{"id":37494,"date":"2025-12-11T09:23:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T14:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=37494"},"modified":"2025-12-18T16:30:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T21:30:17","slug":"on-stage-top-ukraine-signing-star-to-perform-two-local-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=37494","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Top Ukraine singing star to perform two local shows"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff,<\/strong> Entertainment Editor, The Times\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n
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Iryna Fedyshyn<\/p><\/div>\n

Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Americans from this area have not had a lot of good news in recent years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This weekend will be different.<\/div>\n
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On December 13 and 14, Iryna Fedyshyn, one of Ukraine\u2019s premier singing stars, will visit the area for a pair of holiday shows.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The concerts of \u201cUkraine Carols\u201d will be held December 13 at Saint Anne\u2019s Ukrainian Catholic Church (1545 Easton Road, Warrington, www.stanneukrainiancc.com<\/a>) and December 14 at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center (700 North Cedar Road, Jenkintown, www.ueccphila.org<\/a>).<\/div>\n

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This project is one of the most important Christmas shows in Ukraine, where exquisite costumes, scenery, ballet numbers and special productions are involved. Top caliber designers worked on the creation of images.<\/div>\n
The concert program includes traditional and modern songs, carols with new arrangements, Christmas and New Year\u2019s hits, as well as favorite songs of Ukrainian families.<\/div>\n
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According to Fedyshyn, \u201cEvery story is special and very intimate.\u201d<\/div>\n
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She describes her music as a \u201cGift from God.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Her concerts are always a vibrant celebration of music, beauty, and emotion.<\/div>\n
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And Fedyshyn always impresses audiences with new premieres, exquisite costumes from leading Ukrainian designers, and stunning show numbers accompanied by a professional ballet troupe.<\/div>\n
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This year, the singer presents a new Christmas program, \u201cUkraine Sings Christmas Carols,\u201d from the 2025 album which is a combination of Ukrainian traditions and modern sounds.<\/div>\n
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The concert is created for audiences of all ages \u2014 with love, light, and the Ukrainian soul.<\/div>\n
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The Christmas block \u201cUkraine Carols\u201d features carols in a modern arrangement, filled with warmth and spirituality.<\/div>\n
The \u201cNew Year\u2019s Pop\u201d segment has new songs from the album and favorite hits.<\/div>\n
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Fedyshyn\u00a0was born in February 1987 in Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, into a family of musicians. From an early age, she showed musical, vocal and stage abilities.<\/div>\n
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Fedyshyn\u2019s father, although himself a musician, hoped that his daughter would succeed at\u00a0chess. However, she took to the synthesizer, on which she learned to improvise and write her first songs.<\/div>\n
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At 13, Fedyshyn decided to get a musical education and went to study at a music school. She graduated with honors and also conducted concert programs.<\/div>\n
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She studied economics at the\u00a0Ivan Franko National University of Lviv\u00a0and at the same time took private music and vocal lessons.<\/div>\n
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Fedyshyn won prizes in youth music competitions and festivals, and some songs were included in the rotation on Ukrainian radio stations.<\/div>\n
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Her first song, \u201cBefore the Image of Christ,\u201d was written while studying at a music school. She has continued to develop her music in two directions — Ukrainian folk style and popular music.<\/div>\n
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In 2005, she performed in the semi-final of the Ukrainian national selection for the\u00a0Eurovision Song Contest,\u00a0and in 2006 and in 2009 she performed in the concert program \u201cSchlager of the Year.\u201d<\/div>\n
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In 2015, Fedyshyn, who lives in Lviv and is married to producer Vitalii Chovnyk, won the Ukrainian-language song contest \u201cUkrainian Format\u201d with the song \u201cSertsia stuk.\u201d In 2018, she took part in the eighth season of the TV show \u201cThe Voice of Ukraine.\u201d<\/div>\n
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In 2020, her song, \u201cTam de ty,\u201d reached Top 10 on radio stations in Ukraine, and the music video for it gained more than a million views on YouTube.<\/div>\n
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Later that year, the singer released several Christmas-themed songs, many of which will be featured in this weekend\u2019s shows.<\/div>\n
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Fedyshyn\u2019s Christmas show is an fast-paced and well-structured combination of Ukrainian carols and popular pop hits. The program also includes a performance by the show ballet, \u201cID.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Part of the funds raised during the event will be donated to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.<\/div>\n
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\u201cIrina helps Ukrainian soldiers a lot,\u201d said St. Anne\u2019s event spokesman John Dulwych during a phone interview Wednesday night.<\/div>\n
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\u201cShe also performed the area last year. She has raised a lot of money to assist our troops.\u201d<\/div>\n
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In 2024, Fedyshyn presented shows across the U.S. to raise money to buy evacuation vehicles to help people in her home country escape the war against Russia.<\/div>\n
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She raised funds to buy more than 200 evacuation vehicles for citizens and military in war-torn Ukraine.<\/div>\n
