Dec. 5 to 7, 1975
Residents of Northeast Pennsylvania had an embarrassment of riches when it came to entertainment during the first weekend of December.
If you enjoyed a good laugh, Mount Airy Lodge in Mount Pocono had you covered. On Dec. 5, Philadelphia comedy team Lou Marks and Al Fisher performed, and Rodney Dangerfield took the stage the following night as part of the resort’s 39th anniversary celebration.
Theatre Libre’s production of the comedy “Last Laugh” ended its run at the University of Scranton Student Center on Dec. 5. The play was penned by Scrantonian Joseph Skorupa and starred Steve Simon, Donna Dean, Janet Taylor, Paula Pate and Karen Skorupa.
Surrounding Steve Simon, playing the lead role in “Last Laugh,” Theatre Libre comedy group includes, from left: Donna Dean, Janet Taylor, Paula Pate and Karen Skorupa. The play ran from Dec. 2 to 5, 1975, at University of Scranton Student Center Auditorium.
For live music, residents had a range of styles to pick from. On Dec. 6, Peter Frampton and Rory Gallagher performed at U of S’s Long Center, and the band STAR had them dancing at the college’s student center.
Over at the Masonic Temple, the Stockholm Philharmonic performed Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and Ravel’s second “Daphnis et Chloe” suite under the baton of Sixten Ehrling. The show was part of the Community Concert Series.
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Ad for Peter Frampton’s concert at the Long Center at the University of Scranton on Dec. 6, 1975.
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Ad for a dance featuring the band STAR at University of Scranton student center on Dec. 6, 1975.
On the following night, Dec. 7, folk singer Arlo Singer took the stage at the Catholic Youth Center in Scranton. Just down the street, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians had people tapping their toes at the Masonic Temple. And up at Marywood College, singer/songwriter David Brombery and F.B. Worster performed at the fine arts theater as part of the college’s Festival Weekend.
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Ad for Arlo Guthrie’s concert at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center on Dec. 7, 1975.
That special event also included a film festival, which started at 1 p.m. in Marywood’s fine arts theater and ran into the night. Guests watched “Highlights of the 1972 Winter Olympics at Grenoble,” “The Ballad of Cable Hogue,” “Dirty Harry,” “A Star Is Born” (from 1954) and “The Graduate.”
TIMES-SHAMROCK ARCHIVES Sixten Ehrling, left, conductor of Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, chats with representatives of the Community Concert Association of Scranton, from left, Roberta Jacoby, Mrs. James Zaydon and association President Julie Robinson, on Dec. 6, 1975. The Swedish orchestra performed in the second concert of the 1975-76 series at Masonic Temple.
If these weren’t to your taste, the local theaters had a wide selection to choose from, such as “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams” at the Comerford, “The Night Caller” at the Center Theater, “Mahogany” at the West Side and “3 Days of the Condor,” “92 in the Shade” and “Young Frankenstein” at Viewmont Mall Cinema.
If sporting events were more your speed, Marywood featured two events as part of its Festival Weekend. First was a swim meet and relay races between Marywood and U of S. The next event took the action from the pool to the hardwood with a basketball game between students and faculty members.
Brian Fulton has been the librarian at The Times-Tribune for the past 15 years. On his blog, Historically Hip, he writes about the great concerts, plays/musicals and celebrity happenings that have taken place throughout NEPA. He is also the co-host of the local history podcast, Historically Hip. He competed and was crowned grand champion on an episode of NPR quiz show “Ask Me Another.” Contact: bfulton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9140; or @TTPagesPast
