Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 45
Westmoreland-based Derek Woods Band wins national music awardVideo
“I really didn’t see that coming,” said musician Derek Woods about winning an award at Wednesday’s Hollywood Music in Media Awards. The Westmoreland-based Derek Woods Band took honors for Americana/Folk/Singer Songwriter Song of the Year for “Unforgiving Tree” during a livestreamed program that Woods and his band mates watched from...
Greasepaint Players’ ‘Beauty and the Beast Jr.’ plans livestream, live audience
Greensburg Civic Theatre’s Greasepaint Players are working on a production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” to play for both livestream and in-person audiences. About having a live audience, director Becky Ziegler Koch said, “People might say, ‘Why are you doing this now?’ But we thought it was important to...
Black artists’ work creates ‘constellation’ in Downtown Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh-based fashion designer Tereneh Idia says she’s been thinking about constellations since visiting the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. “I’ve been obsessed with the idea of how constellations are made and how we identify constellations in space,” she said. “I saw that there are peoples of these countries...
Annual orchid and tropical bonsai show opens at Phipps ConservatoryVideo
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens added “A Splash of Brilliance” to the drab winter landscape with the opening of its annual orchid and tropical bonsai show, highlighting specimens from two of its renowned collections. “Our orchids are displayed in a variety of new and exciting ways this year to resemble...
Things to do in Western Pa.
Looking for some home renovation or decor ideas? Head down to the Washington County Fairgrounds for the annual Washington County Home Show. Have a short story idea rattling around your head? It might be a fit for Parsec Ink’s annual speculative fiction writing contest. Wondering how writers for the “The...
The Westmoreland’s recent acquisitions bolster permanent collection
There is a story behind every piece of art acquired by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Doug Evans, the museum’s director of collections and exhibition management, is the keeper of many of those stories — some that he can share and others he can’t. One shareable story concerns an...
The Palace Theatre’s VIP livestream concerts showcase local, original music
For Lindsay Dragan, the best part of being a musician is playing in front of a crowd. “That’s when I feel most alive,” she said. There hasn’t been much opportunity for that in the past year, but Dragan and her Pittsburgh-based band at least will be able to get onstage...
Santa lookalike from Robinson vies for prizes on ‘Let’s Make a Deal’
Check out the Santa Claus lookalike on the Jan. 29 episode of “Let’s Make a Deal.” That’s Michael Murray of Robinson, vying for big prizes on the long-running game show, airing at 10 a.m. on CBS. Murray teaches health and physical education to Pittsburgh Public Schools students from kindergarten through...
10 movie favorites starring PittsburghVideo
What makes Pittsburgh such an attractive movie location? Tax credits for film companies are just the beginning, says Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. “We have such a diversity of locations. Pittsburgh can look like any place in the world,” she says. “The only things we don’t have...
City Theatre films singer Jill Sobule’s tale of middle-school angst
Middle school is a tough gig — just ask singer/songwriter Jill Sobule. She poured her experiences into a musical called “F*ck7thGrade” that was presented in its initial form in Pittsburgh at City Theatre Company’s 2018 Momentum Festival of New Plays. Now, City Theatre will premiere a concert film of the...
Where to eat during Greensburg Restaurant Week
This time around, you won’t have to wait until dinner to enjoy a Greensburg Restaurant Week deal. For the first time, there will be breakfast and lunch options, courtesy of first-time participants Yumzio Bistro and South Greensburg Restaurant. Olives and Peppers at the Greensburg Train Station is the third new...
Greensburg little food pantries get lots of winter usage
People tend to stay indoors more in the winter, but Rick Steele is hoping folks will take a walk to one of Greensburg’s three little food pantries to drop off a few supplies. The need is just as great in cold weather as it is in warm weather, said Steele,...
Westmoreland City artist finds beauty in everyday, recycled materials
Everyday objects and recycled materials are the foundation of works by Nicole Chmel Brown, in the first art exhibit of 2021 in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. “The materials I use in my art are recycled objects such as wood, wire, beads, washers, cardboard, toothpicks,” said the Westmoreland City...
