A few weeks ago, Geekadelphia gave away tickets to Dorian’s Parlor, a monthly steampunk event held at the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Philly. I had been wanting to go for months, but this past October was the first time I actually got a chance to attend. I am now kicking myself for each Dorian’s Parlor that I missed.

Dorian’s Parlor is basically a once-a-month Victorian/steampunk nightclub, with a dash of fandom convention thrown in. The main ballroom has a full stage for the various bands that perform, along with a killer lighting and sound set up from production company Circuit Six. There are snacks, a bar, and tables set up inside, with real candlelight to set the mood.

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(L-R) Anthony Lawton as Tiger Brown and Scott Greer as Peachum in Arden Theatre Company’s production of The Threepenny Opera. Photo by Mark Garvin

The Threepenny Opera is a musical with a long and rich history. Not familiar with the show? Not to worry. I’m about to convince you to drop everything you’re doing and go get tickets to The Arden Theater’s production, which runs until November 7.

The Threepenny Opera is the tale of Mack the Knife (you’ve probably heard the song, all the crooners have done it at some point). Mack is a bad dude with a whole line of ladies clamoring for his affection. But Mack goes off and marries the daughter of Mr. Peachum, a man running an organized group of beggars in London. Mr. Peachum’s goal in life is now to see Mack hang for it. A giant cat and mouse game ensues. There are songs about the army, prostitutes, pirates, unwanted pregnancies, and more.

You really can’t go wrong with this one, and the Arden worked hard using an array of lighting technology to bring this show to life. Read up to learn how this show won over this geek.

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It goes without saying (in my opinion anyway), that the more traditional geekdoms are well represented here at Geekadelphia.

Every few hours we’re typically posting something about video games or science fiction. But seeing as how a geek is basically anyone who is inordinately passionate about a hobby or craft (at least by the broadest definition of the term), I want to use this post to reach out to the art geeks in Philly.

Not too long ago I had the pleasure of attending a special fundraiser event at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. You may have seen my previous post about it. But if not, I’ll give you a basic run down.

The “Gardens” are composed of a house and adjacent gated lot that have been tiled from floor to ceiling by the noted mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. The gated outdoor area is composed of various pathways, tunnels, and landings, which connect to the house. Even the bathrooms are tiled. Seriously. Some refer to the Magic Gardens as an art installation, some call it an environment, others refer to it as a gallery. I just think it’s cool as hell.

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Quirk Books, the company that brought you classics such as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, has just recently published Night of the Living Trekkies. The book became available on September 7, but if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can enter for a chance to win one here on Geekadelphia!

Here’s a quick breakdown the the book, as described by the publisher:

Jim Pike was the world’s biggest Star Trek fan – until two tours of duty in Afghanistan destroyed his faith in the human race. Now he sleepwalks through life as the assistant manager of a small hotel in downtown Houston.

But when hundreds of Trekkies arrive in his lobby for a science-fiction convention, Jim finds himself surrounded by costumed Klingons, Vulcans, and Ferengi – plus a strange virus that transforms its carriers into savage, flesh-eating zombies!

As bloody corpses stumble to life and the planet teeters on the brink of total apocalypse, Jim must deliver a ragtag crew of fanboys and fangirls to safety. Dressed in homemade uniforms and armed with prop phasers, their prime directive is to survive. But how long can they last in the ultimate no-win scenario?

To enter to win a copy of the book (along with a poster of the book’s cover), leave a comment about your favorite Star Trek character… and why you’d like to see them as a zombie. Contest entries will be accepted until the end of next week. The winner will be selected at random by Geekadelphia staff. Good luck!

Dorian’s Parlor is a monthly Steampunk event held at The Doubletree Hotel in Downtown Philadelphia. It’s not just a bunch of people dressed up in brass and leather either. There is music, food, fashion, vendors, and more.

For the October event, which is being held on the 16th, the performers include The Absinthe Drinkers, The Gypsy Nomads, Sidetracked’s Fire and Brimstone, and Little Miss Rollerhoops! Vendors include Mayfaire Moon Corsets, Culture Asylum Magazine, Freya’s Fire Jewelry, KVO Designs, The Vintage Shaving Shoppe, Spikes and Rings, and Dragonweave Jewelry.

Entry is $20, and it includes admission, drink ticket, and Hors D’oeuvres. However, you can WIN a pair of tickets to the October event, thanks to Dorian’s Parlor sponsor Circuit Six!

How you ask? Just post a comment below! We have two pairs to give away. We’ll choose two winners at random by October 12th 2010. Winners will be notified by e-mail. Good luck!

Dorian’s Parlor @ The Doubletree Hotel
237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, October 16th, 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Tickets: $20 (includes admission, drink ticket, and Hors D’oeuvres)
www.doriansparlor.com

Lindsay Stanley as a Zombie Vulcan, Photo by Michael Asplund

When the Geekadelphia crew was asked who wanted to read the new book Night of the Living Trekkies, I believe my response went something like, OMG WANT. You see, I’m a pretty hard core Trekkie. I have been since I was a kid. And although I can’t say I’m some kind of connoisseur of zombie films, I’ve seen enough to understand the clichés. It was clear, in my mind, that this was a book written just for me.

