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The Eaton Calendar – April 9

The Eaton Calendar – April 9

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 10, 2019

  1. Wellsboro Community-Wide Yard Sale is This Friday and Saturday, April 12 & 13; Borough Cleanup Week is April 15-19
  2. Saturday Morning Bird Walks Continue This Saturday, April 13; Bird Sightings on April 6
  3. Register in Person This Saturday, April 13 for Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament on May 18 & 19
  4. HG Youth Choirs & Maryland Choir to Sing Together at Concerts This Saturday, April 13 in Wellsboro and This Sunday, April 14 in Williamsport
  5. NEW – Timeless Tuesday to Benefit Nessmuk Rod & Gun Club is Tuesday, April 16
  6. NEW – Tiadaghton Audubon Society to Present Program on “Conservation of Tioga County Orchids” on Wednesday, April 17
  7. NEW – Well Armed Woman Shooting Chapter, Tioga County, PA to Meet Thursday, April 18, 2019
  8. NEW – Tioga County Lyme Disease Support Group to Meet Thursday, April 18
  9. NEW – Saturday, April 20 Mill Cove Earth Day 2019 is Moved to Smythe Park in Mansfield
  10. NEW – Second Photo to go with Saturday, April 20 Mill Cove Earth Day 2019 is Moved to Smythe Park in Mansfield
  11. NEW – HG to Hold Auditions for “Mamma Mia” on Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 & 25 and Sunday, April 28
  12. NEW – John McCutcheon Concert with Joe Crookston is Wednesday, April 24
 

Diane Eaton
dianetn@ptd.net
(570) 724-3800

WELLSBORO COMMUNITY-WIDE YARD SALE IS THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, APRIL 12 & 13; BOROUGH CLEANUP WEEK IS MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 15-19

The Retail Committee of the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a community-wide yard sale this Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Area merchants will be offering clearance items at special sidewalk sale events, and area residents, non-profit organizations, churches and youth groups participate by holding private yard sales at their homes or facilities.

Wellsboro Borough Council has waived the permit fee for the community-wide yard sale.

The Council has also designated Monday, April 15, through Friday, April 19, as Spring Cleanup Week so Wellsboro Borough residents may put unsold yard sale items at curbside on their regular garbage pickup day.

Televisions, computer monitors, computer towers, laptops, tablets, printers and scanners will not be picked up at curbside during cleanup week but are being accepted now at the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority’s Tiadaghton Area Transfer Station at 10455 Route 6, Wellsboro between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and between 8 a.m. and noon on Saturdays.

Demolition and construction materials will not be picked up at curbside but can be disposed of at the NTSWA Tiadaghton facility at 10455 Route 6, Wellsboro for a fee. For information and pricing, call (570) 724-0145.

Items acceptable for cleanup week collection are: leaves in bags or boxes, trash, old lumber and boards not over five feet long, old furniture, scrap metal, two old tires per household, lawn rakings, paper, magazines, litter, brush, small tree limbs, shrub clippings must be bundled together. Small loose items must be placed in bags, boxes or bundled up. These items should be placed for pickup at the front curb.

Contact the Wellsboro Borough Office at (570) 724-4604 for more information about Spring Cleanup Week and what can and cannot be left at curbside for pickup.

For more information about the community-wide yard sale, contact the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at (570) 724-1926 before 4 p.m. on Friday, April 12.

SATURDAY MORNING BIRD WALKS CONTINUE THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 13; BIRD SIGHTINGS ON APRIL 6

Five people accompanied Tiadaghton Audubon Society members Sean Minnick and Gary Tyson on April 6 for the first Saturday morning birding walk. The group identified and recorded 40 different species of birds at Hills Creek State Park at 111 Spillway Road in Charleston Township, about seven miles northeast of Wellsboro. “Last year we saw 31 species on the first walk,” Minnick said.

