitchcock to take one of the hoariest of plots, “the mystery on a train,” and turn it into a rousing, witty and thrilling joyride. When a seemingly innocuous old lady (Dame May Whitty) suddenly vanishes from aboard a moving train, a young woman acquaintance (Margaret Lockwood) is amazed to find that other passengers claim to have never heard of her, let alone seen her. Her search for the truth, and for her missing friend, involves many ingenious, suspenseful developments, and leads to an action-packed, very satisfying conclusion. Filled with both humor and tension, this was the film that brought Hitchcock increased fame in the United States, leading to his move here, and his Academy Award winning film, Rebecca, shortly thereafter. The Lady Vanishes is one of Hitchcock’s finest British films, and one that served to secure his status as the Master of Suspense. Don’t miss it! (Bill Roth)

CLASSICS ON SUNDAYS: HOLIDAY CLASSICS

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Sun, Dec 19 @ 2PM

1946, Frank Capra, 130 min, NR

Sponsored by Artisans Gallery & Café and Romantic Jewelers

“Look closer: Frank Capra’s heartwarming holiday perennial is really a pretty dark tale of stifling small-town life, deferred dreams and attempted suicide. James Stewart gives a remarkable performance as a man whose big plans for his own life are constantly thwarted by family responsibilities. Not a big success at the time of its release, it’s gone on to become one of the most popular movies ever made.” (TV Guide)

WHITE CHRISTMAS

Sun, Dec 26 @ 2PM

1954, Michael Curtiz, 120 min, NR

“This holiday-themed musical is essentially a buddy film. Well sort of, it’s certainly got two buddies in it, but it’s also a love story, a Christmas fable, and a vehicle to hang some exceptionally catchy hits on. Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Paris (Danny Kaye) meet during the Second World War and become firm friends. After getting de-mobbed they team up to become hot property as a song and dance duo ripping up the nightspots with their own brand of feel-good hits. After five years of rolling success they need a holiday and cruise off to a New England skiing resort in the company of two comely sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Vera (Vera-Ellen). They arrive to find the place nearly bankrupt, as there has been no snow for over a year. The local top man is their old army boss General Waverly (Dean Jagger), and sure enough our two heroes wade in to help their old comrade and organize a benefit concert. But can they save the resort? With wit, exuberance, and some show stopping hits, “White Christmas” is a cracking musical. Sure, it is outrageously sentimental and it takes very little time to develop any of the characters, but then so what? It’s warm, sweet, and perfect for wasting a winter afternoon.” (Matt Ford, BBC Online)

PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

BRINGING UP BABY

Sat, Nov 20 @ 2PM

Howard Hawks, US, 1938, Ages 6+, 102m

“The definitive screwball comedy and one of the funniest films ever made. Cary Grant gives his best comic performance as a befuddled, bespectacled anthropologist who becomes mixed up with daffy, but determined heiress Katharine Hepburn. Together, they tear apart the Connecticut countryside searching for leopards, pet terriers, and an intercoastal clavicle, all the while being mistaken for the notorious “Leopard Gang,” big game hunters from Brazil. Grant and Hepburn’s flawless comic timing and Hawks’ inspired direction combine to make this a timeless and much adored classic. “(TLA Film & Video Guide) This film will be shown on DVD.

LIVE!

BILLY KELLY AND THE BLAH BLAH BLAHS

Sat, Nov 27 @ 2PM • Ages 4+ • $8/$7

Billy Kelly is a guy with a guitar and shoes and a nose and a new CD called “Thank You for Joining the Happy Club” and a couch and other stuff. His songs are humorous as well as funny. Speaking of his songs, his song “People Really Like Milk” went to #1 on the SIRIUS/XM Satellite Radio channel “Kids Place Live”! (Please don’t mention this to his other songs.) National Public Radio said that Billy has “an endearingly oddball since of humor,” but sadly they did not say anything about his sense of smell, which is pretty good too. Billy Kelly’s live performances feature sing-alongs, dance-alongs, yell-alongs, and snowman-alongs, among other types of ‘alongs’ too numerous to enumerate here. This will be Billy’s second performance at the Colonial and we’re thrilled to have him back, along with his full band!

