The Wanamaker Building Reawakens With a Series of Performances This Fall

Music fills the Wanamaker Building once again as Opera Philadelphia launches its “Pipe Up!” series. / Photograph by Ray Bailey

When Macy’s shut down its flagship Philadelphia store inside the Wanamaker Building earlier this year, it seemed like the end of an era for a space that had been a retail and cultural hub for more than a century. What would happen to the historic organ? What about the holiday traditions like the Light Show and Dickens Village? Won’t someone think of the Eagle?

Well, we answered some of that this past July: The holiday attractions will return for the 2025 season thanks to a fundraising campaign by the Philadelphia Visitor Center and the building’s owners, TF Cornerstone.

Crowd at the Wanamaker Building concert / Photograph by Laura Swartz

Until then, the Grand Court won’t sit quiet. Instead, the Wanamaker Building — and its legendary organ — will become the backdrop for a season of live art. Opera Philadelphia is spearheading the reactivation with “Pipe Up!,” a new performance series that will bring opera, dance, theater, cabaret, and visual art to the Wanamaker’s court.

Opera Philadelphia’s Anthony Roth Costanzo emcees the “Pipe Up!” debut concert at the Wanamaker Building. / Photograph by Ray Bailey

“We aim to remind Philadelphians that the Wanamaker Building belongs to them and make it the place to be,” said Anthony Roth Costanzo, general director and president of Opera Philadelphia, when he announced the series this summer.

Minghao Liu and Emilie Kealani perform a selection from Il viaggio a Reims at Opera Philadelphia’s “Pipe Up!” debut concert. / Photograph by Laura Swartz

This past weekend, we got a taste of what that will look like with the series’ two-hour debut showcase, “Meet Me at the Eagle” – a nod to the 2,500-pound sculpture that remains the centerpiece of the space.

The vast hall that once contained jewelry cases and shoe displays was now filled with chairs, a stage, and a packed “sold-out” crowd. (Tickets were free but went fast.)

The crowd files into the Wanamaker Building’s Grand Court for the first “Pipe Up!” performance. / Photograph by Ray Bailey

The afternoon was filled with classical music, opera, contemporary dance (thanks to BalletX), drag from the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, and a one-of-a-kind performance from FringeArts. (A clown defying gravity, dancing on a bike to Dido’s “White Flag” – you just had to be there.)

MK Korbisch represents FringeArts with her “Minky Rod” performance. / Photograph by Ray Bailey

As the Opera Philadelphia Chorus accompanied Peter Richard Conte’s organ rendition of “O Fortuna,” I couldn’t help but recall that the dramatic Carmina Burana piece was also one of Conte’s final songs when Macy’s was closing back in the spring. But now he’s not alone. And Opera Philadelphia is sticking around and bringing more music for weeks to come.

Peter Richard Conte at the Wanamaker Organ / Photograph by Ray Bailey

But first, FringeArts and The Bearded Ladies Cabaret will bring The Layaway, a cabaret series, to the Wanamaker Building during the Fringe Festival. Tucked in a hidden corner of the Wanamaker — the Greek Hall, which has its own organ! — the pop-up will run for six performances between September 13th and 28th. The lineup includes acoustic sets, organ pieces, “genderqueer tomfoolery,” and more. There are even family-friendly shows planned: On Sundays at 3 p.m., “The Kids Department” will bring interactive performance and playtime for little ones.

Bearded Ladies Cabaret’s Cookie Diorio performs a mashup of opera and Beyoncé. / Photograph by Ray Bailey

To quote the incomparable Cookie Diorio, who gave a jaw-dropping performance that blended opera and Beyoncé at this past Sunday’s concert, it promises “glitter and an abundance of queer joy.”

Later in the season, opera star Lawrence Brownlee will give a recital, and Grammy-nominated composer Nathalie Joachim — the company’s incoming composer in residence — will curate her own concert. Halloween and Christmas events are also in the works, along with art installations, organ concerts, and whatever else Opera Philadelphia can dream up with its creative partners.

Dancers from BalletX perform in the Wanamaker Building for “Pipe Up!” / Photograph by Ray Bailey

Opera Philadelphia tells us that most shows will follow their “Pick Your Price” ticketing model, where all seats are $11 or a higher price of your choosing; but that some will offer free admission. (The Layaway follows Fringe Festival’s pricing, with a limited number of $10 “Pay What You Can” seats — plus free admission for kids! — and $25 for regular-price tickets available.)

Stay tuned — we’ll be sure to update you when we have their full programming schedule.