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Signature Theatre’s Fiddler on the Roof is Joyful, Fiercely Funny and Robust
Fiddler on the Roof
Signature Theatre
Jordan Wright
November 14, 2025
 Douglas Sills (Tevye) with Lily Burka (Hodel), Beatrice Owens (Tzeitel), Mia Goodman (Shprintze), Rosie Jo Neddy (Chava), and Allison Mintz (Bielke) in Fiddler on the Roof at Signature Theatre. (Photo/Daniel Rader)
As you enter the MAX theatre, you’ll note a massive wooden table which fills nearly the entire stage for this production. Small benches surround it. There are no backdrops. No actual scenery. A wooden door claims a single corner. Soon you’ll come to realize it is a clear symbol of these small-town villagers – solid and ordinary. A sturdy table for gathering becomes a metaphor for their day-to-day lives as it changes form – reconfiguring in a myriad of clever ways to adapt to each scene. The musical opens as the large family enters covering its bare wood with a large, white linen tablecloth.
Winner of nine Tony Awards, Fiddler on the Roof is a tender and uplifting musical inspired by the Yiddish stories of Sholem Aleichem who wrote them at the turn of the 20th century. In this funny, wise and sweetly endearing folk tale set in the fictional Russian Jewish shetl Anatevka, we meet Tevye, a milkman; his homemaker wife Golde; and their five daughters; the rabbi, the ultimate authority on Jewish tradition; and Yente the Matchmaker, the Dolly Levi of arranged marriages, who has the final say on the bachelors the young women of the village will wed.
Alas, poor Tevye. Conflicted by the changing times, he faces a terrifying political climate and a cruel Czar, looming pogroms by the invading Nazis, Russian soldiers taking over the town, and the stringent religious laws laid down by the rabbi. Fiercely traditional in a paternalistic society, he struggles to rationalize his daughters’ unorthodox marital choices by speaking to God – his preferred pastime. “On the other hand, look at my daughter’s eyes,” he muses, justifying the adoration he sees for their unorthodox choices.
 Lily Burka (Hodel), Rosie Jo Neddy (Chava), and Beatrice Owens (Tzeitel). (Photo/Daniel Rader)
Unfortunately, his daughters’ love interests have not been determined by Yente, the unchallenged matchmaker for the women of the village. And in his conversations with God, Tevye vacillates between keeping tradition and pleasing his beloved daughters. “Without tradition our lives would be as shaky as the fiddler on the roof,” he warns as the haunting violin strains from the fiddler test his mettle.
In “Tevye’s Dream”, a nightmare sequence featuring the ghost of Fruma-Sarah, Lazar Wolf’s late wife, he finds a way to explain his quandary to Golde by how they can get around Yente’s choice of husbands for Tzeitel’s planned wedding to Lazar, the crusty, old butcher. Fruma-Sarah wouldn’t approve, he claims. “I realize we are the chosen people,” he tells God, “…but sometimes couldn’t you choose someone else.”
You’ll revel in “If I Were a Rich Man”, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, “Miracle of Miracles”, the tender “Do You Love Me?” and “Sunrise, Sunset” plus thirteen more numbers – all time-tested tunes we have come to love. Just don’t sing it out loud, though it’s tempting when you know all the words.
 Douglas Sills (Tevye), Jeremy Radin (Lazar Wolf), and the cast of Fiddler on the Roof. (Photo/Daniel Rader)
This endearingly embraceable story is further uplifted by the original choreography of Jerome Robbins drawn from authentic folkloric dances to include the joyful ‘bottle dance’. You’ll witness a very different Tevye from Zero Mostel’s well-known full-blown, over-the-top character. Played wonderfully here by Douglas Sills as Tevye. Evoking a more cerebral, subtler yet bolder Tevye with a wry comedic touch, his performance is a triumph.
