Future events
local stage
A dinner-theater production of the comedy, “Last of the Red Hot Lovers,” will take the stage on Friday, Feb. 21, at Becker’s Shadyside Restaurant, 998 N. Gallatin Ave., Uniontown. Stagecoach to the Stars Productions will present the show. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with the show following at 7 p.m. The dinner-theater cost is $25 per person, which does not include a tip. Reservations are required, along with a choice of three different entr?e offerings. Becker’s Shadyside, along with Gallagher’s Stagecoach to the Stars, will present “Sleeping Beauty” on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22-23. The cost is $8 per person, which includes lunch followed by the play. For reservations, information and directions, call 724-438-0931.
“Love Letters,” a dinner-theater production, will mark the Valentine’s Day holiday on Saturday, Feb. 15, at the historic Stone House Restaurant & Inn, which is located along Route 40 East in Farmington. The cost is $34 per person, which includes a buffet dinner, play, tax and gratuity. “Clue,” a murder-mystery dinner theater production, will be presented on Saturday, March 29, at the Stone House. The cost is $34 per person, which includes dinner, show and gratuity.
Laurel Highlands Music and Theatre Department will present the well-known musical “The Music Man” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $7 per person and may be purchased at the Laurel Highlands Senior High School between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., beginning today. Advanced tickets may also be purchased by mail. Call Liz Dunham or Terry Ainsley at 724-437-4741 for ticket information and purchases. The Laurel Highlands Academic Foundation will sponsor a “Sweet Theatre” (desserts) before the performance at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Laurel Highlands High School cafeteria. The cost is $15, which includes a ticket to the 7 p.m. performance. Tickets to the “Sweet Theatre” may be purchased by contacting Carol Bubonovich at 724-437-2821, extension 1021.
The musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” will be presented by the California Area High School Class of 2003 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, March 5-7, in the high school auditorium. The price of admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. For ticket information, call the school at 724-785-4202.
music
The Point Marion Lions Club will host a “Music Jamboree” fund-raising event at the skating rink in Point Marion every second Saturday of the month. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature an open-stage portion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A feature group or band will play from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. These events will continue every second Saturday of the month through June 2003. There will be music from the staff band and unexpected guests. There is a $2 donation at the door. The kitchen opens at 5:30 p.m. To participate in the open stage, book a band or perform in the feature portion, call 724-725-5737 or 1-304-599-0795.
The Greater Uniontown Chorale will continue rehearsals on Monday at Trinity United Presbyterian Church on the corner of Fayette and Morgantown streets in Uniontown. Rehearsals are held from 7 to 9 p.m. The chorale will be rehearsing Mozart’s “Requiem” for presentation on Palm Sunday, April 13, in conjunction with the Asbury Festival Choir Series. For rehearsals, singers should enter the church via the lower right front door. Rehearsals are held in the social room of the church. Parking is available in a lot across from the church. For more information, call Joanna Ball at 724-628-3382.
Jazz legend Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band will be in concert on Monday, Feb. 17, at the Belle Vernon Area High School along Route 201 South in Belle Vernon. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each. The event is sponsored by the Belle Vernon Lions Club. Call 724-328-4637 for tickets and information.
“Symphony on Wheels” will travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday, March 8, to attend “A Tribute to Henry Mancini.” The concert will feature Academy Award-winning conductor, Bill Conti, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as they pay tribute to one of the city’s favorite sons – Henry Mancini. The legendary songwriter has been part of the American soundscape for generations with hits like “Moon River,” “The Peter Gunn Theme” and “The Pink Panther Theme.” The deadline for purchasing tickets for this concert will be Friday, Feb. 28. Ticket cost is $42 for seating in the grand tier or orchestra level. Bus transportation from the Uniontown Mall is available for a charge of $17 for a round-trip ticket. For reservations, call Susan at Communities in Schools at 724-437-2540.
