PhillyFunGuide.

Take an eye-opening journey through the inner workings of the human body in this follow-up to 2005's extremely popular Body Worlds exhibition! Experience the human body in all its elegance and complexity in the exhibition of entire bodies in dramatic poses. Body Worlds 2 & The Brain presents a broad collection of authentic human specimens, and, for the first time in Philadelphia, a special presentation on the brain. Featuring some of the latest findings in neuroscience on brain development, function and disease, this exhibit will inspire a greater understanding of and respect for the mysterious world of the brain. All specimens in Body Worlds exhibitions are preserved by the revolutionary process of Plastination, invented by anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens. Body Worlds is the only public anatomical exhibition associated with an established body-donation program.

Craft lovers will see thousands of contemporary crafts and fine art created by more than 300 of the nation’s most accomplished artisans at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, Friday, March 19 through Sunday, March 21, 2010 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. The jury-selected artists at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival will display and sell their unique creations in functional and decorative pottery, sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, furniture and home accessories, items for the garden, and photography. In addition to meeting the artisans producing the one-of-a kind items, visitors to the Festival will see live demonstrations by professional craftspeople working in metal, ceramics, and wood. Live music and activities for children enhance the festival atmosphere. Specialty gourmet foods are available to sample and purchase.

Kathleen Turner will star as the "unsinkable" Molly Ivins, the famously bawdy newspaper columnist, political commentator, and bestselling author. A true Texas original, Ivins was a sharp-tongued liberal who skewered the political establishment and the "good ol' boys" with a heaping helping of her unforgettable wit and wisdom. This one-woman play celebrates Ivins' endurance and tenacity even when it seemed like a complacent America wasn't listening.

Escape winter’s chill and visit a lush oasis as thousands of orchid blooms fill Longwood’s Conservatory. Breathtaking displays, including the award-winning Living Wall of Orchids, enchant visitors. In March, thousands of bulbs begin to bloom outside creating a palette of early spring color.

Described as ''the most beautiful voice in Philadelphia'', three time Barrymore Award winner Mary Martello brings her hilarious and moving cabaret about aging princesses to 1812. You've seen her in 1812's smash hit BatBoy and this season as Ella Cherry in Cherry Bomb, come spend an evening with Mary as she looks at the bittersweet journey from ingenue to diva.

The Irish... and How They Got That Way is an irreverent but affectionate history of the Irish in America that mingles laughter and sentiment in a tapestry of classical songs and stories as told by Pulitzer-prize winning author Frank McCourt. The Irish... encapsulates the most tumultuous times of the past century with the vibrant humor and bitter irony that has become the trademark of the author of the acclaimed biography Angela's Ashes.

One of the most innovative and influential artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) was at his most ferociously inventive between 1905 and 1945. Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris surveys Picasso's work during these crucial decades, from his early experiments with abstraction to his pioneering role in the development of Cubism, as well as exploring his dialogue with Surrealism and other important art movements in the ensuing decades. This stellar exhibition also explores the important role that the city of Paris played in the history of modern art during the first half of the 20th century, when artists from around the world followed Picasso’s example and moved to the French capital. It will include works by such expatriate artists as Marc Chagall, Jacques Lipchitz, Patrick Henry Bruce, and Man Ray, who collectively formed a vibrant, international avant-garde group that became known as the School of Paris.

Image Information:
Self-Portrait with Palette, 1906.
Pablo Ruiz y Picasso (Philadelphia Museum of Art, A.
E. Gallatin Collection, 1950) © Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Join Friends of the Free Library for a night of great food, drinks, and music in celebration of this past year's successes; browse and bid on the vast array of auction items; and help them to look forward to the year ahead. This year’s gala is dedicated to the thousands of individuals who helped preserve Philadelphia’s Free Library system. Open bar, hors d’œuvres and live music by Equinox.

Chester County Historical Society presents the 28th annual Chester County Antique Show,on March 19th, 20th,and 21st at the Westtown School. This year includes 60 exceptional dealers, featuring 18th and 19th Century American, English and Continental furniture, rugs, paintings, porcelain, glass, silver, jewelry, needlework and other decorative arts.

Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairytale. It is a story of clashing egos, out of control budgets, escalating tensions... and one of the most extraordinary creative periods in animation history. Director Don Hahn and producer Peter Schneider, key players at Walt Disney Studios Feature Animation department during the mid-1980s, offer a behind-the-magic glimpse of the turbulent times the Animation Studio was going through and the staggering output of hits that followed over the next ten years. Artists polarized between the hungry young innovators and the old guard who refused to relinquish control, mounting tensions due to a string of box office flops, and warring studio heads create the backdrop for this fascinating story told with a unique and candid perspective from those that were there. Through interviews, internal memos, home movies, and a cast of characters featuring Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Roy Disney, alongside an amazing array of talented artists that includes Don Bluth, John Lasseter, and Tim Burton, Waking Sleeping Beauty shines a light on Disney Animation’s darkest hours, greatest joys and its improbable renaissance.