The Saturday morning walks are free and open to the public and provide an opportunity to see the many varieties of water and woodland birds that live in or migrate through the park. Coming up this Saturday, April 13 is the second bird walk.

Seven of the 40 bird species identified on April 6 at Hills Creek were not reported during any of the eight walks in April and May of 2018. They include: wild turkey, red-tailed hawk, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, northern shoveler, and swamp sparrow. “These are all common birds for this area,” said Minnick. “I’m surprised that none of the woodpeckers were reported last year.

“April 6 was a successful day,” Minnick continued. “It was beautiful compared to most Saturdays in April, which are usually cold and windy.”

Participants on April 6 saw five bird species that were migrating through the park from their winter locations in the United States to their summer locations in Canada. Four of them were also reported on the first walk in 2018, including the ring-necked duck, lesser scaup, bufflehead and common loon. The northern shoveler was reported on this year’s first walk but not last year’s. This species migrates through Tioga County after wintering in the southern United States and Mexico on its way to central Canada for the summer.

“On Saturday, we also saw 27 bird species that live at Hills Creek year-round. Thirteen of those species were also reported during the first bird walk in 2018, including the mallard, wood duck, bald eagle, belted kingfisher, mourning dove, blue jay, American crow, black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, eastern bluebird, American robin, dark-eyed junco and northern cardinal. Fourteen species were reported this year but not last year, including the wild turkey, red-tailed hawk, red-bellied woodpecker, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, Canada goose, common merganser, hooded merganser, great blue heron, red-breasted nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, brown creeper, golden-crowned kinglet and American goldfinch.

Also identified were eight bird species that are spring, summer and fall park residents. Six were also seen during the first walk in 2018 including the pied-billed grebe, osprey, eastern phoebe, tree swallow, song sparrow and red-winged blackbird. The turkey vulture and the swamp sparrow were reported on this year’s walk but not last year’s.

“The osprey were building a nest by the spillway,” Minnick noted. “Hopefully, they will lay eggs.”

For the Saturday, April 13 bird walk, meet at the park office at 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro a little before 8 a.m. to drive to the nearby starting location. The walk will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Registration is not required. Everyone is invited to participate, including birders of all levels, first timers to experienced. Bring binoculars and cameras and wear weather-appropriate, subdued clothing and sturdy walking shoes. For those who do not own binoculars, the Tiadaghton Audubon Society has 20 pairs available for adults and children, ages 7 and up.

The walks are slow-paced and cover a limited distance. “They can last two hours depending on how many birds we are seeing,” said Minnick. Walks will also be on Saturdays, April 20, and 27 and May 4, 11, 18 and 25.

For updates on birds that have been seen in the area and helpful local birding information, visit tiadaghtonaudubon.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/TiadaghtonAudubon/ or email tasmember@yahoo.com. For information about Hills Creek State Park, call the park office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays at (570) 724-4246.


Photo by Sean Minnick
Shown is a brown creeper photographed on Saturday, April 6 in Hills Creek State Park, near Wellsboro.

REGISTER IN PERSON THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 13 FOR UPPER PINE CREEK TROUT TOURNAMENT ON MAY 18 & 19

Anglers can register in person this Saturday, April 13 to participate in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon Snowmobile Club’s 29th Annual Upper Pine Creek Trout Tournament. It will be on Saturday, May 18 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. along a 13-mile stretch of Pine Creek between the Ansonia Bridge in Shippen Township and the Mill Street Bridge in Galeton Borough.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. this Saturday, the opening day of the statewide trout season, register in advance and pick up bags, badges and maps at the snowmobile clubhouse at 4814 Route 6, 12 miles west of Wellsboro. Registration forms can be downloaded any time by visiting www.pagrandcanyonsnowmobileclub.com and can also be found at many businesses in the area.

The entry fee for adults is $20 through Wednesday, May 1 and $25 beginning May 2. The entry fee for youth under 16 is $15 now until the tournament.