Things to do in Western Pa.
Paint outdoors with the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley, or make a Valentine shadowbox at home with The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Learn about ongoing preservation efforts at Fallingwater or the history of the world’s largest architectural plaster cast in Carnegie Museum of Art’s Hall of...
New director comes to Latrobe Art Center from job at Bushy Run
There’s a debate in business circles on whether it’s good or bad to be the first to interview for a job, but being number one worked for Michael Tusay — the new executive director at Latrobe Art Center. “He was actually our first in-person interview,” board member Katie Miller said....
Greensburg Art Center members follow ‘Vision’ for new exhibitionVideo
The state of the world is the inspiration for the upcoming member exhibition at Greensburg Art Center. “We decided that, with the way the world is right now, all of our institutions are being challenged to make things work,” exhibition chairwoman Rosemary Sovyak said. What everyone needs, she said, is...
National Aviary offering in-person, virtual programming
Travel may not be an option right now because of the coronavirus, but visiting the National Aviary can make you feel like you’re on a tropical retreat, said Jennifer Torpie, the aviary’s curator of education and public programs. The aviary’s in-person and virtual programming allows visitors to see unusual bird...
Irwin gallery exhibit says ‘check yourself’ for mental health struggles
Kade Ellinger is using personal experience with depression and anxiety — along with his artistic talents — in the hope of sparking a conversation about mental and emotional health. His exhibit, “Chiggity-Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself,” is showing through February at Feathers Artist Market and Gifts in Irwin. “Check...
Carnegie Museum of Natural History offers new virtual field trips
The popular “Dinosaur Armor” exhibition is one of four virtual field trips now being offered by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, joining the museum’s growing library of virtual experiences. The experiences are available to individuals and educators, with more products slated in coming months to meet growing demand for...
Somerset Fire & Ice Festival to feature self-guided activities this weekend
“Roaring ’20s Rise Again” is the theme of the 26th Annual Fire & Ice Festival, beginning Friday in Somerset — although organizers say the word “Festival” is being swapped for “Showcase” to better describe this year’s activities. “This year will be simple, classic, charming and all outdoors,” said Regina Coughenour,...
Pittsburgh Opera postpones 1st-ever staging of Handel’s ‘Semele’
Pittsburgh Opera has postponed its first-ever production of George Frideric Handel’s “Semele” from February to May. The move was made “in response to ongoing covid-19 concerns, including high cases in Allegheny County and the slower-than-hoped-for vaccine rollout,” the opera said. “Semele” will be performed on six dates, May 8-20, at...
Tylers Bakery & Cafe brings bubble tea, kombucha on tap to LigonierVideo
Have you ever strolled the streets of Ligonier, thinking, “I could really go for a bubble tea right now”? Until recently, you might have been out of luck — but now you can stroll up East Main Street to Tylers Bakery & Cafe to satisfy your craving. The eatery specializes...
Ligonier Ice Fest to celebrate ’30 years of cool fun’
This year’s Ligonier Ice Fest will celebrate “30 years of cool fun,” said event chair Cindy Purnell. The frozen festivities are scheduled for Jan. 23-24 in Ligonier Diamond Park and the surrounding downtown area. Whether it’s 7 degrees or 70, Purnell said, the event will have all the visitor favorite...
Greensburg Restaurant Week will showcase dine-in, takeout options
Greensburg-area eateries are cooking up special menus for Greensburg Restaurant Week, scheduled for Jan. 25-31. About 20 restaurants are expected to participate, according to Ashley Kertes, executive director of Greensburg Community Development Corp., which organizes the semiannual event. During the week, local restaurants typically offer reduced or fixed price menus,...
Unity native, Broadway vet Jerad Bortz stays thankful after life-changing accidentVideo
Going into 2018, Unity native Jerad Bortz had a lot to be thankful for, not the least of which was a successful career on Broadway, including 12 years with the hit musical “Wicked.” That could have changed forever in early February of that year, when a car accident left him...
