Cruising Carlisle

Quote: For those of you whose only knowledge of Carlisle is fighting off a barrage of trucks while traveling on Route 81, the glamor of its old-time downtown movie theatre will probably come as a very welcome surprise.

The Carlisle Theatre, built in 1939, was originally one of three in Carlisle which enthralled early audiences with a variety of movie showings. Unfortunately, the theatre's beautifully unique art deco interior as well as its facade became increasingly run down over the years. When the town built its first multiplex next to the town's mall in the 1980s, The Carlisle Theatre was forced to close its doors. Soon after, a group of individuals from the town formed an organization called the Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center, which successfully planned and executed the restoration and reopening of The Carlisle Theatre in 1989.

Just one look at this theatre today and you will immediately recognize the warmth and soul of the people who revived it. Once you find your parking spot (no worries, there are plenty right on High Street, in nearby lots, and in the public garage directly behind it) you will be escorted to your seat by friendly ushers and will instantaneously find yourself immersed in your performance of choice.

The Carlisle Theatre's performance schedule includes affordable independent movie packages, children's theatre, classical music, and appearances by cherished musicians from folk to country to R&B. It's not NYC, but it's certainly a good showing for Central Pennsylvania. I would definitely recommend attending an event here to anyone who enjoys getting a dose of history with their arts experience. There is a decent selection of shows to choose from, which you can check out at www.carlisletheatre.org.

Tickets can be bought in advance or at the box office on the day of the show, depending on how popular it is. The theatre also partners with various downtown restaurants which offer 10% discounts for visitors attending a show (check the website for a full list). Make sure to call in your reservations ahead of time, as these discounts bring larger crowds to the restaurants.

While at the theatre, don't forget to take a minute to admire the beautiful gold and orange tones of the theatre's walls and imagine what it was like taking in a silent film in the theatre's early days. If you find that you do enjoy visiting the theatre, you might want to consider attending some of the special events it hosts throughout the year. For example, it is home to Carlisle Cantate (an adult vocal ensemble), The Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and First Night (New Year's Eve) performances.

I have attended several high quality performances at the theatre (and sampled most of the local cuisine—good stuff) where I witnessed people literally dancing in the aisles. If you're ready to get rid of your worn out routine and get up out of your seat, head over to The Carlisle Theatre Theatre this weekend.

Quote: Picture this: New York City fashion at Central PA prices in an accessible and engaging setting. Thanks to ClothesVine owners Sally and Naomi Bobb, shoppers can skip the lines and protect their wallets while managing to walk out of their cheerful yet sophisticated store with beautiful garments, accessories, and jewelry in tow.

Let’s start with the clothes. The store only carries women’s and juniors’ apparel, but men are often spotted lounging in the whimsical “high heel shoe” chair while taking in a fashion show just outside the dressing rooms. Striking bohemian garments line the walls on artistically crafted racks and range from delicate Asian-inspired fabrics to items that incorporate military-style touches. Displays of beautiful handmade sweaters of every color and texture are scattered about the front room. If you’re a bit more conservative, you may want to check out one of the racks stocked with simple but elegant linen apparel. In the upper room, there are always multiple sales racks fit for bargain hunters with an eye for fashion and a not-so-flexible budget.

Accessories are carefully scattered throughout the store and vary from beautiful hand painted silk scarves to bold handbags to classy sterling silver business card cases. You absolutely can’t miss the hat and mitten display, which boasts both funky and endearing items that make terrific additions to any outfit. There are plenty of cleverly chosen gift items as well—I made out pretty well with the wine and cheese picnic set!

As wonderful as the clothes and accessories are, The ClothesVine’s jewelry takes the cake. Some of the pieces I’ve seen and bought at The ClothesVine blow away things I’ve seen on regular trips to NYC! The Bobbs work with several local designers to offer their customers truly original pieces that extend from cut geodes to handcrafted necklaces made of oxidized silver and chunky semi precious stones. While I live in the NYC metro, I go back here on a monthly basis to buy most of my jewelry.

It’s important to mention that the service here is superb. The owners really know their fashion, designers, and fabrics, so don’t hesitate to inquire about the history, make, or use of anything you find in the store. I have always been pleasantly surprised by the personal but non-pushy attention I have received while making my purchases. Little touches like free cider and cookies on a cold winter day and soft jazz floating through the air make the experience memorable all year round.

The best thing about The ClothesVine is that it achieves the goal of allowing you to express your true sense of style. You will always have the satisfaction of walking down the street wearing whatever you bought at The ClothesVine knowing you probably won’t see it on anyone else for a long, long time.

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I know what you're thinking: "How good could a high school musical be?" But hats off to the leads of Carlisle High School's production of My Fair Lady; this former musician was truly blown away.

Professor Higgins was played by Senior Josh Tewell, whose depiction of the character was uncannily like Rex Harrison's. He skillfully mastered first the heartless and then the romantic ego of the professor and topped it off with a superb British accent. (This show would have really suffered without a great accent on a Brit who is a self-proclaimed phonetics expert.)

Speaking of accents, Cassidy Dermott brought an equally impressive dodgy British tongue to Eliza's character. Her voice was so clear and sweet that for a moment I was sure I was back in the Gershwin listening to Elphaba (Wicked) sing Gravity! And while at 5'2" there were few likenesses to Audrey Hepburn, her ability to light up the stage stirred more empathy in the audience than even Audrey could. Cassidy's phonetic transformation was very believable, as was the chemistry that built between her and Professor Higgins throughout the development.

While the chorus and sets left something to be desired, Eliza's cronies' acrobatic stunts had me chuckling on more than one occasion. The most obvious weakness was the orchestration, which seemed to be comprised of a few talented musicians and numerous other tentative or unpracticed ones. It was actually painful to listen at times as they struggled to transition in and out of scene changes.

All that aside, Eliza and the professor really did make the show worth every minute of the 2 ½ hours I spent in my worn auditorium seat. And let's not forget that this is high school, folks. The tickets were only seven bucks a piece—a pittance to pay to behold a couple of talented performers who just may end up under the lights of Broadway.