Bonnie Articles - 1999
| Sat, Dec 18 | Morning Call ENTERTAINMENT SECTION | `VALLEY CHRISTMAS' SHOW OVERFLOWS WITH MERRIMENT |
| Sun, Dec 5 | Morning Call ARTS & TRAVEL SECTION | AREA MUSICIANS' HOLIDAY SONGS TO FILL WDIY'S AIRWAVES |
| Sun, October 2 | Morning Call ENTERTAINMENT SECTION | TERRY KITCHEN - ABLE TO RAISE CAIN ABOUT FOLK MUSIC |
| Thu, Sept 16 | Morning Call BETHLEHEM SECTION | LIFE OF STEEL IS HONORED WITH SONGS - FESTIVAL HOLDS MUSICAL TRIBUTE IN FOLK TRADITION |
| Wed, Sept 15 | Morning Call REGIONAL REPORT | SONGS OF STEEL UPLIFT |
| Sun, Sept 12 | Morning Call ARTS AND TRAVEL | STORIES IN SONG - BALLADS OF FACTORY LIFE ARE FAR
FROM RUN-OF-THE-MILL STEEL'S LAST CAST |
| Sun, Sept 5 | Morning Call ARTS AND TRAVEL | FESTIVAL ARRANGER - BUILDS VOCAL COMMUNITY - STEEL'S LAST CAST |
| Sun, Sept 5 | Morning Call ARTS AND TRAVEL | LABOR MOVEMENT PLAY'S INSPIRATION CAME FROM
FRENCH THEATER EXPERT STEEL'S LAST CAST |
| Sun, July 25 | Morning Call
ACCENT (SUNDAY MAGAZINE) ABOUT THE COUNTY: BETHLEHEM |
KICKOFF FUND-RAISING PARTY CAPTURES EXCITEMENT FOR UPCOMING STEEL FESTIVAL |
| Fri, June 18 | Morning Call WEEKWND MAGAZINE | EASTON'S CANAL FEST FEATURES CLASSIC CARS, SWING MUSIC |
| Sun, June 13 | Morning Call
ACCENT (SUNDAY MAGAZINE) ABOUT THE COUNTY: BETHLEHEM |
SUMMERY SOCIALS ARE IN FULL SWING |
| Sat, April 24 | Morning Call ENTERTAINMENT | SMALL CROWD, BUT GOOD CHEER AT THE ICE HOUSE |
| Sun, March 7 | Morning Call ACCENT (SUNDAY MAGAZINE) | VOICES OF STEEL - FORMER BETHLEHEM PLANT WORKERS HELP TO FORGE FESTIVAL FROM MEMORIES |
`VALLEY CHRISTMAS' SHOW
by PAUL WILLISTEIN, The Morning Call "A Lehigh Valley Christmas '99 in
Concert" went off with nary a The WDIY-FM broadcast of the concert by
area performers and The Grinch stole the show -- "The
Grinch Who Stole Christmas," Roth, in his inimitable way, set his own
oddly amusing tone during The satiric Santa spirit was in evidence,
too, when Dave Fry, Another show host, Alan Jennings,
Community Action Committee Set-up times between groups were
problematic. It was a High on the list of outstanding
performers were the duo of Bonnie Of the groups, Blackwater again delighted
with its powerful ACCo: A Chorus Celebrating Women was
uplifting, as were the If you didn't believe in St. Nick before
hearing sandpaper Also on the bill: Deb Gaber and Darlene
Finelli, Roland Kushner, The flashy-attired Maureen O'Grady Irish
step dancers, PHOTO by LISA LAKE, Special to The
Morning Call |
AREA MUSICIANS' HOLIDAY
SONGS by PAUL WILLISTEIN, The Morning Call Fans of the region's homegrown music
scene can gather around Or they can go out to Civic Theatre in
Allentown for the fourth Either way, it's a historic event. `It's absolutely a first for us,` says
Scott Snyder, Civic Theatre The three-hour concert, in its second
year at Civic, will be It's a collaboration between Bummer Tent
Records, which `I think it's exactly the direction we
should be going in when we The concert will mark the fourth live
broadcast for WDIY and The event is believed by area radio
history experts to be one of `I've been here two years,` says Burr
Beard, WDIY station `It's unique that the Lehigh Valley has
an alternative concert. To Neil Hever, WDIY program and music
director, is the on-air host. Prior to last year, the Christmas concert
was held at the Roxy, `We found a home (at Civic ),` says
Miriam Huertas, partner with Next Sunday's eclectic concert includes:
ACCO -- A Chorus With performers and music from Bummer
Tent's four Christmas Emcees will be George Miller, Theatre
