Artscene With Erika Funke

Christopher Gallo, Musical Director of the Lyric Consort, speaking about the ensemble's2025 holiday concert, "A Lyric Consort Christmas," to be presented Saturday, December 13th at 7:30 pm, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 232 Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton. A free will donation will be accepted. For more information:www.lyricconsort.org/

Dr. Alan Hack, Founder, Music Director & Conductor of the Jubilate Choir & Orchestra,and Dr. David Hamilton, President of the Board, speaking about the 20th Anniversary Christmas Concert, "Christmas Through the Years," on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 7:00 pm, and Sunday, December 14 at 3:00 pm, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 123 Market Street in Bloomsburg. Admission is free, and for more information: www.stmatthewbloomsburg.org/ or 570-784-4515.

.Jason Alfano, director; Dane Bower, actor, speaking about the 2025 Gaslight Theatre Holiday production of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some) that will runfrom December 11th through December 14th at the Maffei Theatre at King's College in Wilkes-Barre. Shows the 11th, 12th & 13th at 7:30 pm; with at Sunday matinee. For more information: www.gaslight-theatre.org/

Amy Casimir, Founder & Artistic Director of StrictlyBallet, and Trey Casimir, Producer, speaking about"A Lewisburg Victorian Nutcracker" in its 8th seasonas a co-production of Strictly Ballet and RiverstageCommunity Theatre. There will be performanceson Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 2:00 & 7:00 pm,at the Greenspace Center, 815 Market Street in Lewisburg.For more information and tickets, www.riverstagetheatre.org/

Claire Joelle, Director, speaking about the 2025 holiday production of "A Christmas Carol"adapted by Romulus Linney, to be presented by the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre fromDecember 12th through 21st. Showtimes Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm,Sundays at 3:00 pm. The Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre is located at 537 N. Main Street.www.ltwb.org/ 570-823-1875

Maureen McGuigan, Director of Arts & Culture forLackawanna County, and Chris McClatchy, Scranton Recycling &Safety Coordinator, speaking about the Repurposed FashionShow on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the Everhart Museum inScranton, from 6 to 9 pm. The event is a benefit for Swap Scranton& Friends of the Poor & Catherine McAuley Center. Artist LizTilley will take part in the fashion show, and she described heroriginal creation, "Earth Angel." There will also be a visualarts exhibition featuring works created from cardboard andother recycled materials by local artists. That exhibit willrun through the end of December in the Main Gallery atthe Everhart, 1901 Mulberry Street at Nay Aug Park inScranton. www.everhart-musuem.org/

Jack Swersie, co-founder & committee member of theGallery at 530 Mainspeaking about the historyof the initiative on the occasion of the FirstAnniversary Exhibition taking place fromDecember 13, 2025 to February 14, 2026.There will be an opening reception on Friday,December 13th from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.Facebook.com/Gallery-at-530-Mainwww.shermantheater.com/

Maureen McGuigan, Director of Arts and Culture for LackawannaCounty, speaking about the 2025 Winter Market taking place onCourthouse Square in downtown Scranton on December 5th, 6thand 7th. There will be over 50 venders, music throughout theevent, theater presented by Scranton Fringe, and many activitiesfor children. There is no admission fee.On Thursday, December 11th, the Arts & Culture Department willhost its 17th annual Wake Up With the Arts Breakfast at the ScrantonCultural Center. Breakfast/networking begins at 8:30 and the program will start at 9:00. The theme is "The Place We Call Home".Admission is free and to register: arts-lackawannacounty.org or570.496.1724

William Chickillo, award-winning artist from NEPA, speaking about hiswork in connection with the exhibition titled, "Watershed,"running now through December 19, 2025, at the Circle Center for the Arts,30 Rear South Franklin Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre.www.wyomingvalleyartleague.org/ www.skylakegallery.com/.

Tim Keller, Music Director of the Grammy Award-winning vocalensemble Chanticleer, speaking about the group's new holidayalbum, "Joy to the World," on the Delos label, in anticipationof a concert on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 7:30 pm,at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg in Haas Centerfor the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The ensemble will performselections from its new holiday recording.www.commonwealthu.edu/arts-in-bloomwww.chanticleer.org/Dr. Steven Sametz was heard in an excerpt from anArtScene interview in October 2023.

