VivantAdmin, Author at 'Burgh Vivant

April 1, 2015April 1, 2015

Review: ENDLESS LAWNS, The REP

by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

Endless Lawns: The Green, Green Grass of Home

In Anthony McKay’s “Endless Lawns” we learn quickly that the mighty have fallen. Twin sisters living in a squalid, dilapidated home on the outskirts of town are far from their former glory as debutante daughters of a famous movie star. Their old home, a mansion in the hoity-toity High Chimney’s neighborhood, has been destroyed, plowed over, and turned into new development. There’s a little more green than gray in this garden, but a sharp observer will note the reference.

Torch (Laurie Klatscher) and her fraternal twin, Flo (Cary Anne Spear), are living paycheck-to-paycheck with menial jobs; Torch at the K-Mart, Flo at a local flower shop. It seems their not-so-dearly departed dad willed the family fortune to his mistress and left his girls out in the cold.

Flo is having a difficult time letting go of her former life. She was once an actor on stage and screen, yet she couldn’t escape her father’s shadow. In these lean years, she’s taken up her dad’s favorite sport; drinking. Torch is having an easier time accepting their new lives, and things are looking less dismal for her. She believes her drinking days are behind her and regularly attends AA meetings, much to her sister’s chagrin.

On a lovely summer evening, Ray (Jason McCune), Torch’s boyfriend and boss, pulls a ring out of his pocket and pops the question. Torch answers him with a resounding yes and shower of kisses.

You can almost feel the sword of Damocles dangling above her head at that brief moment of sheer joy. First, Flo isn’t keen on the idea and pries them apart with acidic bon mots. Then, Graham (Mark D. Staley), Torch’s old flame, alights onto the scene.

Graham “accidentally” (big, giant air quotes) spills a thirty-year old secret in front of Torch’s fiancé, Ray, and all hell breaks loose. While the men are jostling for her affection, Torch slips into the abyss.

“Endless Lawns” has a small but powerful cast. It’s a quartet of charismatic, talented performers.

Spear is mesmerizing as the forlorn Flo. Somehow she maintains her likability after spewing out verbal assaults on all of the other characters. There’s a lovely moment when years of seething resentment falls, quite literally, out of her. She recounts a story about a film festival in her father’s honor. It’s a hilarious. The tale not only knocks her down a peg or two, but offers an illuminating glimpse into the power of forgiveness.

Klatscher’s character is even more likable, but when Torch fails, the failure is epic. You want to jump up on stage and stop her from every bad decision she makes. Her performance is flawless. Though, Torch might have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She utters the line “I’m tired” three or four times through the course of the play.

McCune’s Ray is a lovable schlub. A hapless K-Mart manager with a penchant for a beautiful girl from his youth. His romantic rival, Graham, is a capital D Douchebag, but he’s played with equal parts pomposity and vulnerability by Staley.

The play only stumbles, figuratively and literally, when the characters get drunk. It’s difficult to act inebriated. While director Gregory Lehane gets terrific performances from his actors, the drunken scenes could use a bit more work (short of actually plying them with copious amounts of alcohol, I’m not sure what he could do).

Playwright Anthony McKay’s “Endless Lawns” balances light and darkness like Caravaggio. Just like the Italian painter the light looks brightest against the prevailing darkness; chiaroscuro played out metaphorically.

McKay’s script sparkles with humor. However, he really put the endless in “Endless Lawns.” The play, like the unmown lawn in the story, could use a trim. However, the sisters are the saving grace. McKay creates two intriguing twins. Therein lies a dichotomous problem; the story of the twins is captivating, even though the play seemed a bit long, I still wanted more of them (probably because Klatscher and Spear play them so skillfully).

Even when things seem bleak, McKay shines plenty of sunlight on “Endless Lawns.”

(“Endless Lawns” runs from March 26 through April 12 in The Rep’s Studio Theatre, Pittsburgh Playhouse)

-MB.

April 1, 2015

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (4/3 – 4/5)

by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

April is upon us. Here are the Top Five Things to do in the first weekend of April.

Burgh Besties

Spend April 1^st with some of my favorite fools. “The Best of the Burgh” Comedy Showcase happens on April 1^st at Buckhead Saloon at 8:30. You can see Jeff Konkle, Justin Markuss, Tim Ross, PJ Williams and Tommy Kupiec. No cover charge and no drink minimum. Plus, you can drink 16 oz Leinenkugel Drafts all day. It’s fun to say “Leinenkugel.” The party is at Buckhead Saloon, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/872549909473751/

The Liar’s Club

KDKA Radio Talk Show host John McIntire has a terrific, new venue for his Dangerously Live Talk Show. Join Forensic Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht, ACLU President Vic Walczak, and Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner and McIntire for “The Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire” episode, Friday, April 3^rd at The Oaks, 310 Allegheny River Blvd, Oakmont, PA, 15139. For more information, go to http://theoakstheater.com/

