 
Pittsburgh CLO is proud to announce the cast for the rousing musical hit Ring of Fire, which will run May 22 through August 17 at the CLO Cabaret. Tickets start at $34.75 and are available at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or visiting the Box Office at Theater Square. Cast (In Alphabetical Order) Jay Hitt is a gifted singer/songwriter and accomplished guitarist who last appeared at the CLO Cabaret in Always…Patsy Cline. He was voted Best Acoustic Musician by the readers of Pittsburgh City Paper twice. His song, “Tracy Loves Ray” was named Best Song in the Canadian Narrative Music Contest, where he also received an Honorable Mention for “Through The Window.” Mr. Hitt is the recipient of Best Song awards on Broadjam.com, Songwriter Universe and Songoftheyear.com. With the release of his seventh CD, “Greetings from the Wilderness,” Mr. Hitt continues to “honor his gifts, work at his craft, respect his audience and achieve excellence,” as one reviewer put it. Paul Koudouris is a graduate of Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre Program making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. Regional Theatre: RENT (Roger), All Shook Up (Chad), Chess (Anatoly), Oklahoma! (Curly) and A Night with Janis Joplin (Guitarist/Singer). Mr. Koudouris has also released an original pop/folk music album which can be found at www.paulkmusic.com. Mitch Marois just completed his BFA in Musical Theatre at Carnegie Mellon University. As a member of Theatre Plastique he appeared in Saints!, winning Best Musical at the 2013 New York Fringe Festival. A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Mr. Marois has appeared in productions of 4 Saints in 3 Acts, Romeo and Juliet, You Can’t Take it With You and The Wild Party (Lippa) while at CMU. He also choreographed and assisted on productions of The Drowsy Chaperone, Urinetown! The Musical, Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Once on This Island, The Wild Party and various dance concerts. Jon Rohlf is a Musical Theatre graduate from Point Park University where he last performed as “Band Leader” in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Other Point Park credits include “Huck” in Huck Finn and “Floyd” in Dark of the Moon. Other roles include “Antony” in Sweeney Todd and “Kyle” in Legally Blonde The Musical among others. Nicole Stefonek is a Wisconsin native who holds a BFA in musical theater performance from St. Mary’s University of Winona, MN. After graduating and performing extensively throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, she moved to New York City where she wrote and performed for numerous Off-Broadway and cabaret venues. Favorite productions include: The Jamal Lullabies (P.S.122 NYC), What the Folk?! (The Duplex Cabaret), Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding (Minneapolis), The Rocky Horror Show (Minneapolis) and Side Show (St.Paul). Erika Strasburg is a Carnegie Mellon University graduate making her Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret debut. Other Pittsburgh credits include A Musical Christmas Carol and Pittsburgh CLO’s Gallery of Heroes program, Quantum Theatre and City Theatre Company. Santino Tomasetti is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Credits include “Holiday Songbook” at Lincoln Center (writer) and Vietnam at 50 for the New York Historical Society. Mr. Tomasetti is joining Pittsburgh CLO for the first time. The Creative Team Guy Stroman (Director & Choreographer) directed and choreographed Forever Plaid for the inaugural production of the CLO Cabaret. He also directed and choreographed that show for the fifth anniversary of the theater, as well as Plaid Tidings in 2007 and 2013. He has directed numerous productions of plays and musicals around the country and in New York, including: Driving Miss Daisy and The Glass Menagerie, both starring Sandy Duncan, The King and I, starring Lou Diamond Phillips (Best Director Award), Twelfth Night, Loot (Best Production Award), 1776 (Best Director Award), Man of La Mancha (Audience Favorite Award), and Shakespeare’s R&J, to name a few. Mr. Stroman originated the role of Frankie in the original Forever Plaid in New York, London’s West End, and Los Angeles, where he won the L.A. Drama Critics Award for Best Actor. Chris “Red” Blisset (Music Director) is joining Pittsburgh CLO for the first time. Other credits include: Stand By Your Man (two national tours – Actor, MD), Ring of Fire (Director, MD, Actor, all over the country), Pump Boys and Dinettes (Director, MD, Actor, all over), Cotton Patch Gospel, The Full Monty, Twelfth Night, Keep on the Sunny Side, Smoke on the Mountain, Plaid Tidings, Honky-Tonk Highway and Civil War (Actor/Musical Director/Director in various projects). He can be seen coast-to-coast and on YouTube doing stand-up comedy. He comes from New York City where he is developing the new musical Basquiat. The Story “WALK THE LINE” IN AN EXPERIENCE SURE TO LIFT YOUR HEART & STIR YOUR SOUL! Performance Schedule for Ring of Fire Wednesdays 7:30pm Tickets Tickets start at $34.75 and are available online at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Groups of 10 or more can call the Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 to learn more about special discounts, priority seating and corporate discounts. Visit pittsburghCLO.org for more information. 