Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 9
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: March 10-12
Through the wardrobe Journey to the land of Narnia as Keystone Contemporary Ballet presents a full-length ballet version of the C.S. Lewis classic, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.” Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Science Hall Theater at Westmoreland County Community College, 145 Pavilion...
Westmoreland Symphony’s ‘Grand Piano’ features world-renowned soloistVideo
“Grand Piano” is the title of Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming concert — but it arguably could be called “Welcome to the Machine.” The program begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in The Palace Theatre in Greensburg with a piece by contemporary American composer Jennifer Higdon called simply, “Machine.” “Her music in...
Saint Vincent Summer Theatre gala returning after 3-year hiatus
After a three-year hiatus, the Saint Vincent Summer Theatre Gala is returning as a forerunner of the theater’s 53rd season. The event will begin at 6 p.m. March 31 in the Fred M. Rogers Center on the Saint Vincent College campus in Unity. The theater hosted a shortened season of...
Greensburg artist starts with kid’s paint set, featured in ‘Picture This at the Library’ exhibit
Debbie King went from painting with a child’s watercolor set to winning awards for her work in about two years. Her paintings will be featured in a “Picture This at the Library” exhibition, opening with a free reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday in the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library,...
Tap-It Brewery & Grill brings the heat with popular habanero beer
It took Shane and Kari Hissem a couple of tries to get the heat index just right when they started brewing habanero beer at their Tap-It Brewery & Grill, near the Mt. Pleasant Township village of Norvelt. “How much bite depends on how much habanero oil goes in,” Shane Hissem...
Out & About: The Westmoreland spotlights young Native American artists
Though some of us might think we peaked as teenagers, not many of us created art that would be collected by a prestigious museum and then included in an exhibit traveling to other art institutions around the country. Such is the case with “Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1945-75,” showing...
Out & About: Party at The Palace celebrates Westmoreland ‘crown jewel’
“A Crown Jewel Celebration” was the theme for the annual Party at The Palace in Greensburg. The annual signature fundraiser celebrates and supports the 1,369-seat Palace Theatre entertainment venue, sometimes referred to as the jewel in the crown of Westmoreland County for its value as a historical and cultural treasure,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: March 3-5
Queen of bluegrass “Queen of Bluegrass” Rhonda Vincent will perform with her band, The Rage, at 8 p.m. Friday at The Lamp Theatre, 222 Main St., Irwin. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Vincent won a 2017 Grammy Award for best bluegrass album and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry...
Belle Vernon musical scrambles to replace costumes lost in fire
A second high school in the region has seen its performing arts program impacted by a devastating fire. In early February, the auditorium and its contents at Elizabeth Forward High School were destroyed in a blaze. Wednesday morning, a devastating fire at DC Theatricks in Buffalo, N.Y., that cost a...
Native American tradition meets modern art in Westmoreland Museum exhibit
Past meets present in “Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1945-1975,” running through May 28 at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. With 52 paintings, sculptures and works on paper by 32 artists, the traveling exhibition is the first of its kind exploring the innovation and experimentation present in...
‘Westmoreland Night of the Stars’ gets encore with new producers
Less than two weeks after founder John Noble announced the demise of Westmoreland Night of the Stars, the annual showcase of county school musicals is getting an encore. Tony Marino, founder of Westmoreland Performing Arts, said his organization will take over producing the show, to be staged May 3 at...
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2023-24 season to celebrate ‘Power of NOW’
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 128th season will include programs across diverse genres, from rock ’n’ roll, soul and R&B to the Great American Songbook, holiday favorites and movie themes. Kicking off in September, it also will include new and returning guest conductors and soloists, new recordings, the Pittsburgh debuts of five...
Out & About: Trivia takes center stage at The Westmoreland’s Art on Tap
Can you name the ’80s song that starts, “Tommy used to work on the docks”? If you could, you were off to a good start for Pub Trivia, the featured event at Art on Tap 2.0 on Feb. 17 at The Westmorland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. Bill and...
