Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 68

The Cabaret Theatre is planning free readings of “Biggie, the Elf Who Didn’t Fit In” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21 in the Olde Main Theater, 350 Main St., Latrobe. “The story of ‘Biggie’ centers around an elf who isn’t an elf at all. He is rather an aging, simple-minded man...

Talk about being poles apart — Santa Claus hails from the North Pole, while penguins hang out at the South Pole. But on Dec. 21, they’ll come together for a photo opportunity at the National Aviary. Photos With Santa and a Penguin is scheduled for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. that day...

Last-minute shoppers are invited to the Greensburg Art Center from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 19 for the final hours of the annual “Art of GIFTing” market. All items will be 10% off. The annual holiday show and sale features artisan gift items handmade by about 30 area artists. The show, which...

Imagine trying to talk, only to be constantly interrupted by a motley crew of characters with names like Peanut, José Jalapeño and Bubba J. It could be a real pain. But for ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, the pain is self-inflicted, as he plays straight man to that trio and other puppets,...

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg has announced four temporary exhibitions to be featured in the museum’s Cantilever Gallery during 2020. “The varied roster of upcoming exhibitions is an exciting one, addressing both historical and contemporary art, while offering a broad range of artists, styles, mediums, subjects and...

Greensburg Civic Theatre’s annual gala always features entertainment provided by talented folks associated with the organization. At “A Starry Night,” held Dec. 11 in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, that included scenes from “Disney’s Frozen Jr.,” with three performances scheduled Dec. 20-21 in the civic center’s auditorium. During the...

For folks who like Frank Sinatra, big band music and Christmas, Ferrante’s Lakeview was the place to be Dec. 13 for “A Swingin’ Christmas Spectacular” with Glass City Swing Band. Event host was GCSB Arts, Education and Wellness, the band’s sponsoring organization. The band set up in a cheerfully decorated...

Where is Santa on the 364 nights of the year when he’s not delivering gifts? At home in Rovaniemi, Finland, the self-proclaimed “Official Hometown of Santa Claus.” Travelers to the remote Arctic Circle city, capital of Finnish Lapland, will find themselves immersed in a winter wonderland where snow falls from...

Dec. 12 “Annie,” Geyer Performing Arts Center, Scottdale. Through Dec. 14. 724-887-0887 or geyerpac.com Carnegie Trees and Neapolitan Presepio, annual display of decorated evergreens and 18th-century Italian Nativity scene, Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland. Through Jan. 6. 412-622-3131 or cmoa.org Wade Cota, with The Jacks, Hard Rock Cafe, Pittsburgh. 412-481-7625...

Rehearsals for this year’s “Feel the Love: Celebrating a B.E. Taylor Christmas” concerts are bittersweet, says B.C. Taylor, a drummer and son of the well-loved singer who died in 2016. The longtime tradition comes to an end this year, with the final series of five B.E. Taylor Christmas concerts, including...

This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but often it’s the most stressful. “The season to be merry is also the season for stress and anxiety,” says Jyl Glunt, a health and wellness specialist at the Excela Health Well-Being Center-Mind Body Health. “Shopping, decorating, parties,...

The “MasterChef Junior Live!” cooking competition is coming to The Palace Theatre on March 20. After a 16-city 2019 debut tour based on the Fox cooking show featuring kids ages 8-13, the extended seven-week tour will kick off March 3 in Rochester, N.Y., and visit 40 U.S. cities. “The stage...

Grammy-nominated country singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson will play the The Palace Theatre in Greensburg on April 11. With 11 Grammy nominations, Johnson is one of only a few people in the history of country music to win two Song of the Year Awards from both the Country Music Association and the...

The plant-based Beyond Burger is now available at all 597 Sheetz store locations, making Sheetz the first continental U.S. convenience chain to offer the plant-based burger in partnership with Beyond Meat. The burger is “a protein packed, 100% plant-based meat option but with the same delicious taste and texture of...

A group of people who usually serve others were thanked for their efforts during Westmoreland Historical Society’s annual Dinner for Eight, held Dec. 3 in the tavern at Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield. Dinners were a core group of volunteers who assist in various ways at the ever-expanding complex, which...

The permanent collection of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is increasing by two pieces, courtesy of the Westmoreland Society. During their annual dinner Dec. 6 in the Greensburg facility, members voted to purchase “Divine Plan,” a 2003 mixed-media piece by Tina Williams Brewer, and “Flourish,” an oil on canvas...

“What do I do with the sad that I feel?” Excela Health Hospice is helping children deal with that question through its Neighborhood Kids grief support program. Attendees at the hospice Neighborhood Christmas event, held Dec. 5 at Rizzo’s Banquet Facility in Crabtree, were given an introduction to the program....

It’s customary to stand for the “Hallelujah Chorus,” which concludes George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.” Conventional wisdom says that Great Britain’s King George II stood in awe during the 1743 London premiere of the work. And when the king stands, everybody stands. Though the chorus is only 4 to 5 minutes...

The American Cancer Society’s 2019 Real Men Wear Pink campaign in Westmoreland and Fayette counties kicked off Aug. 22, with 12 area men each vowing to raise $2,500 by the end of October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On Dec. 2, some of the group and other campaign supporters gathered...

Members of the Westmoreland Hospital Auxiliary gathered Dec. 3 at the Unity home of Ann Albanesi for their annual holiday auction and cocktail party. Guests arrived with arms full of items for the auction and children’s books for Books for Babies, a program that provides a book for siblings of...