Arts and Entertainment

Three generations of artists in a local family have won a prestigious art award — though 72 years apart.

Conifer resident Michael Wisnieski, his daughter Jenna and Wisnieski’s father, Ray Wisniewski, all have won the regional Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ Scholastic Art & Writing Award. It is also known simply as the Gold Key Award, and recipients receive a gold key lapel pin.

“This was a really cool experience,” Jenna said. “It feels great to have my dad and grandpa and for me all to get the same award.”

2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti and the 60th anniversary of his classic Christmas opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”

Say the words “Hello, Dolly” in public, and you’re bound to hear at least a handful of people whistling or humming the eponymous song from the 1964 Broadway musical. With its catchy tunes and farcical plot, “Hello, Dolly” sticks with audiences long after they’ve left their seats. StageDoor Theatre’s production of this Tony-winning musical should prove no different. The high school company is filled with new faces and brings a fresh energy to the time-honored Broadway bonanza.

Each year as the community prepares for Halloween, store shelves are lined with sinister costumes, and our world dresses itself in a bit of the macabre. This annual tradition proves that we find a bit of pleasure in scaring ourselves silly. The latest production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” at StageDoor Theatre is much more silly than scary, but the black comedy is still dotted with the all of the spine-tingling macabre that makes this time of year so much fun.