Under the baobab: Penn State sports, theater continue to make area proud
Congratulations to Coach Cael Sanderson and the top ranked Penn State wrestling team for winning their first Big Ten title since 2019. Roman Bravo-Young, Levi Haines, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks won individual titles in their weight divisions. Greg Kerkvliet and Max Dean won second place finishes. Beau Bartlett won a third-place finish. Sanderson was named B1G coach of the year. The No. 1 ranked team prepares for the NCAA National Championship, which begins on March 16 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Five PSU Wrestlers are in the top three seeding for their weight class.
Kudos are also due to Coach Micah Shrewsberry and the PSU men’s basketball team. The Lions pulled out a thrilling victory against ranked Northwestern on senior day, their closing regular season game at the BJC. In the B1G Ten Tournament, PSU won their way into the quarterfinals with a victory over No. 7 seed Illinois. Then PSU beat Northwestern in overtime to move into the semifinals, practically locking in their spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Congrats for making the Big Ten finals for only the second time in school history.
Shrewsberry has guided the team to a 20-win season for only the 12th time in the 127-year history of Penn State basketball. The surge was led by Jalen Pickett, PSU’s first All-American (Sporting News Second team) in 70 years. Pickett and Jesse Arnelle are the only two Nittany Lions to earn a second team or higher All-American status. The PSU senior is the only player in the country averaging at least 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. His teammates Seth Lundy and Andrew Funk are also averaging double digits in points scored and are all B1G Ten honorable mention picks.
The PSU women’s softball team continued their strong season start with two victories in the USF Invitational behind the strong pitching of Kylee Lingenfelter and the hitting of Emily Maddock and Lauren Maddock.
In one of the finest musical productions of this or any other season is SOT Center Stage’s “Into the Woods” at the Playhouse Theatre. The show was superbly directed by Centre Stage’s director, Rick Lombardo, with music director Harry Collins and choreographer Christopher Campbell. The ensemble included many fine young voices of the musical theater program including Carmella Manapat, Ethan Peterson and Dylan Lugosi. It closes on March 18. It is a must-see.
By the time you read this the Oscars will be history. Chosen by members of the Academy, the best performers will have received their awards. My choices — “Everything, Everywhere All at Once” and its star Michelle Yeoh should have won by acclamation. Also, I hope my dear sister Angela Bassett will have been recognized for her present and past work.
Speaking of things Hollywood, my friend and colleague, Bruce Willis, is having difficulties. I worked with him. I played Agent Cross, an FBI operative in “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” also starring Samuel L. Jackson. When you work on this kind of feature that has stars who appear in nearly every scene, you rarely get a chance to interact with them. Normally you only see them when its time to shoot`your scenes. Rehearsals are unheard of. But Bruce was an “actor’s actor.” He made sure we all had a chance to work on our scene the night before. It made our jobs so much easier. Now he is having memory issues associated with his advancing dementia. Some paparazzi and erstwhile fans are taunting him.
I wish they would leave my brother and fellow actor alone. Let him retire in peace with dignity. Let him be remembered and respected for the work he has done and the entertainment he has provided. As a public figure he had to endure, perhaps he even invited, scrutiny into his personal life. As a human being, in decline he requires and deserves his privacy. Everyone does.