The Reading Theater Project will hold Airport Karaoke, a fundraising event, on Saturday from 8-11 p.m. at the Reading Regional Airport, 140 Liberator Way, Bern Township.
Tickets are $30 and are available online or by calling 484-706-9719. Sponsorships are still available. More information can be found at readingtheaterproject.org/airport-karaoke.
“We wanted to create a fundraiser that felt like a party, not a pitch,” said Amy DeShazo, interim board president. “Airport Karaoke is about joy, connection and the quirky spirit that makes our theater community so special.
“Come sing with us, laugh with us and help us fuel our season of bold, local theater. Whether you’re a shower singer or a silent supporter, RTP welcomes everyone.”
The evening will begin with cocktail hour and a vintage jazz trio featuring Chris Heslop, Ken Gehret and Kevin MacConnell. Karaoke will begin around 8:45, featuring Jewell A. Brown, aka thebeJEWELLed, DJing the night, and Adam Void as the host.
Everyone in attendance can vote on their favorite karaoke singer by purchasing raffle tickets to show support. A trophy will be awarded to the winner of karaoke, and a dance party will follow.
To celebrate the spooky fall season, guests are encouraged to come in airport related costumes.
Raffle items include art from Andrew and Nadia Pochan and Elaine Soltis; tickets to live performances at local theater, opera and music; gift cards for local restaurants; and more.
A cash bar from Klinger’s at the Airport and complimentary snacks from Klinger’s and Sweet Street Dessert will be available throughout the evening.
All funds raised support Reading Theater Project’s new work and Theater for All Initiative, which includes free online and outdoor performances throughout the year for hundreds of audience members, pay what you will tickets for all audience members for all productions and inclusive and accessible rehearsal and performance spaces.
Books
Proific Berks County author John Yamrus has published another book of his trademark minimalist poems.
At 74, with 44 books and nearly 4,000 published poems to his credit, readers couldn’t fault Yamrus for deciding to rest on his laurels, but you can’t tell that by the title of his newest book of poems.
“Ain’t Done Yet,” published by Chicago’s Anxiety Press, is more of the short, snarky, often laugh-out-loud poems that have been taught in numerous college courses and translated into nearly a dozen languages.
The book has an introduction by musician Jeff Cotton, who played guitar on the legendary 1968 cult album “Trout Mask Replica” that was the subject of Yamrus’ last book, which came out a few months ago.
“Ain’t Done Yet!” and other books by Yamrus can be found on Amazon or ordered through your favorite local bookstore.
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After years of unexplained symptoms and countless medical appointments, Wyomissing resident Michael Stanislaw has turned his personal health journey into a message of hope with the release of his new book, “The Unseen Illness: How to Fight for a Diagnosis When You Don’t Fit the Textbook.”
A former graphic designer for more than 37 years, Stanislaw never expected to become an author — or a patient-advocate. But when a rare, complex illness left doctors without answers, he began documenting his experience. Those notes became a lifeline, and eventually, this book.
Part memoir and part guide, “The Unseen Illness” takes readers through the frustration of the diagnostic maze while offering practical advice on researching, recording symptoms, and speaking up for yourself when you don’t fit the standard mold. It’s written for anyone who’s ever felt unseen by the healthcare system — and for the professionals who want to understand their patients better.
The book is available in eBook format and in paperback in the coming weeks through BookBaby, with global distribution to major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books.
Fundraiser
Barrio Alegría, a Reading-based organization that specializes in community transformations, is holding its annual fundraiser gala, Barrio Lights, on Wednesday from 6-9 p.m., at the WCR Center for the Arts, 140 N. Fifth St., Reading.
To purchase tickets for the event and make donations, visit https://www.barrioalegria.com/events/barrio-lights-2025.
Tickets are $20 each and include dinner, a cash bar, performances, live music and more.
“Our community needs us more now than ever; and inversely, we need our community like never before,” said Anthony Orozco, director of operations. “We are challenging the status quo to bring meaningful, tangible change to our city — but we can’t do it alone.
Orozco pointed to the more than $100,000 small loans it has made available to people with no credit or bad credit, a facade improvement program coordinated by the South of Penn with the Wyomissing Foundation and the dozens of neighbor-inspired clean ups Barrio has coordinated.
Source: Berkshire mont