Burg Review: Open Stage’s “Ragtime”–an emotionally charged musical of America in transition.

May 28, 2019 | by Amy Mastrangelo

Many may know “Ragtime” as a grand Broadway spectacle—or even from the grand, 1981 feature film.

But there is something magical about seeing this larger-than-life story in person, and on a smaller stage. In this way, you can see facial expressions filled with torment, love and hatred. You can clearly hear the emotions behind line, whether spoken or sung.

Directed by Rachel Landon, the high-energy and emotionally charged musical debuted this weekend at Open Stage of Harrisburg’s intimate downtown theater. The cast portrays complex roles, making each gaze and grimace a memorable sight. The acting and impressive voices are best experienced up close and very personal.

The play centers around three groups of people—white, black and immigrant—and how they experience turn-of-the-century America in all its glory and all its misery. The production breathes deeply of the rapidly changing times circa 1900 and the emergence of such phenomena as celebrity influence, mass-market culture, transience and the quest for economic and racial equality, among other issues.

As the play progresses, the characters’ lives become interconnected, and they learn how their actions can have unexpected consequences.

This production features impressive double- and triple-character casting. Performers fluidly change attitude, posture, head-to-toe fashion and tone of voice.

Georgianna Hicks plays a spunky Evelyn Nesbit as she wears glittering garb and hits every high note. Surrounded by protest signs that read “Opportunities for all people,” Benny Benamati channels anarchist Emma Goldman’s passionate spirit.

The live, three-piece orchestra plucks string instruments and piano keys, while the performers articulate in tandem. The carefully choreographed left- and right-footsteps mimic Henry Ford’s systematic assembly line. Boisterous speakeasy patrons float across the stage as they dance.

The score never stops to catch its breath, and each song is just as impactful as the one before. Characterized by its syncopated and ragged rhythm, ragtime music is unexpected. Though the characters step to each beat with determination and hope, they are swept into a cacophony of grief and loss.

Jimmy Oronoz plays his role as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. with such conviction that, when he balls his fists and cries demands of justice, the audience collectively holds its breath. You could also feel Mother’s [Stacey Werner] emotions build to an intense crescendo during the powerful solo, “Back To Before.” As Sarah [Pilisa Mackey] and Coalhouse [Oronoz] sing and dance together, their chemistry shines.

Occasionally, a wall-mounted television displays genuine black-and-white footage of historical events. As we, the audience, watch the cast watch the television, we recognize that the socioeconomic themes of a bygone era are still with us in today’s America.

Given the intimacy of the stage and the talented cast, you can expect to get goose bumps watching this production of “Ragtime.” You also may realize how much has changed over the past century-plus—and how much hasn’t.

“Ragtime” runs through June 16 at Open Stage of Harrisburg, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, call 717-232-6736 or visit www.openstagehbg.com.

The Week that Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

May 24, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A polling place on primary day in Harrisburg

What happened around Harrisburg over the past week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

Art Association of Harrisburg debuted its latest exhibit, “International Juried Show,” at its Front Street gallery. Our art critic has the lowdown on the new show. Click here for the full story.

Artsfest takes place this weekend in Riverfront Park in Harrisburg. The annual juried art show also will feature food, music, vendors, a kid’s area and the annual Moviate film festival. Click here for the full story.

Cappy took a bow last week as the newest member of the state Capitol police force. She’s a pit bull mix and will serve as the department’s community service dog. Click here for the full story.

Elementary Coffee Co. was the site of a rally for pay equity and raising the minimum wage in Pennsylvania. State Rep. Patty Kim joined Elementary owner Andrea Grove and others in the push for fairer pay. Click here for the full story.

