The Funniest Irish Wake Ever

By Rob Taylor

Last weekend I went up to the Station Dinner Theatre for their latest production – The Luck Of The Irish. I figured that it was going have something to do with St. Patrick’s Day coming up in a few days but I was wrong. There is no connection between this show and the holiday but it is about an Irish wake and that should say enough.

The cast of The Luck Of The Irish - (front row l to r) Katie States, Joseph Sample, Amanda Stevenson (back row l to r) Barry McAndrew, Carrie Smith and Jerry Brace

The first thing you get is a delicious soup. It was called Guinness Soup. I cannot find a recipe for it. Believe me I tried but it is the best soup I have ever had and I don’t like soup. All I do know, from overhearing one of the actors, is that it is made from the stock of corned beef. A little after that the main course is served. Of course it was corned beef and cabbage and it was seriously as good as the soup! Kudos to the Station’s chef…he out did himself this time.

Okay, enough about the food. Good as it was that is NOT why people go to the theatre. Let’s talk about the play itself.

The Luck Of The Irish is about the patriarch of an Irish/American family named Shannon O’Leary (Barry McAndrew). He’s dying and his family – his two daughters Katie (Katie States), Sharon (Amanda Stevenson), his son Patrick (Joseph Sample), his ex wife Arlene (Carrie Smith), his brother Douglas (Jerry Brace) and lastly his maid/caretaker Colleen (Teri Zalewski). Katie and Colleen are there because the love and care for Shannon. The rest are there to wait for the old man to die and see what they get from the will.

The first act “dad” is still alive and, although there is some bickering, they try to get along for “dad’s: sake. Once he croaks and the second act starts their true nature comes out and, since it is an Irish wake the body is propped up in the living room hold a drink, they fight, blackmail each other and connive to get everything they can…even after the reading of the will. Actually that makes it worse!

Although the entire cast made this a night that I would definitely repeat at least once, there are two people who really stuck out to me – Barry McAndrew, the dying dad and Amanda Stevenson, the outcast sister of the group.

First about Barry! I enjoyed watching him although he slept through most of the first act. No, he wasn’t bored it was the character! He showed what talent he had as an actor since he spent a lot of the first act as well as the second act motionless and that takes a mega amount of talent. Now, I am not saying he was boring…as a matter of fact watch him, especially after he’s dead. He has got to be the funniest character on the stage.

Now, Amanda! Her character was the pagan/poetic/artistic daughter of the group. She is a hippie type of character who seems to have smoked just one too many joints. I loved it! She had the character pot on and she didn’t drop it until after the final curtain call. I talked to her afterwards and she said that she was going for a Captain Jack Sparrow kind of character. I think it was more Bill and Ted (from Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure) meets Tommy Chong. She was a blast and she lit up the stage every time she opened her mouth.

The Luck Of The Irish is a very funny play with some of the best actors in the Erie area. So, if you want good food, a good time and a lot of laughs the Station Dinner Theatre is the place to go for the next couple weeks.

For more information including prices, show times and prices stop by www.canterburyfeast.com or call 814-864-2022.

TNA Wrestling Finally Comes To The Tullio Center

By Rob Taylor

This Friday, March 12th, the Erie Civic Center is going to rock from the sound of pile drivers, body slams and cobra clutches when Total Non-stop Action Wrestling (TNA) assembles their ring and some of wrestling’s biggest stars enter to fight for reasons only they can know. Some will fight for pride, some for gold, some for revenge but all of them will be fighting for their lives.

TNA started out when WWE/ECW wrestlers either quit or were fired from WWE for various reasons, especially disputes with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

In the last few years TNA has been building a huge following through its ever increasing stable of the world’s most popular wrestlers (the latest being Jeff Hardy, Rick Flair and Hulk Hogan) as well as the show on Thursday Nights on cable’s Spike TV Network. Now, TNA has challenged the WWE’s flagship show Raw which shows on Mondays from 9:00 until 11:00. TNA has taken the exact same timeslot on Spike in an effort to drive the WWE, and Vince McMahon, out of business.

