Jay Smar opens season at Strawberry Playhouse

Entertainer Jay Smar will be open ing the 13th season of the Strawberry Playhouse, 60 Church St., Tuscarora, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8.

Masterfully playing two guitars, a claw-hammer banjo and a fiddle, singing baritone vocals, and flat-footin' (a form of clog-dancing), Smar serves his audience a collection of traditional American and original folk, old-time mountain music, bluegrass and gospel tunes, as well as coal mining songs of northeast Pennsylvania.

Smar has toured Scotland twice, performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and has recorded music for the Welsh BBC documentary, "The Welsh in America."

He was recognized by the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives for preserving coal mine history, and is on the roster for the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

Smar started his professional career in 1976 when he went on tour with a national touring band called "The Classics Four."

The band was known for its million-selling hits such as "Spooky Little Girl Like You," "Stormy," "Traces" and "Everyday With You."

Since then, Smar has been delighting audiences at Penn's Peak, The Dietrich Theatre, The Bottle Works, The Sordoni Theatre at WVIA and many other venues.

Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-325-4368.