72 HOURS March 16, 2023

Last Fan Standing tests your knowledge about the things that really matter: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Superheroes, and Gaming. Everyone in the audience gets to play. Fans answering the most questions correct in the fastest amount of time will come up on stage with Bruce for the Final Face-Off, and one player will be crowned Last Fan Standing! After Last Fan Standing, watch A GROOVY BRUCE MOVIE! It’s a lively half hour of anecdotes, insults and random cash giveaways. Bruce will screen cult favorite Army of Darkness and take questions before the screening.

Tickets are $35 Regular, $30 Seniors, $5 Students w/ID (Student tickets must be purchased through the box office.)

PUBLISHER Geordie Wilson

EDITOR Lauren LaRocca llarocca@newspost.com

REVENUE DIRECTOR Connie

CALENDAR EDITOR Sue

Hastings

Guynn sguynn@newspost.com

ON THE COVER: Leila Eguino created two murals at New Spire Stages to celebrate the power of performing arts.

Staff photo by Bill Green

WHERE ICE IS NICE: The frozen Swiss lake where the ultra-rich race. PAGE 11

SUSPICIOUS MINDS: Novelist Alma Katsu on writing spy stories about women. PAGE 16

BREWING UP BREAKFAST AND MORE: Gravel & Grind serves up their signature coffee beverages, waffles and topped-toasts PAGE 5

NEW MURALS AT NEW SPIRE STAGES

Meet the D.C. artist behind the new murals at New Spire Stages in this week’s cover story. The Frederick Arts Council, as part of its strategic plan for public art in the county, commissioned muralist Leila Eguino to paint the pieces, which are a celebration of the return of performing arts after a grueling few years during the pandemic.

‘TIS THE SEASON … FOR TREE TAPPING

Timing is everything, and perhaps no one knows this better than those whose work follows the natural world. Local tree tappers from Fox Haven Farm and Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Wine will host From Sap to Syrup to demonstrate how trees are tapped to make syrup. Find them this weekend and next weekend, or head out to the annual Maple Syrup Festival this weekend at Cunningham Falls State Park.

‘SWEENEY TODD [PROG METAL VERSION]’ COMES TO FREDERICK

When Stephen Sondheim himself gives you permission to transform one of his musicals into a prog-metal version, well, all signs point to go. Landless Theatre Co., based in Frederick, opened its original “Sweeney Todd [Prog Metal Version]” in Washington, D.C., in 2014 and will bring it to Frederick this month.

OPERA HOUSE REOPENS

While venues across the country shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cherished Opera House in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, had already been closed for business and busy cleaning up its own mess. A pipe burst in 2018 caused the historic theater to close for repairs, and staff used that time to renovate the space entirely. The theater reopened on March 4 and its owners have begun scheduling programming for the remainder of 2023, including hosting some of the Contemporary American Theater Festival and the Speak Story Series. You can expect to see regular film screenings in the weeks to come, with live music restarting at a later date.

INSPIRATION FOR SEWING PROJECTS

Bring your stitching or mending projects and work alongside other stitchers for an afternoon. In conjunction with Karin Birch’s “Surface Tension” exhibition at NOMA Gallery, which runs through March 26, she will host a Stitch In from noon to 3 p.m. March 19 at the Y Arts Center, 115 E. Church St., Frederick, open to anyone interested in joining in.

RETRO PROM RETURNS AFTER HIATUS

Theater companies found creative ways to continue to engage audiences with the art form throughout the pandemic, streaming live readings and plays and and setting up outdoor shows. In Frederick, nothing says those times are over more than the return of Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s annual Retro Prom, a beloved event that went on hiatus during the pandemic. It will return this weekend with an appropriate theme: The Roaring ’20s. Dress in your best ‘20s-themed attire, dance, and raise some money for this theater we are so lucky to have in town.

Meet Bob & Freddie. When it comes to local businesses, businesspeople and organizations in Frederick, they know best. Here is a personal interview with a 2022 Best of the Best winner or finalist about why they love what they do, helping those they serve and working in Frederick.

Law Office of Lena A. Clark

2022 FINALIST FOR BEST LAW FIRM – ESTATE

129 W. Patrick St, #11, Frederick

301-696-0567

lenaclarklegal.com

Case Study: Leaving Your Home to Your Son

Picture the following: you and your spouse decided that you would like to leave your home to your son. Your neighbor suggested the best way to do so was to add your son to the deed, so the child will be on the title when you pass away. You have the home retitled.

The issues with the above scenario begin almost immediately. You and your spouse can no longer sell the property without your son’s consent. Suppose in the future he has a difficult significant other who pressures him to make sure the house is never sold – if they win him over, your hands are tied. You would also need to report the transfer to the IRS as a gift and file a Gift Tax return.

When you and your spouse pass away, the property is not the only thing your son will inherit. Whenever he decides to sell the home, he will be required to pay capital gains tax on the appreciation from the time you purchased your home, due to your old and often very low basis.

What does that mean? Say you purchased your home in the early nineties for around $150,000. Now, 30 years later, the property is worth somewhere between $400,000$500,000. Your son will be eager to immediately sell the house and cash in on that equity you built for him. However, he will have to pay capital gains tax on the difference between the original purchase price and today’s value. This can amount

to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax liability.

What could you have done differently? With a proper Estate Plan, you would have placed the property into a Revocable Living Trust which leaves the property to your son when you pass away. The Trust requires no gift tax return preparation at the time of transfer, allows you to remain in control of the house while you are living, and your son gets a step-up in basis to the date of your death under the current tax law. Going back to our example, when he sells the house there would be little to no capital gains tax on the sale of the property. Give your family a gift, and a huge favor by properly setting up your Estate Planning documents with an attorney who concentrates on Wills and Trusts exclusively. Please call us at 301-696-0567 or selfschedule at lenaclarklegal.com if you would like help protecting your assets and loved ones in the event of death or disability.

Sign up for our monthly newsletter: https://join.industrynewsletters.com/signup/ LawOfficeofLenaAClarkLLC

Aubrey Slater of Saint Luna Moonshine

In this episode of the UnCapped podcast, host Chris Sands talks with Aubrey Slater from Saint Luna Moonshine about the history of the brand and Slater’s path to working in the spirits industry. Here is an excerpt of their talk.

UnCapped: Today I’m joined by Aubrey Slater … and what is your official title? Because it is a fun one.

Aubrey Slater: Yeah, it’s cute. I am the Chief Brand Development Queen. It wasn’t my choice, but if the shoe fits perfectly, just wear it.

UnCapped: Have you ever worked somewhere where they wanted you to pick your title?

Slater: I think this was the first time I was asked to choose it, because it’s not only a new position, it’s a brand new company. Being a transgender woman, I was like, I need a strong title. I need something with authority, where people are gonna take me seriously in this business where my community’s not really represented. So I was like, Chief Brand Development Officer. My business partner was like, “You’re the Chief Brand Development Queen.” I was just like, yeah, sure, I’ve always felt somewhat royal. Before I even had time to debate this, business cards were printed, mailed, and that was it.

UnCapped: So how long has Saint Luna been around?

Slater: My business partner, David Suk, is the founder and CEO, and he started this company back in 2019.

UnCapped: Really good timing.

Slater: Yeah, and he was a one-man band, pumping this stuff around New York City, hitting up his friends who were in the hospitality industry. We became, somehow, the first spirit brand to ever be carried at Bergdorf Goodman, the department store here in New York City. That’s a little fun factoid. He just carried on by himself until he got me.

UnCapped: And there’s no distillery, right? You contract a distillery?

Slater: Yes, we do contract a distillery.

We were with a distillery in North Carolina, and then the pandemic hit, and

I guess a lot of people got it in their head that they wanted to make booze as well. So, that distillery was on a two-year backlog of companies that wanted to do distillate runs, and they upped their cost, like, 35%. And we don’t have investors. It’s just this ragtag group of people trying to get this done.

Our master distiller, Scott Smith, lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and we tasked him to find our next distillery, and he found one in Chattanooga. We’re getting ready to do our trial run there …

to see if everything is on point. Then you make your big order.

UnCapped: Did he have to do a lot of changing to adapt the recipe to a new location? That’s one thing I’ve learned, how different stills have a tremendous affect on the output.

Slater: Let me preface this. The first distillery used a 17-plate repeating column still.

When it was first created, it was created in a pot still. Like most moonshine, it was made on a farm in Georgia, unbeknownst to authorities. We come by the name moonshine [respectfully]. We started as moonshine.

Scott is an organic chemist and a brilliant mind, and he said when he tasted it off the column still, it kept all of its integrity. I can only imagine that when we switch to this new distillery, it will be another column still. I have yet to see it. I

havent been much involved in that area.

UnCapped: Your background is in hospitality, correct?

Slater: Oh, yes.

UnCapped: So who developed what is now Saint Luna Moonshine?

Slater: Scott Smith. He’s one of those renaissance men, runs a lab creating all-natural and organic lotions and soaps for larger companies. They say they want a hand sanitizer that smells like cucumber and sea salt, and he gets in his little lab and creates these specific scents. But he’s also a welder, a carpenter ...

UnCapped: One of those damn people who can do anything.

Slater: Yeah — plays rugby, is a cyclist, an amazing father.

UnCapped: So he’s annoying.

Slater: [Laughs.] He is that guy. … He’s a Marylander, grew up outside of Annapolis … and he’s been toying around with distillates since he was in college. He’s just one of those people — organic chemist, good with his hands, “I’m gonna make illegal booze for all my friends.” I’m sure he was actually quite popular. He worked on this formula for, like, 15 years.

I think a lot of people have preconceived notions about moonshine, like it’s some crazy hillbilly up in the woods late at night. Most people think it’s corn liquor or un-aged white dog whiskey.

But I always describe moonshine as being like jazz. It’s this purely American heritage spirit. You get rums from the Caribbean and the French, you get whiskeys from the UK, agaves from south of the border. The beauty of moonshine is it’s this free-form art that is at the will of the artist. If you have bumper crop of peaches, you’re making peach moonshine. You got elderberries, you’re making elderberry moonshine. It’s basically whatever you can stick in your mash bill and ferment and then run into a still.

This excerpt has been edited for space and clarity. Listen to the full podcast at fnppodcasts.com/uncapped. Got UnCapped news? Email csands@ newspost.com.

Courtesy photo

Aubrey Slater

Gravel & Grind has a talent for toast

Over a year into its relocation to East Sixth Street, Gravel & Grind is still serving up signature coffee beverages, waffles and an eclectic array of topped-toasts the way owner Tracy Hathaway always intended: alongside bicycles and warm conversation. “It’s been a great, wonderful year,” Hathaway said. “[We] made a lot of new friends and reconnected with some old friends, and that’s been really fantastic.” Hathaway and business partner Matt Donahue sell and rent bikes and offer bike-tuning services at their shop and maintain that Frederick is a fantastic place to explore on two wheels. On the food side, Gravel & Grind serves waffles on weekends that include gluten-free options and fruit-filled toppings. Gravel & Grind toasts also have gluten-free options, with sweet toppings like Nutella and orange blossom fluff and savory toppings like Brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes and feta. Bread is provided locally from Twin Bears Bakery. Their coffee menu includes chocolate-infused pour-overs and lattes, with coffee beans and chocolate sourced locally.

