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The Fat Lady Doesn't Sing Until The 9th Inning
by Rob Taylor
I have been to several Erie Seawolves games this year. On
Monday July 26th the Wolves got their butts handed to them
by the Altoona Curve in a game with an 11 – 2 score. The
next day the Seawolves got even with a 2-0 victory in the
13th inning over the Curve. The problem with both of these
endings...nobody saw them.
For some reason that I do not understand people start
leaving the games around the 6th inning. On a “normal” day
at Jerry Uht Park the attendance is about 2,500 people. On
Dollar Days it is somewhere around 5,300. The thing is about
25% are gone by the time the 7th inning comes around and
maybe half, or more, are gone by the 8th inning. I have
actually seen a large number of people heading out of the
gates during the 5th inning. The question I have is WHY?
In the 11-2 game...the score was tied at 2-2 up until the
7th. People didn't see Altoona's 9 run 8th inning. It was
truly exciting watching the Erie team try to catch up. True,
they had a snow ball's chance in hell of doing it but the
remaining fans didn't care and neither did the players. The
players never gave up. They fought with everything they had
and the remaining fans cheered all the way to the last out.
And in the 2-0 victory I would say that, maybe 10% of the
people who started the game saw the two run homer in the
13th. With that one hit the Seawolves and the fans acted as
if they had just beaten the Pirates, the Curve's parent
team, for the World Series instead of just beating the
number 1 ranked team in Eastern League baseball today. Yes,
it was that exciting!
Now, I know that sometimes people have reasons for
leaving...getting to work early, getting your date home for
some playing around or something like that but it can't
happen at EVERY game...every night. I have seen games in the
major leagues where they went for 18 – 20 innings and guess
what...nobody left! There was a game back in the 80's
between the Cubs and the Dodgers. It went 24 innings and
very few people left and they got a hell of a game.
There is a saying that the opera ain't over until the fat
lady sings...well...guess what. The fat lady doesn't sing at
the Uht until the last pitch for the last out of the last
inning and that AIN'T in the 6th, 7th or 8th inning.
So, when you are at the Uht the next time and it is say 5 -2
Curve over Erie...DON'T LEAVE. That last Erie batter maybe
the one who puts a grand slam home run on top of the Civic
Center and wins the game. You say that can't be done...stick
around and watch. The Akron Aeros did it years ago. I
remember...it was number 22 who hit it and it was like
watching an angel fly over that roof. I was at the game and
guess what...if I had left in the 6th, I never would have
seen him do it and set a record for being the
first to get a ball over the Civic Center and it happened in
the 9th inning.
Music, Comedy And A Lot Of Dance At The Station
By Rob Taylor
Last night I went out to the Station Dinner Theatre to see
the show Chicago Speakeasy. I thought that it was going to
be
 the same musical stuff that they put out time after
time…you know a little acting, a few songs and that’s pretty
much it. Well, this is different…very, very different.
Yeah, it is a musical but to tell the truth it is more like
the grand 1940’s musicals than anything I have seen in a
long time. Right from the first scene, a medley of 1920’s
songs and dancing, it wasn’t hard to see that it was
something that you were going to remember for a very long
time.
First off when you go in you are greeted by mobsters
carrying Thompson Machine Guns. They are rude and
threatening but they are fun…especially if you grab the gun
from them. You will get a password…its easy to remember…you
will need that to get into the theatre itself where Frankie
and his girls are waiting for you. They will seat you and
take care of you as long as you aren’t from the FBI.
The story takes place in a suburb of Chicago. There is a
bank robber/murderer named Dangerous Dan McCoy (Jawn Gross)
who, unbeknownst to the audience has an identical twin
brother Elliot Nestor who is hot on his trail. The hotel is
run by Bonnie DeVille (Rae Jean Urbanowicz) and her stepson
(Jeremiah Gibbons). It seems that Bonnie finds out who
Dangerous Dan is and works a way to allow her to profit from
the discovery. Anyway, there are others staying in the
hotel: Actress Trixie Tropicana (Adele Crotty) and Bennie
and Bernie Buckbaum (David Durst and P. Barry McAndrew) as
well as Tillie Van Toth (Carrie Smith) and Tommy Tapper
(Brett Fallon).
Now, each actor DOES play two roles…not just Jawn Gross…and
it sometimes gets a little hard to keep them apart so keep
good notes!
A few months ago I made a comment about a Station Dinner
Theatre production where Fallon danced but was held back.
This time he choreographed the show and did a lot of the
dancing, which he said he improvised. Just in the first five
minutes of the show he, and the rest of the dancers, got the
audience going to a rare high level of excitement. Like I
said as the beginning THAT added a lot to the show and made
it feel like a real musical. Paul, I would definitely keep
him choreographing your shows…when he does…THEY ROCK! By the
way…Fallon can dance and dance well but watch him with his
tray of ice cream…he may just make the intermission worth
the wait!
