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1. Master Storyteller Jonathan Kruk to Perform This Friday, Aug. 30
2. Laurel Classic Bike Challenge is Saturday, Sept. 7; Register by This Friday, Aug. 30 to Guarantee Event T-Shirt
3. Pine Creek Challenge Registration Closes This Saturday, Aug. 31
4. Canyon Pilots Association’s All-You-Can-Eat Labor Day Fly-In Breakfast is This Sunday, Sept. 1
5. Register by This Sunday, Sept. 1 for Step Outdoors Tryathlon & 5K Run/Walk to Guarantee Free Event T-Shirt
6. Hamilton-Gibson Productions Offers Chance to See “The Greatest Showman” Sing-Along Film on Friday, Sept. 6
7. NEW – HG’s Dueling Pianos is Saturday, Sept. 7
8. History Comes Alive with Charles Sacavage as Theodore Roosevelt on Wednesday, Sept. 11
9. NEW – Hamilton-Gibson Productions to Present “Every Brilliant Thing” on Sept. 13, 14, 15, 20 & 21
10. NEW – Blues Double Header: An Evening with Tas Cru and The Gabe Stillman Band on Saturday, Sept. 14

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

MASTER STORYTELLER JONATHAN KRUK TO PERFORM THIS FRIDAY, AUG. 30

Photo provided
This Friday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro, master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, dressed in period clothing, will use a variety of voices, accents, gestures and audience participation to tell the tale of how the Headless Horseman really lost his head along with origin stories about the ghost of Tragical Major André, the Wailing Woman in White and other spirits included in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The show is recommended for adults and children, ages 10 and older. Admission is $15. For more information or for tickets, call (570) 724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.

LAUREL CLASSIC BIKE CHALLENGE IS SATURDAY, SEPT. 7; REGISTER BY THIS FRIDAY, AUG. 30 TO GUARANTEE EVENT T-SHIRT

To be guaranteed a free event T-shirt in the size ordered and pay a $30 entry fee, riders ages 12 to 68+ must preregister for the Laurel Classic Mountain Bike Challenge on or before this Friday, Aug. 30.

The bike challenge will be on Saturday, Sept. 7 with the start and finish at the U.S. Geological Survey Northern Appalachian Research Branch at 176 Straight Run Road in Asaph, eight miles west of Wellsboro via Route 6.

Riders can preregister online at bikereg.com, by mailing completed entry forms with the registration fee to the Mountain Bike Challenge, Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 733, Wellsboro, Pa. 16901 early enough that they get there by Aug. 30 or by taking a completed entry form with the entry fee to the Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro before 4 p.m. this Friday.

Those who wait and register on race day will pay $35 to enter and can purchase an event T-shirt for $15 while supplies last. Credit cards will not be accepted on race day. Pay in cash or by check made payable to the Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival. Racers will receive a food voucher when they register or sign in on Sept. 7. Sweet Caroline’s BBQ will have food available for purchase after the race.

Registration and sign-in will be at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 7 at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Appalachian Research Branch. There are six age groups in the expert, sport and beginner male classes, including: junior (12 to 18 years old), senior (19 to 34 years old), vet (35 to 44 years old), masters (45 to 57 years old), super senior (58-67) and super master (68+). In single-speed male, there is an open class category for all ages. In the female expert, sport, beginner and single-speed classes, there is one age group – all ages.

The start of the 11-mile course for beginners will be at 10 a.m. and the 22-mile course for expert, sport and single speed entrants will be at 11 a.m. All entrants must wear a helmet.

The Laurel Classic Mountain Bike Challenge is known by riders for its awesome mix of grinding climbs, smooth single and double track, creek and log crossings and fast technical descents on trails and forestry roads in the Asaph section of the Tioga State Forest. “Another great feature is this race has 22 miles of continuous course without any repeat laps,” said race director Sandy Beideman.

The 22-mile course covers the 11-mile short course plus an additional 11 miles of challenging terrain. The long course has a cut off of 1.5 hours to complete the first loop, which includes two long climbs. It takes up to three hours to finish the long course and up to two hours for the short course.

Expert class prizes are: first, $75; second, $50 and third, a prize table selection. Sport, single speed and beginner class first, second and third place winners in each age group will receive awards and get to choose an item from the prize table, which will be filled with bike gear from Oswald’s Cycle Works in Mansfield and C S Sports, Inc. Cycle & Ski Shop in Wellsboro.