Outlet artistic director; `It is such a positive event for the
musicians,` says Huertas. `It's Adds Krisukas, `Backstage, everybody is
having as much fun as That song wasn't popular with everyone at the concert, however. `They (Lucky 7 ) have two Christmas songs
this year, and they Admission to the concert includes a
copy of this year's Bummer Also on the Christmas CD is the Funny
Looking Chamber Next Sunday's concert will be presented
against the New York `There are a lot of logistics,` says
Snyder. Jeramy Boik, Civic A dress rehearsal will be held Wednesday
night when the There will be limited time to set up for
the concert. Civic's 2 p.m. Beard and Hever hope to do more live
broadcasts. The first live A third live broadcast will be held 6-7
p.m. Jan. 13 in Room 33 of WDIY's first live music broadcast was of
Latin jazz performer `This one (Sunday's Christmas concert )
will involve interviews WDIY's digital equipment was provided
through the Despite the best planning, no one's quite
certain what to expect `We're going to leave it up to the sound
board operator at the site Hever's on-air interviews have a two-fold
purpose. `There will be Hever expects to broadcast from the sound
booth at the back of Sound from the concert will be encoded
digitally, sent over `We, in fact, have used it with the BBC.
We've given feeds `It's not like ringing up your friend
across the street,` Hever `I mean, we're working on it, but who
knows what will come out Hever says the big broadcast has a personal incentive for him: `I've been here (the Lehigh Valley ) a
long time and one of the While WDIY will make a DAT recording of
the concert, there There are plans to make the Christmas
concert broadcast an There may be other concerts presented by
Bummer Tent at `We've been talking future events,`
confirms Sanders. `It will add a weekend to the final
theater season. It will start Last year's attendance at the Christmas
concert at Civic was There's also a benefit for Civic. `There
will be a lot of people Beard points proudly to the partnership
between WDIY, Civic `A Lehigh Valley Christmas in Concert`
will be presented at 7 Zen for Primates will perform at 9:30
p.m. Dec. 29 at The Paul Willistein is Arts Editor of The
Morning Call. E-mail: --- PHOTO by UNKNOWN. |
Memo:Dave Howell is a free-lance writer. TERRY KITCHEN by DAVE HOWELL (A free-lance story for
The Morning Terry Kitchen, who will perform Sunday
night at Bethlehem's "Using music to make the world a
better place separates folk Kitchen's answer to the use of the word
folk was to repeat a Sunday's gig is a record release party
for Kitchen's fifth disc, Kitchen, born Max Pokrivchak, took his
performing name from a In a way, it's too bad that Kitchen
moved. One of the songs on While "Bethlehem" is
autobiographical, many tracks on the new Says Kitchen, "My songs are an
attempt to understand things. "Many have me putting myself in the
place of a character in the "I hope that when people hear my
songs they will see a little bit of When he was in the first grade, Kitchen
moved to Easton's By the fourth grade, Kitchen was writing
songs, and in the fifth "Blues for Cain and Abel" is
dedicated to John Steinbruck, pastor In junior high school, Kitchen moved with
his family to Cleveland After graduation in 1981, he moved to
Boston to perform in the As a performer, Kitchen describes himself
as "a cross between "In folk music there is no wall
between the performer and the Terry Kitchen, 7 p.m. Sunday, Godfrey
Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., |