Everyone worked together to make this show what it
was…something that should not be missed but from what I
heard there WAS a rookie actor in The Chicago Speakeasy and
he was Jeremiah Gibbons. I made it a point to watch him. You
know what? He was good…very good! He got is lines and
movements down perfectly and when he sang I could see the
hearts of some of the young girls there melt. It is my hope
that this young man keeps acting…if he does I know he’ll
have a huge career here.
I am going to recommend The Chicago Speakeasy as a true, fun
musical comedy. It will get your heart beating and the story
will keep you guessing…yes there is a hidden plot that you
have to figure out and besides that there is always the
food! Even that is different for this show. They are serving
Pot Roast and it is so tasty and tender it is worth going
even if Brett doesn’t spill a tray of Ice Cream…oops sorry
Brett, I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that!
The show runs now through August 8th. Call 814-864-2022 for
tickets or information
Adam Lambert Coming To Erie
Aug 10
Adam Lambert will embark on his first headlining tour, an
audio and visual spectacular, both theatrical and
atmospheric, that will give his millions of fans something
they’ll love to listen to and look at. “The Glam Nation
Tour” kicks off June 4 in Wilkes Barre, PA. “I hope the
audience will be able to escape for a few hours and fall
into a world full of glam, drama and excitement,” Lambert
says. “And I would love everyone to come away with a new
appreciation for the music on my album.”
Adam’s debut album For Your Entertainment (19 Entertainment
/ RCA Records) has sold over 600,000 copies since making
it's debut at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 chart in November.
Adam's hit single “Whataya Want From Me,” written by Pink
and Max Martin, became Adam’s first #1 hit on the Billboard
charts, topping the Hot Singles Sales survey as well as Hot
Dance Singles Sales chart. “Whataya Want From Me” has been a
smash hit on many charts, including the Hot 100, Pop Songs,
Adult Top 40, Adult Contemporary, Hot Digital Songs and Hot
Dance Club Play. It has also become an international hit,
going top 10 in Australia, Japan, Sweden and Finland and
reaching #1 in Singapore.
It’s not just the single and album that have been
international sensations; it’s Adam himself. He was mobbed
at airports in Japan and Singapore, and was a media
sensation in Scotland, where he showed up in a kilt. Germany
fell in love with Adam at first sight, and his single is now
surging up the German charts.
“Adam is one of the most exciting artists I have ever seen
live on stage,” says Simon Fuller, Adam Lambert’s manager
and creator of American Idol. “As great as he was been on
the “American Idols Live” summer shows, this tour is going
to surpass anything he’s done before. I think his millions
of fans will remember this tour for the rest of their
lives.”
Adam’s performances on Season 8 of “American Idol” are
already legendary, his live televised collaborations with
Queen and KISS were a highlight of his season and his
stunning performances of songs including “Mad World,” “The
Tracks Of My Tears,” “Ring Of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Love”
are still widely regarded as some of the most captivating
moments in Idol history.
Tickets are $37.50.
Charge (814) 452-4857 or (800) 745-3000.
Purchase at the Tullio Arena box office, Ticketmaster
outlets.
Mercyhurst Reaches Out to
Minorities
Donning scrubs and stethoscopes, 22 culturally diverse teens
will host a health fair Friday, July 30, to demonstrate the
skills they
 learned
this summer during Mercyhurst North East’s (MNE) innovative
Health Career Explorers Camp.
The health fair, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Michele
and Tom Ridge Health and Safety Building on the North East
campus, will
feature an assortment of booths and presentations on healthy
living along with blood pressure screenings. The students
have invited their families and friends, with upward of 100
people expected, including representatives of the
Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, which funds
the camps through the local Northwest Pennsylvania Workforce
Investment Board (NWPA WIB).
Now in its fourth year, the summer camp series – one week
for middle school students, one for high school students,
and one for
returning camp participants who stage the annual health fair
– has reached 250 minority students, providing them with
hands-on
experience in nursing, physical therapy, occupational
therapy, medical lab technology, respiratory therapy and
emergency medical response training. The campers work on
human patient simulators, visit hospitals, and conduct
medical histories of residents at Parkside Retirement
Community in North East. The students often leave with an
aspiring interest in a health occupation, which is the
overarching goal of the program.
Research shows that reaching students in middle school and
early high school creates a commanding learning experience
that can be a life-changer. “Young people, and especially
minority children, aren’t aware of all the marvelous career
opportunities in health care. Our camps give them an
experience where they can actually see themselves being a
nurse, a paramedic or a medical lab technologist. And that’s
pretty powerful,” said Dr. Linda Rhodes, director of
Mercyhurst’s Hirtzel Institute on Health Education and
Aging, who has spearheaded the development of the camps.
Rhodes said this fall the institute will begin a study to
determine how many of its campers have gone on to pursue
health careers after high school. One such student, Corey
Dantay Johnson, a 2010 graduate of Strong Vincent High
School who wasn’t sure what he wanted to do after
graduation, has earned a four-year college scholarship to
study physical therapy. He credits the Mercyhurst program
for piquing his interest and prompting his decision.
Each graduate of the camp receives a $2,000 scholarship
toward any MNE program once they graduate from high school.
Throughout the academic year students may also attend MNE-sponsored
“Health Career Retreats,” which offer activities to help
them with their studies in high school and nurture their
interest in health care careers.
