Harrisburg says it’s working with PPL to fix downtown streetlight outages

November 12, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Streetlight on Market Street.

City officials say they are working to fix dozens of streetlights that are currently dark.

A press release on Wednesday stated that Harrisburg crews are working with PPL to address lighting issues in downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.

The city said that a resident-conducted report showed that about 74 streetlights were non-functioning.

The release states that the issue is due to a “complex underground electrical issue,” requiring more work than a simple bulb change. Harrisburg said that their crews have been assisting PPL’s work on the lights for over a week and will continue through this week. However, the city emphasized that the problem is a utility issue, not a city infrastructure problem.

According to Traffic Signal and Streetlight Manager, Veronica Lefever, several areas have had light restored, including Market Street, from N. 2nd to N. 4th streets, and N. 3rd Street, from Walnut to Market streets.

Map showing downtown streetlight outages.

Crews will be back out at 3 a.m. on Friday to evaluate progress and address remaining problems immediately, into the early hours of Saturday.

To report lighting issues or request updates, Harrisburg recommends contacting PPL Electric Utilities directly at 1-800-342-5775 or by visiting their website.

“The City of Harrisburg appreciates the community’s cooperation as we work together to restore safe, well-lit streets for all,” the release said.

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Harrisburg Tool Library nails down $25,000 check for startup costs

November 12, 2025 | by Alexandra Jones

From left: Harrisburg Director of Communications Mischelle Moyer, Pennsylvania representative Nate Davidson, and one of the Harrisburg Tool Library founding members, Kate Lally, pose with a $25,000 check for the library’s startup.

The Harrisburg Tool Library is getting $25,000 in seed money.

State Rep. Nate Davidson presented the money — a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development — to one of the tool library’s founding board members, Kate Lally, at a ceremony Wednesday morning.

“To borrow a line from a neighbor of mine, Harrisburg deserves nice things, and this is one of those nice things,” said Davidson.

A Midtown resident, and neighbor of Lally’s, Davidson personally helped connect the library with the grant opportunity.

“Tool libraries around the United States, Canada and other nations across the world, have proven to be immensely valuable,” he continued. “They save residents hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of time. And not only that, they strengthen community bonds.”

Lally said the money will go toward a computer and a checkout system for the nonprofit as well as tools the library can’t receive via donation.

“We’re hoping for a 27-foot ladder,” she said, providing an example. “I want a safe, new one to share with our neighbors.”

She said the library is talking to the community right now about what other tools would be useful.

“There are some limitations to the grant,” Davidson said. “They have to use the money for mostly physical things, as opposed to staff.”

Lally said the Tool Library hopes to open at 1314 N. 3rd St. in Midtown Harrisburg in January. Right now, the organization is receiving donations from community members. Some tools it has received so far include a garden weasel (used to harvest acorns), a button maker, a cider press, two drill presses, two miter saws and multiple hand sanders.

It held its first community open house in October, offering interested community members a tour of the space and a chance to sign up for memberships. The library plans to offer sliding-scale memberships, ranging from $0 to 100 per month.

Tool Library members will have access to the organization’s collection of tools and high-cost equipment for projects, home repairs, gardening and creative work.

Lally said the library hopes to eventually offer classes, too.

“Things like drywall repair–things that are based on industry, but based on helping people in their own homes fix their own homes without having to pay for somebody else to do it,” she said.

Attending the ceremony on behalf of Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams, the city’s director of communications Mischelle Moyer emphasized the importance of Harrisburg residents having access to a full tool library.

“When we talk about revitalizing Harrisburg, we often focus on the bigger projects–major developments, new housing and infrastructure,” Moyer said. “But this, right here, is where the revitalization begins. It begins when neighbors have the means to improve what they already have.”

According to the Tool Library’s site, early members and sponsors of the library provided the money for its security deposit, first few months of rent, insurance and initial renovations.

For more information on the Harrisburg Tool Library, visit its website.

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Wind damages “deteriorating” Harrisburg firehouse; historic association urges sale before it’s “too late”

November 11, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Riverside Firehouse. The roof of the bell tower was removed after sustaining damage due to wind.

Local historians and community members are concerned about the state of a historic firehouse.

Harrisburg’s Riverside Firehouse suffered damage after a windstorm over the weekend, which David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, says is only part of the deterioration of the historic building.