— Emmett Gartner

GRAVEL & GRIND

Address: 15 E. Sixth St., Frederick

Website: gravelandgrind.com

Social: @gravelandgrind

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday

Price: Coffee and tea beverages range from $3 to $5.75, beer and canned cocktails are $4 to $5, waffles are $10.25 to $12.25, loaded toasts are $6 to $9.

Co-owner Tracy Hathaway poses for a portrait with the pesto, mozzarella, and blistered tomato toast, and the Catch Me If You Cayenne latte at Gravel & Grind on March 1.

Staff photos by Katina Zentz

The owner recommends: Toast topped with pesto, mozzarella and blistered tomatoes. “It’s just a fresh, bright, delicious snack that goes well with a coffee or tea.” Coffee-wise, Hathaway recommends the seasonal Catch Me if You Cayenne latte, which includes a melted mocha sauce, cayenne and vanilla.

Tom Rush brings his ballads to the Weinberg

BY COLIN MCGUIRE Special to The News-Post

Tom Rush has been around long enough to remember when people still had CD players — and cassette players, record players … you get it.

James Taylor has cited him as inspiration, and even country legend Garth Brooks once said Rush is one of his five biggest influences.

Rush will bring his catalog to the Weinberg Center for the Arts on March 17, and, as he said recently, the crowd can expect some of the best songs he feels he’s ever written.

He talked with 72 Hours about his upcoming mini-tour, how he got his first record deal, how much the music industry has changed and his video series Rockport Sunday(s), which features him performing, sometimes with a guest. This conversation has been edited for clarity and space.

I was looking at your tour dates and it seems like you’re doing just a short run when you come through Frederick. Are there other plans to get out and play more after this?

Oh, yeah, but I don’t do tours anymore. I do “tourlets.” The run that we’re on right now, we’ll be in State College, Frederick — which is the most important one [laughs] — and Alexandria, Virginia. Then I have a whole five days off and then I have two more gigs and I have a week of recording sessions. And then I go to the Midwest. So, yeah, I’m busy.

I noticed you have a Patreon. You create weekly videos, I see.

Yeah, they’re called Rockport Sunday(s), and it’s been a lot of fun. I started when the pandemic shut down all the shows I was giving. I was kind of going through withdrawal because I couldn’t play for people, and I figured, well, I’ll do these little video clips every Sunday morning. I’ll post one, they’ll stay up for eight weeks, and you can subscribe and I’ll come visit you in your home every Sunday. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve got a bunch of subscribers that just love it.

The music industry itself has changed so much, with the accessibility people have now to listen to their favorite artists. There was a time when artists made pretty much the most money touring and being out on the road. Now you can make just as much being at home. Can you talk a little bit about that, seeing the evolution of how the

business has changed?

Well, yeah, as you say, it’s been profound. When I started out [in the 1960s], if you did not have a record deal, you did not exist. The record company was your entire connection with your audience. The record company would get you on the radio shows and get you written up in the papers and the magazines. They would get billboards put up for you. If you didn’t have a record company, you were invisible.

Now, any kid with a laptop can make music in their bedroom and post it on the internet. And most of it’s terrible, but some of it is really, really good. There are people and bands that I’ve never heard of who are selling out stadiums, because if they haven’t been on the radio, they haven’t been in the newspapers, and they’re basically an internet phenomenon.

Do you think that that’s a good thing or a bad thing? Because I could see it both ways.

I think it’s a little of both. It’s a way for people to connect with music, and I think more people are connecting with more music than ever. The problem,

you know, from a working musician standpoint, is that it’s really, really hard nowadays to make a living except on the road. My Rockport Sunday(s), frankly, sustained me through the pandemic, and it was wonderful. But, you know, I was looking through my royalty statement from BMI, and if 1,000 people play one of my songs on Spotify — 1,000 people — how much do you think I should make if 1,000 people play one of my songs?

Well, I would think at least $1,000, if not more, but that’s usually not how that goes, is it?

No, I get a penny. So it’s really hard to buy a cup of coffee with that kind of interface with your audience. Somebody’s making a lot of money, but it’s not the musicians.

Yeah. Everybody kind of thinks Spotify is the devil, because they hardly pay musicians at all. Do you think having a record deal or having the record company machine behind you is as important today?

I have made two albums through a record company called Appleseed, and I liked them a lot. It’s a little label;

the guy does it because he loves the music, which is kind of an oldfashioned concept. The reason I do it is that I just don’t have the staff, manpower or the inclination to clear all the publishing rights and get things manufactured and get them distributed to what’s left of the stores. So, I basically make a deal where he does that, and then I buy the CDs from him and resell them at shows and through my website.

But even that’s problematic. The big companies are not anywhere near as big as they used to be. A major hit nowadays is about 10% of the sales that it would have been 20 years ago. Having a big hit is nowhere near as big as it once was. And there are a few people making big money. It’s only a handful. The problem is … they regard the artist as kind of an expendable thing. You know, if one artist starts to falter, there’ll be another one. It’s, “Goodbye. Thanks for your five or 10 years. Good luck.”

Yeah, and as you’ve seen that evolve through the years, I’m sure it has to have been deflating. It seems like it’s harder than ever to really push through all the noise.

You’re right. And that’s another dimension to the whole thing, because there’s so much going on. On the internet, just getting anybody’s attention is a major challenge. And it’s one of the reasons, frankly, that I record those Sunday episodes. I’ve kept them down to five minutes, maybe 15 minutes tops, if I have a guest on and we’re really having a lot of fun. But they’re little, short snippets. I get emails from friends of mine saying if I’m posting an hour-long show, they don’t have an hour. But, you know, almost everybody has 10 minutes, which is why those episodes are cut down to bite-sized morsels.

Can you take us back all the way to how you broke into being a working musician?

I was going to Harvard, and I got a radio show on Harvard’s radio station. It was a 30-minute show every Tuesday night, and I had to have guests on my show. So, I would go open mics, which we called the hootenanny back then, to try to find people willing to come on my radio show. I discovered that you could get in for free if you had a guitar with you. Then I discovered you could get in for free if you had a guitar case. So, I would put a sixpack in the guitar case and head out to the hootenanny and I got caught

Shoshannah White

Tom Rush, 2017.

one night. The boss said, “You got to get on stage, kid. You got in for nothing.” So, I got up and I did a short set. I was terminally nervous, but I apparently did well enough that the guy called me a couple of weeks later asked me if I’d come and be a substitute folk singer because somebody got sick. I started doing shows like that.

It was actually an interesting thing because in 1962, a guy came down the steps to one of the clubs I was playing and said, “Do you want to make an album?” I said, “Yes, sure.” I had heard that before and nothing ever came of it. But he actually showed up with his tape recorder the size of a washing machine and recorded two nights and put up an LP on this little nonexistent label that he had. It all of a sudden made me more legitimate than anybody else in town because I had an LP and nobody else did.

That didn’t last for long because pretty soon, everybody else was getting signed to real labels like Vanguard, Elektra, Prestige. Finally, I did get signed to Prestige and then moved over to Elektra and then to Columbia. It was a way to reach a lot more people than I was going to ever reach with my radio show. I think my radio show probably on a good night had an audience numbering in the dozens.

It can be a good transition from radio into music or performance, I would think. At least you’re comfortable behind a microphone.

Well, yeah, that’s true. It was a good experience. Although my nickname on the radio was “Dead Air.” Whenever I couldn’t think of anything to say, I wouldn’t say anything. To contrast that with something today, I’m going to have an accompanist with me at the show and Frederick and his name is Matt Nakoa. This guy is a monster talent. He’s one of the most talented people I’ve ever met, and that is saying something. He’s got his own career going on the side, and he is, to his credit, getting busier and busier, so I know I’m not going to have him as my accompanist for long. This guy should be playing stadiums. You know, if this was 20, 30 years ago, he would be playing stadiums. But now he’s playing clubs and he’s also got a cover band. He likes cover bands. Now, I’m trying to figure out how I can be my own cover band [laughs].

Was there ever a time where you thought maybe you wanted to do anything else rather than the hustle and bustle of the music world?

Not really, no. I love performing

CATCH THE LIVE SHOW

Singer-songwriters Tom Rush and Loudon Wainwright III, joined by Matt Nakoa, will bring storytelling, melancholy ballads and gritty blues to the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. March 17.

Tickets start at $27 and are available at weinbergcenter.org, by calling the box office at 301-600-2828, or in person at 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Discounts are available for students, children, military and seniors.

for people. The way I look at it these days, I play for free. I get paid to travel. I get paid very well to travel, thank you very much. But, no, seriously, I just love playing for people. And I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. I was talking to Tom Paxton about retirement, and he said, “What would you do? Sit around and play the guitar all day?” Well, yeah, I would. But now, I can get paid for it.

Speaking of that, there’s no real retirement plan for musicians. Unless you’re playing stadiums at some point in your life, but even then, it might not always work out either. Was there ever a time when you said, “Man, it’d be nice to have a fallback?” Did you want some other type of career to ensure that you would have gotten the stereotypical benefits and the retirement package and all of that?

Well, yeah, it’s true. I’m selfemployed. So, you know, I have a good boss but no retirement package. I plan to keep doing this for as long as I can do it. And if I’m being honest, I think the shows I’m doing now are the best I’ve ever done.

I know you’ve worked with a lot of people through the years. Is there anybody you have you’ve not worked with who you really want to work with?

I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that, but one of the cool things about Rockport Sunday(s) is that I’ve been having guests on, and it’s getting to where, you know, Gordon Lightfoot wants to come on the show. And that would be very nice. I’d have to go to Toronto to tape him. I would love to get some of my old colleagues.

James Taylor credits me as being a major influence and I’m friends with Jackson Browne. I’d like to get some of those guys on my Sunday show and work with them in that way.

Are there any modern-day artists you like to listen to?

You know, I’ll be honest, I don’t listen to a lot of music. I should listen to more stuff. Again, Matt Nakoa is an amazingly talented guy. He writes great songs, and he plays piano like nobody I’ve ever heard. He’s also a monster guitar player. He sings like an angel and he’s handsome, and I basically hate him [laughs].

What does the rest of 2023 look like for you? Is there a new release in the works?

Actually, Matt Nakoa has gotten tired of me talking about making a new album, so he just decided that he’s going to take charge and make it happen. So at the very end of March, early April, we’ve got a studio booked and some musicians to come in to play. I think it’ll be a very low-key production, not a lot of horn sections and backup singers and stuff, because I’ve really come to like the Sunday thing because it is very low-key. It’s just me plus a guest sometimes playing together, but it’s not big production stuff at all. It’s very casual, informal. And I kind of need to make an album that way. I’ve got some songs that I think are the best I’ve ever written. I’ve written more songs in the past 10 years than I did in the first 50 years, so I’m looking forward to that.

Then the question becomes, what do you do with it?

Yeah, OK. Recorded 12 songs. So what? People come up and say, “I don’t have the CD player.” Yeah, so what do you do with it? And I think we will be shooting video at the same time as we’re recording the audio, which gives you the option of doing some stuff online. One of the most challenging things about making an album is sequencing the songs. What songs should come first? What comes next? And how do you build the sequence of the songs? It’s kind of irrelevant, because nobody listens to an album from top to bottom anymore. They pick a couple they like the best, and that’s it. As you were pointing out, it’s a very different world.

Colin McGuire has been in and out of bands for more than 20 years and also helps produce concerts in and around Frederick. His work has appeared in Alternative Press magazine, PopMatters and 72 Hours, among other outlets. He is convinced that the difference between being in a band and being in a romantic relationship is less than minimal. Contact him at mcguire.colin@gmail.com.

