Also this issue:

Feeding Frenzy
An off-Broadway hit about the restaurant biz comes to Philadelphia -- and hits close to home.
-Toby Zinman photos by michael t. regan

Gearing Up: Tara Keating
-Debra Auspitz

Bittersweet Inspiration
Soul/R&B singer Vivian Green draws power from the pain.
-A.D. Amorosi Photo By Michael T. Regan

Wherever, Whenever
A peek behind the scenes at the dream world of Cirque du Soleil's Varekai.
-Deni Kasrel

Gearing Up: James Valenti
-Debra Auspitz

Gearing Up: Sandra Blakely
-Debra Auspitz

Down To Zero
Bad-boy artist Neil Bernstein tries to do some good in a gallery near Ground Zero.
-David Warner photo by Jay Muhlin“

Scene Change
A look at nightspots, restaurants and shopping destinations set to open this fall.
-A.D. Amorosi Photo By Michael T. Regan

September 19-25, 2002

cover story

Fall guide

by Debra Auspitz

It might not feel any different outside than it did a few weeks ago, but the season is definitely changing. Maybe it’s the lingering muggy weather that makes it seem as if things are off to a slow start. In the arts world, maybe it’s the weight of the past year -- not just the psychological toll, but the fiscal reality of funding cuts and dwindling audiences that affected this season’s planning. Maybe it’s the sense that, after our somber memorials over the past few weeks, it seems more appropriate to tiptoe into the celebrations of a new season, rather than announce them triumphantly.

Whatever the reason things have seemed quieter this year, the important fact is that they only seem that way. All over the city artists and curators, actors and designers, dancers and directors are busy getting ready for what could be a revitalizing season in the arts.

This year in our annual guide to what's coming up in art, theater, dance, opera, music, style and the club/restaurant scene, we're focusing on the idea of gearing up, on that burst of momentum that pushes the season into full swing. Here's a chance to read about what your old favorites are up to, like Group Motion and Cirque du Soleil, and who's new on the scene, like singer Vivian Green.

Then, take a look at our Critics' Calendar for plenty of ideas on how to fill your own calendar for the next few months. Along with the usual selection of notable events, we've also collected insights from local artists in different disciplines about how they gear up to make their work. Perhaps they can inspire us to drop the late-summer doldrums and create something of our own, or at least get out and support someone else who is doing it.

We're shifting into fall, and it's full speed ahead.

The secrets of dance finally revealed

Two theaters ask: Do you have a reservation?

Behind the scenes at Cirque du Soleil

What's new on the restaurant and club scene

Lagos: Still sparkling

A singer gets ready for her close-up

A bad-boy artist at Ground Zero

Critics' Calendar: Highlights of the season in art, dance, theater, opera, pop/rock, jazz, folk/world and classical music

On the cover: (L-R) Group Motion Dance Company's Emily Hubler, Jessica Weber modeling jewelry by Steven Lagos and singer Vivian Green. Photos by Michael T. Regan.