Will Perform for Food

The University of Pittsburgh wants you to enjoy theater and feed the hungry. Pitt is hosting a food drive in conjunction with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank while showing “Curse of the Starving Class,” an award-winning Sam Shepard drama about an American family desperately trying to hold on to their family farm. If you bring a canned good, you get $2 off admission price. “Curse of the Starving Class” is at the Henry Heymann Theatre, Inside the Stephen Foster Building, Forbes Avenue (in the shadow of the Cathedral of Learning), Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information, go to http://www.play.pitt.edu/content/curse-starving-class

December in April

Friday, April 3^rd, see the Big Star Tribute Show with the December Boys, performers from Wreck Loose, Working Breed, The Me Toos and Steeteque come together for this tribute show. Where else can you hear “September Gurls,” from the December Boys in April? Put April 3^rd on your calendar and head down to the Club Café, 56 South 12^th Street, South Side and give a listen. For more information, go to http://clubcafelive.com/

Late Night at the Double Feature, Picture Show

Great Scott! You can see Androids fighting Brad and Janet at the late night, double feature, Picture Show…in the back row, at “The Rocky Horror Show!” Uh-Oh! It premieres on April 2^nd. Frank-N-Furter and Park Productions want to show you their latest creation. It all starts at 10:30 (after “Boeing Boeing””) at The Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, go to http://trustarts.culturaldistrict.org/production/45925/the-rocky-horror-show

March 24, 2015March 24, 2015

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (3/27 – 3/29)

by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh for the last weekend of March.

Get Horny

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is presenting “Four Horns,” with four William D. Caballero, Robert D. Lauver, Mark Houghton and Joseph C. Rounds with guest concertmaster, Nathan Olson March 27 through March 29. The show is at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.For more information, go to http://www.pittsburghsymphony.org/production/40194/four-horns?cid=PS_fourhornseblast

The Living is Easley

Come mingle with Easely, Pittsburgh’s newest art and tech startup that offers gallery quality art for your home or office. On March 26, they will have a pop-up gallery with live painting & interactive art. There will also be musical delights, giveaways and more. It’s free & open to the community! See it at Space, 812 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, go to http://www.spacepittsburgh.org

The Secret’s in the sauce!

It’s that time of the month! The return of the No Name Players live sitcom, “The Sisters Sorella.” Writers and performers Tressa Glover, Julianne Avolio and Maggie Carr bring you episode three of this charming theatrical comedy event. The fine Italian ladies will be at Arcade Comedy Theater, 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, go to http://www.nonameplayers.org/

As if!

Off the Wall’s FireWALL presents “Perspectives (as).” The dance troupe describes it as, “a delicate and fierce adventure into what happens when the artificial meets the natural.” You can find the show at the Off the Wall Theater, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, go to http://www.insideoffthewall.com/

Kiss me, I’m Carmen!

You have one last weekend to catch “Carmen” at the Pittsburgh Opera. Carmen and her suitors will enchant you some evening this weekend if you let them. The opera is at the Benedum Center, 237 Seventh Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, go to http://www.pittsburghopera.org/

And now a sixth thing…

If anyone wants to grab a drink with me come down to Buckhead’s Saloon Friday, March 27 for “Raise a Glass for Ryan!” a benefit for Cystic Fibrosis.

An $8 donation to Run for Ryan – Cystic Fibrosis Foundation gets you:

Free drink card redeemable for your drink of choice
– $3 beer – includes all drafts, domestic and import bottles
– $4 you call its – includes things such as Captain Morgan, Absolut, Jim Beam and Skyy
– $5 specialty drinks, house wines, and appetizers

It’s all at Buckhead Saloon, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/419347654896130/

-MB.

March 19, 2015

Sewickley’s first contemporary art gallery to open in April

PITTSBURGH, PA – Art Space 616, the first contemporary art gallery located in Sewickley, has its grand opening on Friday, April 10th at 6:00 pm. The 4,400 sq ft space, located at 616 Beaver Street, will allow artists to show non-traditional exhibitions.

Founded by Gallery Owner, Jessie Britton, Art Space 616 is committed to promoting emerging and established contemporary artists.

“I’m opening the new gallery as a gift to a community that has supported me over the years. It will attract even bigger international artists to the city and give local artists a more beautiful place to show. I want to make it the jewel of Pittsburgh.” says Britton.

Art Space 616 is led by Elysia Cecchetti, Director and Tim Hadfield, Director of Exhibitions.

“We are dedicated to finding the most exceptional art from regional and international communities,” says Cecchetti.