I nearly passed on reviewing this production since I’ve seen it a dozen times or more with numerous family members in leading roles. Yet, with its intimate staging and superb direction by Joe Calarco, plus a cast seamlessly in sync, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
Highly recommended whether you’ve seen it once or a hundred times. Joyful, touching and robust, winner of nine Tony Awards, Fiddler is the classic that appeals to every generation.
 The cast of Fiddler on the Roof. (Photo/Christopher Mueller)
Book by Joseph Stein; music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick; musical director and conductor Jon Kalbfleisch with a 10-piece orchestra; choreographed by Sarah Parker; dramaturgs Jen Jacobs and Dani Stoller; scenic design by Misha Kachman; costume design by Ivania Stack; lighting design by Tyler Micoleau; sound design by Eric Norris; wig design by Anne Nesmith; fight choreography by Casey Kaleba.
Starring Douglas Sills as Tevye; Amie Bermowitz as Golde; Beatrice Owens as Tzeitel; Susan Rome as Yente and Grandma Tzeitel; Lily Burka as Hodel; Rosie Jo Neddy as Chava; Allison Mintz as Bielke; Mia Goodman as Shprintze; Jake Lowenthal as Motel; Ariel Neydavoud as Perchik; Jeremy Radkin as Lazar Wolf; Christopher Bloch as Rabbi; Sarah Corey as Fruma-Sarah and Shaindel; Alex Stone as Fyedka; Davis Wood as Constable; Stephen Russell Murray as Mendel as well as serving as Fight Captain; Reagan Pender as Avram as well as serving as Dance Captain; Joseph Fierberg as Mordcha.
Through January 26th at Signature Theatre in Shirlington Village, 4200 Campbell Street, Arlington, VA. For tickets and information call the box office at 703.820.9771 or visit www.SigTheatre.org
What’s Onstage in the DMV
For December 2025 – January 2026
Jordan Wright
November 17, 2025
 The touring company of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. (Photo/Jeremy Daniel)
Broadway at the National
Some Like It Hot – November 25-Dec 7
Water for Elephants – Dec 9
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Musical – Dec 30
www.TicketMaster.com
Workhouse Arts Center Into the Woods Dec 20-Jan 25
www.WorkhouseArts.org
Folger Consort Concert Series Resplendent Joy: Christmas Traditions from Spain and Portugal
Dec 5-14 www.Folger.edu
Everyman Theatre Deceived Nov 30-Jan 4 www.EverymanTheatre.org
Shakespeare Theatre Company Guys and Dolls – Dec 2-Jan 4
www.ShakespeareTheatre.org
 Irish Carol via Keegan Theatre
Keegan Theatre An Irish Carol Dec 11-28 www.KeeganTheatre.com
Olney Theatre Hello Dolly! – Nov 6-Jan 4 www.OlneyTheatre.org
IN Series The Delta King’s Blues
Dec 6, 7, 12 & 13 www.INSeries.org
1st Stage Birthday Candles Dec 4-21 www.1stStage.org
 Imperfect Allies: Children of Opposite Sides via Voices Festival Productions
Voices Festival Productions Imperfect Allies: Children of
Opposite Sides Dec 11-14 www.VoicesFestivalProductions.com
Signature Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof through Jan 25
In Clay Dec 9-Feb 1 www.SigTheatre.org
Ford’s Theatre A Christmas Carol
through Dec 31 www.MyFords.org
Arena Stage Step Afrika’s Magical Musical
Holiday Step Show Dec 5-21 www.ArenaStage.org
MetroStage A Christmas in Wales
Dec 16 and 17 www.MetroStage.org
 Madeline’s Christmas via Creative Cauldron
Creative Cauldron Madeline’s Christmas Dec 5-21 www.CreativeCauldron.org
Silver Spring Stage A Christmas Carol Dec 12-21 www.SilverStage.org
Adventure Theatre Frosty the Snowman Nov 28-Jan 11 www.AdventureTheatre-MITC.org
NextStop Theatre Company Under the Tree – A Furry Take on
the Nutcracker Dec 5-14 www.NextStopTheatre.org
Studio Theatre Mother Play: A Play in Five Evictions
through Dec 21 www.StudioTheatre.org
Port Tobacco Players Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat Nov 21-Dec 14 www.PTPlayers.com
 Chanukah in the Dark via Theatre J
Theatre J Chanukah in the Dark Dec 6-25 www.EDCJCC.org
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Ho Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha Ha
through Dec 21 www.WoollyMammoth.net
The Hippodrome Theatre A Christmas Carol Dec 6-21
www.TheHipp.org
Gaithersburg Arts Barn Best Hanukkah Show Ever!
