'Burgh Vivant

June 2, 2014

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top-To Do’s THIS WEEKEND (6/5 – 6/8)

by Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant Contributor.

Here is the list for the Top Five Things To Do this weekend from June 5 to 8.

Wait for it

Didi and Gogo are hanging out waiting for a friend. They have a while to wait. Along the way they’ll meet Pozzo and Lucky and wait and wait and wait. There’s plenty of fun and philosophy while the are “Waiting for Godot.”

Catch PICT Classic Theatre’s rendition of “Waiting for Godot” at the Charity Randall Theater , 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

For more information, call 412) 561-6000 or go to https://picttheatre.secure.force.com/ticket/

Send me an Angel

Throughline Theatre Company starts their new season with “Angels in America, Parts I & II.” In the 1980s AIDS becomes an epidemic. Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” and “Angels in America: Perestroika” will be at the Grey Box Theatre, 3595 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, PA 15201.

For more information, go to http://www.throughlinetheatre.org
Jungle (Dance) Fever

Friday, June 6 you can party in the tropics at “Party in the Tropics” at Phipps Conservancy and Botanical Gardens. A live DJ will be spinning beats in the tropical setting. It’s cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dancing in one of the most beautiful places in Pittsburgh.

Join the party at Phipps Conservancy and Botanical Gardens, One Schenley Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

For more information, call 412-622-6914 or click http://phipps.conservatory.org/exhibits-and-events/featured-event.aspx?eventid=815

Sunshine in Shadyside

Sunshine comes to Pittsburgh. The LGBT community and Gleeks (fans of the television show “Glee”) will be dancing in the street with Charice (Sunshine Corazon of the aforementioned television show).

Pennsylvania is now the 19th state to have marriage equality, and they’re inviting the LGBT community and their allies to join them at “Equality on Ellsworth.” And now is the time to celebrate.

“Equality on Ellsworth” will be on the 5800 block of Ellsworth Avenue, Shadyside.

For more information, go to http://www.pittsburghpride.org/events/equality-rally-on-ellsworth/

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Godot above, Orlando Below. The Unseam’d Shakespeare Company will be presenting Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando.” In the play, Orlando finds himself/herself to alternate between gender and sexes. What happens when you go to bed as a man and wake up as a woman? Catch “Orlando” and find out!

You can find “Orlando” at The Henry Heyman Theatre, 4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (just below the Charity Randall Theatre).

For more information, call 412-621-0244 or got to http://unseamd.com

May 30, 2014May 30, 2014

12 Peers Theater presents The World Premiere of Philip Real’s CACTUS

Written by local playwright Philip Real, Cactus is a World Premiere play, produced as the final show of their third season, by 12 Peers Theater. A loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Cactus moves the events to the Arizona border. Two conflicting vampire families patrol the area; one working with the United States Government to kill illegal border crossers, the other protecting them. When Ron and Julie, two seemingly teenaged vampires from the opposing families, fall in love, will it bring their families closer together, or drive them farther apart? Cactus is a play about doing whatever it takes to protect the people you care about, and the dangers that can complicate even the best intentions.

Founding Artistic Director Vince Ventura and Producing Artistic Director Sara Fisher have been working with Philip Real on this project for over two years. Ventura and Fisher saw Real do a reading of the first scene of an early draft in January of 2012, and knew immediately that they wanted to help Philip develop the play. Ventura says: “We fell in love with the potential, themes, and heart of this play. We jumped at the chance to help Philip develop this play, and over the past two years, Cactus has seen numerous drafts and readings. All the while, Philip has been making this play better, draft after draft.”

About the Playwright

Philip Real’s plays have been produced in San Francisco by Theatre Rhinoceros (The Corner of the Eye), American Conservatory Theater (Stronger and Stronger, conservatory production), and The Marsh (Labels), as well as in Los Angeles at Celebration Theater (Dessert), and San Diego by Diversionary Theater (Lunch), and in Pittsburgh by Future Tenant (The Unknown Artist, directed by Kelly Van Aken). His work has been published in West Coast Plays, James White Review, and Callboard. He also writes about wine for Table Magazine. He has a B.A. in Speech and Drama from Catholic University and has studied playwriting with David Mamet in Chicago and Oscar Eustis in San Francisco. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.

