Category: Arts

Dance company embraces Halloween season with haunted dance theater on Oct. 6th

The Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company brings the magic of Halloween to Pottstown in a haunted dance theater on October 6th entitled “Tales From the Krypt.” See haunted theme dance set to the music of Oingo Boingo, Michael Jackson, and This Mortal Coil.

The performance begins at 7:30pm and will take place at the Pottstown Dance Theatre, 72 West Main St., Pottstown, PA 19465. Admission is $10 at the door and will culminate in a Halloween bash – costumes optional!

Begin your Halloween season with this fun, spooky event. Proceeds benefit the non-profit Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company. For more information visit the Company website at www.svrdc.org or call 484-941-0683.

Meals on Wheels fundraiser brings The Fabulous Greaseband to Sunnybrook on Oct. 5th

On Friday, October 5th, The Fabulous Greaseband brings their rock’n’roll party to the historic Sunnybrook Ballroom to entertain Meals on Wheels supporters for an  annual fundraising event.

From their website: “The Fabulous Greaseband is a seven member “Best of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party Band. Their highly entertaining and energetic delivery of the greatest dance songs ever written has kept the group on top for the last thirty five years.”

Sunnybrook Ballroom is located at 50 Sunnybrook Road, Pottstown, PA 19464. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Show begins at 8 p.m.  $25 general admission. (Cash beverage and snack bar)

Meals on Wheels is partially funded by Aging and Adult Services, and they need to raise funds to close the gap.  As in past economic downturns, non-profit charitable organizations are dramatically affected by dwindling resources at a time when need is increasing.  Family Services’ Meals on Wheels program, now in its 41st year of operation, serves more than 88,220 meals a year to 400 homebound seniors with the help of 200 loyal volunteers.  Their goal is to help homebound older adults remain in their homes despite temporary or chronic medical setbacks.

 

Family Services Meals on Wheels

1976 East High Street
Pottstown , PA 19464

3rd Annual Antique Appraisal event tonight at ArtFusion 19464

FYI: ArtFusion 19464 is the former Gallery School of Pottstown/Gallery on High!

This evening, Thursday, October 4 from 6-8 pm, ArtFusion 19464 is hosting a joint fundraiser with Forgotten Cats, a local group dedicated to helping many of the stray and abandoned cats in our neighborhoods. Eileen Rhoads, of Rhoads Auction and Antiques, is generously donating her time and expertise for this event. Please RSVP to 610-326-2506 or by email.

The event runs from 6:00-8:00pm at ArtFusion’s 254 E. High St. location. Your $15 entrance fee includes appraisal of one item. Each additional item is $5, with a maximum of three items per person. Light refreshments will be served.

Formerly The Gallery School of Pottstown/@ The Gallery on High
254 E. High St.
Pottstown, PA 19464

www.artfusion19464.org

About ArtFusion 19464
Formerly The Gallery School of Pottstown, ArtFusion 19464 is a non-profit community art center dedicated to making the arts accessible to everyone.  Our mission  is to enrich the lives of the residents in the greater Pottstown area through the visual arts, regardless of ethnicity and economic situations. Our goal is to spark creativity, build self-confidence and develop community bonds through education, mentoring and community service.
About Forgotten Cats
Forgotten Cats helps many of the stray and abandoned cats in our neighborhoods. They help the animals receive needed medical care, get them spayed or neutered and find them a forever home.
About Rhoads Auction and Antiques

Ron and Eileen Rhoads Auction and Antiques can be found at 383 Ben Franklin Highway West, Douglassville, PA 19518.  They have fifty years in the business and are the second generation serving the Delaware Valley.

LASER LIGHT SHOW AND GHOSTS AT POTTSTOWN LIBRARY this Thursday night

Check out this fun and spooky event coming up this Thursday night at the Pottstown library at 500 E. High Street… from Leslie Stillings, Director of Youth Services.

On a chilly autumn night in a dark library, the Pottstown Regional Public Library will be hosting a ghost storyteller and Laser Light show on Thursday, October 4 from 7-9 pm. Charles Adams III, famed author of numerous East Coast ghost story books will be telling tales and signing copies in this Laser and Legends event. Also, Wondergy will be performing a Laser Light Show set to the music of “Thriller” and various artists.

This is an event that will entertain and enthrall.  Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children.  The Laser Show and Ghost stories by Charles Adams III will be a great way to spend an evening out. Proceeds benefit the youth department of the Pottstown Regional Public Library.  Tickets are available ahead of time or at the door.  For more information, contact the Pottstown Regional Public Library:

500 E. High Street
Pottstown, Pa. 19464

Phone: 610-970-6551

Fax: 610-970-6553

E-mail: pottstownlibrary@mclinc.org

Website: ppl.mclinc.org

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/prplibrary?ref=ts

9th Annual Carousel of Flavor this Sunday!