Successful anglers who catch tagged fish during the tournament can win up to $14,000 in cash, merchandise and gift cards with each prize valued at $50 or more. The top prize is $1,000 in cash. There are also four $500 cash prizes.

What an angler wins is based on the luck of the draw due to a lottery-type system implemented in 2015. The angler has to bring his or her tagged fish in “live condition” to the check-in station. There, the angler will randomly draw a numbered Ping-Pong ball for each tagged fish he or she catches. The number on the ball is then matched to the corresponding number on the big prize board on the club’s front porch to determine what the prize is. That gives everyone a chance to win the $1,000 cash prize rather than the angler who happens to catch the “right fish” as was done in the past.

For information, call (717) 881-9358 or the club at (570) 724-2888 or visit the club’s website at www.pagrandcanyonsnowmobileclub.com or its Facebook page.

HG YOUTH CHOIRS & MARYLAND CHOIR TO SING TOGETHER AT CONCERTS THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 13 IN WELLSBORO AND THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 14 IN WILLIAMSPORT

The Hamilton-Gibson Young Women’s and Young Men’s choirs directed by Thomas Putnam and the Eleanor Roosevelt High School Chamber Choir directed by Michele Fowlin will present a joint concert this Saturday, April 13 in Wellsboro and this Sunday, April 14 near Williamsport.

How did these two choirs meet? In May of last year, the Hamilton-Gibson Children and Youth Choirs traveled to the Washington D.C. area for their annual performance tour.

“We particularly enjoy visiting with area community choirs or in schools with their choral ensembles,” said Putnam, director of three of the four children and youth choirs. “We find these schools in a number of ways, often quite by chance. We knew nothing about Eleanor Roosevelt High School at first, but when a music teacher responds to our inquiries about what we call a ‘choral exchange’ we get excited. Some teachers don’t respond at all, some with a polite ‘no thank you,’ others wishing it could work out but no, and others with a hearty ‘bring it on.’ Ms. Fowlin responded favorably,” Putnam said.

“Eleanor Roosevelt is in Maryland just northeast of D.C. It is a large school with more students than Wellsboro has residents. The students are highly diverse in many ways. We sang a few songs for them, they sang a few songs for us and then their director began what might be described as a choral icebreaker or a choral connection exercise. Within a short time, singers were finding a much deeper connection with other students – often much different from themselves – as they sang the various vocal motifs Ms. Fowlin presented. We also ate lunch and even danced a bit with them,” said Putnam.

“During this time I invited Ms Fowlin and the chamber choir, a select group of singers from her larger concert choir, to travel to Wellsboro in January. Unfortunately, they couldn’t but did decide to come the weekend of April 12 through 14, which worked best for them,” Putnam continued.

“Our singers who met the Eleanor Roosevelt singers have been greatly anticipating this return meeting. Those who were not in the Young Women’s and Young Men’s choirs last year have now heard so much about this group and Ms. Fowlin that they are equally as excited,” said Putnam.

This Saturday, the choirs will rehearse and eat lunch together and then visit Leonard Harrison State Park to see the Pennsylvania Grant Canyon. Immediately following their joint concert Saturday night, they will attend a special reception at Sweet Caroline’s BBQ on Tioga Street sponsored by the Wellsboro Rotary Club. This Sunday at 2 p.m., the choirs will travel to Loyalsock Township to give a second joint performance. Afterwards, both groups will head home.

The Wellsboro concert will be at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday in the Auditorium at the Wellsboro Area School District Administration Building at 227 Nichols Street. It is sponsored in part by the Penn Wells Hotel & Lodge. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children 18 and under and can be purchased at the door or by visiting hamiltongibson.org or HG’s Facebook page and via links go to TicketLeap.

The second concert will be at 2 p.m. this Sunday at the Faxon-Kenmar United Methodist Church in Loyalsock Township, just off the Golden Strip/3rd Street. The church’s GPS address is 1301 Clayton Avenue, Williamsport, PA 17701. Admission is free.