About the Company

12 Peers Theater was founded in 2011. Taking the name from the Twelve Peers of Charlemagne, its mission is to provide challenging and engaging theater for Pittsburgh audiences. 12 Peers Theater highlights social, political, and ethical issues in classical and contemporary works exploring myth and cultural identity, endeavoring to open a dialogue with the audience.

Cactus performs June 27 – July 13, Friday–Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday 7p.m., Monday July 7, 7p.m.,

Tickets $15in advance, $17 at the door / $12 with student or senior ID.

All shows at The Grey Box Theatre, Lawrenceville, 3595 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Tickets & Info: www.12peerstheater.org

May 27, 2014

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (5/29 – 6/1)

by Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant Contributor.

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh May 29-June 1:

Make Some Noise

Get set for Michael Frayn’s hilarious behind-the-scenes comedy romp, “Noises Off.” It’s a play-within-a-play about a troupe of British actors rehearsing and performing a sex farce comedy, “Nothing On.”

You can catch “Noises Off” at the Pittsburgh Public’s O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh.

For more information, call 412-316-1600 or visit www.ppt.org

Festival of Plays

Things are moving pretty quickly over at The City Theatre as they mount “Momentum.” You can hear four new plays, discuss playwriting with a playwright’s panel and a whole lot more.

Momentum is at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, South Side Pittsburgh.

For more information call 412-431-2489 or visit www.citytheatrecompany.org

Love is in the Air

Love is in the air, and, quite possibly, in the attic at “A Love Affair.” This romantic comedy is about a couple clearing out their attic and reliving moments from their 38-year marriage.

It’s the last weekend, so hurry down to the South park Theatre, Corrigan Drive at Brownsville Road, Bethel Park.

For more information, call 412-831-8552 or visit www.southparktheatre.com

True Tales

Thursday night you can head down to the East End Book Exchange for an enlightening and entertaining event, “True Story Party.”

Stacy Keene curates and collected some true tales from comedians Zach Funk, Ian Insect and Christine Marie, improviser extraordinaire Matt Bower and many more truth tellers. Thursday’s theme is “Don’t worry! I got this.” Perhaps Brophy from the Institute of the Very, Very Nervous will swing by and try to carry your luggage (That’s a joke from an ancient Mel Brooks movie called “High Anxiety.” Trust me, it’s funny).

The East End Book Exchange is 2754 Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield area of Pittsburgh.

For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/628323603916171/?fref=ts

It’s Raining Men

It’ll be raining men, when Martha Wash comes to Pittsburgh. The Queen of Clubland is performing free in Market Square for a special event called, “Fabulous Gay Friday!”

It’ll be fabulous. It’ll be free.

Fabulous Gay Friday takes place from noon till one Friday May 30.

For more information, hit them up at https://www.facebook.com/events/448804338555901/?fref=ts

May 23, 2014May 23, 2014

New Hazlett Theater announces 2014-15 CSA Performance Series

A new crop of local artists take the stage in the New Hazlett Theater 2014-2015 Community Supported Art Performance Series

Pittsburgh, PA— A brand new crop of local artists takes the New Halzett stage in the 2014-2015 Community Supported Art Performance Series. Now in its second year, this performing arts harvest is particularly bountiful with seven new performance groups taking part in a unique take on the traditional CSA.

“We based our series on the Community Supported Agriculture model,” says René Conrad, Executive Director of the New Hazlett Theater. “It’s a popular way for people to support local farmers and buy local, seasonal food. We turned that idea into a way for people to support local performance artists.”

