Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 45

Michael Murray is going to feel like a king watching movies in his new home theater. The Robinson man dressed like royalty to appear on today’s episode of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Offered a choice between $1,000 and something concealed behind a door, he made the right choice. He came...

Greensburg Civic Theatre’s Greasepaint Players are working on a production of “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” to play for both livestream and in-person audiences. About having a live audience, director Becky Ziegler Koch said, “People might say, ‘Why are you doing this now?’ But we thought it was important to...

Pittsburgh-based fashion designer Tereneh Idia says she’s been thinking about constellations since visiting the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. “I’ve been obsessed with the idea of how constellations are made and how we identify constellations in space,” she said. “I saw that there are peoples of these countries...

Looking for some home renovation or decor ideas? Head down to the Washington County Fairgrounds for the annual Washington County Home Show. Have a short story idea rattling around your head? It might be a fit for Parsec Ink’s annual speculative fiction writing contest. Wondering how writers for the “The...

There is a story behind every piece of art acquired by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Doug Evans, the museum’s director of collections and exhibition management, is the keeper of many of those stories — some that he can share and others he can’t. One shareable story concerns an...

For Lindsay Dragan, the best part of being a musician is playing in front of a crowd. “That’s when I feel most alive,” she said. There hasn’t been much opportunity for that in the past year, but Dragan and her Pittsburgh-based band at least will be able to get onstage...

Check out the Santa Claus lookalike on the Jan. 29 episode of “Let’s Make a Deal.” That’s Michael Murray of Robinson, vying for big prizes on the long-running game show, airing at 10 a.m. on CBS. Murray teaches health and physical education to Pittsburgh Public Schools students from kindergarten through...

Middle school is a tough gig — just ask singer/songwriter Jill Sobule. She poured her experiences into a musical called “F*ck7thGrade” that was presented in its initial form in Pittsburgh at City Theatre Company’s 2018 Momentum Festival of New Plays. Now, City Theatre will premiere a concert film of the...

This time around, you won’t have to wait until dinner to enjoy a Greensburg Restaurant Week deal. For the first time, there will be breakfast and lunch options, courtesy of first-time participants Yumzio Bistro and South Greensburg Restaurant. Olives and Peppers at the Greensburg Train Station is the third new...

People tend to stay indoors more in the winter, but Rick Steele is hoping folks will take a walk to one of Greensburg’s three little food pantries to drop off a few supplies. The need is just as great in cold weather as it is in warm weather, said Steele,...

Everyday objects and recycled materials are the foundation of works by Nicole Chmel Brown, in the first art exhibit of 2021 in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center. “The materials I use in my art are recycled objects such as wood, wire, beads, washers, cardboard, toothpicks,” said the Westmoreland City...

Paint outdoors with the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley, or make a Valentine shadowbox at home with The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Learn about ongoing preservation efforts at Fallingwater or the history of the world’s largest architectural plaster cast in Carnegie Museum of Art’s Hall of...

There’s a debate in business circles on whether it’s good or bad to be the first to interview for a job, but being number one worked for Michael Tusay — the new executive director at Latrobe Art Center. “He was actually our first in-person interview,” board member Katie Miller said....

Travel may not be an option right now because of the coronavirus, but visiting the National Aviary can make you feel like you’re on a tropical retreat, said Jennifer Torpie, the aviary’s curator of education and public programs. The aviary’s in-person and virtual programming allows visitors to see unusual bird...

Kade Ellinger is using personal experience with depression and anxiety — along with his artistic talents — in the hope of sparking a conversation about mental and emotional health. His exhibit, “Chiggity-Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself,” is showing through February at Feathers Artist Market and Gifts in Irwin. “Check...

The popular “Dinosaur Armor” exhibition is one of four virtual field trips now being offered by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, joining the museum’s growing library of virtual experiences. The experiences are available to individuals and educators, with more products slated in coming months to meet growing demand for...

“Roaring ’20s Rise Again” is the theme of the 26th Annual Fire & Ice Festival, beginning Friday in Somerset — although organizers say the word “Festival” is being swapped for “Showcase” to better describe this year’s activities. “This year will be simple, classic, charming and all outdoors,” said Regina Coughenour,...

Pittsburgh Opera has postponed its first-ever production of George Frideric Handel’s “Semele” from February to May. The move was made “in response to ongoing covid-19 concerns, including high cases in Allegheny County and the slower-than-hoped-for vaccine rollout,” the opera said. “Semele” will be performed on six dates, May 8-20, at...

This year’s Ligonier Ice Fest will celebrate “30 years of cool fun,” said event chair Cindy Purnell. The frozen festivities are scheduled for Jan. 23-24 in Ligonier Diamond Park and the surrounding downtown area. Whether it’s 7 degrees or 70, Purnell said, the event will have all the visitor favorite...

Greensburg-area eateries are cooking up special menus for Greensburg Restaurant Week, scheduled for Jan. 25-31. About 20 restaurants are expected to participate, according to Ashley Kertes, executive director of Greensburg Community Development Corp., which organizes the semiannual event. During the week, local restaurants typically offer reduced or fixed price menus,...