2014 CLO Cabaret Series Ring of Fire will join the world premiere of Judge Jackie Justice and the hilarious return of Dixie’s Tupperware Party to complete the 2014 Cabaret Series. Three-Show Cabaret Series Subscriptions are on sale now and can be purchased for $100 (a 25% savings!) by calling 412-281-2822. Individual tickets for Dixie’s Tupperware Party will be on sale at a later date. Pittsburgh CLO media members may access photos and other show materials by visiting the Press Room at pittsburghCLO.org. When prompted, simply enter “pressroom” as the username and “pittstadium” as the password. |
University of Pittsburgh STAGES presents IN THE HEIGHTS
IN THE HEIGHTS at University of Pittsburgh Stages asks, “What does it mean to belong?”
Washington Heights is a tight-knit community where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Find out what it takes to make a living, what it costs to have a dream, and what it means to be home in the heights.
Director Lisa Jackson-Schebetta is interested in moving away from the standard Broadway production staging, instead favoring a more abstract approach to the play’s themes. She says, “In the Heights characters identify primarily as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican or African-American. Its score consists of hip-hop, latin jazz, merengue and salsa. The characters, story, music and dance communicate the rich and complex interplay of African, Hispanic, American and Caribbean histories. The show engages with the questions: How does a person belong . . . in a city, in a nation, to a family, to a history?”
UP Stages is collaborating with a number of professional artists, including musicians of diverse heritage, Pittsburgh-based actor Ricardo Vila-Roger, and the STAYCEE PEARL dance project (SPdp). Additionally, Jackson-Schebetta is collaborating with multiple departments at Pitt to host a research and practice symposium on April 4th and 5th that will examine many of the key themes addressed in In the Heights. The symposium is free and open to members of the university and larger Pittsburgh community.
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
IN THE HEIGHTS
Written by QUIARA ALEGRíA HUDES,
Music & Lyrics by LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA,
Directed by LISA JACKSON-SCHEBETTA
Charity Randall Theatre, 4200 Fifth Ave
March 27, 2014 – April 6, 2014
Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8PM
Sunday Matinees at 2PM
TICKETS: Call 412-624-PLAY or visit www.play.pitt.edu
Pittsburgh Opera presents one of the world’s most beloved operas, LA BOHÈME
photo by David Bachman.
Pittsburgh, PA… Pittsburgh Opera continues its 75th anniversary season with one of the world’s most beloved operas, Puccini’s LA BOHÈME. On stage at the Benedum Center March 29 – April 6, this story of Bohemian friends struggling through poverty and illness in 1830s Paris is cherished for its romantic, yet tragic story, and soaring music that includes many familiar melodies. A roster of outstanding singers leads the production, anchored by a marvelous set designed by Tony Award-winner Michael Yeargan (for Light in the Piazza, 2005).
LA BOHÈME brings the role and company debut of Leah Crocetto as Mimí; the 2010 Metropolitan National Council Auditions Grand Finals winner, she has been effusively praised for her “voice of size, beauty, and agility” (Chicago Tribune) and “gorgeous, well-supported sound” (San Francisco Chronicle). Due to scheduling issues, the role of Rodolfo will be shared by David Lomelí (Lucia di Lammermoor, 2011) and Eric Barry, in a company debut. (Mr. Lomelí appears March 29, April 1 and 4; Mr. Barry appears in the April 3 Student Matinee and April 6.) Pittsburgh Opera also welcomes Troy Cook, in his company debut as Marcello; Pittsburgher Sari Gruber (Don Giovanni, 2012) returns as Musetta, bringing “comedic grace and vulnerability to the role, as well as glorious vocal talent” (Austin Chronicle). Pittsburghers in the cast also include Kevin Glavin (The Barber of Seville, 2010) in a reprise of his hilarious dual role of Benoit/Alcindoro, and Dimitrie Lazich, who debuts as Schaunard. Resident Artist Phillip Gay appears as Colline.