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Fedyshyn said she\u2019s very thankful for the Americans who are letting her spread her message \u2013 that Ukrainian people are strong.<\/div>\n
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According to Fedyshyn, \u201cThe men and women in Ukraine are ready to fight.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The sponsors of both shows will support the Armed Forces of Ukraine with these events, and the collected donations will be used to help Ukraine\u2019s defenders.<\/div>\n
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This tour is a continuation of Fedyshyn\u2019s great musical and charitable mission \u2013 \u201cWith Ukraine in our hearts — around the world!\u201d<\/div>\n
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Video link for Iryna Fedyshyn — https:\/\/youtu.be\/kiABojxIVGc<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show on Saturday at St Anne\u2019s Ukrainian Catholic Church will start at 7 p.m.<\/div>\n
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The show on Sunday at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center will start at 4 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Ticket prices are the same for both shows — $75 for general admission and $30 for children.<\/div>\n
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In addition to Ukrainian carols, this weekend\u2019s entertainment schedule also features \u201cA Christmas Carol.\u201d<\/div>\n
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People\u2019s Light<\/p><\/div>\n

This year, People\u2019s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, peopleslight.org<\/a>) is presenting a production of Charles Dickens\u2019 \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d now through January 4 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But it\u2019s not the Dickens\u2019 \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d you\u2019ve grown to know and love over the years.<\/div>\n
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With inventive and joyful staging by Producing Director Molly Rosa Houlahan, Producing Artistic Director Zak<\/div>\n
Berkman brings Dickens\u2019 beloved classic to life through the eyes of a child.<\/div>\n
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In this surprising and whimsical adaptation, audiences follow Ebenezer Scrooge and a gathering of benevolent ghosts on a journey through time showing the redemptive power of kindness, hope, and love.<\/div>\n
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This imaginative retelling features traditional English carols woven with a Barrymore-nominated original score by Berkman and arrangements by Mitch Chakour.<\/div>\n
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Berkman brought \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d to life through the eyes of a child. It is set in the attic of a 10-year-old boy.<\/div>\n
\u201cIn this version, the story is really told by a group of spirits who have visited this young boy in his attic,\u201d said Berkman.<\/div>\n
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\u201cInstead of Victorian England, we\u2019re in this boy\u2019s playroom. Through the story, we find out what is the connection between the young boy and the spirits.\u201d<\/div>\n
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People\u2019s Light remains committed to making theatre accessible and welcoming for all.<\/div>\n
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Open Captioning will be available during all performances from December 30-January 4, displaying dialogue on an LED screen to support patrons with hearing impairments and English language learners.<\/div>\n
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Video link for People\u2019s Light — https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zICXuBNoPuY<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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\u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d will run now through January 4 on the Leonard C. Haas Stage at People\u2019s Light.<\/div>\n
Ticket prices start at $35.<\/div>\n
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A great way to get into the holiday spirit is to visit the Candlelight Dinner Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware, www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a><\/i>).<\/div>\n
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The Candlelight\u2019s 2025 holiday show, \u201cChristmas by Candlelight,\u201d is running now through December 21.<\/div>\n
For a month-and-a-half, the Candlelight is treating audiences to its heartwarming celebration of the yuletide season, which is back by popular demand this year.<\/div>\n
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This year\u2019s show features favorite seasonal and sacred tunes, as well as some new surprises, brought to life by some of the theater\u2019s most popular cast and staff.<\/div>\n
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Candlelight\u2019s fans\u2019 favorites in the cast are Jared Calhoun, Maurene Cotellese, Tina Gabriella Delano, Erin Lunde, Tim Moudy, Cody Palmer, Samatha Ricchiuti, Tess Sinatra, Shawn Weaver, Shaun Yates, Tori Healy, Heather Healy, Dan Healy and Anthony Connell, a longtime actor who also has been Props Master for shows this year.<\/div>\n
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The songs range from a capella versions of famous songs to comedic numbers, upbeat holiday tunes and classic Christmas songs you may hear sung at church services.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Some of the showcase songs are \u201cJingle Bells,\u201d \u201cSanta Claus Is Coming to Town,\u201d \u201cWe Wish You a Merry Christmas,\u201d \u201cThe Little Drummer Boy,\u201d \u201cDo You Hear What I Hear,\u201d \u201cJoy To The World,\u201d \u201cO Come All Ye Faithful\u201d and, of course, \u201cWhite Christmas.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $77.50 for adults and $35 for children (ages 4-12). \u201cShow Only\u201d tickets, which have limited availability, cost $35.<\/div>\n
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This weekend, Steve Forbert might be singing a carol or two in his area show.<\/div>\n
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Forbert is a singer-songwriter who has been plying his trade for more than a half-century.<\/div>\n
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As the decades passed, Forbert has developed a very strong area fan base \u2013 a large and devoted fan base.<\/div>\n
He has played a wide range of venues in the area \u2013 from legendary and now departed venues such as the Main Point, the Tin Angel and Ardmore Cabaret to current clubs like Kennett Flash, where he played as recently as April this year.<\/div>\n