The Greater Uniontown Children’s Choir will accept new members for the 2003 spring season through the end of February. All interested children may audition any Thursday evening prior to choir rehearsal at 6:15 p.m. Students are asked to prepare the “Star-Spangled Banner” for the audition. The choir rehearsals will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the music room at Dunbar Borough Elementary School on Pechin Road, which is located across from the Fayette County Fairgrounds. The tremble choir is open to children who like to sing from the Fayette County area in grades four through senior high school. However, boys must have unchanged voices. For more information, call 724-439-6477.
art
The Flatiron Building in Brownsville houses two museums. The Heritage Center tells the story of the two major eras of history relating to the making of America. The Westward Expansion (National Road era) and the Coal, Coke, River and Railroad (Industrial era) offer changing exhibits every two months. For more information, call 724-785-9331. The Frank L. Melega Art Museum located in the upper level of the historic Flatiron Building offers Melega’s original art of many mediums focusing on the industries of the area. Reproductions and limited-edition reproductions are available for sale in the gift shop.
The Gallery Store at Touchstone Center for Crafts near Farmington is closed for the season. It will reopen the first weekend of May in conjunction with Touchstone’s second annual Hammer In and the May weekend classes. Regular business hours will be maintained when weeklong classes resume in June. However, art objects in jewelry, glass and pottery are available at the same prices at MVP Jewelers in Serafin Square on Morgantown Street in Uniontown. For more information, call 724-439-4944.
odds & ends
The book, “Point Marion … From the Beginning,” is currently for sale. The 490-page volume includes the genealogy and history of the area beginning with the Indians and ending with the year 1999. It details not only the borough of Point Marion, but also the surrounding area because Point Marion was once located within the boundaries of Springhill Township in the former state of Virginia. The book is available at The Book Store in the Cherry Tree Plaza, Smithfield Pharmacy in Smithfield, Kendall Floral, Clar-Mac Sales and the Point Marion Hardware in Point Marion, New Geneva Pottery in McClellandtown and Riverrun Books and Prints in Greensboro.
A special Valentine’s Day oldies dance will be held on Friday, Feb. 14, in the ballroom at Becker’s Shadyside Restaurant, 998 N. Gallatin Ave., Uniontown. WLSW Power 104’s Jeff Allen will provide the music. The event will feature an all-you-can-eat buffet followed by dancing unil 11:30 p.m. The cost is $35 per couple. For more information, call Becker’s Shadyside Restaurant at 724-438-0931.
Geezers’ Writing Workshops have been moved to Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The workshops are free, but individual-tutoring sessions for writers may be arranged for other times at reasonable rates. These will also be held at Geezers’ Literary Book Shop, which is located on the third floor of the Thompson House in Brownsville. For more information, contact Dr. Fred Lapisardi at 724-785-9010 or e-mail Geezersbks@worldnet.att.net.
An inspirational dance class will be held at the Uniontown Area YMCA. The classes will be held 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Thursdays. The class will be taught by Nancy McChesney. The classes will include a warmup, stretching and simple dance steps. The class provides a low-intensity and low-impact workout. The participants do the dance movements to Christian music. Call Bill Poninsky at 724-438-2484 for more information.
The Bobby Nicholas Band will perform on Saturday, March 1, during Mardi Gras 2003 sponsored by St. Therese Parish in Uniontown. The event will take place at the Shadyside Restaurant, 998 N. Gallatin Ave., Uniontown. The evening will include a complimentary one-hour open bar, hor d’oeuvres, dinner, traditional Mardi Gras masks, tiaras, bracelets and coins, fellowship and entertainment. Tickets are $35 per person and and are available by calling St. Therese at 724-438-2341 or Brenda at 412-582-1568.
The Legacy of Matthew Shepard, with a talk by his mother, Judy Sheppard, will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, at Swimmer Hall, Williams Building, Penn State Fayette Campus. The date for the talk has been changed. The Matthew Shepard Foundation is committed to “embracing diversity” and “to educate and replace hate with understanding, acceptance and compassion.” The event is presented by the the Penn State Fayette Diversity Task Force and presented by the Penn State Fayette Advisory Board. Admission is free, but those who plan to attend must call Gina Jones at 724-430-4129.
