Greeks really know how to have fun.
Along with passing on the pride and traditions of their Greek heritage, having fun is the main reason for Opa!, the third annual Greek heritage dinner and concert at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Aug. 24.
“It’s for everybody, not just Greek people,” said Kelli Keriotis. She and co-chair Margie Kakiou are members of the Kimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church in Aliquippa, sponsor of the event.
“We do this to instill a pride in our kids, to pass along the traditions to our young people. For the older people it is pure enjoyment. We invite everybody to come because it is a really fun night,” said Keriotis.
Tickets are $35, and include a Greek dinner and a stage show featuring the Fantasia Music Greek band from New York City, with featured bouzouki player Mike Stourpakis and vocalists Chris Zavolas, Panos Savvoulidis and Sofia Tzinis.
Opa! will begin with dinner at 4 p.m., followed by the show at 6. The word “opa” is a Greek expression of joy and a celebration of life.
The show includes traditional Greek dancing by the Opa! Dancers from the sponsoring church in Aliquippa and dancers from the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 724.544.2943 or 724.774.0388.
Fantasia Music is a group of talented musicians who love Greek culture and enjoy entertaining people, said Keriotis. They play a wide repertoire of traditional and modern Greek music. Mike Stourpakis is a virtuoso on the bouzouki, with two instrumental CDs to his credit.
Formerly known as Acoustical Fantasy, Fantasia Music was formed in 1990 by a group of friends whose goal was to provide a traditional yet modern music group to perform for Greek-American audiences. Video clips and more information are available at www.FantasiaMusic.info, www.Stoupakis.com or www.Facebook.com/Stoupakis