Matthew Rupcich, Music Director & Conductor of the Arcadia Chorale, speaking aboutthe 2025 Holiday Concerts: "The Coming of the King: Sacred Songs for Hanukkah, Advent & Christmas." There will be performances December 6th at 3pm at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre; December 7th at 3 pm at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Scranton; and on December 12th at Hawley Winterfest at 8 pm at the Hawley United Methodist Church.Also the Annual Messiah Sing-Along will take place on December 21st at 3 pm at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton www.arcadiachorale.org/

Marko Marcinko, Music Director & Founder of the Scranton Jazz Festival Big Band,speaking about the annual Scranton Jazz Festival Christmas Spectacular that will takeplace on December 7, 2025, at 5:30 pm, at the Bellarmine Theater at Scranton Preparatory School, 1000 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. There will special guests andthe annual toy drive to benefit the WRC. For more information: wwwscrantonjazzfestival.org/

Jeffrey Dent, Conductor of the historic Repasz Band of Williamsport,speaking about the upcoming concert program titled, "Holiday Bells" onTuesday, December 9, 2025, at 7:30 pm, at the Community Arts Center indowntown Williamsport. Admission is free. www.repaszband.org/

BTE Resident Artists Aaron White, director; Kimie Muroya-actor who plays Snoopy; & Amy Rene Byrne-actor who plays the Animator & serves as MC, speaking about the2025 Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble Holiday presentation of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"by Charles M. Schulz, based on the TV special by Bill Melendez & Lee Mendelson, with stage adaptation by Eric Schaeffer. The show runs November 28th through December 27th at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street in downtown Bloomsburg.Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 2:00 & 7:30 pm; Sundays at 3:00 pm.There will be a Food Preview on Nov 28th at 2 pm; A Low Price Preview Nov 29 at 2 pmand a Sensory Friendly Performance Dec 6th at 2pm.www.bte.org/ 570-784-8181

Joanne Arduino, Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre ofScranton, speaking about the 50th anniversary ofthe ensemble's presentations of The Nutcracker Balletby Tchaikovsky. There will be 6 performances:November 28, 29 and 30, 2025, at Noon and5:30 each day--at the Theater at North,1539 N. Main Avenue in Scranton.As always, admission is free, but it will be necessaryto visit the box office two hours before the performanceto secure tickets. www.balletscranton.org/

Dr. Joshua Harper, Artistic Director & Conductor of the Choral Society ofNortheast PA, and Assistant Professor at Wilkes University, speaking aboutthe opening concert of the 2025-2026 season, featuring the Requiem ofMaurice Durufle. The performance will include a full orchestra, guestsoloists, & organist Mark Laubach, with the Choral Society of NEPA andthe Wilkes University Chorus under Dr. Harper's direction.The concert will feature the premiere of a work commissioned by theChoral Society in memory of Francis McMullen: "O Lord support us"by Katherine Webb. The performance will take place on Sunday,November 23, 2025 at 3:00 pm at St. Stephen's EpiscopalPro-Cathedral, 35 S. Franklin Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre.Admission is free. www.choralsociety.net/

Thomas Speicher, award-winning writer and video producerin Public Relations and Marketing at Pennsylvania Collegeof Technology in Williamsport, speaking about his seriesof three children's books: "A Week with Waffles,""A Day with Waffles and Alexis" and the most recent,"Waffles Goes to the Beach." There are illustrationsby Marina Saumell, and the books are available onlineand at the Otto Bookstore in Williamsport.For more information: www.pct.edu/

Pianist Jason Sherwin speaking about a program titled,"Echoes Along the Delaware," weaving stories from theAmerican Revolution and D & H Canal with chamber musicfrom across the Atlantic from the same eras. There will bestories told by John Conway, Sullivan County Historian,with music of Handel and Schubert performed bymezzo-soprano Ava Pressman and pianist Jason Sherwin.The program will be held at Krause Hall of the DelawareValley Arts Alliance in Narrowsburg, NY, on Saturday,November 22, 2025, at 3:00. The concert is free, butdonations will be gladly accepted.www.delawarevalleyartsalliance.org/

Caleb Hopkins, Music Director & Conductor of the Williamsport Civic Chorus, speakingabout a concert program titled, "Sacred Voices: Divine Harmony from Martines to Mozart," to be presented on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 3:00 pmat St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 142 Market Street in Williamsport.For more information: www.williamsportcivicchorus.org/

Director Dave Reynolds, Chair of the Theatre Department & Production Managerat King's College, and actor Noah McGinnis, who has the role of Caliban, speaking about the current production of Shakespeare's The Tempest that is running November 13through 21, 2025, at the George Maffei II Theatre, 133 N. River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Shows November 13, 14 & 15--and 20 & 21 at 7:30 pm with a Sundaymatinee November 16 at 2:00.For more information: www.kings.edu/