Nov 28-Dec 14 www.GaithersburgMD.gov
Colonial Players A Christmas Carol Nov 28-Dec 14 www.ColonialPlayers.org
Toby’s Dinner Theatre Elf
through Jan 4 www.TobysDinnerTheatre.com
 A Christmas Carol via The Little Theatre of Alexandria
The Little Theatre of Alexandria A Christmas Carol Dec 6-Jan 4
www.TheLittleTheatre.com
Imagination Stage The Snowman and the Snowdog
Nov 22-Jan 4 www.ImaginationStage.org
Round House Theatre Rules for Living Dec 3-Jan 4 www.RoundHouseTheatre.org
Providence Players of Fairfax A Sherlock Carol Dec 12-21
www.ProvidencePlayers.org
 A Case for the Existence of God via Mosaic Theatre
Mosaic Theatre A Case for the Existence of God
through Dec 14 www.AtlasArts.org
Kennedy Center Monty Python’s Spamalot Dec 16-Jan 4 www.Kennedy-Center.org
The Puppet Co. The Nutcracker Nov 28-Dec 31 www.thepuppetco.org
Synetic Theatre Reimagines Frankenstein And Prometheus With Five Star Performances
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Synetic Theater
Jordan Wright
November 5, 2025
 Alex Mills (Prometheus), Vato Tsikurishvili (The Creature), and Maryam Najafzada (Gaia) in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus at Synetic Theater. (Photo/Katerina Kato)
In a wonderfully dark and explosive drama, Synetic Theater yet again reinvents theatre’s dynamic with their unique form of physical theatre. No other companies compare. The entire production is wordless – a style their audiences are quite familiar with. This iconic Georgian troupe stands alone in combining mime, originality, creativity, artistry, costume design, music, sound FX, and physicality. I’ve been reviewing their productions for over a decade and this one was jaw-dropping.
Celebrating their 24th year with Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus in a story that requires no specific holiday, Director and Synetic Theater Co-Founder Paata Tsikurishvili and Resident Dramaturg/Adaptor Nathan Weinberger have breathed new life into Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s familiar Gothic creation myth. The title is the original title from Shelley’s book.
 Alex Mills (Prometheus) with the Synetic Ensemble. (Photo/Katerina Kato)
Synetic’s reimagining of Frankenstein paired with the myth of Prometheus feels like stepping into a classic Victorian Era painting peopled with characters torn from the artistry of the painter Hieronymus Bosch, the sculptor Hans Mueck and the author Charles Dickens. It’s fascinating. In this telling, pathos is paired with horror and grief while science wrangles with the vagaries of humanity in a world without empathy to reflect the broader human dilemma.
Prometheus, played brilliantly by Alex Mills in a riveting performance, along with his wife Gaia played poignantly by the sylph-like beauty Maryam Najafzada, and a roving band of survivors survive a terrible storm in the Caucus mountains. Their baby is killed and she is blinded. Prometheus climbs the ice-covered mountains and discovers fire using its power to create The Creature played by the inimitable Vato Tsikurishvili in the performance of a lifetime. Phillip Fletcher, another longtime Synetic troupe member, plays Fire.