Here’s how it works: for $100 per share in the program, patrons become shareholders in the New Hazlett CSA. In addition to six fresh performances from seven performance groups (the last show of the season is a double feature), shareholders also gain access to exclusive events and opportunities to interact directly with the artists they’re sponsoring.

“Traditional CSA shareholders don’t know exactly what produce they’ll receive,” Conrad says. “But they’re certain it will be fresh and high-quality. The same holds true for our series.”

After a lengthy selection process, the New Hazlett Theater CSA review panel has hand-picked seven (up from last year’s six) fresh local musicians, dancers, and performance artists. The 2014- 2015 season lineup includes:

Innovative Piano Music with Federico Garcia-De Castro
Untamed Myths with Moriah Ella Mason
Spatial Investigations with Jennifer Myers
Contemporary Circus/Dance with Jil Stifel and Ben Sota
Folkloric Performance with Anya Martin and the Hiawatha Project Dance Double Feature with Teena Marie Custer and Roberta Guido

CSA Performances

Federico Garcia-De Castro, August 14, 2014 at 8pm
Rethink everything you know about pianos. Federico Garcia-De Castro redefines preconceptions with

two outstanding compositions: Livre Pour Deux Pianos (Book for Two Pianos) and the world premiere of Renderings, an all-new work specially commissioned for the CSA.

Moriah Ella Mason, October 11, 2014 at 8pm

Moriah Ella Mason’s Contained walks the line between wild and domestic. Inspired by the strange assortment of creatures found in natural history museums, dancers evolve from insects to animals, from humans to monsters, myths, and beyond.

Jennifer Myers, December 12, 2014 at 8pm

Jil Stifel and Ben Sota, February 12, 2015 at 8pm

When contemporary circus meets dance, anything is possible. Dropped into this sweeping landscape, performers ignite the world around them. Surprise and wonder merge together, forming an unbelievable kind of beauty.

Anya Martin, April 2, 2015 at 8pm

Anya Martin, along with the Hiawatha Project and a team of performing artists, disassembles the legendary hero of the American railroad, John Henry. JH: Mechanics of a Legend looks deep into our cultural past for the human behind the folklore.

CSA Double Feature
Teena Marie Custer and Roberta Gudio, June 11, 2015 at 8pm

Microsoft Word – CSA 2014 PressRelease.docx

Teena Marie Custer examines how we create personas across social networks with a solo hip-hop dance performance. Roberta Guido uses dance to explore the powerful effects of touch on human emotion.

The CSA Performance Series is supported in part by The Benter Foundation, Hillman Foundation, and The McKinney Charitable Foundation.
The New Hazlett Theater is a non-profit performing arts center with a mission to cultivate the arts and provide a venue for world-class cultural events. Founded in 2004 with the support of the local arts community, the New Hazlett Theater provides the Pittsburgh community with access to a variety of performance arts disciplines.

May 23, 2014May 23, 2014

RESONANCE WORKS | PITTSBURGH brings Natural Frequency to the Hazlett

Innovative collaboration melds music and photography

PITTSBURGH PA – Resonance Works | Pittsburgh completes its inaugural season with Natural Frequency on June 7 and 8 at the New Hazlett Theater on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Featuring music that evokes imagery of the natural world, this program melds works of Debussy, Barber, Copland, and Pittsburgh-based composer Nancy Galbraith with projected images designed by local photographer Chuck Beard.

According to artistic director Maria Sensi Sellner, “As humans, we are all a part of nature, and our work affects and is influenced by this relationship. Natural Frequency explores the interconnectivity of nature and human innovation through music, poetry, and visual imagery.”

“The musical works chosen for Natural Frequency are so evocative on their own,” says Beard, “but I am hoping to lend a different visual concept to these pieces that people haven’t considered before. The theme of the images will range from imaginary miniature verdant forests to steel-era structures standing in decay, all arranged to echo the narrative of the music.” Photos from Beard’s “Abandoned Pittsburgh” and “Wee Grove” projects will be included, along with new images taken just for this event.

