We Hope Everyone Had a Happy and Safe St. Patrick's Day. May the Luck of the Irish Be With You All Year!!

The Station Dinner Theatre Scores With Comedic Irish Wake

by Rob Taylor

Right now there are four theaters in Erie. One does some original, Erie written plays and two do the productions that everyone knows. There is one however that is unique. It is unique because it is the only theater in the area to do interactive productions. I like that and every audience I have seen at one of those productions has had so much fun you would not believe. The theater I am talking about is The Station Dinner Theatre, 4940 Peach St. in Erie.

Their current production Shenanigans is one of the interactive plays I was talking about. The play takes place at the wake of Irishman Charlie Lafferty.

Now, for those of you who don’t know an Irish wake isn’t a sad affair. There is laughter, partying and a whole lot of drinking…so of course the wake is held in Charlie’s favorite pub, Shenanigans, so you can imagine where it goes.

The entire cast was excellent. Mary Jo Laupp, who played Kathleen Lafferty, was a treasure. She shined in her role. Barry McAndrew and Michael Burns were Rory Finn and Fr. Terrance Pettigrew. They had to be the most enjoyable characters in the play. Dave Edmunds was son-in-law, Patrick Clancy who was there with his wife Maggie, played by Katie States. (God, I hope I got that right) These two were a blast to watch. Their performances added so much to the show. They were hilarious! Last but not least, mainly because she was the last character to be introduced, was Molly Greaney, played by Carrie Smith. Smith is a regular at The Station and I love watching her. Molly was bright and lively, and Smith was perfect for the role, including her Irish red hair, but you never do find out if she was Lafferty’s friend, mistress or what?

With all those talented people doing what they did, I laughed my butt off the entire time. However, there is something you should watch for. Of course watch the play but watch the people in the background. The best two to watch are Laupp and States. They NEVER stopped acting. I was sitting by the table where they spent a lot of the play and it was a lot of fun just watching them.

Like I said, this IS interactive theater. When you get there and sit down be prepared to be picked on, taken up on stage and/or be made to perform at your table.

At the performance I attended, ERI Jams publisher Steve Opsanic was made to sing an Irish song (He sucked by the way) and A3 Theatre director Larry Lewis had to go up on stage and dance. (He was good at it) Everyone and anyone is in danger of being picked so keep your imagination working because you may be asked to add to the plot. You can make this a lot of fun by saying something off the wall and see where the cast goes with it.

Shenanigans is a fun night out and I do recommend it. Actually, I went to see whether or not the food had anything to do with the attendance. I went to a dessert only show. They were still at more than 80% capacity, on a Friday the 13th. I have heard that The Station has sold out for a number of shows and has had to add another performance of Shenanigans. I hope that everyone out there who likes good theater and who wants to have fun has the chance to see this play before it is too late.

Showing March 20, 21, 22 2009 - 1 show added on SATURDAY MARCH 28^th at 5:30 PM (Full Dinner Theatre!)

Some Shows SOLD OUT! Please call to confirm available seating and reservations
Phone: 814-864-2022 or Toll Free: 1-866-848-2022 

Fridays at 6:30 PM (Dessert Only)
Saturdays at 12:00 PM & 5:30 PM Sundays at 2:30 PM (Dinner & Show )
MENU All Served sit-down family-style!
Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup, Salad& Bread, Dublin Chicken, Grilled Pork Loin, Irish Potatoes & Emerald Trifle for Dessert! 

St. Bob (Nelson) Makes ANOTHER Mark On State St.

by Rob Taylor

Just in case you didn’t know it, there is a patron saint of brew masters, wineries and inn keepers and that is St. Amand. Well, if you talk to people who frequent the downtown clubs Pope Benedict really ought to re-think that and name local man, Bob Nelson ( a man I have heard referred to as an old hippie) as a replacement for St. Amand. According to what is said Nelson has the ability to perform miracles and take anything he touches and turn it into solid, 24 karat gold and he has done it more than once.

Up until recently Nelson owned and ran The Docksider on State St. Docksider routinely put on some of the best shows in town with some of the best bands and crowds that overfilled the club. “There were nights when we had 400 to 800 people come through the door for our shows,” said Steven Opsanic who booked a number of successful shows at Docksider. “Bob ran the place in town where everyone wanted to be.”

Now, Docksider belongs to someone else and Nelson opened another club just down the street calling it Nelson’s, at 11th and State, and it too is pure gold.