The firehouse, located at 3203 N. 4^th St., hasn’t been operational in decades, but has since served as a polling place and community gathering space for neighbors, although it has largely been vacant in recent years. Harrisburg owns the property.

“It is seriously deteriorating,” Morrison said of the building, constructed in 1923.

According to City Public Works Director Dave West, a small wooden roof detached from the building’s bell tower during the recent high winds. The city’s demolition crew removed the dry, rotted roof on Monday and plans to temporarily secure the brick portion of the bell tower on Wednesday. Eventually, West said he plans to have the brick tower repointed.

West assured that the building is not a public safety concern.

However, Morrison described the firehouse as in “precarious condition,” noting that it has been on HHA’s “Preservation Priorities” list for several years.

“It’s a beautiful historic building that could be repurposed,” he said. “The frustrating thing is that we know there are interested people that would buy it.”

The hold-up currently rests with the city, which has had plans to sell the building for as long as six years.

The property is actually comprised of two parcels, one which was historically owned by the city and one by Riverside Fire Co. No. 15, an inactive volunteer fire company in Harrisburg. In November 2019, City Council passed a resolution to transfer its parcel to the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and stated that the fire company would transfer its parcel to HRA as well. The plan was to have the parcels consolidated and then put on the market for sale.

However, that has not yet happened.

According to City Solicitor Neil Grover, the city’s parcel has not yet been transferred to HRA. The fire company’s parcel was sold to HRA in 2020, according to Dauphin County property tax information.

Grover said that the city’s holdup is due to his office’s budgetary and time constraints, citing the pandemic as a factor in the delay, as well.

Morrison said that, if sold, the firehouse could be beautifully restored, but worried that further delay would allow the building to continue to deteriorate. He cited the Allison Hook & Ladder Co. building on S. 14^th Street, which was fully renovated in 2019, as an example of what could be accomplished.

“We would love to see the same thing happen with Riverside, but it’s got to happen quickly or it’ll be too late,” Morrison said.

The firehouse has become somewhat of a gathering place for the Riverside United Neighbors (RUN) community group. It’s where they host their annual Halloween candy drop and have held yard sales, according to RUN board member Diane McCormick.

“That space has been the center of the community for decades,” McCormick said. “It’s really an anchor for the community.”

The neighborhood group hasn’t used the inside of the building for much more than storage in years, but uses the exterior lawn for events.

McCormick said that RUN members would like to see the building historically restored, no matter if it’s purchased for private or public use.

“It just needs to come back,” she said. “It’s a space that the community would like to see revitalized in some way.”

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Tradition Transition: St. Stephen’s Cathedral unveils new digital organ, with hopes to reach new audiences

November 11, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Sarah and Matt Topping with St. Stephen’s new Opus 19 organ.

At St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral, tradition fuses with the contemporary, and the sacred meets the culture.

In the sanctuary, light shines through stained glass windows onto wood pews and a crucifix hangs on the wall. Pipes for the church’s organ are affixed to the wall.

But what you may not realize is that the pipes are a façade and in the space behind them sit large speakers.

“This would be the swell division. In here, you can see all the speakers that are buried in here. Normally, this room would be packed to the inch with little pipes. You can see the big subwoofer speakers.”

On a sunny fall day, Matt Topping, St. Stephen’s choir director, showed off the church’s new “Opus 19” organ, opening sanctuary doors to reveal massive speakers where pipes were once housed. The digital organ was just recently installed, capping an extensive two-year process. The instrument is the only one of its kind in the area, according to Topping, and only the 19^th designed by Boston, Ma.-based Marshall & Ogletree, which specializes in digital organ building.

“This organ is built to do exactly what you’d expect from an organ,” Topping explained. “It doesn’t have big computer programs. It functions very much so like a physical organ.”

Topping and his wife, Sarah, the director of music at the church, are also new additions and represent the blend of new and old. The young Harrisburg couple, both in their 30s, have backgrounds rooted in traditional music, teach locally, and serve as advocates for keeping historic music styles and instruments, like the organ, alive. Topping hopes that their presence encourages younger people to experience the instrument.

And it is an experience.

Topping directed me to stand in the middle of the sanctuary while he played deep pedal sounds that thundered from the “swell” room behind the walls and shook the pews. Then he switched to lighter keys that emulated a flute, a French horn and a dainty piccolo. From the ceiling above me, an angelic “ethereal” sound twinkled.

