Candy Williams stories, Page 6
Stage Right students tackle ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘West Side Story’
It’s show time for more than 100 preteen and teen musical theater students at Stage Right School for the Performing Arts in Greensburg as the school year draws to a close. Tony Marino, Stage Right artistic director and acting instructor, is pushing the two groups to give their best effort...
Pittsburgh Taco Festival offers ‘something a little different’Video
Creative chefs all over Pittsburgh are reimagining the recipe for tacos. The Mexican dish traditionally consists of a fried tortilla folded and filled with seasoned meat, cheese and lettuce — but visitors to the 3rd annual Pittsburgh Taco Festival on June 1 at Highmark Stadium will be able to experience...
Grown-up Jackie Evancho coming home for Byham Theater concertVideo
Jackie Evancho has been pushing the limits of her career ever since she was 10 years old. The classical-crossover song stylist from Pine in Pittsburgh’s North Hills has come a long way since she first made her singing debut on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Recently turning 19, her latest project...
Plenty of great summer shows on area stages
Theater companies in Western Pennsylvania don’t take a summer vacation. In fact, many of the actors, directors and crew members are working even harder during the warm-weather months to provide a wide assortment of live entertainment in the form of plays and musicals for families, adults and kids. Productions being...
WWII Big Band dance to add ‘aviation nostalgia’ to Westmoreland air showVideo
The Jeannette-based Glass City Swing Band will perform for the World War II-themed Big Band Dance Benefit at DeNunzio’s Italian Chophouse at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport on May 25. The dance coincides with the Shop ‘n Save Westmoreland County Airshow – and although it’s a separate ticket, it’s the perfect...
Greensburg Community Days marks 25 years, start of summer
Greensburg Community Days is a sure sign that summer is just around the corner. The 25th edition of the weekend family festival of fun is set for 6-10 p.m. May 23 and 24, and 2-11 p.m. May 25 at Lynch Field, 528 New Alexandria Road, Greensburg. Admission is free. City...
Westmoreland County Airshow set to take flightVideo
It’s not easy for Gabe Monzo to choose which one of the featured aircraft at the Shop ‘n Save Westmoreland County Airshow May 25-26 is the main attraction. “The main attraction is aviation,” says Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the Unity airport and stages...
Pittsburgh-area attorney having time of his life hosting radio show
Eric Jackson Lurie has a successful “day job” practicing criminal defense and family law in Fox Chapel and surrounding areas, with offices on Old Freeport Road in O’Hara and in downtown Pittsburgh. When Thursday evenings roll around, he swaps his courtroom suit and tie for more casual wear and heads...
Saint Vincent Summer Theatre kicks off season with ‘Forever Plaid’
Greggory Brandt knows the best way to follow a memorable 50th anniversary season is by offering an even more memorable 51st season. Brandt, producing artistic director for Saint Vincent Summer Theatre and director and professor of theater at Saint Vincent College, is ready to do just that as the equity...
The Lettermen at the return to Palace Theatre for romantic afternoonVideo
The Lettermen’s lineup has undergone significant changes over the years, with new faces replacing familiar ones as members of the pop vocal trio left for new opportunities and new guys came on board. Their trademark lettermen sweaters — once the symbol of their all-American cool signature style — eventually were...
Magician Billy Kidd knows all the tricks of the tradeVideo
Magician Billy Kidd credits a street magician in her hometown of Bath, England, for teaching her the tricks of her trade. She had never seen a live performance of a magic show until she met up one day with a man who was entertaining a growing number of passersby with...
CMU alums bring ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ musical message to Heinz Hall
Two Carnegie Mellon University alums are starring in the cast of the first national tour of the popular contemporary Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.” Ben Levi Ross, who studied musical theater at CMU, portrays the title role of troubled teen Evan Hansen in the Tony Award-winning musical. Christiane Noll, who...