The program opens with Debussy’s landmark Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, a free-form musical depiction of the poem by Mallarme that connects nature’s inspiration with artistic innovation – a theme that permeates this program as well as the mission of Resonance Works.

CMU composition professor Nancy Galbraith’s music is praised for its rich harmonic texture, rhythmic vitality, emotional and spiritual depth, and wide range of expression. In Four Nature Canticles, Galbraith sets poetry of Emily Dickinson, Robert Browning, James Joyce, and Robert Frost for women’s vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra.

One of Pittsburgh’s favorite baritones, Daniel Teadt joins the Resonance Works String Quartet in Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach. The “darkling plain” of the Arnold poem is juxtaposed in the program with Copland’s iconic Appalachian Spring Suite, a celebration of the open fields and endless possibilities of American pioneers in the wilds of Pennsylvania.

It is an uplifting conclusion to the inaugural season for Resonance Works, and a strong indicator of what is to come from this new and exciting company.

The Resonance Chamber Orchestra and Vocal Ensemble will be conducted by Artistic Director and founder Maria Sensi Sellner. Tickets are $40 (Premium) and $20 (General admission) and are available online at www.ResonanceWorks.org. Group discounts and a student rate of $10 are available.

About Resonance Works | Pittsburgh

Inspired by Pittsburgh’s industrial and economic reinvention, Resonance Works is a collaborative and evolving company dedicated to exploring the confluence of music, space, artist, and audience. We provide artists of the highest caliber opportunities to realize works on their own creative “bucket lists,” yielding transformative experiences for artists and audiences alike. Whether we perform in coffeehouses, churches or concert halls, our venues trigger the alchemical possibilities of art, creating unique experiences that resonate with energy and passion.

May 23, 2014

University of Pittsburgh Stages Announces 2014-2015 Season Lineup

Microsoft Word – PRESS RELEASE 2014-15 Season.doc

The University of Pittsburgh Stages is proud to announce another exciting season, beginning this fall with the soul-searing drama Stop Kiss. The Pitt Stages continues their season with two hilarious productions on opposite ends of the comedy spectrum – the raunchy musical Avenue Q and the Spanish golden age play Dog in the Manger. Pitt Stages close out their year with Sam Shepard’s brutal examination of the American dream, The Curse of the Starving Class.

This season also features a very special, one-weekend only, performance of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters. Long-time Pittsburgh favorite Richard McMillan and his wife, Anne Louise Bannon, perform this touching work in November. All proceeds from the event go towards a fund for undergraduate theatre students at the University of Pittsburgh named in honor of Richard McMillan.

Season Schedule

Stop Kiss by Diana Son, Directed by undergraduate Brittany Coyne OCTOBER 2-12, 2014 (Opening Night October 3)

Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, Starring Richard McMillan and Anne Louise Bannon NOVEMBER 7-9, 2014

Avenue Q by Robert Lopez (Frozen, Book of Mormon) and Jeff Marx, Directed by Bria Walker NOVEMBER 6-23, 2014 (Opening Night November 7)

Dog in the Manger by Lope de Vega, Directed by Dennis Shcebetta FEBRUARY 12-22, 2015 (Opening Night February 13)

Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard, Directed by Cynthia Croot APRIL 2-12, 2015 (Opening Night April 3)

The University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Theatre Arts offers BA, MA, MFA and PhD degrees in Theatre Arts. All faculty members are active in teaching, research, and artistic projects. For more information about the University of Pittsburgh Stages visit www.play.pitt.edu.

May 21, 2014

City Theatre announces lineup for MOMENTUM 2014

CITY THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE LINEUP FOR MOMENTUM 2014
A FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS AT DIFFERENT STAGES

MAY 29 – JUNE 1, 2014

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence

by Madeleine George

The Unbuilt City

by Keith Bunin

Halftime with Don

by Ken Weitzman

Mr. Joy

by Daniel Beaty

PITTSBURGH, PA (May 20, 2014)—City Theatre announces four original plays set for MOMENTUM, the theatre’s annual festival of new plays at different stages. This year’s selection features three of City’s favorite alums as well as a distinguished playwright new to Pittsburgh audiences. The play’s themes run the gamut from technology and football to history and community.