Music Director Antony Walker returns to conduct the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Tomer Zvulun (debut) and Helena Binder (Fidelio, 2005) are co-directors on LA BOHÈME. Resident Artist George Cederquist is assistant director.
Pittsburgh Opera’s LA BOHÈME also brings the annual Student Matinee on Thursday, April 3 at the Benedum Center. In this performance, Resident Artists take lead roles and perform with Maestro Walker and the orchestra for about 2800 school children from around the region. Jasmine Muhammad appears as Mimí and Meredith Lustig appears as Musetta, alongside Eric Barry (Rodolfo), Kevin Glavin (Benoit/Alcindoro), Phillip Gay (Colline) and Dimitrie Lazich (Schaunard) from the mainstage cast. Resident Artist George Cederquist is stage director for the Student Matinee.
Tickets to LA BOHÈME start at $12, with all performances at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, 7th Street and Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh. For additional information, videos, photos, musical samples, cast biographies, and the full story of LA BOHÈME, visit www.pittsburghopera.org. To purchase tickets, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.
Facts about the opera
LA BOHÈME was conducted at its premiere by a young Arturo Toscanini; he also conducted it 50 years later in a recording with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. It is the only recording of a Puccini opera by the original conductor.
In 1957, a missing act for LA BOHÈME was found among librettist Luigi Illica’s belongings. Between the second and third acts, Musetta’s patron Alcindoro has cut her off and moved her furnishings into the courtyard to be sold. The Bohemians throw a party in the courtyard, and Musetta introduces Mimí to a viscount there. Rodolfo
becomes jealous when Mimì dances with the man, explaining Rodolfo’s Act 3 remarks about Mimì’s flirtatiousness, and Mimì’s dismay at Rodolfo’s jealousness.
Modern interpretations of LA BOHÈME include Baz Luhrmann’s 1990 Tony Award-winning Broadway show, set in 1957; Jonathan Larson’s 1996 Broadway smash hit RENT, in which the characters deal with AIDS; and Robin Norton-Hale’s 2009 production, set in modern-day London and taking place in the very pub where the performances were given, using audience members as extras for the Café scene.
The story, in brief
In their Latin Quarter garret in Paris, the near-destitute painter Marcello and poet Rodolfo try to keep warm on Christmas Eve by burning pages from Rodolfo’s latest drama. Their roommates Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician, bring food, fuel, and money. When the landlord Benoit comes to collect the rent, they ply him with wine, then throw him out. As his friends leave for the Café Momus, Rodolfo remains behind to write. A pretty neighbor, Mimì, knocks at the door: her candle has gone out on the stairway. Rodolfo relights it, but Mimì then realizes she has lost her key. In the confusion, both candles are blown out. As they search for the key in the dark, their hands meet. They instantly fall in love. Expressing their joy in finding each other, Mimì and Rodolfo embrace and join Rodolfo’s friends at the Café.
Marcello’s former sweetheart Musetta makes a noisy entrance at the café on the arm of the elderly but wealthy Alcindoro. Trying to regain Marcello’s attention, she sings about her popularity. Sending Alcindoro off on an errand, she falls into Marcello’s arms and tells the waiter to charge everything to Alcindoro.
At dawn by a tavern on the snowy outskirts of Paris, Mimì searches for the place where Marcello and Musetta now live. When the painter emerges, she tells him of her distress over Rodolfo’s incessant jealousy, and says she believes it’s best that they part. When Rodolfo appears, Mimì hides, though Marcello thinks she has gone. The poet tells Marcello that he wants to separate from Mimì, citing her fickleness. Pressed for the real reason, he breaks down, saying that her illness will only grow worse in the poverty they share; he’s desperately afraid she will die. Overcome with tears, Mimì comes forward to bid her lover farewell. While Mimì and Rodolfo recall past happiness, Musetta quarrels with Marcello, who has caught her flirting. The painter and his mistress part, hurling insults at each other, but Mimì and Rodolfo decide to remain together until spring.