LIFE OF STEEL by PAUL WILLISTEIN, The Morning Call The Steel Festival kept on rollin'
Wednesday night at the Icehouse Inspired by interviews with former steel
workers at the shuttered It's a hoot -- as in hootenanny -- and a
Bethlehem tradition that The songwriters did Alan Lomax and the
Library of Congress Tom Watson put in his nostalgic
"Forty-One Cents an Hour." Project artistic director Bob Franke's
"Little White Envelopes" Barbara Paradowski filled the barn-like
structure on her "Island in The two-hour concert's most dramatic
moments came with two Greg Cagno filled in for absent
songwriter partner Christian Also from the disc: former steel
worker Len Christman's wry The concert concluded with "Days of
Steel," the CD's title song, |
SONGS OF STEEL UPLIFT by PAUL WILLISTEIN, The Morning Call The steel titans who spawned the great
Bach Choir of Bethlehem Rather than sing the baroque master and
opera, the Steel Choir On Monday night in the Holy Infancy
School auditorium in The choir also sang Tuesday night in
Sayre Hall at the Cathedral The concert Monday, attended by 100,
linked labor history The heritage of many workers who toiled
at the former Hymns to the union, as in unionism,
included "Step By Step," with World War II, when the Steel plant became
a war machine and The concert returned to area
songwriters with the somber Barnwell's "More Than a
Paycheck" referred to what some The evening concluded with "Carry It
On," a traditional song with
|
STORIES IN SONG by PAUL WILLISTEIN, The Morning Call The days of steelmaking may be gone in
Bethlehem, but "Days of The lyrics were cast from the stories of
steel workers, heated by Fifteen songs, inspired by the Bethlehem
Steel Corp.'s Bethlehem A concert to celebrate "Days of
Steel" will be held Thursday Artistic director for the project is Bob
Franke, nationally-known The project began two years ago with
auditions and continued On the CD are songs by, in addition to
Franke and O'Donnell: Mike Krisukas produced the disc, released
on Allentown's Here are some of the stories behind the
stories told by "Days of * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BONNIE O'DONNELL "The songwriters project was sort
of the last component of the `There were a number of people
involved with the idea at "I had mentioned Bob Franke, who
had done a similar historical O'Donnell had taken songwriting
courses from Franke at The About 25 songwriters auditioned at
Godfrey Daniels two years Early on, Franke asked each songwriter
to interview another and Steel workers were interviewed from a
Touchstone list. Two "There are a number of us, as
well, who have retired steel O'Donnell interviewed Bernadette
Crockett, who was at O'Donnell also interviewed Paul
Yerger, who worked various "A lot of people talked about the
kinds of injuries steel workers "It was factory-line work with
dangerous kinds of materials. It "It just wasn't a real safe place
to work. I live not far from the O'Donnell's song on
"Days of Steel" is "Something Happened in "No one knows just
what went on that afternoon O'Donnell says her song is fictitious
and there's nobody named "It didn't come easy. It's a
tough song. I really wanted to do "It's interesting writing songs
like this from assignment. It's kind "Some of us don't work too well
with that kind of pressure and O'Donnell has one song on the disc
(most have one; three Not only were songs created. Says O'Donnell: "The other part that was created
in the meetings was building a "The CD really represents us
well. And it really shows a variety Not all on the CD perform regularly.
