Inside dish on interviews, editorials, events listings, musings from the minds of BV’s contributors, viewer mail, and other bits of fabulousness — It all goes into The Shaker, ‘Burgh Vivant’s bacchanalian bulletin board. Saddle up to the bar, and get ready for another round of what’s shakin’!
PITTSBURGH – Prime Stage Theatre is honored to bring the world premiere adaptation of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Pittsburgh just in time for Halloween. The show opens with a special dress-up preview on Oct. 31 and runs through Nov. 9 at the New Hazlett Theater located at 6 Allegheny Square East.
The show was selected from a list of stories requested by teachers for Prime Stage Theatre to bring to life. Adapted by Bruce Hall—to capture the spirit the spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella—and directed by Michael McKelvey, this production brings the audience into the mind and world of Dr. Jekyll where a myriad of characters seek to find the identity of Mr. Hyde. Little do they know this creature is actually Dr. Jekyll. Will they discover this before it is too late?
This world premiere stars Andrew Miller playing both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His role brings to life all the emotions, actions and struggles of a man transforming from good into evil. Katie Oxman will play Diana Carew who is “in love with a monster without knowing it,” John C. Reilly as Sir Danvers Carew, John Feightner as Jekyll’s friend and lawyer Seth Utterson who is on the journey of finding the truth.
Perfect for the Halloween season, all of your senses will be stimulated as the mysterious world of Dr. Jekyll is revealed on an evocative two-layer set by Karl Jacobson, lit by Jr. Shaw, with music designed by Angela Baughman, and costumes by Kim Brown. The preview on Halloween also invites audiences to dress up in their best costume and win tickets to upcoming shows.
“An Evening of Mystery,” a fundraising event featuring special guests Dr. Cyril Wecht will also occur during production on Wednesday,Nov. 5 from 6-9 p.m. on the set of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The night will include a silent auction and book signing by Dr. Wecht. Tickets are $50. Prime Stage Theatre will also be honoring State Representative Erin Molchany for her support of literacy and theatre.
Tickets for both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and “An Evening of Mystery” are available at www.primestage.com.
The Pacifica Quartet is joined by violist David Harding for Chamber Music Pittsburgh’s second concert of the 2014-15 season on Monday, November 10, 2014, 7:30pm, in Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. The repertoire to be performed includes Ligeti’s Quartet No. 1 “Metamorphoses nocturnes”, Mozart’s Viola Quintet in G minor, K. 516, and Ravel’s Quartet in F major.
Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often-daring repertory choices, over the past two decades the Pacifica Quartet has gained international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. The Pacifica tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, performing regularly in the world’s major concert halls. Named the quartet-in-residence at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in March 2012, the Pacifica was also the quartet-in- residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009 – 2012) – a position that has otherwise been held only by the Guarneri String Quartet – and received the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.
During the 2014-15 season, the Pacifica will record and perform the Brahms piano quintet with the legendary pianist Menahem Pressler, and will participate in weeklong residencies at the University of Iowa and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition, the Quartet will return twice to Europe for four weeks of performances; in addition, the group will make its debut tour of South America.
The members of the Pacifica Quartet live in Bloomington, IN, where they serve as quartet-in-residence and full-time faculty members at the Jacobs School of Music. Prior to their appointment, the Quartet was on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana from 2003 to 2012. The Pacifica Quartet also serves as resident performing artist at the University of Chicago.
David Harding is currently Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. He has an extensive solo and chamber music career, having performed throughout Europe, the United States, Canada, Central America and Australia, in such venues as the Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. His performances have been broadcast on CBC, BBC, NPR, ABC (Australia) and Deutschland Radio. He performs at many chamber music festivals throughout North America including the Sitka Chamber Music Festival and Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. In July 2012, David returned to the Australian Chamber Music Festival in Queensland.
