Pops at the Ballpark

Pops at the Ballpark
NILES -- Dance the Charleston and the Hustle at "Pops at the Ballpark," the fourth annual outdoor concert by Youngstown Symphony Orchestra at Cafaro Field. The program will include the Charleston as well as music from the movie "Saturday Night Fever" and Broadway's "The Music Man."
Special guests Todd Hancock and James McClellan of Easy Street Productions will act as comic sportscasters who provide play-by-play as the symphony performs "A Fifth of Beethoven." The concert will conclude with Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" and fireworks.
Tickets are $17 for box seats, $16 for grandstand. An Italian buffet will be served; cost is $16. Call (330) 505-0000 for information. Rain date will be next Sunday.
Revue staged as benefit
YOUNGSTOWN -- "Broadway and Beyond," a revue of Broadway favorites and pop hits by Youngstown Playhouse Youth Board, will be at 8 p.m. next Sunday as a benefit for the Taylor L. Veisz Memorial Scholarship Fund.
In conjunction with the show, a dinner will be available at 6 p.m. in the Actors' Arena.
Tickets for the dinner and show are $20. Show-only tickets are $10. Reservations can be made by calling the Playhouse box office, (330) 788-8739, between noon and 6 p.m. weekdays.
Workshops planned
WARREN -- The James Dance and Performing Arts Center, 4030 North River Road, will hold workshops this month. Acting, singing and dancing will be the focus of sessions scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday with Frank Kosick as instructor. A dance workshop is planned Aug. 19-23. Instructors are Angie Sherman, a professional dancer and master teacher, jazz and contemporary; Ellen Werksman, ballet company director, ballet; and Seth Stewart, Alvin Ailey-Fordham University merit scholar and former Mr. Dance of America, hip-hop and lyrical. For information call the center at (330) 856-1711.
Brier Hill festival
YOUNGSTOWN -- Sam Marzo will be honored as Man of the Year during Brier Hill Italian Fest events this weekend on the city's North Side. Marzo, who still lives in Brier Hill, is a self-employed residential and commercial contractor who has helped with the festival's plumbing, electrical and carpentry needs for more than 11 years.
Festival hours are noon to midnight Thursday through next Sunday. Italian foods and goods will be sold. Live music will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, 5:30 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Lowellville Marching Band will perform before and during Mass at 10:30 a.m. Sunday in St. Anthony Church.
The festival site is at Calvin and Victoria Streets. Proceeds will go to ITAM Memorial Post 12 on Calvin Street.
Silent-film showings
HARRISVILLE, Pa. -- Theater organist Jim Riggs of California will be accompanist during silent films to be shown next weekend at Blackwood Theater Organ Society, off Black Road, 8 miles from Grove City. Riggs will play a three-manual, 20-rank Wurlitzer theater pipe organ while the comedies "Two Tars," featuring Laurel & amp; Hardy, and "Fluttering Hearts" are shown at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Riggs will also play music during Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" at 2:30 p.m. next Sunday.
Daily admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students. Reservations are required. Call (412) 835-8056 or (724) 735-2813 for reservations and directors.
Blackwood Theater Organ Society is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit group.
Dulcimer performance
CANFIELD -- Alice and Earl Whitehill will present "Sounds of the Dulcimer," an outdoor concert from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Aug. 31 at Loghurst, the Western Reserve Historical Society property at 3967 Boardman-Canfield Road. Admission is $5 per car. Bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating. Picnicking is encouraged. Call (330) 533-4330 for details.
Good times for country
Bad times on the market are proving to be good times on the country music charts. More people singing the blues, it seems. According to midyear sales figures, country and gospel are the only two music formats showing an increase over the same time period last year. Up from 30.1 million units in 2001, the country-music real sales numbers increased slightly to 30.3 million for the first six months.