Mar 28, 2003 18 min read

local “Copacabana,” will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 11, at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. For more information about the show, call the theater’s box office at 724-439-1360.

Neil Simon’s comedy “Fools” will be presented Thursday through Sunday, April 3-6, at Scottdale Showtime Theatre. Curtain times for AAFC’s “Fools” are 8:15 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 3-5, and 3:15 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Tickets are available at the theater box office during regular box office hours Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until noon or by calling 724-887-0887. Tickets will also be available at the door. AAFC, Scottdale Showtime Theatre and the Libo Caf? will offer Luncheon Before the Lights at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3. Luncheon Before the Lights is a brief program about the AAFC show, a light supper consisting of a deli-style sandwich, a pasta salad, a fruit salad, desert, beverage and a ticket to the performance. Reservations for Luncheon Before the Lights are required.Mozart’s “Requiem” will be performed at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 13, in the Asbury United Methodist Church of Uniontown. The Asbury Festival Choir and the Greater Uniontown Chorale will join choral forces under the leadeship of William M. Dreucci, Asbury’s director of music. “Requiem” will be the final performance of the Asbury Festival Recital Series 2002-03 season. Admission to the performance is by ticket only. Tickets may be purchased at any of the following outlets: Fayette Chamber Office, West Main Street in Uniontown; Ellis Music Store, Windows by Lydia and Judy’s Do-Re-Me Music Shop in Uniontown; Amend’s Jewelry in the Uniontown Mall; Atkins Music Store in Connellsville; and White Picket Fence in Hopwood. Group discounts for 10 or more are available by calling 724-557-1119. Tickets will also be sold two hours before the performance at the Dunbar Street door of Asbury Church. The sanctuary doors will open to all ticket holders at 6:15 p.m. Asbury Church is located at the corner of South Beeson Avenue and Dunbar Street and is handicapped accessible.

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. Betty Jo and the Country Airs will perform on Saturday, April 12. 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.

“Symphony On Wheels,” a program offered by Communities in Schools, will roll into Pittsburgh Saturday, April 5, for Grammy-winner Toni Tennille and the big band performance “Captain and Tennille.” Hits such as “Muskrat Love,” “Shop Around” and “Do That Too Me One More Time” will be sung along with “An Evening of Great Love Songs” with songs by Gershwin, Kern, Berlin, Arlen, Mercer and Cahn. Deadline for ticket purchase is today. Bus transportation to and from the Uniontown Mall is available. For more information or ticket reservations, call Susan at Communities in Schools at 724-437-2540.

River City Brass Band will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, April 11, at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. For more information, call the theater box office at 724-439-1360.

“When Music Was Music,” a tribute to the greatest generation, will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. For more information, call the box office at 724-439-1360.

Steven Wright will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. For more information, call the theater’s box office at 724-439-1360.

The River City Brass Band will bring their brass and percussion music to the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown at 8 p.m. Friday, April 11. Call the theater’s box office at 724-439-1360 for reservations and ticket information.

Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band will be featured at the Belle Vernon High School on Tuesday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door or at these locations: Margo Jewelers, Napa Auto Parts or Broad Avenue News Stand in Belle Vernon. For more information, call Emil at 724-328-4637 or 724-929-3981.

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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 week-long 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.

The Frank L. Melega Art Museum will present Maria Louisa Calandra’s painting and mixed media exhibition “Excess” through Saturday, May 10. The art museum is located on the upper floor of the Flatiron Building Heritage Center, 69 Market St., Brownsville. For museum hours, call the heritage center at 724-785-9331.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 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.

The Ethnic Craft Club of St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church will hold its annual Easter Craft Sale from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 5, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6, in the upstairs hall located at 201 E. Main St., Uniontown. The event will feature many Easter craft decorations, as well as embroidered Easter basket covers, pysanky (decorated eggs), lamb butter molds, Easter candy, the parish Ethnic cookbook titled “Carpathian Cookery,” decorations, crafts, baked goods and more. There will also be a pysanky display by the members of the 2003 pysanky class.

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.

Country Line Dancing & Lessons will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday at the Amvets in Hopwood.

Comedian George Carlin will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at the State Theatre Center for the Arts, which is located on Main Street in Uniontown. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 724-439-1360.

An inspirational dance class will be offered 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 724-438-2584 for more information.

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.

A traditional “old style” circus will roll into the California Rotary Club Wednesday, May 28. At 7:30 a.m., the public is invited to watch the unloading and feeding of the animals. The elephants will raise the big top at 8:30 and 9 a.m. Two performances, one at 4:30 p.m. and the other at 7:30 p.m., will be featured later in the day. Ticket purchases benefit the California Rotary Club and the Kelly Miller Circus.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be the feature entertainer at Nemacolin Woodlands’ Royal Reception XIII, which is scheduled June 27-29. Prided as “Pittsburgh’s Number One Party,” the reception will provide entertainment by classic rock band the Doobie Brothers and talented actor and tap dancer Gregory Hines. Robin Leach, former host of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” will again be this year’s master of ceremonies. For reservations or further information on tickets, packages or iteniary, contact the reservations department at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa at 724-329-8555 or toll free at 1-800-422-2736.