Fredricksen Library last week cut the ribbon a new entrance and a new business/career center. The Camp Hill library also plans a new outdoors plaza to finish up the improvement project. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg ranks No. 4 in the nation among best cities for recent college grads, according to a new study. Realtor.com, a leading real estate website, commended the city for its many amenities, outdoors life and relatively low cost of living. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school board challengers swept the primary election last week, defeating four incumbents and capturing all five seats at stake. In the race for City Council, the opposite occurred, as all three incumbents prevailed. Click here for the full story.

HMAC (House of Music, Arts & Culture) sold for $6 million last week to a new controlling partnership, allowing it to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The new owners plan to begin immediately on another round of renovations and improvements. Click here for the full story.

Lower Dauphin School District students took on a mural project that will be hung in the adolescent wing of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. You can contribute to it during this weekend’s Artsfest in Harrisburg. Click here for the full story.

Open Stage of Harrisburg debuts its newest production, “Ragtime,” this weekend. The intertwining stories of America at the turn of the 20th century runs through June 16. Click here for the full story.

Parking will be the topic of the evening on Tuesday when the Park Harrisburg Advisory Board meets in the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will feature both a review of the system and a public portion, where comments can be aired. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has dozens of ideas for things to do this weekend—that is, when you’re not at Artsfest. Check out her “Weekend Roundup.”

TheBurg’s editor weighed in with his post-mortem on the race for Harrisburg school board, saying it was the third “change election” in Harrisburg over the past decade. Click here for the full blog post.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily email digest of news and events? If not, subscribe here!

Mural project to bring color, brighten up hospital walls for teenaged patients

May 24, 2019 | by Yaasmeen Piper

Lower Dauphin students flank some of the artwork they created.

Right now, if you stepped inside the adolescent floor of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute (PPI), you’d be greeted by plain, white, hospital-like walls. Not something teenagers want to look at every day.

PPI’s Dr. Elisabeth Kunkel decided it was time to change that.

In December, she issued a call for artists, and students of the Lower Dauphin School District responded. Since then, they’ve created 12 murals, which will be placed on PPI’s adolescent floor in late June or July. Some of the pieces include a tree landscape, a peacock, mandala and abstract works.

“We know through research and experience that being able to view art is good for your mental wellness,” said Ruth Moore, PPI’s director of business development and admissions. “And the reason why we wanted to work with a school district is because we wanted the young people to understand that they were doing this for their peers.”

Guided by their art teacher, Dana Attivo, and local artist Linda Billet, nearly 400 Lower Dauphin students had a hand in brightening up the institute. This weekend, you can lend a hand, as well.

For their last mural, the students are bringing a lotus flower mural to Artsfest in Harrisburg and having members of the community contribute to it. According to Attivio, she and the students loved the idea of a lotus because it represents the possibility of growth.

“It’s the idea of the flowers growing out of the muck and blooming from maybe not-so-pretty circumstances,” she said. “It represents going through a dark time and coming out on the other end.”

PPI’s adolescent unit currently houses 16 people from ages 13 to 18. Though the main goal is to brighten up their floor, the project serves as a lesson for the Lower Dauphin students, as well.

When it came to art, senior Caitlin Cummings usually worked alone. Now she spends a chunk of her day cutting glass and layering paper with as many as 19 other students.

“It’s a really good project. There is good meaning behind it, and it has good potential,” she said. “I get to work with actual artists, and it’s been really beneficial to me.”

Olivia Dreon, another senior, loved the idea that her contributions to the project were going toward the health of others.

“It is an awesome project to be a part of because you’re helping people who are the same age as you, and you’re having an impact on their wellbeing,” she said. “You’re also able to use your skills and abilities to this project, and I think that’s awesome.”

Attivo hopes the project teaches the students about empathy, too.

“I want them to be able to think about creating for other people,” she said. “In our classes, we push for students finding their own voice, but these projects push them to think about and create something for others”

The project was funded entirely by donations, including from the Pinnacle Health Foundation, Dauphin County Medical Society Alliance, PA Foundation for the Arts and others. So far, the institute has raised $48,000 and is still seeking contributions to cover additional costs.

