Sunday, May 4, 2014

Positively Pittsburgh Live! News 04-28-2014


Positively Pittsburgh Live! News 04-28-2014
Burgh Entertaining & HELP Green Bldg. Alliance
Listen to the show online HERE

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TECHNOGRANNY?
Carmike Southland 9 Cinema, "The Other Woman"
Bahama Breeze in Robinson
Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen, South Side

CULTURAL CLUES
Comfort Zone  |  2014–2015 Pittsburgh Dance Council Season  |  Mozart Festival

KIDZ KORNER:  Fiddlesticks

WOMEN AND GIRLS ACHIEVEMENT
Women and Elective Office  |  2014 Women In Film and Television International Summit

BUSINESS BUZZ
40 Under 40 Call for Nominations  |  How has the ACA helped PA?  |  Green Building Alliance

HIGH SCHOOL and UNIVERSITY NEWS
PNC gifts RMU $400K to Boost Business School Technology  |  Big Read

NON-PROFIT EVENTS SPONSORED BY BLACKTIE PITTSBURGH
Dance-A-Thon For Breast Cancer Survivors  |  Cocktails & Cuisine presented by Crisis Center North

ROVING PITTSBURGHER REPORT
Youth is Wasted on the Young  |  Other Woman at Carmike Cinema in Southland on Rte. 51 in West Mifflin



CULTURAL CLUES

Comfort Zone - About Violence and Redemption
May 2 - 24, 2014  |  Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater
The Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company is presenting “Comfort Zone” – a searing production about violence and redemption May 2–24 at the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater, 937 Liberty Avenue, 3rd floor downtown.

Directed by Mark Whitehead and written by Marlon Erik Youngblood as a one act play – “Comfort Zone” won rave reviews during the 2012 Black and White Festival.  Youngblood has now expanded his work into a gripping full length play.

The main character Checkers, played by acclaimed actor Kevin Brown, is a very loyal and simplistic man.  Playwrights’ founder, Mark Clayton Southers, also stars in this dramatic production along with a dynamic cast.  Checkers life and others around him are thrown into turmoil after a shooting in his neighborhood “mom and pop” store.

There will be a special fundraiser on opening night, Friday May 2nd. Each ticket includes a post-show discussion with the playwright Marlon Erik Youngblood, activist Brandi Fisher, CEO/President of the Alliance for Police Accountability, as well as the legendary Cyril Wecht, the former Allegheny County coroner. The discussion will be moderated by veteran broadcaster Tené Croom.

Tickets are $20 for Thursdays and weekend matinees, $25 for Friday and Saturday evening shows. Tickets are $5 more at the door except for students with valid ID and theatre artists. All tickets for opening night on Friday May 2nd are $35. Seating is general admission.

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company (http://www.pghplaywrights.com/) was founded by Mark Clayton Southers in 2003. The Playwrights is committed to developing and showcasing the works of local playwrights; from accomplished masters like August Wilson and George S. Kaufman to promising new talents. We seek to nurture a racially and culturally diverse community of playwrights, directors, actors and technical specialists to hone their craft and to network creative opportunities.


2014–2015 Pittsburgh Dance Council Season Announced
The Pittsburgh Dance Council, a division of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, announces a season of original and eclectic dance from around the world as part of the 2014–2015 season.
“Pittsburgh Dance Council is proud to present an amazing and diverse assemblage of world-class contemporary dance this season,” shared Paul Organisak, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Dance Council and Vice President of Programming for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “Enthusiastic patronage continues to make it possible to present outstanding contemporary dance from throughout the world.”
This season, Pittsburgh audience favorite, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, returns to dazzle audiences with breathtaking new works by some of the most exciting and innovative choreographers. Music from the eclectic canon of David Bowie is matched to Michael Clark Company’s come, been and gone—it’s a perfect fit for this company’s iconic fusing of classical and punk styles.
The Dance Council will launch 2015 with two exceptional companies based in traditional forms and blended with contemporary dance. Ronald K. Brown/Evidence returns with a new work set to the music of Jason Moran, as well as an original piece that features dancers from the Pittsburgh community. The French Argentinean ensemble Union Tanguera weaves a sultry story with traditional tango rhythms and live music performed by a quartet of Buenos Aires’s finest musicians. A rising star on the international dance scene, Pontus Lidberg presents a fresh and fascinating new work using Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring as a point of departure. Dance meets drama in Scottish Ballet’s powerful interpretation of Tennessee Williams’s masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire, to round out a truly diverse and engaging season.

