Steal Away and Catch a Movie

People gathered on blankets in front of a large screen in Rittenhouse Square to view To Catch A Thief. The movie, set in France, centers around “Cat” who is a reformed jewel thief. He is brought out of retirement to clear his reputation as there is a copy cat on the prowl. He is pursued by Philadelphia’s own, Grace Kelly (better known as the Princess of Monaco).

This was the first of five Wawa Welcome America film screenings planned for this week. The serene scene on a balmy evening provided a positive image of a relaxed summer night in the City.

-Photographer: Meredith Wertz. Writers: Lisa Simon and Sydina Williams

Hezekiah Walker Ushers in a Cool Celebration to Beat the Heat at Wawa Welcome America

In celebration of Simon PR’s engagement with the City of Philadelphia on behalf of the 2010 Wawa Welcome America Festival, for the next week, Philly P.I. will be showcasing positive images from the enormous, free 11 day 4th of July Festival.

Yesterday the photographer was up close and personal with the “pastor of hip hop” Hezekiah Walker and his Love Fellowship Crusade Choir. Here Hezekiah Walker inspires the audience with his “Raise the Praise” concert at Penn’s Landing as part of Welcome America’s “Taste of Philadelphia,” which ran from Friday through Sunday. Hezekiah combined with the heat and humidity made this the hottest crowd in America.

-Lisa Simon, Photographer and Writer

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A Performance Tip

Busking -- the practice of performing in public places for tips or gratuities. Busker -- a person who is performing for tips.

Many corners in Philadelphia have Buskers. And while many are not very good performers, occasionally there are exceptionally good performers who are Busking.

On one weekend afternoon, there was a troupe of young adult Buskers performing in Philadelphia's Love Park. These performers were amazing, with their gravity defying acrobatics. Their leaps and break dancing showed precision and amazing skill.

So the next time you are out walking in Center City Philadelphia, look and listen for Buskers, especially in the parks. And if you find that occasional good performance, take a moment and enjoy the show.
- Steve Ehrlich, Photographer and Writer

reference Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking

Power of the Press

This sculpture located at JFK Boulevard and North Broad St., just outside Thomas Paine Plaza, depicts Benjamin Franklin in 1728 as a 22 year old printer. Franklin believed in the “power of the press.” The Pennsylvania Gazette and the annual Poor Richard’s Almanac were the most famous publications he printed.

Many people don’t know that Franklin’s successful print shop printed Pennsylvania’s first currency. By the late 1740s, Franklin had become one of the wealthiest colonists. Sculptor Joseph Brown, a 1931 Temple University grad, captured Franklin’s energy as a craftsman and entrepreneur, a most positive image of an iconic Philadelphian.

- Collaboration of Steve Ehrlich (photographer) and Lisa Simon (writer)

Philly P.I. Returns

As the blogosphere ebbs and flows so too did Simon PR’s Philly P.I. (Positive Image.) We’re now pleased to bring Philly P.I. back with an emphasis on the Image. Beginning today, Philly P.I. posts will feature positive images of our fair City accompanied by brief descriptions.

So, check out today’s beautiful skyline shot from New Jersey. It looks like the Spirit of Philadelphia is making a U-Turn. With calm waters and bright skies, this photo captures the calm of a recent weekend.

- Collaboration of Steve Ehrlich (photographer) and Lisa Simon (writer)

A Phestive Philadelphia Tradition

You can’t miss it. Garlands of pine spotted with brilliant red bows twist up street lamps; festive window displays are adorned with scarves, snowflakes, and sweaters; songs of the season echo throughout restaurants and retailers; and is it just me, or do we all have an extra bounce in our step, a wider smile on our face? The holidays are here, and with them come traditions, both old and new.

The annual holiday light show at Macy’s has been a Philadelphia tradition since 1955— and a Wertz/Sibley family tradition since 1981, when my grandparents and parents first bundled up my older sister for a three generation trip into the big city for the holiday light-and-sound spectacular in the historic Wanamaker building.

A tradition I was born into is still a tradition I look forward to each year. Our group has grown from two toddlers dressed in identical smocked dresses to herds of strollers as cousins joined, to awkward teens “forced” to attend, and now to young professionals and adults. With it, the wonder, magic, and appreciation have also grown as the ballerinas, toy soldiers, and reindeer dance to classic carols across the four-story screen boasting more than 100,000 LED lights.

Last year, a new Philadelphia, and Wertz/Sibley family, tradition emerged— the impressive and innovative Comcast Holiday Spectacular, a vivid holiday LED light show on one of the largest HDTVs in the world, located in the lobby of Philadelphia’s Comcast Center. The Nutcracker comes to life, ice skaters sweep across the screen, a children’s choir performs holiday favorites, and you embark on a souring journey over Philadelphia at night and through a snow-covered forest. The word on the street is this year’s show has even managed to top last year’s, as the spectacular is now in 3-D.

Establish your own tradition this year. Start at the Comcast Center with the futuristic Holiday Spectacular, then walk down JFK Boulevard, pass through City Hall— you can even stop at Dilworth Plaza on the west side of City Hall for the first Christmas Village—and for the finale, gaze in awe at the Macy’s Holiday Light Show that dates back half a century.

The two light shows combine to create a truly magical holiday experience and Philadelphia tradition, one that I hope to pass from generation to generation. Each season, as Santa arrives to hear wish lists, twinkling holiday lights are switched on, and the first snow begins to fall, I know it is time for another year, another light show, another memory.                                       -Meredith Wertz

Wonder Behind the Walls

Sean Kelly was one of my best employees ever: creative, engaged, articulate and energetic. So when he left the Prince Music Theater to make the Eastern State Penitentiary a tourist attraction, I knew that this forgotten Philadelphia landmark was in good hands.

Years later, I saw Sean on the History Channel and wondered what had become of America’s first prison designed specifically for penitence. This weekend I discovered the wonders of religion, architecture, sports and legend that are held behind those massive stone walls.

Envisioned by a group of Quakers who believed that jail was a place to inspire true regret, Eastern State’s legendary spoke and wheel design started with a design contest, with a $100 prize for the winning architect. The excellent audio tour, included with admission, offers 40 minutes of fascinating details like that one. You’ll also hear how prison guards wore socks over their shoes to maintain the atmosphere of total silence and that the single circular skylight in each cell was called the ‘eye of God.’

Venture through the maze of cellblocks and you discover stories of notable inmates. Sure, there’s Al Capone, whose cell sported a wood desk, silk lampshade and red bedspread.

There’s Slick Willie Sutton, the notorious bank robber. My personal favorite? Pep the Dog who was incarcerated for killing the Governor of Pennsylvania’s cat (no one could make up that one up!)

An avid baseball fan, I was intrigued with the story of how drugs were smuggled into the prison during the 1960s in baseballs hit over the stone wall and then thrown back by fans—or was it drug dealers?

Is Eastern State haunted? A stop on the audio tour whispers details that send a shiver down your back, even if it isn’t Halloween.

Open almost every day of the year, Eastern State Penitentiary is a fortress of discovery that will leave you wondering ‘how soon can we come back?’    -Bev Volpe