Says O'Donnell, "That's O'Donnell hasn't played her song for
the former steel workers * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BOB FRANKE Bob Franke's friend Bonnie O'Donnell
brought him to perform at "I had heard about it (the
songwriters project) from Bonnie. It Among the six CDs by Franke, who has
performed for 34 years "Brief Histories" (Flying Fish)
in '89 was an arts-grant funded "Marblehead Grows" was
commissioned by Marblehead Eco Detroit native Franke worked for a
college summer in the Jones "When we actually set out to do the
auditions, I had the sense that "I was weighting heavily the folks
who had had actual experience "And then I was looking for people
who I thought would work Franke's quarterly songwriting workshops began in June '98. "The second workshop was the real
breakthrough. That was the "I think, more than anything else,
that trained people in respect Franke's "Days of Steel" song,
"Little White Envelopes," is based "Little white envelopes, row on row, Under portraits of Grace and Schwab The envelopes are "layoff envelopes." "They (the workers) were given the
envelopes and told not to Franke's impressed with the "Days of Steel" songwriters' work: "On one level, I was amazed. But
then on another level, I had "I'm honored to be a part of it. And
I'm honored to gain a number * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * MIKE KRISUKAS, MIRIAM HUERTAS "They (the CDs songwriters) cover so
many different "We got together one night and
everybody just passed the guitar "The songs just knocked me out. Pure
songwriting. Just "Tom Watson -- he just came out of
nowhere. This guy is this "Everybody knew that his song (`Days
of Steel') really captured "With (`Days of Steel'), it might
not be world-class performers, Krisukas, well-known Valley
musician-composer-producer who "We got a chance to interact with a
whole circle of people that Says Krisukas, "`It was just a scene
that I wasn't a part of. The "Some (of the songwriters) will be
featured on this year's The fourth annual "Lehigh Valley
Christmas" CD is expected to Bummer Tent plans to release its 11th CD,
by area Celtic band, Krisukas is working on material for Zen
for Primates' third disc, "Days of Steel" was recorded at
Bummer Tent Studios, It will be available at Steel Festival
events. Following the festival, The disc was recorded over four months,
beginning in March. Krisukas, originally from Easton, didn't
have family members who Says Huertas, who had several family
members who worked in "Four of my five brothers-in-law
worked at the Steel, some as "That's why I love what Patty Foley
Edgar did (`!No Te Vayas "It didn't happen to my immediate
family because my dad didn't * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BARBARA PARADOWSKI "I'm sort of getting back into it.
This is sort of my mid-life coming She met Bob Franke in the late '70s on
the upstate New York "I said `yes' without knowing what
it really entailed," Paradowski "I had never been involved in a
songwriting workshop," she notes. She contacted Ishmael Garcia, who worked
in the Coke Works. "He was so nice," remembers
Paradowski. Garcia's niece Delia "Bob had given us some notes on what
to listen to. I really didn't "When you're listening to things
that are foreign to you, not a lot "But I got a sense of their
camaraderie. They moved their culture Paradowski was given a tour of the social
club. She noticed a "Part of that is in the song,"
she says, referring to "Island in the "A crunch of seashells on an aqua coastline." A tour of the plant by Bette Kovach,
Bethlehem Steel director of "the star, our guardian angel." It refers, not to the Star of Bethlehem
atop South Mountain, but a "The edges of the streets hang thick
with language The word "uneasy" is how others
look at the Latino tradition of "Protect us with your love" "It's a prayer," she notes.
"I take it they came here with nothing About the song's title, "Island in
the River," Paradowski says, "Bless our island in this iron river" The "iron river" is the Lehigh
River, on whose banks the Paradowski has another song, "Live
On," on "Days of Steel." The "Live On" tells the story of
Eric, Bethlehem plant graffiti artist "hovered on high planks, this dangerous pose it's like kilroy was here" "Eric was the most prolific of the
graffiti artists. They didn't know "At first I wasn't going to write a
song about Eric because I On the plant tour, says Paradowski,
"The welfare room really "I have relatives who worked in
Bethlehem Steel's Lackawanna "One of the things he said was about
the narrow gauge railroad "For the chorus, I called up Len
(Christman) to see if he "The smells, the noise, the heat and
cold " `Live On` is largely made up but I
wanted to stay true to the Paradowski moved from upstate New York in
'81 to East "That's where I'm headed," she
says enthusiastically. "I can't let it Of the singer-songwriter project she says
wistfully, "It's been two * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * LEN CHRISTMAN Len Christman, who worked at the
Bethlehem plant for 39 years, Christman, Allentown Central Catholic
Class of '54, was the last An article in The Morning Call and
encouragement from his wife, Christman wrote six songs as part of the
workshop. "Names," "My wife just said, `Why don't you just do it on the nicknames?' " `Names' came from my own
experiences as a retiree, plus "There's Whiskey Bill, and Irish Stu Holy Joe, Goosey John, and Shorty Lou" "They knew each other very well.