ANNUAL PHOENIXVILLE FEDERAL BANK & TRUST CHRISTMAS PARTY

Sat, Dec 4 @ 2PM • Tickets are free but MUST be picked up at any PFB&T branch

A CHRISTMAS STORY

Sat, Dec 11 @ 2PM

Bob Clark, US, 1983, Ages 6+, 98m

Sponsored by Carnevale Eustis Architects

“A Christmas Story grasps the full scope of childhood injustice and obsession. Amid the comically cranky Santa Clauses and tree-lighting mishaps, the movie’s key moment is a Billingsley crying jag, prompted by a fight with the neighborhood bully and the fear that his dad will clobber him. The affection audiences feel for A Christmas Story is related to the holiday spirit, yes, but specifically to director Bob Clark and writer Jean Shepherd’s awareness of how the true meaning of Christmas manifests in the real world, where a warm meal on a cold, dark day–and a surprising moment of parental grace–can ease a troubled mind.” (Noel Murray, The Onion A.V. Club)

LIVE!

DREW THE DRAMATIC FOOL

Sat, Dec 18 @ 2PM • Ages 6+ • $8/$7

Drew puts art back in the variety arts by combining high-stakes drama with circus skills, magic, and visual theatre. Inspired by animated cartoons, silent comedians, and absurdist plays, Drew creates comedy with heart for audiences who truly love to laugh.

“Help! Help! I Know This Title Is Long, But Somebody’s Trying to Kill Me!”

The show must go on even when a suspicious character has eliminated the entire cast! When every entertainer in a vaudeville variety show is mysteriously dispatched, Drew the Dramatic Fool must take over every role in the production, from a 36-ball juggling act to the old saw-the-assistant-in-half trick. If he fails? Let’s just say that bad reviews can be murder. “Help! Help!” is a wonderfully comic examination of our deepest anxieties, from the fear of failure to the fear of death.

NEW BOOKING!

SUMMER WARS

Mon, Dec 27 @ 8PM; Wed, Dec 29 @ 4PM; and Sat, Jan 1 @ 2PM

Mamoru Hosoda, Japan, 2009, Ages 10+, 114m

Kenji is a teenage math prodigy recruited by his secret crush Natsuki for the ultimate summer job – passing himself off as Natsuki’s boyfriend for four days during her grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration. But when Kenji solves a 2,056 digit math riddle sent to his cell phone, he unwittingly breaches the security barricade protecting Oz, a globe-spanning virtual world where millions of people and governments interact through their avatars, handling everything from online shopping and traffic control to national defense and nuclear launch codes. Now a malicious AI program called the Love Machine is hijacking Oz accounts, growing exponentially more powerful and sowing chaos and destruction in its wake.

This intriguingly intelligent cyberpunk/sci-fi story is a visual tour-de-force, with the amazing world of Oz as the highlight. Like the Internet as conceived by pop artist Haruki Murakami, Oz is a hallucinatory pixel parade of cool avatar designs, kung fu jackrabbits, toothy bears, and a bursting rainbow of colors.

“A whirlwind of a film! Further proof Japan does grown-up children’s stories better than the United States!”

– New York Times

“Spectacular! Visionary! Mind-Bending! Staggering!”

– Variety

FIRST FRIDAY FRIGHT NIGHT SPONSORED BY IRON HILL BREWERY

THE FORBIDDEN ZONE

Fri, Nov 19 @ 9:45PM

Richard Elfman. US. 1982. R. 74 m

“One of the last outgrowths of the great run of cult movies that packed midnight screenings from the end of the ’60s until VCRs started keeping everyone home at night, Richard Elfman’s 1980 film Forbidden Zone takes the anything-goes spirit of after-hours moviegoing to its absurd extreme. Essentially 73 minutes of madness, it recklessly throws together musical numbers (some lifted from Josephine Baker and Cab Calloway), Fleischer-brothers-inspired animation, expressionistic sets, Hervé Villechaize, campy sexuality, and a man wearing a frog mask and a butler’s uniform. It makes little sense. It doesn’t even really try to make sense. Elfman now refers to it as an act of “unrestrained creativity,” which seems about right. Made with no audience in mind, Forbidden Zone attempted to translate to film the stage show of the Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo, the weirdness-loving revue that, under the leadership of Elfman’s brother Danny, would soon morph into Oingo Boingo, an oddball rock group that looked conventional by comparison. Forbidden Zone found its biggest audience among movie fans trolling for video weirdness in the early ’80s, then disappeared from circulation for years, leaving those viewers wondering if the film existed only in their heads.” (Keith Phipps, The Onion A.V. Club)

