The Lorain Historical Society, in partnership with the Lorain Palace Theater and Lorain County Community College¹s Theater Department, is proud to present Blooms of Steel, The Musical, written by Kimberly Aldrich-Ceja, directed by Skip Corris, with musical direction by David Blazer, Friday, April 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 24 at 3 p.m. at the historic Lorain Palace Theater, 617 Broadway Ave., Lorain. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. They are available through The Palace website www.lorainpalace.org or by contacting The Palace Box Office at 440-245-2323. ³We hope that people of all ages attend one of the performances. It is our hope that by rekindling some of the nostalgia for the Lorain of the past, and coming to a better of understanding of its rich tradition and history, the community can find inspiration and motivation to help re-vitalize our City,² says Barb Piscopo, Executive Director of the Lorain Historical Society. ³I found myself singing the songs in my head long after I saw the play,² continued Piscopo. ³The lyrics and the melodies are filled with a haunting nostalgia and others are a rousing cry to rally around our rich heritage and continue the work of re-birthing the City.² Kimberly Aldrich-Ceja, playwright, summarizes the play with the following: Based on the play of the same name, commissioned in 2008 by the Lorain County Metro Parks, Blooms of Steel, The Musical tells the story of the community that grew around the steel mill in Lorain through the family history of fictional steel mill retiree, Emil Hubiak, a recent widower clinging to the last threads of independence. When his grandson moves his family in after losing his posh Florida home to foreclosure, Emil is determined to make their temporary stay permanent by showing them how deeply rooted they are in the city¹s history. While the family attributes his love and loyalty to a once-vibrant and proud city to the ramblings and sketchy memories of an old man, soon, they too are caught up in the magic and resilience of a city on the brink of rebirth and are reminded there really is no place like home. Partial funding for this project is made available through the Ohio Arts Council. For more details about the event and for additional contact information, please call or email Barb Piscopo, Executive Director of the Lorain Historical Society at 440-245-2563 or bpiscopo@lorainhistory.org. Jeremy K. Benjamin Director of Theatre Production Manager/Technical Director/Designer Lorain County Community College (440) 366-7120 jbenjami@lorainccc.edu -- ³Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, That¹s why we call it ³The Present.² Anonymous