Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 68
Last-minute handmade gifts available at Greensburg Art Center
Last-minute shoppers are invited to the Greensburg Art Center from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 19 for the final hours of the annual “Art of GIFTing” market. All items will be 10% off. The annual holiday show and sale features artisan gift items handmade by about 30 area artists. The show, which...
Jeff Dunham’s new puppet doesn’t ignore ‘the elephant in the room’
Imagine trying to talk, only to be constantly interrupted by a motley crew of characters with names like Peanut, José Jalapeño and Bubba J. It could be a real pain. But for ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, the pain is self-inflicted, as he plays straight man to that trio and other puppets,...
The Westmoreland Museum announces 4 major 2020 exhibitions
The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg has announced four temporary exhibitions to be featured in the museum’s Cantilever Gallery during 2020. “The varied roster of upcoming exhibitions is an exciting one, addressing both historical and contemporary art, while offering a broad range of artists, styles, mediums, subjects and...
Out & About: Magic of ‘The Nutcracker’ returns to The Palace stageVideo
A girl receives a nutcracker on Christmas eve, and the gift comes to life and wages a battle against an evil rat king. It’s an 1816 tale from Prussian author E.T.A. Hoffmann, adapted into a well-loved ballet in 1892 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and...
Out & About: Stars come out for Civic Theatre’s ‘A Starry Night’ gala
Greensburg Civic Theatre’s annual gala always features entertainment provided by talented folks associated with the organization. At “A Starry Night,” held Dec. 11 in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, that included scenes from “Disney’s Frozen Jr.,” with three performances scheduled Dec. 20-21 in the civic center’s auditorium. During the...
Out & About: It’s a ‘Swingin’ Christmas Spectacular’ with Glass City
For folks who like Frank Sinatra, big band music and Christmas, Ferrante’s Lakeview was the place to be Dec. 13 for “A Swingin’ Christmas Spectacular” with Glass City Swing Band. Event host was GCSB Arts, Education and Wellness, the band’s sponsoring organization. The band set up in a cheerfully decorated...
Travel tip: Visit Santa’s ‘official hometown’ in Rovaniemi, Finland
Where is Santa on the 364 nights of the year when he’s not delivering gifts? At home in Rovaniemi, Finland, the self-proclaimed “Official Hometown of Santa Claus.” Travelers to the remote Arctic Circle city, capital of Finnish Lapland, will find themselves immersed in a winter wonderland where snow falls from...
Winter classes, activities help dogs (and their people) fight cabin feverVideo
Cabin fever — it’s not just for humans. Your canine companion might feel cooped up during the wintertime, too, when snow covers the yard, sidewalks are icy and temperatures fall below freezing. Who wants to go out for a walk in those conditions? Even a well-trained dog might get a...
Entertainment planner: Dec. 12-25
Dec. 12 “Annie,” Geyer Performing Arts Center, Scottdale. Through Dec. 14. 724-887-0887 or geyerpac.com Carnegie Trees and Neapolitan Presepio, annual display of decorated evergreens and 18th-century Italian Nativity scene, Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland. Through Jan. 6. 412-622-3131 or cmoa.org Wade Cota, with The Jacks, Hard Rock Cafe, Pittsburgh. 412-481-7625...
In final year, B.E. Taylor Christmas concerts come full circle
Rehearsals for this year’s “Feel the Love: Celebrating a B.E. Taylor Christmas” concerts are bittersweet, says B.C. Taylor, a drummer and son of the well-loved singer who died in 2016. The longtime tradition comes to an end this year, with the final series of five B.E. Taylor Christmas concerts, including...
Celtic Woman brings ‘Best of Christmas’ tour to Heinz HallVideo
While fans are looking forward to hearing the lilting melodies of Celtic Woman when the group comes to Pittsburgh, the members likewise are looking forward to the stop. “We’ve been joining amazing orchestras all around the world, and the Pittsburgh Symphony is certainly one of them,” says violinist/harpist/vocalist Tara McNeill....
Vanna White takes a turn at spinning the ‘Wheel of Fortune’Video
It’s not the end of the world, it’s a temporary glitch in the matrix: Vanna White has stepped away from the puzzle board to spin the wheel on “Wheel of Fortune.” Her hosting duties on NBC’s long-running game show are temporary. White stepped in for Pat Sajak for three weeks...
