October 23, 2021

KNOXVILLE— “We are hoping this year’s benefit will be even bigger than 2019’s,” said Jerry Gaye who with his wife Helen have been hosting the benefit for seven years to help shelter dogs and cats in Tioga County that need homes.

The couple is asking people to contribute items for the silent auction and yard sale or money or items for the dogs and cats at the Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries Heading Home Center at 725 Gee Road, Tioga, Pa.

“The Heading Home Center has guaranteed that 100 percent of the funds we provide will benefit the animals,” Jerry said.

Items for the Chinese auction and yard sale can be dropped off at the Knoxville VFW or Blend’s Feed and Farm Supply.

Each year, the benefit has grown in popularity. The first four benefits were held at Willie’s Bar & Grill in Osceola. The benefit was moved to the Knoxville VFW in 2018 to accommodate more people. It is being held there for the third time this year.

“People who attend the benefit on Saturday, Oct, 23 at noon at the Knoxville VFW at 703 Boatman Road in Knoxville, Pa. 16928 are welcome to donate money to help the Second Chance Heading Home Center or bring a bag of dog or cat food or cleaning supplies,” said Jerry. “There will not be an admission or cover charge to attend the benefit.”

The Chinese auction and yard sale will begin at noon on Oct. 23 with lots of items available. “We will have a wide selection of donated items from people who want to help and regional and local businesses. Among them will be gift cards, jewelry, toys, clothing, dishes, bakeware, grills, tools, etc. Auction tickets will be available for people to place with the items they want to win,” Gaye said.  The yard sale will include furniture, planters, bar stools and bar tops, all handmade from logs.

The Blue Country Roots band, also known as The Over The Hill Gang, will perform bluegrass music starting at noon. “As music and animal lovers, we formed our band in November of 2016 at the request of our big-hearted friend, Jerry Gaye to help make this annual benefit a huge success,” said Diane Brownell. A professional artist, Brownell plays five-string banjo and sings with the band. “Jerry has been donating his musical talent for many years to help animals,'” Brownell added. Gaye plays Dobro and five-string banjo.

The proceeds from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 benefits were donated to Second Chance’s Heading Home Center and will be again this year. The benefit was not held in 2020 due to COVID-19. The money raised through the benefit in 2014, 2015 and 2016 was donated to Animal Care Sanctuary in Wellsboro.

For more information about the benefit and the Chinese Auction and yard sale, call the Knoxville VFW at 814-326-4321 or stop in at Blend’s Feed and Farm Supply 7788 PA-49, Osceola, PA 16942 or call 1-607-382-5448.

October 8, 2021

Hamilton-Gibson’s production of the comedy “Sylvia” by playwright A. R. Gurney opens with performances at 7:30 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 8 and this Saturday, Oct. 9 and at 2:30 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 10 in the Warehouse Theatre at 3 Central Avenue in Wellsboro. The last two performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 15 and 16.

The subject of this show is Sylvia, a dog; the couple that adopts her; and the comedy that ensues.

Herb Johnson of Wellsboro plays Greg, a middle-aged, restless, empty nester who is tired of his job and looking for meaning in his life. Lexa VanDusen of Westfield is Sylvia, an exuberant, beautiful, lab/poodle mix that is wandering through Central Park looking for a new home. When they meet, it is love at first sight. Walking the streets of Manhattan with Sylvia by his side, Greg feels like he has connected to a deeper, primal, more natural side of the world.

Catherine Mulcahey of Wellsboro is Greg’s wife Kate. She is a busy rising star in the public school system, is looking forward to some independence now that she and Greg no longer have children to care for, and is less than thrilled by the clever and coquettish canine who jumps, slobbers, sits on her couch, and takes her husband’s attention away from their marriage.

Gary Siegfried of Knoxville is Tom, a dog owner with a penchant for reading everything about dogs and their relationships with humans. Cody Losinger of Wellsboro plays Phyllis, a longtime friend who is seeing Kate for the first time in years, and Leslie, Kate’s therapist who is trying to help the couple address their problems.

What will the audience like about “Sylvia?” “There are plenty of opportunities for a good belly laugh!” said Mulcahey. *While the show is funny, it does hit on the importance of life,” Losinger said. “It focuses on what we are possibly missing and how we can learn to control or fix the problems that we face.”

“This play included a lot of words that I felt were unnecessary,” said Director Titus Himmelberger. “The author did a toned-down version and that’s what we are using. I think youth, ages 13 and up and adults will enjoy it but not children under 13.”

Tickets are $14 for adults and $6 for youth, 18 and under. Also available are FlexPasses for $60.

No tickets will be sold at the door. Order tickets in advance at hgp.booktix.com or by calling the HG office at 570-724-2079 with credit card information.

For more information, call the Hamilton-Gibson Productions office at 570-724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com.

 

John Eaton <rcpilot1@ptd.net>

 

Tue, Oct 5, 4:01 PM (2 days ago)

October 4, 2021

One of the most talented duos of today playing the music of the most famous duo of yesterday!” writes Broadway World.
On Saturday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli will perform the Music of Simon & Garfunkel in the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.
During this concert, close your eyes and you’re at the “The Bitter End” in New York City during the 1960s listening to music legends Simon & Garfunkel.
This American folk-rock duo composed of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel were one of the best-selling groups of the 1960s. Their biggest hits including “The Sound of Silence” (1965),”Mrs. Robinson” (1968), The Boxer (1969), and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970) reached #1 on the singles charts worldwide.
Simon & Garfunkel won 10 Grammy Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked them #3 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Established songwriters in their own right with multiple albums and successful touring and recording careers. Swearingen and Kelli are on a mission to share the iconic music of Simon and Garfunkel with audiences around the country.
The ability of this Nashville-based duo to channel the subtleties of Simon & Garfunkel’s incredible harmony is immediately apparent to audiences. Their shows have sold out in Pennsylvania, California, Delaware, Arizona, Connecticut and Virginia among other states.
During their 90-minute concert, they will perform Simon & Garfunkel songs such as: “Homeward Bound”, “The 59th Street Bridge Song”, “Scarborough Fair”, “Cecilia”, “America”, “Hazy Shade of Winter”, “The Sound of Silence”, “I Am A Rock”, “The Dangling Conversation”, “Old Friends”, “Bookends”, “Only Living Boy in New York”, “At The Zoo” “Poem On The Underground Wall”, “Fakin It”, “Bleeker Street” and more.
“Kelli finds her way to heavenly highs of Garfunkel’s soaring and effortless soprano delivery while Swearingen displays his dexterity with Simon’s well-ensconced guitar riffs” writes the Capitol Gazette.
Swearingen was raised in Bethlehem, Pa. and played regional gigs in Pennsylvania before resettling in Florida. Kelli grew up in Lapeer, Michigan and after graduating from college moved to St. Petersburg, Florida where she continued recording albums and playing solo shows.
Kelli and Swearingen’s histories became entwined after a night of impromptu duets at the Hideaway in St. Petersburg. Their voices meshed, leading to more collaborations. He began playing lap steel in Kelli’s band, while she started singing harmonies on his records. Before long, a romance had blossomed alongside the pair’s ongoing collaboration. They released their self-titled album in 2013, married in 2014, and released their album “The Marrying Kind” in 2017 and “Cold-Hearted Truth” in 2019.
The Oct. 9 concert is BYOB with audience members encouraged to bring their favorite snacks and beverages and sit at a table with family and friends. Admission is $25. For tickets and to reserve a table, call the Deane Center at 570-724-6220. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the concert. Email office@deanecenter.com or visit deanecenter.com for more information.