Art Space 616’s first exhibition will be featuring Pittsburgh and international artist, Martin Prekop. This exhibition is the first major survey of the work of Prekop. One of Pittsburgh’s most renowned and respected artists, Prekop has exhibited his work nationally and internationally, during an illustrious 40-year career.

“Martin is an iconic figure in the Pittsburgh art scene and his vision brings a national and international focus to the visual arts of our region,” said Hadfield.

Primarily spanning the cities of Chicago and Pittsburgh, he has enjoyed the status of a seminal figure in the art world of both. Covering this period of four decades, the artwork will be presented in groupings that focus on conceptual evolution and demonstrate the amazing industry of his production, in a diverse array of media.

This exhibit includes photography, painting, sculpture and installation, not to mention the radical transformation of his Pittsburgh home, that has featured in many publications and TV shows, including the Home and Garden Channel.

For more information about Art Space 616 or the Martin Prekop exhibit, call 412-259-8214 or visit www.ArtSpace616.com.

Art Space 616 is the newest addition to the growing art scene in Pittsburgh, and the premier contemporary gallery in the area. The stylishly minimalist gallery exhibits emerging, mid-career and established artists creating contemporary works on paper, paintings, fine art photography, encaustic and assemblage. The mission of the Art Space 616 is to build a collaborative environment with artist communities and expose Pittsburgh to artist from different countries and new markets.

March 18, 2015

Review: LOVECRAFT’S MONSTERS, 12 Peers Theater

by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

Going to the Maker Theater is always an adventure. It’s a tiny theater tucked under a bridge in a dark Post-Industrial section of Ellsworth Avenue. It’s considered Shadyside, but it’s really East Liberty Adjacent. Attending a play or improvisation comedy show there reminds me of seeing a play in the East Village. It’s a bit funky, wild and slightly dangerous.

The street isn’t very well lit and the darkness makes it the perfect place for 12 Peers new one man show, “Lovecraft’s Monsters.”

Playwright and actor David Crawford wants you to understand the life and times of writer H. P. Lovecraft, an iconic figure in the horror oeuvre. He created terrifying creatures, most notably is Cthulhu, a beast god that his part octopus, dragon and man. The author’s stories were influential to many horror writers, Stephen King often cites Lovecraft as an early influence.

His tale is sad one, mostly brought on by his own inability and inaction. There’s a lot stacked up against him. Lovecraft’s father was committed to an asylum, his mother was overbearing, and he was traumatized by night terrors. Those terrors also became fictionalized subjects for his work.

The writer was also an unabashed racist who left his wife and was unable to earn a living. Lovecraft writes about monsters, but might actually be the monster. Crawford wants us to like the subject, but he isn’t a likable character. A more honest depiction would have been much more effective.

The good natured actor bounds onto the near barren set, and tells us his plan to expound on the life Howard Phillips Lovecraft to the audience. There are a few good jokes. Unfortunately, some of them use Lovecraft’s racism as a punchline. “I liked New York at first, but there are far too many immigrants there.” It’s funny, true and ultimately sad.

The play starts slow, but begins to pick up steam. At times, Crawford portrays an omniscient narrator, at other times, he’s the author himself, but when he immerses himself into the characters, the show starts jumping.

The last twenty minutes of “Lovecraft’s Monsters,” are riveting. Crawford is captivating as he recounts Lovecraft’s first published story, “The Shadows of Innsmouth.” He inhabits the role of the narrator, a student on an antiquarian tour of New England who spends the night in a village overrun by demonic sea creatures. A local resident, the town drunk (deftly performed by Crawford), tells him about how the creatures are inter-breeding with humans and performing ritualistic sacrifices. The young man must run for his life to avoid being killed by the evil beings. The final moments of the show are gripping.

Horror is a subjective experience, and while Lovecraft broke ground in the genre, in modern parlance, the premise seems silly. In retrospect, a squadron of marauding merman chasing a man through a seaside town sounds ridiculous, but Crawford was able to pull it off.

The show is at its best when Crawford is dramatically unfolding Lovecraft’s fiction. However, the show is bogged down by a lot of non-fiction. The beginning of the show is mired in too many facts about the man. It’s comes off as a lecture, because it’s more tell than show.

A story about an author plagued by myriad insecurities isn’t as interesting as the stories he creates. Crawford’s show could be greatly improved if he concentrated more on the work and less on the man.

(Lovecraft’s Monsters runs March 12-21. All shows at The Maker Theater, 5950 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. Thursday-Saturday, 8 pm. Tickets $17 online, $20 at the door/$15 with a student ID. There is a special pay-what-you-can performance on Monday, March 16, at 8 pm)

-MB.

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (3/19 – 3/22)

by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh the weekend of March 19 – 22.

