The Performing Arts

Music, theater, and dance are presented regularly all over the city. I have restricted the venues to Center City and West Philadelphia, where you'll be most of the time, and where the quality of entertainment tends to be highest. Although the Philadelphia Orchestra and Pennsylvania Ballet finish their seasons at the end of May, they continue limited performances off season, often in outdoor venues such as the Mann Center.

Most cultural attractions keep their box offices open until curtain time. Many performing arts companies and venues -- the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society -- have assigned their telephone box office to Ticket Philadelphia, which levies a surcharge and can be reached at tel. 215/893-1999 and www.ticketphiladelphia.org. Also check out UPSTAGES (tel. 215/569-9700), the city's nonprofit box-office service, representing smaller dance companies and theaters such as the Adrienne. They take phone orders Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday noon to 5pm. The principal walk-up location is at the Prince Music Theater, at 1412 Chestnut St.; the box office is open daily noon to 5pm. There's a small service charge.

Dance Companies -- Local troupes perform alongside such distinguished visitors as White Oak Dance Project, Pilobolus, and the Dance Theater of Harlem.

Theatre Companies -- At any given time there will be at least one Broadway show in Philadelphia, on its way into or out of New York. There are also student repertory productions, professional performances by casts connected with the University of Pennsylvania, small-theater offerings around Center City, and cabaret or dinner theater in the suburbs.

Good Shows, Good Deals -- Not all, but a few good venues offer performances free of charge. The Avenue of the Arts's Kimmel Center often hosts free performances in its ground-level Commonwealth Plaza, especially around the Kimmel's birthday in mid-December. Another option is Rittenhouse Square's beautiful Curtis Institute of Music where mightily talented 18- to 25-year-olds give weekly afternoon concerts. Who knows? You might encounter the next Yo-Yo Ma.

Seniors can receive discounts of about 10% or $5 per ticket or more at many theaters, including the Annenberg Center and Wilma Theater. Concert halls generally make rush or last-minute seats available to students at prices under $10; these programs sometimes extend to adults as well. Groups can generally get discounts of 20% to 50% by calling well in advance.