Uwishunu.com

Ever since arriving in Philly three years ago, it seems as though the cheesesteak prices have been rising. It used to be that I could snag a cheesesteak w/ fries and a soda for under six bucks. Alas, times change and prices rise — and every once in a while we are availed the privilege of affordable cheesesteaks. Now is one of those times! In celebration of President-Elect Barack Obama’s inauguration on January 20th, Steaks on South is bringing Philadelphia $5 cheesesteaks.

What’s that? You don’t want that silly regular American cheese? You’re what is known as a “real American”? No worries, as Steaks on South is topping their steaks for the big day with your choice of red, white or blue-colored American cheese. For a unique (and affordable!) take on a Philly tradition next Tuesday, SoS is the spot.

Steaks on South
308 South St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 922-7880

Zot does mussels well “” moreover, thay have some 20+ varieties, so it’s not like you’re going to run out of options or something.

“All you can eat mussels served with frites, choice of soup or salad, and a glass of Tim’s Tipple of the Night. $25 (cash only)”

Get them with a side of frites.

CLICK HERE to view the deal.

(*No coupon necessary.)

The title says it all: In honor of President-elect Obama’s January 20 Inauguration, Belgian restaurant ZoT is offering a three-course, $20.09 dinner menu on the Big Day.

And may I just say “” thank goodness it’s 2009, because $20.09 for dinner is a ridiculously good deal.

Despite ZoT’s delish Belgian offerings (in both the culinary and beer categories), the menu includes “Salmon Hawaii with Pineapple Basil,” an homage to Obama’s home state.

CLICK HERE for the full menu.

Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

Philly knows a thing or two about the Presidency.

George Washington and John Adams kicked it in our taverns long before either was Commander-in-Chief, and this is where Presidential hopefuls are grilled on the hottest topic out there: Pat’s or Geno’s?

And lest we forget “” Vice President-elect Joe Biden is an Eagles fan (go Birds!).

So check out The Presidential Itinerary, a weekend-long tour of Philly’s 200+ years of Presidential history. Drinks, politics, whiz wit “” it’s all in there.

Photo by George Widman

We know the winter in Philadelphia can be brutal and it’s always tempting to stay indoors… but seriously folks, it’s winter! Don’t you want to drink hot chocolate? Build snowmen? Go ice skating?

What’s that? It’s too expensive? Psssht, that excuse just isn’t going to work anymore as the Blue Cross RiverRink is dropping prices this Sunday to celebrate “our boys in green” (they mean The Eagles, not the folks behind the city government initiative). All you have to do is show your Eagles pride by wearing “team logos on hats, sweatshirts or jackets” — apparently that Eagles keychain just isnt going to cut it this time.

In an effort to cheer on the Eagles in the NFC Championship game, starting at 3:00 p.m. and going ’til there’s no ice left (our words, not theirs), the BCRR is sponsoring free activities, discounting skate time/rentals, and planning a slew of giveaways with a running Eagles theme in mind. Additionally, the rink itself will be decked out in green garb — won’t you feel silly if you don’t show up the same way?

In case it’s been a while since you’ve been ice skating, you’ll be glad to know ahead of time that the rink’s set up so that you pay for “sessions.” The sessions for this Sunday are right here, conveniently presented on Uwishunu…

Sunday hours: 12:30 “” 2:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m. “” 5:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. “” 9:00 p.m.

The Blue Cross RiverRink at Penn’s Landing
Columbus Blvd. at Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 925-RINK
www.riverrink.com

FRIDAY

JD Twitch and Dave P
The Barbary, Frankford and Delaware
Twitch reps Glasgow’s Optimo Espacio, Dave P remains Philly’s dance heavyweight. 10pm, $5.

The Pig Iron InHOGural Ball
The Troc, 10th and Arch
Blockbuster silent auction/cabaret/party for the fringiest theater team in town. Tons of singing, dancing and drag on the bill for this one – check the link above. 7pm, from $30.

Han Bennink and Marshall Allen
Vox Populi Gallery, 319 N 11th
Dutch drum mage Bennink and current guiding hand of the Sun Ra Arkestra, saxophonist Allen,
head to head in the creation of new black holes. 6pm, $10.

Eschenbach Returns to the Philadelphia Orchestra
Kimmel Center, Broad and Locust
Christoph Eschenbach is back. Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg plays Bruch’s First Concerto. There’s also a piece premiering by German composer Matthias Pintscher, and then Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. 8pm, from $10; tickets at the link above.

Art After 5: Doc Gibbs
Art Museum, 26th and Ben Franklin Parkway
Anita Baker, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington Jr. and Erykah Badu’s touring drummer. He was also the head of the Emiril Live house band, if you remember those killer fills. 5pm-9pm, free after admission.

Sixers vs. Spurs
Wachovia Spectrum 7pm, from $40.

SATURDAY

XPLR Philly Jump
Art Museum, 26th and Ben Franklin Parkway
XPLR is freezeframing a bunch of dudes in the air, all around town. Lexie covered it at the link above; 2pm Sunday it’s happening at the museum steps.

Tastee Treats with Mike Nyce and ?uestlove
Fluid, 613 S 4th
The hip hop/funk/soul/reggae party that admits ladies for free before 11pm. $7, 10pm.