PPI is pushing for mental health awareness along with the creation of the murals. Dr. Kunkel will represent PPI at the mural’s tent near Kunkel Plaza during Artsfest and provide visitors with mental health information. Next month, Moore is training Lower Dauphin School District officials in recognizing mental health warning signs and symptoms in youth.

“We’re very interested in ensuring that young people get the best care possible and get the right tools and therapy to ensure their wellness,” Moore said.

You can contribute to the Lower Dauphin student’s mural this weekend, May 25 to May 27, at Artsfest in Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park. For more information on the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and their services visit www.ppimhs.org.

To Wag and Serve: This PA Capitol police rookie is young, friendly and may just lick your hand

May 24, 2019 | by Hanna Martin

When you think of a police dog, you may envision a large German shepherd with sharp teeth and a menacing look.

Well, that’s not Cappy at all.

The newest member of the Pennsylvania Capitol Police immediately greeted me with a wagging tail and started licking my hand. Cappy, short for Capitol, will serve as a community service dog, helping to build a relationship between police and the public, which means you just might see her around Harrisburg.

“She just makes it easier for people to approach us and talk to us,” said Sgt. Michael Schmidt.

On an early morning in April, Schmidt received a call about a stray dog near a Capitol office building. There, he found the 7-month-old pit bull mix wagging her tail and licking anyone who came up to her.

A futile search for an owner followed, as did a trip to the vet. Before long, Cappy had herself a new home with Schmidt —and a new job.

The Capitol police force currently has five other K-9s, including four explosive-detection dogs and one narcotics-detection dog. However, Cappy will be unlike her fellow coworkers in the K-9 unit, as her main purpose is community outreach and comforting crime victims.

“[With Cappy] you get to see the police officers in a different light,” said Troy Thompson, press secretary for the state Department of General Services. “They’re not giving anyone a ticket, they’re not arresting anyone. It’s just a positive interaction that can stick with people and break the ice.”

Although formal training efforts are in the works, Cappy has started basic obedience training with Schmidt, who is a former K-9 trainer himself. She already spends days out in the community with the Capitol police, and nights with Schmidt and his family on his small farm, which includes another dog, a cat, goats and chickens.

“It’s preferable that she’s in an environment where she can go home to sleep and be around other animals and children, and Capt. Schmidt has both,” Thompson said. “She gets a taste of the city life during the day and the country life during the evening.”

Cappy’s name was determined through a Facebook competition. From the thousands of people who commented, the other top contenders were Hannah, River, Blue and Penny.

“It was such a positive thing to see everyone involved and that we were able to do something like this, and we’re just going to continue to build off of that with Cappy,” Thompson said.

The Capitol police hope that Cappy will provide a friendly face for Harrisburg residents and help strengthen the bond between the community and the force.

“We do a lot here, and we just want to be able to keep promoting that,” Thompson said. “We feel like Cappy is another way that we can continue to do that. And we look forward for what’s to come for this pup.”

Pictured: PA Capitol Police Sgt. Michael Schmidt and Cappy

Coffee & Equity: Battle for fair wages taken to Broad Street Market

May 23, 2019 | by Maddie Conley

Owner Andrea Grove speaks with state Rep. Patty Kim at Elementary Coffee Co. in the Broad Street Market.

What gets you going in the morning? A strong cup of coffee? In Elementary Coffee Co.’s case, it’s strong coffee and fair wages.

Owner Andrea Grove today met with state Rep. Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg) at Elementary’s stand inside the Broad Street Market to discuss wage increases and the positive effects on small businesses.

Since opening 4½ years ago, Elementary has made pay equity a high priority, explained Grove. One of the main ways they do this is through paychecks that exceed the minimum wage.

“When Elementary makes more, our employees make more,” Grove said. “I’d really like people to make more than me.”

At first, Elementary started employees at $9 an hour, but now has increased pay on average to $12 to $13.50 per hour, Grove said, adding that, with tips, employees earn up to $18.20 an hour.