David is a member of the flute, viola, harp ensemble, Trio Verlaine with whom he has recorded works
by Debussy and Ravel, and the Glass Chamber Players, with whom he recorded Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” and Philip Glass’ “Sextet.” Other notable CD projects include a recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, with the string trio Triskelion for CBC records, the music of Aaron Jay Kernis with the Chester Quartet, and Brahms’ Viola Sonatas and Horn Trio for Skylark Music. A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, David was the winner of the Sir John Barbirolli award at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. Having served on the faculty of Indiana University South Bend and the University of British Columbia, David has given master classes at the Banff International Centre for the Arts and universities throughout North America. He plays on a viola made by Pietro Antonio della Costa, Tresviso Italy, circa 1750.
There will be a lobby recital in the Grand Foyer of Carnegie Music Hall from 7:00-7:20pm.
Tickets are $39-$46, and student rush tickets are available for $15 with valid student ID one hour prior to the concert. Braille and large print programs will be provided. CMP provides concierge service to assist patrons wishing to be dropped off at the Carnegie Museums’ carriage driveway and parking facility. Carnegie Music Hall is an accessible venue. For tickets and further information, please call 412-624-4129 or visit www.chambermusicpittsburgh.org.
Chamber Music Pittsburgh (previously the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society) presents world-class chamber music ensembles and soloists, promising emerging artists, and innovative programs; and also fosters an appreciation for chamber music in the Pittsburgh community by offering educational programs and experiences. In carrying out its mandate, CMP has been guided consistently by two basic principles: quality and variety. Each year’s program is a carefully balanced menu of acclaimed chamber ensembles along with the most brilliant emerging groups.
CMP is supported by grants from the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust of The Pittsburgh Foundation, and the Heinz Endowments. The Heinz Endowments supports efforts to make southwestern Pennsylvania a premier place to live and work, a center for learning and educational excellence, and a region that embraces diversity and inclusion.
CMP receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh the weekend of October 30 to November 2. Its Halloween and it’s party time.
Wickedly Wonderful
There will be more than three witches at PICT Gala, “Witches and Wizards.” There will be neverending food stations (no newts were harmed in the making of the witches’ brew). The event is on Devil’s Night, Thursday, October 30. The event will be hosted by ‘Burgh Vivant’s own Brian Edward. Join the party, or join the after-party with DJ’s J Malls and Gordy of Title Town. Grab your broom and fly over to J. Verno Studios, 3030 Jane Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. For more information, go to http://www.picttheatre.org/plays-events/pict-plays-annual-gala/
Hyde Out
You can catch that self-made man/monster, Mr. Hyde, in “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The world premiere adaptation by Bruce Hall (based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson) opens this weekend (with a preview performance on Halloween). It should be a transformative evening. Get over to The New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 for all the fun. For more information, go to https://primestage.secure.force.com/ticket/#sections_a0Fd000000WDvc8EAD
For the Birds
There’s a Hitchcock themed party at the Carrie Furnace. If you ever wanted to celebrate the life of an ionic film director in an abandoned steel mill, now is your chance! The Brew Gentlemen Beer Co., The Independent Brewing Company and Bar Marco present “Hitchcock! A Halloween Party at the Carrie Furnace” on November 1. There will be tasty treats from Pgh Taco Truck, Gyros N’at, Blowfish BBQ and more. The Carrie Furnace is in Rankin, PA, but there is an shuttle from Bar Marco in the Strip District (2216 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222) to take you to and from the event. For more information and tickets go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/hitchcock-a-halloween-party-at-the-carrie-furnace-tickets-13440108727
Bacchus not Backus
Bacchus played Mr. Magoo and Thurston Howell III. Wait. No. Bacchus is the god of wine and revelry. The Bacchanalia is a big blow-out Halloween party coming your way November 1. This bash features some of downtown Pittsburgh’s best restaurants like Il Pizzaiolo, Alihan’s Mediterranean Cuisine, Penn Ten Penny and more. Get the party started at the Heinz 57 Center, 623 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. For more information and tickets, got to http://www.showclix.com/event/3880551
Last but not least
It’s the last days to see “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.” Actually, November 1st will be the last of the “Last.” Christianity’s most notorious sinner, Judas, is put on trial in a courtroom in Purgatory. The gavel bangs at the Grey Box Theater, 3595 Butler Street, Pittsburgh. For more information, go to http://www.throughlinetheatre.org/
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 21, 2014 — Carnegie Science Center is inviting families to bring their pumpkins for a physics-filled day of fun at the third annual Great Pumpkin Smash on Saturday, Nov. 1.
