I am a Marx Brothers fan. So being able to see An Evening with Groucho at Miller Symphony Hall this past Saturday night seemed like a blast. It was.

An Evening with Groucho is a show starring Frank Ferrante as Groucho, accompanied by pianist Jim Furmston. It starts when Jim comes onstage to play a Medley from the Marx Brothers Films. From there, hold onto your hat.

Ferrante comes onstage as himself and explains why he enjoys Groucho, how he used to stay up to catch “You Bet Your Life” and while telling us this, he is getting into character. When he’s done speaking, he’s done with the makeup; the eyebrows, the mustache. He’s transformed into the one, the only, Groucho.

In classic Groucho fashion, the first thing he does is tell us he must be going, with “Hello, I must be going” from Animal Crackers. This naturally leads Groucho into, Captain Spalding the African Explorer.

Then onto the audience participation. A woman in the front row said she was from Schnecksville.

“Schnecksville, you made it out! This is a big day for you!” Groucho replied.

“How’s the balcony? JUMP!”

Then he finished being Captain Spalding and started telling us his history.

Did you know it all started for the Marx Brothers in Allentown? They were big in Vaudeville but it was when I’ll Say She is debuted in 1923 at the Lyric Theatre in Allentown, before opening and running successfully in Philadelphia before taking over Broadway, that they started doing shows and getting into “the pictures”.

Throughout the performance he would occasionally break character to be one of the other Marx Bros to set himself up, for example;

Zeppo says “The garbage man is here”, Groucho replies, “Tell ‘em we don’t want any!”

Then back to the history, it was Art Fisher who nicknamed the brothers. Then onto a great, not very well known song called “Father’s Day”, which has a great punchline, look it up!

Moving on, there were scenes and monologues from The Cocoanuts, A Day at the Races and “Lydia the Tattooed Lady” from At the Circus.

Prior to intermission Furmston and Groucho did the piano gag that Groucho and Chico did in Animal Crackers, this faded us into intermission.

Coming out of intermission they finished the piano bit and there was more singing and more audience participation, which was more like a slightly toned down Don Rickles!

Another example,

“Where are you from?” – Groucho

“Bethlehem” – Member of the Audience

“Jesus Christ” – Groucho

“Oooooooo” – The audience

“Come on, you can’t make them that easy.” – Groucho

The night was filled with comedy, old school comedy. It was also filled with history, in which Lehigh Valley played a part, as it wasn’t just Allentown, but a theatre in Easton also hosted the Marx Bros, for a show as well.

With audience participation, there is no third wall, so he comes right out and says that our ticket money went to a great meal at Cosmopolitan, where he had the salmon and loved it and Jim had the amazing braised ribs.

It all started 90 years ago this month in Allentown.

“Allentown… It’s just right” that’s how he closed the show.

Frank is great as Groucho. He has a PBS special you may have seen, but I urge you to seek out a show and see him. With the audience participation no two shows are ever alike, and even if you’re a big fan (like me), you’ll know all the punchlines, but he’ll still surprise you, as Frank himself can put on the Groucho wit and go at the audience very well. In my opinion, the man must have studied hours of “You Bet You Life” episodes both on the radio and on TV.

This weekend seems to be panning out with some great weather, and it just so happens to be my birthday too! I’m excited to spending some time with family & friends, and to gear up for a few days of fun, I’ve compiled a quick list of places to see, things to do, and restaurants to enjoy that I’d like to stop by to help celebrate my special day!

To help get myself ready for a weekend of being fabulous, I’m stopping by American Hairlines, a one-stop shop to prep for any occasion!  You can get pampered with salon and spa services and find the perfect outfit all in one place! I’ve had my eye on a dress in the window for some time now…

On Saturday, my family will be in the area for a quick visit.  We’ll be stopping over at Mesa Modern Mexican where we can enjoy some lunch in the sunshine at their outdoor seating area.  I’ve been wanting to try the Guacamole con Frutas – it has mango and pomegranate in it!

My evening will be spent cheering on the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks at Stabler Arena.  If you haven’t been out to a game yet, now’s your chance!  There’s only one more home game after that and it’s a long summer until you’ll get to see some football again in the fall.  Great seats are still available for the games (be sure to check the coupon section on our website!) and you might even get to see me cheering on the sidelines and at halftime! We’re matched against the reigning league champions, the Albany Panthers, this week, so it’s sure to be a close game. Stop by and say hello!

After the game, we all head over to Roosevelt’s 21^st in Bethlehem to celebrate.  The DJ is great and we always have a great time dancing the night away!

For Sunday morning brunch, there’s no better place than Jumbar’s.  Make sure you get there early, as it’s quite a popular spot!  Be sure to try a grilled Triple Berry Muffin and grab a few Duffins to take home- a cross between a muffin and a donut that results in cinnamon sugary goodness.