Light’s Out

Thursday night is another chance to see Matt Light and a group of hilarious local comedians at the Pittsburgh Improv. This month’s lineup includes, two gentlemen from Pittsburgh’s rock radio station, WDVE, T-Robe Roberson and more. It’s at the Pittsburgh Improv, 166 E. Bridge Street, Homestead, PA For more information, go to http://pittsburgh.improv.com/

Daddy’s Girl

A young woman is planning to kill the queen of Argos for murdering her father. Did I mention the queen is also the girl’s mother? Go see “Electra” and find out why this Greek family is more dysfunctional than a whole season of Jerry Springer. “Electra” is at the Seton Center, 1900 Pioneer Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, go to http://www.bphp.org/

Row your boat ashore

It’s time for the Sixth Annual Three Rivers Rowing Wine Tasting Gala at the Priory. For $75 you can taste four great wines with wine host Milko Mladinov of Winebow Inporters. The wines will be paired up with some delicious food from executive chefs Pete Phillipy and Mike Henney. There’s entertainment, a silent auction and ticket raffle. The Fundraiser is at The Priory, 614 Pressley Street, Pittsburgh. For more information, go to http://trrajuniorsboosters.org./

Works of Art

See new works of art by CMU students in a month long pop-up gallery, Gallery 808. The works of several 1^st and 2^nd year MFA students will be on display, including Daniel Allende, Kevin Brophy, Zhiwan Cheung, Brittany DeNigris, Jamie Dickerson, Nima Dehghani, Hannah Epstein, Ada-Scarlett Hopper, Jesse Kauppila, Tucker Marder, Adam Milner, Daniel Pillis and Moses Williams. Gallery 808 is at 808 Ivy Street, Pittsburgh. For more information, go to http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2015/february/mfa-presents-gallery-808.html

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

On Friday, March 20, you can celebrate Mr. Roger’s birthday on “Mr. Roger’s Day” with free admission to the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. Mr. McFeely will be there and there will be a host of activities at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 10 Children’s Way, Pittsburgh. For more information, go to https://pittsburghkids.org/

-MB.

March 14, 2015March 16, 2015

Review: HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, Pittsburgh Public Theater

Review by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

It’s a shame August Wilson is no longer with us; 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for the late playwright, especially here in Pittsburgh. In January, the August Wilson Center for African American Culture reopened its doors. In February, a documentary about his life, “The Ground on Which I Stand,” debuted on PBS. This month, “How I Learned What I Learned,” August Wilson’s auto-biographical play opened at the Pittsburgh Public’s O’Reilly Theater.

“How I Learned What I Learned” is the final play in the ten-play “American Century Cycle,” and the last play Wilson wrote. It’s a meditation on the playwright’s early years living in Pittsburgh’s Hill District.

In Seattle in 2003, Todd Kreidler and August Wilson came together and collaborated on “How I Learned What I Learned.” Wilson was going to star in the play, but it had to be reimagined with an actor in the role of August Wilson (the playwright died in 2005).

Eugene Lee portrays Wilson as a feisty, funny, but very human man. Wilson doesn’t impart wisdom, he tells you what he doesn’t know, and by so doing, we learn his true wisdom. There are a few moments of humblebrag, but mostly it’s the story of a modest, modern genius who uses his righteous indignation and humor to come to grips with society’s ills.

The author was self-taught. He is the only person to be given a high school diploma from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, where Wilson learned much of what he learned. The rest he learned on the streets of Wylie, Centre, Bedford and Crawford. His anecdotes and musings flow from haphazard recollections into a story of self-actualization. It is sheer poetry, and Lee inhabits the role gracefully. He commands the stage.

Its clear Kreidler is co-conceived the project, because it is an intimate portrayal. The one hundred minute play whisks by speedily. The play is not a collection of facts about the artist, but about his humanity. Luckily, if you’re yearning to know more about August Wilson, there is the aforementioned documentary, The Ground on Which I Stand,” to guide you.

Lighting Designer Thom Weaver, Scenic and Projection Designer David Gallo and Sound Designer Dan Moses Schreier created a workspace for the play that is both grim, gritty and yet simultaneously joyous and hopeful, a flower poking through a cracked, city sidewalk. Scheier must know that the clickety-clack of the typewriter makes every writer’s heart pitter patter. Gall even picks a nice Courier font for the words projected on the wall.

Not to spoil it, but sound and visual arts come together at the end of the play. It is a moving tribute to the playwright and his work.

The Pittsburgh Public is halfway through their season, and, like two trains running, they’re picking up steam. Skip your piano lesson, and grab a jitney for “How I Learned What I Learned.”

HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED plays through April 5th at Pittsburgh Public Theater, www.ppt.org

-MB.

March 12, 2015

Three cheers for horns: FOUR HORNS highlights Pittsburgh Symphony horn section

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra welcomes guest conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada for his Heinz Hall debut in “Four Horns,” A BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert weekend, March 27-29.