Join Smash-ologists in rolling leftover jack-o-lanterns off the Science Center’s roof. Participants will watch their pumpkins fall and observe how their pumpkin reacts to the drop. Some will smash, some will splatter, and some will even bounce. Guests will observe their pumpkin and learn about the physics behind the drop to understand why different pumpkins react to the fall in different ways. A video monitor allows participants to watch their pumpkin’s splat without leaning over the edge. Spectators can witness the hilarious sequence of falling – and splatting – pumpkins.
Before each pumpkin’s descent, they will be weighed to determine the largest and smallest ones. Last year’s largest was 17 inches tall, while its smallest was a mere 2 inches. Guests will learn how the weight of each pumpkin affects how it will smash.
And if there’s anything more fun than a splatting pumpkin, it’s an exploding pumpkin. On the lawn behind the Science Center, guests will be treated to demonstrations of how liquid nitrogen can be used to explode pumpkins.
Continuing the pumpkin theme, visitors can enjoy pumpkin flavored ice cream during the “Science in a Scoop” show in the BodyStage.
Activities will run from 10 am – 5 pm rain or shine and are included with the price of general admission. Pre-registration is not required.
For more information on Great Pumpkin Smash and other upcoming holiday-themed events, visit CarnegieScienceCenter.org.
About Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making science both relevant and fun, the Science Center’s goal is to increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people to seek careers in science and technology. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center is Pittsburgh’s premier science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and off-site education programs.
About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums dedicated to exploration through art and science: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. Annually, the museums reach more than 1.2 million people through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events.
Here are the Top Five Things To Do in Pittsburgh the week of October 23 through 26.
Carrie On!
If Stephen King taught us anything in the at last few years, it’s “Never mess with a telekinetic teen on Prom Night.” However, it will be loads of fun when those crazy folks at Midnight Radio perform “SCarrie: The Musical” down at the Bricolage Theater, 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh PA. If you’re lucky, you’ll even get to meet Odie, the Theater Dog. The show opens Thursday, October 23. For more information, go to http://www.bricolagepgh.org/
How many boys? How many Girls?
It takes a big set of brass ones to audition for a Broadway play, but Val will be glad to tell you it takes some brand new T & A to really get a call back. You can hear all about it in Pittsburgh Musical Theater in collaboration and Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts Orchestra’s version of “A Chorus Line.” It’s at the Byham Theater, 101 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, go to http://trustarts.org/
Who You Gonna Call?
The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man returns to Pittsburgh when Arcade Comedy Theater’s Live Read Series brings back “Ghostbusters.” There’s something strange in your ‘hood, yinz guys. You can hop in your ghost-mobile Friday and Saturday at the Arcade Comedy Theater, 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh. For more information, go to http://arcadecomedytheater.com/
Hellsworth in Hades-Side!
The Delta Foundation is bringing back “All American Boy” Steve Grand with Neon Hitch Friday October 24 for a concert block party on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside. They are calling the event “Nightmare on Hellsworth.” You can get tickets for the event at https://www.showclix.com/event/3870988
Creatures of the Night?