Amid the holiday hustle and bustle, take time to care for yourself
This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but often it’s the most stressful. “The season to be merry is also the season for stress and anxiety,” says Jyl Glunt, a health and wellness specialist at the Excela Health Well-Being Center-Mind Body Health. “Shopping, decorating, parties,...
‘MasterChef Junior Live!’ coming to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
The “MasterChef Junior Live!” cooking competition is coming to The Palace Theatre on March 20. After a 16-city 2019 debut tour based on the Fox cooking show featuring kids ages 8-13, the extended seven-week tour will kick off March 3 in Rochester, N.Y., and visit 40 U.S. cities. “The stage...
Country singer Jamey Johnson to play Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
Grammy-nominated country singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson will play the The Palace Theatre in Greensburg on April 11. With 11 Grammy nominations, Johnson is one of only a few people in the history of country music to win two Song of the Year Awards from both the Country Music Association and the...
Plant-based Beyond Burger now available at all Sheetz stores
The plant-based Beyond Burger is now available at all 597 Sheetz store locations, making Sheetz the first continental U.S. convenience chain to offer the plant-based burger in partnership with Beyond Meat. The burger is “a protein packed, 100% plant-based meat option but with the same delicious taste and texture of...
Out & About: Candlelit ‘Dinner for 8’ thanks Hanna’s Town volunteers
A group of people who usually serve others were thanked for their efforts during Westmoreland Historical Society’s annual Dinner for Eight, held Dec. 3 in the tavern at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Dinners were a core group of volunteers who assist in various ways at the ever-expanding complex, which...
Out & About: Westmoreland Society chooses 2 pieces for the museum
The permanent collection of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is increasing by two pieces, courtesy of the Westmoreland Society. During their annual dinner Dec. 6 in the Greensburg facility, members voted to purchase “Divine Plan,” a 2003 mixed-media piece by Tina Williams Brewer, and “Flourish,” an oil on canvas...
Out & About: New Excela hospice program helps kids deal with grief
“What do I do with the sad that I feel?” Excela Health Hospice is helping children deal with that question through its Neighborhood Kids grief support program. Attendees at the hospice Neighborhood Christmas event, held Dec. 5 at Rizzo’s Banquet Facility in Crabtree, were given an introduction to the program....
Out & About: Saint Vincent College presents Handel’s ‘Messiah’
It’s customary to stand for the “Hallelujah Chorus,” which concludes George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” Conventional wisdom says that Great Britain’s King George II stood in awe during the 1743 London premiere of the work. And when the king stands, everybody stands. Though the chorus is only 4 to 5 minutes...
Out & About: ACS ‘Real Men’ celebrate successful fundraising effort
The American Cancer Society’s 2019 Real Men Wear Pink campaign in Westmoreland and Fayette counties kicked off Aug. 22, with 12 area men each vowing to raise $2,500 by the end of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Dec. 2, some of the group and other campaign supporters gathered...
Out & About: Hospital auxiliary members enjoy annual holiday fete
Members of the Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary gathered Dec. 3 at the Unity home of Ann Albanesi for their annual holiday auction and cocktail party. Guests arrived with arms full of items for the auction and children’s books for Books for Babies, a program that provides a book for siblings of...
Out & About: Festival of Lights reflects beloved holiday poemVideo
Visit the Ligonier Town Hall community room through Dec. 10 and you’ll be walking in a winter wonderland. The Ligonier Valley Historical Society has taken over the space for its 37th Festival of Lights, which opened Dec. 6 with a “Toast the Trees” reception. Guests descending the steps to the...
Creative vision vs. real life often a balancing act for artists
In the 10 years that he devoted to his art, Vincent van Gogh created about 2,100 paintings. Though prolific in his output, the Dutch post-impressionist painter sold only one painting during his lifetime. “The Red Vineyard” went for 400 francs in Belgium in 1890, shortly before his death by suicide...
Travel tip: Kennedy Space Center planning ‘Holidays in Space’ event
If your December travel plans includes a trip to Florida, stop at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Merritt Island for Holidays in Space. This year, the annual event harks back to the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space missions of the 1960s. Guests will enter the complex through an...