The “Carpathian Cookery” cookbook, which is now in its 10th printing, is again available for sale. The 330-page cookbook now features a protective plastic cover and includes sections on Christmas customs and recipes and Easter customs and recipes, traditional Rusyn foods and other ethnic dishes and many other recipes of St. John’s parishioners. Many paska and kolachi recipes, as well as meatless dishes and Lenten recipes, suitable for the pre-Christmas and pre-Easter fast, are included. For more information, call 724-438-6027.

A Spring Flower Show, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, will open Nemacolin Castle’s spring season with public tours of castle rooms decorated with fresh flowers and blooming plants. On Saturday, April 19, children’s activties, including an Easter Egg Hunt, a Bonnet Parade and a visit with the Easter Bunny, will take place on the castle grounds. The castle is located on Front Street in Brownsville. For more information, call 724-785-6882.

The State Theatre Center for the Arts’ 12th anual Progressive Dinner will be held Saturday, April 26. The event centers around three visits to the homes of hosts and hostesses to eat separate dinner courses. The State Theatre is the final stop for desserts, entertainment and a silent auction. To donate a gift or service, make a monetary contribution or receive a dinner invitation, contact the State Theatre at 724-439-1360 or mail the donation to The State Theatre Center for the Arts, 27 E. Main St., Uniontown, Pa., Attention: Progressive Dinner Auction.

64 Crayons Cultural Center will feature “Sparing Socialites: Mary Todd Lincoln meets Rose O’Neal Greenhow” from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 19. The event welcomes Civil War re-enactors from both sides of the conflict and features Joann Shelby as Lincoln and Emily Lapisardi as Greenhow. Music will be provided by Home Front, and light refreshments will be served during the afternoon and evening hours. In addition, Chef Kieran McVey plans to add special Civil War- era food items to his menu at the Thompson House Restaurant located on the first floor. To make afternoon event reservations, contact Geezers’ Literary BookShop at 724-785-9010. For dinner at the Thompson House, reservations must be made in advance by calling 724-785-4744.

An Indoor Flea Market will be held at the Penn Craft Community Center from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 5. The center is located on Factory Road in Penn Craft. For more information or table reservations, call 724-785-7347.

Noah’s Ark Humane Society will hold a Father’s Day Spaghetti Dinner Sunday, June 15, from noon to 5 p.m. at the All Saints Social Hall in Masontown. An auction will also be featured a 2 p.m. Tickets for children and adults will be sold at the door. For additional information, call 724-439-8620.

Spring Pet Photos will be taken at Noah’s Ark Humane Society from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6. Area residents are encouraged to bring their pets. Portrait packages are available. Call the shelter at 724-439-8620 for a pet photo appointment.

A three-day flea market, in celebration of National Pike Days, will take place at Noah’s Ark animal shelter Friday through Sunday, May 16-18. Shoppers’ admission to the flea market is a monetary or material donation that will benefit the shelter’s homeless animals. Noah’s Ark is located at 137 Atlas Crossing Road in Hopwood. To reserve a table or for more information, contact Robin Moore at 724-439-8620. Reservations must be made by May 1. Food vendors are welcome.

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West Virginia Public Theatre will hold auditions for its upcoming summer season at the West Virginia University Moutainlair Ballroom. Adults and children are encouraged to attend. Sixteen bars of an upbeat tempo or ballad, a headshot, resume and sheet music must be prepared. Those who audition may also be asked to dance. For more information and to schedule an audition appointment, contact Marla Freeman at 304-598-0144.

Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont will hold adult auditions Saturday, April 19, for parts in three plays and two musicals, which are “Perfect Wedding,” “Steel Magazine,” “Greetings!,” “Evita” and “Clue, the Musical.”

Actors will be asked to do cold readings from a script. Musical performers should be prepared to sing 32 bars of a rock or musical theater song and provide sheet music for accompaniment. Auditions are by appointment only. Call 724-468-5050 for additional information and available times.

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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.

“My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra” is now playing at Blatt’s Dinner Theatre in Kutztown, Pa. The tribute, playing until April 13, features all the songs Sinatra made famous, including “Strangers in the Night,” “My Funny Valentine” and more. Also, coming to Blatt’s is “American Jubilee,” a song and dance show featuring rag-time to rock ‘n’ roll music. “Jubilee” begins April 25 and ends June 8. Day and night performances are available. For other information including ticket prices, call the box office toll-free at 1-877-866-1700.

