Tady: Ambridge director shoots Hallmark films; let's create a new county event

Marita Grabiak hopes to toil in freezing temperatures the next few weeks.

Hunkered down in snowy Quebec, the Ambridge native will direct the sequel to Hallmark Channel's 2019 romance film "Winter Castle."

Shooting under the working title "Ice Hotel Holiday 2" — a name likely to be streamlined — the sequel takes place at an ice hotel, one of those wintry lodgings way up north built from sculpted blocks of ice.

So any mid-January thaws would pose a challenge for Grabiak, who directed the original "Winter Castle," where the plot followed Jenny (Emilie Ullerup) attending her sister's wedding at an ice hotel, not expecting to have her heart melted by the best man Craig (Kevin McGarry). I didn't see the film, but how much do you want to bet Jenny and Craig meet after literally bumping into each other on the street?

Grabiak, a 1976 Ambridge grad, has found a niche directing made-for-TV films, including the British Columbia-shot "Nature of Love," released last April on Hallmark, and last year's "Christmas on Wheels" for Lifetime. 

I asked Grabiak: But no, she's not the reason so many recent Lifetime and Hallmark movies have featured a quick outdoor shot of Beaver or New Brighton scenery. 

Though in honor of her childhood home, she did tuck a few drone shots of Old Economy Village in Ambridge in a sketch she filmed for the Dec. 21, 2017, episode of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" hosted by James Franco. (That laugh-out-loud sketch pokes fun at Hallmark Christmas movies.)

Grabiak also directed a Season One episode of Fox's "9-1-1: Lone Star" with Rob Lowe that aired Feb. 17, 2020, and a 2015 episode of FX's "American Horror Story" with Lady Gaga.

Grabiak said she'd grant me a phone interview once the time-sensitive scenes for "Ice Hotel Holiday 2" are wrapped in early February.

'Til then, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow in Quebec. 

Let's plan big

Looks like the Beaver County Snow Shovel Riding Championship has ceased to be.

Years before COVID-19 arrived, the annual (when winter cooperated) shovel-riding contest at Old Economy Park already had lost steam, hampered by uncertainty over what week it would take place.

In several recent years, the event never happened at all, due to insufficient snow on the park's 165-foot hill. Yet, there also were a few weeks it got postponed because of too much snow, making driving to the site a hazard. 

I covered the contest a few times for The Times in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and while it was entertaining to see people racing down a hill while riding shovels, I always thought Beaver County needed a more enticing signature event.

Doubly so, now that the popular Beaver County Maple Syrup Festival has been canceled for a second straight year due to COVID-19.

Let's use this downtime to brainstorm a brand-new event that could draw participants and spectators from beyond Beaver County's borders once crowds can gather safely again.

A specially themed mud run, perhaps?

How about a Tour de Beaver bicycle race through the streets of Beaver, Bridgewater, Rochester, New Brighton or elsewhere? 

Or a bigger-than-ever county regatta where Bridgewater, Monaca and Rochester actually worked together?

My "Notes on Local Entertainment" co-host, WBVP-WMBA's Frank Sparks, tossed out the idea of a multi-day festival on a closed-down city street, but rotate the location each year to a different city/borough.

Sure, we've got events that draw out-of-towners, like the popular Beaver Falls and Beaver car cruises, though I'm craving something with an even wider appeal.

Send me your ideas, I'll pass them along to county officials, and let's see what happens. A new permanent recreation director is expected to be announced soon, so our timing might be perfect.

Remembering Tim

Acclaimed rock 'n' roll bassist Tim Bogert died Wednesday after a long and valiant battle with cancer at the age of 76.

Bogert is best known for his innovative bass playing and vocals in Vanilla Fudge, which reached No. 6 on the Billboard chart with 1968's psychedelic cover of "You Keep Me Hangin' On." 

Bogert also played with Cactus and the supergroup: Beck Bogert & Appice that included Jeff Beck and Vanilla Fudge mate Carmine Appice.

"Tim was a lovely man and a wonderful musician. It was a great thrill for me to have him play on some of my music," said John ("Mr. C.") Crispino of Rochester Township.

Bogert appears on "The Great Deception," a 2013 album from Crispino's prog-rock project Seconds Before Landing.

"I have an unreleased SBL track with Tim, Rick Witkowski and myself, called 'King Of Nothin'' I will be releasing in the near future," Crispino said. "We laughingly called ourselves, Rick, Bogert and Mister C." 

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.