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On December 13 at the Elkton Music Hall (107 North Street, Elkton, Maryland, www.elktonmusichall.com<\/a>), Forbert will leave his band home and perform with just Todd Lanka on upright bass.<\/div>\n
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When Forbert returns to the area, he\u2019s bringing a (relatively) new album with him.<\/div>\n
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Forbert released his 21st album, \u201cDaylight Savings Time,\u201d in November 2024 on Blue Rose Music. It was his fourth album in the last six years on the label.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe released the album last fall,\u201d said Forbert, during a phone interview from his home in Asbury Park, New Jersey.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe recorded the album last year here in Asbury Park. It was produced by Steve Greenwell, and we used his studio. I did the last two albums before this there.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe songs are all recent. Before it was recorded, I hadn\u2019t performed any of them live.<\/div>\n
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\u201cMy current set has songs from \u2018Daylight Savings Time\u2019 and songs from previous albums. The rest is what people want to hear \u2013 songs like \u2018What Kinda Guy,\u2019 \u2018Romeo\u2019s Tune\u2019 and \u2018Going Down to Laurel.\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n
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In 1984, Forbert had a disagreement with his record company Nemperor and contractual issues prevented him from recording for a number of years afterwards.<\/div>\n
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His 1988 album,\u00a0\u201cStreets of This Town,\u201d and the 1992 follow-up,\u00a0\u201cThe American in Me,\u201d were released by\u00a0Geffen Records and both received significant airplay.<\/div>\n
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Over the next two decades, Forbert released 11 albums on seven labels before settling down with Blue Rose Music.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWe recorded 10 songs for the new album,\u201d said Forbert. \u201cThe last one, \u2018Dixie Miles,\u2019 I wrote as we were finishing the album.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Written as he approached his 70th\u00a0birthday, \u201cDaylight Savings Time\u201d contemplates and celebrates the proverbial \u201cextra hour of daylight\u201d that comes with the time change.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe links between the songs \u2013 a lot of nature appreciation,\u201d said Forbert.<\/div>\n
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\u201cDaylight Savings Time is that extra hour of daylight. It\u2019s similar to late middle age.\u201d<\/div>\n
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On the album\u2019s first single, \u201cSound Existence,\u201d Forbert sings, \u201cYeah to chirping crickets and to daylight savings time! The best ain\u2019t yet to come, but you could still get by just fine.\u201d<\/div>\n
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\u201cWriting is something I do all the time,\u201d said Forbert. \u201cI always go on inspiration. I don\u2019t want to take a break. \u00a0It\u2019s always there. It\u2019s my job.<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhat I do is more about songs. I just do what I\u2019ve always done. Lyrics \u2014 and topics \u2014 move with me through life. I don\u2019t pay attention to fads.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Video link for Steve Forbert \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/wTze13syk7s<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The show at the Elkton Music Hall will start at 8 p.m.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $42.<\/div>\n
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Other upcoming shows at the venue are Boozewa, Coma Hole, Husband Lost At Sea, and Yet It Moves on December 11 and Great Lake Swimmers with Abe Partridge<\/a>\u00a0on December 12.<\/div>\n
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Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295, http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting Lucy Wainwright Roche on December 11, Caligula Blushed on December 12, and \u201cThe Legendary Kennett Flash Open Mic Night\u201d\u00a0<\/b>hosted by Butch Zito on December 14.<\/div>\n
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Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center (226 North High Street, West Chester, www.uptownwestchester.org<\/a>) is presenting Top of the World on December 11, A Not So Silent Night on December 13, Cartoon Christmas Trio on December 16 and Dueling Pianos With the Philly Keys on December 17.<\/div>\n
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Jamey\u2019s House of Music (32 South Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, www.jameyshouseofmusic.com<\/a>) will present \u201cKate Gaffney\u2019s Corner\u201d with Jason Ager on December 11, Debra Devi on December 12 and The Mark Margolies Band on December 14.<\/div>\n
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On December 14, the \u201cSunday Blues Brunch & Jam\u201d will feature the Girke-Davis Project. The free event will run from noon-3 p.m.<\/div>\n
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The Colonial Theater (227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville, thecolonialtheatre.com\/events<\/a>) will host Improv Jam on December 11, The Milk Carton Kids on December 11 and the City Rhythm Orchestra on December 14.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times\u00a0 Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Americans from this area have not had a lot of good news in recent years. This weekend will be different. On December 13 and 14, Iryna Fedyshyn, one of Ukraine\u2019s premier singing stars, will visit the area for a pair of holiday shows. The concerts of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[10793,3912,13149,4508],"class_list":["post-37494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-concerts","tag-featured","tag-iryna-fedyshyn","tag-peoples-light"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=37494"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37519,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37494\/revisions\/37519"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=37494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=37494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=37494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}