The book grabs you the moment you see the cover. It’s a zombified Vulcan holding a severed arm, drawn in a way that mirrors pulp magazines of old. I know “they” say not to judge a book by its cover, but in this case the cover perfectly sets up what is inside: a book about zombies and Star Trek that doesn’t take itself too seriously and is fun to read.

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Inside the Philadelphia Magic Gardens

One of my favorite places in the entire city is Philadelphia Magic Gardens. You won’t find any plants here though. Instead, you’ll discover an absolutely breathtaking art installation. The site features the work of famed mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, who has also done work all over Philadelphia. It’s a place that really must be seen to be believed.

You can help support these incredible works of art by participating in the Magic Beyond the Gardens Fall Fundraiser. The Magic Gardens will be offering two days worth of events that celebrate and showcase Zagar’s contributions to the city of Philadelphia.

The details for each of the events are after the jump!

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You didn’t travel down to Atlanta for Dragon*Con. Steampunk World’s Fair is months away. You’ve already raided Delicious Boutique for their latest Victorian fashions. What’s a Philly steampunk fan to do to satisfy their craving for all things brass and steam? Well, the answer is Dorian’s Parlor.

I know we’ve mentioned this incredibly cool event once before, but I wanted to remind all my fellow steampunkers that Dorian’s Parlor is a recurring monthly party, and that the date for September is this Saturday, September 11th!

The musical acts for the September event include The Gypsy Nomads and This Way to The Egress. There will be a fashion show featuring the designs of Renee Masoomian, and DJ Commodore Creazil will be spinning. There will also be belly dancing by Ak’ana and a performance by the White Elephant Burlesque Society. G.D. Falksen is the emcee, and Hugh Casey will be doing portrait photography.

What are you waiting for? Grab your goggles!

Dorian’s Parlor @ The Doubletree Hotel
237 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, September 11th, 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Tickets: $20 (includes admission, drink ticket, and Hors D’oeuvres)
www.doriansparlor.com

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy might be two of the most recognizable people from all of Star Trek, but Jeri Ryan isn’t too far behind them. Okay, you may not know her name right off the bat, but I’m sure you recognize the blonde bombshell Borg pictured above. Yeah, that’s her. Eyes back on the article now please. Thank you.

Anyway, Jeri Ryan, who played 7 of 9 on Star Trek: Voyager, is making a rather rare appearance at this year’s Official East Coast Star Trek Convention. It is being held at the Hilton Parsippany, in Parsippany, New Jersey on August 13 – 15. I know it is a bit of a hike from Philly, but totally worth it if you consider yourself a Trekkie, and it is a “must attend” event if you consider yourself a Voyager fan.

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Wow, that didn’t take long. Amid some very loud and public outcry, Blizzard has already changed its stance on the use of Real ID on their official forums. Just a few days ago I posted about the controversy here on Geekadelphia.

Everyone was talking about it, including high profile gamers like Tycho of Penny Arcade and Felicia Day. It seems all that talking and backlash has made a difference… sorta. Here’s a quote from the post by Blizzard’s CEO, Mike Morhaime:

I’d like to take some time to speak with all of you regarding our desire to make the Blizzard forums a better place for players to discuss our games. We’ve been constantly monitoring the feedback you’ve given us, as well as internally discussing your concerns about the use of real names on our forums. As a result of those discussions, we’ve decided at this time that real names will not be required for posting on official Blizzard forums.

But don’t expect Blizzard not to push forward with other aspects of Real ID and Battle.net integration. Morhaime’s comments in the third paragraph of his post make it pretty clear that they aren’t going to stop anytime soon. You can read the full statement here on the World of Warcraft forums.

7th Dimension Games is hosting a special pre-release tournament for Magic 2011, the latest core set for the Magic the Gathering collectible card game. Cards are not available for direct sale until July 15th, but players can get a sneak peak at the store’s special pre-release party on Sunday, July 11th.

At noon players can get their 7 booster packs, the promo card Sun Titan, and as many lands as they want. Players then open the packs and create a 40 card deck (the recommended size for a booster draft is 6 packs, but 7th Dimension Games will be using the 7th pack for thematic reasons). The store will be running a “Swiss tournament”, with probably 4 rounds (this will be based on head count). The entry fee for the tournament is $25. For each player that registers for the tournament, there will be 2 booster packs added to the prize pool. The top half of the tournie players will get at least one booster pack (exact counts determined by the head count).

And did I mention there’s free pizza involved?

7th Dimension Games is located at 1128 Easton Road, Rosyln, PA 19001. It is one block away from the Roslyn Train Station (take the R2 Warminster from Philadelphia, then walk north along Easton Road). The event begins at noon this Sunday, July 11th.

Magic the Gathering not your thing? 7th Dimension Games hosts weekly games of D&D Encounters, Legends of the 5 Rings, Blood Bowl, Flames of War, Call of Cthulhu, and more, along with several open gaming sessions. Visit 7thdimensiongames.com for a complete schedule.

Did you hear that? The sound of thousands of angry gamers crying out in unison? Blizzard Entertainment better batten down the hatches, because they have a virtual mob armed with pixel pitchforks headed their way.

Why? It’s all because of a “blue” (i.e., developer) post over on the official Blizzard forums about a key change about to take place. Blizzard is pushing through a significant upgrade to their account system called “Real ID” that will allow their customers to connect to each other across game factions, realms, etc. That doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Except that your Real ID will soon be your username on the Blizzard forums. And thus the angry mob was formed.

More after the jump!

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