“[Grove] is putting higher minimum wage in a formula up front–it’s not an afterthought,” said Kim, a strong supporter of a Pennsylvania minimum wage increase. “That is the mental shift we need.”

Federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009. However, 30 states (including Washington, D.C.) currently have higher minimum wages, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“People shouldn’t be working full-time and still have to be on public assistance programs,” said state Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, who also attended the pay equity event at Elementary Coffee. “They should be able to afford housing and food and basic necessities.”

Advocates like Kim dream of seeing a $15 minimum wage.

While some businesses may struggle to increase wages, Kim sees it as a long-term investment. Small businesses can expect better employee retention with higher pay, she said.

Kim acknowledged that some job losses may result from an increased minimum wage. About 33,000 people will lose their jobs in Pennsylvania, she explained, but some 1 million people can expect pay a raise.

“We have to pick and choose our battles,” she said. “In the long run, it will be beneficial.”

The long run is exactly what Elementary has in mind as they look forward to opening a second location at 256 North St., Harrisburg, in July. Grove explained that, as workers take on full-time roles, Elementary will raise their wages yet again. They are also looking into providing health care coverage for employees.

Grove recognized that it takes time to gain enough stability to pay above minimum wage.

“It comes in steps,” she said. “One step at a time.”

Or, perhaps, one cup of coffee at a time.

HMAC Sale Complete: Venue now under new ownership, renovations to begin

May 23, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

New at HMAC: General Manager Patrick Hite and co-owner Chris Werner

The House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC) has sold, as a new ownership group closed this morning on a $6 million deal.

Business partners Chuck London, Chris Werner and Javier Diaz, under an entity called HMAC Venue LLC, now own the sprawling Midtown arts, entertainment, restaurant and bar complex.

“This has always been my favorite venue, so this is the fulfillment of a dream,” said Werner, a Dover, Pa., resident who also owns Lifetime of Autographs, a celebrity and music memorabilia business.

Werner has been an investor in HMAC for almost two years, he said.

Co-owner London, a long-time NBCUniversal executive, was a founding partner of the original HMAC corporate entity, Bartlett, Traynor & London. Last year, that company declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy following a social media firestorm directed at the venue, which the owners said substantially harmed their business.

The third partner, Javier Diaz, owns Wings Air Helicopters, a New York-based helicopter charter company, said John Traynor, part of the former ownership group.

The $6 million price tag covers everything at HMAC: the real estate, the décor, the liquor license, etc., Werner said. Originally, the sale was expected to close in early June, as per the sales agreement filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, but was moved up by about two weeks.

As a new owner, Werner said that he often will be on site at HMAC and will take the lead in booking bands and scheduling other events. A new general manager, Patrick Hite, formerly with Appalachian Brewing Co. in Harrisburg, will run the venue’s day-to-day operations, Werner said.

“I’ve been coming to HMAC for 10 years, and I’ve always held this place in high regard,” Hite said. “The opportunity here is endless.”

HMAC, on the 1100-block of N. 3^rd Street, occupies a 34,000-square-foot building that housed the original Harrisburg Jewish Community Center and then the Harrisburg Police Athletic League. It had been long empty and increasingly blighted when HMAC’s founders bought it from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority for $153,000 in late 2007.

Years of renovation followed. In 2009, the first performance space and bar opened, the 300-person capacity Stage on Herr on the lower level, followed by a restaurant, bar and arts space on the main level, and then the expansive Capitol Room, which can accommodate as many as 1,500 people, on the upper level.

The new owners plan even more renovation work. In late 2017, HMAC received a $1 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant, which conveyed with the sale. It now will finance the renovation of the basement level into a third performance space, which will accommodate about 600 patrons, and the construction of a rooftop deck, among other projects, Werner said.

