Future events
local The State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown will present “Urban Cowboy: The Musical” on Jan. 28. Based on the Paramount Picture starring John Travolta and Debra Winger, it is the story of Bud, a new breed of cowboy, who’s turning heads and looking for love in the biggest honky-tonk in the world. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the State Theatre box office at 724-439-1360 or toll free at 800-397-2554.
The Geyer Performing Arts Center of Scottdale has announced auditions for the musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Auditions for actors, singers and dancers will be held at two different venues. On Sunday, Feb. 11, auditions will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, North Gallatin Avenue, Uniontown, from 3 to 6 p.m. On Monday, Feb. 12, auditions will take place at the Geyer Performing Arts Center, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Rehearsals will begin during March in Uniontown with performances slated at the Geyer Performing Arts Center on April 19-22. The production staff for “Forum” will include Brad Henry, music director; Ginny Tanner, choreographer; and Bill Dreucci, director. For more information, call 724-557-1119.
“Tap City – On Tour” will be presented at 8 p.m. March 10 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. It is sponsored in part by The Producers Unit. “Tony Waag’s Tap City” showcases the best of the New York City Tap Festival, founded in 2001 by Waag and the late Gregory Hines and produced by the American Tap Dance Foundation. The show features an international cast of legendary tap veterans, cutting-edge ensembles and up-and-coming hoofers backed by a live jazz combo. Tickets are available by calling the State Theatre box office at 724-439-1360 or toll free at 800-397-2554.
“Lost In Yonkers” will be performed at 8 p.m. March 31 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. The show is sponsored by Wolford and Lenore Swimmer and Josh and Maria Swimmer. “Lost in Yonkers” is Neil Simon’s touching story – and Pulitzer Prize-winning play – of an eccentric New York family in crisis in the summer of 1942. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the State Theatre box office at 724-439-1360.
Actors and Artists of Fayette County announced the cast of “Disney’s High School Musical” that will be presented at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale Feb. 1-4. Show times are 8:15 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or reserved by calling 724-887-0887.The Greater Uniontown Children’s Choir will hold rehearsals from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Third Presbyterian Church, 425 Union St., Uniontown. Rehearsals will continue through May. The choir has performed at the state Capitol in Harrisburg and the Maryland Children’s Choir Festival. In addition to the annual concert, the choir performs for annual holiday events at Nemacolin Woodlands, Nemacolin Castle, Christian Klay Winery and private parties. The choir is open to children who like to sing from the Fayette/Greene County area in grades four through senior high. Boys must have unchanged voices. For more information, call 724-938-1348.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra will play at 7 p.m. May 19 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. The event is sponsored in part by National City Bank. Back at the theater by popular demand, the legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all the dance bandleaders back in the swing era of the 1930s and ’40s. Under the direction of Larry O’Brien, the 19-member band continues to play many of the original arrangements that have been delighting Miller fans for decades. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the State Theatre box office at 724-439-1360.
Ohiopyle Bluegrass will take place at 6 p.m. Feb. 3. at the Ohiopyle Community Center, located on Main Street (Route 381) between Farmington and Normalvile. Food, including homemade pies, and drinks will be sold. Seating will be provided. No alcohol or drugs will be permitted. Local and regional bands will perform 30-minute sets on stage. Rooms will be available for offstage jamming. A 50/50 drawing will be held. To schedule your band or for more information, call Bill Springer at 724-455-3919.
The Dave Iglar Trio will perform at Phil’s Night Club at 711 River Road in Dawson from 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28. For more information, call 724-529-2011.64 Crayons at Jozart Studios, 333 Second St., California, invites local writers to submit short plays, from eight to 15 minutes running time, for possible production as part of the 2007 season at California Community Theatre. The plays will be read and judged by members of the 64 Crayons Writing Workshop. Final decision on production rests with the CCT Board of Directors. Manuscripts will be accepted from now through Tuesday. No more than two plays will be considered per playwright. A modest readers’ fee of $5 for one play or $8 for two will be charged, but playwrights will receive a share of the performance proceeds for any play produced by CCT. The fee will be waived if the author joins the Writers’ Workshop and participates in the production process. For more information, call Dr. Fred Lapisardi at 724-938-9730.
An oldies dance to benefit the Dunbar Historical Society will be held from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday at Divito Park in West Leisenring. Tickets will be sold at the door. There will be a cost. No advance tickets will be sold. Food will be available for sale during the dance. Music will be provided by “Just Havin’ Fun.” The public is invited. For more information, call 724-277-4442.
St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, 185 E. Main St., Uniontown, will hold a Dinner Dance with “Ethnic Wedding Theme” in the church social hall on Saturday, Jan. 27. The evening will include dinner (ethnic wedding-type food) and entertainment by the Dynasonics, featuring polkas, cardas and dance music. There also will be a mock bridal dance and much more. A full night of entertainment will be provided. The doors will open at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m. Music and dancing will be offered from 7 to 11 p.m. There is an admission charge. Reserved seating is available for groups of eight or more. Advance tickets may be purchased by contacting the church office. For ticket information, call 724-438-6027 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 724-437-7033 in the evenings. The proceeds will benefit St. John’s Renovation Fund.