The romantic story of “Romeo & Juliet” will glide across the ice on Monday, March 10, at Divito Park in Leisenring. It will mark the fifth year in a row that the St. Petersburg Russian Ballet has presented the production at Divito Park. Show time is 7:30 p.m., but the doors will open at 4:30 p.m. Those planning to attend are reminded to wear a light jacket and gloves. For more information or to purchase tickets, call Divito Park at 724-626-1400.
The Friends of the Uniontown Public Library are selling personalized children’s books that can be ordered via the Internet from the buyer’s home computer at http://www.rwrinnovations.com. Each book will be personalized to the buyer’s specifications. Shipping is free. Please use the promotion code: “FRIENDS” when placing an order. Use of this code does not change the price otherwise charged for the book. Orders are generally received within one week. Sample books are on permanent display in the Children’s Department of the library.
The Uniontown Public Library at 24 Jefferson St. has a variety of unique gift ideas available for the public year round. Books about local history and genealogy, as well as other books of local interest written by local authors, can be purchased in the Pennsylvania Room on the second floor. Also available are library promotional items sold by the Friends of the Library, including mugs and tote bags, as well as stationery, bookmarks, cookbooks and other special reading-related items that change throughout the year. Visit the Friends’ display on the library’s second floor.
area
music
The Voices of St. Vincent are currently holding auditions for all sections of the chorus. Rehearsals are every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. in the St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica in Latrobe. Rehearsals are required. For additional information or to schedule an audition, call Joseph Bronder at 724-532-6600.
Chinese pianist Yin Cheng Zong’s visit to the St. Vincent College Concert stage will take place Saturday, March 22. The concert will be held at 8 p.m. in the Science Center Amphitheatre. To inquire about this concert or other furture performances in the 30th season of the St. Vincent College Concert Series, contact the box office at 724-537-4565.
Yanni will present the new sound of classical music with his one-of-a-kind orchestra at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at Pittsburgh’s Mellon Arena. Yanni will perform his greatest compositions and new music from his latest album “Ethnicity.” Tickets range in price from $39.50 to $69.50. To purchase tickets, call 412-323-1919.
“Classic Valentine,” a classical music concert, will be presented at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg and will feature two Pittsburgh area musicians, Thomas Godfrey and Renate Sakins. The concert, sponsored by the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, features “music literature that evokes thoughts and images of love.” An hour before the show, Dr. Carl Iezzi will deliver a 7 p.m. “Pre-Concert Lecture.” For more information, call the Westmoreland Symphony office at 724-837-1850.
Tributes to Black History Month featured by Washington & Jefferson College’s Arts Series will take place in Feburary at 7:30 p.m in the Olin Fine Arts Center. On Monday, Milian guitarist Habib Koite and his band Bamada will perform. One of Africa’s brightest stars, Koite developed his own modern sound by adapting the chords of the traditional youth’s harp to the electric guitar. In a second tribute, the eight-member ensemble Princely Players will appear Saturday, Feb. 22, on the Olin stage to present a combination of spirtuals, work songs, hymns and songs of freedom. Tickets for each performance are $10. For additonal information, call 724-223-OLIN (6546).
art
The Three Rivers Arts Festival Gallery will host “Angels and Other Creatures,” an interactive community project showcasing the large-scale sculptures by artist Cheryl Capezzuti and the works of Pittsburgh community residents. The show runs through Friday, Feb. 14, and is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment on Saturdays. Call the Three Rivers Arts Festival at 412-281-8723 for additional information on this exhibition.
The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh announces “Americanisms: Shaping Art and Society in the 1950s,” which will be displayed until July 20. For more information, contact the Andy Warhol Museum at 412-237-8300 or visit the Web site at www.warhol.org.
The 2003 Merrill Lynch Young Artists Competition, held by the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, has an upcoming Tuesday registration deadline for taped auditions. The competition is open to vocalists and instrumentalists, who are residents of Westmoreland County and who are not yet high school graduates. Musicians and vocalists will compete for the opportunity of future performances and cash rewards. For more information, contact the Westmoreland Symphony Office at 724-837-1850.