 Vato Tsikurishvili (The Creature) and Alex Mills (Prometheus). (Photo/Katerina Kato)
There are explosive fight scenes as the gang challenges The Creature, I thought of Picasso’s anti-war painting, “Guernica”, in its grotesque depiction of war. As we have come to expect from this troupe’s dazzling performances, there are mind-blowing displays of sheer physicality, intricately choreographed dance, gravity-defying leaps and flips and classic pantomime. All the action is set to experimental electronica and CG Sound FX by the incomparable sound wizard, Koki Lortkipanidze.
The entirety of this cast is outstanding in every respect. The production redefines acting as both an intensely physical and dramatically interpretive design that requires a unique kind of performer – one classically trained in ballet and acrobatics, and in top physical condition. Every cast member fits that requirement.
I was utterly blown away by the fearless athleticism expressed by this cast as well as the talents of its Choreographer and the troupe’s Co-founder Irina Tsikurishvili and Fight Choreographer Vato Tsikurishvili whose unforgettable portrayal of The Monster is sheer genius. Vato’s massive size and glowing bald head belie his jaw-dropping abilities in the fight scenes, but even more so in the heights he reaches with his leaps, tumbles and lifts in his tender scenes with Gaia. His unparalleled mime skills, and frankly, his entire performance, deserve a Helen Hayes Award.
 Maryam Najafzada (Gaia) and Vato Tsikurishvili (The Creature). (Photo/Katerina Kato)
The super amazing ensemble includes Tony Amante, Stella Bunch, Natan-Maël Gray, Liam Klopfenstein and Kaitlyn Shifflett.
Assistant Composer/Sound Design by Aaron Kan; Scenic and Props Design by Phil Charlwood; Costume Design by Erik Teague; Lighting Design by Brian S. Allard; Projections Design by Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor.
Highly recommended!!!
Through November 23rd at the Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre, 125 South Old Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22204. For tickets and information visit www.SyneticTheater.org
Simon Godwin Directs Ibsen’s Seldom Produced Psychological Drama The Wild Duck at the Shakespeare Theatre Company
The Wild Duck
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
October 24, 2025
Special to The Zebra
 Maaike Laanstra-Corn (Hedwig), David Patrick Kelly (Old Ekdal), Nick Westrate (Hjalmar Ekdal), Melanie Field (Gina Ekdal), Alexander Hurt (Gregers Werle) in The Wild Duck (Photo/Gerry Goodstein)
Seeing Henrik Ibsen’s play The Wild Duck was a first for me and, according to director Simon Goodwin, it is rarely produced, though its impact ushered in a new dynamic in realism in the theatre. Its portrayal of edgily complicated family life was a groundbreaking concept in the Victorian era. Known in the late 19th century as “Modern Drama”, Ibsen’s work affected and inspired playwrights such as August Strindberg, Anton Chekhov and George Bernard Shaw who wrote in 1887, “Where shall I find an epithet magnificent enough for The Wild Duck... to look on with horror and pity at a profound tragedy, shaking with laughter all the time at an irresistible comedy…”
The innovative nature of such a play for its time, The Wild Duck reveals the uncomfortable complexities and sticky realities of family life. The drama blends seamlessly with irony and humor as it meets at the intersection of an upper-class family and a working-class family whose sons have become close friends. Gregers Werle, scion of a wealthy family, and Hjalmar, a family portrait photographer is married to Gina, a former housekeeper to Gregers’s father. The men have known each other since childhood and reunite at a dinner party at the lavish home of the Werle family.
As he is aging, Gregers’s father, the widower Hakon Werle, expects his son to take over the sawmill business. But Gregers, turns him down, accusing him of being cruel to Hjalmar’s family. Meanwhile, the lively Mrs. Berthe Sørby is being courted by Hakon with an eye to marriage. At the party, Hjalmar’s father, the elder Ekdal, an employee of the sawmill, suddenly appears. He is shunned by his son who is embarrassed by his rough appearance and is shown the door. We soon learn there are scandalous family secrets, reputations to be restored, and evil undercurrents in both families that will be revealed. With all the twists and turns and shocking revelations, this psychological drama is akin to a Hitchcock movie!
