Paul Revere Makes His Ride To The Warner Theatre

by Raymond Czerwinski

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

This now famous poem, written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is going to be coming to life when TheatreUSA presents The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere on March 6th at the historic Warner Theatre. This is a one show only production. The show starts 10:00 a.m..

TheatreworksUSA says that this production is suitable for kids grade 3 – 9.
In Boston, a simple artisan named Paul Revere etches out a humble living as a silversmith. Americans and British alike hail the exquisite artistry of his work. But when Paul's revolutionary friends, John Hancock and Samuel Adams pressure Revere to take a stand against British tyranny and join the Sons of Liberty, he hesitates supporting the American cause would mean losing valuable business from his British customers and risking the safety of his family. Revere must make a choice: to do what is easy, or to do what is right.

From the halls of British Parliament, to the port of Boston and the "Tea Party" protest, to the Boston Massacre to the dangerous thrill of Revere's now-legendary ride warning people of the coming British invasion, this new musical makes American history accessible and exciting through a unique combination of music, drama and humor.

TheatreworksUSA's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere tells the inspirational, universal story of how ordinary people can make a difference.

Ticket price information is not available but you can call the Erie Civic Center box office at 814-452-4857 for more information.

If You Like Poetry -- Poetrysoup.com Is The Place To Be

by Rob Taylor
 

As a poet I love to have my work read and critiqued by other poets...or anyone else for that matter. After searching the internet for a site that would fulfill that need I stumbled upon www.poetrysoup.com, a site run by poets for poets as well as fans of poetry.

Poetry Soup is a free site, although there is an optional premium membership, and it is probably the most complete poetry based site available. Like I said, it offers you the chance to interact with poets from around the world through comments and email. In addition it also offer educational areas that provides poets with information about poetry terms and different styles of poetry, including some of the more obscure styles, how to write them and very easy to use examples.

Poets are also given the opportunity to enter various competitions. Some of the contests offer prizes from, in the case of member sponsored contests, autographed books and other prizes to others who just offer the glory of victory. However Poetry Soup holds what they call their International Poetry contests. In these contests there are cash prizes of varying amounts.

This site is also a comprehensive research site for those who don’t write poetry but like to read poetry. It has a section that lists every major poet of all time…just to list a few they have Maya Angelou, Robert Burns and Edgar Allen Poe. For the majority of the poets they show examples of their work but also a direct link to the wikipedia page which has a complete biography of the poet.

All in all, if you like writing, or even just reading, poetry this is a site that you should take some time to check out www.poetrysoup.com. It may be well worth a few minutes of your time.

17 Days Until Spring!

Celtic Music Stars To Appear At D'Angelo

by T.R. Septaric

On Friday March 6th the Mercyhurst College’s Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center will be hosting a double concert when the Celtic bands The Karan Casey Band and Lunasa take the stage.

It is said that Karan Casey is one of the most imitated vocalists on Irish and American music scene. The band offers a unique musical style that shows ancient and modern music makes “good bedfellows.”

Karan’s fifth album, On Ships in the Forest has been called one of her best. The songs found on Ships in the Forest range from fresh arrangements of tried and true folk standards (“Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” and “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”) to “The Fiddle and the Drum”, Joni Mitchell’s 1969 anti-war madrigal and Martin Furey’s newly-composed “The Town of Athlone”. Casey says of the album: “I feel that this is by far my most ambitious album to date. I think it has taken me all my years as a singer to come to the point of feeling confident enough to tackle the big songs within the traditional repertoire.”

As well as touring extensively with her own band, over the past two years Karan has performed with Peggy Seeger, Liam Clancy, Solas, Lunasa, Breton guitarist Gilles le Bigot, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw and was involved in Mick Moloney and Paul Wagner’s Absolutely Irish film project which will be screened on PBS in 2008.

Also appearing will be Lunasa. Despite their auspicious beginnings Lunasa has become one of the most sought after Celtic bands in the world.

Lunasa’s inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. On their first American visit, word-of-mouth led to sold-out shows and rave reviews. “A standing-room only crowd in New York confirmed Lúnasa’s reputation” … wrote The New York Times. “This is the hottest Irish acoustic group on the planet.”

