Archive | September, 2024

Webster community mailbag

19 Sep

It’s chicken BBQ time again!

St. Martin Lutheran Church will hold its Fall Drive-Thru Chicken BBQ on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until all dinners are sold out.

Dinners will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, coleslaw, roll, butter and cookie, and will cost $15.

The event will be drive-through only and there will be no advance sales; first-come, first-served. Cars should enter the parking lot, follow the signs, and purchase dinners using exact payment of either cash or
check. Cars will then pick up boxed dinners.

Proceeds from the BBQ will support both St. Martin’s Little Free Pantry and Christmas Stocking Project, which reaches more than 500 local youth in Monroe and Wayne counties.

Upcoming October blood drives

There are several local opportunities coming up in October for you to help save lives by donating blood. And the Red Cross has a neat little promotion, too. Everyone coming to donate during October will receive a $10 gift card by email.

Here are the details:

  • Tuesday Oct. 1, noon to 5 p.m., Expressive Beginnings Child Care Center, 12 May St., Webster (online sponsor code: ExpressiveBeginnings)
  • Wednesday Oct. 2, 1 to 6 p.m., Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd. (sponsor code: WGC)
  • Thursday Oct. 10, 1 to 6 p.m., Webster Fire Dept. Exempt Building, 172 Sanford St. (sponsor code: websterfire) The Women’s Club of Webster will be serving homemade cookies for donors at this drive!
  • Wednesday Oct. 16, 1 to 6 p.m., Town of Penfield offices, 2130 Penfield Rd. (sponsor code: Penfield)

Call 1-800-RED CROSS to schedule your appointment, or search online for the sponsor code.

And about those cookies …

At the Red Cross blood drive on Oct. 10 (see above), donors will be rewarded with supremely scrumptious homemade cookies donated by the Women’s Club of Webster to enjoy with their juice.

Appointments are not required. Feel free to just drop in. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Katie Hout, American Red Cross, 585-353-9964 (or you can schedule an appointment online. Details above).

The Women’s Club of Webster is an active community service organization that has nurtured friendships and generously supported many worthwhile causes for 60 years.  The group meets the third Thursday of each month from September to June.  The club’s motto is “friendship through service” and new members are always welcome!  

For more information about the club, please contact Carolyn Rittenhouse at 585-265-1303. (Or feel free to email me; I belong to the club).

Celebrate fall at Heritage Square

Heritage Square Museum in Ontario will host its annual Fall Festival on Saturday Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors will enjoy scarecrows to judge, big trucks from Town Highway, fire and police departments, performances from the Strike It Up Community Band directed by Craig Wirt, a saxophone quartet, games, raffles, free tours, food and more. Cost is $5 per car.

Heritage Square Museum is located at 7147 Ontario Center Road, Ontario, just 12 minutes east of the Village of Webster. Haven’t heard about this great attraction? Check out this blog which I wrote a few years ago after my first visit.

Webster BID schedules community events

The Webster Business Improvement District’s (BID) second annual Health and Wellness Fair has been scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Village Community Meeting Room, 29 South Ave.

This is a free event which showcases the businesses and professionals throughout our community that address all aspects of health and wellness. Last year’s event was a great success, and this year is expected to be even bigger.

ON THAT SAME DAY, in the parking lot behind the Community Meeting Room, the BID is also sponsoring a shredding event from 9 to 11 a.m.

This is a free, drive-through event. Paper only will be accepted, and staples do NOT need to be removed. Paper must be placed in cardboard boxes or paper bags (no plastic), with a limit of five boxes per vehicle.

(By the way, stay tuned for details about the next Beer Walk, scheduled for Saturday Oct. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m., and the Trick-or-Treat Trail on Saturday, Oct. 26. More details about these and other events can be found on the newly revamped Webster BID website.

Good, cheap books from the Friends

The Friends of the Webster Public Library are getting ready for their fall book sale, scheduled Oct. 16 through 19 at the library, 980 Ridge Rd. (at the rear side of the plaza).

This year they’ll be including a mini vintage and collectible book sale during members night. on Wednesday Oct. 16, featuring approximately 80 books published over the last 150 years in good to better condition. The books will be for sale at fixed prices starting at $8.00. Some of the books will be first editions or early printing. Many will have dust jackets, and a few will be autographed (but note the Webster Friends do not have any signatures authenticated). They’ll also be selling Kittelberger Flower Bouquet Cards that night while supplies last.