When they all come together, you’re surrounded by music.

The organ offers over 100 types of sounds emanating from speakers strategically placed in seven spots around the sanctuary.

Opus 19

Topping explained how the digital organ allows for far more variety than a pipe organ would, especially in their sanctuary, which is limited by space. Another bonus—no time-consuming tuning and cleaning, which makes it more user-friendly and accessible.

But will the organ purists tell the difference? I asked Topping.

“To the trained ear, you could maybe hear some differences, but that’s the specialty of Marshall & Ogletree. They’re professional organists who are tuning the sound,” Topping said. “There are the purists who are kind of old school who will say there’s nothing quite like a physical pipe organ […] and I think in some ways there’s some logic to that. It’s a maintaining of history. But I would also say to them, they should come and have their minds changed.”

St. Stephen’s plans to put their new investment to heavy use. Topping said that the organ is used in every church service, as well as for choir performances and musical showcases. The cathedral also hosts a Music by the River concert series for the community, which will utilize the organ as well.

“This organ we are hoping brings people together,” Topping said. “It’s a huge investment in the church, but it’s an investment not just for the people that go to this church, but for Harrisburg and the community.”

St. Stephen’s is hosting an organ dedication concert on Nov. 23 at 4 p.m. for free and open to the community. Erik Meyer, an organist at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, will play the new instrument.

While the church remains committed to tradition and history, approaching its 200^th anniversary in 2026, Topping also sees the advancements that St. Stephen’s is making. The church has the same cobblestone floors that it was built with, but is seeing a cohort of younger people attending on Sundays. The Toppings themselves are preserving the classic music style, but with a younger perspective.

Considering all of that, Topping sees the new “Opus 19” as a good example of what the church values.

“I think it’s very similar to what you would hear from the Episcopal Church about how they think about their faith,” he said. “They’re really big on maintaining tradition, but they like to let tradition inform their decisions now. So, I think this organ is a good analogy for that. It’s a futuristic instrument […]but it’s very much so rooted in the tradition and has the standard sounds that you would hear from an Episcopal church.”

For more information on St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral and its events, visit their website.

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Council approves first phase of Polyclinic renovation; tables downtown apartment project

November 10, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Polyclinic campus. Pennmark’s phase one of an adaptive reuse project includes renovating the building on the left. The additional two buildings will be renovated in future phases.

One major adaptive reuse project can move forward with construction, while another has been tabled.

Harrisburg City Council on Monday approved one of two projects, giving the green light to an apartment project at the former Polyclinic building and stalling a downtown housing project for seniors.

Council voted in favor of a proposal by Pennmark Harrisburg Holdings, an affiliate of Montgomery County-based Pennmark Management Company, to transform the building that historically housed the Polyclinic Hospital at 2601 N. 3^rd St.

The approved land development plan is for phase one of their three-phase proposal for the campus, which includes three buildings. The first phase targets the northernmost building on the property, which previously housed nurses’ quarters and more recently offices, and building out 96 market-rate units, with first-floor commercial space.

Council also voted on a plan by Harristown Development Corp. to renovate 333 Market Street, a 22-story building downtown that previously housed state government offices. At first, council’s vote resulted in a 3-3 tie, with council member Ralph Rodriguez absent.

“I want to maintain affordability, especially for our seniors,” said council President Danielle Hill, who initially voted against the project.

After City Solicitor Neil Grover told council that a tied vote would mean that the project was voted down, council decided to bring the development plan back up for reconsideration. Council tabled the vote in order for council members to ask further questions of the developer.

Harristown has proposed renovating floors 11 through 19 of the building, which are currently vacant, and creating 81 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Harristown is currently looking for an organization to master lease the units and provide senior housing.

At last week’s work session, council members expressed concern about the affordability of the units. Harristown President Brad Jones said that he did not know what the unit rates would be, because they would be determined by the company that master leases the apartments.

Council member Shamaine Daniels advised council members who still had questions or concerns to meet with Jones, but said that she believed council should pass the land development plan. If they wanted affordability to be a requirement, council should have law bureau draft an ordinance, Daniels said.

“As far as I’m concerned, his application met the requirements,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing that mandates affordable housing.”