Preregister online at bikereg.com. Course maps and registration forms are available online at the Laurel Classic Mountain Bike Challenge’s Facebook page and at the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 114 Main Street in Wellsboro. For information, call the chamber at (570) 724-1926.

Photo by Sandy Beideman
Ian Hoose, 14, of Wellsboro is shown at the finish of the 2018 Laurel Classic Mountain Bike Challenge.

PINE CREEK CHALLENGE REGISTRATION CLOSES THIS SATURDAY, AUG. 31

Online registration ends this Saturday, Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m. for anyone who wants to participate in one of the five Pine Creek Challenge running events on Saturday, Sept. 7. There is no registration on race day.

All five runs begin in the parking lot at the USGS Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory at 176 Straight Run Road in Asaph, eight miles west of Wellsboro off Route 6. Event organizer is the Tyoga Running Club, a local nonprofit that supports area youth running programs.

Already registered are 127 runners from 16 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Puerto Rico and a 12-member relay team from Mountville in Lancaster County, Pa. “We will accept a total of 200 entrants,” said Director Steve Hanes of Westfield. An entrant is an individual or a team composed of two to 12 members.

Registrants will be able to pick up their swag bags at Wild Asaph Outfitters at 71 Main Street in Wellsboro between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6 or on Sept. 7 at Asaph during check-in before the start of the run they entered. Each registrant will get a tech shirt, a USA-made cotton shopping bag and other items.

On Sept. 7, the 100-mile run will start at 6 a.m., the 100-mile relay and the 100K (62.1 miles) at 7 a.m., the 50-miler at 8 a.m. and the marathon (26.2 miles) at 9 a.m. Each course follows a portion of the runner friendly Pine Creek Rail Trail, a converted railroad bed that begins at Wellsboro Junction and ends in Jersey Shore. It is 20 feet wide with a two percent grade and has a springy, smooth, hard-packed, finely crushed stone surface.

Runners in the 100-miler, 100-mile relay and 100K will travel on the Pine Creek Rail Trail from Asaph to Wellsboro Junction, from the junction back to Asaph, continue through the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon to Blackwell and then return to Asaph. The 100-milers will run the course twice and travel through the canyon four times. Those in the 100K will do the course once and go through the canyon twice. The course will be open for 30 hours, from 6 a.m. on Sept 7 through noon on Sunday, Sept. 8.

The 50-mile runners will go from Asaph directly to Blackwell and back to Asaph. Marathoners will go directly from Asaph to a point below Tiadaghton and back to Asaph.

There will be five aid stations spaced about six miles apart along the course with water and food for registrants.

“Even though we have bib numbers and electronic timing, the Pine Creek Challenge is not a competitive race,” said Hanes. “Participants are encouraged to challenge themselves to see what they can do.” There are no prizes but every finisher will get a memento. The 100-mile and 100K finishers will have a choice of a locally handmade mug or a belt buckle. The 50-mile and marathon finishers will get a glass or wooden medallion based on the distance they complete.

To register online, visit the Pine Creek Challenge website (pinecreekchallenge.com) and click on the link to Ultrasignup or go directly to the 2019 Ultrasignup site at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=63809.

For more information about the Pine Creek Challenge, to be an aid station volunteer or to become a sponsor, contact Steve Hanes at (814) 367-5682 or stevehanes@gmail.com.

Photo provided
A 2018 Pine Creek Challenge 100-mile runner is joined by his daughter as he nears an aid station on the course. Family and friends will be cheering their runners on at course aid stations on Sept. 7.

CANYON PILOTS ASSOCIATION’S ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT LABOR DAY FLY-IN BREAKFAST IS THIS SUNDAY, SEPT. 1

WELLSBORO — This Sunday, Sept. 1, from 8 a.m. to noon, the Canyon Pilots Association’s All-You-Can-Eat Labor Day Fly-In Breakfast will be indoors at the commercial corporate hangar at the Wellsboro Johnston Airport, west of Wellsboro in Delmar Township at 112 Runway Road, Wellsboro, PA 16901. This event is open to the public and will be held rain or shine.

On the menu are ham, eggs, buckwheat pancakes, coffee and orange juice. Requested is a donation of $8 for adults and $3 for youngsters ages 3 to 8 years old. Children 2 and under are admitted free.

