Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 88
West Mifflin’s Nate Walker misses top-20 cut on ‘American Idol’Video
Nate Walker didn’t make the cut on Sunday night’s episode of “American Idol,” but at least he got a trip to Hawaii for his final round. Following a week in which he struggled through vocal issues, the 18-year-old from West Mifflin made what might have been a risky choice: He...
Out & About: Sisters of Charity host annual swingin’ dance partyVideo
The Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill are a pretty swingin’ bunch of cool cats. They proved it once again March 30 with their 11th annual Sounds of Charity big-band dance party, held at the Ramada Greensburg Hotel and Conference Center. Following a buffet dinner and a jumpin’, jivin’ performance...
Out & About: Excela Black Tie for Hope benefits cancer careVideo
Casino-style games are a staple of the annual Excela Health black tie gala. This year, organizers added another test of skill and chance to the mix, with a life-size Operation game. How steady were the hands of a group of surgeons as they tried to avoid the buzzer and pluck...
Out & About: Museum offers preview of Native American art exhibitionVideo
On March 29, members and patrons of The Westmoreland Museum of Art in Greensburg were treated to a preview of “Mingled Visions: The Photographs of Edward S. Curtis and Will Wilson,” a major exhibition exploring the portrayal of Native Americans in American Art, on the eve of its opening to...
Out & About: Habitat gala-goers say ‘Home is where the heart is’
Go to the website of Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity, and you’ll see two sentences that sum up the work of the nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable housing for qualifying families in Westmoreland County: “Every child deserves a home base from which to explore the world,” and “Everyone...
Out & About: Lamp Theatre supporters spend an ‘Evening in Vegas’
Irwin’s Lamp Theatre has a history worthy of stage and screen, from its beginnings as a local movie theater, through closing, fire and financial hardships, to once again providing entertainment on its storied stage. At the fourth annual gala, held March 30 at the Antonelli Event Center in Irwin, board...
O&A: Garden Center members welcome spring with annual tea
Who would be more excited about the arrival of spring than a group of gardeners? Members of the Greensburg Garden Center celebrated the new season on March 29 with their annual spring tea at Maplewood Presbyterian Church in Greensburg. Sponsors welcomed their guests to themed tables gaily bedecked with pretty...
Out & About: Pet Friends benefit says ‘Don’t worry, be yappy’
Get some people together for a late afternoon drink, and it’s called happy hour. Add a pack of dogs to the mix and it becomes — you guessed it — Yappy Hour. Petagogy, a Hempfield store offering healthy and natural foods, treats and supplies for dogs and cats, sponsored the...
Travel tip: Park your pooch at Conneaut Lake Bark Park
Daytime dog boarding will be available beginning April 1 at Conneaut Lake Bark Park near Conneaut Lake, Crawford County. Travelers visiting Conneaut Lake Park or other area tourist attractions can park their pooches from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the 68-acre facility. While staying at the air-conditioned Dog...
India.Arie, Marty Stuart top list of Three Rivers Art Festival acts
A diverse music lineup is promised for the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, coming June 7-16 to Point State Park, Gateway Plaza and the Cultural District in downtown Pittsburgh. “Embarking on our 60th year, the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Art Festival continues to attract a broad range of entertainment...
Entertainment planner: March 28-April 10
Thursday March 28 “Above, Below, After, Until: CMU MFA Exhibit,” Miller Institute for Contemporary Art, Carnegie Mellon University, Oakland. Through April 7. 412-268-3618 or miller-ica.cmu.edu Russell Peters, Pittsburgh Improv, Homestead. Through March 30. 412-462-5233 or improv.com/pittsburgh Friday March 29 Ten: A Tribute to Pearl Jam, Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, Warrendale. 724-799-8333...
Writers group event will showcase new ‘Phantom Detectives’ book
Ligonier Valley Writers will host a reading and book-signing for “Phantom Detectives at Risk” from 1-4 p.m. March 30 at Craftique Collections, 770 East Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Authors will read from the mystery anthology, the fourth book in the group’s “Sleuths and Serpents Mystery Collection” series, published as a fundraiser....