Hill responded, saying, “We understand that there’s no mandate for affordability, but when we’re dealing with seniors, we want to know a range of something. Being given a blanket answer isn’t sufficient enough for me.”

But Daniels noted what she saw potentially becoming a “recurring issue” if council votes down land development plans that meet all city statutes.

“If it gets denied, then it gets appealed, then we have to spend money defending an appeal that’s not defensible and is just a waste of money for everybody,” Daniels said.

In other news, council voted to accept a $101,000 payment from PennDOT to purchase a plot of city-owned land located in Swatara Township, near Paxton Street and City Park Drive, related to its I-83 widening project.

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Capital Region Water issues boil water advisory for Midtown homes, also addresses discolored water

November 10, 2025 | by Alexandra Jones

Construction on William Street in Harrisburg on Monday.

Capital Region Water issued a boil water advisory today for 14 addresses in Midtown Harrisburg after construction on William Street caused a loss of positive water pressure.

The addresses span William, N. 4th and Calder streets in the immediate construction area.

According to Capital Region Water CEO Charlotte Katzenmoyer, CRW experienced a water main break by a contractor doing sewer work on William Street.

CRW has received dirty water complaints from nearby streets. However, Katzenmoyer told TheBurg the water outside of the boil water advisory addresses is safe.

“The larger area outside of those addresses that are listed in that boil water advisory did not lose positive pressure, so they did not have the potential to experience contamination in their pipes,” Katzenmoyer said. “But they can still experience dirty water.”

CRW told TheBurg that this advisory and discoloration is “unrelated” to discoloration other residents in Harrisburg have reported in the city as far back as last week.

Last Monday, CRW issued a statement stating that during a maintenance process, a disturbance in the distribution system caused naturally-occurring minerals, primarily iron and manganese, to enter the water supply and cause discoloration.

“During that maintenance activity, the system got stirred up and released some sediment from the inside of the pipe that got suspended in water,” Katzenmoyer said.

Katzenmoyer added that while CRW tried to clear last week’s discoloration by flushing fire hydrants, this appeared to have made the issue worse.

She clarified that, while discolored, the water has gone through the water treatment process.

The discoloration will continue “until the system stabilizes and pulls the dirty water out of all the pipes,” she said.

For more information, see Capital Region Water’s site.

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Bob’s Art Blog: Let Us Give Thanks for Fiber (Art)

November 10, 2025 | by Bob MacGinnes

Green Goddess at the Civic Club of Harrisburg

Linus and Sally are sadly resigned having to wait another year for the Great Pumpkin to rise, but the good news is The Green Goddess emerged yesterday from the Women’s History Garden at the Civic Club in a special unveiling ceremony.

“The Green Goddess”

A tribute to topiary timelessness, the Goddess embodies the legendary legion of women, who through their efforts and accomplishments since 1898, have completely changed the landscape of the Harrisburg community. Contrena Baltimore, Civic Club president, presented the sculpture in honor of their legacy as pioneers of philanthropic endeavors.

How to Put More Fiber (Art) in Your Diet
From Both Sides of the Susquehanna

3rd in The Burg at the AAH
“Stitched & Woven” is the title for the latest art installation at the Art Association of Harrisburg, curated by its director of exhibitions and master of ceremonies, Nate Foster. The exhibit features a trio of female artists; Jordan Bashore, Andrea Finch and Karen Troyer, who deftly weave a template for the senses full of magic and wonder.

Jordan Bashore of Harrisburg leans into spirituality and the high calling of motherhood, a journey she is undergoing as the two are inextricably interwoven. As a parent, nurturing your child and watching them blossom with every stage is life’s greatest joy. Her fiber path is reflective and reverential, working with tulle, silk and acorns, bringing the beauty from nature to adorn a hand-woven kimono. Jordan is “exploring the relationship between artmaking and motherhood,” a never-ending story.

Andrea Finch of Chambersburg creates fiber art that is “otherworldly” in the best sense of the word. From her intuitive imagination, she is guided by the fabric’s feel, features and figurative facets forming fiber sculptures that incorporate her love of botany. No textile is beyond Andrea’s grasp as she employs tablecloths, curtains, clothing and quilts, to name but a few. Her tactile tableau begs the viewer to touch and feel, although that would be stepping over an undrawn line. An artist cannot ask for anything more than to know her work is that embraceable.