2014–2015 DANCE COUNCIL SEASON
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet  -  Saturday October 11, 2014 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Michael Clark Company  -  Saturday November 1, 2014 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Ron K. Brown Evidence  -  Saturday February 7, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Union Tanguera  -  Saturday March 28, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Pontus Lidberg  -  Saturday April 18, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Scottish Ballet  -  Tuesday May 19, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

OPTIONAL SPECIAL PERFORMANCES
Royal Ballet of Cambodia  -  Friday November 7, 2014 | 8PM | Byham Theater

Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host  -  Saturday February 28, 2015 | 8PM | Byham Theater

TICKETS
Subscription packages are available for: $64-$240. Subscriptions can be purchased in packages of 4 shows or 6 shows. To subscribe, call 412-456-1390. Groups of 10 or more tickets, please call 412-471-6930. Single tickets for Pittsburgh Dance Council performances will go on sale to the general public mid-August.  For information, call (412) 456-6666, or visit online at TrustArts.org/dance.


Experience the Mozart Festival - It's destined to be brilliant.
The genius of Mozart is one of classical music's greatest wonders and the focus of the Pittsburgh Symphony's biggest event of the season: the Mozart Festival.

The festival starts April 25-27 with Principal Horn William Caballero giving the first performance of Mozart scholar Robert Levin's new edition of Mozart’s Concerto No. 1 for Horn and Orchestra. Mr. Levin performs one of Mozart's Piano Concertos with his own improvised cadenza.

On April 29, at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, Chamber Music Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony will collaborate to represent Mozart’s chamber music, featuring Mr. Levin and five members of the PSO. The program includes Mozart’s Selections for Violin and Piano; Piano Quartet in G minor, K.478; and Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581.

The festival concludes with “Mad About Mozart” on May 2 & 4. The program includes a celebration of Mozart’s vocal works, from intimate sacred music to his side splitting comic operas and features Korean soprano Sunhae Im and the Mendelssohn Choir. Lucas Meachem joins in for highlights from Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute, including staging and costumes for the soloists and choir. Throughout the program, Pittsburgh creative force Don Marinelli will wear period costumes to portray no less than eight figures from Mozart’s life!

April 29 - Music of Mozart
Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland
Selections for Violin and Piano  |  Piano Quartet in G minor, K.478  |  Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581

May 2 & 4 - Mad About Mozart
Heinz Hall
Selections from Mozart's sacred works  |  Highlights from The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni


KIDZ KORNER

Celebrate the Changing Seasons with the PSO's 2014-2015 Fiddlesticks Family Concert Series
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Fiddlesticks, the symphony’s feline musical ambassador, will take families on a musical journey through the magic of the changing seasons of the year during the 2014-2015 Fiddlesticks Family Concert Series Presented by Macy’s.

During the 2014-2015 season, Fiddlesticks will explore the seasons through beloved classical pieces played by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and led by Resident Conductor Fawzi Haimor. Vocalist Katy Williams will sing Fiddlesticks’ favorite song of all, “Music Can Make Your Life Complete,” with the audience at every concert.

All performances begin at 11:15 a.m. and are approximately 45 minutes long. Attendees are invited to participate in Discovery Time Adventures prior to every Fiddlesticks concert beginning at 10 a.m. in Heinz Hall. These educational activities allow families to meet symphony musicians, learn songs and take part in various activities with a musical twist. There are also arts and crafts, story-telling, and music and movement dance activities.

The season opens with Fall Festival (Oct. 18, 2014), where Fiddlesticks’ excitement over the beautiful colors of the changing leaves and the fun of Halloween is contagious! In celebration of this special time of year, Fiddlesticks’ festive fall adventure includes the magical music of composer Modest Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain (featured in Disney’s Fantasia) and “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone, by movie score master John Williams.