There are so many great places to help celebrate a special occasion in Lehigh Valley, no matter what your tastes are.  Where are your favorite places to blow out the candles and enjoy a birthday?

4:15am is no time to be awake. Even the birds don’t start chirping until around 5:00am. But yesterday I found myself reaching for my alarm at that ungodly hour for a really fun reason. Philadelphia’s Fox 29’s Good Day morning show was broadcasting its “Jenny On Your Block” segment in Lehigh Valley, specifically Allentown.

When you get a phone call from a news reporter wanting to feature your area you could just recommend places they should visit, or you can coordinate a mini street fair to welcome them.
Kim Lilly, our Executive VP contacted Mike Drabenstott of Allentown’s West End Alliance and together they coordinated a very early morning celebration featuring Allentown’s West End Theatre District.

By 6:15am when the TV crew’s truck pulled up 19th Street was blocked off between Liberty and Allen Streets, Civic Theatre was rolling out their red carpet, Trixie’s Treats Truck was on site with their delicious cupcakes, coffee was brewing at Hava Java and even Boutique To Go was open with a welcome sign out.

Then the entertainment arrived. There were Pirates, a double string quartet from Allentown School District, bagpipers, Glenn Miller and his Big One Man Band, Lehigh Valley Steelhawk’s “Precious Metals” dance team, and my favorite, local mascots!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I make a point of having my picture taken with every mascot I meet so I was thrilled to see Ferrous from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Moodonna from the Great Allentown Fair, Dax representing the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey team, and the Mule from Muhlenberg College. I even had my picture taken with the TD Bank mascot! (Special thanks to Civic 514 Black Box Theatre for opening up as a changing room for them)

When you’re out and about that early you really work up an appetite…Kim and Mike had that covered too. In addition to cupcakes there was breakfast pizza from Ruffno’s and breakfast sliders from Jack Callaghan’s Ale House.

Dax, Nancy, and the Mule!

Jenny, a ball of energy obviously used to being up early was very impressed hearing from Mayor Ed Pawlowski about all the new developments in the city including the new hockey arena going up on Hamilton Street. When the short segments were done Jenny and her crew asked for suggestions on other Lehigh Valley locations for future shoots. I overheard Ryan, our Director of Marketing say “Be careful what you ask for”…we have plenty of locations to showcase in the valley!

Hats off to Kim and Mike who threw this early morning party showing off our region to our neighbors in Philadelphia, especially since it was rescheduled from the rainy Wednesday the week before.

What Lehigh Valley location would you recommend for a future “Jenny On The Block” segment?

Counting down to the Fourth Annual Lehigh Valley Food and Wine Festival at Sands Bethlehem Event Center May 31 – Jun 2, we’re giving away another Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Prize Pack!

Enter to win one of two great prize packs courtesy of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem by a simple tweet!

In order to win one of the following prizes, simply craft a tweet using @Sands_Bethlehem and @lehighvalleypa with the hashtag #LVFoodWineFest.

Example: “I want to win the @Sands_Bethlehem #LVFoodWineFest from @lehighvalleypa!”

If you do not have a Twitter account, simply comment in the section below to enter. Preference will be given to eligible tweets, however. Also, download the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Mobile App, visit the Sands Event Center and be sure to like them on Facebook.

Be sure to watch our latest “Live Like a Local” video at The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem.

We will announce the winners on Friday, May 17.
Grand Prize winner gets:
2 Sands $50 Gift Cards
2 Sands Eco Water Bottles
1 Sands Hat
1 Sands Shirt

Second Place winner gets:
1 Sands $50 Gift Cards
2 Sands Eco Water Bottles
1 Sands Hat
1 Sands Shirt ]]> http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/2013/05/15/play/were-doing-another-tweet-to-win-a-sands-casino-resort-bethlehem-prize-pack/feed/ 0 http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/2013/05/13/play/a-mothers-day-outing-with-a-gymnastic-twist/ http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/2013/05/13/play/a-mothers-day-outing-with-a-gymnastic-twist/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 18:37:28 +0000 Guest Author http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/?p=15182

By Gregg Marzano

This past weekend as most of the Lehigh Valley was busy celebrating Mother’s day with brunch reservations, theater tickets and spa treatments, I gathered up three special ladies and headed to Stabler Arena for Pro Gymnastics Challenge.

Already in 2013 I have attended a nationally televised Patriot League basketball game, Indoor Arena League Steelhawks football game and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce trade fair at the Lehigh sports complex. In addition, they have hosted the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Show, home and bridal shows, not to mention wrestling and indoor track and field events. Our region is very fortunate to have nine colleges and universities all with excellent athletic facilities, arts and entertainment centers to host special events.