Weather permitting, pilots in various types of full-size aircraft will fly to the airport for the breakfast. The public is welcome to watch them land and take off and talk to pilots about their “flying machines.” In addition, airplane rides will be available for a fee, weather permitting.

Try out the airport’s Redbird TD-2 flight simulator for free in the terminal during the breakfast. Software for all public airports in the United States, including the Wellsboro airport is installed on the simulator. It can be configured as a simple single engine airplane up to a complex, high performance aircraft.

Members of the Canyon Country Ultralight Club will have a display of ultralight aircraft.

The Mountain Modelaires will display radio controlled airplanes, quadcopters and helicopters inside the corporate hangar. They will also have an R/C flight simulator program for children and adults to try. Youngsters, ages eight to 12, can assemble and decorate a foam model glider to fly on-site and take home free. After they complete their glider they can draw for a free gift.

Park for free. Handicapped parking will be along Airport Road near the hangar. Others can park along the roadway and in the parking area near the main gate.

REGISTER BY THIS SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 FOR STEP OUTDOORS TRYATHLON & 5K RUN/WALK TO GUARANTEE FREE EVENT T-SHIRT

Those who preregister online or by mail by this Sunday, Sept. 1 for the 12th Annual Step Outdoors Tryathlon and 5K Trail Run/Walk being held Saturday, Sept. 21, will be guaranteed a free event T-shirt in the size ordered.

The last day to register online for the Tryathlon and 5K is by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Visit www.stepoutdoors.org to register online or to download a printable registration form. Those who mail in a registration form must complete it and mail it to Wellsboro Parks and Recreation, Attention: Tryathlon, 227 Nichols Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 in time to ensure it arrives before Sept. 1 for a free T-shirt or by Tuesday, Sept. 17. Checks for the entry fee should be made payable to the Step Outdoors Tryathlon.

Individuals who register online to do the 5K Trail Run/Walk only will pay a $20 entry fee and to do the three legs of the triathlon solo, a $25 entry fee. For two- or three-person triathlon teams, the entry fee is $60.

Those who register by mail or in person on Sept. 21, the day of the event, will pay a $25 entry fee to do the 5K Trail Run/Walk only and to do the three legs of the triathlon solo, a $30 entry fee. For two- or three-person teams the entry fee is $65 per team. At registration on race day, any surplus event T-shirts will be available for purchase while supplies last.

Registration and check-in on Sept. 21 are from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the tent between the park’s bathhouse and concession stand. The pre-race talk for all entrants, especially those participating for the first time, will be at 9:45 a.m.

Individuals of all ages can take part. A great introductory event for the novice, the Tryathlon is also for the seasoned triathlete because of its unique course.

All runners and walkers, whether they are participating in the 5K only or all three legs of the Tryathlon will start at 10 a.m. at the same location and follow the same course on park roads and trails around the perimeter of Hills Creek Lake. The second leg of the Tryathlon is paddling a canoe or kayak around a 1.75-mile course identified with temporary markers on Hills Creek Lake. The event will end with bikers traveling 8 miles on a course of dirt and hardtop roads in and around the park.

There are no competitive categories in the Tryathlon or 5K. Every finisher will receive a medallion.

The focus of the Step Outdoors TRYathlon is on trying rather than winning, on camaraderie rather than competition and on personal challenge rather than place of finish. That is the reason age and gender categories were eliminated in 2015.

More information and past results are posted at www.stepoutdoors.org. Register online at https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Wellsboro/StepOutdoorsTryathlon5K?remMeAttempt= for the best price and before Sept. 1 for an event shirt.

For more information about the Tryathlon or 5K or about renting bikes, kayaks or canoes, visit www.stepoutdoors.org or contact Tim Morey by calling (570) 724-8561 or emailing tmorey@pa.gov.

Photo provided
The 5K Trail Run/Walk is the first leg of the Step Outdoors Tryathlon and also a stand-alone event. Shown in this photo are some of the runners and walkers who participated in 2016.

HAMILTON-GIBSON PRODUCTIONS OFFERS CHANCE TO SEE “THE GREATEST SHOWMAN” SING-ALONG FILM ON FRIDAY, SEPT. 6

Those who saw “The Greatest Showman” after its release on Dec. 20, 2017 by 20th Century Fox in theaters across the United States are most likely still humming or singing the songs.