I went there on a Friday sometime around 5:00 p.m. (they open at 4:00 p.m.) and the first thing I noticed was that this place had class. There were none of the tacky posters that a lot of downtown bars have. You know the ones. They advertise concerts. Shows and drink specials. Nelson’s windows were clear and it was easy to see inside.

Nelson’s also has a doorman but he is not like any of the others I have ever seen. To be honest he is more like a greeter than he is a traditional doorman. He not only welcomed me to Nelson’s when I walked in --- he actually opened the door for me when I walked in and again when I left as he wished me a nice day.

The bar was crowded but the tables, for the most part, were empty. I was there for about 45 minutes for a business meeting, as well as to check out the place, and when I left at a little before 6:00…the place was packed and that was well before the normal time for downtown clubs to have a crowd like that.

The first thing I did was to go and order my favorite drink – a Jack and Coke. I was even a little rude to the bartender to see how she would react. She stayed as friendly as she was when I walked over as a matter of fact she joked around a bit about what I said. Now, when I judge a bar it is on how they make my drink. The Jack and Coke I got was as good, if not better than any I have had anywhere else in town and it really wasn’t badly priced at just $3.25.

Nelson’s does offer food as well as good drinks. There “special’s board” looks like something out of Food TV’s Iron Chef America. The menu includes: Fried Oysters w/ Spinich, Panchetta with Balsalmic & Mustard Sauce; Bolognese w/ Parpadelle Pasta. Thyme and Parmesan and lastly Latin Spiced 8oz Filet “Surf & Turf” with Queso Fresque Polenta, Tobacco Onions, Rock Shrimp Pico de Gallo and Chimichurri.

After seeing the specials I just had to ask if they served things like just a simple burger. I was shocked but yes they do. They serve what they call a Crestview Farm Grass Fed Burger. Their menu also has items like Chili, a B.L.T., Cobb Salad a ton of other stuff, including an item I have only seen one other place in town – deep friend dill pickles. Personally, I cannot wait until I can get back there and have a bowl of Chili and a plate of pickles just too how Nelson makes them. BTW, there is one thing you should know about the food, when he can Nelson uses locally produced food in his dishes.

With drinks that really rock, a very friendly staff, food that is beyond belief and eight kinds of draft beer, fifty two canned and bottled beers (including eighteen imports and nineteen microbrews) as well as fourteen different wines from all over the world Nelson’s is going to be the HOTTEST place in town really, really soon and everyone in Erie will be saying one thing, “St. Bob has done it again,” and they will be right.

The Naked Truth: Lots of Laughs in All An Act’s “No Sex Please, We’re British!”

All An Act Theatre Productions follows up their wildly successful production of Neil Simon’s “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” with the hysterical British farce “No Sex Please, We’re British!” The second show in their 2009 Season.

“We broke our own box office records with “Prisoner” in February… says Artistic Director David W. Mitchell, “ our production of 12 Angry Men” in 2008 had been out highest selling production up until then…we’re looking forward to doing it again.” Managing Director Larry Lewis adds “We are getting more and more new people with each show. Audience members will come up to us and say ‘I didn’t know there was a theatre here, this is wonderful!’ …Our audience base is growing and people are discovering All An Act for the first time and returning for more.”

“No Sex Please, We’re British!” peeks in on a newly wed couple: Peter Hunter (David W. Mitchell), a bank manager, and his young bride Frances (Jennifer Blair). The happy couple live in an apartment above the bank. The only excitement they are expecting that day is a visit from Peter’s mother Eleanor (Ruth Scandale). However, chaos is quickly set in motion.

To help with the household bills and save some extra money for a home of their own, Frances innocently sends a mail order off for some Scandinavian glassware to sell. What arrives instead is a parcel of pornographic postcards.

In an effort to ditch the porn before it’s discovered by her mother-in-law, Frances enlists the help of Brian Runnicles (Dave DiCola), Peter’s befuddled friend and the bank’s chief cashier, to bury them far away. He instead, dumps them in the river, where they are discovered by the police.

A police dragnet ensues to find the “phantom pornographer”, while more and more pornography gets delivered to the Peter & Frances’ apartment. The matter is considerably complicated by Peter’s boss (Larry Lewis), a visiting bank inspector (Chad Santos), and a police superintendent (Jeremy Pierce).

What is to be done with the veritable floods of pornography, photographs, books, films and eventually call girls (Renae Stoddard & Angela Barsotti) that threaten to engulf this happy couple as they make every effort to set everything right?

Director David W. Mitchell adds “It’s been a long cold winter… and cabin fever has set in for most people. They want to get out and laugh. “No Sex” is the perfect opportunity to get out of the house and do just that.”