 Alexander Hurt (Gregers Werle) and Nick Westrate (Hjalmar Ekdal). (Photo/Gerry Goodstein)
Gina, Hjalmar, the couple’s young daughter, the sweet and precocious, Hedwig, and the old man, an avid hunter, live in the Ekdal home cum photography studio. They keep a menagerie of pigeons, chickens, rabbits and Hedwig’s beloved wild duck in a loft. Rescued by her grandfather, the wild duck is a Nordic symbol from folklore as the only creature at home in sea, sky and on earth.
Self-exiled from the family home, the piously manipulative Gregers, on a treacherous mission to reveal a difficult truth, comes to live with the Werle family and sets in motion a horror that cannot be undone. “You have a poison in you,” Gregers admonishes Hjalmar whose growing madness threatens his entire family. “Chronic righteousness is a national disease,” Relling warns Gregers. All this in the first act! The second act quickly becomes everyone’s undoing, though I won’t spoil it for my readers.
Faultless performances and keen direction from an experienced hand, grace this uniquely haunting Ibsen play.
 David Patrick Kelly (Old Ekdal), Maaike Laanstra-Corn (Hedwig), Melanie Field (Gina Ekdal)*, and Robert Stanton (Hakon Werle). (Photos by Gerry Goodstein* and Hollis King)
With Alexander Hurt as Gregers Werle; Robert Stanton as Hakon Werle; Nick Westrate as Hjalmar Ekdal; Melanie Field as Gina Ekdal; Mahira Kakkar as Mrs. Sørby; Maaike Laanstra-Corn as Hedwig; David Patrick Kelly as Old Ekdal; Alexander Sovronsky as Jensen; Bobby Plasencia as Mr. Flor; Matthew Saldivar as Relling/Captain Balle; and Katie Broad as Peterson.
Adapted by David Eldridge; Scenic Design by Andrew Boyce; Costume Design by Heather C. Freedman; Lighting Design by Stacey Derosier; Sound Design by Darron L. West; Production Dramaturg, Jonathan Kalb; Wig & Hair Design by Satellite Wigs, Inc.
Through November 16th at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
You’ll Laugh, You’ll Cry with the Families of Fremont Ave. at Arena Stage
Fremont Ave.
Arena Stage
Jordan Wright
October 21, 2025
 Bradley Gibson (George/Robert/Joseph), Stanley Andrew Jackson (Walter), Wildlin Pierrevil (Frank), and Jeffrey Rashad (Tony) in Fremont Ave. at Arena Stage. (Photo/Marc J. Franklin)
Reflect on any TV all-Black cast comedy series, then go deep, then deeper. In a richly complex and cleverly funny three-generational play, we meet George, a newly rich, music therapist with a PhD living in his mid-century modern home. It’s 1968 and George is living alone. He’s interviewing a woman in his living room, barely furnished save for an upright piano. During an overly familiar conversation (Audrey is there for a housekeeping position), he tells her his personal story and propositions her. Audrey tells him she’s married with a son, and he lets it drop… temporarily. He plays “Blue Skies” for her, and they cuddle. Things happen quickly. He hires her, she divorces her husband and marries George. There are three acts and three generations to follow, so it all kicks off with a bang.
Playwright Reggie D. White, who is also the Senior Director of Artistic Strategy and Impact at Arena Stage under Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif, wrote Fremont Ave. based on conversations with his own family. It is raw, humorous, honest and believable – a real-life reflection of one family living in a Southern California suburb and a truth-telling world premiere production affording an insightful glimpse into the impossible struggles and indelible bonding within these African American families.
