Stephanie Kalina Metzger

For 100 years, the Strand Theatre has stood as York’s cultural crown jewel, even as it adapted to significant changes in the entertainment industry.
From vaudeville to talkies to today, the Strand has remained woven into the city’s cultural fabric for a century.
Now part of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, The Strand stands alongside the Capitol Theatre, which was built in 1906. This past summer, the community celebrated The Strand’s centennial, paying homage to this lasting cultura...

/Entertainment
As the nation prepares for its 250th anniversary in 2026, the Senator John Heinz History Center has partnered with the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators (PSI) on a new exhibition exploring the meaning of freedom, justice and liberty.
The exhibit, “My America: An Illustrated Experience” is located on the museum’s fifth-floor Barensfeld Gallery and features 63 original works by 35 illustrators-each addressing the question: What Does America Mean to Me?
This year also marks the 3...

If you live in the Greenville, South Carolina, region and have yet to visit The Kilgore-Lewis House, the holiday season offers an especially inviting reason to go. Built in 1838, the stately home is dressed in its winter finery this time of year, thanks to the dedicated members of the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, which has maintained the property as its headquarters since 1974.
One of the earliest surviving structures in Greenville County, the Kilgore-Lewis House originally stood near ...

/Entertainment
Creating holiday traditions is part of what makes the season so memorable. For many families, seeing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is a treasured tradition that kicks off the holiday season. This year, the multi-platinum group is returning to the PPG Paints Arena on Saturday with performances at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
TSO’s winter tour includes a reimagined and expanded presentation of “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve,” a product of the imagination of TSO’s late founder Paul O’ Ne...

/Entertainment
Tight harmonies, catchy melodies and choreography that keeps eyes riveted to the stage-the Motortown All-Stars promise these things and more when they arrive at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on Monday.
Drawing inspiration from Motown groups like The Miracles, The Temptations, and The Contours, the All-Stars will help fans ring in the Christmas season with a little something for everyone. With holiday favorites like “The Christmas Song,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Frosty the Snowma...

The so-called “greying of America” is accelerating as birth rates drop, life expectancy rises and millions of Baby Boomers enter old age. National statistics bear this out.
As of 2024, 18% of the U.S. population was age 65 years or older, placing Maryland practically on par with the national average at 17.6%.
Senior-living providers across the region are preparing for this aging population boom. Major expansions and new models of care are underway at Broadmead Inc. in Cockeysville, Lorien Hea...

/Entertainment
By now many people in the Pittsburgh region are familiar with the book “On the Rocks, The Primadonna Story.” Written by restaurateur Joe Costanzo’s daughter Maria Palmer, along with her mentor Ruthie (Dines) Robbins, the memoir chronicles the life and work of Costanzo, a beloved figure whose restaurant became a local staple, drawing celebrities like Danny Aiello and Jamie Lee Curtis to McKees Rocks.
Costanzo likes to think his presence made a difference in the neighborhood. “Wh...

What began as a modest idea—just a handful of local musicians recording holiday music to help neighbors facing the cold—has grown into one of central Pennsylvania’s most meaningful traditions.
Through “Joy to the Burg,” area artists lend their voices, creativity and time to support shelters and housing programs that serve the most vulnerable in the region.
The charity project was founded in 2019 by Sheldon Jones, then a newcomer to Harrisburg, who saw people sleeping on the sidewalks and wond...

/Entertainment
Which witch is which?
If you’ve never seen “Wicked” before, that answer will become abundantly clear when Alli Mauzey and Dee Roscioli take the stage at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown this Sunday at 7 p.m.
“Good Witch, Bad Witch: The Broadway Witches,” showcases a duo of dynamic divas paying homage to the wildly popular Broadway and movie hit “Wicked.” The timing is apt, since the show will be the same weekend the movie “Wicked: For Good” is released.
“Good ...

According to a recent report, the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System generate about $40 billion in economic impact across Maryland.
The report, titled “Quantifying the Economic Footprint and Catalytic Role of Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System,” by Philadelphia-based Econsult Solutions Inc. was released on October 10. The report measures job creation, economic impact, research activity, community investments and the potential challenges that lie ahe...

BALTIMORE, Md. — For many small businesses, the math no longer adds up. Inflation, higher borrowing costs and mounting regulatory demands are converging to squeeze margins and chip away at profitability.
Two experts at Loyola University Maryland‘s Sellinger School of Business, Jason Cherubini, executive-in-residence of finance, and Samuel Adams, assistant professor of finance, agree that it’s not so easy to be a small business owner in today’s challenging environment.
A growing list of pressu...

As the weather cools, Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) gears up for the ski season, where the region’s resorts take center stage offering everything from family-friendly bunny hills to black diamond thrills. But winter fun here isn’t just about skiing. Those who would rather stay warm can retreat to cozy inns, luxury spaces and resorts that provide pampering, pools and plenty of relaxation.
Hitting the Slopes
Shawnee Mountain in East Stroudsburg celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. For ...

/Entertainment
The family that laughs together makes memories they’ll always treasure.
At least that’s what Christian comedian Chonda Pierce hopes for when she takes the stage at Uniontown’s State Theatre Center for the Arts on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Dove Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers movie, TV, book, and media reviews from a faith-based perspective, describes her show as “a funny and wholesome performance that will have everyone in stitches.”
The “Queen of Clean”
Pierce ho...

/Entertainment
Jukebox musicals built around the music of Abba, the Four Seasons, Neil Diamond, Alanis Morissette, Carole King and other A-listers have found success on Broadway and across the country over the last couple of decades.
Now, it’s Alicia Keys’ turn.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” a jukebox musical inspired by the singer’s life and career in New York City, is at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh through Sunday.
The story follows 17-year-old Ali, full of passion and eager to find her place in th...

As the weather cools, Northeastern Pennsylvania gears up for the ski season, where the region’s resorts take center stage offering everything from family-friendly bunny hills to black diamond thrills.
But winter fun here isn’t just about skiing.
Those who would rather stay warm can retreat to cozy inns, luxury spaces and resorts that provide pampering, pools and plenty of relaxation.
Hitting the Slopes
Shawnee Mountain in East Stroudsburg celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
For five de...