Winter Dreams (Feb. 21, 2015) will showcase Fiddlesticks’ fantasies about the first snowflakes of the season and the wintry wonderland that is sure to follow. He can’t wait to go outside and take part in all of the fun activities that winter brings, like ice skating, sledding and building snowmen.  Join Fiddlesticks as he shares some of his favorite music inspired by the winter season, including the Skaters’ Waltz and selections from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1, nicknamed “Winter Dreams.”

Come on a mini-vacation to Heinz Hall for Summer Escape (May 30, 2015)! Imagine a trip to the beach or a journey out West, as Fiddlesticks helps us get ready for summer travel season with music. Enjoy John Williams’ rousing Cowboy Overture, selections from the Ferde Grofe’s majestic Grand Canyon Suite and exciting melodies from the Pirates of the Caribbean. Send your favorite summer vacation photo to be shown during the concert! To upload your photo or for more information, visit pittsburghsymphony.org/family.
Subscription packages for the 2014-2015 season are currently on sale and range in price from $28.80 to $58.50.  (Single concert tickets range in price from $12 – $22.25 and go on sale around Labor Day.) To order subscriptions, contact the Heinz Hall Box Office at 412-392-4900 or pittsburghsymphony.org.
The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank the Macy’s Foundation for its presenting sponsorship of Fiddlesticks Family Concerts and the PPG Industries Foundation for being a presenting partner of Fiddlesticks Family Concerts. This series is endowed by Gerald and Audrey McGinnis, honoring the Center for Young Musicians. Pittsburgh Symphony Education & Community Engagement programs also are supported by the Allegheny Regional Asset District.


WOMEN AND GIRLS ACHIEVEMENT

Women and Elective Office: Making a Difference
May 7, 2014  |  9 - 10 AM  |  Harrisburg, PA - Main Capitol Building Room 418
A panel discussion focusing on why more women should run for public office. Panelists will offer insights and anecdotes about the campaign trail and their time in office.

Panelist Biographies:
  • Cumberland County Commissioner Barbara Cross was elected to the Board of Commissioners in November 2011 and is currently serving her second term in office. A U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Commissioner Cross served on Governor Corbett's transition team for Veteran Affairs and is currently serving on U.S. Senator Patrick Toomey's Military Academy Screening Committee. In May 2012, Commissioner Cross was appointed by Governor Corbett to serve as a member of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women.
  • Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper was elected to her current position in November 2013. Dahlkemper served the 3rd district of Pennsylvania as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009-2011. In office she worked on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 including authoring the amendment which provides heath coverage for young adults under 26. Previously, Kathy spent many years working in her family business and has acted as an adjunct professor at Penn State Erie.
  • State Representative Kate Harper serves the 61st Legislative District of Pennsylvania. Kate was appointed chairman of the Local Government Committee for the 2013-2014 legislative session. Kate also serves on the House Transportation Committee. Before being elected as a State Representative, Kate served as a township supervisor for more than a decade in Lower Gwynedd Township. She is a graduate of LaSalle University in Philadelphia and earned her law degree from Villanova University.
  • Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner is the County's top fiscal officer.  Previously, Chelsa served as a State Representative from 2006 to 2011 where she served on the Education, Transportation, and Urban Affairs committees and as Secretary and Vice Chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation. Before entering politics she worked as a Business Analyst for a large private corporation and as an attorney in private practice.

For more information and to register, click HERE.


2014 Women In Film and Television International Summit
May 16, 17 & 18, 2014  |  Westin Hotel & Convention Center
This conference is designed for anyone who is in the film and television industry or wants to be.

Men, women and young adults are welcome to attend this weekend to learn, network and make history.

This is the FIRST time a conference like this has ever been done in Pittsburgh.

Be there - learn, grow and meet the people in the industry who are making films and television programming happen !

Want to rub elbows with Catherine Hardwicke Director of Twilight ?   Come to the Opal Awards on Saturday evening where she will be honored with a Woman of Impact Award by the International Board of Directors.