When the next generation appears, we are introduced to four young Black lawyers who speak in street jive when they hang out together. George’s stepson, Robert, plus the children of George’s friends and family who have become best friends. As they convene, they reference Loving v. Virginia – the seminal civil rights case in which bans on interracial marriage were found to be unconstitutional – and news of the Rodney King beating comes on the radio. The political references hit hard, and you begin to sense both the stresses and successes in their young lives.
 Jeffrey Rashad (Tony) and Wildlin Pierrevil (Frank). (Photo/Marc J. Franklin)
As the music switches to Rap, the men drink, play cards, trash talk and dance to the latest hits. Robert is despondent. He has failed to pass the bar exam – nine times – and he feels he is letting down his father as well as his friends. Interspersed with the hilarity and the drama are musical snippets reflecting each generation. These transitions mirror the changing cultures and each generation’s tastes. From George composing on the piano or playing the hits to serenade Audrey, to the men breakdancing to the sounds from a boombox in the 1990’s, to the youngest generation busting moves in the 2020’s.
In the final act, when the third generation is introduced, we meet Damon, Walter’s son and Joseph’s significant other. They fight and love and stretch the dynamic to the nth degree. It’s explosive, raw, R-rated and wildly hilarious as the three generations assemble to show wisdom, tolerance, acceptance and faith.
There are fine performances by the entire cast who infuse their characters with distinctly engaging personalities. I wished Audrey’s character had a greater part – Jerrika Hinton was terrific. Credit to the brilliant direction of Lili-Anne Brown for this seminal piece.
 Bradley Gibson (George/Robert/Joseph), Doug Brown (Older George), Kevin Mambo (Older Robert), and Galen J. Williams (Damon). (Photo/Marc J. Franklin)
This flawless cast stars Bradley Gibson as George/Robert/Joseph; Jerrika Hinton as Audrey/Voice of Hazel; Wildlin Pierrevil as Frank; Jeffrey Rashad as Tony; Stanley Andrew Jackson as Walter; Doug Brown as Older George; Kevin Mambo as Older Robert; Galen J. Williams as Damon.
Directed by Lili-Anne Brown; Set Design by Tim Mackabee; Costume Design by Jos N. Banks; Lighting Design by Kathy A. Perkins; Original Music and Sound Design by André Pluess; Wig and Hair Design by LaShawn Melton; Assistant Director and Intimacy Consultant, Greg Geffrard. Original Song “Somewhere Someone’s Waiting Just for You” by George R. Plick, Sr.
A conversation for the ages. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll identify with these real-life personal stories.
Through November 23rd at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, DC. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.488.3300 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.
Holidays Sparkle in the Brandywine Valley
Chester County’s Brandywine Valley
October 12, 2025
Jordan Wright
 A Longwood Christmas in the East Conservatory. (Photo/Becca Mathias) In anticipation of an exciting holiday season and with plans to visit the new conservatory and fine dining restaurant at the spectacular Longwood Gardens, we motored north to Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley. Dubbed “America’s Garden Capitol”, the area’s riches boast lavish gardens on huge estates and opulent mansions filled with fine antiques, an impressive collection of Wyeth family paintings and drawings housed in a historic mill along a meandering stream, and destination dining featuring all manner of delicious mushroom dishes from the nation’s “Mushroom Capital”. Driving up from the DMV we took the scenic route past blink-and-you’ll-miss-it villages, cornfields as far as the eye can see, and horses grazing idly on lush pastures. A bucolic drive through the area’s heartland became our introduction to the valley’s hidden treasures.
Our centrally located hotel was the recently renovated Hilton Garden Inn Kennett Square. The hotel has an indoor pool, free parking, a fitness center, and a lively lobby bar. You can have a full breakfast before heading out. It’s a five-minute drive to the palatial Longwood Gardens. www.HiltonGardenInn.com
Plan Your Tours
The Brandywine Museum of Art in Chadds Ford showcases an extensive collection from the renowned Wyeth family of American artists and their contemporaries, The museum owns over 7,000 works by N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth and special exhibits run throughout the year. Notable local artist, Jerrell Gibbs’ “No Solace in the Shade”, exploring Black life in America, runs through March 1, 2026.
