Press Release Archive

Mountain Laurel Center To Dedicate its August 23 Performance by The Boston Pops to the Memory of Harry Kiesendahl

Bushkill, PA —- Mountain Laurel Center’s August 23 performance by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Keith Lockhart Conductor, will be dedicated to the memory of Harry Kiesendahl, the beloved civic leader who shaped the vision of Mountain Laurel Center as its founding Chairman. Mr. Keisendahl passed away June 6 after a long illness.

The gala evening is co-chaired by Rosemary Driebe Olofsson and Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Snyder of Pocono Produce Company; John Kiesendahl of Woodloch Pines; and Lee A. Butz and Greg Butz of Alvin H. Butz, Inc. Proceeds will be used to support the performance and education programs of the Mountain Laurel Center.

Tickets are on sale now for the gala. For sponsorship, tickets or additional information about the Mountain Laurel Center, please call 570-426-2080, ext. 5007.

The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, under the baton of Keith Lockhart and featuring as special guest the acclaimed pop a capella group Rockapella, will perform a “‘70s Show” featuring audience favorites from that not-just-disco decade, including the themes from “Star Wars,” “The Godfather” and “The Exorcist (Tubular Bells),” a ’70s TV medley, and a medley of tunes by Paul Simon (“Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Scarborough Fair” and others).

The Mountain Laurel Center started afresh this year after completing a long-term transaction with private developer John Wolfington and partners, who plan to make the venue the centerpiece of a residential and commercial development project on the surrounding 675 acres. The arrangement erased more than $22 million in debt that the center had labored under since its opening, and was carried out with the blessing of the center’s volunteer board of directors and other stakeholders. Under the terms of the deal, MLCPA continues to function as a not-for-profit performing arts venue. Wolfington also owns the adjacent Tamiment Resort property.

“It’s certainly an accomplishment to celebrate - an outcome that means the Mountain Laurel Center will be here for years and generations to come,” said Richard T. Bryant, CEO of the center. “We want our gala to reflect that sense of gladness, but also to pay tribute to the memory of a man who played a vital role in the early years of the center: Harry Kiesendahl. Harry was a driving force in the tourism industry in this state and region, and as the chairman of the board of Mountain Laurel Center, his belief in this venue and what it can do for the Poconos area was a shining beacon in our early years. He always believed in this place. He would be the last person to want us to be sad as we remember him, so it’s appropriate that we memorialize him at a gala that celebrates the now very bright future of this center.”