Tickets to the Opals are $55.00 online - $75.00 at the door.  ($40.00 with a Summit pass).    This is a separately ticketed event from the Summit.

For more information click HERE


BUSINESS BUZZ

40 Under 40 Call for Nominations
40 under 40 recognizes 40 individuals under the age of 40 who are making a positive impact on the region's development.

Join Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP by nominating an individual who makes Pittsburgh a better place to live, work and play.

Particular attention will be paid to the nominee's overall commitment to and impact on the Pittsburgh region. A successful nomination describes the candidate's professional AND community involvement.

Nominations are due May 23.

Visit pittsburghmagazine.com/nominate to nominate an outstanding young person today!


How has the ACA helped PA?
Tuesday, April 29  |  6:00 PM

Hear from Health and Human Services (HHS) Regional Director Joanne Grossi on:
  • How many people have gotten covered;
  • Who's saving money on premiums;
  • What new consumer protections are in place;
  • What's next, including: Special Enrollment Periods, and Pennsylvania's progress (or lack thereof) in expanding access to coverage for low-income families.
The Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) is working to protect and expand access to high-quality, affordable health coverage for Pennsylvania families, seniors and small business. Not sure where to turn for help finding coverage or getting care? Contact us at: 1-877-570-3642.

After sharing the latest updates on the ACA's implementation and impact in PA, Director Grossi will stay on the call to take your questions.

Don't miss your chance to get the inside scoop!  Click HERE to RSVP for dial-in numbers.


Green Building Alliance Needs Your Help Winning a Bike Room and $1,000.00
Who Should Win the Dero Dream Bike Room?
Thanks to everyone for all your great submissions. We have narrowed our selections to the two finalists below. Please consider their entries carefully and vote for your favorite at the bottom of the page. The winner will receive up to $7,500 worth of Dero products, plus $1,000 to furnish and decorate their space.
The voting will close on April 30.

With a LEED Platinum office space and recognized by Bike Pittsburgh as a bike friendly employer, we realize the importance of cycling and the myriad benefits it has for our staff, their health, and the planet. Even in a very sustainably-minded organization like Green Building Alliance (GBA) , of 19 staff and interns, there’s a mix of regular, seasonal, occasional, irregular, and non-bikers. Whether the GBA bicyclist is GBA’s CEO or intern, those of us who have ever used our current bike room find it sad and dingy. We believe that a gorgeous new bike room from Dero could become the centerpiece of our LEED Platinum office – and we would love to show it off to the hundreds of people who tour our office space every year, whether on formal tours or just as general visitors. Our vision for the coolest bike room in Pittsburgh starts with our commitment to biking as an alternative to carbon-based transport and showcasing how Dero’s fabulously awesome products make bike commuting, transportation, storage, and display all easier, fashionable, sustainable, and fun! Above all, we look forward to inspiring more people to bike to work, reduce their carbon footprint, and lead healthier lives!


HIGH SCHOOL and UNIVERSITY NEWS

PNC gifts RMU $400K to Boost Business School Technology
Source:  Pittsburgh Business Times
Written By:  Justine Coyne  |  April 22, 2014
Robert Morris University announced Tuesday it has received a $400,000 grant from the PNC Foundation that the university will use to fund educational technology and student engagement activities.

RMU said it will rebrand its food court in the Nicholson Center as the PNC Colonial Cafe in honor of the gift.

PNC previously gave the university $520,000 to fund the PNC Trading Center in the School of Business Building, which includes Bloomberg stations and a real-time digital stock ticker. RMU said this latest gift will help the university further leverage the existing trade center technology.

RMU said PNC is one of the largest employers of its alumni, about 200 graduates.

“Robert Morris University contributes greatly to the talent we and other southwestern Pennsylvania employers require to grow our businesses,” Sy Holzer, PNC Bank regional president for Pittsburgh, said in a statement. “The quality of its education and students helps ensure that we can compete in an economy that is increasingly based on knowledge and skills.”

Read the entire article HERE


Congratulations to RaNaja Kennedy, a Senior at Propel ANDREW STREET High School
RaNaja was an award winner in "The Big Read" sponsored by CCAC. Additionally, RaNaja was also recently awarded a scholarship from the VA Hospital for giving over 100 hours of community service. In addition to being a Propel FAST Scholarship recipient, RaNaja will attend Harrisburg University and receive a scholarship there as well. Outstanding work!