When Brad Majors and Janet Weiss get lost on the way home from a wedding, their lives are turned upside down by a mad scientist, Dr. Frank N. Furter and his creature Rocky Horror in the “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Leap of Faith Productions presents “The Rocky Horror Picture Show Live” at the Altar Bar on Sunday October 26 at 7 & 11 pm. There’s a costume contest and giveaways. The fun starts at the Altar Bar, 1620 Penn Avenue in the Strip. Find more information and tickets at http://www.showclix.com/event/75043
Here are the Top Five Things To Do in Pittsburgh the weekend of October 16 through 19
Hidden Staircase
It’s not a Nancy Drew Mystery, but something more sinister in Off the Wall’s “The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs” Grace is forbidden to enter one room in a large mansion. It’s the old “Try not to think of an elephant” trick. She is drawn to the forbidden place. The door and the play opens Friday, October 17. Don’t resist the temptation and get to the Off the Wall Theatre, 25 West Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. More information HERE.
Something Wicked this way comes (again)
“Macbeth” is playing at PICT, but if you want to stay in the South Hills, you can see the Scottish play at the South Park Theatre in Bethel Park. Get wicked and go to the South Park Theater, at the intersection of Corrigan and Brownsville Road, Bethel Park, PA 15129. For more information, go to http://www.southparktheatre.com/
By the Book
It’s your last weekend to see “Book of Ezra” at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater. It’s a one-man show written and performed by spoken word artist and national slam poet Leslie Ezra Smith. Get down to the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater, 937 Liberty Avenue, 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA. http://www.pghplaywrights.com/
“Outside” is inside the City Theatre
“Outside Mullingar” opens at the City Theatre. Two introverted misfits, neighbors Anthony and Rosemary, struggle to find happiness in a play by Pulitzer, Oscar and Tony winning writer, John Patrick Shanley. Get inside “Outside” at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh PA (Southside). More information HERE.
Pageant
Kierra Darshell presents the 2nd Annual Miss Tri-State All-Star Newcomer Pageant. See the future of drag in Pittsburgh as Kierra welcomes some new performers to the stage. The drag race starts at Cruze Bar, 1600 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday October 19. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/270024993195929/270837879781307/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity
And now a Sixth Thing
Next week is Homeless Children Awareness Week (October 19 -25). To raise money and awareness for the Homeless Children’s Educational Fund, the HCEF will have their fourth annual storytelling event. This year’s theme is “Packing: Stories about what we take with us and what we leave behind” In this entertaining, engaging evening of first-person storytelling, a diverse roster of individuals will step onstage to recount their true-to-life tales on topics ranging from red eyes to pink slips, from a hike in the woods to taking a hike, from carry-ons to how we manage to carry on. Doors open at 6pm, with storytelling to begin around 7pm. Two beer/wine tickets with admission and/or BYOB (ID required). $5 admission, cash-only at the door. Advance tickets available at the door, all proceeds from the event will benefit HCEF’s Outreach Team. Memoir-meets-monologue at the Arcade Comedy Theater, 811 Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh. For more information, go to bit.ly/hcefstorytelling.
In “Macbeth,” Shakespeare’s Scotland is a wild and untamed place; a barbaric land set in the distant past. There is magic there. Three witches (scary sirens played by Erin Whitcomb, Lily Davis, and Cassidy Adkins) prophesize that Macbeth (David Whalen) will one day rule the land. The Thane of Glamis is an ambitious man, but not a patient one.
Whilst walking from the battlefield of a bloody civil war, two generals, Macbeth and Banquo (Justin R. G. Holcomb), come upon the witches. The foul creatures make their bloody predictions, and the wheels in Macbeth’s mind begin to turn. He writes to his wife, Lady Macbeth (Gayle Pazerski), about the prophecies. The wheels in her mind turn even faster. Spinning so fast the wheels are in danger of coming off.
Lady Macbeth suggests that her hubby kill the current king, Duncan (John Henry Steelman), and take his crown. He hesitates, but his reluctance doesn’t last long. When this politician flip flops, blood spills by the bucket. Soon after Duncan’s death, Macbeth is seeing enemies everywhere. He starts offing enemies and friends alike. Best buddy Banquo is one of the first to go.