Traynor said, that while he no longer manages HMAC, he would stay on to oversee the construction, which is expected to take four to six months. The project is being led by Bret Peters of the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture, and Jonathan Thomas, owner of the Harrisburg-based Smarter Design Group, Traynor said.

For his part, Traynor said that he was “delighted” with the completion of the deal, saying that he and his husband, Gary Bartlett, were proud of what they had accomplished.

“We built wonderful foundations,” he said. “I’m really excited and happy for the possibilities that HMAC has now.”

Werner said that he wants to build upon that foundation, substantially increasing the number of shows and events at HMAC. He also hopes to reestablish the trust and patronage of people who may have become estranged from the venue over the years.

“Now is the time that we have to get the community to come back,” he said.

Hite agreed.

“At its essence, the experience guests will feel will be as welcoming as it’s always been but even more so,” he said.

HMAC is located at 1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.harrisburgarts.com.

Comment? Complaint? Public meeting planned for Harrisburg’s parking system

May 23, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A city parking meter

Do have a comment or a complaint about parking?

It’s Harrisburg—so it’s likely that you do.

On Tuesday, you’ll have the rare opportunity to tell the system operators how you feel during a public meeting of the Park Harrisburg Advisory Board.

The board was established as part of Harrisburg’s complex parking agreement, which leased the city parking system for 40 years to SP+, known locally as Park Harrisburg.

Under the terms of the agreement, the board is supposed to hold meetings public updates and comments, though one hasn’t occurred in more than a year.

At the meeting, the asset manager, Trimont Real Estate Advisors, will review of 2018 operations and capital improvements, provide a project financial report and state 2019 objectives, including current operating budget and Capital Improvement Plan, according to a statement by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC.

Afterwards, both committee members and the public will have an opportunity to comment, said the statement.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 28, at 6 p.m. in the Crowne Plaza Ballroom, 23 S. 2^nd St., Harrisburg. Free parking will be available in the Market Square Garage, and street parking is free after 5 p.m.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

May 23, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend!

Hey hey long weekend — what are your plans? Tonight we’re headed to Bo’s daycare spring program, which should be plenty adorable. My husband’s birthday is tomorrow and to celebrate we’re taking the kiddo to ZooAmerica and then stopping at Iron Hill Brewing Co. on Saturday. We’ll see some friends one of these nights, and otherwise try to enjoy nice weather and time “off.”

What are you doing this weekend?

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Burg Blog: They’re Out

May 22, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

A recent meeting of the Harrisburg school board

I’ve been covering politics in Harrisburg for a decade, and, during that time, there have been three “change” elections in the city.

The first came in May 2009, when Linda Thompson defeated (extremely) entrenched incumbent Steve Reed in the mayoral primary. The second came four years later, when voters turned on Thompson. The third arrived last night.

Yesterday, Harrisburg voters firmly rejected the four sitting school board members on the primary ballot, delivering a strong message that they want new leadership in the school district.

It wasn’t even close.

The four candidates running on the “C.A.T.C.H.” reform slate beat the sitting incumbents by a margin of greater than 2-to-1. I’d call that a landslide, especially for a low-turnout, off-year primary, which often favors incumbents.

Similarly, Reed’s defeat—and then Thompson’s—were by unexpectedly (to me) large margins.

In my opinion, common threads have run through these elections. First, the losing candidates all conducted terrible campaigns, barely engaging the voting public. But, perhaps more importantly, these incumbents had come to be regarded as arrogant and out of touch, whistling past an electorate that clearly was unhappy with their performance.

Let’s focus on the school board.

Over the past year or so, I’ve remarked numerous times that the school administration and its supporters on the board seemed to be going out of their way to tick off residents.

Examples are many: fights with the state Department of Education, issues discussed behind closed doors, re-votes when the administration didn’t get its way, financial waste never properly addressed, tax hikes, the appointment of divisive figures on the board, for solicitor, for principal, for superintendent.

This list just scratches the surface.