One of Pottstown’s premier events is taking place this Sunday in the 100 block of High Street – the 9th Annual Carousel of Flavor to benefit The Carousel of Pottstown project.

“Delight in tastings from the area’s best restaurants, discover handmade treasures from talented craftspeople, dance to the music, and just simply enjoy this day outside that puts the fun in our favorite Carousel fundraiser!” says the event’s Facebook page.

Seventeen area restaurants will be participating. Scout out what’s available, get your food tickets, then go and eat until your stomach’s content. And the wine and beer garden will be double in size this year.

The Carousel of Flavor runs from 12-4 pm. Thousands of visitors come out and every year it grows bigger; 7,000-8,000 are predicted to turn out this year. Get there early. For more info on what it’s all about, check out The Mercury’s story from yesterday here.

A-Team provides support for families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“The A Team Pottstown” is a parent/caregiver, educator, professional group providing support for families dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorders. They meet at the Pottstown branch of the Freedom Valley YMCA on the 1st Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. They have open discussions and guest speakers. Whether your family has a new diagnosis or you’re more experienced, all are welcome! The Freedom Valley YMCA is located at 724 N. Adams Street, Pottstown, PA 19464.

You can also  visit their Facebook page to meet folks in this community and join in the discussions. Right now they are taking a poll about whether families would be interested in attending the occasional sensory friendly, family friendly film at the new Carmike 12 at Upland Square Shopping Center in Pottsgrove. Sensory friendly means there’s lower volume and the lights are up a bit so it’s not so dark for the kids. Carmike is open to it if there is enough interest. Seems like a reasonable accommodation that could provide a positive social experience for individuals with ASD and their families. See the 1-question poll here!

Eastern Slavic music concert CDs and DVDs now available

Last spring area residents were treated to a concert of Eastern Slavic music performed by a stellar group of singers known as the Westminster Slavic Choir. If you would like to re-experience that uplifting afternoon or hear the Choir for the first time, a professionally produced DVD and CD are now available.  CD’s are $15 and DVD’s are $20. See ordering details below.

The concert was performed by the Westminster Slavic Choir in April at St. John The Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, Pottstown, Pa.  The well-attended, acclaimed performance included works by composers Bortniansky, Vedel, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Hurko, as well as traditional chant.  Selections were performed in English as well as Old Slavonic.

The Westminster Slavic Choir features students of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, N.J.  The vocalists all are either vocal performance or music education majors at Westminster, a division of Westminster College of the Arts, a residential college of music located in Princeton, N.J.  Westminster is a four-year music college and graduate school that prepares men and women for careers as professional performers and as music leaders in schools, universities, churches, and professional and community music organizations. As Westminster Choir College students, the talented young men and women of the Slavic Choir join their peers in performing with the world’s leading orchestras in venues ranging from the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia to Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York.

    The chamber choir is directed by Andrew Skitko, a native of Pottstown, Pa.  Andrew has begun his master’s degree in vocal performance at Westminster this fall.  Andrew also serves as the cantor and music director at The Assumption of The Virgin Mary Byzantine Catholic Church of Trenton, N.J. (Very Rev. Gregory Noga, pastor),where the Westminster Slavic Choir performs about once a month.  Andrew also assists at St. John’s in Pottstown, his home parish and where he first began cantoring (Fr. Nicholas DeProspero, pastor).  Recently Andrew participated in a seminar focusing on the interpretation of Slavic church music at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Seminary with leading expert Vladimir Gorbik, choral director at the Moscow Representation Church of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery, and Artistic Director and Conductor of the professional men’s chorus formed at the Metochion in Moscow, Russia.

To obtain a copy of the DVD and/or CD, please email Andrew at andrewskitko@gmail.com or write to him at 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540, and include your preference and quantity as well as your mailing address. CD’s are $15 and DVD’s are $20. A 2 CD set of Resurrection Matins & Divine Liturgy is available for $20. The choir is also available for concert and liturgical performance – contact Mr. Skitko for booking information.

Pottstown Area Artists Guild to meet tomorrow, Sept. 18th – all invited.

Pottstown Area Artists Guild will hold its first meeting of the 2012-’13 year on Tuesday, September 18th at The Hill School Center For The Arts, Boyer Gallery at Beech and Sheridan Streets, Pottstown. The meeting is at 7:00 pm and is open to the public. The presenter this month will be local artist Bob Hakun.

Pottstown Area Artists Guild meets every third Tuesday of the month from September through June. Every month a guest artist from the surrounding area does a presentation or demonstration of their art. More information about the guild and a link to the Fall newsletter, got to www.paag.info.