COMMON GROUND DOWNTOWN

Blues guitarist Guy Davis in concert

Guy Davis is a musician, storyteller, author and actor — and was never an artist who fit any narrow definitions of the blues.

He regularly finds new outlets for his warm singing and deft acoustic playing, both of which are evident on his new album, “Be Ready When I Call You.” For the first time in his more than a dozen-album career, Davis wrote nearly every track on the disc.

The album broadens his musical reach to include everything from modern electric blues to banjo shuffles and a touch of rap. Tying all his work together is his love of a good story.

The son of famed actor/civil rights activists Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, Davis celebrates and expands the music and stories he learned at the knees of his parents and grandparents.

Common Ground Downtown will host this nationally acclaimed blues guitarist in concert at the Carroll Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. March 18.

A partnership between the Carroll County Arts Council and Common Ground on the Hill, Common Ground Downtown is a series of concerts featuring regional bluegrass, roots and Americana musicians.

Davis has been turning out chart-topping, award-winning blues since his debut in 1995. His 2017 album, “Sonny & Brownie’s Last Ride,” received a Grammy nomination, as well as nominations for 2018 Best Acoustic Artist and Best Acoustic Album by the Blues Music Association. His album “Kokomo Kidd” was named 2016 Acoustic Record of the Year by Blues Blast Magazine and received nominations for the Blues Music Association Acoustic Album of the Year 2016 and Acoustic Artist of the Year. These awards follow his 2014 Blues Music Association nominations for Acoustic Album of the Year (Juba Dance) and Acoustic Artist of the Year.

Tickets are $27 for adults and $24 for ages 60 and up and 25 and under. Tickets can be purchased at carrollcountyartscouncil.org or by calling the box office at 410-848-7272. The Carroll Arts Center is at 91 W. Main St., Westminster.

Courtesy photo Guy Davis

SUNDAY CLASSICS SERIES

The Morpheus Trio live in concert

The Morpheus Trio, composed of Kyle Engler (mezzo soprano), Larry Williams (French horn) and Daniel Lau (piano), will perform in concert as part of Carroll County Arts Council’s Sunday Classics Concert Series on March 19.

The trio was formed in the ’90s when all three musicians were students at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Inspired by Schubert’s “Auf dem Strom,” the trio searched for music with instrumentation for voice, horn and piano. While only a modest amount of repertoire was in the canon, the group uncovered hidden gems and also partnered

with living composers commissioning a number of works. Today, their concerts celebrate both classics and new discoveries for their

unique instrumentation. The show starts at 2 p.m. at the Carroll Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Tickets are $25 for

adults, $22 ages 25 and under and ages 60 and up and can be purchased at carrollcountyartscouncil.org or by calling 410-848-7272.

Award-winning Columbia Orchestra director

Jason Love, who has served as the Columbia Orchestra music director since 1999, will step down from his position on June 30.

During his time with the organization, the orchestra has more than doubled in size. Under his direction, the orchestra averages 11 classical concerts per season, as well as two pops concerts, educational concerts and chamber performances. In the fall of 2022, the orchestra presented a free classical concert at Chrysalis at Merriweather Park, an outdoor venue, with an audience of more than 1,200 attendees.

“Jason has been an important part of our orchestra, organization and community for many years and I am sad to see that he will not hold the same role, but at the same time, happy

How will you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

IRISH FOOD, BEER, MUSIC AT BUSHWALLER’S

Frederick’s Irish pub and longtime dining staple Bushwaller’s is a favorite stop on St. Patrick’s Day each year.

The pub will open at 8 a.m. March 17 for its Kegs N Eggs breakfast.

Hear live music all day, including a performance from Lenny Burridge, who combines rock, folk, Irish tunes, country, jazz and blues. Learn more about the artist at lennyburridge. com.

Bushwaller’s is at 209 North Market St., Frederick

CLASSIC IRISH SONGS AT MORGAN’S COFFEEHOUSE

that he is embarking on a new journey, creating opportunities to make an impact in new ways,” says Columbia Orchestra board of directors president Melissa Sandlin Gahagan.

In addition to masterworks such as Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Love has also brought the works of new composers Anna Clyne, Clarice Assad, Carlos Simon and many others to the community.

During the pandemic, Love was responsible for creative programming, which brought the music of the orchestra into many homes. The At Home Summer Series, which premiered in July 2020, featured interviews with composers, arrangers and former artists, along with recorded performances of the Columbia Orchestra.

Ask Jason kept patron participation high, as the maestro answered submitted questions covering varying musical topics, from selecting program music to the role of the concertmaster.

Love has received numerous accolades during his tenure, including the prestigious American Prize for Orchestral Programming, a Peabody Heritage Award for Outstanding Contributions to Music in Maryland and a “Howie” Outstanding Artist Award.

“The idea of leaving the orchestra I love so much and who makes me feel so loved is more than a little scary,” says Love. “They’ve been my focus for about as long as I can remember. But if I turn to some other interests now, I feel very confident this orchestra has such a strong identity and proud history they will attract a new music director who will help them reach the next generation.”

Improvisers Forum concert series continues with a harp-cornet duo

Presented by Frederick Experimental Music Association, IF: Improvisers Forum will continue at the Y Arts Center in Frederick with two concerts of improvised music in March and April.

Harpist Jacqueline Kerrod and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum will perform on March 18, and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey will conclude the series on April 1.

Kerrod has toured internationally with NEA Jazz Master Anthony Braxton

and has performed with such renowned contemporary music ensembles as the International Contemporary Ensemble. Her solo album, “17 Days in December,” was one of the more widely enthusiastically received recordings of experimental music of 2022.

One of the more accomplished under-50 improvisers and composers in the US, cornetist Ho Bynum has led ensembles varying from sextets to 15-piece orchestras on 20 critically

acclaimed recordings. He is the director of the Coast Jazz Orchestra at Dartmouth College and contributes to The New Yorker.

The concert series is funded by an NEA Create and Activate Now grant, administered through the Frederick Arts Council. Both concerts begin at 8 p.m. Donations are $10. Students and children will be admitted free of charge. The Y Arts Center is at 115 E. Church St. in Frederick.

Rick Hill will sing and play favorites from the Irish songbook from 7 to 9 p.m. March 17 at Morgan’s Coffeehouse in Woodbine. He will be playing guitar, hammered dulcimer, mandolin and banjo as he leads singing Irish favorites like “Danny Boy,” “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” and “My Wild Irish Rose.”

Hill has been a musician and songwriter for more than 50 years. He began playing guitar at the age of 10, learning Peter, Paul and Mary songs, then turning to groups like Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Simon and Garfunkel. Along the way, he ran into old-time, bluegrass and Irish music.

Hill is currently the vice president of F.A.M.E. (Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise), an organization that nurtures, promotes and preserves original and traditional acoustic music of all genres in Frederick County through live music, education and community outreach. He is very active in the local music scene and plays a variety of local venues.

Admission to the concert on St. Patrick’s Day is free, but a freewill offering will be taken which also supports the Morgan’s Chapel Food Pantry.

The venue is at 6759 Woodbine Road, Woodbine.

Burridge Hill

Courtesy photos

From left: Larry Williams, Daniel Lau and Kyle Engler.

Jason Love to step down from his role

TAP INTO SOMETHING SWEET

Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Fox Haven will host tree-tapping demos

BY SHUAN BUTCHER Special to The News-Post

For Taylor Roman, the idea of tapping sugar maple and walnut trees came naturally. As a teacher at Fox Haven Organic Farm and Learning Center in Jefferson, he is always looking for new ways to engage with the land we live on, particularly yearround.

“I have been obsessed with nature and the outdoors all my life,” said the UMBC graduate, who started working on farms while still in high school.

Roman reached out to Eric Rice, who owns and runs Country Pleasures Farm and Willow Oaks Craft Cider with his wife.

“I’ve been interested in what the two of them have done with their food production,” Roman said.

For fun, Roman and Rice started tapping maple and sugar trees together and realized they could make a nice product from their work. Mature walnut trees grow throughout the Catoctin Creek Valley, Roman said, so they started tapping the trees at Fox Haven. Sugar maple trees are located on the Country Pleasures Farm property, which were planted years ago by the Rice family with the intent to tap them.

They started tapping a few weeks ago.

“There is a certain timeframe,” Roman said. “The trees are waking up,” Roman said.

When the temperature is just above freezing but not warmer than 45 degrees is the ideal timeframe. The sap is moving up the tree during the day and at night goes back down to the roots, so tapping the tree during the natural ebb and flow is really just releasing the pressure of the sap. If it is done incorrectly or at the wrong time, bacteria can set in and attack the sugar.

When embarking on a project like this, it is also necessary to pay attention to nature. Roman was going to delay the tapping process by a few days based on his own calculations that take into account weather conditions and the environment but noticed the sapsucker woodpecker had started to do so. Tapping

“requires you to be aware and mindful of what is going on,” he said.

Technically, you can tap any tree, according to Roman. But maple trees have a higher concentration in sap, and sugar maples have the highest concentration of the maple trees, hence their name. Walnut trees are lower in sugar, but enough to get a nice, sweet syrup. “Also, a nutty flavor come through so you get a nuttiness and smokiness to it,” Roman said.

For the first time, Roman will offer a free maple and walnut sugaring demo to the public at Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Wine in Middletown over the next two weekends. Visitors can learn firsthand how sap is turned into syrup during demonstrations. Plenty of seating, indoors and outside, will be available. Drinks will be available, too, though food options will be limited, so participants are encouraged to bring a picnic. The property is also petfriendly, as long as pets are on a leash.

Roman will be stationed outside the tasting room, cooking down all the sap they have collected.

“It takes time to evaporate the water,” he explained. “It will take days.”

While demonstrating the process, Roman will engage with visitors and explain what is happening, how things

‘TIS THE SEASON

FROM SAP TO SYRUP with tree-tapping demos: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18, 19, 25 and 26 at Willow Oaks Craft Cider and Wine, 629 Harley Road, Middletown. Free. Learn more at foxhavenfarm.org.

MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 18 and 19 at the William Houck Area of Cunningham Falls State Park at 14039 Catoctin Hollow Road, Thurmont. Watch sugar-makers demonstrate the traditional way of boiling sap into syrup. $5 donation per person. Live bluegrass music and other activities are part of the festival. Learn more at frederickcountymd. gov/calendar.

work and why the process is done a certain way. He will also be keeping the fire, making sure the water is cooked off but not so fast that it burns.

Pre-orders for the final product are closed for now, but they may have excess product to sell once they know they can fill the orders already received. It depends on how much sap is obtained and how much syrup they can get from it. Last year, for example, Roman said it took 66 gallons of

Cooking sap into syrup

walnut sap to produce one gallon of syrup. For the sugar maple trees, the ratio was about 40 gallons of sap to one gallon of syrup produced.

“There’s nothing better than food that you grow or make,” Roman said. “This is a unique, good quality local flavor.”

Shuan Butcher is a writer, nonprofit professional, event planner and avid traveler. He writes from Frederick.

Photos courtesy of Fox Haven Farm Walnut syrup will be available for purchase while supplies last.

Collecting sap

Shepherdstown Opera House reopens after extensive renovation

After more than four years of renovation, the Shepherdstown Opera House in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, officially reopened on March 4 with a ribbon-cutting celebration followed by a free movie.

