Future events
local stage
Actors and Artists of Fayette County will present “Nunsense” April 1-3 and April 8-10 at Scottdale Showtime Theatre, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale. Marlena Solomon and Jim Overly will co-direct the production. For more information, call 724-331-7886 or 724-887-6814.
The State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown will present the following shows during its 15th anniversary season. Feb. 5 will bring “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.” “My One and Only,” a musical comedy featuring Gershwin classics, will be presented Feb. 26. The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s production of “All the Great Books (abridged)” will be presented April 2. “Steel Magnolias,” a story that takes place in Truvy’s Beauty Shop, will be presented April 10. Paul Consentino and The Boilermaker Jazz Band will serve up jazz, swing and old-time ballads in New Orleans style on May 7. For more information on the shows, call the theater at 724-439-1360 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Actors and Artists of Fayette County will present “Father of the Bride” Feb. 3-6 at Scottdale Showtime Theatre, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale. The production is under the direction of Martha Oliver and Richard Means, both long-time members of AAFC. For more information, call the theater at 724-887-4721 during regular box office hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Contact is also available via e-mail at scottdale.showtime@att.net.
music
California University of Pennsylvania will host a performance by The Renaissance City Women’s Choir at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, in the Natali Student Center’s Performance Center. The choir is Pittsburgh’s only choir comprised of lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and supportive individuals whose membership includes women from many professions, avocations and musical backgrounds to ever perform at Cal U. For more information, contact Sheleta Webb at 724-938-4235.
Tommy’s Mom will perform at Pizon’s Place in Smock Saturday, Feb. 19, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets will be available for purchase for the band’s show at the Hard Rock Caf? in Pittsburgh on Monday, Feb. 28.
The Greater Uniontown Children’s Choir is accepting new members for the 2005 spring season through the end of February. All interested children may audition any Thursday evening prior to rehearsal at 6:15 p.m. The choir rehearses from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays in the music room at Dunbar Borough Elementary School on Pechin Road, across from the Fayette County Fairgrounds. The choir is open to children from Fayette County area schools in grades four through senior high. Boys must have unchanged voices. For questions, call 724-439-6477.
The Point Marion Lions Club will hold a benefit fund-raiser every second Saturday of the month through June 2005. The events are held at the Lions Club skating rink and begin at 6 p.m. This is a smoke- and alcohol-free event. Guests can enjoy a sandwich and soda with live music and entertainment. Open stage will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. along with Ray Rhodes and Friends. The doors and kitchen open at 5 p.m. For more information, call 724-725-5737. A donation will be accepted at the door.
Bluegrass music will be presented at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Indian Creek Valley Community Center. Free admission and seating will be provided. The event will feature food, coffee for sale and 50/50 tickets. Donations will be appreciated. The bands will play for 10 minutes each. Some of the bands include Springtime Bluegrass, Mainline, Norm Zack and others.
The Greater Uniontown Chorale will resume rehearsals on Mondays at Third Presbyterian Church in Uniontown. The chorale will rehearse from 7 to 9 p.m. Interim director Roddy Hibbs will lead the chorale as it prepares for its spring programs. The church is located on Union Street in Uniontown. From the Route 119 bypass, take the Walnut Hill Road exit, then turn left onto Morgantown Street and right on Judith Street to Union Street. New members are welcome to join. The chorale will be 30 years old this coming spring. For further information, call 724-628-3382.
art
California University of Pennsylvania’s Gallery of Fine Art will exhibit “In Our Own Image: A Southwestern Pennsylvania Collection of African and African American Art” on the third floor of the Manderino Library from Tuesday, Feb. 8, through Wednesday, March 16, with a catered opening reception at the gallery from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8. Regular hours for the gallery are 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays; 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays; and 2 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The gallery is closed on Fridays. For more information, contact R. Scott Lloyd, at 724-938-4565. In addition to the reception and exhibit, there will also be two “Meet the Collectors Gallery Talks – Collecting African American Art” from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 15, and 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27.
odds & ends
California University of Pennsylvania will celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February with several events including speakers Brenda Jo Searcy, representing the Mon Valley Branch of the NAACP, who will speak about Sojourner Truth; Dr. Nicholas O. Akinkuoye; former Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive back J.T. Thomas, whose speech will be “The Millennium Slave”; Juan Williams, national political correspondent and author; along with other activities. For a complete list of all Black History Month-related events taking place at Cal U, check the Web site at http://www.cup.edu/academic/frederickdouglas/events.jsp.