Many residents came to conclude that the guiding principle of the school administration wasn’t fiscal responsibility or even education but the protection and continued employment of the top, well-paid school administrators, including the superintendent.

To make the situation worse, the incumbents refused to engage voters who had legitimate concerns. At debate after debate, they had numerous opportunities to explain to upset residents why they did what they did and voted as they voted—and make a pitch for their election. Instead, they simply didn’t show up—perhaps out of arrogance, perhaps out of fear. Or maybe invisibility was part of some weird electoral strategy.

In any case, the ballot box was the one way for residents to demonstrate that they were dissatisfied, even angry—and they did. And now they expect big changes to be made.

Let this be a lesson to other elected officeholders. When you’re a public servant, you need to act like one. Those tax dollars, that budget, those buildings—they aren’t yours. They belong to the people, and that remains true despite our profoundly flawed governing bodies.

To paraphrase one of the great American political sayings—you can fool some of the people some of the time. But eventually those people will get spitting mad, and they’ll gleefully toss you aside for someone, they believe, will prove to be better.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

Challengers sweep Harrisburg school board race; incumbents prevail for City Council

May 21, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The polling station for Harrisburg’s Ward 4

Voter turnout may have been light, but the impact of Tuesday’s election on Harrisburg could be huge, as challengers for the city school board swept the Democratic primary.

The four challengers on the reformist slate known as C.A.T.C.H. (Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg) were all victorious: Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Steven Williams and Doug Thompson Leader. Challenger James Thompson, a former member of the school board, also picked up a nomination for one of the five, four-year seats at stake.

All four incumbents lost, some by a lot. Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy, Lionel Gonzalez and Patricia Whitehead-Myers were all defeated, as were three other challengers–Lewis Butts Jr., Cory X. Williams and Ralph Rodriguez.

The victorious challengers had all run campaigns broadly critical of the current school board majority and the policies of the district administration led by Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney.

“This feels gratifying. It feels like mission accomplished,” said Buchwach, the top vote-getter for city school board. “But it’s not my win. It’s a win for Harrisburg, and that’s what feels great to me.”

Buchwach said that, once seated, the new board would have to get to work improving the district’s finances, bettering its academics and rebuilding trust with residents.

“We have to be transparent. We have to be accountable in everything we do,” she said. “We have to tell the citizens of Harrisburg, ‘This is what we will do and why.'”

Unofficial results for today’s primary race for Harrisburg school board.

No Republicans ran in the primary election for Harrisburg school board, meaning that tonight’s winners likely will prevail during the general election in November.

In the six-person race for Harrisburg City Council, incumbents Danielle Bowers, Westburn Majors and Dave Madsen easily won the nomination for three, four-year seats, defeating challengers Christina Kostelecky, Dionna Reeves and Brianna Smith.

No Republicans ran in the primary, meaning that tonight’s winners likely will secure seats during the general election in November.

Unofficial results for today’s primary race for Harrisburg City Council.

In Dauphin County, incumbent commissioners Jeff Haste and Mike Pries ran unopposed for the two Republican nominations. On the Democratic side, incumbent George Hartwick won a spot on the November ballot, as did challenger Diane Bowman, prevailing over challenger Tom Connolly.

In the general election, voters will select three commissioners from the two Republican and two Democratic nominees.

For other county offices, all of the Republican incumbents had no competition in their primaries, so breezed to victory: District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti, Clerk of Courts Dale Klein, Recorder of Deeds Jim Zugay, Treasurer Janis Creason, Controller Timothy DeFoor and Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court Jean Marfizo King.

On the Democratic side, four candidates ran unopposed and therefore won their party’s nominations: Cole Goodman for Recorder of Deeds, Brad Koplinski for Clerk of Courts, Tim Butler for Treasurer and Bridget Whitley for Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court.

The general election is slated for Nov. 5.

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Happy Weekend!

What are you doing this weekend?

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