Two of Greenville's leading cultural groups will get together for "An American Celebration."

Greenville Symphony Orchestra and Greenville Area Community Theater will perform songs such as "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Strike up the Band" at 8 p.m. Saturday at Thiel College's Passavant Center.

The music of George M. Cohan, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin will be drawn on for the show.

Veterans of the armed forces will be honored with the playing of the service anthems of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy.

GACT, which holds a summer theater production at Thiel, had joined the orchestra for two previous concerts in recent years.

"There is nothing like singing with strings," said GACT's Arch Messer.

The show will be all in the family for Mark Eckler, whose wife, Judy, is producing the vocal portion of the show and serves on the symphony board; Valerie Amrhein and her sister, Kathy Williams; Lori Miller and her sister, Lisa Demarest; and Kaye Lenkner and her brothers Alan and Dale Anderson.

Ms. Lenkner also is a member of the GACT-Thiel family, which includes Dr. William Robinson, artistic director of GACT and director of theater at the college; Dr. Michael Bray, Thiel's director of music; and Susan Swartzbeck, director of human resources.

Rounding out the GACT cast will be Joan Wentling, Ruth Fry Guerrini, Bruce Turcic and Bob Kidd.

Dr. Michael Gelfand takes the baton for his second show as musical director and conductor.

The stage will be decorated with the large flag that flies at Perkins in Hempfield Township, and the GACT ladies will be decked out in fashions from The Winner, Sharon.

Tickets: at Jerome's Florist and Gift Boutique, Greenville; and at the door. There will be a discount for senior citizens, and children and students with valid identifications will be admitted free.