MOMENTUM is a celebration of new theatrical works featuring readings, workshops, panels, and conversation. The festival is a chance for audiences to not only see four new works in their earliest incarnations, but also to get to know the process of creating new plays and to glimpse inside the minds of the playwrights.

“MOMENTUM is vital to our mission as a home for playwrights and new play development,” says Tracy Brigden, City Theatre’s Artistic Director. “The festival provides an opportunity for writers to hear their work performed in front of an audience and a creative community, and that has impact. Last year, we featured a reading of Michael Hollinger’s new play, Hope and Gravity. Subsequently, after revisions, rehearsal, and collaborative artistic input, the world premiere of Hope and Gravity is now enjoying a successful run on City Theatre’s Mainstage. This progression exemplifies the goal of MOMENTUM—to launch new plays into their next phase of development. This year, we’re excited to welcome playwright Madeleine George back to City after her success here with Precious Little. Her Pulitzer-nominated play, The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence, spans centuries and uniquely confronts our reliance on ever-changing technology. In addition, Keith Bunin, author of Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir and The Credeaux Canvas, returns with The Unbuilt City, an enigmatic story set in Brooklyn about life, love and art. We’ll also feature Ken Weitzman’s play Halftime with Don. Featuring a retired NFL player, Weitzman’s engaging and topical script is inspired by NFL players suffering from game-induced trauma, including former Steeler “Iron Mike” Webster. Lastly, beloved playwright Daniel Beaty, returns with Mr. Joy, a moving solo play about how a Harlem community comes together in crisis. Audiences will have the opportunity to watch this poignant work progress from a reading at MOMENTUM to a fully-produced show on our Mainstage during the 2014-2015 season. We’re thrilled to feature these gifted writers throughout the festival weekend.”

STAGED READINGS

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence
by Madeleine George

Directed by Sheila McKenna

Watson: trusty sidekick to Sherlock Holmes; loyal engineer who built Bell’s first telephone; unstoppable super-computer that became reigning Jeopardy! champ; amiable techno-dweeb who, in the present day, is just looking for love. These four constant companions become one in this brilliantly witty, time-jumping, loving tribute (and cautionary tale) dedicated to the people—and machines—upon which we all depend.

The Unbuilt City

by Keith Bunin
Directed by Tracy Brigden

Still residing in the Brooklyn Heights townhouse in which she grew up, Claudia has lived a life of luxury and loneliness. Now as her health is failing, and her money is drying up, a representative from an archive visits with an opportunity. Hoping to persuade Claudia to sell her famously secret collection, Jonah uncovers mysteries surrounding the nature of her legacy and the untold history of New York City.

Halftime with Don

by Ken Weitzman

Directed by Christian Parker

Featuring Tom Atkins

Retired NFL player Don Devers has had more surgeries than he can count, experiences violent outbursts, and relies on Post-It notes to offset his struggle with traumatic brain injury. Just as he’s ready to throw in the towel, super fan Ed Ryan knocks on his door. With the help of Don’s daughter Stephanie and Ed’s wife Sarah, both pregnant and plotting from the sidelines, the fan and his hero find new resolve to get back in the game.

Mr. Joy
by Daniel Beaty

What happened to Mr. Joy? A Harlem community is disrupted when the Chinese immigrant’s shoe repair shop, a neighborhood pillar for decades, does not open its doors. Nine customers, ranging from 11-year-old Clarissa, a budding shoe designer, to Bessie, a “gangsta granny,” reflect on the shop owner’s impact in this moving exploration of one community’s efforts to heal in order to dream again.

PANELS/WORKSHOPS

Playwrights and Directors Panel

Participating artists join together for an insightful panel about the festival’s featured plays.

