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Whether a musician or patron, F.M. Kirby Center a destination

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Since the Kirby Center opened 30 years ago, familiar faces have shadowed the venue&#8217;s doorways, making a tradition out of the shows and concerts that fill the halls and bounce off the high, meticulously painted ceilings.</p><p>Wilkes-Barre resident Jean Marie Kile is one of those faces.</p><p>For Kile, 69, the Kirby is more than just actors reciting scripts and singers belting lyrics. It&#8217;s more than entertainment, more than a hobby.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s like home to me,&#8221; Kile said.</p><p>From Broadway shows to concerts featuring Johnny Cash/June Carter and Wayne Newton &#8212; the latter of which Kile sat in the pit for &#8212; Kile has seen most of it.</p><p>Some shows she also saw in larger theaters, such as the Broadway musical &#8220;Cats,&#8221; which she attended at the Kirby Center and in a theater in California. She said she was impressed that those shows were equally outstanding.</p><p>Kile&#8217;s long-lasting love for the Kirby began with her first show there. It was the beginning of her career at the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry 30 years ago, and she was handling the registration for an annual event there. She remembers rushing to the Kirby with a co-worker from Genetti&#8217;s on Market Street to get to the show on time. It was singer Tom Jones, and Kile and her friend loved it &#8212; enough to come back every year since.</p><p>Kile estimated she has been to at least 150 shows at the Kirby. She usually attends with her husband, but when he isn&#8217;t interested in the show, her guest often is her daughter, Jean Marie, 44. Mom said she pays a small membership fee so that she can buy tickets before the general public and can snag her usual seat in Row G.</p><p>She remembered once being so close to the stage during an ice skating show that she got damp when the skaters raced by &#8212; but she didn&#8217;t mind. She also had an opportunity to sing a bit of &#8220;Soldier Boy&#8221; by The Shirelles when they came into the audience. She laughed at the memories, saying she &#8220;never had a bad time&#8221; at the Kirby.</p><p>The dedicated fan credits the theater&#8217;s 30 years of success to its kind and welcoming attitude, even referring to some in the box office by their first names.</p><p>&#8220;They make you feel like you belong there,&#8221; Kile said. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s friendly.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;She&#8217;s a longtime member of the theater and a longtime concert-goer, said Tina Yurko, the Kirby&#8217;s box-office manager. &#8220;I&#8217;ve worked with her personally many times.&#8221;</p><p>Kile&#8217;s experience portrays the diverse schedule the Kirby is known for. There have been shows for all ages, from rap artists to plays to classic rock and even &#8220;Sesame Street Live.&#8221; Kile said she plans to continue her tradition, as she already has purchased tickets for five events during the 2016-17 season.</p><p>&#8220;I just love the shows,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I look forward to see what comes each year.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_jean-kile-mug.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption"> Kile  </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_jean-kile-mug.jpeg</photo0><caption0> Kile  </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_jean-kile-mug-CMYK.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Kirby Center fan Jean Marie Kile, a Wilkes-Barre resident, estimated she's been to at least 150 shows at the venue. (Submitted photo)</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_jean-kile-mug-CMYK.jpg</photo1><caption1>Kirby Center fan Jean Marie Kile, a Wilkes-Barre resident, estimated she's been to at least 150 shows at the venue. (Submitted photo)</caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Alyssa Mursch</p><p>For the Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

Longtime patron says Kirby Center ‘like home to me’