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Upcoming entertainment

From local reports

A number of shows will be offered in January and February at the Smoot Theatre in Parkersburg and Peoples Bank Theatre in Marietta.

≤ The Smoot Theatre Kids Club Series will present “Laura Ingalls Wilder” at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 at the theatre at 213 Fifth St. in downtown Parkersburg.

Adult tickets are $15 and tickets for students, high school and younger are $10. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Smoot at 304-422-PLAY (7529) or online at SmootTheatre.com.

ArtsPower National Touring Theatre will present present “Laura Ingalls Wilder,” which chronicles the adventures of the Ingalls family as they travel across the prairie in search of a little house to call home.

Based on Wilder’s own childhood experiences, which she began recording in her 60s, the original musical delights young audiences with the adventures of the spirited pioneer girl and her family. The show follows the tomboyish Laura, her older sister Mary, her Ma, and her Pa as they travel across the unsettled frontier of the late-1800s American Midwest.  Many challenges threaten the Ingalls family’s security, including Indian attacks, disease, and devastating crop losses.  Powered by their devotion to each other and an unwavering “pioneering spirit,” they are able to overcome anything.

Written and directed by ArtsPower Artistic Director Greg Gunning with music by his longtime collaborator Richard DeRosa, the theater company has been performing “Laura Ingalls Wilder” periodically since its premiere in 1995.

≤ As part of its regular series of shows, the Smoot will present “Route 66” at 8 p.m. Feb. 23.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students.

Presented by Springer Theatricals, the show is a “rip-roaring, pedal-to-the-medal road trip down memory lane” featuring hits such as “Dead Man’s Curve,” “King of the Road,” “Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” “Six Days on the Road,” “GTO,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around”and “Route 66.”

Several shows are also planned during the next two months at Peoples Bank Theatre on Putnam Street in downtown Marietta. Tickets are available at peoplesbanktheatre.com or by calling 740-371-5152.

≤ Golden Dragon Acrobats will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 27. Tickets are $19-$35.

The Golden Dragons are recognized throughout the United States and abroad as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company. World renowned impresario Danny Chang and choreographer Angela Chang combine award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.

≤ Sandi Patty will perform in concert at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Peoples Bank Theatre. Tickets are $26-$46.

Patty  is the most awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music history, with 40 Dove Awards, as well as five Grammy awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three platinum records, five gold records, and eleven million units sold. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and as an Indiana Living Legend in 2007.

She has released over 30 albums.

While her 30-year career is heavily rooted in the gospel music industry, Patty has had the opportunity in more recent years to extend her career outside the genre. She has performed with symphonies across the country and also headlined the title role in sold-out performances of the musical “Hello, Dolly!”

≤ The Jason Bishop Show will be 7 p.m. Feb. 3 and feature illusionist Jason Bishop and his combination of modern music, fast paced magic, sleight of hand and audience participation. Tickets are $16-$32.

≤ The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 24. Tickets are $18-$30.

The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is recognized as one of the best all-around dance bands. Tommy Dorsey, “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,” was a master at creating warm, sentimental and always musical moods   at superb dancing and listening tempos. Tommy sustained these moods through the arrangements of the likes of Paul Weston, Axel Stordahl and Sy Oliver, and he showcased singers who could project them brilliantly.

Great Bridal Event Sunday

The Great Bridal Event 2017 will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the E.L.I.T.E. Sports Center in south Parkersburg.

The event is organized by Crown Event Rentals and will feature numerous vendors. At 3 p.m., there will be an Elizabeth Michaels/Hornor & Harrison/Premier Productions Style Show.

The event will also feature food and cake samplings, thousands of dollars in prize giveaways and a free tote bag for all brides. All brides- and grooms-to-be enter free while other guests are $5, said Keith McClung, owner of Crown Event Rentals and one of the organizers.

A new addition to this year’s event will be a “groom showdown” prior to the style show. McClung said grooms will be able to compete in a variety of contest for prizes and other awards.

McClung said vendor involvement remains high, with about 90 vendors filling the 120 available spaces.

Returning for a second year will be shuttle vans that will take visitors to and from the front door, to the E.L.I.T.E. Center’s parking area, the access road leading to the center and along Camden Avenue where many people park.

Looking ahead at this year’s trends, McClung said rustic themes have been and remain popular. In addition, while simple, earthy weddings also remain popular, there is a shift moving back to more extravagant types of weddings.

Castle events

From local reports

A number of special activities and events are planned for 2017 at The Castle in Marietta, including several new programs.

The activities include lectures, tours, musical programs and historical presentations.

Executive director Scott Britton said The Castle will be entering its third year of a program called “Third Thursday Talks” which are held on the third Thursdays of the even-numbered months. The series features a variety of speakers, most involving history connected to The Castle.

“That seemed to be a real popular thing, not only getting our volunteers and tour guides — our docents — involved in those so that they have a broader knowledge when people come to take a tour of the house, but also brought in some other folks with those interests,” Britton said.

In 2016, The Castle added a “Food History” program which featured two dinners during the year which centered on historical menus and historical cookbooks and recipe books. The programs covered the history behind the foods and their period of history. Britton said two more “Food History” programs are planned in 2017.

Britton is also looking forward to new programming in 2017. This year is the 100th anniversary of America’s participation in World War I and The Castle will be joining with other local history organizations to highlight Marietta’s involvement and how it was impacted by the conflict.

The Castle will also be doing a new program called “History on Trial” with the assistance of retired Washington County Common Pleas Judge Ed Lane and other local attorneys. There will be re-enactments of well-known local historical trials using the laws in place at those times.

Britton said the first will be the “George Washington Henderson vs. David Putnam Fugitive Slave Trial” featuring George Washington Henderson of Henderson Hall in what was still part of Virginia at that time and David Putnam, a noted local abolitionist in Marietta of the period.

“It was a fairly famous local case and involved national law and national people,” he said.

The Castle will also be having an “Art Outside” program in the summer with local artists coming to The Castle to do painting of the historic home and grounds and other subjects. In the fall, a “Top Shelf History” program will look at Prohibition and the impact and presence of alcohol in Marietta during that period, he said.

The schedule of activities includes:

* Feb. 16: Third Thursday Talk

* Feb. 20: History on Trial

* March 4: Victorian Tea

* April 7: Lest We Forget: Remembering Washington County in the First World War

* April 20: Third Thursday Talk

* April 30: Cultural Caravan – The Ceramic Heritage of Southeastern Ohio

* May 8: Food History —The Nifty Fifties of Norwood

* May 20: Herb Day Luncheon

* June 4: Cemetery Tours

* June 15: Third Thursday Talk

* June 17: Cemetery Tours

* June 22: Garden Party Fundraiser

* July 1: Cemetery Tours

* July 8: The Castle’s Cultural Car Pool

* July 10: History Camp

* July 17: Archaeology Camp For Kids

* July 22: Cemetery Tours

* July 29: Art Outside at The Castle

* July 31: Archaeology Field School for Adults

* Aug. 5: Cemetery Tours

* Aug. 17: Third Thursday Talk

* Aug. 19: Cemetery Tours

* Aug. 26: Top Shelf History

* Sept. 18: Food History – A Presidential Proceeding

* Sept. 23: Princess Ivy’s Quest

* Oct. 19: Third Thursday Talk

* Oct. 21: “For Victory” Washington County Responds to World War I

* Oct. 27-28: Ghost Tours

* Nov. 4: Night at the Museum

* Nov. 18: Gingerbread House Workshop

* Dec. 2: Christmas Tour and Tea

* Dec. 21: Solstice Watch

 

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