Scott Tady: Beaver filmmaker to make feature film locally; new morning host at Froggy

Beaver filmmaker Lydia Zagorski will make her first feature-length film, "Aromis: The Beginning," a fantasy-action-adventure movie with scenes shot in Beaver County.

Zagorski gives us this plot synopsis: "In a mythical world ever enveloping in greed and despair, a warrior, Aromis, is thrust into battle. She seeks sacred relics rumored to contain ancient powers that can kill Sythos (malevolent shadow creatures) who threaten the realms.  In teaming up with an assassin, Kye, and mage, Elias, the three set out on a journey in hopes of restoring balance."

On March 1, Zagorski launched a Kickstarter campaign to help finance the film.

"We are looking to raise $46,000 in pledges on the Kickstarter platform," she said. "I have personally secured $10,000 in addition in sponsorships over the past several months."

Her Kickstarter site is at kickstarter.com.

"The money will range from extensive visual effects sequences, prop weapons, props, selective set building, and detailed costumes for the characters and so much more," Zagorski said. "We are building an entire world."

Zagorski achieved accolades for previous fantasy-action short films "Eos Six," "Affinity" and "The Darkest Hour," shown at places like the Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks. Her original short-film version of "Aromis: The Beginning" screened at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley and received enough praise to make Zagorski now pursue a full-length version.

"I can't even express the mass volume of people who reached out to me after they watched the short at a premiere and wanted more," Zagorski said. "We will be releasing the short publicly March 1, along with the Kickstarter campaign. I have been overwhelmed by the support and encouragement to make this fantasy-action a feature length. Aromis's story is truly powerful. I feel it will touch a lot of people's lives."

Local extras will be needed for the film, "as well as experienced martial artists. I have already been in contact with a jujitsu school as well as a GTMA (global traditional martial arts) school both of which have exceptional and supportive instructors," Zagorski, herself trained in kung fu, said.

New morning host at Froggy

Beaver County radio personality Frank Lewis worked his last day as the Froggy Radio morning man on Feb. 19.

Lewis said he decided to move on from the Pittsburgh country music network after being asked by station leadership to bump up his shift an hour earlier, to a 5 a.m. start, which would have meant grueling 3:30 a.m. wakeup alarms daily.

After a distinguished career at Philadelphia and central Pennsylvania radio stations, Lewis moved back home to Beaver County and worked at Froggy for two years, choosing "Frogman Frank" as his Froggy nickname.

You'll still hear Lewis spinning tunes locally, as a guest DJ at taverns like the Grumpy Beaver in Bridgewater from 2-5 p.m. March 16 (mostly playing Irish music) then later that evening at the Beaver Falls Turners.

Froggy FM has replaced Lewis with Katie "Green" Wilkins, who works a 5:30 to 10 a.m. on-air shift weekdays for 104.3-103.5- and 94.9-FM.

Wilkins, of Cranberry Township, has been with parent company Forever Media for five years and has an extensive broadcasting career in television and radio.

Entertainment Tidbits

*One of the latest episodes of NBC's "Law and Order: SVU" featured a scene set in Beaver Falls (though not filmed there). The police drama's detectives tracked a passenger train that stopped in Beaver Falls en route from Pittsburgh to Buffalo. Lead character Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) chased a suspect off the train into the hands of waiting officers.

See, if I was the director, I'd have had her then grab a doughnut at Oram's.

More: Oram's named Pennsylvania's top doughnuts

**The Pittsburgh-made movie "Dear Zoe," starring Sadie Sink (Netflix's "Stranger Things"), is now streaming on Peacock, Amazon Prime, Tubi and Roku. The heart-tugging coming-of-age drama includes ample Pittsburgh scenery and references.

When released in November 2022, "Dear Zoe's" filmmakers threw an elaborate red-carpet screening at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh. I did a sit-down interview that night with the film's co-star Kweku Collins, an engaging young rapper-songwriter from Illinois, whom I believe you'll be hearing more from soon.

***For his SiriusXM radio show, TV star Drew Carey has identified as his "Drew’s Personal Pick of the Week" a song from The Forty Nineteens, featuring Beaver Valley Musicians Hall-of-Famer Nick Zeigler on drums. Specifically, it's the Forty Nineteens' cover of The Doors' "Moonlight Drive," that will get featured twice a day on Sirius XM's Little Steven's Underground Garage channel. Carey's "Friday Night Freak Out" show airs 8 p.m. Fridays on SiriusXM's Channel 21.

****Alt-country renegade Zach Bryan has sold out his March 9 PPG Paints Arena show. Just down the street that same night at the Benedum Center will be another alternative-country stalwart, Jason Isbell. Last I checked, exactly two single tickets were left for Isbell's concert.

Indigo puts on colorful concert

While introducing her band at her sold-out Feb. 26 Pittsburgh concert, Indigo De Souza also made sure to identify and thank her sound board operator.

And deservedly so, because the sound was impeccable that evening inside Thunderbird Music Hall. Every syllable sung by De Souza come across crystal clear, and those are lyrics you don't want to miss − especially if you enjoy songs about recognizing and removing oneself from toxic relationships.

Rising to a charming sweetness and evoking a tough vulnerability even amid softly sung choruses, De Souza's voice captivated a crowd of predominantly 20-somethings. Her backing band, especially bassist Zack Kardon, picked perfect moments to churn out a rugged, indie-rock groove that at times persuaded 350 spectators to lurch their upper torsos forward and backward in time with the beat, mimicking the band. Sort of the indie version of headbanging. You might not call it dancing, because bodies were packed too tightly together to shake any legs, but it brought cathartic release.

De Souza songs like "Younger & Dumber" and the mid-set "Smog" and "Bad Dream" spotlighted the excellence of a 26-year-old Brazilian-North Carolinian artist whose impact will continue to rise.

When De Souza finished her Pittsburgh set with "Kill Me," an engaged but refreshingly non-talkative audience let its adrenaline spill over, singing aloud loudly with the repeated "I wasn't having much fun" line. They could relate to the angst, though in this case, they really were having fun.

Bruce brings it

Good news, metal fans: Bruce Dickinson released "The Mandrake Project" today.

The first solo album in 18 years from Dickinson finds the Iron Maiden vocalist singing strongly and with conviction, backed by songwriting partner Roy Z on guitar and bass, along with keyboard wiz Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both from Dickinson's last solo studio album, 2005's "Tyranny Of Souls."

The 10 tracks on "The Mandrake Project" bring a goth-metal vibe, with lots of crunch, searing guitar, and Dickinson's almost operatic vocals reflecting a dark story "of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius," to quote the album's press release. I scored the vinyl version, and recommend it.

The album coincides with a comic series scripted by Tony Lee and illustrated by Staz Johnson for Z2 Comics, released as 12 quarterly issues that will be collected into three annual graphic novels. The first episode came out Jan. 17.

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: Beaver filmmaker Lydia Zagorski starts Kickstarter for 'Aromis'