Members Night will be Wednesday, Oct. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m. (Memberships will be available at the door.) The general public sale begins Thursday, Oct. 17 from 9 to 7 p.m.; hardcover books will cost $1, paperback books only $.50). Friday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be the Bag Sale. Bring your own bag and fill it for just $5. The sale concludes with a second Bag Day on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon. 

Can you help?

Here’s the September/October wish list from Webster Hope:

  • Canned corn and canned peas
  • Flour and sugar
  • Coffee
  • Cooking oil
  • Pasta, NOT whole wheat
  • Jarred spaghetti sauce
  • Body wash and bar soap
  • Hand soap
  • Deodorant
  • Lotion
  • Diapers sizes 5, 6, & 7 ** We accept open packages**
  • Baby wipes
  • New socks and underwear all sizes

Plus, they accept open packages of feminine products, adult diapers and children’s diapers.

And put this on your calendar: Webster Hope will be having a food drive on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon, sponsored by Webster Rotary. You can drop off your items (and the wish-list items) behind Holy Trinity Church, 1460 Ridge Road, Webster.

WHEN to offer program for parents about social media

If you’ve ever had any concerns about how social media is affecting your children and what you can do about that, this program is for you.

On Wednesday Oct. 16, the Webster Health and Education Network (WHEN) will present an interactive parent forum, called Social Media and Your Kid, discussing how technology has changed special development and what you can do to support your child’s health and well-being in a tech-powered world.

The forum will be held in the Professional Development Center at Spry Middle School, 119 South Ave. There’s no admission, but registration is requested. Click here to do so.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/19/2024)

September History Bit: Going to school at the Webster Museum

18 Sep

Have you ever visited the recreated one-room schoolhouse at the Webster Museum? Even if you haven’t, there’s a good chance your children have toured this charming piece of Webster history, and maybe even got to wear the dunce cap.

For this month’s History Bit, in honor of the beginning of the new school year, I bring you back to a time before buses and backpacks.

A bit of Webster History: The Webster Museum’s one-room school 

This month’s History Bit takes a closer look at a piece of Webster schoolhouse history, faithfully recreated at the Webster Museum. 

It’s the museum’s very own one-room schoolhouse. Tucked at the far southern end of the museum’s exhibit space, the room represents a typical early-1900’s schoolroom. It seats 24 students at double desks and includes a schoolmaster’s desk, a collection of early textbooks, and early teaching aids.   

The schoolroom is a very popular tour stop for the elementary school classes who visit the Webster Museum every year. As part their 75-minute tour through all of the museum’s exhibits, students take a 15 to 20-minute detour into the classroom and step back into a time when a wood stove provided the heat, lessons were completed on slates, and your older brother or sister might be sitting in a row behind you.

The lessons are designed to be as interactive, entertaining and humorous as possible, while illustrating what a typical school day would look like 120 years ago. The teacher rings a school bell to begin the day, students complete a math lesson on the slates, and are required to raise their hand and stand when called upon. They hear about how students had to walk to school because there were no school buses, how the wood stove in the corner of the room provided all the heat, and when you looked out the window you would very likely see fields and orchards, not a playground and parking lot. 

More than a dozen volunteers, many of them retired teachers themselves, take turns leading the museum tours and presenting the classroom lesson. Most of the students who come through are Webster Central School District second graders; the curriculum that year focuses on community, and a big part of that is comparing “then and now.”  

Our children already know all about “now.” And thanks to our dedicated Webster Museum volunteers, they’re also learning about “then,” when Webster was an agricultural community and the schools – and school day – looked a whole lot different.  

Stop by the Webster Museum and visit the schoolroom for yourself. The museum is located at 18 Lapham Park in the Village of Webster, and is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Read more about the classroom and all of the museum’s exhibits at webstermuseum.org.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/18/2024)

It’s time to help make spirits bright

17 Sep

The 11th season of Making Spirits Bright is underway, and you can help.

Making Spirits Bright is awesome organization here in Webster which for the last 11 years has been working quietly under the radar, doing amazing things for families in need during the holidays.

The organization works with area school counselors and social workers to identify families that need assistance. Then they collect wish lists from each of the family members and begin collecting items. And unlike many other programs, Making Spirits Bright provides far more than just gifts. They also assist with winter gear, household necessities, personal care items, cleaning supplies and various other items to lessen a family’s burden. PLUS, they provide for all members living in each household, no matter their age. This includes kids, parents, guardians, grandparents, and sometimes even pets.