Garth Brooks psyched for ‘honky tonk’ Pittsburgh mega-show
Garth Brooks is having a party in Pittsburgh for 72,887 of his closest friends. And if his recent concerts in other cities are any indication, it’s sure to be some kind of awesome celebration. The country superstar shattered Heinz Field’s concert ticket sales record for his upcoming one-night Stadium Tour...
‘Van Gogh in Bloom’ is summer show at Phipps Conservatory
Artist Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) once said, “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” The Dutch post-impressionist painter’s own love of nature expressed in his vibrant landscapes and still-life paintings is interpreted in a series of botanical vignettes in the summer flower show, “Van Gogh in Bloom,”...
Whitesnake’s Greensburg show is calm before the stormVideo
For hard rockers Whitesnake, it’s the calm before the storm. With legendary song stylist David Coverdale at the helm and guitarist/music director (and Pittsburgh native) Reb Beach as first mate, the band is ready to embark on its “Flesh and Blood World Tour.” The tour will introduce some of the...
May Marts, plants sales beneficial to communities, gardeners alike
It’s finally that time of year again – when horticulture enthusiasts can swap their winter mittens for garden gloves. Before they head out to the garden, many will visit their favorite May Markets to check out the latest plant varieties, get the scoop on new garden tools and accessories and...
Young-at-heart seniors take another shot at love in ‘Kalamazoo’
The Theatre Factory’s two-character play, “Kalamazoo,” which opens on May 3 at the Trafford theater, is what actor Howard Elson of Squirrel Hill says is a great example of a genre he calls “Last Chance at Romance Comedies.” It’s a funny look at the complications and challenges that occur when...
‘Rent’ co-stars reunite for evening of music at the Reilly TheaterVideo
Anyone lucky enough to have a “forever friend” — a best buddy they might not see for weeks or months, but whenever they get back together, it’s like old times — can identify with the relationship between Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. The two performers met in 1996 when they...
Palace Theatre comes alive with the ‘Sound of Music’
There will never be too many versions of “The Sound of Music,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical spectacular with a score packed with lovely music and a cast filled with just-as-lovely kids. Following the original 1959 Broadway show and the 1965 film adaptation starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, the...
Home-schoolers bring ‘Annie’ to Lamp stage
They’re a group of home-schoolers — but they haven’t been at home much lately. As members of Stage Right’s Arts in Education classes, the cyber school students and home-schoolers ages 6 to 19 have been busy preparing for their end-of-the-school-year musical production at the theater company’s School for the Performing...
The 5th Dimension still shining bright with Palace Theatre show
The 5th Dimension was as popular a symbol of the late 1960s and early ‘70s as peace signs and “Make Love, Not War” posters. If the vocal group’s name doesn’t ring a bell, the parade of timeless hit records surely will. Who doesn’t remember singing and dancing to the group’s...
Greensburg Civic Theatre makes change to ‘Songs for a New World’
With a rallying call that “the show must go on” — even if it’s not the same show — Greensburg Civic Theatre announced a change to its May production and will close its 67 th season with a musical that has a fitting message to “never lose hope.” GCT said...
John Noble to take final bow with ‘Night of the Stars’
Greensburg attorney and champion of high school musicals John Noble is a pretty humble guy when it comes to taking credit for the success of his “Westmoreland Night of the Stars.” The event held at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg has grown to a two-night celebration of local students representing...
‘Dance Spectrum 2019’ showcases Seton Hill students
Dance students at Seton Hill University have spent the current semester perfecting their skills and techniques in tap, contemporary and ballet – and now’s their time to shine in “Dance Spectrum 2019.” The program April 26-28 at Seton Hill Performing Arts Center in Greensburg will feature original choreography by Seton...
Spring means it’s time for annual Fox Chapel garden symposium
Landscape architect and author Jennifer Bartley couldn’t make healthy eating look any easier. Want a delicious, fresh spring salad for lunch? Simply go outside to the kitchen garden and pick a bunch of kale, lettuce and other annual greens — and don’t forget some herbs and edible flowers. “Spring is...
