Lancaster and the surrounding areas: you did it again.
In 2025, you kept us entertained on screen, on stage and everywhere in between — from a feature film about an inspiring teacher to a country legend’s performance to a food personality experiencing a Lancaster County classic.
Here are our entertainment highlights from 2025, as we look forward to 2026.
Nate Deen, left, and Derek Dienner pose for a picture on the red carpet during the premiere of the movie, “Brave the Dark”, at the Fulton in Lancaster city on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
‘Brave the Dark’ premiere
We first learned of “Brave the Dark,” a film about late Garden Spot High School teacher Stan Deen, in 2019, and had followed closely until its release this past January. I was able to see the world premiere of “Brave the Dark” on Jan. 11 at the Fulton Theatre — which did, in fact double as a beautiful movie theater in the past when the situation called for it.
The film starred “Chernobyl” and “Mad Men” actor Jared Harris as Stan Deen, and “It” and “Captain Fantastic” actor Nicholas Hamilton as Nate Williams, who was based on one of Deen’s former students, Nate Deen (formerly known as Nate Busko. Nate changed his name to honor Deen, who he said was like a father figure to him).
The film itself was a little bit of a love letter to Lancaster County, as it featured familiar sights, such as Shady Maple Farm Market, McCaskey High School, Lancaster Public Library and more. Surprisingly, though, none of the actors in the film said “Lancaster,” so we couldn’t judge whether they pronounced it correctly. (Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga have mispronounced it in the past.)
Want to see the film? It’s available for rent on Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon Prime and more.
— Mickayla Miller
Ronks native and Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff performs a medley of Bobby Darin songs from his 2025 Broadway show, “Just in Time,” during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.
Jonathan Groff on Broadway, in movies
Having watched Lancaster County native Jonathan Groff on stage since he was a teenager, I was excited to see how he has evolved as an actor, singer, dancer and performer — all on display on stage at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre in New York. I caught his show, “Just in Time,” at one of the last previews before its April opening.
As Groff transforms into 1960s pop star, actor and activist Bobby Darin in the jukebox bio-musical that the Conestoga Valley alum helped develop over an eight-year period, he absolutely owns the stage, giving a high-energy, full-bore performance that brings the audience to its feet nightly. The role earned him his fourth Tony Award nomination, and a nod for a 2026 Grammy for best musical theater album.
It was also fun to watch Groff on the big screen in 2025 in the sweet and satisfying rom-com “A Nice Indian Boy,” and to relive the experience of seeing his mature, emotional Tony-winning performance live, in 2024’s Stephen Sondheim Broadway revival, “Merrily We Roll Along.” A filmed version of the show debuted locally earlier this month.
(Groff’s final performance in “Just in Time” is set for March 29.)
— Mary Ellen Wright
Jonathan Groff, right, and Karan Soni star in “A Nice Indian Boy,” which was screened locally in the spring of 2025.
Hozier concert
I still own the first car that taught me how to drive: a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer that features a single-disc CD player. And in that CD player, Hozier’s self-titled debut album must have gone platinum for how often I listened to it. Seeing Hozier at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday, Sept. 19, with my two best friends was a transcendent experience. His set list did seem to favor tracks from his latest album, “Unreal Unearth,” but he played so many songs from his debut album, such as “Take Me to Church,” “Someone New” and “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene.” (Regrettably, he did not play my favorite of his songs, which is “In a Week.”). It still blows my mind that just a small trip from Lancaster County can warrant such large-scale concerts.
— Mickayla Miller
King P. and Malik A. both from the District of Columbia area, stand for a photo after visiting Canes Enable during the Celtic Fling & Highland games at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
This year, I visited the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire three times, which is a new record for me. For those who haven’t visited, it’s a magical place just north of Manheim, where you can dress up, shop ’til you drop and watch performances all day. It runs annually from mid-August to the end of October. The beauty of the event is that you can be whoever you want to be, and no one bats an eyelash. For instance, I was a deer, a fruit nymph and a sad clown in my respective journeys, and any comments were deeply positive. This year, the faire introduced its new aviary with plenty of birds. And the pop-up vendors were well curated and had their own magic to them, too. I’m already planning out my outfits for next year.
