Night of Stories by Fledgling International Travelers
Bricolage, World Affairs Council host
Final Day for “Parallel Lives” at CorningWorks
Looking for a show this afternoon? Try this one at the New Hazlett Theater; it’s a good one, and it’s also “pay-what-you-can” Sunday. More in Program Notes .
Final Day for “Parallel Lives” at CorningWorks
The latest from choreographer and performer Beth Corning is an artful bit of social commentary that exploits both some beautifully conceived staging and the talents of dancer Arthur Aviles. Corning calls Parallel Lives “two 55-minute solos,” and that’s thematically appropriate: The show’s about how our obsession with social media actually lessens our ability to connect…
In first press conference, new chief says ‘reset’ needed on homicide reduction strategy
At his first public appearance before assuming his role as chief of police, Cameron McLay laid out some principles for leading a bureau that he acknowledged is widely seen as dysfunctional and suffers from deficits in morale, accountability and diversity. “There’s a crisis in American policing right now and it’s playing out right here on…
Shows this weekend: The Bots, Motel Beds and more
In this week’s issue, we were able to cover a bunch of exciting stuff happening this weekend — chiefly, the weekendlong Thrival Festival, featuring Moby, Portugal. The Man, Talib Kweli and a host of others. There are a few shows we didn’t get to, as space didn’t permit, so as we sometimes do, let’s run…
Buses from Pittsburgh to People’s Climate March
Sept. 21 round-trip is taking registrations
An interview with former Pirates slugger Al Oliver; appearing at PNC Park this weekend
In advance of the September 30 release of his new autobiography, former Pirates slugger Al Oliver will sign copies of Life’s a Hit, Don’t Strike Out Saturday at the Majestic Clubhouse store in PNC Park from 1 p.m. to 2:30 PM and from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Oliver joined the Pirates in 1968 before…
City Paper names Deitch as new editor
Today Pittsburgh City Paper announced the appointment of its new editor, Charlie Deitch, effective Sept. 16. “City Paper has been my home for most of the past 10 years, and I am honored to take over as editor,” Deitch said. “We have a top-flight staff, and I look forward to working with each member of…
Lynn Cullen Live 09/12/14
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
More routes added to PAT’s real-time bus tracking system
Riders who take some of the city’s most-ridden bus routes can rejoice: Port Authority today announced that effective immediately 17 new routes have been added to its real-time tracking system. Those routes include the well-travelled 61s and 71s as well as the 75 and 54N — all buses that serve Oakland (see below for a…
Lynn Cullen Live 09/11/14
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
In second annual event, Pittsburgh Cocktail Week shuns pretension
When Rob McCaughey, Mike Basista and Will Groves organized the inaugural Pittsburgh Cocktail Week last year, they had no budget and only a glimmer of hope that anyone outside the local bartending community would take an interest. “We were surprised by how enthusiastic the general consumer was [for] what we put together,” says McCaughey. Indeed,…
The One I Love
Viewers might find Charlie McDowell’s relationship dramedy The One I Love intriguing, infuriating or a little of both. It’s a bit hard to talk about without revealing important twists. It begins in a straightforward manner, with Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss) trying to mend their broken relationship in a therapist’s office. Each is…
Alfred’s Deli and Market in Polish Hill revamps for the neighborhood’s changing demographics
Not so long ago, most city neighborhoods had small grocery stores, where residents could pop in for various staples like milk, bread or an urgently needed can of tomato sauce. In the otherwise grocery-deprived Polish Hill, such a shop, Alfred’s Deli and Market, has been recently renovated. Owned by Anna Misiaszek, the shop is now…
Dolphin Tale 2
Charles Martin Smith’s family film is “inspired by real events” at a Florida marine-rescue facility, and it doubles down on the “melodramatic crises resolved in heartwarming manner” of 2011’s Dolphin Tale. The plucky teens from the first film are now more or less running the aquarium, while having on-land adolescent trials; the tail-less dolphin Winter…
Fall Arts Preview 2014
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary Intro: Click the links to the right for upcoming art, film, stage, dance, music and more.