Shepherdstown Opera House owners Steve and Harriet Pearson cut the ribbon, alongside the Honorable Randall Reid-Smith, a member of Governor Jim Justice’s Cabinet and Commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History. In his remarks, Commissioner Reid-Smith congratulated all involved in the renovation and noted the positive economic impact of arts and cultural tourism.

In a panel discussion facilitated by Harriet Pearson, representatives of three local performing arts organizations spoke about their plans to hold events at the Opera House in 2023. Peggy McKowen, artistic director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival, announced that CATF will stage one of its plays at the Opera House in July. Speak Story Series will take advantage of the

DIRECT FROM TBILISI, DEMOCRATIC STATE OF GEORGIA ROYAL NATIONAL DANCE COMPANY

FIRE OF GEORGIA

theater’s streaming technology to produce two performances each month for live and online audiences. Taking advantage of the new state-of-the-art projection and screen system, the American Conservation Film Festival took place at the venue just days after its reopening.

Built in 1910 as a vaudeville theater, catastrophe struck in May 2018 when a pipe broke on the second floor sending 5,000 gallons of water into the theater below. Now, after extensive repairs and renovation, the Shepherdstown Opera House is updated for the 21st century to host live music, movies and other events. Co-owner Steve Pearson led the renovation team and expressed gratitude for the construction, craftspeople and technical experts that worked on the project, including general contractor Rockwell Construction, a third-generation family-owned firm.

The Shepherdstown Opera House’s next movie is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 18, and live music events will be announced soon. Sign up for email updates at operahouselive.com.

Brooklyn comedian Kyle Gillis live onstage

The Carroll Arts Center’s BrewHaHa Comedy Series continues with Brooklyn comedian Kyle Gillis live onstage at 8 p.m. March 16.

Saturday, April 1, 2023, 7:30 p.m.

The company’s program features the variety of the world’s folklore and classical dance elements, acrobatics, stunts, and temperament of the male dancers, as well as the graceful, charming, and gorgeous steps of the female dancers.

Tickets are $25 Regular, $20 Seniors, and $5 Students w/ID (Student tickets must be purchased through the box office.)

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Gillis’ unique brand of fast-paced standup comedy mixed with improv has been featured in the Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, Red Clay Comedy Festival and Wild West Comedy Festival. In his 13 years of comedy, Gillis has performed at clubs and colleges, pranked his way onto a daytime talk show and opened for Tom Segura. He now hosts the monthly show “Ultimate Powerpoint Championship” and is preparing to record his first comedy special this year.

The BrewHaHa Comedy Series is for ages 21 and up only. IDs will be checked at the door. Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for ages 21 through 25 and ages 60 and up.

Pipe the Side Brewing Company of Hampstead will host a pre-show happy hour in the Arts Center lobby starting at 6:45 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at carrollcountyartscouncil.org or by calling 410-848-7272. The Carroll Arts Center is at 91 W. Main St., Westminster.

Gela Potskhishvili and Maia Kiknadze, Artistic Directors

Courtesy photo Kyle Gillis

Molly Humphreys

Ribbon Cutting by Shepherdstown Opera House owners Steve and Harriet Pearson and West Virginia Arts, Culture, and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith.

FAST AND LUXURIOUS

The frozen Swiss lake where the ultra-rich race

BY ALBERTO BERNASCONI The Washington Post

When most people think of the luxury alpine resort town of St. Moritz in Switzerland’s Engadin valley, they imagine serene log cabins, skiing that’s challenging for Olympians and heated pools overlooking one of the most pristine mountain ranges in the world. But for two days a year in February, the small town becomes a rumbling, gasoline-scented race venue for the ultrawealthy and their one-of-kind vintage cars.

It all began when founder Marco Makaus witnessed a group of tourists attending the Cresta Run, an annual toboggan race, in 1985. The tourists rode into St. Moritz in vintage Bentleys, and it sparked the interest of everyone there. Makaus said the unforgettable image of countless vintage cars speeding on a frozen lake stuck with him for many years.

Fast-forward to 2019, Makaus re-created the event he saw in the 1980s by founding the International Concourse of Elegance (ICE), a European racing event that takes place on the frozen lake of St. Moritz. After holding a test edition of the race in 2019, Makaus knew it was a success.

This year, the ultraluxury event drew 11,000 attendees and car owners from all over the world.

The event begins with quality checks on the lake in the days leading up to the race. As soon as the ice reaches a minimum thickness of 10 inches, crash tests are carried out with weights of nearly 17,000 pounds by driving a 7,500-pound snow-track vehicle fitted with safety floats. After that, the lake is cleared for the construction of the event village that includes a bar and a skating rink where drinks are delivered by professional figure skaters.

Most attendees share a similar interest in rare cars. One car that grabbed the attention of many of the attendees was the Pagani Huayra

Codalunga supercar. The vehicle is estimated to be worth roughly $7.4 million; only five exist in the world today. The car boasts a 840 horsepower engine created by Mercedes-AMG. The vehicle was brought to St. Moritz by its owner for display only.

Simon Kidston, a British commentator and car expert, attended with his Bugatti Type 35. The car previously belonged to his uncle and after selling the vehicle many years ago, Kidston crossed continents to find the car and bring it home. For him, racing and presenting his uncle’s car has little to do with the monetary value of the vehicle. “The value [of the race] is profoundly sentimental, that’s why I’m excited to be here,” he said.

Simon Arscott, left, sits in his 1937 2-liter Aston Martin with Esquire creative director Nick Sullivan.

Photos for The Washington Post by Alberto Bernasconi

A panoramic view of the frozen lake and event village where the ICE takes place.

‘BOLD,

New murals at New Spire Stages spark inspiration in Frederick

BY DORVALL BEDFORD Special to The News-Post

Laura Hawk, manager of operations for the Weinberg Center for the Arts, remembers walking through the glass doors of New Spire Stages frequently last December and watching two new murals slowly come to life.

Hawk didn’t often see muralist Leila Eguino when she arrived, since the artist did most of the painting at night, but for a period of about three weeks, she got to see blank white walls gradually filled in with black paint.

Whenever Hawk did see Eguino at work, the artist would be balancing on a tall, orange ladder that she was at first nervous to be on.

“It was very cool to see the progression of the mural as it developed,” Hawk said. “I was able to see where all the work came from and what it was leading towards.”

Commissioned by the Frederick Arts Council and funded by the Ausherman Family Foundation, two black-andwhite murals now reside inside New Spire Stages and are visible from outside the building. One depicts three jazz musicians, while the other portrays James Baldwin beside a quote of his about the purpose of artists. “The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover,” the quote says. “If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.”

Ausherman Family Foundation

executive director Leigh Adams described the murals as a creative statement meant to elevate Frederick’s theater district, and the space they occupy is very fitting.

“It’s a bold, beautiful celebration of performing arts,” Adams said.

The two murals came about through to the FAC and its Public Art Master Plan, which was announced in 2019 and sponsored by the Ausherman Family Foundation. According to Adams, the plan connects local

Staff photo by Bill Green

There are two new murals by artist Leila Eguino in the lobby of New Spire Stages at 15 W. Patrick St., Frederick. The public art was commissioned by the Frederick Arts Council.

BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATION’

residents to public art by dividing the county into several creative zones. It details where new artwork should be placed, how the artwork will be funded and how the artwork should be taken care of.

New Spire Stages was one of the places the FAC determined to be in need of visual artwork. Hawk, who has worked there since December 2021, is glad they chose the venue. She felt that the big, empty walls were not helping connect people with the space and expressed joy now that New Spire Stages is decorated with murals like other spots in downtown Frederick.

The FAC commissioned Eguino, a muralist born in Bolivia and a graduate from the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, to create the two pieces. Raised by parents who were artistic and deeply involved in Bolivian

music, Eguino was a perfect fit for the assignment of painting murals in a performing arts venue. The FAC chose Eguino’s design over submissions provided by other artists.

“Music has always been a very integral part of my growing up,” said Eguino, who is based in Washington, D.C. “When it came to this specific site and the imagery I wanted to have, I was thinking about the role of an artist.”

According to Eguino, the murals are a celebration of the performing arts, specifically regarding its return to the city. After a long pause on inperson shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she made sure her design would be joyous and full of life, as well as reflective.

“The visitor in any performing arts space right now is coming back from a collective trauma that was the

pandemic,” Eguino said. “But now we’re picking up the pace we were at in the past. I think that’s a cause for celebration.”

For Eguino, there is even more significance as to why she painted jazz musicians and Baldwin. She worked to provide mental health support for mostly Black and Hispanic youth during the height of the pandemic, a very eyeopening experience for her, she said. Seeing inequality manifest itself during her time in that job motivated her to become more involved in societal issues and take inspiration from civil rights icons such as Baldwin.

“It’s always very important to highlight why Black and immigrant communities in this country should be extremely proud of what they’ve contributed,” Eguino said. “The significance of the jazz performers, for

me, is a sense of pride.”

Hawk agreed about the importance of depicting people of color in the murals.

“Performing arts, in particular, was hit very hard by the pandemic,” Hawk said, “so having the art come back in a way that’s focused on diversity and more artists of color is very important.”

The staff of New Spire Stages are excited to have the new murals in their workplace, and Hawk is welcoming people to come to the venue and see it themselves.

“We’re very proud of them,” she said. “We’d like to invite people to come to the New Spire Stages space and see what’s happening.”

Dorvall Bedford is a freelance journalist living in Frederick. His work has appeared in Washington City Paper, Smithsonian magazine and DCist.

Frederick Arts Council

New murals at New Spire Stages celebrate the power of — and the return of — performing arts, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of shows across the country.

Frederick County Public Schools

Youth Art Month Student Exhibition

— through March 26. The annual Youth Art Month exhibition features hundreds of 2D and 3D artworks in a variety of media created by students from each public school within Frederick County. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. 301-698-0656, delaplaine. org.

Frederick County Public Schools

Faculty Exhibition — through March 26. A salute to those who make Youth Art Month possible, this exhibition showcases the creative talents of Frederick County Public Schools educators. Works in a variety of media. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S. Carroll St., Frederick. 301-698-0656, delaplaine. org.

“Home Away From Home” — through March 26, DISTRICT Arts, 15 N. Market St., Frederick. Laurenee Gauvin’s homage to her Haitian roots. This featured-artist exhibition introduces an emotional look into what home feels like in today’s climate and reflects the journey and the arrival of Gauvin as an exciting and thought-provoking presence on the contemporary art scene. Districtarts.com.

”Animal Kingdom” — through March 26, The Mansion House Art Center and Gallery, City Park, 480 Highland Ave., Hagerstown. Valley Art Association members exhibit. Hours 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 301-797-2867 or valleyartassoc.org.

”Landscapes in Acrylic” — through March 26, Eastside Artists’ Gallery, 313 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Paintings by Mike Legenzov. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. eastsideartistsgallery.com.

”Color Journeys” — through March 26, Gallery 322, 322 N. Market St., Frederick. Featuring works by Leo Ramos, Roberta Staat, Paul Wilson and Karen Winston-Levin. gallery322.com, gallery322@gmail.com.

”UNSHUTTERED: Celebrating Photojournalism of The Frederick News-Post — through April 1 at the Frederick Book Arts Center, 217 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Curated by Nancy Luse, the show celebrates the NewsPost photographers during the era of film. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday. 301-228-9816 or contact@frederickbookarts.org.