“Healthcare will be one of the most in-demand occupations in
our region over the next three to five years," said Michele
Zieziula, CEO, Regional Center for Workforce Excellence &
Northwest PA Workforce Investment Board. "It's why we
proudly support this effort to help prepare our youth to
enter the workforce in these careers.”
On hand at the event will be Rhodes, camp directors Elaine
Stanton and Michelle Lukasiak, and Marion Monahan, chair of
the Division of Nursing and Allied Health at MNE.
Join Us This Wednesday At
Noon
by Karen Beardsley-Petit
For the first time since the Phil has been providing free
concerts in front of the Warner Theatre at noon during the
summer, a brass
quintet will perform on Wednesday, July 28. The second of
three, FREE lunch-hour ensemble concerts will feature a
Philharmonic brass quintet fully amplified. Seating for the
outdoor event will be provided or guests can bring their own
lawn chairs. WQLN Radio’s Wally Faas will broadcast live
from the event and hot dogs will be served!
At the noon concert series, sponsored by Times News and WQLN,
new subscribers can take advantage of a special offer: Buy
one subscription to the
2010-2011 season, get one
free! Subscribers can choose the symphonic series (five
concerts), pops series (five concerts) or the entire season
(all 10 concerts).
The final noon concert is scheduled for Wednesday, August
25. To view a special promo produced by WQLN,
click here.
It’s official! Elvis On
Tour to rock almost every US state!
It is now one hundred
percent official. Elvis On Tour: 75th Anniversary
Celebration will be appearing in theaters in over 45 US
 states
on July 29. Today, Elvis Presley Enterprises and Fathom
Events finally announced a
story we’ve been talking about here for nearly two
weeks.
From the (poorly worded) press
release:
This one night event will feature much of the last film
footage shot with Elvis, a specially produced, exclusive
retrospective from Priscilla Presley, and never-before-seen
Elvis footage. More than 25 numbers spotlighting Elvis
Presley’s talent, range and showmanship fill this lively
chronicle of his multi-city 1972 series of concerts.”
The event promotes the August 3 Blu-ray and DVD release of
the 1972 documentary Elvis On Tour.
To purchase tickets to a
theatrical showing in your area, use the link supplied over
on this Elvis.com story:
Elvis on Tour: 75th Anniversary Celebration in
Theaters in July.
Tell every Elvis fan you know
about this. We need to get those theaters full, and it’s
playing in tons of locations.
Here’s the full list from
Fathom.com:
Participating Theatres –
Elvis on Tour: 75th Anniversary
Celebration
Thank you to Warner Brothers,
Elvis Presley Enterprises, and Fathom Events for making this
happen.
See you on the road, with
Elvis! Don’t miss it.
Elvis on the big screen
again in remastered film
Elvis Presley is returning to the big screen again in the
remastered film "Elvis on Tour: 75th Anniversary
Celebration," which will be shown July 29 at more than 460
movie theaters around the country.
The movie will feature remastered footage of concert
performances and interviews from the 1972 documentary "Elvis
on Tour" _ the singer's last film before he died in 1977.
The film's release commemorates the 75th anniversary of
Elvis' birth and includes a retrospective from his former
wife, Priscilla Presley, and a montage supervised by
director Martin Scorsese. Some of the tour footage has never
been released.
"I was thrilled when I heard fans will be gathering in
theaters across America on July 29 for this Elvis
experience," Priscilla Presley said in a statement. "Those
of us who witnessed Elvis in concert know how incredible it
was to see him performing live."
"Elvis on Tour" follows the singer on a 15-city U.S. tour in
April 1972. Written and directed by Robert Abel and Pierre
Adidge, it combines rehearsal and backstage footage along
with concert performances of "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog,"
"Suspicious Minds" and other hits.
It also includes Elvis' appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show
and his first performance of "Burning Love."
The film will be shown again during Elvis Week in Memphis,
the annual tribute remembering his contributions to music
and American pop culture. This year's Elvis Week runs from
Aug. 10-16.
The new "Elvis on Tour" also will be available as part of a
box set featuring 17 of Elvis' films presented in Blu-ray
and DVD formats. It's release is set for Aug. 3.
List of theater locations
Elvis Week
Music & Karaoke…
Complementary
Pizza, Tacos, Greek Hot Dogs and Burgers
Beverages will be served
PLUS: Gift Baskets, Chinese Auction, Gift Certificates
Chances on –32” Emerson LCD HDTV - $100 Gas Card and more
Benefits
Shelter, Safety, Support
Hosted by:
Greg Karle, Ernie
Scutella and
Lombo’s Hideaway Café (Dave & Mary Lombardozzi)
DATE: Saturday July
31, 2010
TIME: 5:00 pm –
11:00 pm
PLACE: Haggerty’s Bar & Dinor
1930 West 26th St., Erie PA
For those of you that cannot attend Gift Basket & Auction
tickets will be on sale throughout the day prior to 5 pm
STOP IN AND
TAKE A CHANCE !!!!
** Benefits
activities and counseling for kids in shelter** |
