Nationally recognized interior designer and former HGTV/TLC television host Wanda Colon Hart, a Reading native, is bringing the powerful and heartfelt stage production “LoveNotes” to Berks County for a one-night-only performance.
The show will take place on Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts, 4 N. Second St., Reading.
“LoveNotes” is a unique theatrical experience that weaves together real love stories told by real people, brought to life on stage through storytelling and performance. From stories of passion, heartbreak and resilience to laughter-filled tales of connection, each “love note” is as unforgettable as the next.
“LoveNotes” began as a book written by Heather Christie, a Berks County native who is based in New York. Christie adapted the book into a stage production that had a successful off-Broadway run in New York.
This local production is directed and produced by Colon Hart, who purchased the licensing rights to bring the show to Reading. Colon Hart, who performed and wrote her love story in the original “LoveNotes,” said she is excited to share this moving show with her hometown community.
“Bringing ‘LoveNotes’ to Berks is truly a dream come true,” she said. “This is more than a play —it’s a celebration of love in all its forms. I can’t wait for the community to experience the beauty and authenticity of these stories.”
For more information, visit LoveNotesBerks.com. Tickets are available at millercenter.racc.edu/lovenotes.
Exhibits
“The Pigeon Comes to Reading! A Mo Willems Exhibit” makes its debut on Sept. 20 and run through Jan. 4, 2026, at the Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Road, in the first-floor Meinig and World Cultures Gallery.
Co-organized by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the exhibit is inspired by the art and characters of Willems, a beloved children’s book author and illustrator.
Many familiar characters will be featured, including best friend duo Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny and The Pigeon, the wily city bird best known for his antics in “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!”
Activities will give visitors the opportunity to make art that is inspired by Willems and to learn about the rich social and emotional lives of the author’s characters. The exhibit will also feature prints of illustrations, including sketches and other preliminary materials by Willems.
For more information, visit www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
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The Reading Public Museum is hosting “Dressing the Abbey” from Sept. 27 through Jan. 18 in the second-floor temporary galleries.
The exhibit weaves popular culture, fashion and history in an exhibition borrowed from “Downton Abbey’s” iconic wardrobe, with 36 original costumes worn by the stars that reflect the elegant fashions of the British aristocracy in the first few decades of the 20th century.
The exhibition showcases the turbulence and changes in the late Edwardian era through the 1920s by means of the fashions of the period while evoking fans’ favorite moments. The exhibition presents the award-winning costumes created for the British hit drama series produced by the London-based, Academy Award-winning costumier Cosprop Ltd.
The stunning costumes were created for the television show’s aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants who inhabit the fictional English country estate of Downton Abbey. The 36 costumes range from country tweeds and riding outfits; servants’ uniforms and butler’s livery; to lavish evening attire crafted from sumptuous fabrics and decorated with intricate embroidery, lace, and beading.
“We are more than excited to bring ‘Dressing the Abbey’ to the region,” noted curator Scott Schweigert. “The costumes reflect a moment in history that has captured the imaginations of millions of fans of the popular TV and film series. The selection of the garments traces the evolution of styles from the 19-teens through the 1920s, a time of major changes in an increasingly modern and less rigid world.”
Fans of the show and film franchise will be impressed by the array of costumes worn by Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, Elizabeth McGovern as Lady Cora, and Shirley MacLaine as Martha Levinson. The “downstairs” staff costumes include ones worn by Mr. Carson, Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, and Anna.
The exhibition is sponsored locally by generous support from The Marlin and Ginger Miller Exhibition Endowment.
The Museum’s 13th Annual Night at the Museum will celebrate the opening of “Dressing the Abbey” on Sept. 27. The event is presented by The Stevens & Lee Companies. Tickets and more information available at readingpublicmuseum.org
Music
The Reading Symphony Orchestra (RSO), under the baton of Music Director Andrew Constantine, opens its 2025–26 season with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading.
The concert will feature a world-class quartet of vocal soloists: Christina Pier, soprano; Abigail Nims, mezzo-soprano; Charles Reid, tenor; Michael Dean, bass-baritone.
RSO joins forces with the Reading Choral Society to bring Beethoven’s visionary “Ode to Joy” finale to life in a musical celebration of unity, hope and the triumph of the human spirit.
“Few works in the orchestral repertoire deliver the kind of emotional power that Beethoven’s Ninth does,” Constantine said. “It’s both a call to humanity and a musical beacon of joy. We are thrilled to share this with our community.”
For tickets, call 610-373‑7557 or visit readingsymphony.org.
“Know Your Symphony,” the 60th annual series of lecture and discussion sessions, will begin on Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at The Highlands at Wyomissing, 2000 Cambridge Ave.
These free lectures will highlight the themes that should be listened for at the Reading Symphony Orchestra concert and provide information about some of the events surrounding the composition of the music and life of the composer.
The lectures will take place the week preceding each RSO Saturday night concert.