Links Bridge Featured Artist: Rosemary Gallick — March 25 to April 9. Meet the artist on March 25. Links Bridge will continue displaying

Pierce Scantlin wins first prize at TAG juried show

Juror Craig Subler awarded Frederick artist Pierce Scantlin first prize at the TAG/The Artists Gallery juried exhibition “Being Seen,” currently on view at the downtown Frederick gallery.

At the opening reception for the show on March 4, Scantlin was chosen among 450 entries from artists in the Mid-Atlantic region.

the works of local artists in its Tasting Room, where wine lovers can enjoy art, and artists can enjoy wine.

Rosemary Gallick is a professional artist living in Northern Virginia, and this exhibit will present iconic portraits rendered in a pop-art style. She is a professor of art and art history at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has taught since 1996. Links Bridge Vineyards, 8830 Old Links Bridge Road, Thurmont. linksbridgevineyards.com.

Cumberland Valley Artists and Photographers Exhibitions — through April 23, Washington County

His two winning paintings were “The Fair Shepherdess” (oil on linen) and “Self Portrait” (oil on canvas).

In addition to showing art in Maryland, Scantlin has shown his paintings in New York City; Savannah, Georgia; Alexandria, Virginia; and France.

View his work on Instagram @pscantlin or at piercescantlin.com.

Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. This juried exhibition features 95 pieces of art and photography from artists who live in the Quad-State area. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 301-739-5727 or wcmfa.org.

Bettie Awards Exhibition — through April 30. View artworks created by local youth selected as 2023 Bettie Award Winners. Visitors can vote for their favorite artwork throughout the duration of the exhibition. The artwork receiving the most votes will receive the People’s Choice Award. Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S.

Carroll St., Frederick. 301-698-0656, delaplaine.org.

”Angry Women Done Swallowing Our Words” — through April 30, Blanche Ames Gallery, 4880 Elmer Derr Road, Frederick. Featuring the work of Kristan Ryan. For gallery hours, call 301-473-7689 or visit frederickuu.org.

”Strands of Time” — through April 30, Locals Farm Market’s Artist in the House Gallery, 19929 Fisher Ave., Poolesville. Works by Susan Due Pearcy. A selection of her work over 50 years of art making. Visit localsfarmmarket.com for hours.

Cowork Frederick Artist of the Month: Julie Jenkins — throughout April. Frederick Artists Night with live music will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. April 1 at Cowork Frederick, 122 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Julie Jenkins creates realistic paintings on wood, acrylic, metal and recycled slate. Her art focuses on landscapes, nature and everyday joys. 240-772-1295, coworkfrederickfoundation.org/juliejenkins-apr23.

”Structures 2023” — through May 5, Crestwood Center, 7211 Bank Court, Frederick. Original works of art, including oil, watercolors, mixed media, acrylic, photography, and wood carvings from some of Frederick’s talented artists. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 240215-1460 or frederickhealth.org.

“Comfort” — through July 1. An interactive multimedia show of art related to coffee and tea and an exploration of the rituals and personal connections surrounding those drinks. FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. frederickartscouncil.org.

“The Hot Button” — through August, Hot Button Gallery, 129 E. German St., Shepherdstown, W.Va. Carol Williams exhibits textiles and poster art that reflect her passion for social responsibility through artistic communication. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The artist will be available for conversation at these times. anothercarolwilliams.com.

”Miniature Worlds” — April 17 through May 19, Rosemary and Thyme Gallery, Frederick 50+ Community Center, 1440 Taney Ave., Frederick. Featuring works by local artist Kunie Stabley. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 301-600-3525, dmarkowitz@ frederickcountymd.gov or tinyurl. com/50-center.

Courtesy photo

Frederick artist Pierce Scantlin, left, and juror Craig Subler.

Landless Theatre opens season with original ‘Sweeney Todd [Prog Metal Version]’

While Broadway is focused on a Josh Groban helmed remount of Sondheim’s musical thriller masterpiece “Sweeney Todd,” a rarely seen rock adaptation will emerge this month in Frederick. The Landless Theatre Company will open its 2023 season with its original “Sweeney Todd [Prog Metal Version]” at New Spire Arts on March 17 to 19, directed by Melissa Baughman with music direction by Charles W. Johnson.

In the infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to 19th-century London to seek vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife.

In 2014, the late Stephen Sondheim gave Landless Theatre Company exclusive permission to arrange the first and only metal orchestration of “Sweeney Todd,” telling the New York Times via email, “I did indeed give them my O.K. … since I believe that what keeps theater alive is its openness to reinterpretation from generation to generation.”

Landless is thrilled to remount a long-anticipated East Coast concert tour

of “Sweeney Todd [Prog Metal Version],” opening with this performance at Frederick’s New Spire Stages. The company is also recording an original cast album.

Subsequent productions in Landless Theatre’s 2023 season include “Footloose: The Musical” in May (a co-production with Frederick’s 24/7 Dance Studio), “Twelve Angry Jurors” in July and the original “Great Gatsby Musical” in November.

Visit landlesstheatrecompany.org or weinbergcenter.org for tickets.

The glorious return of the MET’s Retro Prom

Amid a celebratory 25th-anniversary MainStage season, Maryland Ensemble Theatre will bring back its beloved annual fundraiser, Retro Prom.

Retro Prom will feature the musical stylings of DJ Genius of Benefactor Events to dance the night away to, food by The Savory Spoon, a gift card tree raffle, a silent auction, prom photos, a cash bar and a late-night pizza party.

This event for guests 21 and older is at 7 to 11 p.m. March 18 at the William Talley Recreation Center, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick.

This year’s theme is the Roaring ’20s. Though it is not a requirement that party guests wear a themed outfit, it is encouraged that guests dance the night away

The 2018 Retro Prom was of another era.

dressed for prom, with all decades of attire welcomed.

New to Retro Prom this year is online bidding, which will allow guests to bid from wherever they are on silent auction items, receive outbid notifications and check out at the end of the night.

Raffle ticket purchases and donations may also be completed online. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased online at marylandensemble. org, by phone at 301694-4744, or in person at the MET, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Proceeds will benefit the MET.

RAY

David S. Spence

Brandon Penick Photography Andrew Lloyd Baughman as Sweeney Todd.

Novelist Alma Katsu on writing spy stories about women

BY KARI A. MARTINDALE Special to The News-Post

Award-winning novelist Alma Katsu is an intel insider. She spent over three decades as an intelligence analyst for CIA, NSA and the Department of Defense. She now brings espionage to life on the pages of her domestic suspense novels.

Katsu will visit C. Burr Artz Public Library on March 22 to discuss her latest novel, “Red London,” answer questions and sign books.

She took a moment to talk with 72 Hours ahead of her appearance in Frederick.

Crime Reads named “Red London” one of the most anticipated crime fiction of 2023. Does one have to read “Red Widow” before they read “Red London”? Are they related or standalone?

[After reading “Red Widow”], you’d feel like there’s a natural follow-up, but when I talked to my editor about it, they were interested in a standalone novel. The main character returns and some other characters raise their heads, but the novel stands on its own. In fact, we’re talking to TV producers now, and they’re interested in starting with “Red London” [as opposed to “Red Widow”].

What about “Red London” most excites you?

One of the things I’ve been wanting to do is to get more women reading spy novels. They watch the shows, but statistically speaking, the readers of spy novels skew more toward men, even though women are 70% of the overall book audience. I want to lure females over. In the book, I show professional women in intel today, with the same — and yet different — issues [as men experience]. The second main character is also a woman, a Russian oligarch’s wife, so half [of the story] is from her perspective.

In 2018, you released “The Hunger,” a supernatural reimagining of the Donner Party. How did it feel to have Stephen King tweet that it was “deeply, deeply disturbing, hard to put down, not recommended reading after dark”?

That’s like winning the Golden Ticket. I was on the road promoting the book with novelist Brad Meltzer. I was getting ready to do an event at the Poisoned Pen [Bookstore] in Scottsdale, Arizona, when I saw [the tweet]. The amount of attention [Stephen King’s praise] draws to you — for 24 hours

ALMA KATSU

When: 7 to 8 p.m. March 22

Where: C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E Patrick St., Frederick Tickets: Free Info: 301-6952500, curious iguana.com

will also present the webinar Research

Like a Pro for the Maryland Writers’ Association on June 24. Info: marylandwriters.org.

for the magazine. [Porsche was seeing] more women and younger buyers. They were looking for more articles that would appeal to this changed demographic among their buyers. I had just seen the movie “Atomic Blonde,” and I suggested a graphic spy novel. It was a serialized graphic novel, a chapter a month for one year.

What question do you wish someone would ask about your books but no one ever has?

it was nonstop! It’s what you dream about.

When did you realize you were a fiction writer? Were you writing while still in intel?

I realized I was a writer when I was a kid, but when I started in intel, they didn’t like you doing anything on the outside, so I stopped all my writing. [When I resumed], it took 10 years to get a manuscript to where it was sellable. I didn’t make my first book sale, “The Taker,” until I was 50. “The Taker” came from a short story I’d written about 20 years earlier. It went through many revisions to get it to its final form. And now, in my 60s, hopefully I’ll become a producer.

That’s encouraging news for writers! Also for the writers out there, tell us: Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you outline your novel and stick to it, or do you write it as it comes to you?

Absolutely a plotter. You have to be, with historical writing.

Did you read horror, thrillers or spy novels as a young adult? Were there any particularly influential authors or books?

From a young age — too young, really — I read speculative fiction like Poe, Shirley Jackson, Ellery Queen, Simon Templar, and I was drawn to historicals.”

Do you travel for research and inspiration?

I do a ton of research but mostly from home. I’m a bit of an evangelist for what you can find on the internet. I haven’t been to London for over 10 years, but for “The Hunger,” I did a research trip out West.

You have a podcast, Damned History. What’s that about?

My podcast is currently dormant, but I realized, when I do the talks on the historic horror novels, people can’t tell where the seams are. They’re curious. Some of [the historical facts are] important for people to know.

You’re writing a graphic spy series, “The Spy Collector,” for the Porsche Club of America. How did that come about?

When I was living in Columbia, Maryland, I met [a neighbor and fellow dog walker] who was the editor of the Porsche Club of America’s magazine, The Panorama. He and I would spitball

I wish people would ask about [the female experience]. The more I talk to people about the series, I see how all walks of women go through the same thing. We’re told to wait our turn, we’re underestimated. Men are recognized, but women’s work isn’t recognized. “Red London” [touches on the experience of] “you’re the best, but you have to wait your turn.”

What else can your readers look forward to?

Another Amazon Original Story, “Black Vault,” is coming this summer. It’s UFO culture: “Slow Horses” meets “The X-Files.” My Amazon Original Story “The Wehrwolf” was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. All three of my historical horror novels have been nominated for the Stoker: “The Hunger” (2018), “The Deep” (2020) and “The Fervor” (2022).

This interview has been edited for space and clarity.

Kari Martindale is a writer, poet and spoken word artist. She sits on the board of Maryland Writers’ Association, co-ed Pen in Hand, and holds an MA in linguistics.

Courtesy photo

Alma Katsu

Alma Katsu

Courtesy photo

Comic Con will hit Frederick this weekend

Sift through loads of comic books old and new, trading cards, toys, games, anime, figures, video games, art and more at the Frederick Comic Con this week.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19 at the Clarion Inn Event Center at 5400 Holiday Drive in Frederick, near FSK Mall.

Angela McKendrick, Lewis Greene, Jay Taylor, William Auch,

Joshua Sigler, Dan Nokes, Chris Lewis and John. L. French will be on hand at the Artists Alley.

