Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 42

Art lovers know how easy it is to get lost in the paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. Now they can be surrounded by the brush strokes of the Dutch master’s works in the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, coming to Pittsburgh in September. The show promises “500,000 cubic feet of monumental...

Have you ever wanted to hear “Old McDonald” played by an orchestra? Learn more about Bigfoot or acupuncture? Dance to some funk in the privacy of your own home? Now is your chance, with these upcoming events. The details are here, in this week’s Big List. Art • Online art...

“Always leave them wanting more” is an old saw of the entertainment business. Westmoreland Cultural Trust did that with The VIP Experience, its recent weekly livestream concert series. The free concerts were so popular that the Trust has renewed the series for a second run. The first series aired Jan....

Flagstaff Hill, a popular gathering spot in Oakland, will be the site for two weeks of dance, music and arts programming in May. More than 20 local performing arts organizations will perform on Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s mobile stage in the Schenley Park location during “Open Air: A Series in Celebration...

Gavin Benjamin, the new artist in residence at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, has found a creative haven in Pittsburgh. The former New York City resident said the Steel City’s affordability gives him the opportunity to live in what he calls “Gavin’s bubble.” “It’s the only place I found...

Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company’s spring production is Shakespeare — but not Shakespeare for purists. “’Dark Hamlet’ is a collage production of William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet,’ using a severe cutting of the text and the technology of video conferencing to create a morphine dream for the audience — and for the character of...

Literature is in the spotlight this week, with award-winning writers in conversation and reading from their works. There’s also new art, dance, film and music to enjoy. For the kids, there’s an ‘eggs-citing” adventure on the grounds of an area museum. The details are here, in this week’s Big List....

The Easter Bunny will feel right at home as he hops down the streets of Greensburg. A group of city businesses is spreading the joy of spring with a window decorating contest and two chances for shoppers to win gift baskets. “We wanted there to be something positive for people...

Some of the characters are “little jerks,” but that’s part of the appeal of the upcoming production by Greensburg Civic Theatre’s Greasepaint Players, said director Mike Crosby. In the storyline of “Miss Nelson is Missing,” a classroom of ill-behaved students test the patience of their teacher. When the long-suffering Miss...

The five Nickischer kids of Hempfield have been living out a dream, acting as taste-­testers for the milkshakes their parents will serve in a new downtown Greensburg shop. Nicole and Greg Nickischer are looking for an early May opening for Main Street Sweets, in the lower level of the building...

The cast of Stage Right’s “The Pirates of Penzance” includes an actor who has traded the bright lights of the big city — at least temporarily — for the safety of his home town. “I came back to Greensburg last March to do a show at Stage Right that, obviously,...

What’s your musical pleasure? Country or classical, sacred or show tunes? There’s something on tap for every ear, along with an array of art exhibitions and other entertainment happenings. The details are here, in this week’s Big List. Art • What a drag: The Westmoreland Museum of American Art will...

Pittsburgh Opera will explore 900 years of music by women composers in an upcoming free concert. Called “Women’s March,” the 55-minute program will stream on the opera’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. March 26. “Certainly, the opera has performed music by women composers before, but this is the first time...

Imagine Hercule Poirot poking around Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh Public Theater’s new production, he does just that. The legendary literary sleuth Poirot is reincarnated to solve a Steel City murder. “North of Forbes,” a new commission by local playwright Tammy Ryan, is based on Agatha Christie’s first novel. It will stream...

Faith and begorrah, it’s time to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Folklore says the patron saint of Ireland introduced Christianity to the Emerald Isle, using a three-leafed clover to illustrate the Holy Trinity. As a bonus, he banished snakes from the island. Traditionally, the Irish celebrated St. Patrick’s feast day with...

Financial help may soon be on the way for some Allegheny County workers in industries hard hit by the pandemic. In conjunction with the 1-year anniversary of covid-19 shut-downs, an online fundraiser has launched to raise funds for hospitality, entertainment, service and related workers in the county. The campaign, called...

A familiar face at Fort Ligonier will soon be a familiar face at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Erica Nuckles, the fort’s director of history and collections, will join the Greensburg museum’s staff in April as director of learning, engagement and partnerships. “I am thrilled and honored to join...

On March 14, a mathematical constant converges with our culinary cravings for National Pi Day food deals. It takes a little maneuvering to connect math with the munchies, but here’s how it works: Pi is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle, which...

Larry and Sonnie Miller of Greensburg are the first husband and wife team to join the ranks of Master Gardener Emeriti with the Penn State Master Garden Program of Westmoreland County. Master Gardener Emeritus status recognizes distinguished service of at least 1,500 volunteer hours and 10 or more years of...

There’s a new grab-and-go lunch option in downtown Greensburg. Henry’s Hoagies opened March 2 in the downstairs space at 16 W. Second St. For now, the food service is all takeout, offering eight sandwich options, four varieties of pepperoni rolls, two daily soups, snacks, fresh fruit, yogurt and bottled drinks....

Spring virtual offerings from Pittsburgh’s City Theatre Company include collaborations with local artists and theater groups in other cities. The season will open with the world premiere of a work about virologist and epidemiologist Nathan Wolfe, an early proponent of pandemic insurance, created by his playwright wife, Lauren Gunderson. “With...

Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming performance will offer the audience a rare treat, adding to the pleasure of hearing one of the most beloved pieces in the classical canon. Guest violinist Bella Hristova will join the orchestra for Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” playing an instrument made in 1655 by Italian...