United States Air Force Band of the Rockies will appear Tuesday, April 22, at the Soldiers and Sailor’s Memorial Museum in Oakland. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., while the concert kicks off at 7 p.m. Anyone wanting to attend can obtain free-of-charge tickets by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to the 911th Airlift Wing, Public Affairs Office, Pittsburgh IAP ARS, 2475 Defense Ave., Coraopolis, Pa. 15108-4403. For more information, call the office at 412-474-8511.

Morrie Brand, executive director of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, will present “Classical Chatters,” a one-hour presentation of music excerpts and commentary about “Season Finale,” the closing concert of the orchestra’s 2002-03 season. Presentation dates, places and times are 2 p.m. Saturday at the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library and 7 p.m. Tuesday at Barnes & Noble on Route 30 in Greensburg.

“Season Finale,” the last concert of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s 2002-03 season, will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg. Rachmaninov’s “Piano Concerto No. 3” with award-winning piano player Maxim Philippov is the concert’s featured work. A 7 p.m. pre-concert lecture by Dr. Carl Iezzi will be offered to ticket-holders. For more information, call Morrie Brand at the Westmoreland Symphony office at 724-837-1850.

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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.

odds & ends

The Greater Pittsburgh Rib, Wing and Music Spectacular is now scheduled for Fourth of July weekend, July 4-6, at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Throughout this weekend, more than 20,000 visitors are expected to attend the festival, where rib and wing vendors compete as customers vote on their favorite mouth-watering recipes. Cash and awards will be given to the first-, second- and third-place winners. Next month will herald the release of the concert schedule and entertainment line up. Commercial, craft and food vendor applications are now being accepted. Vendors are asked to call 724-863-4577.

The fourth Summer Archaeology and History Camp, sponsored by the Westmoreland County Historical Society, is scheduled for June 23-27 at Historic Hanna’s Town. Children ages 11 to 15 are invited to attend. Artifact identification and excavation plus a reading of the archaeological history will be included in the camp and guided by experienced archaeology supervisors. A field trip to neighboring archaeological site, Fort Ligonier, is also planned. To make a reservation or to receive an application, call Jennifer Wilson at 724-836-1800 or contact her by e-mail at jen@starofthewest.org.

A Colonial Summer Camp is also scheduled to take place at Historic Hanna’s Town.

This camp will begin June 16 and will run to June 20. It is designed for elementary students, ages 7 and 11, to teach them more about the lives of children on the Pennsylvania frontier during the late 18th century. Colonial era toys, games, music, open-hearth cooking, demonstrations by colonial re-enactors and much more will make up the camp.

If interested, call Jennifer Wilson at 724-836-1800 or e-mail her at jen@starofthewest.org.

Spruce Forest Artisan Village located on the Old National Road east of Grantsville, Md., is accepting applications for resident space at the village for the upcoming summer season. The new artisan will work inside the Alta E. Schrock Cabin and be responsible for propane heating costs in addition to nominal rent.

Every village artisan works six days per week during the summer season that runs from May 1 to Oct. 31.

Interested candidates are asked to call Trish Morga, village administrator, on weekdays at 301-895-3332.

The 103rd Greensburg Antiques Show and Sale will be held at the Mountain View Inn in Greensburg May 2-4 from 6 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. More than 50 dealers from nine states will set up at the show.

Western Pennsylvania Daffodil Show 2003 will be in full bloom on Saturday, April 12, on the first floor of the Galleria Mall in Mount Lebanon.

Also, starting at 10 a.m. April 12, a hosta plant sale of numerous varieties will take place. The Galleria Mall is located at 1500 Washington Road in Mount Lebanaon. Public entries for the show will be accepted from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 11, and 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 12. Contact Linda Herhold at 724-941-8101 for further information.

Holy Trinity School in Ligonier welcomes the public to the second annual Art Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 3. The fair will feature 15 arts and crafts vendors, a french caf?, a children’s craft tent, a local merchant raffle, a student art exhibit and buggy rides. Proceeds from the fair benefit the Art and French departments at Holy Trinity School. For more information, contact Elisabeth, art teacher at Holy Trinity School, at 412-238-9368.

The Westmoreland County Historical Society will conduct volunteer training for tour guides and shopkeepers at Historic Hanna’s Town from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 12, and Saturday, April 26.

Cash register training for shopkeepers will be from 12:15 to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26.

These sessions are for current and new volunteers. For those interested in volunteering at Hanna’s Town and at the society’s office, call Joanna Moyar, education coordinator, at 724-836-1800.

For more information on the volunteer training, contact Jennifer Wilson at 724-836-1800.

“General Edward Braddock and His Road,” a two-part illustrated program focusing on the expedition’s passage through Westmoreland County, will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center.

Dr. Frank A. Cassell, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, and James Steeley, Westmoreland County Historical Society executive director, will serve as program presenters.

For additional information on this program or other upcoming programs, contact the Westmoreland County Historical Society at 724-836-1800.