Civic Theatre Of Allentown Announces Official Pride Event Held At Theatre514 8/15

Civic Theatre of Allentown, a proud partner of Pride of the Greater Lehigh Valley, is thrilled to announce that the official Pride event for the night before Pride in the Park will be held at Civic's Theatre514. Coming Together will be a night of stand-up comedy and slam poetry boasting internationally-touring folk poet Alix Olson and award-winning television/radio personality and stand-up comic Scott Nevins. The event takes place on Saturday, August 15th at 8pm in Civic's Theatre514. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 the day of the show; they are on sale now.

Olson, a native of Bethlehem who began performing on stage at Pennsylvania Youth Theatre when she was only 10, is excited to be able to perform back in the Lehigh Valley. "I loved growing up in the Valley and consider myself lucky to have had some of the finest teachers around," says Olson, "I have always been warmly reminded of a very happy childhood when I come back! And I think the queer community in the Valley is beautiful!"

A two-time headliner of HBO's ‘Def Comedy Jam,' Olson's resume is beyond extensive, and she is widely consider to be among the nation's most prominent slam poets. Billed as a progressive artist-activist, Olson has used her medium to push for gay/lesbian rights, winning the prestigious Visionary Award from the DC Rape Crisis Center, an award previously earned by Gloria Steinem and Tori Amos. She is the headliner of Coming Together, and will perform a one-hour set of slam poetry to close the show.

The feature performer of Coming Together is Scott Nevins, who will be doing a 30-minute stand-up comedy act before Olson performs. Nevins is among New York City's up-and-coming gay stand-up comedians, and his work both as a comic and a television/radio personality has garnered him recognition from New York Magazine (Best of New York 2004), among numerous other media.

Coming Together will be hosted by Bethlehem-based stand-up comic Ryan Hill, the host/producer of Tickle Me Tuesdays at the Allentown Brew Works and a member/producer of the Valley-based Associated Mess improv comedy troupe. He will perform a 15-minute stand-up set before Nevins.
Coming Together was named as such in the spirit of diversity celebrated at Pride in the Park, as this show features a lesbian (Olson), a gay man (Nevins) and a ‘token' straight guy (Hill). "We know that this is a different kind of event for Civic," says Civic Managing Director Arlene Daily, "but we love bringing a diversity of people together to celebrate artistic endeavors. In this show we are bringing stand up comedy together with slam poetry, celebrating the power of the spoken word, and bringing a straight performer together with a lesbian performer and a gay performer on the eve of the Lehigh Valley's biggest diversity event."

Pride of the Lehigh Valley board president Shawn Bausher agrees: "Coming Together is the perfect event for the night before Pride in the Park. Exploring these diverse perspectives is really what we're all about. To see it done in a humorous manner is both exciting and intriguing."

Coming Together: A Night of Stand-Up Comedy and Slam Poetry at Civic Theatre of Allentown, takes place on Saturday, August 15th at 8pm in Civic's Theatre514. (If the maximum capacity for Theatre514 is met, the show will be moved to Civic's 19th Street Theatre.) Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 the day of the show; they are on sale now and can be purchased by calling Civic's Box Office at 610.432.8943 or visiting in person at 527 N 19th Street in Allentown between 10 and 4 every weekday. Coming Together is an 18 and older event and will contain adult language - no one under the age of 18 will be admitted.

Civic's Theatre514, 514 N 19th Street, Allentown
Tickets: $15 in advance, $17 day of. On sale now at Civic's Box Office: 610.432.8943 or in person at 527 N 19th Street, Allentown.

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