Everybody watched each "I bet if you ask them today, `Do
you remember a certain fellow Christman estimates he worked on
"Names" for about two "That song was the easiest and
quickest to put together. As Through the project, Touchstone asked
Christman to be in last "It's been a constant talking about
keeping the singer-songwriter "I'm not a seasoned performer like
many members of the group. "It was a lot of fun,"
Christman says. "It was a bit exasperating at Christman is philosophical about his days at the Steel: "I can't say anything negative. It
supplied me with a place to work "When you're working for a large
corporation, you've got to take "You go from the Brass Age to the
Iron Age and the Steel Age. "The thing that I like with the
(Steel) festival is that for future "And that's what I take out of the
festival and what they're doing. "Actually, sometimes it's a little
hard going back to the play "Days of Steel," 2, 7 p.m.
today, Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. 4th St., The disc, $15, is available at Steel Festival events. PHOTO by DOUGLAS BENEDICT, The Morning
Call PHOTO by MICHAEL KUBEL, Special to The
Morning Call |
FESTIVAL ARRANGER
by GEOFF GEHMAN, The Morning Call The Steelworkers' Chorus is rehearsing a
number for the play "You are the machinery in this
mill," Barnwell tells the males Analogy over, Barnwell goes for the
vernacular. "OK, guys," says What follows is a work song with a
militial march. Led by a Barnwell is building a vocal community,
doing for the Steel Barnwell admits she had to learn she's
ideal for the job. Yes, she After two months of arranging and four
visits to Bethlehem, In her own material Barnwell sings of
work's value. For a "No one talks about the boredom in a
hazardous work Barnwell gravitates to the
occupational-health issues in The day begins with the Young People's
Chorus. A half-dozen Barnwell's personality is commanding. Her
regal jewelry includes Friendly advice reminds that Barnwell has
served a children's In the next session the youngsters join
the Steelworkers' and Tonight, the spirit is slightly shackled.
Barnwell instructs the The tips work. The sopranos, altos and
tenors answer the "I'm saying the joy here is being
able to listen to the soft focus," Two choirs leave the room, leaving the
Steelworkers' Chorus to "How many of you were in the
Army?" she asks. About eight "It was a brilliant moment, if I
must say so myself," Barnwell says Indeed, Barnwell accepts two suggestions.
A former steelworker The changes fit Vereen like custom
fatigues. Leading a work For the evening's final group, Barnwell
shoots Zen-arrow advice. The prettiness is there, but not the
resolve. The chord supporting The next day Barnwell discusses the need
for the festival to "The bridges have been built. The
buildings have been built," Shortly after, Barnwell shows how
technology can benefit Barnwell can testify to music building
communities. In a 2 PHOTOS by DOUGLAS BENEDICT, The Morning
Call |
LABOR MOVEMENT PLAY'S
by PAUL WILLISTEIN, The Morning Call The genesis of "Steelbound" and
the Steel Festival began with an In 1994, Touchstone Theatre's and Lehigh
University's Theater of "A comment by Lecoq became the
inspiration for the Steel Previously, in Paris, Lecoq mentored
Touchstone's McKenna, Touchstone Theatre, founded in 1981
(formerly People's Theatre Lecoq, who died in January in his 80s,
was one of the fathers of Lecoq, Marcel Marceau and Ettienne
Decroux were disciples of "They thought that most stage acting
was false," says McKenna. Lecoq's work with Touchstone and at the
Creation Festival Lecoq was given a tour of the Steel
plant. Afterward, he met "He was talking about how incredible
it (the plant) was," recalls Continues McKenna, "We started to
tell Lecoq that the steel mill "We got into this conversation about
how striking it would be to "And then Lecoq just said, `It's
necessary to do a Greek play in "Since I had been at Touchstone
(McKenna joined in '86), "But the leap that happened with
Lecoq's comment was that a Lecoq's movement-based theater utilized
Greek drama, clowning, "In most plays, a chorus is a guy or
three guys. At his school, "All these different styles Lecoq
investigated are about the One week after Lecoq's Bridgeworks
exhortation, Gilrain Renowned storyteller Jay O'Callahan,
whose work Touchstone Notes Sacarakis, "One of the best
times I had was driving Jay Area songwriter Bonnie O'Donnell
brought in Boston's Bob Also coming on board: Ken Smith, then
Bethlehem's mayor; Donches is on the board of the National
Museum of Industrial Then Touchstone board member Ed Riccio
showed members of Throughout '94 and into '95, the Steel
Fest group began talking Recalls McKenna, "Some of the first
guys we talked to about this "But then when we pushed a little
bit and stayed to listen, there "It was almost an oral history.