At a banquet for the newly crowned king, Macbeth’s dead buddy Banquo takes his place at the table. Of course, no one else can see the deceased Thane of Lochaber but our antihero. Macbeth’s guests start to believe their new king is mad. They’re not wrong. The spiral downward from war hero to king to bloody despot is a quick and painful one.
He seeks out the witches, who are now joined by their mistress of the dark, Hecate (Karen Baum), and he is told yet another prophecy. He can’t be killed by any man borne of woman. He doesn’t bother to read the fine print of their poisonous fortune cookie. McDuff (Patrick Jordan) was a cesarean.
This play has something for everyone, just in time for Halloween. There are witches, ghosts and sword fights, as well as poetic monologues that wax philosophical about the nature of fate and free will and the consequences of our actions. The play posits that only the innocent sleep well at night. Macbeth commits so many heinous acts, it’s a shame they didn’t have melatonin pills back then.
“Macbeth” is one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, but it’s got some of the best soliloquies. You almost can’t stop moving your mouth along to the words, in some deranged form of Shakespearean Karaoke. “Is this a dagger I see before me?” “Out, out, damn spot.” “We are but poor players…”
There are a few great reasons to see this show. Michael Thomas Essad’s sparse but creepy set. The beautiful and barbaric costumes of costume designer Michael Montgomery, and spooky sounds from sound designer Elizabeth Atkinson (a crack of lightning at the play’s opening made more than one audience member leap from their seat).
But go for the talent. Whalen does a fine job as the ambitious despot, but Pazerski is brilliant as his extremely flawed wife, Lady Macbeth. Holcomb’s Banquo is charismatic. He is even a commanding presence in his silent scenes as a ghost. There is a scene with the Porter (Martin Giles) that offers up the plays brief venture into lewd comedy, and it was excellent. There are many good players who strut and fret on this stage, but they are too many to mention. We hope to see them in future productions, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
The witches are creepy and cool, spectacularly played by Whitcomb, Davis and Adkins. Director Alan Stanford enhances their roles a bit by adding some overlapping dialogue and a haunting minstrel tune. When the witches supreme leader, the goddess Hecate, rises from their bubbling brew, things get even more insane, mostly due a fantastic performance of Karen Baum. If there were more scenery she would have chewed right through it. Note: Hecate was a goddess of three faces, and Baum plays three different personalities for each face. She is both frightening and funny as she writhes around on stage. Her short minutes on stage enliven the entire production.
PICT Classic Theatre’s production of “Macbeth” is wicked fun. There is magic here.
Forty years ago, the Pittsburgh Public Theater mounted their first production. It was Tennessee Williams’ iconic play, “The Glass Menagerie.” In the Seasons of Legends, the Public has returned to the classic tale.
The play is old but not dusty. It was first produced in 1944, and is set slightly earlier, in a pre-war St. Louis. Williams by way of narrator Tom Wingfield (Fisher Neal) calls “The Glass Menagerie” a memory play. Though written as a whiskey-soaked memory, here, it’s more of a misty water-colored one. Tom is Tennessee in many ways. The story skims along the edges of his autobiography, but doesn’t plunge into the darkest places.
The action takes place in the apartment Tom shares with his demanding mother Amanda (Lynne Wintersteller) and broken sister Laura (Cathryn Wake).
Fisher Neal, Lynne Wintersteller. Photo: Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Amanda is a bellicose harridan, intense rages bubbles under her genteel, Southern charm. It’s easy to see that her anger is sublimated fear; she lives in constant terror, fretting about the fates of her fractured family. Her deepest desire is to marry off the aforementioned damaged daughter.
Laura is a tragic figure, paralyzed by her introversion, with a stagnating inferiority complex that has isolated her from the outside world. She retreats into a fantasy world constructed around a collection of crystalline figurines, the eponymous glass menagerie. Laura is delicate and fragile; like the creatures of her collection.