Winterlude, the Greensburg Art Club exhibit, will run through Friday, March 7, with hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call the Greensburg Garden Center at 724-836-1123 or the Greensburg Art Center at 724-837-6791.
Art classes for beginners at the Greensburg Art Center will continue each Thursday through March 13. Drawing, clay sculpture, watercolor, acrylic, pastel and oil painting will be offered. Classes for children and experienced painters are also available. Register now for the winter/spring session by calling 724-837-6791 or visit the Web site at www.greensburgartclub.org.
odds & ends
“Orchid Inspiration” will be showcased at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens from Saturday through Sunday, March 16. The Orchid Exhibit includes works done by a plethora of artisans, while the Orchid Room in the glasshouse is dedicated to the showing of these flowering plants year-round. In addition, orchids of all varieties will be shown in the conserveratory’s Serpentine Room during the exhibit. Educational programs on orchids are also available at noon and 2 p.m. throughout “Orchid Inspiration” months. For more information on the conservatory, call 412-622-6914 or visit the Web site at www.phipps.conservatory.org.
In honor of Black History Month, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Schenley Park will offer a variety of educational public programs that are free with admission to Phipps. The programs will be held throughout the month of February. For more information about the conservatory, call 412-622-6914.
The fourth annual Cherries & Chill Festival will be held at the Spruce Forest Artisan Village from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14-15. The festival will feature a Cherry Desserts Contest, children’s activites including a scavenger hunt and storytelling and complimentary massages by certified therapists. The village is located on the Old National Road near Grantsville, Md., adjacent to Penn Alps Restaurant & Crafts Shop. Admission is free to the event, which will be held rain, snow or shine. For details about nearby accommodations, artisan availability and parking, contact Trish Morgan throughout the weekdays at 301-895-3332.
Hoe-down round, polka, clogging, square, line and slow dancing will be offered from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Ohiopyle Community Center; 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Brownfield Community Center; and 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at the Arthurdale Center Hall in Arthurdale, W.Va. The cost is $4 for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. Lunch and dancing will be served from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Brownfield Community Center in Dawson. The donation is $3 for this event. Reservations must be made three days in advance for all events. Call Linda Cottom at 724-529-7626 to make reservations three days prior to the event. Music and figure calling will be provided by the Dave Dahl Orchestra.
The Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Series presents guest speaker foreign affairs expert Fareed Zakaria on terrorism in an age of globalization. Zakaria will speak as a part of the Drue Heinz Lectures at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Carnegie Museum Hall in Oakland. For tickets and information, call 412-622-8866.
Morning news anchor for WJAC-TV Bill Brown will appear as the keynote speaker for the ninth annual Ligonier Valley Writers’ Hot Dog Fest, which is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at Antiochian Village Conference & Retreat Center located on Route 711, six miles north of the Ligonier Diamond. Jerilynn Schumacher, editor of Westsylvania, will receive the Hot Dogger of the Year Award, while a gourmet picnic featuring bratwursts garnished with homemade relishes, Syrian and German potato salads, ginger slaw, baked beans and cobblers and crisps for dessert will take place at 7 p.m. The cost is $20 that will benefit Ligonier Valley Writers educational programs, writing projects and publications.
Tickets are available from members, the Ligionier Chamber of Commerce, the Ligonier News Stand or at Commercial National Bank locations. The deadline for ticket reservations is Thursday, Feb. 20. For more information, contact Denise O’Neal, event chairman, at 724-238-3677.
The eighth annual Old House Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Victoria Hall in Bloomfield. Professionals in decorating, gardening and restoration will teach the public how to restore their old homes. Meetings with architects, craftsmen, real estate agents and financial planners, as wll as discussions with architectual historians, will be available throughout the day. Contributions of $10 are suggested, while children 12 and under are admitted free.
For more information, contact Cathy McCollom at 412-471-5808, e-mail cathy@phlf.org or visit the Web site at www.oldhousefair.org.
Commonwealth speaker John Burt of Carlow College will tell the stories of pre-Civil War Pennsylvania women abolitionists during his 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, program at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial located at 733 Lake Road, St. Michael, Pa. The presentation is free and open to the public.