“The Color Purple” – a story of hope and the power of love
Theater League has announced that “The Color Purple,” the musical about love, will play the Stranahan Theater March 10-13.

The production is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the film by Steven Spielberg. It depicts the inspiring story of a woman named Celie who finds the strength to triumph over adversity, and discover her unique voice in the world. 

With a joyous, Grammy-nominated score featuring gospel, jazz, pop and the blues, “The Color Purple” is about hope and the healing power of love.

The performance schedule includes March 10 and 11 at 8 p.m.; March 12 at 2 and 8 p.m. and March 13 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets start at $23 and are available online at theaterleague.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, the Stranahan Theater box office or by calling 800-745-3000. Groups of 15 or more, may call 1-866-31-GROUP and save 10 percent.  Military save 50 percent throughout the theater and students save 50 percent for balcony seating (excluding Saturday evening).

For more information, visit theaterleague.com or become a fan of Theater League on Facebook.

“Of Mice and Men”
Oregon Community Theatre will present John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” later this month at Fassett Auditorium, 3025 Starr Ave., Oregon.

Shows are Feb. 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 20 at 3 p.m., The show, which contains adult language, is directed by Devin Bader and produced by Cheryl Cuprys.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors and students. More information is available at 419-691-1398 or www.oregoncommunitytheatre.org.

Bye, Bye Birdie
The Clay High School Limelighters will present the American classic, “Bye, Bye Birdie” March 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. and March 27 at 2 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students/seniors and may be purchased in advance by calling Karen Nyitray at 419-693-0665 or at the ticket window before each show.

Pops concert
The Owens Community College Concert Band will present a Winter Pops Concert Feb. 20 at 2:30 p.m. in the Center for Fine & Performing Arts Theater on the Owens Campus.

The concert will include marches, patriotic music and show tunes, including “The Phantom of the Opera.”

The program will also feature trumpet and drum set soloists and the saxophone section swinging out on “Saxophone Rag.”

Admission is free and refreshments will be served following the program in the theater lobby. For more information, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Million dollar smile
A rediscovered painting by Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn (1606–1669), on loan at the Toledo Museum of Art, is being displayed for several months in Gallery 24.

“Rembrandt Laughing,” an oil-on-copper self-portrait was ediscovered a century and a half after the Dutch artist’s death. (Photo courtesy of the Toledo Museum of Art)

The artist painted the small oil-on-copper self- portrait, Rembrandt Laughing, in his native city of Leiden when he was just 21 or 22 years old.

“This is one of the most exciting artistic rediscoveries in recent years,” said Museum Director Brian Kennedy. “Rembrandt Laughing is one of the first and most joyful examples of the artist’s autobiography in paint.”

A century and a half after Rembrandt’s death, the portrait was mistakenly thought to be by his older contemporary Frans Hals, and it was reproduced as Hals’ work in an engraving. Some scholars of the 20th century realized it was a case of mistaken identity—that the painting shown in the engraving was in fact a Rembrandt—but couldn’t prove their case because the original was “lost.”

The painting emerged and made headlines in 2007 after the English family who owned it for the past 100 years decided to sell it through a local auction house. The painting was attributed to “a follower of Rembrandt,” with an estimated value of only $1,600–$2,400. However, art dealers recognized its quality and importance, and bidding went to more than a thousand times that amount to $4.5 million.

The Toledo Museum of Art is located at 2445 Monroe St., Toledo. Call 419-255-8000 for more information.     

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