Dunham booked for Santander Arena; RCT to stage 'Guys and Dolls' [Spotlight]

Aug. 14—ASM Global has announced two new shows for its Reading venues: ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is bringing his "Seriously!?" tour to Santander Arena on Oct. 22, and Lightwire Theater will present "A Very Eclectic Christmas" on Nov. 30 at the Santander Performing Arts Center. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com.

After a long pandemic pause, Dunham will be hitting the road with his usual cast of characters, assuming he can convince them that they can no longer simply work from home. They include the cranky old man Walter, who doubled as Wonald Grump and Ben Hiden during the last election; the hyperactive and crazy Peanut; the self-explanatory Jose the Jalapeno on a Stick' the redneck cliché NASCAR-loving Bubba J; the utterly befuddled Achmed the Dead Terrorist; and Url, the basement dwelling social media smart-phone addict.

Dunham has become arguably the most successful comedian over the past three decades. With 3.6 million YouTube subscribers and 11 million Facebook followers, he has amassed over a billion views and sold over seven million DVDs.

Dunham has been named Billboard's Top Comedy Tour three years in a row and was cited by Forbes as the third highest paid comedian behind Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock.

Lightwire Theater combines theater and technology to bring stories to life in complete darkness. "A Very Eclectic Christmas" follows the story of a young bird named Max and his family as they begin their journey south for the winter. When Max gets blown off course and ends up at the North Pole, his adventure begins.

Theater

Reading Civic Theatre will present the second show of its 2022 season, the beloved classic "Guys and Dolls," from Sept. 8-11 at its new location at the former Fox Theater in Exeter Township.

The cast of 26 includes RCT alums Brandon Kegerize, Emily Fredericks, Angela DeAngelo, Matt Hottenstein, Patrick Grinage, Ian Miller, Bastian Gerena, Kyriakos Vachaviolos, Dean Fichthorn, Roger Levesque, Karen Levesque, Barb Yurick, Elizabeth Kaufmann, Taylor Clark, Paige Anderson, Tatiana Roche, Julia Rentschler, Karla Goebel, Charlotte Baumgard, Jess Reber and Jeannette DeAngelo.

Newcomers to RCT include Michael Dietrich, Michael Orth, Edwin Rebeiro, Zach Chan and Greg Harwell.

Set in Depression-era Times Square, "Guys and Dolls" is a musical romantic comedy that tells the overlapping stories of a couple of big city gamblers and the women who love them: high-roller Sky Masterson, who falls for the mission worker Sarah Brown, and Nathan Detroit, a crap game manager who is feeling pressure to marry his fiance of 14 years, Miss Adelaide, a showgirl at the Hot Box.

For show times and tickets, visit readingcivic.org.

Music

The Mohnton-Cumru Lions Club will present the Berks County Music Fest on Sept. 10 from noon to 7 p.m. at Mohnton Memorial Park. Scheduled to perform, in order of appearance, are the Uptown Band, Smith Compound Band and the Large Flowerheads. Tickets are $15 in advance at mohtoncumrulions.com or $20 at the gate, and free for ages 17 and younger.

Festival

Building a Better Boyertown's 15th annual Oktoberfest will take place in the Town Center Parking Lot, Boyertown, on Sept. 23 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Sept. 24 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (rain date: Sept. 25). Participants will enjoy a family-friendly, German- and fall-themed event, including beer, food, music and entertainment, and a variety of craft vendors.

The Oktoberfest Tasting Preview will be held Sept. 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Brakeman's Café, Boyertown. Tasting tickets are $50 and dinner tickets are

$18. Tickets are limited. Deadline to purchase is Sept. 14.

For more information about Oktoberfest, including the full weekend schedule and tasting preview tickets, visit www.boyertownpa.org.