Friday Evening Music Club to present recital at Pitt-Greensburg
The Friday Evening Music Club will present a recital at 7:30 p.m. March 29 in the Campana Chapel and Lecture Hall at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg in Hempfield. The recital will open with a piece by French baroque composer J. B. Boismortier, performed by Linda Urbani, Chuck Kauric and Michele...
Artists get creative with favorite springtime recipes
During the cold of winter, we tend to crave heavier foods — hearty soups and stews, casseroles and carbs. But when spring comes, we often shed our hibernation eating habits and turn to lighter, fresher fare. Figuring that artists might be as creative in their food choices as they are...
Todd Rundgren’s 50-year career retrospective tour coming to The PalaceVideo
Singer/songwriter/producer Todd Rundgren brings his “The Individualist Tour,” highlighting music from his 50-year career to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre on June 15. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:30 show. Tickets at $39-$49 go on sale at 10 a.m. March 29 at 724-836-8000 or thepalacetheatre.org. Tickets will increase by $6...
West Mifflin’s Nate Walker pushes through vocal struggles on ‘American Idol’
The show must go on, and go on it did for “American Idol” contestant Nate Walker. Following his performance during Sunday night’s episode, the West Mifflin native said he lost his voice and ended up with a pounding headache and stomach pain. He was rushed to the hospital, but he...
‘Grease’ is the word for Monessen High School spring musical
It’s got groove, it’s got meaning. It’s “Grease,” the spring musical at Monessen High School. The auditorium will be rocking like Rydell High School when the musical comedy about 1950s teen love between greaser Danny Zuko and sweet Aussie Sandy Olsson hits the stage. The High/Middle School Group for Performing...
West Mifflin’s Nate Walker goes to hospital on ‘American Idol’ episode
There’s always drama on “American Idol,” and Sunday night’s Hollywood Week episode was no different. Unfortunately, the drama came from the sudden illness of Nate Walker, with the West Mifflin singer heading off to the hospital. Walker started feeling sick after a soulful rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Believe in...
McKees Rocks theater to showcase short films directed by women
A showcase of short films directed by women is planned for 6:30 p.m. March 27 in the Parkway Theater, 644 Broadway Ave., McKees Rocks. The program of narrative, documentary and animated works is hosted by Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh. Most of the films will be from women from...
Out & About: Greensburg Art Center celebrates ‘Our Teaching Artists’
Artists who also share their talents by teaching at the Greensburg Art Center are being recognized in “Our Teaching Artists,” a group exhibition running through April 27. During the March 23 opening reception, co-chair Pat Majcher explained that participating artists were invited to hang two pieces — one a current...
Out & About: Ligonier Valley Chamber says ‘Soup’s On!’
Saturday is always a good day to visit Ligonier, to browse the shops and galleries and to stop in for a bite at one of the eateries. On March 23, the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce added an extra incentive with its 10th annual Soup’s On soup crawl. More than...
Annual Elvis Festival draws fans to Nashville for music and more
Put on your blue suede shoes and head south for the third annual Nashville Elvis Festival at the historic Franklin Theatre March 28-31. The event will feature celebrity appearances, live music, an Elvis movie screening and 26 of the best Elvis tribute artists from all over the world, promoters say,...
Recording studio is a hidden gem in Armbrust schoolhouseVideo
Abbey Road, Muscle Shoals, Sunset Sound. Someday, maybe The Schoolhouse will join that list of famous recording studios. Right now, it’s a hidden gem in the tiny hamlet of Armbrust in Hempfield, a dream brought to life by audio engineer Daniel Blake, and a kind of refuge for the musicians...
Out & About: Country pop duo plays Great American Music gigVideo
What qualifies as Great American Music? Country pop is one such genre, according to the latest installment of the concert series of the same name at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. The museum hosted Willow Hill, the husband-and-wife duo of C.T. and Alexandra Fields, for a March...
The Westmoreland’s ‘Art as Fashion’ event to feature Met Gala organizer
What goes into staging the Met Gala, the annual fashion extravaganza benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City? Get the inside scoop at “Art as Fashion: A Behind-the-Scenes View of the Met Gala and The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center” a...