Creative Montco to launch 10-year plan this Thursday

After a year-long effort to gather information, opinions and ideas about arts and culture in Montgomery County, Creative MontCo will unveil its 10-year plan during a launch party on Sept. 13 in the Parkhouse Hall Atrium at Montgomery County Community College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell.

The celebration begins with networking from 4-4:30 p.m., followed by a presentation from 4:30-5:15 p.m. and a reception from 5:15-6 p.m. Artists, creative entrepreneurs, civic leaders, government officials and anyone who lives or works in Montgomery County is welcome to attend. To RSVP, visit http://creativemontco.eventbrite.com or call 610-313-9836.

Supported in part by a major grant from the William Penn Foundation, along with support from the Montgomery County Foundation, Creative MontCo is based on the belief that culture and creativity are among a community’s most powerful assets.  The initiative, chaired by MCCC President Dr. Karen A. Stout, looks to leverage the County’s cultural and creative resources to enhance economic development through implementation of a 10-year comprehensive plan.

“Creative MontCo reflects the growing trend to integrate cultural and economic development,” said Dr. Stout. “By recognizing the link between non-profit and for-profit creative activity and combining them under the creative sector umbrella, we acknowledge their common interests and often-overlooked role within regional economies.”

To date, more than 1,900 individuals representing all 62 municipalities in Montgomery County have participated in the initiative through a series of town hall meetings, community conversations, survey responses, interviews and discussion groups, and social media and website feedback.

For more information about CreativeMontCo and to learn how to get involved, visit www.creativemontco.org.

Steel River Playhouse Opens New Season With Tony- and Pulitzer-Winning Contemporary Musical

The popular Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Next to Normal, is the highly anticipated 2012-13 Season opener for Steel River Playhouse (formerly Tri-County Performing Arts Center, or Tri-PAC).

Running for just 6 performances over 2 weekends (September 14th through 23rd), Next to Normal is a compellingly honest story that is by turns comedic and moving. A contemporary rock musical infused with a powerful story line, Next to Normal centers on the Goodmans– Dan, Diana, Gabe and Natalie – a seemingly “normal” family as real and recognizable as our own. Each is trying to take care of themselves and each other, wrestling to hold onto home, joy, commitment and love in the face of strong and subtle forces. The magic
of Next to Normal is how much you care about the characters and their tenacity as they experience each day.

The New York Times called it a “brave,breathtaking musical,” and a “feel-everything musical.” The Washington Post went so far as to say it “defines the modern American musical.” Unlike traditional musicals comprised of discrete sections of dialogue and song, the thrilling musical numbers of Next of Normal are woven seamlessly into the work and carry the plot forward organically. A live orchestra supports the stellar cast of actor-singers, keeping up Steel River Playhouse’s longstanding commitment to high quality musicianship as an essential part of the musical theater experience.

Next to Normal is directed by Kevin Laibson, a New York-based producer and director who has been instrumental in encouraging and enabling artists and playwrights to take risks and keep theater original and powerful. He’s also a teacher (improvisation), actor and musician.

Laibson says Next to Normal is about “…how hard people work to be together.” What makes the play so powerful, Laibson says, is “how much the audience will care about these characters, and how much their struggles will mean to everyone watching.”

The play will be performed in Steel River Playhouse’s intimate Newberry Loft, which will seat less than 100 people for each performance. Laibson believes that this setting will enhance the audience’s identification with the characters’ will to adapt to their lives and each other.

The cast:
Maddie Aicher (Daughter, Natalie Goodman) – Owen J. Roberts School District
Steven Burke (Son, Gabe Goodman) – Upper Merion School District
Drew Carr (Henry) – Spring-Ford Area School District
Greg Kasander (Father, Dan Goodman) – Gulph Mills, Pennyslvania
Denise Webb (Mother, Diana Goodman) – Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Kevin Ray Johnson (Dr. Madden) – Baltimore, Maryland

Next to Normal will be performed on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM September 14, 15, 21 & 22 and Sundays at 3 PM, September 16 & 23 at Steel River Playhouse, 245 East High Street, Pottstown. It is Directed by Kevin Laibson; Music Directed by Deborah Stimson-Snow. Next to Normal music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.

In addition, on Sunday, September 16 following the performance audience members can ask questions of the director and cast during our Talkback. Single ticket prices are Adults $19, Seniors (65+) $17 and Students/Children $15. There are two changes in ticketing policy this season; groups of 10 or more get a higher discount – $3 off per ticket. And tickets bought online – www.steelriver.org – are the same price as tickets purchased at the box office.

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