These (Steel plant) jobs were "We knew that we were on the right
track and not just inspired Bette Kovach, Bethlehem Steel director of
media relations, joined In 1996, the Steel Festival nearly came
to a grinding halt. Explains About 40 to 50 steelworkers attended the
sitdown reading, a "The reaction was very cool,"
McKenna admits. "The connection "I thought, `Well, they're just
seeing a reading. They're not seeing Attending the reading was Ysaye Barnwell,
from Sweet Honey in That's when Touchstone thought of
Cornerstone Theater, one of McKenna called Bill Rauch, Cornerstone
artistic director. The "In 10 minutes, he was behind the
project," says McKenna, "And that's how we knew we really
had something. All we had to It was decided Cornerstone playwright
Alison Carey would script Before beginning to write the script,
Carey visited Bethlehem and Auditions for "Steelbound" were
held over five days in January at In "Prometheus Bound," seven
principal characters visit In Carey's "Steelbound,"
instead of one Greek chorus, there are "Originally, in the play she (Penny)
was called Lehigh, for the In "Steelbound," Penny is a
daughter of a steelworker. A Hermes, messenger to Zeus, has become
Herman the historian, Involvement in "Steelbound"
spread across the Lehigh Valley. The collaboration extended to Charlie
Martin, Bethlehem Steel The ground at the foundry had to be
prepared, which meant Adds McKenna, "It was great when
Bill (Rauch) said that in the The authenticity also includes using a steel H-beam as a prop. Points out McKenna, "So many of the
ideas of how we do things "Steelbound" rehearsals were
held monthly from January through Rehearsals have been emotionally intense.
"Almost every Capacity for "Steelbound" is
expected to be 300 per performance, Says McKenna, "A very important part
of the whole experience McKenna says "Steelbound" has invigorated Touchstone. "The best part for all of us working
on this has been working with He hopes the Steel Festival has a lasting community impact. "What I'm looking for during the two
weeks of the festival, for PHOTO by DOUGLAS BENEDICT, The Morning
Call |
KICKOFF FUND-RAISING
PARTY by TINA BRADFORD (A free-lance story for
The Morning Touchstone Theater held a lively kickoff
party to launch its The early June kick-off party, held at
the Allentown Art Museum, The museum was chosen as the party site
because it is home to The sculpture became part of the evening
merriment with a toast. Created by French artist Jean Leon Gerome
in 1904, the Attending the kick-off for Touchstone was
John Saraceno, Also at the fete were board members Mary
Meilinger, Hal Black, The Steel Festival will include
performances of "Steelbound," a Former United Steel Workers of America
President Pete Also attending the launch party were Bob
Wilkins, Frank Baker, "Steelbound" will be presented
in the historic stone foundry at "The acoustics are fabulous there,
plus the site offers a view of Posters of "The Steel Worker"
are available from Touchstone. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Other fund-raising news from Touchstone
includes its highly The concert, a near sell-out, helped
raise several thousand dollars Gorka, whose career has been on a steady
rise with several Following Gorka's lead were Diane and
Paul Davison, Ella Opening for Gorka were area song
writers and Steel Festival * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Don't forget, two more weeks are
remaining for the Friday From 6 to 8 p.m. Friday , acoustic
raconteur Tom Walz will join PHOTO courtesy Allentown Art Museum |
EASTON'S CANAL FEST FEATURES CLASSIC
CARS, by DENNIS ZEHNER, The Morning Call What do classic cars, canal boats, and
swing music have in If your dad likes all three, he's in luck
for Father's Day. The 21st The classic cars, provided by the Lehigh
Valley Region of the Albina Morris of Palmer Township,
secretary for the club, says it Nancy Boccadoro, Canal Festival chair for
the National Canal |