Photo provided
Michele Fowlin


Photo by John Eaton
Thomas Putnam

TIMELESS TUESDAY FOR NESSMUK ROD & GUN CLUB IS TUESDAY

WELLSBORO — A Timeless Tuesday Night Out for the Nessmuk Rod and Gun Club is this coming Tuesday, April 16. Bring family and friends. Takeout is available.

Between 5 and 8 p.m. on April 16 at Timeless Destination, 77 Main Street in Wellsboro, adults and youngsters can enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring pasta, meatballs, garden salad and bread. The dinner price for adults is $10.99 with $2 for each dinner sold donated to the Nessmuk club. The price for youngsters under the age of 12 is $5.99 with $1 of each dinner sold donated to the club.

In addition, the club is holding a raffle for a limited edition handcrafted L.T. Wright knife in a handmade leather sheath that has a suggested retail price of $90. Tickets are $2 each. Raffle tickets can only be purchased during dinner hours on April 16.

For more information about the Nessmuk Rod and Gun Club, email Charlie Messina at nessmukgunclub@gmail.com.

TIADAGHTON AUDUBON SOCIETY TO PRESENT PROGRAM ON “CONSERVATION OF TIOGA COUNTY ORCHIDS” ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

Most people have seen beautiful tropical orchids but how many have seen any of the exceptionally beautiful native orchids growing in the wilds of Tioga County? How many native orchids are there in Tioga County? Do they need to be protected?

For answers to these questions and others about native orchids, plan to attend a free presentation entitled “Conservation of Tioga County Orchids” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17 in the Old Music Room at the Wellsboro Area School District Administration Building at 227 Nichols Street in Wellsboro.

Featured speaker will be Mark Simonis, an amateur botanist who volunteers with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry Tioga State Forest Wild Plant Management Program out of the district forestry office in Wellsboro. “As a volunteer, I am allowed to go on Tioga State Forest land to look for rare and unusual plants, such as wild native orchids,” said Simonis. “I report my findings to Chris Firestone. She is a botanist with the Bureau of Forestry office in Wellsboro and is in charge of the Wild Plant Management Program, ” Simonis said. Firestone will also be attending the meeting and be available to answer questions.

The presentation is being given as part of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society’s regular meeting, which opens at 6 p.m. To be discussed will be club business, financials and past, current and future activities.

The public is welcome to attend the 6 p.m. business meeting and the presentation or can arrive a few minutes before 7 p.m. for the presentation only. There will be a brief break between the meeting and presentation. Both are free.

For more information, contact the Tiadaghton Audubon Society by visiting tiadaghtonaudubon.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/TiadaghtonAudubon/ or emailing tasmember@yahoo.com or calling Sean or Robin Minnick at (570) 948-9052.


Photo by Mark Simonis
Pictured is a Pink Lady’s Slipper, a wild native orchid that can be found in Tioga County, Pa.

WELL ARMED WOMAN SHOOTING CHAPTER, TIOGA COUNTY, PA TO MEET THURSDAY, APRIL 18

The monthly meeting of the Well Armed Woman Shooting Chapter, Tioga County, Pa. will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 at the Mill Cove Shooting Range in the Mill Cove Environmental Area at 3036 Mill Creek Road, Mansfield, Pa. followed by the training “Review Six Basics for a Good Shot” with shooting drills and scenarios.” Leading this training is Marilyn Jones.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, May 16 at 6 p.m. at the Mill Cove Shooting Range followed by a training, “Shooting International Defensive Pistol Association Scenarios.”

“Any woman who is 18 or older from any county or state is welcome to join our chapter,” said Jones who with Pat Butts lead the Well Armed Woman meetings. Membership is not limited to women who live in Tioga County, Pa. Those who join can be a beginner or novice with absolutely no experience in handling a gun to those who are skilled and experienced shooters. The fee is $50 per year.