Behind the Art: Playfulness shows in Latrobe Art Center founder’s work
On the right wall, just inside the entrance of the Latrobe Art Center, hangs a watercolor painting that depicts a plein air artist hard at work. Dressed in blue pants and a yellow shirt, the artist bends over her easel amidst benches, flower beds, leafy trees and a fountain. No...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Feb. 24-26
Historical trivia Join Westmoreland Historical Society for a night of trivia in celebration of Westmoreland County’s 250th anniversary from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Yinzer Valley Farms, 681 Mulberry Hill Road, East Huntingdon. Ace Trivia will pose questions focusing on the county’s history since its founding Feb. 26, 1773....
Seton Hill production puts modern spin on Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’
History tends to repeat itself — a notion that will be explored in a Seton Hill University Theatre and Dance Program production of “Julius Caesar.” William Shakespeare’s classic drama of political intrigue and personal honor will be staged Friday and Saturday and March 3 and 4 in the university’s Performing...
Pittsburgh Opera’s 2023-24 season mixes new works, returning favorites
Pittsburgh Opera’s 2023-24 season includes a recent work that “needs to be performed here in our city,” according to Chris Cox, the company’s director of marketing and communications. The opera is “The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson,” the last of six productions slated for the opera’s 85th season. “It tells...
Javanese music comes to Greensburg, courtesy of Pitt ensemble
The music of the Sundanese people of the Indonesian island of Java is coming to Greensburg, courtesy of the University Gamelan of the University of Pittsburgh. The ensemble will play a free concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Ave. A gamelan...
Westmoreland Performing Arts production of ‘The Nerd’ brings cast full circle
Rehearsing for the Westmoreland Performing Arts production of “The Nerd” has taken cast members back to the early days of their careers and their time with Saint Vincent Summer Theatre. “It has tied us all back to a very happy time in our theater careers,” said director and cast member...
Out & About: Latrobe Art Center serves up ‘A Taste of Romance’
Latrobe Art Center took on the look and feel of a cozy bistro for A Taste of Romance, a Valentine-themed dinner held Feb. 10. Tables were laid with white linens with red accents, including napkins and candles, and strewn with chocolate hearts. Soft jazz played in the background. Adding to...
Saint Vincent monk’s artistry honored in career retrospective
The Rev. Vincent de Paul Crosby said he was surprised and pleased at the large turnout for the opening of his career retrospective exhibit, “Clothed in Glory,” in the Verostko Center for the Arts at Saint Vincent College. “I didn’t know if only a few people would come,” he said....
Out & About: Jeannette gallery pairs photography, poetry
Lee and Wendy Matchett of Hempfield were among guests at a Feb. 11 reception at the You Are Here gallery in Jeannette. The couple are former owners of the building that houses the gallery. “To see this as a place for making art makes us so happy,” Wendy Matchett said....
Out & About: Heal Animal Rescue hosts sold-out cash bash
Heal Animal Rescue has a long history of sold-out cash bashes, going back to the days when the organization was known as Animal Friends of Westmoreland. The latest fundraiser drew about 300 attendees to Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield on Feb. 11. They were vying for a share of $8,100 in...
Behind the Art: Latrobe Art Center proudly displays founder’s painting
Latrobe Art Center co-founder Elaine “Laney” Rogers Crozier was not just a patron of the arts, she was an artist herself. An untitled and undated watercolor by Rogers, thought to be an image of an area farm, hangs near the entrance of the center. The work depicts a barn, painted...
Tour celebrates Talking Heads’ ‘Remain in Light’ album 40 years onVideo
When Talking Heads went into the studio to record their 1980 album, “Remain in Light,” they were on the verge of breaking up. They came out with a renewed commitment to the band, via a collection of songs that remade their sound and ended up at No. 39 on Rolling...