Colombian-born Orozco-Estrada makes his debut with the “rock stars of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,” the members of the orchestra’s sensational horn section. The horn section, led by William Caballero and featuring Robert Lauver, Mark Houghton and Joseph Rounds, will be highlighted as soloists in Robert Schumann’s Konzertstück, a tour de force for four French horns and orchestra. Orozco-Estrada, the newly appointed music director of the Houston Symphony, then leads Brahms’ First Symphony, a towering masterpiece 20 years in the making. The program opens with Mason Bates’ The Rise of Exotic Computing, which was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony for the Mercury Soul event and will be receiving its Heinz Hall premiere during this concert.

Each BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert is part of the Explore & Engage program, which includes pre-concert talks, exhibits, display boards and interactive activities that illuminate the music, composers and the time in which they were created. A pre-concert talk, open to all ticket holders and led by Resident Conductor Fawzi Haimor, will occur on stage one hour prior to each concert.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets, ranging in price from $25.75 to $105.75, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2014-2015 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada, born in Colombia and trained in Vienna, is one of the most sought after conductors of his generation. At the start of the 2014-2015 season, he will took up the positions of music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Orozco-Estrada first came to international attention in 2004, when he took over a concert with the Tonkünstler Orchestra Niederösterreich at the Vienna Musikverein. Numerous engagements with many international orchestras followed and since then Orozco-Estrada has developed a highly successful musical partnership with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, one of the most important institutions of traditional Austrian musical culture. Since the beginning of the 2009-2010 season, Orozco-Estrada has been the music director of the Tonkünstler Orchestra, a position that he will relinquish in summer 2015. Between 2009 and 2013, Orozco-Estrada was also principal conductor at the Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi (Basque National Orchestra). He has made highly successful debuts with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic and La Scala Philharmonic Orchestras. Following his debut with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in autumn 2010, Orozco-Estrada was hailed “a brilliant stand-in” (Wiener Zeitung) for Esa-Pekka Salonen and celebrated as an “eminent talent” (Die Presse). In November 2012, Orozco-Estrada stepped in once again at short notice to replace Riccardo Muti with the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein. Highlights of the current and coming seasons include debuts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, St Louis Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras. Born in 1977 in Medellín, Colombia, Orozco-Estrada began his musical studies on the violin and had his first conducting lessons at the age of 15. In 1997, he moved to Vienna where he joined the conducting class of Uroš Lajovic, pupil of the legendary Hans Swarowsky, at the renowned Vienna Music Academy and completed his degree with distinction by conducting the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Vienna Musikverein. The emphasis of his artistic work lies in the Romantic repertoire and Viennese classics. At the same time, Orozco-Estrada shows a keen interest in contemporary music and regularly performs premieres of Austrian composers as well as compositions of Spanish and South American origin. Orozco-Estrada currently lives in Vienna.

The 2014-2015 Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra season is William Caballero’s 25th year as its principal horn. Before joining the Pittsburgh Symphony in May 1989, Caballero held principal horn positions with the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera and Hartford Symphony. He held third horn positions with the Montreal Symphony, Montreal Opera and acting third horn with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. He also performed as guest principal horn with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the St. Louis Symphony. Born in New Mexico and reared in Wisconsin, Caballero’s early horn studies included working under Larry Simons, Barry Benjamin and Basil Tyler, as well as studying the piano and pipe organ. Caballero graduated from New England Conservatory in Boston where he studied with Richard Mackey and Thomas Newell of the Boston Symphony. Caballero is the associate teaching professor of horn at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. Previously, he held teaching positions at Indiana University Bloomington, Rice University in Houston, Texas and Duquesne University and has presented master classes throughout the world. The past two summers, he joined the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival as performer and teacher, and for the previous seven summers, Caballero was on the faculty and performed at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. In 2012, Caballero began collaboration with the Internet music teaching company ArtistWorks.com. His teaching website was released in September 2012 as the only complete horn teaching curriculum available via the internet. Caballero is in demand as a chamber musician collaborating with musicians such as violinists Gil Shaham, Joseph Silverstein and Philip Setzer, and pianists André Previn, Christoph Eshenbach, Orli Shaham and Andre Watts. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass. Recent chamber music performances include performing Brahms’ Horn Trio in E-flat major with Gil and Orli Shaham in Zankel Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York and appearing several times live on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today.” This season is Caballero’s second appearance as soloist with Manfred Honeck. His first solo collaboration with Honeck was in September 2012 performing the Pittsburgh Symphony premiere of Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 1. Previous solo performances with the Pittsburgh Symphony have included Richard Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat with Lorin Maazel; Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat with Andre Previn; Mozart Concerto fragments with Pittsburgh Symphony Concertmaster Andrés Cardenes; Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and tenor Anthony Griffey; Schumann’s Konzertstück in F, for four horns and orchestra under the baton of Sir John Elliot Gardener; and the John Williams Horn Concerto with Leonard Slatkin. Other recent solo appearances included performances in Montenegro with Ronald Zollman and with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. In 1992, Caballero premiered Benjamin Lees’ Concerto for Horn and Orchestra with the Pittsburgh Symphony under the baton of Lorin Maazel. Following the performances in Pittsburgh, he performed it in Spain, Germany and England with the Pittsburgh Symphony on tour. In 1996, Caballero recorded the concerto for New World Records. Caballero holds the Anonymous Foundation Principal Horn Chair.

