Reading Eagle: Concert at Hawk Mountain to benefit injured chainsaw carver [Spotlight]

May 15—Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, will host Road to Recovery, a concert to benefit Todd Gladfelter, the chainsaw carver who created works of art for the sanctuary's amphitheater, on May 28, from 11:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gladfelter suffered a spinal cord injury in a fall last November. Admission is free; donations will be requested.

Scheduled to perform are Keith Brintzenhoff at 11:45, Crow Hill at noon, Luke Hertzog at 1, Texas Rose Band at 1:15, Big Valley Bluegrass at 2, The Youngers at 3 and Dave Kline and the Mountain Folk Band at 4. The day will conclude with the singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone" and a finale jam featuring Gladfelter, Kline and other musicians.

Gladfelter crafted multiple replicas of 32 species of native Appalachian wildlife, and the resulting work makes the amphitheater a destination in and of itself. He has received multiple accolades in the carving world, including championships at the Mid-Atlantic National Chainsaw Competition. His work building his log home was detailed in the book "Log Cabin Years: How One Couple Built a Home From Scratch and Created a Life," written by his wife, Cindy Ross.

"Todd Gladfelter's work made the Sanctuary's Amphitheater an iconic space for all," said Sanctuary President Sean Grace. "This is a chance for the community to join together in support of Todd and his family."

Kline, a Berks County singer-songwriter, community advocate and friend of Gladfelter and his wife, coordinated the musicians for the day.

"Todd's tragic fall left him with a spinal cord injury and debilitating paralysis in several zones of his body, but he has been bravely pushing back against these deficits and continues to make steady recovery and advances," Kline said. "This fundraiser will help Todd and his family pay for medical bills, therapies and adaptive services."

Bring a blanket or camp chair for seating. Vince's Cheesesteaks and The Nesting Box ice cream food trucks will be on hand.

For more information, visit hawkmountain.org/events or call 610-756-6961.

Music

DCappella has announced a fall U.S. tour, "Deck the Halls With Disney Featuring DCappella," which will include a stop at the Santander Performing Arts Center, Reading, on Dec. 18.

Last week, in honor of Star Wars Day, DCappella, Disney's premier a cappella singing sensation, unveiled a video for "Cantina Band," their take on the song composed by John Williams that appeared in the 1977 film "Star Wars: A New Hope."

The video for "Cantina Band" marks the first time an outside film crew was permitted to shoot within Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, and the first music video ever captured on-site. The song is part of "Magic Reimagined," the latest EP by DCappella, released on Friday.

Known for their reimagined classics from the Disney songbook, DCappella originally came together as a result of a nationwide search for the best vocal performing talent in a cappella and stage. Since their debut on the "American Idol" stage during Disney Night in 2018, DCappella has toured throughout North America and Japan.

Tickets have also gone on sale for A Day To Remember, whose "Just Some Shows Tour" will stop at Santander Arena on Aug. 6, with openers The Ghost Inside and Bad Omens. Earlier this year, A Day To Remember shared a new version of their single "Re-Entry" featuring Mark Hoppus of Blink-182. "Re-Entry" originally appeared on A Day To Remember's latest studio album. "You're Welcome." The 14-track collection is highlighted by singles "Brick Wall," "Degenerates," "Resentment," "Mindreader" and the No. 1 Active Rock hit single "Everything We Need."

Other new show announcements include Latin singer-songwriter Carin Leon, appearing July 29 at Santander Arena. and comedian/YouTuber Daniel Howell, appearing Oct. 21 at the Santander Performing Arts Center. Tickets for all shows are on sale at ticketmaster.com.

----Berks Youth Chorus will present the final concert of its 30th anniversary season, "Songs of Belonging," today at 4 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran Church, Wyomissing. The concert will include performances by two BYC ensembles: MasterSingers (youth in grades 8 through 12) and Chorale (children in grades 4 through 7), both directed by Sam Barge.

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for students and $25 for VIP and will be available at the door.

"Songs of Belonging" will also provide relief for the victims of the conflict in Ukraine as part of the BYC Chorus for Causes project. Singers designed awareness bracelets about the conflict to be sold at the concert, the proceeds of which will go to Save the Children, an organization alleviating the needs of children affected in the crisis.

Music will include African American spirituals, American folk tunes, pop songs and musical theatre tunes, all centered around messages of hope, compassion, gratitude and resilience.

----The "Unleashing Your Inner Opera Fan" series continues Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Highlands of Wyomissing. The 60- to 80-minute multimedia presentation will be led by Berks Opera's education and outreach director, David Richie.

The featured opera will be Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," with featured singer Kevin Patrick, baritone, who has sung with Opera Delaware, Boheme Opera New Jersey, Baltimore Concert Opera and Delaware Valley Opera Company. He made his off-Broadway debut in 2017 in "Dorian Gray: The Musical" at the New York New Musical Festival.

Admission is $20 for adults and seniors, $15 for under age 30, payable at the door by cash or check, or use the "Donate" button at berksopera.org.

A Met in HD broadcast of "Lucia di Lammermoor" will be shown Saturday at 12:55 p.m. at Fox Berkshire, Wyomissing. Book tickets at foxshowtimes.com.

Juggling Festival

The Cascade Brigade Juggling Club at Brandywine Heights High School will present a Juggling Festival on Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., with a free show at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The event includes juggling lessons, workshops and games.

Expert jugglers Jen Slaw and Michael Karas, who competed in the International Juggling Festival and had a show off-Broadway, will perform in the evening show, which is free. (A canned good donation for Friend, Inc. is requested.)

The Cascade Brigade Jugglers will also be performing in the show and doing a black light scene, which is done in the dark with light-up equipment. Students will also be juggling balls, rings, Poi, devil sticks, diablos, clubs and scarves.

Theater

The Pines Dinner Theatre, Allentown, is staging "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" through June 26. Written and created by Roger Bean, the show centers around an impromptu bachelorette party where Millie (Gianna Graziano) and her best friends Sally (Shannon Cabato Berg), Florence (Aviana Rivera) and Dee Dee (Elizabeth Robinson) dive into age-old questions about love, marriage and the overwhelming dating game. As the celebration picks up steam, the girls reveal secrets about their love lives, as they poke fun and challenge each other to take control of their lives.

Featuring pop hits from the 1960s such as "My Boy Lollipop," "I Will Follow Him," "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and "Hey There Lonely Boy," the show reaffirms that during life's struggles, true friendship will prevail.

Ticket prices are $32 for adults, and $22 for ages 2-12, which includes a seat for the show, all taxes and box-office fees. All appetizers, entrees, desserts and beverages are available a la carte for an additional cost. The show is rated PG.

For show times and ticket information, call the box office at 610-433-2333 or visit pinesdinnertheatre.com.

Art

Yocum Institute for Arts Education, West Lawn, will host "Altered Scapes," a group exhibition of paintings, mixed media, ceramics and glass, from May 28 through June 30 in its Holleran Gallery, with an opening reception May 27, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The works focus on the blending of unique colors, forms and textures the Earth shares with us. These scapes, representing the land, sea or sky, reflect the expressive soulful interpretations of Earth's beauty by five female artists: Linda RohrbachAusterberry, Maureen Bowie, Rhonda Counts, Maxine Rhoads and Elaine Soltis.

Gallery hours and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Film

The Reading Public Library will join in the celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee on June 4 with festivities beginning at 11 a.m. and including a screening of the film "The Queen," starring Helen Mirren, with accompanying refreshments. A Princess Tea Party will be held in the Youth Library beginning at 1:30 p.m. Both events are at the Main Library, 100 S. Fifth St. They are free of charge and pre-registration is not required.