‘Lobby Hero’ will open Thursday at YSU

March 23, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown State University Theater will present “Lobby Hero,” a comic drama written by Kenneth Lonergan and directed by Dennis Henneman. In “Lobby Hero,” a young security guard named Jeff, played by Zachary Campbell of East Liverpool and Jonathan Edward Yurco of Canfield, is drawn into a murder investigation. Truth becomes elusive when Jeff’s supervisor, William, played by Allen Harris of Campbell and Arcale Peace of Campbell, is called to testify against his troubled brother, and an attractive police officer, Dawn, played by Nicole Dionisio of Austintown, finds she must stand up to her partner, Bill, played by Joel Stigliano of Youngstown. Alpha Psi Omega, the national theater honor society, is holding a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank. Patrons bringing a canned good to any show will be given a free treat from the lobby refreshment stand.

Performances will be Thursday through Sunday and April 4-6 in Spotlight Arena Theater, in Bliss Hall, on Wick Avenue. Thursday through Saturday shows are 8 p.m. and Sunday’s are 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 ($5 for YSU students and seniors); call the box office at (330) 941-3105.

Magic Club show

LIBERTY — The Youngstown Magic Club’s annual show will be at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. April 13 at the Holiday Inn Metroplex, Belmont Avenue. Tickets are $5. Four magicians will perform close-up magic while rotating through three rooms. For more information and to order tickets call: Nick Verina – (330) 307-4928 or emal merlin44446@yahoo.com

MetroParks Farm plans animal baby shower

YOUNGSTOWN — Mill Creek MetroParks Farm, Route 46 across from Canfield Fairgrounds, will host its free annual Baby Shower from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6 to celebrate the arrival of young farm animals. Youngsters can watch chicks hatch and visit with ducklings, piglets, calves, kids and lambs. For more information or to schedule group tours, call (330) 533-7572.

Weathercaster gets role with theater group

YOUNGSTOWN — Rich Morgan, weathercaster for WKBN-TV 27, has been named spokesman for the Youngstown Area Community Theater Alliance. Morgan hosted YACTA’s Legends of the Theater Honors in February. J.E. Ballantyne Jr., YACTA president, said audience reaction prompted the organization to enlist Morgan. “While hosting the YACTA Legends program, I realized the depth of the Valley’s theater community,” said Morgan, who will also host the 2009 Legends of the Theater Honors.

Community band reschedules concert

CANFIELD — The Canfield Community Concert Band has rescheduled its indoor park concert for 4 p.m. March 30 in the Canfield High School auditorium. The concert was originally planned for March 9 at Old North Church, but was canceled due to snow. Admission will be canned goods or cash donations to benefit Operation Blessing, a Canfield church group that provides food to needy families. The concert will feature Josh Hawkins and Patrick Julian performing Vivaldi’s Concerto in B Flat for Two Trumpets and Leann Rich performing the first movement of Handel’s Oboe Concerto No. 3 in g minor by G.F. Handel. The CCCB Woodwind Quintet will perform “Can Can” by Jacques Offenbach, and the whole band will present “Toccata” by Girolamo Frescobaldi, “Irish Tune from Country Derry” by Percy A. Grainger, “Eternal Father Strong to Save” by Claude T. Smith; selections from Glen Miller; and upbeat marches.

Cortland woman in Playboy edition

CORTLAND — A Cortland woman who was featured in Playboy’s Hot Housewives special edition in January has made it into to the magazine’s Sexy 100 collector’s edition. A pictorial display of Lisa Neeld is included in the Sexy 100, which will be on newsstands Tuesday. The special edition is billed as “the ultimate collection of Playboy’s sexiets stars” and includes Pamela Anderson, Anna Nicole Smith, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities and models. Since the publication of Hot Housewives, Neeld has made public appearances, appeared on radio and TV, and was a guest on on Sirius Radio’s Playboy Channel.