Cosplay is welcome.

Free parking will be available. Masks are optional.

Admission is $10, cash only at the door, free for kids 12 and under. Early admission at 9:30 a.m. is $15. Learn more at shoffpromotions.com.

SPONSORED CONTENT

WAREHOUSE CINEMAS NEWS AND EVENTS:

$7 TUESDAYS

Any movie, including Dolby Atmos. All day. Anytime.

TAPPY HOUR WEDNESDAYS

50% OFF all beers and ciders on the self-serve beer wall. All Day.

FILM LEAGUE PRESENTS –THE

BURBS

Wednesday, March 22nd

Showtimes available are 7pm & 7:30pm.

BRUNCH CLUB PRESENTS: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Sunday, March 26th 11:00am to 2:00pm

UPCOMING FILMS THIS WEEKEND:

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods”

Irish film ‘The Quiet Girl’ is eloquent in its silence

BY MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN The Washington Post

In a world of noise, the Academy Award-nominated “The Quiet Girl” stands out. Pitted against such other soft-spoken gems as “Close” and “Eo” in the relatively hushed and meditative corner-category of best foreign language film, this lovely Irish drama, featuring a bit of English but mostly told in the lilting Irish tongue, won’t overwhelm you with subtitles, for no other reason than its most powerful moments are unspoken.

One of those moments occurs not long after the title character, a young girl named Cait (Catherine Clinch, making an astonishingly assured debut), has been shipped off to stay with relatives by her parents: Da, a surly, boozing philanderer (Michael Patric), and his pregnant, put-upon wife (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh), Mam, neither of whom is ever identified by a name. Cait’s older sisters will stay with this dysfunctional dynamic while Mam prepares to deliver her latest child. Presumably, Mam and Da want Cait, known as the Wanderer, out of their hair.

Warehouse Cinemas is an independently owned cinema that offers a unique, premium movie going experience by providing first-run movies + retro films, leather recliner seating w/ seat warmers, high-quality picture and sound, including Dolby Atmos, a modern-industrial décor, and premium food and drink options, including movie themed cocktails, wine and a 28-tap self-serve beer wall. Visit us at warehouscinemas.com or scan the QR Code for this week’s feature films.

Sign

Dropped off at the farm of Mam’s cousin Eibhlin Cinnsealach (pronounced like Evelyn Kinsella and played by Carrie Crowley) and her husband, Sean (Andrew Bennett), an older, childless couple who are still grieving a loss, Cait soon lets it be known where she gets her nickname, meandering out of Sean’s sight one day while helping him with his chores. When he scolds her in alarm — out of not anger but buried pain — it tells us so much about what might have happened to this couple, without articulating precisely what the trauma is, at least not just yet. And when Sean apologizes to Cait the next day, not in words, but by silently placing a cookie next to her

breakfast plate and then hurrying out of the kitchen, mute with inarticulate emotion, “The Quiet Girl” is at its most eloquent. Cait may not understand what just happened, but we do.

Directed by Colm Bairead, and based on the short story “Foster” by Claire Keegan, this is a tale in which, by the standards of Hollywood, at least, not terribly much happens. Yet in her short sojourn with the Cinnsealachs, Cait discovers a way of life — a way of loving and of being loved unconditionally — that is utterly foreign to her. And in this quiet girl, her foster parents find something, too: a kind of healing.

For viewers, the film also might have a wholesome effect; it’s a tonic to the chaos and jumble of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and their ilk.

Much of this magic transpires in the silences, which Bairead fills with shots of sunlit green grass and telling glances. “The Quiet Girl” is that rare thing: a work of storytelling that speaks most loudly when it is saying nothing.

Rated PG-13. At theaters. Contains some strong language, smoking and mature thematic material. In Irish and some English with subtitles. 94 minutes.

Neon

Catherine Clinch in “The Quiet Girl.”

Local Mentions

BONANZA BINGO

Sat, April 22, 2023

New Midway Vol Fire Co

Doors Open: 4:30 p m

Buffet: 5:30 p m

Bingo Starts: 7:00 p m

Admission: $50 00 in advance $60 00 at the Door

Includes: $1,150 Jackpot

$750 Jackpot

23 Regular Games

Buffet Dinner

Alcohol Avail For Purchase

Extra Cards Available and ATM Available

For Info Call: 301-639-8963

CARRY-OUT DINNERS

At New Midway Vol Fire Co

Sat., March 25, 2023

Featuring: Roast Turkey w/Dressing Or Fried Shrimp With: Mashed Potatoes/Gravy Green Beans

Applesauce

Roll Serving Time: 2-6 p m

Cost: $12 00

CASH BINGO

Woodsboro American Legion Auxiliary

Sunday, March 19

Doors open 12 pm; games @ 1:30 pm

$40 for 25 games, includes 3 specials @ $150 & 2 jackpots @ $500; Reserve early and receive free special game-call 301-514-7164;

Bring in canned food for local food bank and receive a free special game

King tuts, bingo balls, holder jars and door prizes;

Food, drinks, baked goods available

JEFFERSON RURITAN CLUB

BREAKFAST WITH EASTER BUNNY

SAT., APRIL 8, 2023

7-11:00am

Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, Country Ham, Hominy, Sausage Gravy/ $11 per adult

Children 5-10 $6/Dine-In or Carry-out

Easter Bunny Present for Pictures, Prizes, and Candy

Local Mentions

COACH BAG & MONEY BINGO

March 19, 2023

Doors Open at 11 a m

Bingo Starts at 1 p m

28 Games Total

12 Games Paying $100 00

14 Games of Coach Bags $25 00 / Per Person

Tip Jars & 50/50

Door Prizes

Cash Bag & Kitchen, ATM

Half-Time Game - $500

FInal Game - $1,000 00

Thurmont Event Complex

13716 Strafford Dr

Thurmont, MD 21788

Tickets: Avail at Door or Call: Tammy or Jim Wolf at 717-642-5075 or 717-420-0209 or at www eventbrite com

This is a Non-Profit Event to Benefit the Thurmont Community Ambulance Company

JEFFERSON RURITAN CLUB

FRIDAY FISH FRY

FRI., MARCH 31, 2023

2 Pieces Fish, Mac & Cheese, Cole Slaw

Applesauce, Roll/ $15 per platter Extra Fish $5

Dine in or Carry-out/5 to 7:00pm 4603 Lander RD, Jefferson MD

MT. PLEASANT RURITAN CLUB TO HOST QUARTERMANIA

The Mt Pleasant Ruritan Club is hosting a Quartermania fundraiser on Sunday, March 19, 2023 Tickets are $5 00 in advance, $8 00 at the door Doors open at 12:00 p m and bidding begins at 1:30 p m Food will be sold The hall is located at 8101 Crum Road Walkersville, MD 21793 For more information or to purchase tickets please contact Alden at 301-845-4387

PANSIES,

Local Mentions

QUARTERMANIA

Sunday 4/16/2023

Jefferson Ruritan Club

Doors Open Noon/

Bidding 1:00pm

Tickets $5 Advance/$8 at the Door

Extra Paddles $3/ Call 301-371-6404

90+ Great Prizes & Food

4603B Lander Rd Jefferson MD 21755

SLIPPERY POT PIE LUNCH

Friday, March 24th 11 a m to 1 p m $15 00 at Frederick Church of the Brethren 201 Fairview Ave, Frederick

SOUP & SANDWICH SALE

Pre-order 3/15/23

Pick-up Fri 3/17/23

9:00am-12:00pm 301-874-2368

All freshly made onsite 8" subs: $8 00 Cold

Cut, Ham & Cheese Turkey & Cheese, Chicken Salad and Country Ham

Sandwiches: $6 00 Chicken Salad and Country Ham

Crab Cake Sandwich: $9 00 (fried or uncooked)

By the lb: chicken salad $12; sliced country ham $12

Two (2) Chocolate Chip Cookies - $3 00

Soup: Bean & Cntry Ham, Chicken Corn, Vegetable, bowl $3 00 / qt $8 00, Maryland Crab bowl $4/qrt $9

Bake table and goodies available! Carroll Manor Fire Co

Pick-up at: 2793 Adams St, Adamstown, MD

SPRING BAZAAR

Local Mentions

PRIMROSES, CALLA LILIES

BIG supply

• High quality

• Low prices

You would love them in your flower garden!

Bird houses for Blue Birds and Martins

2 cubic foot black, round, and red mulch:

$2 a bag - all year long.

Garden soil and Potting mix

Only at DR Virts 800 Petersville Rd Brunswick, Md Come on down and see me!

Cash & Cards

Sat., March 25, 2023 8AM to 2PM at Libertytown Fire Hall 12027 South St. Libertytown, MD 21762

Crafts, Homemade Goodies, Sandwiches, Soups, Bake Table, Raffles and much more

For more information & table rental, call Mary at 301-401-2824

Sponsored by Libertytown Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary

TURKEY & HAM SLIPPERY POT PIE CARRYOUT

and country ham sandwiches; Woodsboro Lutheran Church Sat , April 22, pickup

11 am-2 pm Call 301-271-3309 (leave message) by Apr 19

Spring EGG-stravaganza

Craft, Yard Sale & Vendor Event

Sat March 25, 2023 & Sun. March 26, 2023

9 a m to 3 p m

Thurmont Event Complex

13716 Strafford Drive

Thurmont, Maryland

Food available for purchase

Vendor Information: Contact Jennifer at jensgems2018@yahoo com Or 301-800-3336

General Information: Contact Joyce at 301-748-4344

Proceeds benefit Thurmont Community Ambulance Company

THE LITTLE RED WAGON

Opening March 20, 2023!

We have your spring garden veggie plants! Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, collards Pansies & primroses!

CSA’s available now!

11434 Keymar Rd

Woodsboro, MD 21798

Live Info: 240-439-9401

Local Mentions Local Mentions

Thurmont Community Ambulance

2023 Big Money CASH BASH

Saturday, May 20, 2023

Thurmont Events Complex Building • 13716 Strafford Drive, Thurmont, MD Bring Your Lawn Chairs & Canopy Gates open 10AM • Food, Beer, Wine Coolers and Soda included 12-5PM -NO COOLERS ALLOWEDDrawing beings 11:45AM • Winner Every 5 Minutes

Must be off premises by 8PM

$25.00 Per Person

No Patrons Under 18 - ID Req'd - Must present ticket to enter gate No pets except service animals - NO CARRYOUTS ALLOWED - Ticket Holder Can Win Multiple Prizes

Yard Sales Services

INDOOR/OUTDOOR YARD SALE

Lewistown Fire Dept 11101 Hessong Bridge Road

Saturday April 1, 2023 8a m - 1 p m

Pets & Supplies

HAVANESE, 10 WEEKS

toy-breed, vet-checked, shots, text pictures, $1200, and MINI AUSSIE-DOODLE non-shed, small breed, vet-checked, shots, text pictures, $1200 CALL 540-303-2591

POMSKY PUPS

friendly, family raised, vet-checked, vaccinated, no SUNDAY calls, $350, call 301-667-1179

SIBERIAN HUSKY PUPS FOR SALE

2 females, 1 black and white, 1 red and white Cute and fluffy Vetchecked Family raised Micro-chipped $300 OBO Cash Must see No pics Call 301-791-3806

Services

TURKEY, FRIED OYSTER AND COUNTRY HAM DINNER

March 25 • 12 noon – 5 pm

Menu includes mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, sauerkraut, cranberry sauce, dressing, cole slaw, rolls, butter, ice tea, hot tea, coffee

Adults $30 • Children 6-12 $8

Children under 6 - free Carry outs - $1 extra Bush Creek Church of the Brethren 4821A Green Valley Rd, Rt 75 South, Monrovia, Md 21770 301-865-3013

www bushcreekchurch org

Flint Hill United Methodist Church Fried Chicken and Country Ham Dinner w/all the fixin’s All you can eat.