Anyone who didn’t get to see it or those who want to see it again are in luck because Hamilton-Gibson Productions is showing a sing-along screening of the musical on Friday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Warehouse Theatre at 3 Central Avenue in Wellsboro.

The sing-along version displays the lyrics on screen, allowing the audience to harmonize with Hugh Jackman and co-stars Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya and Keala Settle as they sing the original music by “La La Land” and “Dear Evan Hansen” songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. “This film is about taking risks and celebrating what makes each and every one of us different, special and unique,” said Jackman who plays P. T. Barnum, the ambitious showman and entrepreneur.

“The Greatest Showman” was a surprise hit with moviegoers, earning an “A” grade on Cinemascope. It grossed more than $434 million worldwide to make it the fifth-highest grossing live-action musical of all times. Nominated for Golden Globe awards were the film as Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Jackman as Best Actor Musical or Comedy.

The film’s soundtrack debuted at No. 71 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart dated Dec. 30, 2017 and hit No. 1 in weeks four and five, Jan. 20 and 27, 2018. By Aug. 11, 2018, “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack had spent 30 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, one of just seven soundtracks to accomplish that in the past 50 years (since Aug. 10, 1968). The other six soundtracks include: “Dirty Dancing,” “The Bodyguard,” “Frozen,” “Prince and The Revolution’s “Purple Rain,” “Saturday Night Fever” and “The Lion King.”

Four singles from the soundtrack, including “This is Me,” “Rewrite the Stars,” “Never Enough,” and “The Greatest Show” were listed on Billboard’s Hot 100. “This is Me,” performed in the film by Settle with a pop version on the soundtrack by Kesha, won Best Original Song at the 75th Golden Globes on Jan. 7, 2018 and was nominated for Best Original Song at the 90th Academy Awards on March 4, 2018. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb. 10, 2019, “The Greatest Showman” won the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. Other songs in the PG-rated film are: “A Million Dreams,” “Come Alive,” “The Other Side,” “Tightrope” and “From Now On.”

Audience members are welcome to dress as their favorite character in the film or come as they are. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

Admission is Pay-What-You-Can. Sponsors are Michele Comes and Debbie’s Day Care.

For more information, call Hamilton-Gibson at (570) 724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com.

DUELING PIANOS IS SATURDAY, SEPT. 7

What happens when three professional pianists get together and challenge each other’s abilities at the keyboards? A night of exciting entertainment with on-the-spot improvisational arrangements of tunes from many different genres.

On Saturday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m., Hamilton-Gibson Productions will be hosting its Sixth Annual Dueling Pianos. One pianist will make a selection and begin playing with the others joining in or suggest a song. The audience will get to pick their favorites for the pianists to play, too.

Pat Davis, Boki Cvetkovski, and Parker Neal will be sitting at the three pianos set up in a U-shape in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

“I was very pleased to meet Parker and Boki for the first time on Aug, 22,” said Davis. “Since we are not familiar with each other’s piano skills, we discussed the types of music that we each perform and several selections that all three of us know to get things started on Sept. 7. We do not rehearse. Boki and Parker will each bring something new to Dueling Pianos because of their backgrounds and their ages. This is going to be a very different experience for me personally, as I have never played with them before. It should add to the fun. I’m looking forward to performing with them, as well as with David Driskell, our MC and clarinet player and Dan Krise, who will be playing upright bass with us for the first time.”

Davis first taught music in State College schools while getting her master’s degree at Penn State University. Later, she came home to Wellsboro where she taught both choral and general music to middle and high school students for 30 years. Since her “retirement,” she continues as the accompanist for the Wellsboro Men’s Chorus and writes her own compositions and choral arrangements for that group.

“I am comfortable improvising at the piano and am excited about Dueling Pianos,” said Cvetkovski. He studied piano and accordion in a music-focused high school in the small country of Macedonia in Eastern Europe. “I played classical music,” Cvetkovski said “After I moved to the United States to attend Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, I began exploring different genres of music, including jazz.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in music theory and composition, he moved to Ohio where he taught piano full-time. “I started teaching piano while in college and enjoyed it so much that I made a career out of it,” he said. “Love brought me to Wellsboro. I decided to stay because it reminds me of Macedonia.” On Aug. 5, Cvetkovski opened BKC Music at ‪152 Main Street, the former West End Market Café. “I am currently enrolling students five years old and older who want to learn how to play piano and discover their love for music.”