Additionally, by attending the show you’re also donating to the needy, as $1.00 of every ticket is contributed to Community Shelter services, which houses the theatre. Community Shelter Services provides shelter, help, and hope to Erie’s homeless.

For more information on specific performances and times, visit the All An Act website at www.allanact.net.

All An Act Theatre Productions presents the hysterical farce “No Sex Please, We’re British!” by Anthony Marriott and Alistair Foot and directed by David W. Mitchell. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays, March 20th through April 3rd at 7:30 PM. Sunday performances at 3 PM on March 22nd , 29th and April 5th. All An Act Theatre Productions is located in Columbus Square, 652 West 17th Street, Erie PA 16502. Tickets are $10.00 for Adults and $5.00 for Students and Seniors. For information call 450-8553. Visit our website at www.allanact.net. for full schedule or to purchase tickets on-line. $1.00 of each admission benefits Community Shelter Services, providing shelter, help and hope to Erie’s Homeless

All An Act Productions is located at 652 West 17th Street in Erie Pa. There is ample parking around our building and limited parking on 17th Street. (Poplar, 16th & 17th Streets are all one way streets)

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Woodstock Style Music Fest Coming To Cambridge

by T.R. Septaric

There is a field just outside of Cambridge Springs. It is really nothing special of a field. Maybe there are the last traces of snow, maybe a deer or two and definitely the cool air of the end of winter is making the a thick fog fill the air. On June 26, 27 and 28th the snow will be gone (Hopefully), the deer will be gone and the fog will be replaced by the sounds of some of the best regional band around.

The Meadows Art and Music Festival 2009 will be held in a huge farmer’s field off of Birchard Rd in Crawford County. Bill Adams, one of the events founders, said that it is the perfect venue for an event like this. “The venue is beautiful. There is a large area from the performers and artists who will be coming,” he said. “There is also more than enough room for people who want to campout for the weekend.”

Adams said that the event was created because he and his partner, Tom Pisarchick, saw a lot of talent in the Meadville, Cambridge Springs and Edinboro areas that no one knew ever existed. He said that they organized this event as being regionally based, with a couple of rare exceptions, because they want to give people a chance to see what talent the area has to offer.

Bands confirmed so far include: Unhinged Mandible, Ladymoon, Euphonic Brew, Waterband, Groove Prophets and The Charlie Wheeler Band. Bands on the list, but not yet confirmed, are Mystic Floatation Device, Shotgun Jubilee. Both of the organizers said that this is just a partial list and there will be more bands added as the weeks until the event go by. It has been announced that the featured performer will be Heather Vallaiso.

“In addition to the bands we are going to do something no other music festival does,” Adams said. “We are going to have an Open Mic session for people who want to get up and sing, play or just joke around.” The Open Mic will be held of Friday and Saturday from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m..

Like the name of the event says The Meadows Art and Music Festival is not just about the music. Art will be a large part of this event. According to Pisarchick attendees won’t just see the usual paintings and photography. There are going to be some of the less common artistic styles such as woodworking and metalworking on display as well as a Cambridge Springs tattoo artist will be on site to provide anyone with their own unique personal piece of art.

Artists and others who don’t have a display in the main artists/vendors sections will still be able to get their work seen because event organizers are allowing “blanket vendors” throughout the weekend. There is no additional cost…just the price of admission…to those wishing to set up a blanket display.

Adams said that this going to be a traditional music festival in every sense, kind of like a baby Woodstock, but it is also going to be more family oriented. “We are going to have a section of the venue set up for kids to be able to come, hang out and have fun in a safe, clean atmosphere. We want to give families a chance to come, enjoy and listen to some good music in a place where they can feel comfortable.”

Tickets will be on sale beginning March 18th.   

New Book Covers The History Of The Movie Theatre

Spring is just 1 day away

Funny Pic Of The Week

And we thought a metal sliding board on a hot July afternoon was bad?		If you are an owner of a dog and also have a small child, please take this as a warning.  Don't leave your dog with the child unattended under any circumstances.  It only takes moment for the following to happen.

INGREDIENTS
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, rinsed, patted dry
2 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, chopped, divided
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper
salt and pepper to taste
4 avocados, halved with pits removed
12 (6 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups torn romaine lettuce

DIRECTIONS
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, 1/2 of the onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno in a food processor. Chop roughly; do not puree.
Combine the pulp of the avocados and the remaining onion in a large bowl. Mash until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread tortillas in a single layer on baking sheet. Place in oven until warm, about 5 minutes. Spread tortillas with guacamole. Top with beans, salsa, and lettuce