Later, both of them separated from their sweethearts, Rodolfo and Marcello lament their loneliness. Colline and Schaunard bring a meager meal. To lighten their spirits, the four stage a dance, when suddenly Musetta bursts in to tell them that Mimì is outside, too weak to come in. Rodolfo carries her in, while Musetta asks Marcello to sell her earrings for medicine and Colline goes off to pawn his overcoat. Left alone, Mimì and Rodolfo recall their first meeting and their happy days, but she is seized with violent coughing. The others return and Mimì drifts into unconsciousness. When Rodolfo at last realizes that she is dead, he throws himself despairingly on her body, calling her name.
Tickets to LA BOHÈME start at $12, with all performances at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, 7th Street and Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh. For additional information, videos, photos, musical samples, cast biographies, and the full story of LA BOHÈME, visit www.pittsburghopera.org. To purchase tickets, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.
The 2013-14 Pittsburgh Opera season is generously supported by PNC.
Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield is the production sponsor.
American Eagle Outfitters is the Friday Night Sponsor.
Larrimor’s is our 75th anniversary partner during LA BOHÈME.
Cast and Artistic Team (abbreviated list; cast is listed in order of vocal appearance)
Marcello Troy Cook +
Rodolfo David Lomelì (3/29; 4/1, 4/4)
Eric Barry (4/3, 4/6)
Colline Phillip Gay *
Schaunard Dimitrie Lazich +
Benoit Kevin Glavin **
Parpignol Christopher Toeller
Alcindoro Kevin Glavin **
Musetta Sari Gruber
Conductor Antony Walker
Co-Directors Tomer Zvulun +
Helena Binder
Set Designer Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer Martin Pakledinaz #
Lighting Designer Andrew Ostrowski
Asst. Conductor Glenn Lewis
Chorus Master Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist James Lesniak
Hair & Makeup Designer James Geier
LA BOHÈME set is owned by Pittsburgh Opera; costumes from Seattle Opera.
+ Pittsburgh Opera debut
* Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist
** Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni
# Deceased
Tickets for all performances of LA BOHÈME start at $12. Group discounts are available. For tickets, call (412) 456-6666 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org. For discounted group tickets (6 or more), contact Randy Adams at 412-281-0912, x 213.
Related Events
Opera Up Close: LA BOHÈME
Sunday, March 16 – 2:00 p.m.
George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Ave.)
Opera Up Close: LA BOHÈME includes an in-depth musical analysis of the opera, with Maestro Walker and other directors and artists from the production. Admission is $5; free to members of FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera. For more information, call (412) 281-0912 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Thursday, March 20 – 5:30 p.m.
Larrimor’s Downtown, One PNC Plaza, 249 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh Opera and Larrimor’s celebrate their 75th anniversaries together in this fun and fashionable event. Highlights include French-inspired cocktails and foods; palm readers, fortune-tellers, can-can dancers reminiscent of Moulin Rouge, and music from La bohème by Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists. Admission is free but RSVP is required: call Katie Gaines at 412-281-0912, ext. 225 or e-mail kgaines@pittsburghopera.org. For more information, visit www.pittsburghopera.org.
LA BOHÈME Previews on WQED-FM 89.3 and WQED.ORG
Saturday, March 22 – 12:30 p.m.; Friday, March 28 – 7:00 p.m.
Hosted by WQED’s Stephen Baum and Anna Singer, and broadcast over the airwaves as well as the WQED website, the LA BOHÈME preview gives listeners an engaging introduction to the singers, music and story of the opera. For more information, visit www.pittsburghopera.org.
FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera South Hills Chapter event
Sunday, March 23 – 4:00 p.m.
Private Home in the South Hills
Join FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera for a talk entitled “From the Floor to the Flyrail: Secrets of Scenery” given by Pittsburgh Opera Head Carpenter Sean West, at the home of South Hills Chapter members. Admission is free; a donation of hors d’oeuvres or wine is welcome. RSVP by March 21 at 412-563-3808. Directions to the home will be given at RSVP. For more information, call Marilyn Egan at (412) 281-0912, ext. 242 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.