Housed in a beautifully restored mill with modern exhibit space, the galleries overlook a meandering stream – perfect for picnics and strolling. An onsite café serves casual fare in the courtyard. Opening soon is the round barn in Wilmington, DE on Jamie Wyeth’s property. It will display N. C. Wyeth’s colossal mural, “Apotheosis of the Family”. Nineteen by sixty feet long, it was created in 1932 and not seen for decades. Taking a separate tour of N. C. Wyeth’s studio and home are also worth the time invested. www.BrandywineMuseum.org
At the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair top riders go through their paces while you leisurely watch from the grandstands. Autumn marks the Devon Fall Classic and the end of the season for this tony equestrian destination while spring and summer are the height of the season. Be sure to check out the many small shops for fox hunting themed accoutrements, chic men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, and bespoke equine-related gifts. www.DevonHorseShow.net
 Going through their paces at the Devon Horse Show. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
 The “Reimagined” shop at Devon. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
I’ve always wanted to visit Chanticleer. Situated in nearby Wayne this 1913 home and gardens are not as grandiose as the Dupont homes and on a far smaller scale, nevertheless the house and gardens are beautifully curated and feature an abundance of both native and tropical plants in a naturalized setting. Small garden vignettes add to the charm of this Impressionist fantasy where artists gather to paint the scenery throughout a series of 14 “garden rooms”. Paths lead to surprises at every turn – water gardens, unique tropical plants, and trellises flush with flowering vines. Creative container gardens and a stone “ruin folly” interplay with wildly colorful gardens presenting a huge wow factor. Chanticleer is greatly admired for its large variety of flora among both American and British gardeners. www.ChanticleerGarden.org
 Late afternoon shadows on palm trees at the entrance to Chanticleer. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
 One of the 14 “Garden Rooms” at Chanticleer. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
Longwood Gardens’ grandeur is breathtaking. A former Dupont estate in Kennett Square, its horticultural splendors rival the great manor house gardens of Ireland, France and Great Britain. Fashioned after formal French gardens, they conjure up the achievements of André Le Notre, designer of the gardens of Versailles and the Tuileries in Paris. The 1,000-acre estate features lakes, two glass conservatories with exotic plants, an orchid room with waterfall, hedge-lined paths (think “Bridgerton”) and more than 10,000 species of plants. View the formal dancing fountains set to classical music from benches or chairs set out in front of the conservatory. Also onsite is the beautiful 18th century Peirce-du Pont House. Featuring a small conservatory, a bowling alley and a glass-bottomed fish pond, it will also be decorated during the Christmas season.
Considered one of the world’s finest gardens, Longwood is a highlight of the holiday season, its eye-popping Christmas light display runs from November 21, 2025 through January 11, 2026. Experience a winter wonderland of hundreds of thousands of lights, glorious theme-decorated Christmas trees, the East Conservatory with its paths of snow, poinsettias galore, a mini-train railway and so much more. Book now for timed entries. www.LongwoodGardens.org
 A Retro Christmas at Longwood Gardens. (Photo/Harold A Davis)
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is another grand Dupont estate. The home is certain to thrill those appreciative of the American decorative arts as the home showcases the world’s most significant collection. With over a thousand acres of gardens and farmland, take the narrated tram tour to view the palatial property’s many highlights which you can return to at your leisure. A self-paced house tour affords a more intimate study of the myriads of treasures on view. Good to know: the property offers complimentary wheelchairs, walkers and strollers.
We caught the groundbreaking exhibit “Almost Unknown, The Afric-American Picture Gallery” offering a wide range of paintings, books and sculptures inspired by a 19th century essay by free Black journalist William J. Wilson. It runs through January 4, 2026 and uses text, light and sound for a super unique experience.