Neal, a junior at Mansfield University majoring in music education, grew up in Warren, Pa. “I am in my eleventh year of studying piano,” he said noting that he began taking lessons in 2008 as a nine-year-old. “My dad and grandmother play piano. We had beginner books at the house and I started messing around at the piano by myself. When I mentioned that I was serious about learning how to play, they signed me up for piano lessons. I was honored when Thomas Putnam asked if I would participate in Dueling Pianos. I have had the opportunity to work with studio musicians and play music like this but not done improvisation. I am excited and eager to show what I can do,” he said.

Sponsors are Senior’s Creations & The Main Street Olive Oil Company and The Main Street Creamery.

Reservations are recommended for this popular, fun event. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for youth, 18 and under. For reservations, call (570) 724-2079, email hamgib@gmail.com or visit www.hamiltongibson.org.
Photo by John Eaton
The three pianists who will perform at Dueling Pianos on Sept. 7 met for the first time on Thursday, Aug. 22. Sharing an upright piano bench at the Warehouse Theatre for this photo are: (from left) Boki Cvetkovski, Parker Neal and Pat Davis. Shown with them is MC David Driskell. “I will be playing clarinet on a couple of pieces,” said Driskell. The performers do not rehearse in advance for Dueling Pianos.

HISTORY COMES ALIVE WITH CHARLES SACAVAGE AS THEODORE ROOSEVELT ON WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11

At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, Charles Sacavage of Pawleys Island in South Carolina will take the stage in the Deane Center’s Coolidge Theatre at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro as Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, “He was a big game hunter who became known as the conservationist president,” said Sacavage who physically resembles Roosevelt.

“On stage, I will bring out the incidents in Roosevelt’s life that contributed to his evolution from outdoorsman to conservationist. He never took himself that seriously. People will get to laugh as they learn more about him,” Sacavage said.

During the eight years Roosevelt served as president, from 1901 to 1909, he established 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves and five national parks; created the national Forest Service in 1905 and signed the American Antiquities Act into law in 1906 and through it established 18 national monuments. During his presidency Roosevelt also protected 230 million acres of public lands, including 150 million acres set aside as national forests.

Sacavage has been portraying Roosevelt for about 50 years. First as a Pottsville High School history teacher and then for distance-learning programs for Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 when his live, interactive television programs were broadcast to students in schools across America. “If you want to be a great teacher you have to be a great entertainer,” said Sacavage. There will also be time for questions and photos.

This performance concludes the 2018-2019 History Comes Alive series.

Tickets are $15. Children 12 and under accompanied by a paying adult are admitted free. For information, call (570) 724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.

Photo provided
Charles Sacavage dressed as Theodore Roosevelt, an outdoorsman, holds a ceremonial peace pipe.

HAMILTON-GIBSON PRODUCTIONS TO PRESENT “EVERY BRILLIANT THING” ON SEPT. 13, 14, 15, 20 & 21 IN THE WAREHOUSE THEATRE

“Every Brilliant Thing” is a funny and heart-warming one-man play inspired by a seven-year-old boy whose mother tries to end her life. He starts a list of all the brilliant things in the world worth living for and leaves it on her pillow.

Written by English playwright and director Duncan Macmillan, the play charts the journey of that list through the son who proceeds to tell a story that spans nearly six decades and includes several life-changing events, starting with a young boy’s eye-opening first brush with death (his childhood dog), evoking laughter and tears in equal measure.

Headlining Hamilton-Gibson’s production of “Every Brilliant Thing” is Thomas Putnam, HG’s artistic director.

“The experience of working on a one-person play, “Underneath the Lintel” in 2008, was so powerful and life-changing that I immediately began looking for another one,” said Putnam. “I worked on Lintel for nearly a year; I’m not very fast with memorization. Investing that amount of time on one script meant that it had to be a mighty good one.

“During the past 10 years, HG’s Artistic Planning Committee considered a few other full-length solo plays but none seemed right. In 2018, I came across a new title and, as usual, when I saw the words ‘one-person play’ got my hopes up. Coincidentally, Linda Iseri, another member of the committee that was reading plays to help establish the 2019 season, came across ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ and even ordered a script. Both of us knew immediately it was a play we had to do,” Putnam said.