The Red Hatters will hold a weekend event at the Uniontown Holiday Inn March 11-13. The event will include three days and two nights. Reservations must be made by Tuesday by calling Carol at 437-3411 or Pat at 724-437-5434.
Variety Talent Show will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at Scottdale Showtime Theatre, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale. This showcase will feature a lineup of local and surrounding area talent. A variety of music styles will be featured, including country, oldies, rhythm & blues, gospel, jazz, standards, top hits and more. Professional sound and lighting will be provided. Those auditioning are asked to bring their own music, CDs, cassette tapes and instruments. For more information or to schedule an audition, call 724-887-5774.
St. Valentine’s Day Buffet featuring ethnic foods will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at St. Aloysius Parish on Ranch Road, Dunbar. The ethnic foods on the menu include spaghetti, pierogi, cabbage rolls, Irish stew, bratwurst, hot dogs, kielbasi, sauerkraut, German potato salad, hot sausage, scalloped potatoes, green beans, tossed salad, dressing and Irish coffee. A bake sale will also be held. The youth group will be on hand to do its share for the parish. The public is invited.
Shakespeare returns to center stage at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus from Feb. 1-4 in the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium Community Center. The National Players from the University of Maryland will perform from 12:10 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3. Shakespeare-in-the-Schools, a popular regional touring company from the University of Pittsburgh, will perform from 12:10 to 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, and Friday, Feb. 4. For ticket information, call 724-430-4141, 724-430-4259 or 724-430-4100, extension 4516.
Expanding Horizons hands-on educational classes will be available through April 1 at the Center in the Woods in California. Classes being offered include Adult CPR, Beginning Fiddling, Bread Making for Beginners, Calligraphy Experiences, Chair Caning, Cooking Less Tender Cuts of Meat, Cooking Terms Demystified, Dream Catchers, Front Running Feminism, Fly Tying for Beginners, Gardening in Winter, Golf Swing Made Perfect, Great Bread Secrets, Hatha Yoga, Intro to Learning the PC, Making Memories, Mandolin for Beginners, Moffit’s Mill/Grinding Feed on the Pike Run, Nature Print Workshop, New Look at Fresh Vegetables, Oil Painting, Pastry Making, Pet First Aid, Starches for Any Meal, Valentine Card Making and Your Psychic Potential. For more information or to complete registration, visit the Center in the Woods on Route 88 between California and Brownsville, which is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 724-938-3554. Classes are open to anyone with those 60 or older receiving preference when class size is limited.
West Overton Museums in Scottdale announced the 2005 winter Parlor Talks lecture series will be held on Feb. 20, March 20 and April 17. The presentations will be in the distillery theater at 2 p.m. and will feature area experts on a wide variety of historical subjects. Each lecture is free and includes a question-and-answer session followed by light refreshments. Reservations are requested, but walk-ins are welcome. For complete series information, call 724-887-7910 during regular business hours.
“Fayette County: A Video History,” an educational video of more than 90 minutes about the history of Fayette County, is available at the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Coal & Coke Heritage Center at the Penn State Library or from the Fayette County Historical Society by calling 724-439-4422. Produced under the guidance of the Fayette County Historical Society, the video is filled with hundreds of photographs, interviews with historians and residents from the county, plus profiles of many towns and communities. The book, “Abel Gray: A Romance of the National Road,” written by A.F. Hill in 1876, was reproduced by the historical society in 1998 as a fictional novel with accurate depictions of the National Road. For information on these and other publications available, contact the Fayette County Historical Society Inc., P.O. Box 193, Uniontown, or call 724-439-4422.
