DEBORA SHAULIS | On the Scene Penguins continue waddling

If you missed the debut of Penguin Parade last weekend at Summer Festival of the Arts at Youngstown State University, keep your eyes open. The penguins will be traveling through the community all summer before they are auctioned this October in a fund-raiser for local endowment funds and institutions.
The collection of 31 individually decorated, 7-foot-tall fiberglass penguins sure had people buzzing at the art festival. Personal favorites:
U"Picture Perfect Penguins," by Liberty High School art students as advised by Jody Nudell. The youths cleverly incorporated the YSU mascot into some famous paintings -- Winslow Homer's "Snap the Whip" from the Butler Institute of American Art collection, as well as "The Scream," "American Gothic" and "Mona Lisa."
U"Reflections of Youngstown Pride" by Lynn Cardwell and Marcie Roepke-Applegate, both of whom have studios in the old Ward Bakery building on Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown. Theirs is a neat mosaic of silver and colored mirrors, off which various colors bounced every time someone or something passed by.
U"Universal Penguin Has Stars in Its Eyes," by Diana Ludwig of McDonald, who painted an astronomy chart over a coat of Prussian blue paint to mimic the nighttime sky over Youngstown.
Good thing the Penguin Parade marches on, because after viewing the Web page (www.ysu.edu/penguinparade), I realized that I haven't seen all of them yet. I'll be looking for Ken Smith's "John Younguin, Founder of Pengstown" and Timothy Zeller's "Penny," which is covered in shiny pennies and nickels.
More about Moore
The controversial Bush-bashing film "Fahrenheit 9/11" by Michael Moore rang up "record-breaking" numbers in its first week at Austintown Movies 3, reports Jon Forman, owner of the Cleveland Cinemas chain that operates the three-screen theater in Austintown Plaza.
Forman couldn't provide numbers, per his agreement with Lion's Gate Films, but he did say that attendance here "has impressed many in distribution who don't always have faith in the Greater Youngstown market. It may result in a few more limited release films finding their way to your city. Not immediately, but in time."
Some say the Democratic bent of the Mahoning Valley makes this a perfect place to show "Fahrenheit 9/11," which takes President Bush to task for his handling of the war on terror. It didn't hurt, either, that the movie didn't make it here the first week it was released; national media coverage only stoked the fires of curiosity.
Meanwhile, the "Fahrenheit 9/11" steamroller chugs on. Carmike Cinemas in Hermitage, Pa., will begin showing it this Friday. It's being kept for another week at Austintown Movies 3 and also is playing at Boulevard Centre in Niles, Cinema South in Boardman and Westgate Cinemas in New Castle, Pa.
Something laughable
Speaking of politics, here's news of a Youngstown appearance by The Capitol Steps, whose members put political satire to song.
The Washington, D.C.-based group will perform at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 -- less than one week before the general election! -- in Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Ave.
You can buy tickets for $25 to $40, or $75 for the show and a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. Information is available through the United Way office, (330) 746-8494.
The show is sponsored by Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way with support of Junior League of Youngstown.
WYSU-FM Radio aired the Capitol Steps' "Politics Takes A Holiday" program over Independence Day weekend. The next radio show will be around Halloween.
XDebora Shaulis is entertainment editor. Write her at shaulis@vindy.com.