Tom is a restless soul, the sole provider and breadwinner for his mother and sister. He is trapped by the confinements of his family, struggling for sanity while slaving away in a shoe warehouse. He can’t take the claustrophobic living conditions and escapes nightly to the movies, bars, and God-Knows-Where-Else. Under pressure from his mother’s constant pleas to marry off his sister, Tom relents and brings home a gentleman caller for dinner.
Things get even more complicated when the aforementioned guest, Laura’s high school crush, Jim O’Connor (Jordan Whalen), arrives for dinner. It is a tragic pairing. Well. It’s supposed to be.
Cathryn Wake, Jordan Whalen. Photo: Pittsburgh Public Theater.
“The Glass Menagerie” is a simply constructed play, a mother wants to marry off her daughter, while her son struggles to find his own way in the world, but it is the depth of the characterization that has kept “The Glass Menagerie” vital and relevant. Though, this is the happiest version of “The Glass Menagerie.” Vitriolic barbs are played for laughs, and the show skims the surface of earlier renditions.
The play is at its best when Neal’s Tom is narrating. Williams’ play is brimming with text and subtext. It’s a wordy play but it’s the words that aren’t spoken that are the most intriguing. Tom Wingfield’s life outside of the apartment is mostly for the speculation of the audience. Some of us speculated that his life was not unlike that of Tennessee Williams, a wild life indeed.
The backdrop, a cityscape etched in rough black lines jutting out of a twilight blue sky, is a work of art gorgeously crafted by scenic designer Michael Schweikhardt. At the Public, you can always count on their beautifully rendered sets to dazzle the eye (regardless of the content of the show). Luckily, they were working with a brilliant script and a solid cast.
But Wintersteller’s Amanda is almost too likable in this version. Her most vile moments are played for laughs. Amanda seems like she is both devoted to her children and repulsed by them, but here we see a softer side of the harpy. It’s an odd choice from director Pamela Berlin, who grounded the memory play in more of a happier reality. Still, Wintersteller is a talented performer.
It’s Neal’s Tom that steals the show. He is mesmerizing as the poet, spinning in the hamster wheel of his grueling nine-to-five, longing for adventure.
During Tom’s final monologue, a eulogy for the living, the audience is transfixed by the rhythm of his speech, hanging on every word. Then, Laura blows out the final candle and we are in darkness. When the lights are back up, the audience was on their feet, roaring with thunderous applause.
If you are looking for a lighter side of Tennessee Williams, this version is delightful. It has a superb cast and a beautiful set. If you’re looking for those dark, lonely places, you will have to seek out another production. Not all of us are afraid of the dark.
PITTSBURGH, PA – October 10th, 2014. The Graduate‘s Mrs. Robinson with an unshaven, tattooed leg. A drag interpretation of Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction. The ads have been appearing all around Pittsburgh – in local papers, at T-stations, and in social media. The 29th Annual Reel Q Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival opens this weekend, preceded by its clever marketing campaign, giving a nod to classic movie posters.
“We were inspired by the 75th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz and thought it would be fun to reenact it with people who go to our festival,” said Mitch Leib, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Lesbian and Gay Film Society. “We started expanding our idea and picturing other classic movies.”
The slogan for this year’s festival is “See Yourself in the Movies” – a statement that Leib says carries a double meaning. “First, it is seeing our LGBT stories in our films – stories that reflect our lives and our sensibilities. Second, it is quite literally seeing some members of the Pittsburgh LGBT community in our posters.”
According to Leib, the idea for the ad concept came from festival organizers T.J. Murphy, Jamie Tracktenberg, and Tama Bentley (all whom appear in the poster campaign), as well as several board members. Photographs for the posters were taken by Mara Rago, with poster design by Drue Miller.
Festival organizers cast several members of Pittsburgh’s LGBT community in a total of eight parodies of iconic film posters, ranging from The Breakfast Club to Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and each with a unique twist reflecting LGBT culture. Among the models who “saw themselves in the movies” were ‘Burgh Vivant host and Executive Producer Brian Edward, and Contributor Mike Buzzelli.
