Just Around The Corner: June 21, 2001

Just Around The Corner
Noteworthy Events In The Capital Region

“Love Letters”
Capitol Dinner Theatre
Through June 24
As part of its Summer With the Stars series, MiShar Productions is welcoming Sally Struthers to its Capitol Dinner Theatre stage. Best known for her work as “Gloria Stivic” on the beloved 1970s sitcom “All in the Family,” and as “Miss Hannigan” in “Annie,” Struthers makes her way to the area to perform in “Love Letters,” a delightful romantic comedy co-starring Michael Hillegass.

Also included in the Summer With the Stars series is “Driving Miss Daisy.” Starring Sherman Helmsley of television’s “The Jeffersons” and “Amen,” “Driving Miss Daisy” will run from July 31 – August 5.

“Love Letters” will run through June 24 at the Capitol Dinner Theatre, 1300 Wayne Street, Harrisburg. Matinee and evening shows are available; show only, no dinner. For tickets and information, call 233-5400.

17th Bi-Annual Amateur Theatre Festival
Whitaker Center, Harrisburg
June 25-July 1
Known as the AACT/Fest, the 17th Bi-Annual Amateur Theatre Festival will be held at Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center from June 25 – July 1. The AACT/Fest will welcome 11 theatre companies from across the United States and one amateur theatre group representing the Armed Forces. Having competed and advanced through state and regional festival competitions leading to the AACT/Fest, the groups will be vying for top honors of the festival.

In existence since the mid-1950s, the Association of American Community Theatre (AACT) is the overseeing body of community theatre organizations, recognizing more than 3,500 amateur theatre groups across the United States for membership (including our own Theatre Harrisburg). Since 1971, the group has hosted its national festival as a means of honoring the works of those members.

The 17th Bi-Annual Amateur Theatre Festival will offer more than 20 different workshops and seminars by the participating groups. The core activity of the Festival will be the daily performances and rehearsals by the groups; shows will be open to the public from June 27-30. Productions include “Pinnochio,” “Over the River and Through the Woods,” “Quilters,” “Wit,” “All in the Timing,” and “Sister Ignatius Explains It All...,” among others. For tickets and information, call THE BOX at 214-ARTS or visit whitakercenter.org.

“A Chorus Line”
Gretna Theatre
June 26-July 13
One of the longest running musicals in Broadway history is coming to the Gretna Theatre in Mt. Gretna. The first large-scale production attempted by the Theatre in quite some time, “A Chorus Line” is destined to be a memorable event!

As a Broadway production, the show earned more than its fair share of rave reviews and honors, including 10 Tony Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, the NY Critics Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. Heralded for its look at the on and off-stage goings on of a musical production, “A Chorus Line” is best known for its “heart pounding music and electrifying numbers” including “One” and “What I Did For Love.”

“A Chorus Line” will be at the Gretna Theatre from June 26 – July 13. For tickets and information, call 964-3322 or visit online at mtgretna.com/theatre.

Raymond the Amish Comic
Wanda’s Holiday Inn West,
Mechanicsburg
June 27
Yes, he’s Amish. Yes, that really is the way he dresses. Yes, that is his real accent. And yes, he’s a comic. Put that together and you’ve got someone who is most likely the only working Amish comic in America. One of the most requested acts at The Comedy Loft comedy club in Quakertown, PA, Raymond has been entertaining audiences in Pennsylvania and Baltimore for more than eight years, selling out a number of locations, from the 1000-seat Lancaster Host Resort to a two-night stint at the 2000-seat Rajah Theatre in Reading.

In addition to his live act, Raymond has also been featured in the Tim Allen-Kirstie Alley film For Richer or Poorer and MTV’s “Drive Thru America” as well as numerous television appearances and commercials, including a spot for Baltimore’s The 98 Rock Morning Show.

Raymond the Amish Comic will be at Wanda’s Holiday Inn West in Mechanicsburg on June 27 at 9 p.m. Tickets for the show are $15 per person; $50 for dinner and the show per couple. For tickets and information, call 591-1617 or visit online at comedyloft.com.

Historic Harrisburg Association’s 2001 House and Garden Tour
Shipoke
July 1
Take the opportunity to visit and tour more than 25 homes and gardens in the Shipoke neighborhood of Harrisburg. Selected as the site for the Historic Harrisburg Association’s 2001 House and Garden Tour, Shipoke’s proximity to the Susquehanna River makes it a beautiful and breathtaking reprieve from the bustling of the neighboring cityscape.

The tour will mostly feature the homes of Pancake Row. Built in the 1880s, Pancake Row is famous for its “history, vibrant exteriors, and resiliency in the face of fire and flood.” Constructed out of need for adequate living near the steel mills and Pancake brothers lumber and planning mills in the 1870s and 1880s, the homes of the neighborhood today reflect “the neighborhood’s long history and the unique tastes of its individuals owners.”

Also on display will be the homes’ plush gardens. On-hand during the tour will be the Dauphin County Master Gardeners who will present an exhibit on container gardening, answer gardening questions, and share tips.

The 2001 House and Garden Tour: Summertime in Shipoke will be held July 1 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available at the Historic Harrisburg Association, 1230 North Third Street; Harriet, Too, 2120 Colonial Road; Highland Gardens, 423 South 18th Street, Camp Hill; Old Factory Antiques and Crafts, 139 South Hanover Street, Hummelstown; and a number of other locations. For more information, contact the Historic Harrisburg Association at 233-4646.

American Music Fest – Over 200 Hours of Entertainment
Riverfront Park
July 4-8
While music may be the hook, line, and sinker that will pull you to the Harrisburg waterfront, entertainment at large will be the catch of the day at the American Music Fest held annually on Fourth Of July Weekend. Over 80 performances will take place on various stages, including headlining performances by national recording artists Jeffrey Gaines (singer-songwriter), Bio Ritmo (salsa) and Entrain (jam rock). Local acts include Big Tubba Mista, The Harrisburg Symphony, Darcie Miner, and The Jellybricks.

Additional special events such as the Penn National Volleyball Tournament, The Battle Of Harrisburg Karate Tournament, drag boat races and the “Rootbeer Float” are also planned. There will be food vendors, children’s activities and fireworks every night culminating with a bang on July 8 when the grand finale takes to the sky at 8:35 p.m., following Mayor Stephen R. Reed’s Address.