Robert Lauver joined the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra horn section in the 2000-01 season. Previously he was a member of the horn section of the Saint Louis Symphony since 1992, as well as the St. Louis Symphony Brass Quintet. The Columbus Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Austin Symphony, Chicago Chamber Brass and Baltimore Symphony are among the orchestras with whom Lauver has played. He attended Northwestern and Western Michigan universities.

Mark Tennyson Houghton was awarded the position of 3rd horn with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in June 2014. Previously, he was principal horn of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony and, most recently, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Houghton was born in Long Beach, Calif., and raised in Keller, Texas. After some basic piano training, he began playing horn at age 12. His parents — who are professional horn players and teachers — were his first instructors. Advanced studies yielded a Bachelor of Music degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music as a student of W. Peter Kurau. Other notable teachers and mentors include Gregory Hustis and William VerMeulen. Houghton has appeared with the Mimir Chamber Music Festival, Arizona Musicfest, Basically Beethoven Festival, The Hall Ensemble, Eastman Virtuosi and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He has toured domestically with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and abroad with the Eastman Horn Choir. In addition to his previous full-time principal horn positions, Houghton has performed as principal horn with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the Dallas Wind Symphony. He has been a featured soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Symphony, the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra and the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, and will perform Schumann’s Konzertstuck in F for Four Horns and Orchestra, Opus 86, in March 2015 with the Pittsburgh Symphony and its internationally acclaimed horn section. Houghton was a prizewinner in the American Horn Competition and the International Horn Society’s John Hawkins Memorial Solo Competition. Houghton is part owner of Houghton Horns, a family business that specializes in high-quality instruments, services and accessories for horn players.

Horn player Joseph Rounds grew up in a musical family in a small town in Missouri where his father taught trumpet at Northwest Missouri State University and his mother taught piano. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, his mother’s alma mater, where he studied horn with Verne Reynolds. Studies continued with James Decker at the University of Southern California. Since 1987 Mr. Rounds has been a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra serving as Assistant Principal, second and fourth horn. Previously, he held positions with the Sacramento Symphony and the Sacramento Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Rounds currently holds a third degree black belt from the Young Brothers Tae Kwon Do Institute under the guidance of Grand Master Young Bo Kong.

A native of Berkeley, California, violinist Nathan Olson is co-concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, a position he assumed in 2011. In 2013, he was appointed adjunct faculty at the University of North Texas College of Music. Prior to his appointment with the DSO, Olson held the position of concertmaster with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and CityMusic Cleveland. Currently concertmaster of the Breckenridge Music Festival, he has participated in the Mainly Mozart Festival, the Bravo Vail Music Festival and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Olson is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music’s prestigious Concertmaster Academy, where he studied with William Preucil and Paul Kantor. He has soloed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, the Breckenridge Music Festival Orchestra, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. An enthusiastic chamber musician, Olson served on faculty at the Innsbrook Music Festival and won the silver medal at the 2005 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition. As a member of the Baumer String Quartet, he is on faculty with the Monterey Chamber Music Workshop and the Crowden Chamber Music Workshop. In recent seasons, Olson has appeared as guest concertmaster with the Symphony Orchestras of Toronto, Omaha and Tucson, and as principal second violin with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Four Horns performs

Friday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 29, 2:30 p.m.

Heinz Hall
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS: FOUR HORNS

ANDRÉS OROZCO-ESTRADA, conductor

WILLIAM CABALLERO, horn

ROBERT LAUVER, horn

MARK HOUGHTON, horn

JOSEPH ROUNDS, horn

NATHAN OLSON, guest concertmaster

Mason Bates The Rise of Exotic Computing for Sinfonietta & Electronica

Robert Schumann Konzertstück in F for Four Horns and Orchestra, Opus 86

I. Lebhaft

II. Romanze: Ziemlich langsam

III. Sehr lebhaft

Mr. Caballero

Mr. Lauver

Mr. Houghton

Mr. Rounds

Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 86

I. Un poco sostenuto – Allegro

II. Andante sostenuto

III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso

IV. Adagio – Piu andante – Allegro non troppo, ma con brio

March 12, 2015

DINAH brings back the “Queen of the Jukeboxes” at Pittsburgh Playwrights

“Dinah,” a play about Dinah Washington, featuring Pittsburgh songstress Delana Flowers in the title role, will run from March 13 through April 5 at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company.