Uniontown Senior Citizens’ Monthly Dance titled “Winter Wonderland” will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday at Uniontown VFW Post 47, West Main Street. The Bill Francis Orchestra will perform. Round, line dancing, polkas, waltzes and other dances will be provided. Refreshments and door prizes are planned by the committee. Pete Porreca is commander of VFW Post 47. Kassie DeWalt is dance chairperson.
Mardi Gras 2007, a pre-Lenten dinner/dance sponsored by St. Therese Parish of Uniontown, will take place Saturday, Feb. 17. The event will be held at the Hopwood Social Hall. The evening will include hor d’oeuvres, dinner, traditional Mardi Gras complimentary gifts, fellowship and entertainment. The entertainment will be provided by Pittsburgh’s No Bad Ju Ju and Uniontown’s D.J. Paul McGrady. Tickets are available by calling St. Therese at 724-438-2341 or Brenda at 412-582-1568.
West Overton Museums in Scottdale announces the beginning of the 2007 winter Parlor Talk lecture series. The four presentations will be held in the distillery theater at 2 p.m. Sundays. Are experts will present a wide variety of historical subjects. The first lecture on Sunday will be on “The Battleground of the French and Indian War: 1975-1763” with Dr. Frank Cassell, president of the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg campus. For complete series information, call 724-887-7910 or send an e-mail to director@westoverton.org. West Overton Museums is located on Route 819 between Scottdale and Mount Pleasant.
Ballet Lafayette Ballroom will offer ballroom dance lessons. Participants can learn the English waltz, salsa and more. Call 724-437-8653.
St. Therese Church Cookbook with familiar and traditional recipes “like Grandma used to make” is available for sale. To place an order or for more information, call St. Therese Faith Formation Center at 724-437-1957 or Linda at 724-439-4036.
Classes are being held at The Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale for those interested in performance-related topics. Some of the courses offered include acting, vocals, songwriting, guitar and set design. The six-week courses are arranged by age from 8 to adult. The instructors include Josh Garsteck and Matt Starry. For information, call 724-887-0887 or stop by The Geyer Performing Arts Center at 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale.
Geezers’ Book Shop, now operating as 64 Crayons at Jozart’s Studios, has resumed Tuesday writing workshops from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at 333 Second St., California, located above the Dollar General store. Instead of concentrating on a single genre as in past years, the current group agreed that fiction, creative, non-fiction, poetry, plays, film scripts and songs may be presented for discussion. There is no charge for these sessions. Call 724-938-9730.
A cookbook with a forward by award-winning chef Joe Carei of Caileigh’s Restaurant in Uniontown is available at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. The cookbook is full of recipes and historic photographs of “The Grand Old Lady of Main Street.” They are available in the theater box office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at all performances. Call 724-439-1360 to place a mail order. There is a cost for the cookbooks.
The Friends of the Uniontown Public Library are selling New Geneva Stoneware as a fund-raiser. The three styles offered, each inscribed “Fayette County,” are a mini jug, a mini crock and a pencil jar and are available in the Pennsylvania Room on the second floor of the library. The Friends also are selling hoagie tickets, which can be purchased at the first floor circulation desk. All funds raised directly will benefit the Uniontown Public Library.
The “Carpathian Cookery” cookbook, now in its 12th printing, having sold more than 10,000, is again available for sale. The 330-page cookbook now has a new look and features a protective plastic cover and includes sections on Christmas customs and recipes, Easter customs and recipes, traditional Rusyn foods, 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 great fast as well as the pre-Christmas fast. Call 724-438-6027.
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Associated Artists of Pittsburgh’s 96th annual exhibition will continue through Monday at the Carnegie Museum of Art. For information, visit the Web site at www.aapgh.org or the Carnegie museum of Art’s Web site at www.cmoa.org.The PovertyNeck Hillbillies will perform a benefit concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Ice Garden in Rostraver Township. Proceeds will benefit Serra Catholic Hockey Club. Nashville recording artist Alli Gillis and local favorite Midnite run also will perform. Tickets are available by calling 412-323-1919 at TicketMaster.com or at select Giant Eagle and Macy’s stores and the Ice Garden box office at 724-379-7100.”The Monongahela Railway, Its History and Operation, 1903-1993,” a 212-page book with more than 300 black and white pictures and 24 maps of the system, is available at Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, 325 Market St., Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Uniontown Library, Flatiron Building, Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville, New Salem and Fairchance pharmacies and Hobbies & Stuff in Connellsville.
Hoedown round and square dancing, slow dancing, polkas, line dancing and clogging will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at the Haydentown Community Center in Haydentown. Dave Dahl will provide music and figure calling.
A book reading, featuring local author Thomas Pessini, will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the McHenry campus of Garrett College in McHenry, Md. Pessini’s first novel, “Traitor in the White House,” was first published in December 2003 with a third printing occurring in October 2006. Pessini is currently working on the sequel, as well as novels three and four in the Skip Daggard espionage suspense thriller series. To sign up to attend the book reading, call 301-387-3069.