Women who don’t own a firearm and want more information before making a purchase or want to find out about joining the chapter are welcome to contact Jones at (570) 549-2794 or jones_mk@yahoo.com.

TIOGA COUNTY LYME DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP TO MEET THURSDAY, APRIL 18

The Tioga County Lyme Disease Support Group meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18 in the Native Bagel at 1 Central Avenue in Wellsboro.

This meeting is free and open to anyone who lives in Tioga County or a surrounding county who wants to learn more about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

To be shown during the first 45 minutes of the meeting will be two videos, each featuring a different medical doctor talking about how diet and supplemental natural remedies help augment treatment for Lyme disease patients. The doctors point out the foods to avoid and those to eat more of. The idea behind this theory of treatment is based on optimizing the body’s own mechanisms to fight various infections. Discussion will follow.

Luke Dunham and Thomas Putnam, both from the Wellsboro area, are regional co-leaders with the PA Lyme Resource Network and of the support group. Both have been diagnosed with and are being treated for Lyme disease and co-infections.

For information, contact Dunham and Putnam by email at tiogacountylyme@palyme.org or by calling Putnam at (570) 439-2000.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 MILL COVE EARTH DAY 2019 IS MOVED TO SMYTHE PARK IN MANSFIELD

The Eighth Annual Earth Day will be on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Smythe Park in downtown Mansfield rather than at the Mill Cove Environmental Area as it has been since the first Earth Day in 2012. Earth Day is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine. No dogs or smoking are allowed in Smythe Park.

The Mill Cove Environmental Area is located on the Mill Creek arm of Tioga Lake. Between last year’s and this year’s Earth Day that area was subjected to severe flooding. “We were told by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that more than 60 inches of rain fell in the Tioga and Cowanesque River basins compared to 25 inches the year before,” said Dr. David Flesch who has chaired Mill Cove Inc.’s Earth Day since 2014. “When the waters receded, debris covered Mill Cove and has to be removed and the area is a muddy mess. Earth Day should be able to return to Mill Cove in 2020,” Flesch added.

“The good news is that we are offering plenty of free, hands-on activities and educational programs for people of all ages, toddlers to adults at Smythe Park even though we cannot hold any of our planned water events there,” said Flesch. “Everyone will find lots to do that will inspire them to make every day Earth Day.

There will be archery demonstrations and a marshmallow archery event as well as archery target shooting. Archery equipment will be provided free to use during the day. Parking is free, too.

Among the free “wow” activities are two birds of prey demonstrations, zip line rides throughout the day and at 1:30 p.m. Van Wagner of Danville, Pa. presenting a program on the history of coal mining in this area followed by a concert during which he will play guitar and sing his original folk songs.

Free trips on the zip line will provide an exhilarating way to view Earth Day activities. Riders who weigh more than 60 pounds and less than 250 pounds will climb the stairs, hook the harness to the zip line and take a quick, 100 to 110-foot trip from about 25 feet up in the air to the ground.

Cheri Heimbach and her son Jonathan of Baywings Falconry of Lewisburg will do two 40-minute educational falconry demonstrations, the first at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 12:15 p.m. They are bringing Radar, a barn owl; Starlight, a gyrfalcon; Sonora, a Harris’s hawk; Owlexander, an eagle owl; Finn, a peregrine falcon; Ember, an aplomado falcon; and Bubba, a rescued screech owl. The birds will demonstrate their agility in capturing prey by chasing down lures and flying through hoops. Live prey is not used. Attendees will also learn about the role these birds play in maintaining the balance of nature.

Kiddie Corner will offer activities for toddlers to first graders. Mansfield University’s Geosciences Department is planning a hydrological model demonstration. The Mountain Modelaires will fly small electric helicopters and quad copters and have a computer set up with an R/C flight simulator so people can try flying. The Mansfield Lions Club will collect used eyeglasses for recycling. Youth will be invited to assist in planting trees in Smythe Park.