Ernest McCarty is both director and playwright of this lively musical set during the last year of the short life of the legendary blues singer. “Dinah” features over 25 songs from the Great American Songbook and biographical vignettes.

This show provides insight into the tragic and often controversial life of one of the most popular African-American singers of the 1950’s.

Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones, was known as “Queen of the Jukeboxes.” Her seventh husband, football great Dick “Night Train” Lane discovered her nearly lifeless body on December 14, 1963. An autopsy revealed she died at the age of 39 after taking a deadly combination of secobarbital and amobarbital. Her death was ruled accidental. It was known that she used prescription medicine for dieting and insomnia, among other things.

Legendary composer and record/ TV producer Quincy Jones in his 2001 biography Q recalls Washington’s unique vocal styling saying she “could take the melody in her hand, hold it like an egg, crack it open, fry it, let it sizzle, reconstruct it, put the egg back in the box and back in the refrigerator and you would’ve still understood every single syllable.”

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company was founded by Mark Clayton Southers in 2003.

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company is committed to developing and showcasing the works of local playwrights; from accomplished masters like August Wilson and George S. Kaufman to promising new talents. Pittsburgh Playwrights seek to nurture a racially and culturally diverse community of playwrights, directors, actors and technical specialists to hone their craft and to network creative opportunities.

“Dinah” performs at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater, 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15222, on the 3rd floor. For tickets and more details, visit www.pghplaywrights.com.

Cast:

Delana Flowers (Dinah Washington)

Ijasneem (reporter and Symphony Sid)

Leo Beatty (Dick “Night Train” Lane)

Cheryl El Walker (LaRue Mann)

Stephanie Akers (Alice Jones – Dinah’s mother)

Les Howard (Brook Benton)

Dinah schedule:

(Preview night) Friday, March 13 at 8 pm

Opening night Saturday, March 14 at 8 pm

Sunday, March 15 at 3 pm

Thursday, March 19 at 8 pm

Friday, March 20 at 8 pm

Saturday, March 21 at 8 pm

Sunday, March 22 at 3 pm

Thursday, March 26 at 8 pm

Friday, March 27 at 8 pm

Saturday, March 28 at 8 pm

Sunday, March 29 at 3 pm

Thursday, April 2 at 8pm

Friday, April 3 at 8 pm

Saturday, April 4 at 8 pm

Easter Sunday, April 5 at 3 pm

* The Monday March 23 at 8 pm performance is Pay-What-You-Can at the door only

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015

CORNINGWORKS celebrates 5th anniversary with AT ONCE THERE WAS A HOUSE

(Pittsburgh, PA) CORNINGWORKS, directed by Beth Corning, opens its celebratory 5th anniversary season with the world premiere of Pittsburgh’s 7th annual GLUE FACTORY PROJECT — AT ONCE THERE WAS A HOUSE, starring a multidisciplinary cast of local Pittsburgh celebrities including critically acclaimed actor JOHN GRESH, Squonk Opera’s JACKIE DEMPSEY, Attack Theatre’s MICHELE DE LA REZA, former PBT principal dancer TAMAR RACHELLE TOLENTINO, and YOAV HADDAR, former dancer with the companies of José Limón, Paul Taylor, and Pilobolus Dance Theatre among others. Co-presented by, and performed at The New Hazlett Theater, March 25 – 29, 2015.

In 2010, after serving as the Executive Artistic Director of the Dance Alloy Theater, Corning returned to her roots of creating, performing and directing her own company. With the encouragement of the local and national community (both public and philanthropic) CORNINGWORKS was founded as a vehicle for Corning to develop her unique style of dancetheater works that explore not only issues of importance to more “mature” audiences, but also engages internationally & nationally renowned “mature” performers through her unique series THE GLUE FACTORY PROJECT.

Initiated in Minneapolis in 2000, THE GLUE FACTORY PROJECT is the umbrella for Cornings’ full-evening length dancetheater productions created for critically renowned performers over the age of 40. Works that explore mature themes and subject matter, highlighting the mastery of mature renowned artists, who bring nuance, subtlety, and a deep sense of humanity to each work. Engaging a diverse cast of critically acclaimed performers from the performing arts that include stars from TV, music, theater, and dance, these full-evening works transcend age and address universal issues of the human condition with Corning’s signature dry wit, lush movement, theatrical inventions, and seasoned point of view.