The “Carpathian Cookery” cookbook, now in its 11th 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, other ethnic dishes and many recipes of St. John’s parishioners. Many paska and kolachi recipes, as well as meatless dishes and Lenten recipes suitable for the pre-Christmas fast as well as the Great Fast, are included. There is a price for the cookbook. Call 724-438-6027 for more information.
Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Friendship Hill National Historic Site announce winter hours. The Gallatin House Visitor Center at Friendship Hill and the Fort Necessity Visitor Center will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mount Washington Tavern, Jumonville Glen and picnic areas are closed for the winter. All other areas of the parks, including hiking/skiing trails, will remain open sunrise to sunset seven days per week through the winter. Roads and parking areas will not be plowed on Sundays and Mondays. For more information, call Fort Necessity National Battlefield at 724-329-5512 or Friendship Hill National Historic Site at 724-725-9190. Information is also available at ParkNet, National Park Service place on the Web at www.nps.gov.
64 Crayons Cultural Center, located in the Thompson House, 815 Water St., Brownsville, continues to offer free playwriting workshops from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and poetry, fiction and non-fiction workshops from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The Tuesday workshops concentrate on one-act plays in conjunction with 64 Crayons Cultural Center’s Spring Short Play Festival. For additional information, call 724-785-9010 or e-mail Geezersbks@att.net.
area
stage
Point Park University’s professional theater company presents “Kimberly Akimbo,” a heartfelt comedic play that helps the audience to remember that age really is just a state of mind. The play will be presented through Saturday, Feb. 13, with performances Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinee performances at 2 p.m. The play tells the story of a teen-age girl who suffers from a rare condition that causes rapid aging, and Kimberly learns some unexpected wisdom that teaches her that one should never forget about being young. For ticket information, call the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412-621-4445.
The Conservatory Theatre Company of Point Park University is postponing until further notice the workshop production of “Time After Time” at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Feb. 9-20. Instead the Conservatory of Performing Arts of Point Park University will produce “Anything Goes” from Wednesday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, Feb. 27. Directed by Jack Allison and choreographed by Keisha Lalama-White, performances will run Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For ticket information, call 412-621-4445 or visit online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.
music
The Pittsburgh CLO will hold auditions for the 2005 summer season on Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 10-12, at the Benedum Center, Stage Door Entrance, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown for singers, dancers and character actors ages 18 and older. For more information, call 412-281-3973 or visit the Web site at www.pittsburghCLO.org.
“Forever Plaid” Valentine’s Day Package will be offered by the Pittsburgh CLO on Saturday, Feb. 12, with dinner at 6 p.m. and show time at 7:30 p.m. This special Valentine’s Day Package includes two tickets to “Forever Plaid,” one bottle of wine, an appetizer, dinner, dessert and coffee and two tickets to a romantic performance at Late Night Cabaret featuring Tom Rocco’s moving performance of “Matters of the Heart.” Tickets are available by calling 412-456-6666, online at www.CLOCabaret.com or at the Theater Square box office.
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra announces the offering of a Community String Orchestra on Tuesdays from 7 to 8:15 p.m., beginning Feb. 8 at the Fine Arts Center at Greensburg Central Catholic High School. For more information, call the symphony office at 724-837-1850.
WVU Creative Arts Center will host Natalie Cole’s vocal artistry on Valentine’s Day, Monday, Feb. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Her music blends jazz and pop with her ever-soulful approach. The performance is part of the 2004-05 University Arts Series, a production of WVU Arts & Entertainment. For more information, visit the Web site at www.events.wvu.edu or call 293-SHOW.
St. Vincent College in Latrobe is currently holding auditions for the choral programs, including the St. Vincent Camerata and the Voices of St. Vincent. The choruses combine to perform Handel’s complete Messiah in December and another large work each spring. Rehearsals are held weekly. Community members of all vocal parts are welcome to audition for the choruses by calling Joseph Bronder at 724-805-2123.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra will present “Melodic Masterpieces” at the Jewish Community Center, Squirrel Hill, at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Katz Performing Arts Center. These concerts are presented by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the Y Music Society. This PSO series is a celebration of chamber orchestra music. For ticket information, call 412-392-4900.
