The brothers, who star in shows including Property Brothers, Buying & Selling, Property Brothers At Home, and Brother vs. Brother, are coming to York in November thanks in part to corporate sponsors including Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects.
An upcoming event will bring two dynamic television personalities to York — and some fitting fun for Frank Dittenhafer and others who’ve long worked to expand local entertainment offerings at a performing arts center Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects designed more than a decade ago.
In November, The Pullo Family Performing Arts Center on the Penn State York campus will host Jonathan and Drew Scott, who star in HGTV’s “Property Brothers” and other shows, for a discussion about solving property problems, finding fresh design ideas and more.
“Knowing their humor and the fun they always bring to what they do, it’s going to be a great show,” said Pullo director Tina Rohrbach.
Frank agreed, noting his firm’s history with the Pullo Center. Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects was initially chosen by the State of Pennsylvania to design a modern performing arts center in York, a project completed in 2005.
Nexus for exciting things on campus
From the beginning, the hope was that the college’s state-of-the-art facility would be a hub for students and the community and would draw a slate of exciting acts each year, said Frank, who sits on the Penn State York board.
“We wanted it to be magnetic, to be a nexus on campus for exciting happenings,” he said, “and we’ve really seen it grow now into a new phase.”
That growth has come with the help of Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects and numerous other local businesses, which today offer the sort of corporate sponsorship that allows the Pullo to draw ever bigger and more popular acts.
And this year the Scott brothers event, in particular, seemed like the perfect fit for M&D support, Frank said.
“What the Scott brothers are great at is helping their clients visualize things, and communicating with them about what a space could be,” he explained. “We’re obviously well known for fixing up properties, so there was a real connection there.”
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TV’s biggest reality stars
The evening with Jonathan and Drew Scott, set for 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, will likely involve a presentation from the brothers, followed by a question-and-answer session during which guests can pose their property problems to the brothers and receive personal feedback, Rohrbach said. VIP tickets also include a meet-and-greet with the pair after the event.
The Scotts’ show is just the latest at the Pullo to feature reality television stars – others have ranged from Cesar Millan of the “Dog Whisperer” to fishermen from “Deadliest Catch” – and Rohrbach said those types of events draw large crowds and great feedback.
“You feel like you know them already, and it’s such an intimate theater setting that it seems very up close and personal,” she said.
An exciting Pullo season
In addition to television stars, the upcoming Pullo lineup also includes music and comedians, Broadway performers and ballet. And with the continued support of local businesses like Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, Rohrbach said, the number of excellent shows will only continue to grow.
“Our goal is to support live entertainment, and we’ve had more sponsors to help do that this year than any other,” she said. “We’re excited for the opportunity to work with them all.”
Frank is excited to see the venue’s draw continue to increase — and he’s eager this fall to help bring to York a couple of TV stars whose interests in design, vision and creativity mirror his own. The brothers are musicians, have published a book and of course are always interested in property renovation ideas.
In short, they should have plenty to talk about after the show.
“I’m really looking forward to the meet-and-greet,” Frank said. “It’s going to be a great night.”
The memorial’s groundbreaking took place in June, and the dedication is set to take place on November 11, 2024, or Veterans Day.