A happy fan.

The Pro Gymnastics Challenge was definitely a special event. The brain child of Brent Klaus, CEO of International Gymnastics Camp, up the road in Stroudsburg, PA, this event is designed to provide an outlet for elite gymnasts to continue their careers once their Olympic and collegiate careers have ended. With three gymnastics programs in the Lehigh Valley including Parkettes, Lehigh Valley Sports Academy, and Kids Co-Op, plus dozens more within a 2 hour drive, convenient air service at Lehigh Valley International Airport and a professional event staff it made Stabler Arena the perfect fit.

Pro Gymnastics Challenge secured a TV contract with ESPN and combined with Olympic and International gymnastic competitors this made for an exciting night. Saturday was the second day of competition and the theme was USA vs. World in an event format that resembled a basketball game of H-O-R-S-E.  One Team throws a trick on an apparatus, like the uneven bars and the other team has to match the skill. Judges then decide who executed the skill better and awards a point. The audience got to break ties by voting via text. Let’s just say all ties went to the home team.

Coaching the USA team was 2008 Olympic Gold All-Around Champion Nastia Liukin. Other Olympic notables were 2008 Silver & Bronze medalist Jonathon Horton, 2012 Olympic team member Jacob Dalton, 2008 Olympic team silver medalist Chellsie Memmel, and one of my favorites, six time Olympian Oksana Chusovitina from Uzbekistan. Do the math 6 x every 4 years = 24 years of Olympic caliber competition. This is not ping pong. We are talking about a sport that most athletes retire in their twenties.

As advertised these finely tuned athletes gave it 110%. Competing for $150,000 in cash prizes each participant pulled off their favorite trick and someone on the other team had to give it their best shot. We had a couple of intermissions so the fans could hit the concession stand and stretch their legs. Our favorite treat at Stabler Arena is the Leiby’s Ice Cream. A double scoop is only $4.00.
I don’t want to spoil the ending and tell you who wins since it is scheduled to run as a three part series May 20-22, 2013 on ESPN2, but let me tell you this much. The night was filled with fan participation (voting to break ties), scary difficult routines with serious risk of injury, a scoring protest – which resulted in an instant replay reversal, a photo finish and a last minute comeback. Set the DVR, this is a must watch event.

We visited Lehigh Valley’s newest addition to fine shopping, The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem, in our “Live Like a Local with George” web series.

You don’t have to travel as far you probably think to visit Coach, DKNY, Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger and more. The Outlets is conveniently located at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem and is a perfect place to visit after dinner, before a show at The Sands Bethlehem Event Center or after you hit that big jackpot.

In addition to upscale shopping, The Outlets also have fun, well… outlets. The Peeps and Company Store is a kid’s dream and an adult’s chance to remember what it was like to have a kid’s dream. The Old Farmer’s Almanac General Store offers a quaint, rustic charm to your shopping visit.

Find The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem on Facebook and Twitter to learn about special offers.

Oh, and, of course, watch our video. We had a blast making it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Earlier this week, I had the chance to stop by Lehigh Valley Grand Prix.  While I had been there before, I had never actually had the chance to try my hand at racing.  I consider myself a pretty decent driver, so I thought go-karts would be simple.  A few laps around the track, flying around the corners- no big deal, right?

Well the karts at Grand Prix are not your average go-karts. These are top of the line cars which can hit speeds of up to 45 mph in the span of the quarter-mile track, featuring 11 turns.

Did I mention that I would be racing against Marco Andretti? Right. Now I was a little intimidated. Marco was on hand to promote the upcoming IndyCar Race at Pocono Raceway.

Marco Andretti

After a quick instruction video explaining the rules of the road, I was ready to go.  Right pedal is gas. Left pedal is brake. Blue flag means move over, someone is closing in and is about to pass you.  Black flag for warnings if you disobey the rules.

I was fitted for a helmet and a racing suit (note to ladies- no dresses or heels here!). I didn’t know that I would actually get the chance to race at the event so I was less than prepared with my attire!

After getting all suited up, I was assigned a car and got ready to go.  And after a quick check to make sure seat belts were secure, it was visors down, engines revving and a green flag to start!

It took me a few tries to get the hang of the turns in the track and how to balance between the gas and brake pedals. I was lapped by Andretti before I even finished my first time around the track! My racing skills might not have been the best, but it was definitely a ton of fun to be flying around the track- even if I was getting passed by Andretti on what felt like every other turn.

The race lasted about 8 minutes, and I was able to complete 10 laps with my best time being 39.114 seconds (did I mention I wasn’t the greatest at this?). Just for comparison, Marco completed 15 laps in the same amount of time with his best time at 30.947 seconds.