“More than 50 vendors will be selling unique items and food so plan to stay several hours and have fun,” Flesch said. Barbecued chicken, hamburgers and ribs; maple syrup and honey products; jams, jellies, tomato relish and free-range eggs; cotton candy, various flavors of popcorn, peanuts, desserts and coffee will be available.

Sponsoring Earth Day are Repsol, Dominion and Mill Cove, Inc., a 501©(3) nonprofit organization formed to enhance the area for recreational and environmental education purposes.

The GPS address for Smythe Park is 23 Dorsett Drive, Mansfield, PA 16933. The park’s main gate is on South Main Street (Business Route 15) in the borough. North Penn-Mansfield High School at 73 West Wellsboro Street (U.S. Route 6) is at one end of the park and the Warren L. Miller Elementary School at 1 Dorsett Drive is at the other.

To participate as a vendor, demonstrate outdoor skills or present a program or for more information about Earth Day at Smythe Park and directions, visit the Mill Cove Environmental Area website at www.millcoveinc.org or contact event vendor manager Patricia Butts at (570) 463-1407 or by email at pbutts6610@yahoo.com.


Photo by John Eaton
Pictured is a zip liner at Earth Day. “Stepping off the platform for the first time can be frightening but the fear disappears as soon as you begin traveling down the zip line,” said a participant. “It was exhilarating.” Zip lining is offered free at this year’s Earth Day on Saturday, April 20.


Photo by John Eaton
Cheri Heimbach is shown with one of her birds of prey during a demonstration at last year’s Earth Day. She and her son will be giving two demonstrations this year on Saturday, April 20 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. They are free.

HG TO HOLD AUDITIONS FOR “MAMMA MIA” ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, APRIL 24 & 25 AND SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Hamilton-Gibson Productions is holding open auditions for “Mamma Mia!” “It’s rare that a show has this much early buzz, but if we had a nickel for every time someone mentioned that they are planning to audition for it we wouldn’t need sponsors,” said Director Thomas Putnam.

In “Mamma Mia!” Sophie lives on a small Greek island and dreams of her perfect wedding, including her father giving her away. The problem? Sophie doesn’t know who he is. Her mother Donna, the former lead singer of the 1970s pop group Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to talk about the past, so Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. Sneaking a peek in her mother’s old diaries, she discovers three possible fathers: Sam, Bill, and Harry. She secretly invites all three to the wedding, convinced that she’ll know her father when she sees him. But when all three turn up, it is not as clear as she thought.

This jukebox musical, written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, is told through the legendary songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. Andersson, Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad formed ABBA in 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden. This pop group was active until 1982, topping the charts again and again. The title of the musical is taken from the group’s 1975 chart-topper “Mamma Mia.”

The stage show premiered at the Prince Edward Theatre in London on April 6, 1999 and debuted in the United States at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco, California on Nov. 17, 2000. A film adaptation of “Mamma Mia!” was released on July 18, 2008 and “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” on July 20, 2018 with the plot set after the events of “Mamma Mia!” The second film included flashbacks to 1979 when Donna Sheridan first arrived on the island of Kalokairi and her first meetings with her daughter Sophie’s three possible fathers.

Auditions will be at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 and 25 and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 28 in the Gallery at the Warehouse Theatre at 3 Central Avenue in Wellsboro.

The musical is in two acts and is rated PG13. The characters include: Sophie Sheridan, age 20 to 25, a soprano, mezzo-soprano; Sophie’s mother, Donna Sheridan, age 40 to 50, a mezzo-soprano, alto; the three men, all age 40 to 50 who may be Sophie’s father, baritones Sam Carmichael and Bill Austin and tenor, baritone Harry Bright; Sophie’s fiancé Sky, age 20 to 30, tenor, baritone; Donna’s friends who performed with her as The Dynamos, both ages 40 to 50, mezzo-soprano, alto Tanya Cresham-Leigh and alto Rosie Mulligan; Sophie’s friends both ages 20 to 25, mezzo-sopranos Lisa and Ali; and Pepper, a barman at Taverna, age 20 to 25, a tenor, baritone.

