First Posted: 5/23/2014

What a show!

Last Sunday, Philip Mosley and the Dennis Jeter Quartet exceeded our expectations with a wonderful tribute event to Scranton-born lyricist Ned Washington. It was fantastic to hear jazz standards including “The Nearness of You,” “My Foolish Heart,” and “Stella By Starlight.” It felt like we were in a jazz club during their performance.

Mosley’s narrative about Washington’s contributions to the great American songbook was fascinating. He really influenced pop culture by penning favorite songs from “High Noon,” “ Dumbo,” “ Pinocchio” and the television show “Rawhide.” We would like to thank the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and various anonymous donors for making the event possible. We would also like to thank Mosley for bringing his idea for this concert to us. We hope to have them back in the future.

Speaking of live entertainment, the Dietrich Theater Radio Players will be back on Tuesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. for an evening of radio theatre. You are invited to go back with us to those days when radio was king for “Fibber McGee Gets His Hand Caught in a Bottle,” Jack Benny’s “High Noon” and “Haunt Me a House.” This show will be performed by a 16-member community cast and will include live sound effects. The performance will be followed by a light reception. The group seems to get better with every performance so I know we are in for a real treat. Admission is free. Tickets will be available at the door or they can be reserved by calling 570-996-1500.

Historian Ed McMullen will be at the Dietrich for a special presentation Remembering D-Day on Sunday, June 8 at 3 p.m. Seventy years ago, on June 6, 1944, 156,000 allied troops, 5,000 ships, 50,000 vehicles and 11,000 planes embarked on an invasion of Hitler’s Europe.

By the end of the day, there were 10,000 Allied casualties and somewhere between 4,000 to 9,000 dead for the Germans. The beaches at Normandy were secured, and it was the beginning of the end of World War II. During this free presentation, McMullen will help us recall the events of that day and help us remember and honor those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice at Normandy. The lecture will be preceded by an Honor Guard ceremony performed by Tunkhannock’s American Legion. For more information or to reserve your free tickets, please the Dietrich.

During June, you will also have the opportunity to experience local history at the Dietrich through a special exhibit from the Wyoming County Historical Society. See recently acquired documents that separated Wyoming County from Luzerne County in 1842. Discovered in a private collection in New York state, these documents provide a glimpse of our county’s beginnings.

As you can see, the Dietrich is so much more than the movies!