In March 2010, this innovative series premiered in Pittsburgh with A SEAT AT THE TABLE, garnering rave national and local reviews. This was followed in 2011 by the critically acclaimed world premiere of ARE WE THERE YET? The 2012 production of THE LIFE & DEATH OF LITTLE FINN was a sold out event, and voted #4 in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s 2012 Top Ten Dance Performances, (which includes both local and national companies performing in Pittsburgh) and in June 2013, Corning’s one woman show REMAINS garnered standing ovations with headlines claiming “Masterful… Astute Observations… A tour de force.”. Again the Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s voted REMAINS as one of their Top Ten Dance Performances of 2013, and City Paper called it “one of SEVEN TRANSFORMATIVE DANCE PERFORMANCES of 2013”. In January 2014, RECIPES OUR MOTHERS GAVE US won rave reviews and played to 5 sold-out houses, and the recent September 2014 production of PARALLEL LIVES, was noted by the Tribune Review, as one of “the latest in a string of touching and masterly pieces” and was noted as the Post Gazette’s Top Ten Dance Performances of 2014.

Now Celebrating it’s 5th Anniversary Season, Corning presents AT ONCE THERE WAS A HOUSE , a zany theatrical ride that explores the question of “whatever happened to Dick & Jane?” a series of vignettes that range from the humorous to the poignant, from the comical to the disturbing. In 2005, Corning was commissioned by GROUNDWORKS DANCETHEATER in Cleveland to create AT ONCE THERE WAS HOUSE. Created specifically on the personalities and talents of those highly trained dancers, this 30-minute version of the work won both public and critical acclaim.

“The irony is thick…an astonishing work…there is no guessing what comes next, and while there are lots of laughs in the piece, they’re balanced by poignant moments that make it thoughtful and persuasive.” — Akron Beacon

A year later, Corning “re-fitted” the work for the dancers of Dance Alloy Theater, changing the piece to fit the specific talents and personalities of the dancers of that company. Again, the work won public and critical acclaim.

” A psychological thriller, full of vivid portraits that both delighted and discomforted. This was not only compelling dance, but compelling theater!” — Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Corning chose the opportunity of CORNINGWORKS 5th Anniversary celebration to look back at some of her prior works and “re-discovered” HOUSE. Now fully immersed in the GLUE FACTORY series she saw an opportunity to further expand this prior work — not to re-create it per se, but to further develop it, using the original version as a foundation, exploring and creating new layers with a seasoned and mature group of artists. This is a truly rare opportunity for both Corning and Pittsburgh audiences.

HOUSE is built on a series of characters, each specifically drawn from the performers themselves. Working with “seasoned” adults, rather than the “young” adults (upon which the original was created), Corning sees a rich chance to implement skills honed and borne over the past decade, to explore the deeper concepts and conceits of this deeply psychological work – a work that explores hidden lives – the secrets we consciously choose to either reveal or conceal. Jettisoned to life via the deeply political and psychological metaphors of 1950 elementary school educational icons DICK & JANE – the perfect WASP family – perfect wife, perfect husband, perfect children, perfect dog, perfect life. And then?

Along with Corning, this seasoned, multi-disciplinary group of performers include:

Jackie Dempsey musician, performer, composer, founder of SQUONK OPERA
John Gresh, noted actor, educator, and director, including PICT, barebones productions, Quantum Theatre
Yoav Kaddar, former dancer with Pilobolus, the companies of Jose Limon, and Paul Taylor among others
Michele de la Reza, dancer, choreographer, founder of ATTACK THEATRE
Tamar Tolentino, former principal dancer with PBT, and national ballet companies & choreographersCorning has long been noted for her vivid multi-disciplinary dance-theater work that combines sophistication, clarity of theatrical concepts, lush movement vocabulary, and dynamic musicality. Humor co-exists with serious examination of such issues as art and myth, gender and aging – intimate slices of the human condition. In all her work, Corning strives to provide a high-quality artistic experience for both artist and audiences, to constantly explore new structures and modes of expression, and to open doors through which we might communicate, and reveal new images of ourselves.

AT ONCE THERE WAS A HOUSE performs March 25 through 29th. Wednesday: 7pm. Thursday: 8pm, followed by a moderated post performance talk back with audience and cast led by twenty-year veteran of New York’s Off- Broadway scene, local actor & educator SHARON BRADY. Friday: 8pm, with specially priced tickets for Corningworks 5th Birthday Bash -party with the performers and crew for a post-performance “champagne & dessert” with live music. Saturday: 8pm. Sunday: “Pay what you can admission,” available only at the door with regular reserved tickets available online. The New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh PA. $30 general admission, $25 senior/student. Friday night performance and party: $50. For tickets: www.showclix.com (CORNINGWORKS) or call 1-888-718-4243, www.corningworks.org or call 412-320-4610.