Workshop: Writing Across Dramatic Mediums

Instructor: Keith Bunin

Today’s well-rounded dramatist must be able to work across multiple storytelling mediums. To have a successful career, you want to be the master of as many mediums as possible. So what are the story principles common among plays, movies, and novels adapted for film? And what makes each form different from the next? Join playwright and screenwriter Keith Bunin, who will lay out the similarities and differences, and share what he’s learned while working across mediums. Bunin is currently writing screenplays for Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, CBS Films, Fox Searchlight, and Likely Story/Mandalay Films, among others. He wrote the screenplay for the film Horns, directed by Alexandre Aja, starring Daniel Radcliffe, and based on the novel by Joe Hill. City Theatre has produced his plays Sam Bendrix at the Bon Soir (2011) and The Credeaux Canvas (2002). His plays, including The Busy World is Hushed, The World Over, Vera Laughed, The Principality of Sorrows, The King of Clocks, and the musical (book) 10 Million Miles, have also been produced at Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, Lincoln Center Lab at HERE, and Pure Orange Productions. He was a writer for the HBO TV-series “In Treatment.”

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
All events take place at City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203.

Thursday, May 29

7:00 pm Reading: The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence

Friday, May 30

6:30 pm Playwrights and Directors Panel

8:00 pm Reading: The Unbuilt City

Saturday, May 31

2:00-3:00 pm Workshop: Writing Across Dramatic Mediums

4:00 pm Reading: Halftime with Don

6:00 pm Momentum Party

8:00 pm Reading: Mr. Joy

Sunday, June 1

2:00 pm Reading: The Unbuilt City

TICKETS
$20 four-day pass; $5 per show

Available by phone at 412.431.CITY (2489) or online at www.citytheatrecompany.org

City Theatre’s 40th anniversary season begins this fall. Located on Pittsburgh’s historic South Side, City Theatre specializes in new plays, commissioning and producing work by playwrights including Daniel Beaty, Jessica Dickey, Christopher Durang, Michael Hollinger, Willy Holtzman, Tarell McCraney, and Theresa Rebeck. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Tracy Brigden, Managing Director Mark R. Power, and a 45-member Board of Directors, City Theatre’s mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays of substance and ideas that engage and challenge a diverse audience. CityTheatreCompany.org

May 21, 2014May 21, 2014

Point Park University-produced movie ‘The Umbrella Man’ to premiere at Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival

PITTSBURGH – The Point Park University-produced feature film, “The Umbrella Man,” will premiere next month at the Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival.

Directed by Michael Grasso, “The Umbrella Man” will be screened at 1:45 p.m., Sunday, June 22, in the Baverso Theater at the Father Ryan Arts Center in McKees Rocks.

“The Umbrella Man” is the story of a father who becomes engrossed with Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories after the death of his 8-year-old son. Set in Pittsburgh, the film deals with one couple’s love, loss, and the survival of their relationship. The film stars Carter Roy and Rachael Carpani as the married couple, as well as Abbie Cobb, Rich Williams, John Amplas and Kevin Crowley.

Point Park University was the driving force in developing the original material written by Michael and Joseph Grasso. The REP, Point Park University’s professional theatre company, mounted a staged production of “The Umbrella Man” in 2011 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Directed by Robert A. Miller, who also is a producer on the movie, the stage play introduced audiences to the deep human drama in an unprecedented stage experience.

Much of the movie was filmed in the Pittsburgh area last year, providing dozens of Point Park University students a unique opportunity for on-the-job training.

“Michael and I are thrilled that ‘The Umbrella Man’ has been included in the 2014 Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival. It was an amazing project with incredible performances and a super talented Pittsburgh crew. We are also proud to have teamed with Point Park University in order to provide their students, recent grads and alumni a chance to work on the production of ‘The Umbrella Man’ and gain valuable real-world experience on a feature film. It was a true Pittsburgh project, and we had a fantastic experience shooting this film in and around Pittsburgh,” said Joe Grasso, co-writer, co-producer and cinematographer.

