Assorted ramblings from the world of entertainment:

• The Mahoning Valley Players will return this summer at a new venue and with a new name that better reflects its mission.

The theater group now will be known as the Youngstown Shakespeare Company.

According to executive director Kim Akins, “Changing our name to the Youngstown Shakespeare Company reflects our commitment to the City of Youngstown to continue staging our productions within the city limits. It’s also our intent to remain true to our mission of producing works by Shakespeare.”

Akins, Liz Conrad and Richard Costes started MVP in 2011 to bring free Shakespeare production to the area, and over the years the group staged such Shakespeare works as “The Tempest,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “All’s Well That Ends Well” at the Judge Morley Pavilion at Mill Creek MetroParks’ Wick Recreation Area.

Last year’s planned production of “Much Ado About Nothing” was scrapped due to casting issues.

That Shakespeare comedy now will be the first offering at its new home at Wean Park in downtown Youngstown.

In the press release announcing the changes, Akins said, “Wean Park is a spectacular location for us and we are eager to bring ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ there. The outdoor space, ease of parking and collaboration with other downtown restaurants and organizations made sense. We want to be a part of downtown’s excitement!”

Performances are scheduled at 6 p.m. July 19 and 20 and 2 p.m. July 21.

The performances have been underwritten by Youngstown City Council member Anita Davis, D-6th Ward.

• Organizers of downtown Youngstown’s Simply Slavic festival are looking for home cooks for its annual Slavic Baking Competition.

The event serves as a precursor to the festival, which takes place June 14 and 15. The region’s amateur bakes are invited to put their favorite recipes for chrusciki, kolachi and other Slavic sweets to the test.

The competition starts at 1 p.m. June 8 at SMARTS, 25 E. Boardman St., Youngstown. The public is invited to sample the entries, see unique contestant displays and listen to roving musician Luke Politsky.

Interested bakers can find complete rules and entry form online at www.simplyslavic.org/forms. There is a $5 non-refundable entry fee. Completed forms are due by June 1 and can be dropped off at Krakus Polish Deli & Bakery or mailed to: Simply Slavic Baking Contest, 7050 Market St. No. 108, Boardman, OH 44512.

• Earlier this week JAC Live announced the “when” for this summer’s Y-Live.

This year’s concert will be Aug. 2, a Friday instead of a Saturday for the first time.

As for the “who,” that news should be released this Friday.

Since its debut in 2017 with the Zac Brown Band at Youngstown State University, Y-Live has been the Mahoning Valley’s largest concert. That first show drew nearly 17,000, and the crowd has topped 20,000 ever since with headliners Florida-Georgia Line (2018) and Blake Shelton (2019) at the stadium and Luke Bryan (2022) and Kid Rock (2023) at Wean Park between the Covelli Centre and the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre.

Andy Gray is the entertainment editor of Ticket. Write to him at agray@tribtoday.com.