“In addition to the principal characters, we are looking for a minimum of 10 men and 10 women for the chorus,” said Putnam. They will portray islanders, those who work at Donna’s and wedding guests. Being sought are male and female adults and mature high school students who can sing and dance. “There is a considerable amount of dancing so movement ability will be part of the audition,” Putnam added.

A small pit orchestra with two or three keyboards, percussion and bass will provide accompaniment.

Performances will be in Straughn Auditorium on the Mansfield University campus at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 12, Saturdays, July 13 and 20 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. Sponsors are Elite Therapy, Chris Jones and Drs. Maria Cruz and Edgar Wong.

For more information about the auditions, tickets or a FlexPass, call (570) 724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com.

JOHN MCCUTCHEON CONCERT WITH JOE CROOKSTON IS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

On Wednesday, April 24, at 7 p.m. John McCutcheon with special guest Joe Crookston will perform in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

Crookston, a songwriter, folk singer, guitarist, fiddler and a master storyteller, will open the concert. Originally from Randolph, Ohio, he has lived in New Jersey, Seattle and now in Ithaca, N.Y. Crookston is an engaging live performer who delivers the melodies, the lyrics, the energy and well-written story songs, one of which was used as the basis for a documentary.

McCutcheon, an American folk music singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, storyteller, author and activist, is on tour with his latest CD, “To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger” released on Jan. 11 of this year, the 100th birthday year of his friend and mentor. Born in 1919, Seeger passed away in 2014 at the age of 94.

Luminaries Hot Rize, Suzy Bogguss, Beausoleil, Corey Harris, Katia Cardenal, Tim O’Brien, The Steel Wheels, Stuart Duncan, and Finest Kind join with McCutcheon on his 40th release to help him reimagine and redefine Seeger’s iconic music. McCutcheon made a conscious decision to fold in some songs that fans might not typically think of as being part of Seeger’s expansive canon, such as “Die Gedanken Sind Frei”—a freedom song from World War II-era Germany—and Melvina Reynolds’ “God Bless the Grass.” From Seeger anthems such as “If I Had a Hammer” and “Turn, Turn, Turn” to “Guantanamera” and lesser-known, rarely-heard songs, McCutcheon proves that, as the Washington Post noted, “He has the ability to breathe new life into the familiar.”

In many ways, this album has been a long time coming.

McCutcheon was eleven years old when his mother insisted they watch the news reports from the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the historic 1963 event during which Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his “I Have a Dream” speech and Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Peter Paul and Mary helped cement the relationship between mainstream folksingers and the civil rights movement. “That’s where I discovered folk music,” McCutcheon said.

His next discovery was Pete Seeger. He didn’t know anything about him until he got Seeger’s album, “We Shall Overcome,” recorded live at Carnegie Hall that same year (1963). It was filled with iconic songs from the civil rights movement. “I’d never heard a live concert recording before and I certainly had never heard an audience like that,” McCutcheon said. “It’s shaped how I think concerts can and often should be: It’s a conversation, a trip you take together. It’s about moving rather than impressing.”

In the 55 years since, McCutcheon has released dozens of albums and performed in countless venues taking his audiences on a musical journey with him.

This concert is BYOB. Audience members can bring their favorite beverages and snacks and reserve a table at no extra charge. Tickets are $22. For tickets and a table, call (570) 724-6220 or visit deanecenter.com.


Photo by Irene Young
John McCutcheon is a skilled musician who sings and plays many different instruments, such as banjo, guitar, 12-string guitar, piano, hammered dulcimer, fiddle and autoharp


Photo provided
Joe Crookston will open the concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre in Wellsboro.

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