Saturday, April 1, 12-5PM

Adults - $20

WALKERSVILLE UMC OYSTER, TURKEY & HAM BUFFET

Walkersville Fire Hall

79 West Frederick St

Fri, March 24, 4-7 PM

Sat, March 25, 12-5 PM

Adults: $30 cash; $31 credit card

Children: 6-12: $15 00

5 and under are free

Carry-outs are $1 extra

Avail Until 4:30 PM on Sat Bake Table

Info: wumcdinner@gmail com Text or voice message 240-608-2270

Kids under 10 - $12 Carry-outs - $22 2732 Park Mils Rd Adamstown, MD 21710 Bake table available 301-874-0890

ASPHALT MILLINGS

$15 00 per ton 301-524-8954

!!FATHER AND SONS!!! HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN

INTER. PAINTING

Home Repair & Improvements

301-694-9630

LIC #74117

Serving Frederick for 34 Years!

HENRY'S BLACKTOP PAVING, LLC

301-663-1888 • 301-416-7229

henrysblacktoppaving @gmail.com

Call for FREE est MHIC 3608

POOL WATER

We fill any size pool Call Nolan Hubble 240-315-1762

Thursday March 16

ETCETERA

200 Monroe Restaurant — 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Monroe Center, 200 Monroe Ave., Frederick. Frederick Community College invites you to enjoy a gourmet dinner created by the talented students at 200 Monroe Restaurant! Reservations are required! For dine-in or carryout, visit opentable.com/200-Monroe.  $40-$44. HCTI@frederick.edu. opentable.com/200-monroe.

Riverworks’ Storytellers: Connection Creatives to the Community — 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Riverworks Studio, 19215 Beallsville Road, Beallsville. Monthly series of showand-share talks on the third Thursday of the month. March guest is Tony Cohen, founder of the Menare Foundation at the historic Button Farm, Maryland’s only living history center depicting 19th-century plantation life. Events will be recorded.  301-690-9337. contact@riverworksart.org.

Author Event: John Cribb — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Exploration Commons, 50 E. Main St., Westminster. For adults. John Cribb is a bestselling author who has written about subjects ranging from history to education. Registration is required. Visit site for details.

443-293-3000. ask@carr.org. ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/cribb.

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Meeting — 7 p.m. to 8:35 p.m. at National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Ron Kirkwood will present “Too Much for Human Endurance.” Kirkwood argues that the George Spangler farm was the most important farm in the Battle of Gettysburg, revealing factors that have been overlooked for generations. Free for members, $5 suggested fee for non-members. gldyson@comcast.net. www.frederickcountycivilwarrt.org/.

Pour House Trivia — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Champion Billiards Sports Bar, 5205 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick. Come out with the team and play some Pour House Trivia. 301-846-0089. frederickchampions.com.

FAMILY

“Frederick County’s Enduring Crossroads” Exhibit — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Frederick, 24 E. Church St., Frederick. Visit the second floor Crossroads Companion Exhibit to explore local mainstreet artifacts and stories about industry throughout Frederick County. 301-663-1188. recreater.com.

“Crossroads” Companion Exhibits — 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at The C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Also exhibits at Thurmont and Brunswick libraries. At C. Burr Artz, visit the front exhibit cases to explore the Maryland Room’s collection related to the “Crossroads” exhibit at Rose Hill Manor Park, Frederick. 301-600-1630. fcpl.org.

“Crossroads — Change in Rural America” Exhibit — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rose Hill Manor Park, 1611 N. Market St., Frederick. The exhibit looks at how our local communities have adapted and changed as a result of the literal crossroads of waterways, roads and railroads, and the figurative crossroads of local and national events. $5 adults, $4 seniors and kids. 301600-1650. recreater.com.

Hello Python — 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Exploration Commons, 50 E. Main St., Westminster. For ages 12 and up. Interested in learning Python but don’t know where to start? Join us for an introductory look at the Python programming language, resources for learning, and a general open discussion about programming. Registration is required. Visit site for details. 443-293-3000. ask@carr.org. ccpl.librarymarket.com/ event/hello-python-6.

PERFORMER

Brooklyn Comedian Kyle Gillis — 8 p.m. at Carroll County Arts Council, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Over the past 13 years, Brooklyn-based comedian Kyle Gillis has performed at clubs and colleges, pranked his way onto a daytime talk show, and

opened for Tom Segura. He is currently hosting the monthly show Ultimate Powerpoint Championship and preparing to record his first comedy special in 2023. For ages 21 and up only. Pre-show happy hour from Pipe the Side Brewing starts at 6:45 p.m. $15. 410-848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

Friday March 17

ETCETERA

Farmstead Taste & Tour — 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Renfrew Museum and Park, 1010 E. Main St., Waynesboro, Pa. Five-course tasting seasonal and locally sourced menu with guided tour of the Pa. German farmstead. Pre-registration is required. Sold by the table: $100 per table up to 2 guests; $200 per table up to 4 guests.  717-762-4723. renfrewmuseum.org.

Presentation on Albert Gallatin: Father of American Transportation — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church, 134 S. Main St., Boonsboro. Learn about Gallatin, a contemporary of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, whose visionary proposal for a national transportation system gave birth to the C&O Canal and the National Road. Free. nationalroadmuseum@gmail.com. nationalrdfoundation.org.

FAMILY

Plant a Tree! — 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Carroll County Public Library, Taneytown Branch, 10 Grand Drive, Taneytown. For those up to age 18. Celebrate Earth Day this spring by participating in the annual Neighborhood Forest free tree program, whose aim is to provide free trees to kids every Earth Day. Trees must be picked up at the Taneytown Branch. Registration is required. 410-386-4510. ask@carr.org.

KofC Friday Fish Dinners — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Sr. Margaret Bauer Evangelization Center, St. John the Evangelist Church, 114 E. Second St., Frederick. Fridays through

March 31. Suggested donation is $14, child’s plate is $6. Stations of the Cross will follow in the church at 7 p.m. $14. 301-3052127. satterf@comcast.net. kofc1622.org/fishfry.html.

“James and the Giant Peach” — 7:30 p.m. at The Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. A musical based on the book by Roald Dahl. Performances through March 26; 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, and 2 p.m. March 25. Ages 5 and older. Presented by Rockville Musical Theatre. $24, $20 ages 15 to 21, $15 for ages 14 and younger. 301-258-6394. gaithersburgmd.gov.

MUSIC

F.A.M.E. Song Circle — 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mount Airy Town Hall, 110 S. Main St., Mount Airy. A song circle is kind of like singing around a campfire (but without the fire). All ages, all abilities - players, singers, and listeners are all welcome! Acoustic instruments only, please! Meets monthly. 301-471-0889. D.Koronet@att.net. frederickacoustic.org.

Morgan’s Coffeehouse Presents Rick Hill — 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Morgan Chapel United Methodist Church, 6750 Woodbine Road, Woodbine. Hill will be singing and playing favorites from the Irish songbook on guitar, hammered dulcimer, mandolin and banjo as he leads singing Irish favorites such as “Danny Boy” and “My Wild Irish Rose.” Freewill offering will be taken.  410-9702485. revjim@morganchapel.church. morganchapel.church/coffeehouse.html.

Tauren Wells - The Joy in the Morning Tour — 7:30 p.m. at Luhrs Preforming Arts Center, 475 Lancaster Drive, Shippensburg, Pa. Wells is a highly celebrated and awarded platinum-selling recording artist, multiinstrumentalist and songwriter. $18+. 717-488-7469. info@luhrscenter.com. luhrscenter.com.

Loudon Wainwright III and Tom Rush with Matt Nakoa — 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. $37. 301-600-2868. bhiller@ cityoffrederickmd.gov. weinbergcenter.org.

CALENDAR

PERFORMER

MET Comedy Night: Oh Crit! ‘22-’23 — 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Celebrate with this D & D inspired improv comedy crew at Maryland Ensemble Theatre for their 5th anniversary! 18 and older. $15. 301-694-4744. zcallis@ marylandensemble.org.

THEATER

“Grease” — 6 p.m. at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theatre, 44 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hotrodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Dinner precedes show. Cash bar available. $63 adults, $57 active military and first responders, includes dinner and show. 301-739-7469. washingtoncountyplayhouse.com.

FTP presents “Rent” — 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Performing Arts Factory, 244 S. Jefferson St., Frederick. Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize Winning Broadway musical “Rent” comes to the Frederick theater scene produced by the longest running community theater company in Frederick, the Fredericktowne Players. The rock musical explores the value of love and life through the trials and tribulations of struggling young artists striving to survive in Lower Manhattan’s East Village at the height of the HIV/Aids epidemic. $20. 240-315-3855. hello@ftptheater.com. ftptheater.com.

Saturday March 18

From Sap to Syrup! Free Maple & Walnut Sugaring Demo — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Willow Oaks Cidery, 6219 Harley Road, Middletown. Observe the process of making sap into syrup with orchardist Taylor Roman at Willow Oaks. Maple and Walnut Syrup is available for pre-order with pick-ups taking place after March 25.

301-418-8248. alecks@foxhavenfarm.org. foxhavenfarm.org.

CLASSES

Freedom BANG class — 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Walkersville Public Library, 2 S. Glade Road, Walkersville. Freedom Bang is a pre-choreographed fusion of boxing, HIIT, hip hop, world dance, optional weighted gloves and just a touch of attitude. Offering a wide range of intensity options to help you customize your workout. Ages 18 and older. 301-600-8200. AWadding@ FrederickCountyMD.gov. fcpl.org.

“Pull This, Plant That: Invasive Plants & Native Plant Alternatives” — 10 a.m. to noon at UME Extension Office, 330 Montevue Lane, Frederick. Presented by the UME Frederick County Master Gardeners.

Find out why and how to replace non-native plants—especially invasives—with natives that help our native birds, butterflies and other pollinators. You will learn to accurately identify and control invasive plants and discover native alternatives that are beneficial and beautiful. Register online at bit.ly/FCMG23InvasivesToNativePlants.

Zumba Saturdays at the Library — 10:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. Ready to exercise! Ready to dance! Ready to shake off the pounds? Come on in for Zumba at the Library on Saturday mornings through May 27. Ages 18 and older. 301-600-7004. marchange-desir@frederickcountymd.gov. frederick.librarycalendar.com/event/ zumba-saturdays-library-8.

Birch Pitch Distillation, Bows & Brain Tanning Q&A with Jason Drevenak — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Birch pitch is the original glue and has been made in European cultures as long as 80,000 years ago. Learn the process of taking raw bark and distilling it in a specific vessel in a fire. Learn the art of making bows and arrows from different woods and natural materials and the process and tools necessary for naturally tanning animal hides. $42. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm. org. foxhavenfarm.org.

ETCETERA

Indoor Yard Sale — 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Christ Reformed UCC, 22514 Cavetown Church Road, Cavetown. Baked goods, freshcut fries, hot dogs, steamers and drinks available for purchase, too. Sponsored by the youth of the church. 301-797-6292.