Benedum Center Main Floor
Ticketholders are invited to attend a Pre-Opera Talk on LA BOHÈME one hour before each performance’s curtain in the Orchestra Section (Main Floor) of the Benedum Center. Learn about the composer and the story of the opera. Free to all ticketholders.
Audio Description: LA BOHÈME
Tuesday, April 1
Benedum Center Main Floor
Ticketholders with visual impairments are invited to use Pittsburgh Opera’s Audio Commentary service at our Tuesday performances. Trained volunteers describe the scenery, costumes, and stage action via headphones. Those wishing to use Audio Description should reserve seats to the Tuesday, April 1 performance: contact Randy Adams at 412-281-0912, ext. 213 or groups@pittsburghopera.org. Braille and large-print opera programs are also available in the Benedum Grand Lobby.
Tuesday, April 1
Immediately following the opera, in the Benedum Lower Lobby
Ticketholders for the Tuesday, April 1 performance of LA BOHÈME are invited to gather in the Benedum Lower Lobby immediately following the performance for interviews with General Director Christopher Hahn and the stars of the opera. This event is free to all Tuesday performance ticketholders.
Phipps to come alive with the sounds of music for Spring Flower Show
Pittsburgh’s premier public garden brings melodies into bloom for beloved seasonal showcase.
Pittsburgh, Pa.—Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens invites visitors to take a toe-tapping journey through a musical world where melodies bloom like flowers at Spring Flower Show. Opening on March 22, 2014, this colorful new display combines music and garden design for a sensational seasonal showcase filled with sights, sounds and scents that are sure to have guests of all ages singing.
From one room to the next, musical genres from swing and big band to blues and rock ´n roll will be represented through whimsical sculptures made out of up-cycled instruments; surprising planters like an upright piano; and carefully orchestrated plantings designed to mimic the rise and fall of musical notes. Popular songs will also be piped through some of the rooms, adding to the multi-sensory experience.
The stars of the show, of course, will be the thousands of vibrant tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other favorites, in addition to some beautiful varieties of snapdragons, primula and pansies. Arranged in spectacular groupings according to color and theme, plants will be carefully placed to add scope to and enliven each scene, from blue and purple flowers representing the blues genre to rainbow-hued blooms.
Spring Flower Show, designed by Hays Landscape Architecture Studio and sponsored by PNC, runs through April 20. Hours are 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and students, and $11 for children (2 – 18). Members and kids under 2 enter free.
About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pa. is a green leader among public gardens with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Learn more: phipps.conservatory.org.
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Richard E. Rauh Conservatory announces IN THE HEIGHTS
This spring, Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Richard E. Rauh Conservatory will present the award-winning musical IN THE HEIGHTS.
IN THE HEIGHTS tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. IN THE HEIGHTS is the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. This student production will bring out all hopes and dreams of this amazing story. This is one you don’t want to miss!
Performance Dates: MARCH 6-9TH GARGARO THEATER, 327 SOUTH MAIN STREET, PITTSBURGH, PA 15220.
Tickets begin at just $10 individual performance tickets are available by calling (412) 539-0900 X232. More information is available by visiting www.pittsburghmusicals.com <http://www.pittsburghmusicals.com>.
About Pittsburgh Musical Theater
Pittsburgh Musical Theater (PMT) was founded in 1990 with the vision of creating a regional musical theater company committed to quality productions of the best of Pittsburgh’s own professional talent at a price affordable to all residents, especially children and families. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) performing arts organization, the mission expanded to include a strong commitment to education, training, and outreach programs through its Richard E. Rauh Conservatory for Musical Theater. General music education and appreciation programs are offered for student’s ages 4-18. The Pre-College Program, a highly structured, accredited program, is designed for high school students with serious aspirations for careers in the performing arts.
Ben Opie composes for Jazz orchestra at the New Hazlett
For the past 30 years, local jazz musician and music educator Ben Opie has composed and performed original music in Pittsburgh. Now, see the completion of his largest, most ambitious creative effort to date—Concerto for Orkestra, a full concert-length symphonic composition for jazz orchestra.
“Duke Ellington composed many suites for his orchestra, and Charles Mingus composed what is perhaps the most ambitious of all jazz works, Epitaph,” Opie said. “However, I can think of no regional composers that have taken on a project quite like this one.”