Karen Troyer of Mechanicsburg encapsulates incidents of global consequence through her quilts, often symbolic in their storytelling. From the far corners of the world, she identifies cataclysmic cracks in the society of mankind to bring an awareness to tragedies that touch each and every one to varying degrees. We all hold a responsibility for positive change.

This exceptional exhibit, edifying and enlightening runs through Nov. 27.

“Copse” by Carol Reed

New Gallery and More Fiber in the Borough (Carlisle)
The last leaves are falling from the trees, but you can still view the forest at a “new to us” art space in Carlisle that is well worth the 30-minute drive. Fiber artist extraordinaire, Carol Reed’s groundbreaking “Copse: a Small Gathering of Trees” is like a breath of fresh air. With five more dates in November on the following two weekends…mark your calendar now. This exceptional exhibit at The Gallery at JNStudios, owned and curated by Jennifer Naslund, is found at 175 E. Louther St., just blocks away from the downtown square. Drink it all in—it is a powerful presentation of 16 individual works. We were fortunate to be invited to the opening night reception, which played to a standing-room-only crowd of art lovers and patrons. Standout pieces are “Hanging On,” “Conflagration” and “Altar,” but you be the judge. All works are available to purchase. Four sold opening night yet are still available to view. The gallery is open, spacious and lends a capricious air to what is a true homage to the very living things that keep us breathing—the trees that surround us. Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment. Contact the gallery at TheGalleryAtJNStudios.com or by phone at 412-721-9955.

Carol’s backstory presents a well-rounded artist with a whole other dimension to her craft. Her fiber art extends way beyond the works themselves. Organic in nature, she is a textile technician creating indelible indigo dyes and enchanted eucalyptus as patterns emerge embodying everything from fantastical flora to Rorschach inkblots on apparel, adorning sweaters, socks and, if it were still used today, even sack cloth. A dyed-in-the wool purest, Carol subscribes to old school methodology of always taking the more difficult yet authentic path. For her, that is the only one true way to dye.

Even More Fiber (Yikes!) @ CALC
On your way upstairs at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center shop, visit their annual “Art for the Holidays” market, which fills the entire downstairs gallery. Once you reach the second floor, you may come “Unraveled” as you view a fiber art extravaganza of an exhibit that features weavers, quilters, stitchers and dyers. Veteran artists include Andrea Finch, Barbara Warfel, Craig Bomberger, Deb Fingerlow, Joh Ricci, Rebecca Adey, Michelle Moats, and, of course, Carol Reed. The name Beth gets double billing with artists Beth Reese and Beth Rice. Add one more and you’ll have it thrice. Rounding out the gallery works are Mary Cantore, Miki Howell, April Bilbrey, Deborah Smith, Erica Hillegas, Gail Lenhart, Ginny Streckwald, Joanne Bast, MacKenzie Bytof and Tara Barnard.

Third Annual Holiday Hygge Market
Hygge Market hostess, Kirsten Olson, celebrated ceramicist, is joined by friends and fellow artists for this third annual (Hu-gah) Market. April Hammond of Cloth, Nelly Smith of Weft Weaving, and Carol Reed of Dye Lab will be selling their artisanal crafts, clothing, botanically dyed textiles, home goods, hand-fabricated jewelry, and accessories for this three-day event from Nov. 28 to 30 @The Penny Gallery at 32 W. Pomfret St. in Carlisle. For more information: www.kolsonceramics.com

Millworks Bi-Annual Odd Ones Bizarre
Mark your calendar for Saturday, Nov. 29 (Small Business Saturday) as Millworks rolls out its holiday studio party featuring the art of 40 different in-house creatives as well as a gaggle of gifts found in the main lobby store. Mix and mingle and share some jingle (coins, folding money, and credit cards welcome).

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Celebrating 40 Years of Care, Community, and Compassion

November 10, 2025 | by Admin

For four decades, Alder Health Services has been dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals living with HIV/AIDS and members of the LGBTQ+ community across South Central Pennsylvania. Our mission is to provide an inclusive, affirming environment that empowers every person we serve to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

As we proudly celebrate 40 years of service, we honor our deep commitment to communities that have long been underserved by the traditional health care system. Through an integrated model of care, Alder Health provides affirming primary health services, medical case management, community support, on-site and mail-order pharmacy, and HIV/STD testing and treatment. We also operate a food pantry and clothing market and offer reproductive health and family planning programs—all focused on treating the whole person and supporting informed, equitable health decisions.

