When Richmonder Martin Strother began to sing, his powerful basso profondo voice—without benefit of a microphone—easily commanded an auditorium or concert hall. “He was not a tall man, but he had a tall voice—a big, booming bass voice. He had a voice you would not forget,“ said soprano Lisa Edwards-Burr, assistant professor of music at Virginia Union University. She first worked with him at Dogwood Dell, when he portrayed her father in the Scott Joplin opera “Treemonisha.“

Growing up, Larry Robinson yearned to be an elevator man, just like the guys operating the lifts in the old-style department stores he loved as a child. He fulfilled that dream—sort of. The other day, he took me on a tour of where he works, and to get there we climbed aboard a 1931 elevator.

As we head into a star-spangled weekend, these annual events are guaranteed to put some red, white and blue into your July Fourth outings. Check our weekly calendar, on Page D5, for more things to do. And don’t miss The Times-Dispatch and TimesDispatch.com tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday for your neighbors’ thoughts about what freedom means and coverage of Fourth festivities.

All events are free. For details, call (804) 646-1437 or call the Dell hot line at (804) 646-DELL.

Plan to be entertained this summer at the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater, which promises a mix of new acts and talent with some old favorites. The season begins with a pre-season “curtain-warmer” on Thursday at 8 p.m., featuring teachers from the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School, as “The Faculty Lounge Lizards.“ On Friday, Susan Greenbaum and her band will perform for the official season opening at 8 p.m., playing a set of original music and a set of cover songs by Carole King.

Harper Darden was promoted to vice president of First & Merchants Bank in 1977, but before that he was a king on stage. In 1953, Mr. Darden, a tenor, sang the role of King Kaspar, one of the three Magi in the Christmas opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors.“ Gian Carlo Menotti wrote the opera for television in 1951, and Mr. Darden starred in early productions of the opera in Raleigh, N.C., before moving to Richmond.