Scored for 15 musicians and featuring ten movements, Concerto for Orkestra will be given its world premiere on May 2, 2014 at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh, performed by OPEK under the baton of conductor Nizan Liebovich.
“Early in the process of composing the work,” said Opie. “I recalled an odd compliment a friend had paid me once. He told me my playing had been so great, it was no longer music, it was transportation.”
Opie kept this comment in mind during the composition of Concerto for Orkestra, naming all but the opening and closing movements for modes of transportation such as “Fiat,” “Bumper Car,” “Dirigible,” and “Incline.”
The completion of Concerto for Orkestra was made possible by an Investing in Professional Artists: Creative Development Grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation. It premiers at the New Hazlett Theater this May. For information on tickets visit www.newhazletttheater.org.
Music On the Edge presents JACK Quartet at the Warhol
For the final installation of their 2013–14 collaboration, Music on the Edge and the Andy Warhol Museum will present the critically acclaimed and highly adventurous JACK Qaurtet. For JACK’s much-anticipated return to Pittsburgh, JACK Quartet will perform a concert featuring titans of contemporary music. The program includes John Zorn’s The Dead Man, Morton Feldman’s Structures, and string quartets by Witold Lutoslawski and Hans Abrahamsen.
Violinists Christopher Otto and Ari Streisfeld, violist John Pickford Richards, and cellist Kevin McFarland first met while attending the Eastman School of Music, and have been making music together ever since. In recent years, JACK Quartet has made a lasting impression on audiences and critics around the world. The Washington Post commented, “The string quartet may be a 250-year-old contraption, but young, brilliant groups like the JACK Quartet are keeping it thrillingly vital.” The Boston Globe described the group’s playing as “explosive virtuosity” and Mark Swed (Los Angeles Times) called their sold-out performances of Georg Friedrich Haas’ String Quartet No. 3 In iij. Noct. “mind-blowingly good.”
JACK Quartet is committed both to commissioning new works and playing some of the most challenging repertoire of the 20th Century. This passion for new music has led them to work closely with outstanding composers such as Helmut Lachenmann, György Kurtág, Matthias Pintscher, Amy Williams, Georg Friedrich Haas, James Dillon, Toshio Hosokawa, Wolfgang Rihm, Elliott Sharp, Beat Furrer, Caleb Burhans, and Aaron Cassidy.
Music on the Edge and The Andy Warhol Museum will present JACK Quartet at the Warhol’s Museum Theater on Saturday, March 1st at 8 p.m. Get your tickets in advance, because this show is sure to sell out!
Tickets are available through the University of Pittsburgh Stages Box Office, by calling 412-624-7529, or visiting music.pitt.edu/tickets. Tickets in advance: general admission is $15; students and seniors are $10. At the door: general admission is $20; students and seniors are $15. (No free student tickets at The Warhol).
ETTA COX – Jazz Vocalist
For 8 consecutive years she has been voted Pittsburgh’s best Jazz vocalist, she has worked as an actress on stage and on film, she has spent many years as a music educator, and tonight, Etta Cox and host Brian Edward enjoy a cocktail in the glorious Presidential suite of downtown Pittsburgh’s Omni William Penn Hotel, one of Ms. Cox’s frequent performance venues (AND where she received a big “thumbs-up” from Johnny Mathis!). Listen to “The Full Martini” – the complete interview in audio podcast to hear more on Etta’s musical journey, outlooks on Pittsburgh, and where to find the best ribs in town! Continue reading “ETTA COX – Jazz Vocalist”
/
RSS Feed
“Undie Rock” – The Skivvies perform at City Theater
By ‘Burgh Vivant, Mike Buzzelli
Clothes might make the man, but clothes don’t make the band. This weekend, award-winning performers Lauren Molina (Sweeney Todd, Marry Me a Little) and Nick Cearley (All Shook Up) are in town to play instruments in their underwear in “The Skivvies” at the Lester Hamburg Theater, inside City Theater.
If you’re not careful, Cearley will show you his glockenspiel. The duo plays a variety of instruments. Cearley plays the aforementioned glockenspiel, the ukulele and the melodica, a blow organ (easy, now!). Molina plays the ukulele and the cello. Both do it with style and skill.
Mike Buzzelli, Lauren Molina, Nick Cearley, and Lonnie The Theatre Lady.
The plucky duo, a scantily clad “Will and Grace,” perform mash-ups of popular songs of several eras. Imagine your radio stuck on scan, but all performed with Molina and Cearley’s masterful, mellifluous voices. The musicians are accompanied by Shannon Ford on drums, beating on them with flair.
A few local guests sat in with the immodestly attired Molina and nearly naked Cearley. At Thursday’s performance Burgh Vivant caught Michael Campayno (Rolf from the recently televised “Sound of Music”), Hayley Nielsen (in Primestage’s upcoming “The Importance of Being Earnest”) and Bria Walker (last seen at the City Theater in “Pop”). All of them made brief appearances in their briefs. Other guests Courtney Balan, Joshua Elijah Reese, Hannah Shankman and Nancy Anderson will join the show for select performances (consult the website, if you want to gawk at a particular member of that group).
Neilsen was the first guest, playing a boozy medley of songs. Molina remarked, “There’s a lot of songs about alcohol.” In a few minutes, Neilsen and the Skivvies managed to mention almost all of them.
Walker strut her stuff, commanding the stage with a mash-up of dance songs. For the record, she brought it. The girl can sing! Emphasis on the exclamation point.
Campayno joined the undie rock show with a witty rendition of “Call me, Maybe,” serenading Cearley, while Molina fumed with jealousy (tongue planted firmly in cheek).
With their talent, your head will say “They don’t need the gimmick,” but other parts of your body will shout, “Everyone should perform this way!”
You still have three more chances to catch “The Skivvies,” Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm with a special 10:30 performance on Saturday at the City Theater, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh from February 13, 2014 – February 15, 2014
For more information call or click: 412-431-2489 or www.citytheatrecompany.org
Music on the Edge presents the music of Burr Van Nostrand
Music on the Edge has gathered an all-star lineup of performers to present three works by the underappreciated avant-garde composer Burr Van Nostrand. The program takes place on Saturday, February 22, 8 p.m.at Bellefield Hall Auditorium on the University of Pittsburgh Campus.
Burr Van Nostrand combines detailed graphic notation with conventional notation in his compositions. Because of the difficulty of his works, they received very few performances. While he received a good deal of recognition in the 1970s, including a four-year residency at Gaudeamus Foundation and several awards, his work had since fallen into obscurity. Happily, that situation has been changing in recent years. Due to the efforts of NEC student Jason Belcher and pianist/composer Anthony Coleman, a New World Records recording of Van Nostrands’s music has sparked renewed interest in his work; Music on the Edge codirector Mathew Rosenblum has also played a significant role in that trend. Rosenblum provided extensive liner notes for that CD and has been one of the main catalysts for the Pittsburgh concert that seeks to build on the success of the recording project.
Three stalwarts of Pittsburgh’s contemporary music scene will bring Van Nostrand’s Fantasy Manual for Urban Survival to life. The trio will comprise flutist Lindsey Goodman, best known locally for her stellar performances with Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Attack Theatre Music Director Dave Eggar on cello, and Pitt faculty composer Eric Moe on the piano.
Many of the same artists who participated in the landmark New World recording will reprise their performances in Pittsburgh. Pianist/conductor Anthony Coleman will lead the New England Conservatory Chamber Ensemble in Van Nostrand’s Voyage in a White Building 1 and violinist Paul Severtson will perform Phaedra Antinomaes.
Tickets for the Music of Burr Van Nostrand are available through the University of Pittsburgh Stages Box Office, by calling 412-624-7529, or visiting music.pitt.edu/tickets. Tickets in advance: general admission is $15; students and seniors are $10. At the door: general admission is $20; students and seniors are $15. Pitt students are free with valid ID.
Music on the Edge will present two additional events featuring Anthony Coleman. Coleman will give a free lecture about his music on Friday, February 21, 4 p.m. at Pitt’s Music Building. In addition, Coleman will perform a solo piano concert on Friday, February 21 at 8 p.m. at First Unitarian Church in Shadyside. Admission is $10 at the door. Anthony Coleman’s solo performance is co-presented by Music on the Edge and the Consortium. Bassist Jason Ajemian will open the evening.