Today, we face growing challenges as anti-LGBTQ+ policies threaten to undermine the safety,
dignity, and well-being of our community. These policies have far-reaching effects—impacting
physical, mental, emotional, financial, and social health. At a time when federal laws are being
misused to discriminate in education, health care, and employment, Alder Health remains
steadfast in our mission: to build safety, community, and care for the powerless, the silenced, and the underserved. We are deeply committed to advancing social justice and health equity in every service we provide. However, to continue meeting these challenges and protecting the health of our community, we need your support.

Please join us for Rubies & Roses, our annual fundraising event in recognition of World AIDS
Day, on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at The Willows at Ashcombe Mansion in
Mechanicsburg. This year’s event is especially meaningful as we celebrate both Alder Health Services’ 40th Anniversary and the enduring spirit of Rubies & Roses as one milestone occasion.

Your participation and generosity will help ensure that Alder Health continues its vital
work—caring for, empowering, and uplifting our community well into the future!

Purchase tickets here!

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Burg Review: Laughs, music and Canada? Head north to Gamut’s “The Mikado, Eh!”

November 9, 2025 | by Gina Napoli

Gamut Theatre rolls its D’Oyly Carte straight up north to visit our Canuck neighbors in “The Mikado, Eh!” Set in Canada, this comedic operetta speaks the dual official languages of romance and violence, with just enough slapstick to give all its unconventional characters and silly dialogue a French accent.

Benjamin Krumreig not only adapted this famous Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, but he also serves as director and choreographer and plays the role of Chris Brooks. Why set “The Mikado” in Canada? Krumreig’s love for Canada runs deeper than The St. Lawrence River-Great Lakes Waterway. And the setting gives the cast carte blanche to dig their flannels and jeans out of the backs of their closets (costume designer, Michael Ciaramitaro), from back when we listened to Nirvan-eh. But unlike the grunge era, “The Mikado, Eh!” is a fast-paced, high-energy show from beginning to end.

We start out in the woods of Saskatoon, staring at the back of music director and conductor Nicholas Werner pounding out the prelude on his keyboard. It’s the perfect vantage point to watch his fingers flail, frantically flipping page after page, chair-dancing while he tinkle-tinkle-tinkle-tinkles 16^th and 32^nd notes, like an incredibly talented Mountie rhythmically riding a horse into a Dudley Do-Right cartoon.

Then we ride with him into the first singing number, the bold “If you want to know who we are,” a manly vocal blend from Canadian gentlemen (Krumreig, Christopher Ondeck, Ethan Goss, Alex Winnick, Tony Barber, and Quentin West). Their soft-shoe routine, to include swinging axes like batons, makes even the burliest of prancing lumberjacks feel approachable, like a murderous setting with a flirting wink.

Traveling minstrel Bertie-Lou (Timothy Lupia) enters next, singing “A wand’ring minstrel,” strumming his … trombone? No matter. That maple-leafed, denim-clad wanderer has an amazing tenor voice, which also features in harmonious duets with paramour Autumn (Madison Eppley) in “Were you not to Coco plighted” and “Brightly dawns our wedding day.” Eppley trills a triumphant solo with “The sun, whose rays are all ablaze.” And the addition of the other love triangle member, Coco (Eric Mansilla), amps up the comedy with “Here’s a how-de-do,” complete with fancy hand motions.

In addition to his strong tenor in every song he sings, Mansilla’s comedic prowess deserves its own paragraph. Although most of the play contains references from either Victorian era or Canadian stereotypes, Mansilla both authors and sings the genius “List Song” containing an updated list of people who should be beheaded. (Several times, I recognized myself on that list, and Mansilla assured me I won’t be missed.) Mansilla also had me laughing in the familiar “Willow, tit-willow” and “The criminal cried as he dropped him down,” graphically describing an execution while the oversized Ondeck (as The Mikado of Canada) wears a glittering hockey uniform and sips from a teeny-tiny teacup, pinkies up.