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Merrill Lynch Young Artists Competition for 2005 is open to vocalists and instrumentalists who are legal residents of Westmoreland County or take private music lessons in Westmoreland County and have not yet graduated from high school. Participants compete for cash prizes and performance opportunities. The winners’ recital takes place at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at Seton Hill University. For information, call the Westmoreland Symphony Office at 724-837-1850 or email at info@westmorelandsymphony.org.
The St. Vincent College Concert Series invites the public to celebrate its 33rd season. The artists appearing this season are Nanae Mimura on Feb. 12; Yin Cheng Zong on March 12; and Kyung Sun Lee on April 16. All concerts are held at 8 p.m. in the Science Center Amphitheatre of St. Vincent College in Latrobe with the exception of December’s Messiah performance, which will be held in the St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica. For more information on tickets and available entertainment packages, call 724-537-4565.
The Washington Community Arts Choir resumed its Monday rehearsals at 7 p.m. at Faith United Presbyterian Church, 97 E. Chestnut St., Washington. The group will be working on arrangements for its June 4-5 concert titled “Nostalgia,” which will feature music from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Singers interested in joining the choir are invited to attend a rehearsal. Both current and prospective members are urged to come early for music distribution. For more information, call Eileen Davis, membership secretary, at 724-222-2777. Visit the Web site at www.wcac-sing.org.
odds & ends
Hoe-down square dancing, slow dancing, polkas, waltzing, line dancing and clogging will be performed by Dave Dahl Trio on Friday, Feb. 4, at the Waynesburg Moose, in Waynesburg from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.; on Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Core Senior Center on Route 7, west of Morgantown from 7 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Ohiopyle Community Center from 8:30 till 11:30 p.m.; and on Friday, Feb. 18, at the Arthurdale Center Hall in Arthurdale, W.Va. from 8 to 11 p.m. For information, call 724-438-5455.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium announces a change in hours and admission rates effective for the new year. During the winter months of January, February and March, the zoo will close one hour earlier. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with admission gates closing at 3 p.m.
The Gordon-Roberts House, 218 Washington St., Cumberland, Md., will celebrate seasons and holidays, with special events for children. A Valentine’s Tea will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, when children will make old-fashioned valentines and celebrate with a heart-theme tea party. An Easter Egg Roll and Egg Hunt will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on March 19. The celebration of spring will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. April 30 with a May Day event, which includes making miniature maypoles, dancing and a spring tea party. Through the summer months, history camps are offered at the Gordon-Roberts House for children of all ages. For additional information on events, camps or tours at the Gordon-Roberts House, call 301-777-8678.
The 2005 Pittsburgh International Auto Show will take place at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from Feb. 12-20. The show will feature more than 500 of the latest vehicles from more than 35 manufacturers, including several pre-production vehicles, specialty vehicles and concept cars. Come to compare all the different makes and models under one roof, climb in the vehicles and check trunk space or simply dream about your next ride. Show hours are Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Mondays through Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m.; and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For additional information, visit www.pittsburghauto.org or call the hotline at 1-866-575-3040.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will present “Medicinal Plants: Earth’s Pharmacy” through April 3. This is a rare chance to see the basic, essential elements used in everyday remedies as they grow in nature. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the 13-room Victorian glasshouse and gardens in Schenley Park, is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday until 9 p.m. Phipps is closed Monday. Phipps Garden Center, located at 1059 Shady Ave. in Mellon Park, is a horticultural education center offering classes, workshops and the gift boutique, “Shop in the Park.” For more information, call the conservatory at 412-622-6914.
The Greater Morgantown Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) and MountainFest LLC have announced the Wild and Wonderful MountainFest Motorcycle Rally, scheduled for next July 29-31 in Morgantown, W.Va.
The rally, which is set for the last weekend of July every year, is expected to attract 15,000 visitors to Morgantown this year. For more information, contact Jay Redmond at 1-800-458-7373.
Greene County Department of Recreation will offer aerobics and step aerobics classes. Aerobics classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Step aerobics classes are held on Saturday at 9 a.m. and Wednesday at 1 p.m. Aerobics classes are held at the Greene County Fairgrounds 4-H Building.