On Stage: Uptown celebrates the roots of Doo-Wop

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Soul Harmony Today’s world of music has an amazing number of genres and sub-genres.  Some of the oldest are blues, country and western, rock and rhythm and blues. The first three are easy for casual music fans to figure out. The fourth is more obscure. Rhythm and blues, commonly abbreviated as R&B, is a genre of popular music that originated...

Uptown! opens Knauer Center with a bash

The four people who envisioned the Knauer Center six years ago are (from L to R) Richard K. May, Linda Foster, Connie McEvoy and Tom McEvoy. Photo by Christie Green Photography. WEST CHESTER — After six years of hard work, Uptown! Entertainment Alliance is ready to debut its theater, the Knauer Performing Arts Center, to the public. The New Year’s Eve Gala, sold out since October, was one of...

Uptown! plans New Year’s Eve Grand Opening celebration

WEST CHESTER – On New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2016, UPTOWN! Entertainment Alliance will host a Grand Opening Celebration for its new theater. Since the nonprofit organization first found a home for West Chester’s new theater at the National Guard Armory three years ago, it has looked forward to this seminal moment. Uptown!’s New Year’s Eve Gala, The Celebration of the Century, will showcase...

Knauers honored in naming of W. Chester theater

Nancy and David Knauer WEST CHESTER — The performing arts finally have a place to call home in West Chester, PA and now, that home has a name. Thanks to a generous contribution from Chris and Beth Knauer, Uptown! Entertainment Alliance’s new theater will be named The Knauer Theater for the Performing Arts in honor of Chris Knauer’s grandmother Lena and his parents, David and Nancy Knauer...

Rhoads tops songwriter competition

WEST CHESTER — The Uptown! Third Annual Songwriter Competition was a hit! Our judges narrowed down many great local artists to five singers for our live show at Sprout Music Collective. They were: Anna Kerstetter, Steve Rhoads, Autumn Walden, Greg Thomas, and Tyneisha Menginie. Each of the performers performed three original songs and folks were blown away by the amount of talent displayed.  ...

Uptown! launches songwriter contest

WEST CHESTER — Uptown! Entertainment Alliance iannounced it is hosting its third annual Singer Songwriter Competition in 2016. This is a chance for local songwriters to have their original work seen by high-profile music industry professionals. Songwriters can show off their talents for a chance to be selected as one of five top finalists and preform at our live show on April 13 at Sprout...