“I am drawn to plays that welcome exploration and marination; ones you can read, dig into, examine, argue with and soak in. ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is such a play. One person tells the story of his family, himself and mother and father, who are all affected by mental illness one way or another. Out of context this might sound heavy and depressing; it is neither. Definitely moving and tender, it is delightfully fun and playful, due in part to the structure of the production, which at times includes improvisation and invites audience members to be part of the story. Of course there is no pressure to participate, but the play is written in such a way that it is a safe place to be and everyone can relax as they explore what could be a difficult topic,” said Putnam.

“I’ve seen three different productions of this play. Each one has been distinctly different but all were very effective. Each solo actor approaches it slightly different and that makes it fun,” he noted.

There will be talk-backs following each performance. Audience members are welcome to stay and discuss what they just experienced.

Even though Putnam is the only person on stage during the show, there are others who are an integral part of this production. Barbara Biddison has been helping Putnam for the past two months with line memorization. Griffin Brown is creating the sound track and running lights and sound; music plays a big role in the play and in the lives of the family members. Tech advisor is Gabe Hakvaag. As the stage manager, Linda Iseri is responsible for everything that happens backstage for each performance. Both Iseri and Biddison attend each rehearsal to offer Putnam suggestions and feedback.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Sept. 13 & 14 and Sept. 20 & 21 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday , Sept. 15 at the Warehouse Theatre at 3 Central Avenue in Wellsboro. Seating is in the round and audience members choose their own seats.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children under 18. Reservations are recommended. To reserve seats, call 570-724-2079 or visit https://hamiltongibson.ticketleap.com. Sponsors are Drs. Tina Tolins and Grady Gafford; Lee and Janet Bellinger; and the United Methodist Church of Wellsboro.

Photo by John Eaton
For “Every Brilliant Thing,” Thomas Putnam is assisted by Barbara Biddison (foreground) and Stage Manager Linda Iseri. “Barbara is helping me with line memorization and both she and Linda offer suggestions and feedback during rehearsals,” said Putnam, the only actor who will be on stage.

BLUES DOUBLE HEADER: AN EVENING WITH TAS CRU AND THE GABE STILLMAN BAND ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 14

At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, Tas Cru and the Gabe Stillman Band will present a night of great blues in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

The Gabe Stillman Band will open the show. This three-piece machine runs at full tilt for every performance. While their sound is unmistakably rooted in the blues, the band draws from the deep well of all American roots music. “For this show, we will be performing our brand of hard-stompin’ blues,” Stillman said. Based in Williamsport, the band includes Stillman, an ace guitarist and singer; drummer Jesse Roedts, and bassist Colin Beatty.

Stillman will then join Tas Cru, internationally acclaimed blues artist. They will perform original music from Cru’s most recent albums. Among them will be “Grizzle and Bone” from his 2018 Blues Music Award-nominated album “Simmered & Stewed”, as well as selections from his 2014 CD “You Keep The Money” and his most recent, “Memphis Song” released in June 2018.

Cru’s songs are described as “raucous, rowdy, gentle, eccentric, quirky and outright irreverent” and testify to his reputation as one of the most unique bluesmen plying his trade today. It’s no wonder that Cru, who is based in upstate New York, has received wide praise for his songwriting. “His songs are blues poetry – crafted with a rare verbal flair. His ability to cast a memorable hook is magical,” writes Downbeat magazine. Live, his songs are performed with power and passion, observed Living Blues magazine, which wrote “The vivacity and sheer joy with which Cru plays is intoxicating.”

Stillman has been a touring member of Tas Cru and The Tortured Souls for a year performing across the United States in Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pa. as well as playing up and down the East Coast and all around the state of Florida.

In January, Stillman and his band competed at the 35th International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, where they landed in the final eight out of 101 starting entries. Stillman’s command of the guitar garnered serious notice from the judges who selected him as the winner of the esteemed Gibson Guitar Award. “Winning this award is an incredible honor, especially at this early stage of my career,” said Stillman. “It’s an electrifying feeling to have encouragement like this from the Blues Foundation. It tells me I’m on the right path as a musician.”

For the Sept. 14 concert, everyone will be seated at tables so they can relax, bring their own favorite snacks and beverages and enjoy the music. Also available will be freshly popped popcorn and bottled water.

Admission is $22. To reserve a table at no extra charge, for tickets or more information, call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220 or visit www.deanecenter.com.

Photo provided
Tas Cru

Photo provided
Gabe Stillman