Paints a picture, does it not? Add to that picture Ondeck wearing a jester’s collar, clumsy ballet dancing attempts, and several adult tantrums, and you have his hilarious “A More Humane Mikado.” Ondeck is so funny to watch that I neglect to mention his excellent voice. The equal parts funny and vocally talented also goes to Preston Schreffler (as Big Bob), whose accented, multi-personalitied mimicry exceeds only the number of quirky job titles bestowed on him, my favorite being the Archbishop of Saskatoon. The most impressive tongue-twister song of the whole she-bang goes to Schreffler, Krumreig, and Mansilla for their rendition of “I am so proud,” sung in tempo-hopping round-style.

When it comes to beautifully synchronized harmonies, the lady lumberjacks (Bryden McCurdy, Becky Mease, Eppley, Maria Elena Petrilak, Dedeandrah Rodriguez, Victoria Debernardis, Erika McCandless, Larissa Curcio) combine their talents for vocal blends most pleasing to the ear, especially in singing “Comes a train of little ladies.” I did see – but not hear – a few lip-synchers, though. (You know who you are, little ladies.) Then Eppley (as Autumn), Petrilak (as Cleo), and Mease (as Josephine) find a pleasant vocal balance in “Three little maids from school are we,” with the latter delivering the pleasing solo “Braid the golden hair.”

After all the demure ladies grace the stage, Agatha (Sarah Anne Hughes) launches her fierce presence into the woods of Saskatoon. Although dressed as a sparkly Mountie, I swear I feel Wicked Witch of the West energy, especially in Hughes’s intensely angry solo, “Alone, and yet alive.” Her duet with Mansilla, “There is beauty in the bellow of the blast,” complete with tongue-twisters and square dancing, showcase their chemistry in their stage-combat-style courtship. At the end of their number, my plus-one leaned over to me and commented, “Those two are SO good together.”

In “The Mikado, Eh!” Gamut delivers audiences a rich and robust score. If the thought of trying to follow an operetta makes your stomach feel like Niagara Falls, fear not, fair maiden (or manservant). Unlike traditional opera, most lyrics are in English, with a little French (sore-ry a-boot that), but you won’t need sub-titles to follow the maple leaf-shaped bouncy ball. Even with all the tongue twisters, the beautifully performed song lyrics are both ridiculous and lovely, but not difficult to follow. Like most operas, the plot is an outlandish afterthought, and anyway, it’s tertiary to the eye-catching costumes and the ear-catching music. There are so many more beautiful numbers in this operetta, along with dance steps so achievable that I think even I could pull them off. Had I extra ink, I would credit all the different combinations of richly complex vocal mixes. Alas, if I prattle on here, I will again find myself on Mansilla’s beheading list. In short, don’t miss “The Mikado, Eh!”

“The Mikado, Eh!” runs through Nov. 23 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4^th St., Harrisburg. Find more information at www.gamuttheatre.org/mikado.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

November 7, 2025 | by TheBurg Staff

From the results of Harrisburg’s mayoral election to a story behind an upcoming refugee-run Thanksgiving feast, our coverage has it all. Catch up on what happened in the city this week, below.

Capitol City Music Hall opened in October. Our magazine story gives you a glimpse into owner Justin Browning’s journey in bringing the venue to life.

Church World Service-Harrisburg will host a Thanksgiving feast, highlighting refugee chefs, our magazine story reported.

City Council weighed two adaptive reuse projects on Monday, our online story reported. New plans were proposed for the former Polyclinic Hospital building in Uptown and a former downtown office building.

Harrisburg voters re-elected Mayor Wanda Williams for another four-year term on Tuesday, our online story reported. She beat city Treasurer Dan Miller, a Democrat, who ran against her on the Republican ticket.

Interested in music? Tons of folk-ish artists are playing local venues this month, as reported in our magazine story.

Our publisher praised Amiracle4sure for welcoming more than 100 displaced occupants of “tent city” to its gridded encampment in south Harrisburg and cheered other local homelessness solutions in November’s magazine.

PennDOT will soon demolish the 19th Street bridge over I-83, our online story reported. The demo is set to start the night of Saturday, Nov. 15.

Sara Bozich has lots of events on the schedule for this weekend, including a pop-up sale by Plant Family, and more.

The State Capitol will begin its yearly crow dispersal efforts on Monday, our online story reported.

What did this year’s mayoral race teach us? Our publisher shared his top five insights in an online editorial.

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