In 2001 Lúnasa went to Hollywood (and performed in front of 13,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl). In 2005 Hollywood came to Lúnasa … in the form of their debut composing for a feature film, ‘Irish Jam’. Lúnasa also recorded two songs for the soundtrack of ‘Irish Jam’ with ex-Brookside Babe and now film star (of ‘Land Girls’, ‘Rogue Trader’), ANNA FRIEL. The film also starred US film star/comedian EDDIE GRIFFIN (‘Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo’, ‘Undercover Brother’). Lúnasa’s sixth album Sé (pronounced shay – the Irish for 6) was released in 2006. Sé received even more critical acclaim than the usual high praise which has greeted each album release. The Irish Times made it their CD Of The Week journalist Siobhan Long writing “Lúnasa have embarked on another journey, full of hairpin bends and vertiginous peaks, fuelled by an insatiable appetite for reconnoitering routes previously uncharted…. Sé is a snapshot of a band whose rigorous attention to detail repays the listener time and time again. Hidden treasures lurk in every nook and cranny within.

Tickets are all just $15. For more info check out www.mercyhurst.edu for more info.

Check our MySpace site for the updated calendar, music, photos and more!   

http://www.myspace.com/unklejohnsband2

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Mar 28 -- Owl's Nest (Saegertown)
Apr 11 -- Deer Head Inn (Meadville)
Apr 17 -- Sugar Lake Hotel (Cochranton)
Jun 19 -- Sugar Lake Hotel (Cochranton)

House Bill Introduced to End LGBT Discrimination 

Legislation prohibiting discrimination on the bases of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in housing, employment, and public accommodations was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives today. 

Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny County) introduced the bill, House Bill 300, which would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as protected classes, with a record 79 co-sponsors from both parties and from across the commonwealth. 

“This legislation is critical to thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians who are trying to work and have a roof over their heads, and it enjoys substantial support from Pennsylvanians from every corner of the Commonwealth,” said Jake Kaskey, policy and outreach coordinator of Equality Advocates Pennsylvania. 

“At a time when more and more people across the state find themselves unemployed, we need to make sure every Pennsylvanian who wants to work has a fair chance at work,” Kaskey added.

“It’s time for us in the legislature to take a stand against this kind of discrimination,” Frankel said. “The passage of House Bill 300 would bring our state in line with several of our neighbors who already offer these basic protections to their citizens, and it would establish Pennsylvania as a just , fair and competitive place to live and work.” 

The bill is expected to go to the House State Government Committee, where it has been assigned in the past. In the last legislative session, House State Government Committee Chairperson Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) held public committee hearings on similar legislation in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie.

“We are very encouraged by the record number of legislators who have signed on as co-sponsors of this bill and we think it is a good sign for future progress,” added Andy Hoover, legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

Current Pennsylvania law provides basic legal protection against discrimination on the bases of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, handicap or disability, education and the use of a guide dog. Thirteen Pennsylvania municipalities have already enacted civil rights laws including protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. These municipalities are Allentown, Easton, Erie County, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lansdowne, New Hope, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Swarthmore, West Chester and York. State College also has an ordinance that only covers sexual orientation discrimination in housing and employment. Nearly eighty percent of the state’s twelve million residents live or work in communities that do not provide these protections. Twenty states in the country have similar laws, including our neighboring states of New Jersey, Maryland and New York.

The Value All Families Coalition is comprised of diverse statewide, regional, and local organizations that support equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians. 

For More Information Click Image

Funny Pics Of The Week

Wouldn't you just hate to see the front?	How much do they charge if you ARE there?

Recipe Of The Week

Easy Shepherd's Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups vegetables - chopped carrots, corn, peas
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

METHOD

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots in with the onions. Add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.

4 Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt and pepper. Add worcesterchire sauce. Add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist.

5 Mash potatoes in bowl with remainder of butter, season to taste.

6 Place beef and onions in baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.

7 Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.

Serves four.