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Sheeran returns to his roots on ‘Play’

NEW YORK — Ed Sheeran has long sought to bring people together with his music, whether it be his emotionally resonant acoustic ballads or unproblematic, danceable pop hits. “Play,” his eighth studio album, stays in that familiar lane for the most part. In his quest, Sheeran has maintained an everyman quality by carefully evolving with the status quo. The aesthetic of Ed Sheeran, global star, still matches that of Ed Sheeran, up-and-coming troubadour. Most of the time, it’s still just Sheeran, his guitar and his loop pedal against the world. Of course, Sheeran, like most pop ...

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Church fundraiser to aid dining hall The Food Truck Rockin’ Rally returns to St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, 3020 Reeves Road NE, Warren, on Saturday. Doug Thomas and the Full Moon Allstars will perform, and Vernon’s food tuck will be on site. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. The event runs from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Admission is $10, and all proceeds will support the St. Vincent DePaul Dining Hall. Penguin City hosts Oktoberfest Penguin City Brewing Company, 460 E. Federal St., Youngstown, will have its 4th Oktoberfest on Saturday. Polka music will be provided by Rex ...

Kent museum explores different fashion from North Africa

“A Meeting of Cultures: Fashioning North Africa” is on display at the Kent State University Museum. It features works by 25 contemporary North African designers and artists and includes more than 40 ensembles and accessories alongside photography by fashion photographers, journalists and social media influencers. It is the second in a series of exhibitions focused on fashion on the African continent. The first one looked at fashion from South Africa and Namibia. According to curator Sara Hume, “Rather than pack the tremendous diversity of African fashion into a single ...

Relentless Award supporting theater creators turns 10

NEW YORK — Many times in his life, playwright David Bar Katz didn’t know how he was going to pay the bills. These days, he’s helping the next generation of artists facing that same dilemma. Katz oversees The Relentless Award, the largest annual cash prize in American theater to a playwright in recognition of a new play. It’s celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and, as always, seeking submissions that “exhibit fearlessness.” The award also honors musical theater. “Being able to create under financial stress is so difficult, and so anything we can do to give ...

Robert Redford dies at 89

Robert Redford, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89. Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. He died in his sleep, but no cause was provided. After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ’70s with such films as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The ...

Playhouse’s ‘Rain’ will leave viewers feeling sunny

YOUNGSTOWN — The forecast at Youngstown Playhouse calls for “Rain.” In this case, that’s a good thing as its stellar production of “Singin’ in the Rain” continues through Sunday. After a 100th season filled with some big productions, the Playhouse doesn’t show any signs it plans to pull back in its 101st year. The first mainstage show of the season is filled with challenges, both for the performers on stage and the technical team, and it handled all of them capably. Yes, it rains on stage. The first act finale is the title song of the Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed ...