Tag: Culture

Shake it up!

This weekend you can see an eclectic revue of some of Shakespeare’s greatest & well-known scenes from some of his greatest comedies, as well as tragedies at “Much A-Brew About Nothing: A Drunken Night of Shakespeare.” There are a few things that go great together such as Laurel and Hardy, peanut butter and jelly and, of course, alcohol and iambic pentameter. It’s all weekend at Hambone’s, 4207 Butler St., Pittsburgh. PA 15201. For more information, click here.

Film History 101

Study up for “A History of American Film.” It’s a comedic satire of American films, especially those from the 1930s through the 1950s. You can catch it at the Genesius Theatre, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15282. For more information, click here.

Stranger Things

Heidi Nagle returns to the Carnegie Stage with “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” a one woman show about the abstract exploration into the human psyche, familial embarrassments & velociraptor. You can see her at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W Main St., Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

Stranger Bedfellows

They say politics makes for strange bedfellows. Today’s bedfellows are just bizarre. And they’re not all fellows. But they are pretty strange. Join KDKA’s John McIntire for standup comedy, comedy interviews and more at “John McIntire’s Dangerously Live Comedy Talk Show: Strange Bedfellows.” His guests will include comedian Gab Bonesso, Political expertise from former PA House Minority Leader Mike Veon and Damon Young of the hysterically snarky website www.verysmartbrothas.com. It’s at the Oaks Theater, 310 Allegheny River Boulevard, Oakmont, PA 15139. For more information, click here.

Read to me

The Pittsburgh New Works Festival begins with their Staged Readings this Sunday, August 21 at 7:00 PM. The kickoff event features Amy Tofte’s “Not About the Money,” Mark Costello’s “On Golden Sands” and Dennis Moore’s “Unlikely Event.” The event is FREE! It’s at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

– MB

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Computational Comedy

They Rolled the Dice, opened a Kiss Club and traveled with a Time Machine.  Celebrate ten years with improv/sketch group Hustlebot on Saturday, August 13. David Fedor, John Feightner, Larry Phillis, Joe Wichryk, II are back, and they are bringing their funny friends, former Hustlebot alumni Anne Marie Sweeney, Christine Nangle and Drew Ludwig for a big anniversary show at the Cabaret Theatre in Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information on Hustlebot, go here. For show information, click here.

Fractured

 Hatch Arts Collective examines the many sides of the Hydraulic Fracturing debate with their new play, “Driftless.” This weekend only at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.

‘Night Mother

It’s the final weekend to catch “Mother Lode,” Linda Haston’s one-woman show about her fractured relationship with her mother, Ruth.  It’s a tour de force. Don’t go the weekend without Ruth.  It’s at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

Ask Alice

When a precocious kid falls down a hole, she finds herself in a bizarre new world in “Alice in Wonderland.” Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Chesire Cat and the rest of the gang assemble in a rollicking musical version of Lewis Carroll’s timeless novel. It’s at the Seton Center, 1900 Pioneer Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226. For more information, click here.

Wine Time

August 14 is WineaPalooza Pittsburgh.  It’s wine and it’s a palooza! It’s also at Stage AE, 400 North Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For tickets and more information, click here.

– MB

Avian Flew

In an isolated house, strangers Nat and Diane take shelter from relentless masses of attacking birds in Conor McPherson’s “The Birds,” adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s short story, which became Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror film. You can find “The Birds” at the Studio Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Look for the tallest building and go as deep under it as you can. For more information click here.

I never promised you a rose garden

Quantum Theatre opens their season with the U.S. premiere of “Peribañez.” It’s a romantic tale of desire, honor and revenge that subversively explores class and gender roles. It’s at the Jennie King Mellon Rose Garden in Mellon Park in Shadyside. For directions and additional information, click here.

Guitar Hero

August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” opens this weekend. Aspiring blues musician Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton is out of jail and on the road to stardom after signing a record deal, but can he make it to the bigtime or go back to the big house? It’s your chance to see an August Wilson play at August Wilson’s boyhood home at 1727 Bedford Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. For more information, click here.

Prime time

Miss Brodie, an unorthodox teacher at the traditional Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, Scotland, is determined to instill in her students a passion for independence, ambition, truth & beauty in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” It’s at Little Lake Theatre 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317. For more information, click here.

Capes and Cowls

The Flash and Green Arrow are running down Carson Street. No, a supervillain hasn’t attacked the Southside. It’s the Superhero Pub Crawl. For a $10 donation to the Simple Hope Foundation, you’ll get drink specials and chances to win raffle prizes and the costume contest. Ditch your mild-mannered secret identity and head out for registration at the SpringHill Suites in Southside Works, 2950 South Water Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. To register, click here.

– MB

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Eat your Vegetables

The Pittsburgh VegFest is back! Try some amazing vegetarian food. Go shopping, hear music and listen to speakers on a variety of health and wellness issues. It’s free and they are giving out goodie bags to the first 250 attendees.  The festival is at Allegheny Commons East, 255 E. Ohio street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.

A Picture is worth a thousand words

A group of female artists come together for a better vision of Africa right here in America. See “Celebrating a Legacy: A Collection of Works by Women of Vision, Inc.” The non-profit group is dedicated to bringing you artwork from women of the African diaspora. Each work of art nurtures the roots of their heritage and captures their collective experiences on canvas, fiber, paper, and other media. The exhibition features the work of twenty four artists whose art has been exhibited nationally and internationally. It’s at the Manchester Craftsman’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. For more information, click here.

Pittsburgh to Edinburgh

You have two chances to see the magical musical, “Dani Girl” before it heads to Scotland for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Two performances only on July 31^st at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm. All proceeds for the performances will go to help cover the expenses for the Fringe Festival. “Dani Girl” is showing at the Joe Negri Auditorium, 200 Cowan Street, Pittsburgh PA, 15211. For more information, click here.

Kids in America

Disillusioned young suburbanites are struggling in a world of media overload (and this was before Pokemon Go) in “American Idiot.” It’s Green Day’s punk rock musical extravaganza and it’s at the New Hazlett Theater, Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.

You gotta have heart

A heart transplant recipient meets the family of her late donor in Sean Grennan’s “The Tin Woman.”  There is laughter and tears but most of all…heart. It’s playing at the South Park Theatre, at the corner of Corrigan Drive and Brownsville Road, South Park, PA 15129. For more information, click here.

– MB

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Superstar!

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber want to tell you about the meteoric rise of Jesus of Nazareth in “Jesus Christ Superstar!” It’s the first rock opera, with powerful songs and memorable lyrics. See and hear about the Bible’s biggest celebrity. It’s at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Avenue, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

Ahoy, Matey!

There’s a swashbuckling new musical in town with “A Pirate’s Tale.” Join the crew of the Anne-Marie as it seizes the Spanish naval ship, the Raven. Meet the war-scarred pirate Tristan LaMarque and his crew as they find themselves locked in battle on their own decks! Shiver your timbers down at the Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA 15106. For more information, click here.

Friends and Romans

When the Senate plots a violent coup to overthrow the leader and plunge the state into a bloody civil war. No. It’s not American politics! It’s William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar!” Friends, Romans and countrymen flock to this production of the Shakespearean tragedy, and it’s at the Grey Box Theatre, 3595 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. For more information, click here.

Hounded

David Whalen dusts off his deerstalker and returns to Pittsburgh to play Sherlock Holmes once again in “Hound of the Baskervilles.” It’s a farcical but faithful adaptation of the original tale by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Three actors (Whalen, James FitzGerald and Connor McCanlus) will play a variety of roles (including the women) in what is described as a laugh out loud event of the summer season. It’s at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre, 937 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

Go for the Gold

Comedy comes to Cattivo when iLaugh Pittsburgh brigns in Julie Goldman’s “Red, Hot and Herlarious.” You may recognize Goldman from  Logo’s “Big Gay Sketch Show,” Bravo’s “The People’s Couch,” and “Vanderpump Rules After Show” or about a million other places. There will be special guest performances by locals Whitley Baker and Lori Selkowitz Nemec. The show is at Cattivo, 146 44^th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. For more information, click here.

– MB

By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

Forest Spirits

July 15 you can rock out to the Black Lips. They’ll be up to their usual tricks in a live stage show with guest sets from Chain & the Gang and the Nox Boys. They’ll be rocking at the Spirit, 242 51^st Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. For more information, click here.

Cinema Paradiso!

Friday July 15 celebrate the Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival. The event kicks off with an award ceremony, an acoustic  set by Wyatt Gunst and Adam Quigley, a music video “Agustun-Gun Down” by Sean Quinlan and a short film, “Always a Bridesmaid” by Wendy Grube. And that’s just opening night! There’s lots of screenings over the entire weekend. For a full schedule click here. For tickets and more information, click here.

Drinking Games

Drink up Saturday night July 16 at “Hogwash,” a storytelling show where all the stories are rowdy, booze-filled, and debaucherously fun! Hambone’s presents a new monthy show where people share the craziest drinking stories in one of the hardest drinking cities in the world (Hint: Pittsburgh). Get blotto at Hambones, 4207 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. The event is FREE! For more information about Hambones menu and location, click here.

Don’t call it a Come Back

The Delaney’s are about to have their lives disrupted by their boarder, Marie, a college art student with a strong, lustful appetite in “Come Back, Little Sheba!” running from July 14 to July 24 at the Genesius Theater, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. For more information, click here.

Kidding Around

Gab Bonesso is entertaining kids day and night! By day, Bonesso is part of the Josh and Gab show, singing songs with an anti-bully message to grade schools and middle schools. By night, she’s a stand-up comedian. Now, she’s developed over an hour of family-friendly jokes geared to kids and their parents. Friday, July 15 she’s taking the show to The Oaks, 310 Allegheny River Blvd. Oakmont, PA 15139. For more information, click here.

– MB

The 412 on Comedy

Thursday, July 7 come to Pittsburgh Improv Jam. Improvisers throughout Pittsburgh get up and perform together. This week, the hosts Well Known Strangers will be bringing in WTAE’s 4 the 412 roving reporters to the stage. It’s so much entertainment for $3. The show is at 10 pm at the Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

Crawl to Daddy

Friday, July 8 is the Gallery Crawl. The Crawl promises art, music, architecture, film, networking and fun for free! You can start in any location downtown Pittsburgh and dip from one gallery to the next. There’s so much to see and do. Check out the map of events here.

Trust the Party

Things get hot after the Gallery Crawl with the coolest party in town, “Trust Cool” is the Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh party. There will be tasty treats from Trade, Apteka and the restaurants of the Smallman Galley, spirit tastings from Wigle Whiskey, and sounds from around the world with a Balkan-infused beats, Brazilian rhythms, electronic, funk and more. It’s at The August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, go here.

Give a damn

Lola wants you to come to “Damn Yankees.” And we all know “Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!” Come see Joe Boyd wiggle his way out of his contract with the devil in this devilishly fun musical. It’s at the Benedum Center, 7^th Street and Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information and tickets, click here.

Lips, Inc.

This is your last weekend to catch two short pieces by prolific Irish writer Samuel Beckett. “Krapp’s Last Tape,” performed by Martin Giles and “Not I” performed by (the lips of ) Daina Griffith. In “Krapp’s Last Tape,” a man recounts the glories of his youth with the help of a tape recorder. In “Not I” a pair of lips tell a chilling story about abuse.  You can see both short plays at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information or tickets, go here.

Hit me with your best shot

Thursday, June 30, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo join the Pittsburgh Symphony orchestra for an evening of rock hits with a symphonic twist. Benatar and Giraldo’s 35-year partnership has created some of the biggest rock songs of the 1980s and 1990s, including “Love is a Battlefield,” “We Belong,” “Sex as a Weapon” and many more. It’s at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

Hell is for Children

The Rage of the Stage players will be tackling Dracula in “Bloody Hell.” A young warrior-prince becomes a weapon to defend an onslaught from the Turkish hordes invading his land, but he becomes something much darker. It’s at the McKeesport Little Theater, 1614 Coursin Street, McKeesport, PA 15132.  For more information, click here.

In the Heat of the Night

Friday, July 1 is the Pittsburgh Comedy Festival Open House and Fundraiser. It’s an evening of whiskey, interactive performances, live music and food trucks. It’s all to benefit the third annual Pittsburgh Comedy Festival. It’s at Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse, 1055 Spring Garden Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For tickets and more information, click here.

Shadows of the Night

Friday, July 2, come out and see “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth” a free film screening. Filmmaker Pratibha Parmar’s documentary tells Walker’s dramatic life story with poetry and lyricism, and features new interviews with Walker, Steven Spielberg, Danny Glover, Quincy Jones, Gloria Steinem, Sapphire and the late Howard Zinn in one of his final interviews. It’s at City of Asylum’s Alphabet City Tent, 318 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For more information, click here.

Shooting Star

Things are going to light up like the Fourth of July around here, especially on the Fourth of July. Catch fireworks at your favorite park, community or township event, or go to the big blow out in downtown Pittsburgh. EQT’s Flashes of Freedom at Point State Park, downtown Pittsburgh. For more information, click here.

And now a sixth thing….

Treat me right

Saturday, July 2, things are about to explode in “Gab Bonesso: Human Explosion.” Bonesso has been named “The Best Standup Comedian” by readers of Pittsburgh Magazine and City Paper. She was a Top Ten Finalist at the New York City Underground Comedy Festival and has numerous awards and accolades. The award-winning comedian will be joined by KDKA’s John McIntire and local author and comedian Mike Buzzelli (yeah, that guy). Gab explodes at the Parkway Theater, 644 Broadway Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136. For more information, click here.

Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant

I Laugh, You Laugh

Jessica Kirson comes to town on Friday, June 24. The comedian has been seen up and down the dial including Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” and more. She will be joined by local comedian Chrissy Costa.  There’s also a wet T-shirt contest. It’s all at Cruze Bar, 1600 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

Portraits of a man

What happens when 252 Pittsburgh artists each do a portrait of the same man? What if that man is John Riegert? You can see hundreds of pictures of John Riegert in the show that bears his name. There’s an opening reception on Friday, June 24. It’s all at Space, 812 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

Jazz it up

This weekend the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust jazzes things up with2016 Pittsburgh Jazz Live International Jazz Festival (so important that they have jazz listed in the title of the event twice!). The Festival runs from June 24 to June 26. It includes artists like Lyndsey Smith and the Soul Distribution, The Tony DePaolis Contemporary Dynamic, Nu Grid featuring Jean-Paul Bourelly & Vernon Reid, Davina & the Vagabonds, The Chick Corea Trio featuring Brian Blade and Christian McBride and many, many more. It takes place throughout Pittsburgh. For more information, click here.

Big Scores

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the career of film composer Howard Shore. Shore scored music for “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Aviator,” “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and many more.  Jon Burlingame will be on hand to interview the composer on the Heinz Hall stage. It’s all at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For more information, click here.

Shoe Business

You can see deadly sharp stilettos, architecturally inspired wedges and platforms and a number of artfully crafted footwear that defies categorization in “Killer Heels: The Art of the High Heeled Shoe.” This stylish shoe show is at the Frick Art & Historical Center, 7227 Reynolds Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15208. For more information, click heels.