On Friday the best of TNA’s best will be coming to Erie including: TNA World Heavyweight Champion “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle, TNA Founder Jeff Jarrett, “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero, TNA Knockout Tag Team Champions Awesome Kong & Hamada, “The Monster” Abyss, Desmond Wolfe, The Beautiful People, “The War Machine” Rhino, Beer Money, Inc., The British Invasion, TNA Global Champion Rob Terry, Amazing Red, Dr. Stevie, and more!

Tickets are $52.00, $36.00 & $20.00. Fans that purchase a $35 seat ticket will receive a free TNA DVD (redeemable with ticket the night of the show).

Tickets are available at all Ticket Master locations, www.ticketmaster.com, the Erie Civic Center - Tullio Arena box office or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Remembering The Wars’ Casualties

By T.R. Septaric

On March 19th the American Friends Service Committee, in conjunction with the Erie Peace Initiative, will be holding a 12 hour ceremony to honor the fallen PA troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in the lobby of the Boston Store which is located between 7th and 8th streets on State St in Erie.

There will be a display of 200 pairs of empty combat boots in the lobby, each with the name of a PA soldier who had died in Iraqi/Afghan Wars. Also, starting at 7:00 AM there will be a consecutive reading of the names of American service men and women who died in the war. This will be followed at Noon by a prayer service.

This event is scheduled from &:00 AM until 7:00 PM in the lobby of the Boston Store, 716 State St, Erie.

For more information email janematheiskirk@msn.com or check out www.afsc.org/pittsburgh.

If you'd like to help out Erie Peace invites you to "Meeting for Eyes Wide Open Volunteers" on Sunday, March 14 at 1:00 PM.

Event: Meeting for Eyes Wide Open Volunteers
What: Informational Meeting
Start Time: Sunday, March 14 at 1:00pm
End Time: Sunday, March 14 at 2:30pm
Where: Lobby of Boston Store

Double Grande' Concert Set For Sunday

MAR 14, 2010 - 3:00PM

Location - The Warner Theatre

Features two GRAND Pianos and two GRAND voices, Double the fun.

Wayland Pickard and Deborah Johnson comprise the incomparable team of “The Double Grande Experience”

These two award-winning singer-pianists, composers and national recording artists have delighted audiences at concert halls all over the world. Rock & Roll hits from Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.

Music from Broadway to Hollywood, Pop Jazz and beyond. Vocals include sounds from the “Phantom of the Opera”, “Lion King” and “Titanic”. These 2 award winning incredible artists will assure an outstanding concert for you to remember for years to come.

Call (814) 864-5681 for tickets or more information.

7th Annual Maple Taste & Tour Weekend on Tap

March 20 and 21, 2010

On Maple Taste & Tour weekend, 13 area maple syrup producers will open their sugar houses for the public to see how the delicious amber liquid is made, taste free samples, have fun as well as the chance to buy a variety of maple products from syrup to cream to crumb to candy.

This year's event also will feature the Woodmobile, a traveling
exhibit from the Pennsylvania Hardwoods Council. It will be located at Hurry Hill Farm and Maple Museum, which welcomes visitors to the 7th Annual Maple Taste & Tour weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..

Each producer is different, giving the public to see first-hand
various methods of production. Some use wood, some fuel oil or natural gas, and some gather sap by the bucket and some from networks of pipelines in the woods.

For details, visit: http://www.pamaple.org/

Hurry Hill Farm Maple Museum is located at 11424 Fry Road in
Edinboro. Phone: 814/572-1358.

The Woodmobile is a chance to learn about Pennsylvania's forest
resources, how our forests have shaped state and national history and to learn how today's forest differs from 100 years ago. Both the Taste & Tour and Woodmobile are free events.

The Woodmobile will be open during the Taste & Tour and during
museum hours from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 28 and April 4. It also will be part of the Asbury Woods Maple Festival, April 10 and 11, 2010.

Hurry Hill Farm Maple Museum will resume visiting hours on March 28 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each Sunday through May 30. Admission is free; donations are welcome.

Pancakes and sausage covered with local maple syrup, an arts and
crafts show and sales plus music will be available for at the 1st Annual Maple Festival benefiting the Edinboro Area Historical Society and the Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department. The festival will take place at the Volunteer Fire Department, 125 Meadville St. in Edinboro. Hours are the same as the Taste & Tour on March 20 and 21. See www.edinborohistory.org for details. Phone 814/734-3562.