“It was great fun,” commented Edward, who appears in a parody poster of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and as the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz spoof. “Classic films are a passion of mine, and I was thrilled to support the Reel Q Festival. Though if I’d have known further in advance that I’d be mimicking Audrey Hepburn, I might have dropped a few pounds.”
Bear-ing all in the Wizard of Oz poster, was Mike Buzzelli, who, for lack of a lion costume, went au naturel plus underwear. His appearance in The Godfather poster presents a more thoroughly clad composite, complete with cotton balls stuffed in the cheeks, a la Brando.
Poster models also included Roberta Hinde, Jamie Tracktenberg, Kevin Lovelace, Lish Danielle Hutchins, Sarah Fina, Todd Kinavey, Erica Pasquali, MaVe Sami, Betty Nikia, T.J. Murphy, Tama Bentley, and Janet Granite.
The Reel Q LGBT Film Festival opens Friday October 10th and runs through Saturday, October 18th, with a complete schedule available at www.plgfs.org. All screenings are at the Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Avenue, Downtown. Individual tickets and festival passes may be purchased at the theater or via the Festival website.
Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli.
Brian Edward.Tama Bentley, Brian Edward, T.J. Murphy, and Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli.Betty Nikia.Janet Granite.Jamie Tracktenberg and Erica Pasquali.
Here are Five Fun Things To Do in Pittsburgh the weekend of October 9 through the October 12.
A Little Light Comedy
Start your weekend with a little Light comedy. Matt Light’s show “Light’s Out” is at the Pittsburgh Improv on Thursday, October 9. Come see some of Pittsburgh’s funniest people all in one room. Matt will be sharing the stage with Ed Bailey, Tim Ross and Terry Jones and many more. You have to cross a bridge to get to the Pittsburgh Improv, 166 E. Bridge Street, Homestead, PA, 15120, but it’s worth it. For more information, go to http://pittsburgh.improv.com/event.cfm?id=344113
Divisions
It’s your final weekend to see “Dividing the Estate” at the Little Lake Theater. It’s an age old story of old age. Stella Gordon, matriarch of a 100-year-old Texas estate, steadfastly refuses to sell and divide, despite her family’s declining wealth and financial crisis. Her three adult children vie unabashedly for the biggest piece of the pie. Add some friends and go see “Dividing the Estate” at The Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA. For more information, go to http://www.littlelaketheatre.org
The Scottish Play
Something wicked this way comes. The classical Shakespearean play about fate, free will and murder opens this weekend in Oakland. PICT Classic Theatre will regale you with the tale of Lord and Lady Macbeth and the evil deeds that start to pile up under the guise of ambition. “Macbeth” runs October 9 to October 25 at the Charity Randall Theater, inside the Stephen Foster Memorial, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information, go to http://www.picttheatre.org
Kissing Booth
Right below the Scottish play, you have one final weekend to see Diana Son’s “Stop/Kiss.” It’s a story of two women whose lives are turned upside down by one fateful kiss. The play moves backwards and forwards through time culminating with the kiss that forever changes them. It’s produced by the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Theatre Arts. “Stop/Kiss” runs through October 12 at the Henry Heymann Theatre, Stephen Foster Memorial, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. For more information, go to http://www.play.pitt.edu/content/stop-kiss
Reel to Reel
The Reel Q LGBT Film Festival begins on October 10 with “Blackbirds” at the Harris Theater downtown. Randy, a black teen, comes out of the closet (Mo’Nique of “Precious” and Isiah Washington of “Grey’s Anatomy”), forcing his family to examine their relationships, community and faith. The movie is at Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh. After the film, walk a block down the street to the after-party. Bricolage, 937 Liberty Avenue. Check out all of the films in the fest, go to http://theaters.pittsburgharts.org/reel-q-pittsburgh-lgbt-film-festival