The screening of “The Umbrella Man” in Pittsburgh follows the announcement last month that another Point Park University-produced film venture, the 10-episode documentary series, “The Chair,” will air this fall on STARZ as the channel’s first original unscripted series. The 10-episode series, filmed in Pittsburgh this year, follows two up-and-coming directors as they compete to make two separate feature films from the same script. More than 100 Point Park students and alumni supported the TV series and two feature films as interns, employees, and through class projects. Additionally, production offices were located on Point Park University’s campus in downtown Pittsburgh.

Point Park University’s involvement in these projects helps to expand its cinema and digital arts offerings to a wider array of students who have the desire to forge a career in the entertainment industry.

You can visit the film’s IMDB page at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2413958/

May 19, 2014

The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (5/20 – 5/22)

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

Here are the Top Five Fun Things to do in Pittsburgh for Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25.

Peter Prequel

Before he lost his shadow at the Darling house, Peter Pan was having other adventures. In “Peter and the Starcatcher,” we meet the titular boy-who-never-grew-up before he takes over Never Never Land.

“Peter and the Starcatcher” runs May 20-22 at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh.

For more information, call 412-392-4900 or visit www.pgharts.org

Married Life

In 1908, three upstanding couples gather to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss only to discover that none of them are legally married in “When We Are Married.” If Playwright and novelist J.B. Priestley were alive today he’d probably call his play “Downton Abbey” with laughs.

You can see “When We Are Married” at the Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg.

For more information, call 724-745-6300 or visit www.littlelake.org

Singing and Dancing

“Singing in the Rain” comes to the stage! This extraordinary score is a downright downpour of magical music: “Make ‘Em Laugh” and “Good Mornin’,” and, of course, “Singin’ in the Rain!”

It’s a glorious feeling! Come out to “Singing in the Rain” at the Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh.

Call 412-456-6666 or visit www.pgharts.org

The Don’s Fire

The Neighborhood Opera Company presents an innovative production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with orchestra and an all African-American cast.

You can catch “Don Giovanni” at the Alumni Concert Hall, Carnegie Mellon University, 5032 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh on May 24 or May 25.

For more information go to http://neighborhoodoperaco.tumblr.com/

Brush Up Your Shakespeare

On Memorial Day, May 26^th, head to Te Café in Squirrel Hill and lob insults at others; Shakespearean style at “BYOB – Bring Your Own Bard.” Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks’ informal, no pressure, scene night where actors and non-actors take a crack at their favorite Shakespearean pieces. The theme this month is Shakespeare’s Insults and Retorts.

Doors open at 7:15 PM, readings begin at 7:30 PM. Suggested $10 donation.

For more information, go to http://www.pittsburghshakespeare.com

-MB

May 14, 2014

Point Park’s Playhouse Jr. closes 65th season with Tony Award-winning musical ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’

PITTSBURGH – Point Park University’s Playhouse Jr. closes its 65^th season with The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the hilarious Tony Award-winning musical that The New York Times called “irresistible and entirely lovable.”

Directed by Zeva Barzell, The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opens Friday, May 23, and runs through Sunday, June 8, in the Rauh Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave.

Public performances will begin at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412.392.8000, or at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com. Special performances for school field trips are available. For more information about field trips, call the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office. Please note the show contains some adult content and is recommended for audiences ages 13 and older.

The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee gives the squeaky clean tradition of the county spelling bee a fresh treatment when the gawky contestants – including four selected audience members – compete for local glory, their parents’ affection and, of course, cash. Along the way, they learn the value of doing the best they can and enjoying what they do. Spelling Bee won two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards and two Lucille Lortel Awards.

The Playhouse Jr. production features scenic design by Michael Thomas Essad, costumes by Don DiFonso, lighting design by Todd Nonn and sound design by Steve Shapiro. Camille Villalpando Rolla is the music director. Hugo Schroeder is the stage manager.