God Help the Girl
Stuart Murdoch, of the Scottish band Belle and Sebastian, writes and directs this indie coming-of-age musical-dramedy, which is right in his wheelhouse: Three sensitive, musically gifted, vintage-clothes-wearing youth meet and flit around Glasgow one summer, sort of being a band while inching forward in life somewhat bittersweetly. Yes, it’s quite a bit like a B&S…
The Pittsburgh Biennial dominates the season’s visual-art offerings
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary This fall, it’s almost hard to find a major visual-art venue that isn’t involved in the 2014 Pittsburgh Biennial. Building on the expansion it began with the 2011 Biennial, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts’ venerable showcase for regional artists now comprises eight galleries and museums. But…
White Denim gets a little help from Tweedy
WHITE DENIM with CLEAR PLASTIC MASKS. 8 p.m. Tue., Sept. 16. Mr. Small’s Theatre 400 Lincoln Ave. Millvale. $15. All ages. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com In May, 2011, Jeff Tweedy and Wilco headlined the final day of Sasquatch! Festival, in central Washington. Before laying into an encore that would officially close out the festival, Tweedy had…
A look at the fall dance season
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary The new dance season features milestones for several local companies. Attack Theatre, CorningWorks, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Pillow Project all celebrate major anniversaries. They, along with a bevy of other artists, promise even more memorable moments. Here’s a sampling. Opening its fifth season, CorningWorks examines our…
Thrival Festival is back with more music than last year
THRIVAL FESTIVAL feat. PORTUGAL. THE MAN, MOBY (DJ SET), TALIB KWELI, PHOSPHORESCENT, MORE. Noon, Sat., Sept. 13, through Sun., Sept. 14. Bakery Square Two (Penn Avenue at East Liberty Boulevard) Shadyside. $45-75. All ages. thrivalfestival.com Last year’s inaugural Thrival Festival was a seat-of-your-pants affair for organizers: It was the first event of its kind put…
From classics to juggalos, plenty of live music to be had this fall
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary While summer holds sway as the heart of concert season, a lot of classics, some up-and-comers and a few juggalos color this fall’s local music calendar. The Black Keys are arguably the biggest rock act — at least in terms of more recent bands — coming to…
One Sweet Burgh celebrates 20 years of “Under the Table”
ONE SWEET BURGH with CITY LOVE STORY 8 p.m. Fri., Sept. 12. Mr. Small’s Theatre, 400 Lincoln Ave. Millvale. $10. All ages. 412-821-4447 or mrsmalls.com Ben Alper has been a solo musician gigging around town for years. But about four years ago, he hit on a new idea, after putting together a Dave Matthews Band…
Fall Stage Preview
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary Onstage in Pittsburgh this fall, it’s a buyer’s market for both classics and irreverent musicals; fans of newer work might have to search a bit. In this season’s opening week, no fewer than three well-known titles bowed. PICT Classic Theatre stages Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching…
Critics’ Picks: September 10 – 16
[INDIE ROCK] + THU., SEPT. 11 Chances are if you’re headed to Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead tonight, you’ve had tickets for a while, and you know who you’re going to see: Spoon. But don’t arrive late; you don’t want to miss the tour’s two opening acts, each of which features someone you know…
On the Record with Pat DiCesare
PAT DICESARE’S BEATLES ANNIVERSARY SHOW feat. BEATLEMANIA NOW! and tributes to Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly 8 p.m. Sat., Sept. 13. Benedum Center 237 Seventh St. Downtown. $36.95-99.95. 412-456-6666 or concertpat.com Now-legendary concert promoter Pat DiCesare was in his early 20s when he booked The…
Fall Film Preview
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary This fall, Gone Girl, Gone Girl, Gone Girl! But before we get all dark and twisty, let’s check into what’s happening locally. The first of the ‘Burgh’s two long-running festivals to return is the 29th annual Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, now called Reel Q.…
Will Pittsburgh’s new police chief be able to restore trust in the department?
When Cameron McLay assumes his position as Pittsburgh’s next police chief on Sept. 15, he will take the reins of an institution that academics, activists and police-accountability experts roundly agree has lost the city’s trust. He’ll inherit a bureau whose most recent permanent chief is serving time in federal prison for diverting public money into…
Elizabeth Gilbert, David Sedaris among the fall’s literary headliners
Navigation: Visual Art Dance Music Stage Film Literary From internationally known novelists to local poets, there’ll be plenty of literature to hear between now and the holidays. Pittsburgh’s biggest reading series, Monday Night Lectures, kicks off Sept. 22 with James McBride (The Color of Water); McBride arrives on the heels of his National Book Award…
Pa. Governor’s Race: Corbett ads making little dent in Wolf’s lead
With Election Day less than eight weeks away, Republican governor Tom Corbett has been ramping up his attack ads on challenger Tom Wolf in an effort to cut into the Democrat’s double-digit lead. Corbett has been hitting the York County businessman with allegations that Wolf’s cabinet-making company takes advantage of tax loopholes, as well as…