Unity in Music Benefit Concert — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 703 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Traditional, contemporary and gospel music, as well as short, inspirational messages throughout the program. Free. 240-529-3494. cj@ nationaldayofprayer-frederick.org. nationaldayofprayer-frederick.org/ benefit-concert.

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend NONSTOP Dance Party — 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Brunswick Volunteer Fire Co., 1500 Volunteer Drive, Brunswick. Doors open at 6 p.m. and bands start at 7 p.m., featuring Hot Fun and Special Delivery. Proceeds benefit the fire company’s new engine fund. Tickets at https://tinyurl.com/2p84fycc. $20.

Retro Prom — 7 p.m. at William R. Talley Rec Center, 121 N. Bentz St., Frederick. Features the musical stylings of DJ Genius of Benefactor Events to dance the night away to, food by The Savory Spoon, a gift card tree raffle, a silent auction, fun prom photos, a cash bar and a late night pizza party. 21 and older. Roaring ‘20s theme and era dress encouraged but not required. Online and silent auction. Benefits Maryland Ensemble Theatre. Advance ticket purchases recommended. $50 per person, tables available from $240 to $720 for seating from 4 to 12 attendees. 301-694-4744. marylandensemble.org.

FAMILY

All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast Buffet — 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Liberty United Methodist Church, 12024 Main St., Libertytown. The menu includes sausage, pudding, hominy, side potatoes, scrambled eggs, sausage gravy, pancakes, French toast, biscuits, fruit, orange and apple juice, coffee and tea. Country ham sandwiches available for purchase. $10 adults, $6 ages 6 to 12, ages 5 and under free. 301-304-9843. libertycentralumc.org.

Maryland International Harvester Collectors Club #39 Pancake Day — 7 a.m. to noon at Murphy Farm, 11502 Browningsville Road , Ijamsville. This familyfriendly All You Can Eat Breakfast will be held indoors. Featuring new tractors from Hoober with an information table and sales reps on the premises. Chapter 39 MDIHHC will have various IH items including toys for purchase (cash or credit).

$10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-10. 443789-4119. Reba3Yaks@yahoo.com.

Damascus Lions Club Pancake, Sausage and Scrambled Egg Breakfast — 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Damascus United Methodist Church, 9700 New Church St., Damascus. Bake and craft tables, too. Proceeds benefit Lions community projects. $15 adults, $7 kids, under age 4 free. 301-829-1002.

“Painting the Past” — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick. Learn about Civil War uniforms and camp life, and paint up some of your own on model soldiers. Soldiers, paint and paint brushes provided. For ages 8 and older. Reservations required. 301-662-3515. mono_mail@nps.gov.

FESTIVALS

Frederick Home & Garden Expo — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 E. Patrick St., Frederick. With over 150 exhibitors across the construction, home services, outdoor living, and green home solutions industries, the Expo is your chance to explore, shop, and compare vibrant local businesses in person like never before. 301-663-3599. events@frederickbuilders. org. frederickexpo.org.

Frederick Home & Garden Expo — Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Frederick’s Favorite Children’s rockstar Mr. Jon & Friends will perform at 11 a.m. Bring the whole family for an exciting show, then plant your own garden in the Ruppert Landscape Kid’s Center. 301-663-3599. events@frederickbuilders. org. frederickhomeshow.org/kids-fun-zone.

Main Street’s Lucky Golden Ticket Hunt — noon to 3 p.m. at On the Plaza of Mount Airy Main Street, 118 S. Main St., Mount Airy. Visit the shops of Mount Airy’s Main Street as you hunt for a winning Golden Chocolate Bar. There will be several winners. Collect one Golden Chocolate Bar per ticket at  participating Main Street businesses. Purchase your official Lucky Ticket online before or during the event at the yellow MAMSA tent located on the Plaza between

The Last Word bookstore and Mount Airy Commons (116-118 S. Main St.). While supplies last. $5. 240-772-1141. info@ mountairymainstreet.org. mountairymainstreet.org.

Nowruz: A Spring Celebration of New Year, New Beginnings and Cultural Diversity — 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Islamic Society of Frederick, 1250 Key Parkway, Frederick. Regional foods, bazaar, children’s activities, cultural presentations.

Keystone Indoor Drill Association

Percussion and Color Guard Show — 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Tuscarora High School, 5312 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick. Hear the drums, and the marimbas, cymbals, chimes, keyboards and just about anything else you can hit to power out the tunes. Watch all the Color Guard Teams perform with flags, wood rifles and sabers. Thirty units competing. Concessions and local vendors. See website for schedule. $10 adults, $6 students and senior citizens. thsimbinfo@gmail.com.

HEALTH

Community & Veterans Health Fair — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at American Legion Post 171, 10201 Lewis Drive, Damascus. Free health screening for high blood pressure and glucose levels, behavioral health assessments, and free health education classes to include NARCAN training.  301-518-0984. rkmgm@verizon.net.

“The Quiet Epidemic” — noon to 2 p.m. at Urbana Regional Library, 9020 Amelung St., Frederick. The Leaf Lyme Support group and The Leaf Program will present the movie “The Quiet Epidemic” in place of the usual support group meeting. Q&A follows. 240-446-2883. leafoffrederick@gmail.com. thequietepidemic.com.

MUSIC

Unity in Music Benefit Concert — 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 703 W. Patrick St., Frederick. National Day of Prayer Frederick is celebrating 10 years of hosting an annual youth prayer rally in Frederick. To kick off the celebrations, the Faith Striders are helping to launch a $10 for 10 Years fundraising campaign by presenting Unity in Music Benefit Concert to support the 10th Annual Youth Prayer Rally. 240-529-3494. cj@nationaldayofprayerfrederick.org.

bit.ly/unity-in-music.

Blues Guitarist Guy Davis — 7:30 p.m. at Carroll County Arts Council, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Musician, storyteller, author and actor considered to be “America’s greatest link to the blues right now” (Windsor Star). $27, $24 for members. 410848-7272. carrollcountyartscouncil.org.

Frederick Symphony Orchestra — 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Frederick Community College Jack B. Kussmaul Theater, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick. Join the FSO as they go “On the Trail” with Ferde Grofe’s “Grand Canyon Suite,” Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from “Rodeo,” and

CALENDAR

come back home again with the Overture to Scott Joplin’s Opera “Treemonisha.” Solo performances by students from Frederick County Public Schools’ Academy for the Fine Arts. $20 for adults, $15 for students. 973-943-3748. rarenshaw2@gmail.com. fredericksymphony.org.

THEATER

“Lohengrin” — The Met Live in HD — 1 p.m. at Majestic Theater, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, Pa. Kay Hoke nationally recognized opera lecturer will present a free pre-performance opera talk at noon. Wagner’s “Lohengrin” returns to the Met stage with this atmospheric new staging by François Girard. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a cast led by tenor Piotr Beczala in the title role of the mysterious swan knight. $17, $23 and $25. 717-337-8200. gettysburgmajestic.org.

“Grease” — 6 p.m. at Washington County Playhouse Dinner Theatre, 44 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Here is Rydell High’s senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hotrodding “Burger Palace Boys” and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking “Pink Ladies” in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical. Dinner precedes show. Cash bar available. $63 adults, $57 active military and first responders, includes dinner and show. 301-739-7469. washingtoncountyplayhouse.com.

Sunday March 19

CLASSES

Spring Equinox Mindful Outdoor

Experience with Julie Kaus — 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Fox Haven Farm & Retreat Center, 3630 Poffenberger Road, Jefferson. Join seasoned yoga teacher and Mindful Outdoor Guide Julie Kaus for a meandering nature connection experience that includes gentle yoga movement, breathing and centering exercises, walking with awareness, nature meditation and sharing circle. $42. 240-490-5484. alecks@foxhavenfarm. org. foxhavenfarm.org.

Frederick County Local History — 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Walkersville LIbrary, 2 South Glade Road, Walkersville. Join Civil War historians as they present local history through photography, focusing on famous Confederate Frederick photos, which also detail the “then and now” of Frederick during the war and its aftermath. 301-6008200. fcpl.org.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu 101 Self-Defense Seminar — 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Han Mi Martial Arts/ Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Frederick, 190 Thomas Johnson Drive #2, Frederick. If you’ve been thinking about trying Brazilian JiuJitsu, but you don’t want to get injured or embarrassed, this seminar is for you. Get a brief orientation on the history of BJJ and then learn several techniques from Gracie Combatives, the world’s leading BJJ program for beginners. Free. 240-651-0985. frederick@hanmimartialarts.com.

FAMILY

Frederick Comic Con — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Champion Event Center (Clarion Inn), 5400 Holiday Drive, Frederick. Shoff Promotions presents Frederick Comic Con!  Cosplay welcome.  Early Bird 9:30 a.m. entry available for $15. Kids 12 and under free.  Admission is cash only. $10. 301-694-7500. shoffpromotions.com.

FESTIVALS

Frederick Home & Garden Expo — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 E. Patrick St., Frederick. With over 150 exhibitors across the construction, home services, outdoor living, and green home solutions industries, the Expo is your chance to explore, shop, and compare vibrant local businesses in person like never before. 301-663-3599. events@frederickbuilders. org. frederickexpo.org.

MUSIC

U.S. Army Concert Band Concert — 3 p.m. at Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. An ensemble of the U.S. Army Band Pershing’s Own. Free but tickets required. 301-600-2828. weinbergcenter.org.

Ireland with Michael LIVE — 3 p.m. at Luhrs Preforming Arts Center, 475 Lancaster Drive, Shippensburg, Pa. Ireland’s leading tenor, Michael Londra! Ireland with Michael celebrates the music, dance and stories of Ireland with fiddles, pipes and world champion Irish dancers. The Reisner Dining Hall will also be serving an Irish dinner buffet for $11.05 before and after the show! $35. 717-447-7469. info@luhrscenter.com. luhrscenter.com.

Music, Gettysburg!: Violin/Piano Duo Concert — 4 p.m. at United Lutheran Seminary Chapel, 147 Seminary Ridge, Gettysburg, Pa. Featuring Elena Millar, piano, and Nikita Burakovskiy, violin in the program “Ode to Opera,” including compositions by Mussorgsky, Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov, and Tchaikovsky.  717-339-1334. info@musicgettysburg.org. musicgettysburg.org.

Stone Country — 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cactus Flats, 10026 Hansonville Road, Frederick. Live country music.

OUTDOORS

Nature Walk on the Old Main Line — 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Watkins Park, 615 Center St., Mount Airy. Hike along the 1/4-mile scenic Rails to Trails path to historic Mount Airy. Not a paved trail. Meet in the parking lot. 240446-1658. info@unescobme.org.

Monday March 20

CLASSES

Restorative Yoga with Soundbath — 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at FAC Art Center, 5 E. Second St., Frederick. Gentle flow yoga session. $15. 301-662-4190. wiegand@ frederickartscouncil.org. yogamour.org.

2023 Golfer Loyalty Program

Loudon Wainwright III & Tom Rush with Matt Nakoa

FRIDAY, MARCH 17 | 8:00 PM

An Evening with David Sedaris

THURSDAY, MARCH 30 | 7:30 PM

The Steel Wheels

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 | 8:00 PM

Neil Berg’s The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 | 8:00 PM

WONDER

East of Eden (1955)

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 | 7:30 PM

Afrique en Cirque by Cirque Kalabanté

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 | 6:30 PM

Afrique

en Cirque

...AND