That’s Entertainment!

Posted by in Spotlight | 0 comments


Something new is on ‘The Menu’

Scranton Cultural Center announces 2012-2013 season of programming

Once again, they’re cooking up something fabulous at the Scranton Cultural Center (SCC).  Members of the staff announced the programming lineup for the center’s 82nd season this week, which includes the addition of a new cooking show, “The Menu.”
According to Joe Peters, executive director of the Scranton Cultural Center, the show will feature culinary creations from local chefs and restaurants, including Joe Caputo, of Catering By Joseph, Wegmans, and experts from L.T. Verrastro and Cadden Brothers Beer Distributors. The series is designed to help you expand your culinary horizons and try new recipes in your kitchen at home. Expect to enjoy a show on Beer and Wings, and another offering an exclusive sneak peek into the 13th annual Evening of Fine Food and Wine in April of 2013 featuring Chef Gary Edwards from Fire and Ice on Toby Creek. Foodies, mark your calendars: The Menu debuts on Oct. 8 with cocktails at 6 p.m. followed by the show at 7 p.m.
In addition to the new culinary programs, the SCC will offer traditional favorites as well, from theater to music and dance, special events and programming just for children.
Among the series to return for another season are the Electric City Listen Local Concert Series, Up & Coming Comedy Series, WNEP-TV 16’s “The View” With a Scranton Attitude and Dinner at the Theatre.
Now in its second year, the Listen Local series features four shows. You’ll enjoy performances in Shopland Hall on First Fridays in October, November, April and May. Each show features two local bands. The opener will jam for 60 minutes, and the headliner will entertain the crowd for 80 minutes. The series was created last year to showcase original music in the area, and local bands with original work are encouraged to enter the Listen Local Opener’s Contest. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 6. For details on the contest, visit www.scrantonculturalcenter.org/listen-local-call-to-artists.
Always popular, the Up & Coming Comedy Series kicks off on Sept. 22 with cocktails at 7 p.m. and stand-up comedy and local music at 8 p.m. Shopland Hall will be transformed into a cabaret-style comedy club for nights of laughter with family and friends. Many of the critically acclaimed comedians in this series have appeared on national television shows such as Comedy Central Presents and NBC’s Last Comic Standing.
The View With a Scranton Attitude fundraisers feature local celebrities fielding questions from the audience on a variety of topics. We’ll hear from the girls in January, then we’ll hear from both sides in March, and the boys will take center stage in April.
Theater lovers will be pleased that Dinner at the Theatre, a partnership between the SCC and Broadway Theater League of Scranton, will continue as well. Enjoy dinner by Constantino’s Catering featuring dishes inspired by the show you’re about to see. Dinner at the Theatre kicks off on Nov. 2 with West Side Story. The fine food and spectacular shows continue throughout the season with Midtown Men, The Addams Family, Peter Pan and Dream Girls.
From dinner and a show to dancing, no season at the Cultural Center would be complete without our favorite local dance competition, Dancing with the NEPA Stars. Root for your favorite local celebrities as they dance their hearts out on the ballroom floor next summer.
Other returning favorites include:

  •  Mystery at the Masonic, the Actors’ Circle rendition of a 1930s whodunit on Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. Travel back in time to the Moosic High School Class of 1961 reunion for an evening of kidnapping, mayhem, and, of course, delicious food.
  • The Cultural Center will welcome the Society of Paranormal Research and Investigation (SPRI) for Ghost Hunting 101, Oct. 29 and 30 at 6 and 9 p.m. If you dare to join in this ghost hunt, you’ll have the chance to use state-of-the-art equipment and learn the techniques of paranormal investigators. (Our advice, watch your back and take a buddy with you. There is strength in numbers.)
  • An Evening of Fine Food and Wine featuring delicacies from local restaurants paired with wine on April 28, at 5:30 p.m.
  •  The St. Patrick’s Parade Party, a family-friendly celebration featuring the sounds of Kilrush on March 9.

The Cultural Center also offers a complete schedule of children’s programming, including Harry the Dirty Dog, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books, Martha Speaks, The Little Engine That Could Earns Her Whistle, and the Franklin Institute Series.
— julie imel

 The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is located at 420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton. Tickets for the new season will be available on Sept. 4 and can be purchased at the SCC Box Office, by calling 344-1111, at www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or at select Wal-Mart, Boscov’s or Gallery of Sound locations. For more information, and a complete schedule of events, visit www.scrantonculturalcenter.org.