 Sculpture from “Almost Unknown, The Afric-American Picture Gallery” exhibit. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
Shopping kicks off with the “Holiday Market”. Chock-a-block with artisanal crafts, seasonal treats and warm beverages, this one-day event is on November 22nd dovetailing with “Yuletide at Winterthur” a cornucopia of Christmas decorations, glittering outdoor lights and a candlelit mansion with a gingerbread house and 18-room dollhouse. It runs from November 18th till January 4th 2026. Check the website for tour times and evening visits and enjoy the Visitor Café – open for dinner and offering specialty cocktails and firepits on the patio. www.Winterthur.org
 One of the decorated rooms for the holidays at Winterthur. (Photo/Anthony Sinagoga)
Nemours mansion and its French-inspired gardens in nearby Wilmington, DE can easily be added to your list of must-sees. Another notable Dupont estate, it affords an up-close-and-personal tour of life in a 77-room mansion from the antiques-filled main floor to below stairs where servants lived and lavish meals were made. The destination property has its own light-filled Christmas celebration “Noël at Nemours”. www.NemoursEstate.org
 Nemours Estate Holidays. (Photo courtesy of Chester County’s Brandywine Valley)
 A Nemours Christmas. (Photo/Will Swan) Dining
One of my favorite destinations is Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills. The bespoke shop and garden center features a café housed in an expansive greenhouse. Stained glass windows tint the sunlight on hanging baskets of staghorn ferns and seasonal flowers. They’re known for their creamy mushroom soup, but there are plenty of delicious seasonal dishes to satisfy all palates. www.Styers.ShopTerrain.com
 Terrain at Styer’s café. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
 Autumnal display in the gift shop at Terrain at Styer’s. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
Will’s + Bill’s Brewery and restaurant in Berwyn is a father + son collaboration serving excellent gastropub cuisine. An inspired menu reflected seasonal fare with dishes like butternut squash soup, irresistible truffle fries, burrata + beets salad topped with pistachios, fresh oysters, curried Prince Edward Island mussels, bowls and burgers and full-on entrees. Try their ‘Shakespeare’s Pie’ a short rib and lamb-based meat pie chock-a-block with vegetables and, of course, their brews. www.Wills-Bills.com
Portobello’s – the name says it all. An intimate, chef-driven spot in the heart of Kennett Square featuring an extensive wine list, Mid-Atlantic sourced seafood and creative mushroom-inspired dishes and where I discovered two unforgettable dishes – a complimentary mushroom hummus and their Mushroom en Cocotte made with portobello mushrooms, raclette cheese, leeks, garlic, herbs and caraway crostini. In pleasant weather a wall of windows opens onto the charming street scene. www.PortobellosofKennettSquare.com
 Mushroom en cocotte at Portobello’s in Kennett Square. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
 Portobello’s open windows on a balmy night. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
Housed in the historic Chadds Ford Inn, Brandywine Prime is an upscale restaurant with a popular bar scene. Think special occasion or date night at this DiRōna-awarded spot with a wide-ranging menu from seafood to burgers to Wagyu steak and offering local Murray Farm’s chicken. Locally sourced cheeses and a raw bar sampler complement a well-curated wine list. www.BrandywinePrime.com
 Charbroiled halibut with smoked olive oil poached shrimp at Brandywine Prime. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
The pièce de résistance is the newly re-imagined 1906 restaurant at Longwood Gardens. A beautiful, flower-filled restaurant bathed in sunlight and serving haute cuisine with dramatic views of the fountains, its picture- perfect dishes shimmered in the afternoon light as we feasted on lobster omelettes and caviar-topped liver mousse. Reservations far in advance are necessary to secure a table for this unique culinary experience. www.LongwoodGardens.org
 The newly re-imagined 1906 restaurant at Longwood. (Photo/Albert Vecerka/Esto)
 A seasonal dessert at 1906. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
For more information, and to plan your stay, visit www.BrandywineValley.com
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