The call has gone out for donations to support this year’s effort, and there are several ways you can help:

  • Sign up as a group, organization, business or family to help out.
  • Adopt an entire family (choose the family size you’re comfortable with, two-person and up)
  • Adopt one person (any age/gender identity)
  • Organize a collection drive for some of the most needed items, like toiletries, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, gift wrap, gift boxes and gift cards.
  • Make a monetary donation, which are used to purchase items on the list which were not adopted. Any donations, large or small, is appreciated. Contributions can be made via credit or debit here.

If you’d like to volunteer your time and kindness to the organization, click here to fill out a form and they’ll be in touch. If you have questions, email thegoodnessinitiative@gmail.com, or check out the Making Spirits Bright FAQ page. Plus, you can follow their Facebook page to keep on top of how things are going.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/17/2024)

Get ready to get muddy

16 Sep

It’s back: the muddiest, sloppiest, slippery-est, most fun way EVER to spend a Saturday morning.

It’s the Webster Recreation Center’s fourth annual Mud Run, scheduled for Saturday Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Mud Run is a a non-competitive, un-timed, one-mile run/walk along the Recreation Center’s obstacle course/fitness trail which loops around the back of the facility. Some of the run will be through water and mud, and there will be some challenging obstacles. (There are ways to get around the mud and obstacles, but what fun is there in THAT?)

What’s really neat about this event is that kids and their adults can do it together. As you can imagine, the kids just love to see their parents (and grandparents, come on!) get down and muddy. It’s only $5 per person, and the organizers promise that there’ll be swag, fun and food. I can personally attest that it is tons of fun, and I hope to make it again this year. (That’s me in the photo, taken by my friend Patty.)

Click here for more details and registration information. You can sign up for any 15-minute wave between 10 a.m. and noon. You can also register when you get there.

The Webster Recreation Center is located at 1350 Chiyoda Drive, off of Phillips Rd.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

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(posted 9/16/2024)

Boulter Industrial Contractors Named Business of the Month

15 Sep

Congratulations to Boulter Industrial Contractors, honored as the September Business of the Month by the Webster Chamber of Commerce.

Boulter Industrial Contractors is a fifth-generation, family-owned business. Owned by Willis (Bill) Boulter since 2005, Boulter’s 41 employees use equipment and technology to provide rigging services, heavy hauling, crating/packaging, production line installation, preventative maintenance, plant relocation, steel fabrication, and warehousing. They’re located on Basket Rd. in Webster.

The Boulter family legacy dates back to 1892, when Thomas Boulter founded a local carting/moving company. He had two teams of horses, and specialized in coal and ice deliveries. In the more than 130 years since those simple beginnings, Boulter moved its company headquarters to Webster, greatly expanded its services and built a huge new warehouse.

In presenting the award to Bill Boulter, Chamber president and CEO noted that the company even has history with the Chamber; Bill’s father William was an active Chamber member and at one time served on the Chamber’s Board of Directors.

Bill Boulter exemplifies the Chamber of Commerce’s commitment to community service, serving on the Board of Directors for Miracle Field of Greater Rochester. His company has also sponsored high school skilled trades career events and supports the Salvation Army of Greater Rochester’s Eclipsing Hunger food drive.

The Webster Chamber of Commerce Events and Honors Committee presents a Business of the Month award to one of their member businesses at each of their monthly breakfast meetings. It’s one way the Chamber helps keep their member businesses and organizations visible throughout the Webster community.

The next breakfast meeting is Friday Sept. 27, beginning at 7 a.m. at the Webster Golf Club, 440 Salt Rd. Network with as many as 90 business and organizational leaders before breakfast, enjoy an informative program and then take part in the “pass-the-mic” time, when everyone has an opportunity to be visible.

Visitors and members are welcome. Please register here.

Pictured above: Boulter Project Superintendent Tom O’Neil (left) and Chief Executive Officer & President William S. Boulter (right) accept the September Webster Chamber of Commerce award.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/15/2024)

Help young people discover the joy of writing

13 Sep

 I just signed up, again, for a fun program offered through the Webster Recreation Center. Unlike most of the programs you’ll find there, it doesn’t involve a whole lot of (well any) physical exertion, but does help some very special young people exercise their minds.

