'Valley Gold Show' marks anniversary

'Valley Gold Show'marks anniversary
YOUNGSTOWN -- "The Valley Gold Show with Debor'ah Benton," a locally-produced variety-talk show that focuses on the Mahoning Valley's black community, is celebrating its first anniversary.
The show airs Sunday mornings at 10:30 on WYFX-TV 17/62. It first took to the air on Jan. 23, 2005, and aired early Tuesday mornings at 1:37 a.m. on WKBN-TV 27.
Some of the guests who have been on the show include Youngstown State University professor and artist Al Bright; disc jockey Frankie Halfacre; then mayoral-candidate Jay Williams, who is now mayor; Glenn Leonard and the Temptations Experience; actress Marla Gibbs; Kathleen Bradley from "The Price Is Right"; Motown great Cornelius Grant; and Gospel act The Nevels Sisters.
Guests scheduled in the near future include recording artists the Chi-Lites, Heat Wave, Carl Carlton and others.
'Oklahoma!' comingto Powers Auditorium
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Symphony's Broadway Series continues when "Oklahoma!," Rodgers and Hammerstein's landmark musical, comes to Powers Auditorium for 7:30 performances Feb. 6 and 7.
Tickets are on sale now; call (330) 744-0264 or go to www.youngstownsymphony.com.
Based on the Lynn Riggs' play "Green Grow the Lilacs," "Oklahoma!" was Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration and remains in many ways their most innovative, having set the standard for modern musical theater and featuring such classic musical numbers as "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "People Will Say We're In Love," "The Surrey With the Fringe On Top," and the title song.
Set in the territory of Oklahoma at the turn of the last century, against a background of rivalry between cattlemen and farmers, "Oklahoma!" is the story of the farm girl Laurey and the two rivals for her affection, the cowboy, Curly, and Jud, the brooding farmhand. Also instilling comic relief is the secondary story of not-too-bright cowboy Will Parker, the romantically inclined Ado Annie and traveling peddler Ali Hakin.
An introductionto classical music
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Orchestra is offering a new three-concert package titled Musically Speaking, designed to introduce audiences to classical music.
The three Sunday afternoon concerts include performances of classical music masterpieces by the orchestra. Each concert will feature commentary and observations from the stage by performers and/or conductors about the music being performed.
The three concerts that are part of the package feature some of the most popular works in the classical music repertoire, including Sibelius's Symphony No. 5, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 4. The Musically Speaking concerts also include two works never performed by the Cleveland Orchestra: Samuel Barber's Toccata Festiva for Organ & amp; Orchestra and G.F. Haas's Po & egrave;me, which will receive its world premiere performances in Cleveland.
Unique to the Musically Speaking performances, members of the Cleveland Orchestra will perform free prelude concerts in Reinberger Chamber Hall at 2 p.m. before each concert. These 40-minute preludes to the main 3 p.m. concerts allow the musicians to share their artistry in an intimate setting.
The Musically Speaking concerts will be Feb. 19, March 26 and April 23.
Subscriptions to the three-concert Musically Speaking package, offering significant savings over single tickets, are available for $140 (main floor) and $112 (balcony) by calling the Severance Hall subscription office at (216) 231-1111 or (800) 686-1141. Subscriptions are also available online at clevelandorchestra.com.
Ballroom dancing
AKRON -- You Should Be Dancing, a ballroom gala affair, will be 8 p.m. Feb. 4 at the St. Joseph Family Center, 610 W. Exchange St.
The dress evening will feature music for ballroom dances such as the cha cha, foxtrot, swing, tango and waltz. In addition, national ballroom dance competitors will be putting on demonstrations throughout the evening.
Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling Pearl Jam Factory at (330) 253-4741.