An interview with novelist Sarah Shotland
JUNKETTE BOOK-LAUNCH WITH SARAH SHOTLAND 8 p.m. Fri., Sept. 26. BOOM Concepts, 5139 Penn Ave. Garfield. Free. sarahshotland.com Sarah Shotland’s striking debut novel, Junkette (White Gorilla Press), is an alternately lyrical and matter-of-fact account of a few months in the life of college-graduate junkie Claire, a twentysomething bartender in pre-Katrina New Orleans. In chapter 1,…
Zone Defense
Jesus was crucified. Horses tore Saint Hippolytus limb from limb. Saint Lawrence was cooked up on a griddle. By comparison, American Christians have it pretty easy. Though it’s hard to tell from listening to them. In a federal lawsuit filed last week, five Pittsburgh-area anti-abortion activists have alleged that the city’s “buffer zones” — which…
Rachel Mennies’ debut poetry collection finds strength in devotion
With conflict in Gaza, ISIS on the front page and Westboro Baptist protesting funerals, when religion is discussed, fundamentalism often takes center stage. Lost beneath the headlines are the important roles devotion and ceremony play in the ways many of us define ourselves, often summoning a lineage stretching back centuries. The speaker in Rachel Mennies’…
Savage Love
I ejaculate prematurely at least 50 percent of the time. I’m good for two to three minutes and then I REALLY have to be careful. I’ve learned to work around it (like, stop if I’m too close and eat her out to give me some time to relax, etc.), but it’s still a pain. I…
PICT Classic’s Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme
OBSERVE THE SONS OF ULSTER MARCHING TOWARDS THE SOMME continues through Sept. 20. Charity Randall Theatre, Stephen Foster Memorial, 4301 Forbes Ave. Oakland. $15-54. 412-561-6000 x207 or picttheatre.org At PICT Classical Theatre’s production of Frank McGuinness’ Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, you need to just let it wash over you. This…
What He Saw in the Desert
What lies before you are the words written. As, some say belief passes from the abyss to the page, cold as iron; the swift gallop of the Arabian mare. Belief softens the echo of time — an amethyst dagger to direct an assemblage of light. To err, I speak of the desert, its stone set…
Doubt at Little Lake
DOUBT continues through Sat., Sept 20. Little Lake Theatre 500 Lakeside Drive Canonsburg. $12-20. 724-745-6300 or littlelake.org Debuting in 2004, on the heels of the Catholic-priest sex-abuse scandal, Doubt, A Parable mines the dark recesses of the religious hierarchy. Eschewing a contemporary setting, John Patrick Shanley’s drama takes place in 1964 New York, a choice…
Short List: September 10 – 16
SPOTLIGHT: Fri., Sept. 12 — Comedy Comic Christopher Titus is wicked smart and, often, monumentally pissed off. More storyteller than joke machine, he’s that rare comic who’d riff on prescription drugs becoming the No. 2 killer in America. “Two out of three people taking antidepressants are still severely depressed,” he’ll note. “That’s like buying a…
Of Mice and Men at The REP
OF MICE AND MEN continues through Sun., Sept. 21. Pittsburgh Playhouse 222 Craft Ave. Oakland. $24-27. 412-392-8000 or pittsburgh playhouse.com Staging a well-loved play is a precarious pursuit, one that risks drawing the ire of purists. Producing a play based on a well-loved book can be even more tenuous. Cut too much original material, and…
Stuff We Like
Feral Bunny Wall Art. That’s one angry rabbit “ONE TON ONE” wheat-pasted to an old parking kiosk. Love them red feet. Forward Street and Murray Avenue, in Squirrel Hill Homemade quick pickles. Cucumbers overrunning the garden? Slice ’em up and put ’em in heated-up vinegar with some sugar, garlic, mustard seeds and dill. Let cool…
Legendary dancer Carmen De Lavallade visits with her one-woman show
CARMEN DE LAVALLADE PERFORMS AS I REMEMBER IT 8 p.m. Fri., Sept. 12, and 8 p.m. Sat., Sept. 13. Kelly-Strayhorn Theater 5941 Penn Ave East Liberty. $10-25. 412-363-3000 or kelly -strayhorn.org Pittsburgh dance audiences are treated to a host of great performances annually from new and established artists, some with global renown. Rarer are visits…
Paris 66
Paris 66 6018 Centre Ave. East Liberty. 412-404-8166 Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. brunch 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Prices: $8-29 Liquor: Full bar “We’ll always have Paris,” the famous movie line goes, but it used to be that we couldn’t always have Paris 66. The East Liberty creperie was open only…
The Trip to Italy
The Trip to Italy Directed by: Michael Winterbottom Starring: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon Manor If you enjoyed 2009’s The Trip, you’ll enjoy The Trip to Italy. Michael Winterbottom’s new docu-comedy has more or less the same set-up as the first: British funnymen Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play lightly fictionalized versions of themselves, ostensibly…
Lynn Cullen Live 09/10/14
Video Archive Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer audio player.
Lynn Cullen Live 09/09/14
Video Archive Phone guest: Susan; Children of Heaven; basements are scary; Ray Rice & the NFL; why a woman stays w/ an abusive partner; Joan Rivers’ funeral; new iPhone unveiling today; Callers: Clarence, Canonsburg / Joe. Audio Only Archive Listen to the Audio Archives on with our new Apple and Android Apps or the computer…