— Mickayla Miller
Lancaster teens joined the professional actors on stage in the Fulton Theatre’s June 2025 production of the musical “Cats.” From top left to right are: Braedyn Jones, Kendra Alexander, Elliott Evans, Trenton Breneman; middle left to right: Abigail Gottshall, Conner Moodie, Ariana Stambaugh; bottom left to right: Sophia Amaya, Summer Turczynski, Ava Rosalía Graff, Arabelle Petersheim.
‘CATS’ at the Fulton
While I grew up knowing all the words to “Memory,” I never saw the show from whence it came — before attending the Fulton Theatre’s production of “Cats.” My face was sore from smiling by intermission; the absolute spectacle of the golden-voiced, slinky performers using the entirety of the space — yes, even areas beyond the stage — had me experiencing such a dopamine high I couldn’t stop grinning. My mother-in-law kept whispering next to me, “I love this! This is amazing!” I’ve since found the record of the soundtrack so I can sing “The Rum Tug-Tugger” whenever I feel like it, and my mother-in-law framed the show’s program. It was a girls’ day out we won’t forget.
— Jenelle Janci
The cast of J.P. McCaskey’s “The Wedding Singer” performs its award-winning production number, “It’s Your Wedding Day,” at the Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards Sunday night, May 18, at the Giant Center in Hershey. McCaskey’s spring musical won six awards, including outstanding musical, outstanding dance number and several acting awards.
Young performers at the Apollo Awards, and beyond
May marked my first trip to the annual Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards, honoring achievement in high school theater. Three additional Lancaster County high schools became eligible to participate in these regional awards this year, and represented our area well in scenes from fall plays and in production numbers from such spring musicals as Ephrata High’s “Chicago,” Lampeter-Strasburg’s “Mamma Mia!” and McCaskey’s multi-award-winning “The Wedding Singer.”
Though I’ve been watching young talent grow in numbers and strength over many years in Lancaster County, I was still blown away by the level of acting, singing and dancing talent among these young regional performers. Those nominated in Apollo musical categories were eligible to participate in Gretna Theatre’s spectacular “Hadestown: Teen Edition” in August; those young folks blew the roof off the joint. Young talent fills a variety of local stages year ’round — both in teen theater productions and as cast members in main-stage shows. They work hard and are worth watching. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to catch a lot more high school and youth theater in 2026.
— Mary Ellen Wright
Adam Richman enjoyed a meal at Shady Maple Smorgasbord while filming his food series “Pro Moves.”
Adam Richman experiences the joy of Shady Maple (plus a viral video)
In February, Berks County resident Megan Strain was celebrating her 30th birthday with family at Shady Maple Smorgasbord in East Earl when her dad noticed a familiar face. It was food personality Adam Richman, known for TV shows “Man v. Food,” “The Food That Built America” and “Modern Marvels.” Strain got a Happy Birthday greeting, a hug and a photo with Richman — whose visit to Shady Maple was the subject of an installment in the “Pro Moves” video series on First We Feast’s YouTube account. As someone who’s celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and more at Shady Maple — including one hilarious visit where my brother got “the meat sweats” from too much prime rib — it’s a joy to see a beloved food personality experience the smorgasbord’s greatness too.
Another great Shady moment from the year? Anne Garber’s “3 people you’ll meet a Shady Maple” story, which included a now-viral video of Ray Paulshock of Mohnton explaining why he eats at the smorgasbord every day. The video amassed a whopping 2.6 million views on TikTok — and many of those were from my friends and family, near and far, who sent countless messages about it. Great, now I’m hungry.
— Jenelle Janci
READ: 5 events in Lancaster County this week, from a Taylor Swift dance party to a Broadway tribute
Seeing a country queen at AMT
It’s always a treat to see a show at American Music Theatre — it’s a quick drive from home, easy to navigate and there’s not a bad seat in the house. My uncle made the trek from New Jersey to join my husband and me for Emmylou Harris’ August performance, which was stellar. Harris was in great voice, her soaring vibrato still shining, and her band of road-dog legends was as tight as they come. Hearing her tribute her dearly departed collaborator Gram Parsons was incredibly moving, and the crowd was engaged and respectful. The show deepened my appreciation for Harris’ artistry, and for having a venue that brings legends like her so close to home.
— Jenelle Janci