The Big Read in Pittsburgh
The Big Read in Pittsburgh is a month-long series of free outreach events designed to promote literacy, reading and open dialogue within our community.
The 2014 series will focus on author Tim O’Brien’sThe Things They Carried, a powerful collection of vignettes about the Vietnam War written from the soldier’s perspective.
The Closing Event for The Big Read in Pittsburgh will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, 4141 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213.
The event will feature student contest winners, a documentary film, music, performances, refreshments and more. RSVP to 412.469.6301 orOneCollege@ccac.edu.
The Big Read closing celebration is made possible by a generous donation from the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum.
Check back regularly for more information on the upcoming calendar of events.
The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The Big Read in Pittsburgh is a project of the CCAC One College...One Community initiative.


NON-PROFIT EVENTS
SPONSORED BY BLACKTIE PITTSBURGH
Benefit Dance-A-Thon For Breast Cancer Survivors
Saturday, May 3, 2014  |  9 PM - 1 AM  |  JT'S AT THE CLUB - The Club Health & Fitness Center

Put your dancing shoes on and dance your way to better health & raise money for Breast Cancer Survivors.
Come alone, bring friends, bring a date, just come...

Have fun and learn Salsa, African Dance, Hip Hop, Reggae, Line Dancing, etc. from some of the top dance instructors in Pittsburgh.
Reserve your ticket today!!!!  Admission: $10.00
For Tickets & More Information  Call 412.421.7100
Partial proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Survivors so they may attend The Ultimate 2 Day Retreat
on Saturday May 10, 2014  at little to no cost.
Sponsored By: Diva Retreats, TheUltimateBeautySpa.com, and TheSoulPitt.com


Cocktails & Cuisine presented by Crisis Center North
Friday, May 16, 2014  |  6 – 10 PM  |  The Woodlands

Eat, Drink, Shop, and Celebrate Spring!  -  Lend support against Domestic Violence!

Live Auction Trips include: Costa Rico, The Wine Wonder and Romance of France, James Bond Secret Hideaways, 4 Star Isle of Capri, Lights, Camera, Emmy Awards!


Get Tickets Today or for more information visit CrisisCenterNorth.org


ROVING PITTSBURGHER REPORT

Youth is Wasted on the Young
From: Roving Pittsburgher Report
Written By: Joyce Kane  |  April 26, 2014
The prolific playwright, critic, novelist and essayist, George Bernard Shaw is featured with the current production of the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s British Invasion. Candida, one of Shaw’s earlier works and part of the trilogy penned under Plays Pleasant, is a study in human relationship’s: husband/wife, employer/employee, poet/enabling wannabe (to the poet) paramour, father –in-law/son-in-law. Shaw weaves the playful rhythm, tone and wit of language bred from his native Ireland. Humor is frequent and the audience appreciates the well-phrased and delivered commentary of the then-current societal mores. While some elements of the conversations appear dated (the use of cant, for example, was last heard in a long ago class on literature) , the majority of the dialogue transcends time, as appropriate in Victorian England as it is in the 21st Century Pittsburgh.

Read the entire review at Roving Pittsburgher Report


Other Woman at Carmike Cinema in Southland on Rte. 51 in West Mifflin
Critics may have panned it but we found it to be fun. It wasn't supposed to be rocket science. But there is nothing that Cameron Diaz does in movies that is not absolutely hysterical, add a supposedly dumb blonde and an unassuming housewife with CEO potential that she doesn't know exists and you have a recipe for FUN! See it and laugh a little, you don't have to be a critic just laugh at some antics that are very funny. Oh and casting Don Johnson (Miami Vice) as Carly's father, the aging lethario is sheer genius and he still looks pretty hot.

Bahama Breeze in Robinson
Popeye's Lousisiana Kitchen, Southside

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News Posted By: Stephanie Curtice
This was reported as a reproduction of PositivelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith.
(c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2014 All rights reserved.

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