It’s a Pen-Pal Program sponsored by Webster Parks and Recreation for people 55+. You can read about it it the flyer, but this is what it says:

Remember the old days when you used to write letters? Join the Webster 55+ folks and the Autumn Lane (Greece Elementary School) second graders as we become pen-pals.

Sign up and you will be assigned a second-grade student to write a letter to each month. Then in May, we will take a trip to Autumn Lane to meet your pen-pal in person!

You must be committed to this program for an entire year.

The Rec Center has been doing this program for a while, but I only joined it for the first time last year, and it was a LOT of fun. Just about once a month I got a letter from my pen pal Nataleigh, and we wrote back and forth telling about our pets and how I liked reading (and she doesn’t), and shared our love of rainbows (click here to read about the day I got to meet Nataleigh in person).

So when I heard about this year’s program, I immediately signed up and can’t wait to get my first letter.

The program will run from October 2024 through May 2025. To register, visit the Webster Parks and Recreation website and search for activity #346905-A. Or call the Rec Center at (585) 872-7103 (which is a lot easier than navigating their website). There’s no cost, just your commitment to help some students fall in love with writing.

So please consider joining; you won’t regret it.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/13/2024)

The Village of Webster remembers

12 Sep

Twenty-three years ago, our nation and world were forever changed in one terrible morning when terrorists attacked our country and killed almost 3,000 civilians and first responders.

As the years pass, it would be easy to let the horrors of that day fade into memory. It’s uncomfortable to re-experience the shocking images we saw, the feelings we had, and the fear that we couldn’t shake in the weeks and months that followed. But the Village of Webster refuses to let that happen.

Once again this year, the Village of Webster hosted a very moving and meaningful September 11th Memorial Ceremony, Wednesday evening at Veterans Memorial Park. Many local and regional politicians and community leaders attended, and several spoke, adding their heartfelt thoughts about the heroism we saw that day and how the events of that day brought us all together in support and in mourning.

Our Village of Webster and West Webster firefighters were very well represented, and some members of the Penfield Volunteer Ambulance Service also attended. The Webster Village Band enhanced the evening with a number of beautiful patriotic musical selections.

I counted about 70 community members in attendance. That’s actually more than in recent years, which was very nice to see. Despite the ceremony being held in the evening, though, I didn’t see any children. It’s strange to think that the events of 9/11 are simply another thing they’ll learn about in their history books. They don’t grasp how much that day fundamentally changed our world, because they don’t know how our world was before. Perhaps that’s WHY they should be there.

And next time you’re in Veterans Memorial Park, make sure to head over to the back corner to see the 9/11 memorial plaque that was installed there many years ago.

Thank you, Village of Webster, for continuing this tradition and reminding us all of the sacrifices made that day.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/12/2024)

Webster Rotary seeks new members

11 Sep

You’ve definitely seen them in the news; Webster Rotary members helping out at food drives and community events, handing out scholarships and huge donation checks to local agencies. It’s an organization dedicated to making our world better, any way they can.

They already do a lot for our community, but they’d like to do more. Which is why the Webster Rotary is holding a membership drive; they know that with more members, the more good things they can accomplish.

The Rotary’s motto has always been “Service Above Self,” but they also strive to become an organization which can be considered a “Third Place.”

Past president Robyn Whittaker explained, “With everything going on in the world, people have their workplace, their home, but they also need that third place to be able to make connections and feel valuable in their community. Webster Rotary is just that place.”

So if you’re looking for a Third Place, and would like to learn more about the Webster Rotary Club, you’re invited to attend an information night on Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 PM. It’s a chance to find out more about the Rotary’s many community projects, chat with members, and have a bite to eat.

For more details and to RSVP, call or text Robyn at 585-424-0859, or email her at hairchic_y@yahoo.com.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/11/2024)

Webster Hope’s huge annual garage sale is ready to roll!

10 Sep

I stopped by Holy Trinity Church on Tuesday morning to check out preparations for Webster Hope’s annual garage sale, and was pretty impressed by what I found.

There were a few volunteers still finalizing the displays and pricing items, but most of the tasks had already been completed, thanks to more than three dozen volunteers working over the last few days to make sure everything is ready to go for Wednesday night. (And that’s not even including all the volunteers who have been gathering and pricing items since January, and the Thomas Titans football team who moved hundreds of boxes into the gymnasium from storage.)