BATMAN RETURNS

Fri, Dec 3 @ 9:45PM

Tim Burton, US, 1992, PG-13, 126m

Dark, twisted and filled with only the holiday cheer that Tim Burton could bring, Batman Returns was Burton’s last run at the Caped Crusader. This was also the last time Michael Keaton would be the Dark Knight. Released in June of 1992 the film was a stark contrast to the summer heat blazing outside. The Colonial feels it is only right to play this dark fairy tale in December with the bitter cold on the outside and bitter villains (Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken) scheming on the inside. (Bob Trate)

SPECIAL EVENTS

POINT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS CRAIG SHOEMAKER

Sat, Nov 20 @ 8PM • $20 – $39.50

Named Comedian of the Year by the American Comedy Awards on ABC, Craig Shoemaker’s half-hour Comedy Central special has been voted by viewers as one of the network’s Top 20 stand-up specials of all time. Craig’s feature film credits include the box office hit Scream 2, co-starring opposite Patrick Stewart in Safe House and his featured role opposite Daryl Hannah as her love interest in 2007’s Dark Honeymoon. Last year, Craig won Best Supporting Actor at the Elevate Film Festival. His own film The Lovemaster (with Farrah Fawcett), won Best Film honors at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. General admission seating. Gold Circle: $35.00. Orchestra & Balcony: $30.00. Prices do not include the $2 per ticket Restoration Fee or the $1 per ticket Service Fee.

MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL

Nov 26 – Nov 29 • Check www.thecolonialtheatre.com for show times.

1975, Terry Gilliam, UK, 90 min, PG

Consistently listed by critics and fans as one of the greatest film comedies of all times, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a very silly retelling of the epic story of King Arthur’s search for the Holy Grail. Along the way, King Arthur and his Knights come upon the Black Knight, the Knights That Say Ni, the Castle Anthrax, the killer rabbit, the bridge of Death, and more. This was Monty Python’s (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) first foray into feature-length comedy. Gilliam and Jones directed the film, all six members contributed to the script, and each member plays multiple roles. An incredibly inspired exercise in lampoonery and a satire on every movie ever made about the Middle Ages. If you haven’t seen it, be prepared to laugh your armor off. And if you have seen it, you know how hilarious it is, so come see it again. (Bill Roth)

CITY RHYTHM ORCHESTRA: HOLIDAY STYLE

Sun, Dec 5 @ 7:30PM • $27/$22

The 15-piece City Rhythm Orchestra will present “Holiday Style”, a big band concert that’s a perfect way to start the yuletide season. The show will feature the luxurious sound of the City Rhythm brass while putting the spotlight on the group’s three fine vocalists. Steve Ritrovato will deliver swing classics reminiscent of the Christmas albums recorded by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin; Vicki Woodlyn will display her versatility ranging from the warmth of

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“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to the blues groove of “Merry Christmas Baby”; and Rich Cox will rock the house with “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” and others. There’ll even be a salute to the music from the Peanuts Christmas Show and other surprises. A critic once described an evening with the City Rhythm Orchestra as “great music and great fun”, and that’s certainly the way to describe this special holiday concert.

POINT ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS LEO KOTTKE

Fri, Dec 10 @ 8PM • $24.50 – $38.50

Fans of Tommy Emmanuel and Jorma Kaukonen are no doubt familiar with (and are fans of) Leo Kottke. Its not unusual for the words “amazing” and “incredible” to be used when describing his performances. Internationally recognized as a master of both the 6 and 12 string guitar, he is widely known for his innovative finger-picking style, which draws on influences from blues, jazz, and folk music, and his syncopated, polyphonic melodies. Reserved seating. Gold Circle: $38.50. Orchestra: $33.50. Front Balcony: $33.50. Rear Balcony: $24.50. Ticket prices do not include the $2 per ticket Restoration Fee or the $1 per ticket Service Fee (max. $4).

HOLIDAY MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Sun, Dec 12 @ 2PM • $10/$5

Presented by The Theatre Organ Society of the Delaware Valley

Join TOSDV on the second of four shake down cruises of the Wurlitzer 3/24 Opus 585. The concert will feature members of the TOSDV family performing holiday and seasonal favorites, along with a special holiday silent movie. Tickets are $10 for adults, seniors (62+), students and members of the Colonial; and $5 for children 12 years-old and under. This screening benefits the TOSDV Theatre Pipe Organ Restoration Fund.Visit TOSDV.org, email [email protected] or call 215-780-0831 or additional details.

Tickets available with cash, check or credit card at the Box Office, or at www.TheColonialTheatre.com.