All Suited Up!

After the race, Marco took some time with the media to discuss the upcoming IndyCar Race at Pocono Raceway- the first time that an Indy race will be held there since 1989.  In his trial at Pocono Raceway, which he confessed was his first time driving the circuit, he broke the track record.  We all posed for a quick photo and the Andretti took some time to chat with fans as well.

But take me as an example- you don’t have to be a professional to have a great time racing your friends at Lehigh Valley Grand Prix! And if you’re lucky, you might even run into Andretti there- he frequently stops by with his friends for a few laughs and a good time.

Next up in our Guestagram Series is Julie Lubinsky! Julie has submitted photos that will be featured on our Lehigh Valley Instagram account.

In our Guestagram Series, a local photographer takes over our account for a few days to showcase their work and their take on the great area we live in.

Julie’s photos will be posted on our Instagram account, as well as our Twitter feed and Facebook page throughout the next few days.

Julie Lubinsky lives in New Tripoli in Weisenberg Township, Lehigh County.

Even if you don’t have an Instagram account yourself, you can still check out all of our photos as they are posted directly on the web.

If you are a photographer, or even just someone who likes taking pictures, and are interested in participating in our new Guestagram program, please email george@discoverlehighvalley.com

With Mother’s Day this Sunday, I felt it was appropriate to give my top five reasons (because 100 you wouldn’t read) why I love my mother.

A Lehigh Valley transplant by way of Scranton, PA, I was lucky enough to marry a great Lehigh Valley (actually a Hokendauqua) girl. And with that marriage came a beautiful mother-in-law. So let’s make this two top 5 lists, one for Mom and one for MIL (mother-in-law).

Let’s start with mom since without her I probably wouldn’t be writing this list.

5. You took me and my friends skiing in blizzards, because that’s when the snow was best

4. You get concerned about me when I don’t call

3. You always made a bad situation right

2. You always stood behind me when others didn’t

1. The unconditional love that you have for me

There are about 95 more I could write, but it’s a blog.

And now a list for MIL . . .

5. Making me feel comfortable in your family from day one

4. Making some of the most kick ass food any son-in-law could imagine

3. Your calming demeanor in any situation

2. Having enough respect for me to let me marry your daughter

1. Teaching my wife to be the beautiful woman and mother she is

So there you have it Lehigh Valley, my little tribute to two great women (actually three if you read between the lines). Now start planning how to celebrate the ladies in your life. May I suggest brunch? ]]> http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/2013/05/07/discover/top-five-reasons-why-i-love-my-mother-and-mother-in-law/feed/ 0 http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/2013/05/03/eat/point-phillips-hotel-reopens-in-lehigh-valley-and-their-cuisine-is-delicious/ http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/2013/05/03/eat/point-phillips-hotel-reopens-in-lehigh-valley-and-their-cuisine-is-delicious/#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 16:33:53 +0000 Nancy Signorovitch http://blog.discoverlehighvalley.com/?p=15094

Finally! After waiting for years the Point Phillips Hotel is once again open. I was there for dinner during its first week and can honestly say it was well worth the wait.

When I moved to Point Phillips, a small Lehigh Valley village just five miles north of Bath back in 1994 the hotel was nothing but an old, extremely run down local watering hole. The years since then were not kind as the former owner never put a dime into the building. When word got out that Dan Tanczos sold his beer distributor business to buy the hotel our friends and neighbors couldn’t wait to see what he’d to with the place.

But wait we did. Five…long…years.

Our hopes were high as the old asphalt shingles covering the exterior slapped up in the 40’s or 50’s came down reveling the original wooden clapboards. The exterior was beautifully restored which probably increased my property value since I live right down the road.

Then we waited…and waited…and waited. Crews could be seen coming and going over the years and signs were posted “Opening in the fall”. We just weren’t sure what year. As their website pictures show the interior was in much worse shape than originally thought and the whole place had to be restored.

Thank goodness for people like Dan who, rather than do it fast, took the time to do it right. I am sure the original owners and those since who actually cared about the place are smiling down on him today.

The parking lot has been full every night since it opened but curiosity won’t sustain a business, especially a restaurant in the country. The food however is really the reason I’ll bring friends and family there. One of the small outbuildings has been converted into a smokehouse and the aroma of meats slow cooking is enough to make everyone hungry.

I ordered a two meat combo choosing ribs and pulled pork with mac & cheese and coleslaw as my sides. All were delicious. A glance around the dining room to see other patron’s meals made me realize I’d have to try them all.

Dan walked the floor introducing himself and making sure everyone was happy. I immediately declared that we would be Point Phillips Hotel regulars.  I’m thrilled we finally have a local pub and restaurant to enjoy and recommend to others.