Webster Hope director Margery Morgan says that this year’s sale is better than ever, with “soooooo many new items,” and a lot of items priced at just $1. They’ve got three rooms filled with just about everything you’d want to find, including …

… holiday (especially lots of Halloween), kids and adult books, toys, puzzles and games, housewares, lamps, clocks, stationery and office, party supplies, home electronics, pet items, baking and cooking ware, utensils, small appliances (each one plugged in and tested), handbags, home decor, floral, wall pictures and picture frames, religious items, garden, crafts, linens, tools, rugs, furniture, dishes, jewelry, sports equipment, luggage, baskets, baby items and lots more, all at great prices.

Basically, this is a don’t-miss sale.

It takes place at Holy Trinity Church, 1450 Ridge Rd., Webster, Wednesday Sept. 11 through Saturday Sept. 14. Hours are:

  • Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m.: Preview night; for a small admission fee, be the first to shop.
  • Thursday & Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon; everything is half price

All proceeds will benefit Webster Hope, which serves the needs of residents in the 14580 zip code, providing food, clothing, household goods and furniture to those in need.

Here’s a preview of some of the thousands of items available:

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/10/2024)

OFC Creations’ The Boy From Oz features a young Webster actor

9 Sep

Webster theater fans who plan to attend OFC Creations’ upcoming production of The Boy From Oz (Sept. 12 to 29) might very well recognize one of the young actors: Cameron Korzinski, an 11-year old who hails form the west side of Webster.

The Boy From Oz is a tribute to the life of Oscar-winning Australian entertainer Peter Allen, from his early years in the Outback to his rise to fame in the 1980s. He’s best known for hits including “I Honestly Love You,” “Best That You Can Do,” “Not The Boy Next Door,” “Everything Old Is New Again,” and “I Go to Rio.” He gained fame despite struggling through divorce, failure, and the AIDS epidemic.

The show stars Blake McIver Ewing as Peter Allen and Marcia Mitzman Gavin as Judy Garland. Ewing is well known for playing Waldo in The Little Rascals and Derek in ABC’s Full House; and Gaven starred in the original Broadway cast of The Who’s Tommy.

Young Webster resident Cam Korzinski has a big role in the production, playing the part of young Peter Allen. And he’s definitely no stranger to the stage; The Boy From Oz is Cam’s 21st OFC production since he joined the studio in 2021, and his fourth professional show, which have also included Oliver, The Jolly Holiday Brunch at the Old Farm Café, and most recently, Billy Elliot, where he played the part of Billy’s best friend Michael. So he’s basically grown up doing OFC shows, kids programs and camps.

Backing up Cameron as understudy is another young man who’s no stranger to the OFC stage. Jack Hartman, also 11 years old, comes from Rochester. He and Cameron have been pretty much attached at the hip at OFC Creations for the last 11 years. They met in late 2021 when both were working on Aladdin, and have been best-theater-buds ever since. The Boy From Oz will be the seventh production they’ve appeared in together, including Billy Elliot.

This time around, Cam and Jack are working alongside some pretty famous (and Tony Award-winning) stars, which clearly is a reality of theater life which they long ago learned to take in stride. When I sat down to talk with them, they both presented themselves with poise and confidence. They’re both just entering 6th grade this year, but are already thinking about their futures in theater — while still enjoying their time with OFC.

“I would like to go to college for theater and acting,” Cam said. “But I’m just letting life take me.”

Jack is a bit more laser-focused.

“I’ve been thinking (about this) for a long time,” he said. “I always wanted to go to college for this definitely … do a bunch of shows, try out for Broadway young.” He’s even planning to get an agent within a few years.

So keep an eye on these young actors, everyone, because you may very well see their names in lights someday. But in the meantime, make sure to get your tickets for The Boy From Oz to see them in action.

The Boy From Oz will take the stage for 17 shows from Sept. 12 through 29 at the OFC Creations Theatre Center, 3450 Winton Place, Rochester.

The show is the first of OFC’s 2024-2025 Broadway In Brighton Series. The series continues in October with West Side Story, and future productions include The Prince of Egypt, Gypsy, Anything Goes and Jersey Boys. (Heads-up: Jersey Boys will feature Schroeder grad Adam Marino in an unbelievable performance as Frankie Valli.)

Individual tickets are on sale now for all of the shows, and season packages are also available. Click here for more information.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com“Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 9/6/2024)