It is that wonderful time of year again, high school musical season! We have two back to back episodes to help promote our local musicals.

Our first episode features the Seneca Valley All School Musical and this year's production of The SpongeBob Musical! We're honored to have two members of the cast, Isaac Hixon & Morgan Roithner, as well as Producer Jessica Kavanagh.

We learn all about what this wonderful musical is: Join SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and the rest of the Bikini Bottom gang as they face the terrifying threat of a volcanic eruption. Through catchy songs and dazzling dance numbers, this underwater adventure is a joyful celebration of optimism, friendship, and the power of community.

Isaac and Morgan share their favorite numbers as well as their favorite scenes from the show!

• Evening performances: Feb. 27, 28, March 1st, 2nd at 7:00 PM Matinee performances: March 1st and 2nd at 2:00 PM

Tickets: $12 per adult and $10 per student

Here is the link to purchase online: https://www.showclix.com/event/svspongebobmusical

***NEW THIS YEAR*** A Sensory Friendly Spectacular production of the show on March 1st at 2:00pm.

We know going to the theater can be a bit... squeaky for some of our friends!
That's why we're throwing a Sensory-Friendly Spectacular!
Get ready for:
• Low-key sounds: No more ear-splitting noises! (Unless it's Plankton's laughter, of course!)
• Dim lights: The theater won't be as dark as a deep-sea trench.
• Wiggle room: Feel free to move around and chat with your friends in designated seating.
• Friendly faces: Our staff are here to help with a smile!
• Bring your buddies: Noise-canceling headphones, fidgets, and your favorite stuffed animals are welcome!
• Special performance materials: Check out our website for show info to get ready for the fun! (materials will be available mid February) senecavalleytheater.com
What's a Sensory-Friendly Show?
It's a show where everyone can have a fin-tastic time! We make some adjustments, like lower sounds and brighter lights, to make the experience more comfortable for everyone.
At Seneca Valley, we believe the theater should be a fun place for everyone!
See you under the water!
Email Jessica Kavanagh for more information: kavanaghjc@svsd.net

Here is the list of the cast and production members for this year's musical:

Director – Michael Marra

Stage Manager – Amber Hugus

Choreographers – Emily Christ & Susana Garcia

Orchestra Director – Bruce Smith

Vocal Director – Bobi Jean Alexander

Tech Director – Mark Beighey

SpongeBob – Ayla Alexander

Patrick – Isaac Hixon

Sandy Cheeks – Morgan Roithner

Plankton – Christian Schuster

Squidward – Sam Smith

Mr. Krabs – Jacob Hensler

Perch Perkins – Parker Smith

Pearl – Aydan Danylo

Best of luck to the entire cast, crew, volunteers and everyone that is making this show possible!

After a long hiatus, we are back with a new season of Armstrong In The Loop Podcast! For our first episode of the season, we're here to talk with Mindy Schnitgen (Inspired Hearts and Hands). Mindy is the Executive Director and has been running this wonderful organization for the last 13 years.

We start the episode talking about IH2 and everything she does for those in need. Mindy talks to us about the growing need for resources across the 4 counties that she supports: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver and Butler.

We discuss fundraising and volunteer opportunities that are critical to the success of IH2. Mindy's website has opportunities to donate, purchase tickets to upcoming events and sign up to volunteer: https://inspiredheartsandhands.com/

The major reason for this week's episode is to talk about the return of Pizza with a Purpose! This year's event will take place on Wednesday, February 26th, from 6-8pm at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township. This is open to the public! Empty pizza boxes are $25.00 and each box comes with 10 slices of pizza. The fun part is YOU get to decide what 10 slices go in that box as we have a large group of locally owned pizza restaurants serving up their best slices. This year's list of participants:

The Training Table

Large Plain Pizza and Pints

Peppino’s Pizza

Tani’s Pizza

Milano’s Pizza Callery

Mars Pizza

Adrian’s Pizza, Thompson Run Road

Off the Vine Pizza Pie

Carlucci’s Pizza

Bruno’s Pizza

All proceeds from this event go directly to Inspired Hearts and Hands as they prepare to serve Easter Boxes to families in need.

We also have exciting news as Former Pittsburgh Penguin, Colby Armstrong, and current Pittsburgh Penguins TV Personality, Dan Potash, will be joining us as special guests for the evening! Stop by to say hello, get a photo or even an autograph!

Pizza boxes will sell out and we recommend you pre-purchase a box: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/PizzawithaPurpose

Special Thanks to our Sponsors:

Platinum Sponsors

Rich-Mar Rotary

King Orthodontics

Cranberry Township Noon Rotary

Gold Sponsors

Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA

Goddard School

Senator Elder Vogel

Fire & Ice

Butler County Chamber of Commerce

Silver Sponsors

Armstrong Comfort Solutions

We are excited to celebrate our 5th Anniversary of Armstrong In The Loop Podcast with our very own Pennsylvania State Senator of the 47th District, Elder Vogel! This episode is also a special occasion as we were able to record in the Butler County Chamber Podcast Studio so special thanks to Jordan Grady & Christian Shields.

Our conversation with Senator Vogel is all about his time in office, over 15 years, and the achievements that he's had during his tenure. We start off discussing local community fairs since we're in the heart of farm show/fair season. We work our way into discussing the state budget that was passed in July and what it means for everyone. Senator Vogel does in-depth on important areas of focus: Education, Transportation, Agriculture, and Telemedicine.

We spend time discussing Senator Vogel's recent telemedicine bill (Senate Bill 739) that went into law this summer. This was vital for everyone in the state and took a lot of hard work to get passed. Congratulations to Senator Vogel and his entire team that worked on this bill over the last several years!

We also highlighted a very important bill that Senator Vogel was able to get into law in 2023, Expanding access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) in the state of Pennsylvania. This bill improves the availability of critical care to sexual assault victims. For more information about this bill: https://www.senatoreldervogel.com/2023/06/22/pa-senate-passes-vogel-bill-to-expand-access-to-sexual-assault-nurse-examiners-in-the-commonwealth/

It wouldn't be an episode if we didn't help promote an upcoming event! Senator Vogel is hosting his Free Annual Senior Expo on September 27th at the Community College of Beaver County. This event will be held from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM and is free for everyone to attend! Pre-registration is encouraged for this popular event. To register: https://www.senatoreldervogel.com/senior-expo-constituent-registration/

Senator Vogel has two local offices in the 47th District, Rochester and Cranberry Township. For more information or to contact these offices: https://www.senatoreldervogel.com/offices/

Special Thanks to Senator Vogel for taking time out of his busy schedule to shed light on the district and everything happening at the state level!