Department of Eagles, Bear Hands, Here We Go Magic
Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N Frankford
Department of Eagles is a Grizzly Bear side project. Sounds and hype at R5. 9pm, $12.

You Open So Late, You Close So Early
Through Saturday, January 17
Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, 1616 Washington
The gallery’s sixth annual invitational closes Saturday, with work by David Clayton, Jeremy Drummond, Steven Dufala and Billy Blaise Dufala, Charles Hobbs, Nicholas Lenker, Alex Lukas, C. Pazia Manella, Nick Paparone, Josh Rickards, Mark Stockton, and Shawn Thornton. Here’s the artblog post with the full rundown. Noon-5pm, free.

SUNDAY

Spiral Q Puppet Theater at the Free Library
Central Library, 17th and Vine
Spiral Q’s winter celebration at the library features giant puppets, flags, noise-makers, and all kinds of bright wildness to celebrate the cold. 2pm, free.

The Emperor and the Kite: Asian New Year Celebration
Art Museum, 26th and Ben Franklin Parkway
The Philadelphia Dance Theatre performs a ballet about the little people making big changes at the art museum. The new year isn’t until the 26th, but man, the Year of the Rat was kind of a drag; I’m all for getting the Year of the Ox going asap. 11:30am and 1:30pm, from $10.

ONGOING

My Name is Asher Lev
Arden, 40 N. 2nd Street
The world premiere stage adaptation of the Potok book, in which a guy struggles with art and Judaism, opened about a week ago; Jess covered it here. Through March 15th; tickets and times here.

Can’t make it to the mall in D.C for the inauguration? Join us at our mall where independence began! On January 20th, witness the first peaceful transfer of power in history as we reenact President Washington welcoming in John Adams as the second president of the United States inside Congress Hall.

Watch the confetti fly as we broadcast the presidential inauguration live on our jumbotron on the lawn of the Visitor Center. Free hot chocolate will be served to keep those fingers and toes warm, but if being a snowman wasn’t part of the plan, come inside and watch it on our Independence Ballroom located on the 2nd Floor.

And while inside, don’t forget to pick up your free Philly Presidential Pass, specially created in honor of the inauguration of President-Elect Obama, it provides discounts to the Betsy Ross House, the National Constitution Center and so much more!

For a full list of happenings in the historic area and beyond, log on to www.phillyinauguration.com

Live Screening on Jumbotron @ Visitor Center
11AM – 2PM
6th & Market, Philadelphia, PA

Reenactment of Washington & Adams at Congress Hall
10AM & 3PM
5th & Chestnut, Philadelphia, PA

Ever just wanted to go around town, freak out and take photos? Now’s your chance to do just that–and maybe make some new friends! XPLR (a local photography and biking club) is hosting an event this Sunday at the PMA for you photo nuts and high-energy types. You don’t need a bike, you don’t need rollerblades or skateboards, you don’t even need a camera, you just need a decent pair of shoes and a a highjump.

Wander the museum (free on Sundays), get excited and take a jumping photo! Art jumping has been getting more coverage around the country and it’s time to bring it Philly. Why hide the excitement you have when looking at old iconic art, or even that geometric Mondrian? JUMP!

Check ‘em out! www.xplr-club.com/philly

XPLR Jump!
2pm at the Art Museum steps
Sunday, January 18th, 2009

Dito van Reigersberg’s no stranger to Philadelphia theater. He’s at it again, this time portraying George Tesman in Mauckingbird Theater Company’s Hedda Gabler, playing at the Adrienne Theater’s Second Stage from Jan. 13 through Jan. 29.

Van Reigersberg’s got his work cut out for him as one of only two male actors in this lesbian-themed production about hidden desires and social status. We caught up with him for a few questions about the show and all things Philadelphia theater.

What are you most looking forward to about the show?
To that great feeling of sinking into a great play and believing in that world for an undistracted two hours”¦

What was the most challenging part of your character?
Tesman’s a buffoon in a way, a boyish and innocent academic, but he is intelligent. It’s hard to balance his blindness/ignorance and his wisdom. He really wants things to work, but he has this sinking feeling that they might be too wrong to fix. It’s hard to know when, as the actor, to give in to the worry and when you should try to put a positive spin on things.

How is this production different from your usual work with Pig Iron or your previous work on The Misanthrope?
Well with Pig Iron we start in a totally different, more physical way, and we’re often creating something new. With this piece, such a classic and so demanding of all of us, it’s about coming up to meet the text, rather than finding or forging the text from yourself in my Pig Iron world. And certainly the pressure isn’t as high for me as it was in The Misanthrope, when I just talked for an hour and a half and the point of the play was much more comic. This play is about the serious verbal ping pong, it’s a lot of subtext and listening to the layers.

What’s the best play you’ve seen in Philadelphia recently?
I really enjoyed Cherry Bomb from 1812. I laughed REALLY hard, especially at the séance scene.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Philly?
I love going out for a glass of wine or seeing a movie at the Ritz. Or taking yoga class at Practice Yoga when I can get there.

Adrienne Theatre, Mainstage
2030 Samson St, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 563-4330

E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES! The Birds are one game away from the Super Bowl!

Sunday’s big game will play on eight high-definition televisions at McGillin’s Olde Ale House so you won’t miss a second of the action.

McGillin’s is the home of the Iggletini, the green, Eagles-inspired drink that is even served with a green cherry! Talk about team spirit…