Positively Pittsburgh Live News 6-24-13
Part I
Part I: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TECHNOGRANNY Warren Haynes with Music of Jerry Garcia at PS0, Luke Wholey's Wild Alaskan Grill, Isis Egyptian Cafe, Clifford the Big Red Dog & Children's Museum 30th Anniversary, Grill on 7th, Fleetwood Mac Tribute Bands at Hard Rock Cafe
CULTURAL CLUES: Quantum Theatre Mnemonic, Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, SUMMER GALLERY CRAWL THE CULTURAL DISTRICT WITH EXTENDED HOURS, Pittsburgh CLO Auditions for Judge Jackie Justice, The Trials of Love, Pittsburgh Opera Paul's Case, Broadway star Patrick Cassidy directs Oklahoma! Point Park University Conservatory Theatre Company
KIDS KORNER: Wind in the Willows, Hush hit musical Spelling Bee highlight Playhouse Jr.
KIDS KORNER: Wind in the Willows, Hush hit musical Spelling Bee highlight Playhouse Jr.
WOMEN AND GIRLS ADVANCEMENT: YWCA Addresses Violence Against Women, Global Forum Empowering Women Advancing Economic Growth
BUSINESS BUZZ: Pittsburgh 12th in nation for job growth, Entrepreneurial Thursdays Young Entrepreneurs, SBA revises small business size standards
Where in the World is TechnoGranny?
On Tuesday she was hanging out with symphony fans and dead heads at the symphony and Warren Haynes on lead vocals and guitar from Government Mule and the Allman Brothers. Also dining at Luke Wholey’s Wild Alaskan Grill and Isis Egyptian Café. At Clifford, the Big Red Dog and Children’s Museum 30th Anniversary, Grill on 7th, and Fleetwood Mac Tribute Bands at Hard Rock Café.
Cultural Clues
Quantum Theatre to open the premiere by an American company of Mnemonic
Quantum Theatre, known for its deep experimentation, including staging its productions in unique places that aren’t theatres, is the first American company to be entrusted with British company Complicite’s devised 1999 text, Mnemonic. The show won the London Drama Critics Award for Best Play, and its subsequent Off-Broadway run at John Jay College won numerous Drama Desk and Lortel Awards, including ‘most unique theatrical experience.’ Mnemonic helped put Simon McBurney, Complicite’s internationally renowned artistic leader, on the map as one of the greatest theatre artists of our age.
The show is an exploration of memory, telling parallel, seemingly unconnected stories: the brouhaha surrounding the discovery of an unidentified body in the Italian/Austrian Alps; and a woman’s quest through Eastern Europe in search of the father she never knew. We learn the story of that woman, Alice, through her boyfriend, Virgil, whom she’s abruptly left. Like him, we’re two steps behind her but trying to catch up… and suddenly brilliant Mnemonic connects the dots not only between these two, and between Alice and her missing father, but keeps those dots going back, back, to Neolithic times in the greater human story, to this glacial corpse – a real person whose finding riveted the scientific community, and soon the world, in 1991. Because he wasn’t the Italian piano teacher who went missing in the 1940s, and he wasn’t a couple hundred years old as next surmised, he was 5,200 years old. 5200. And exactly as he was when, exhausted, he laid his head on a rock never to rise again. Read the entire release here.
Barefoot Contessa is coming to Pittsburgh!
Thursday, October 17
7:30pm • Benedum Center
The best-selling cookbook author and star of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa is coming to Pittsburgh! Ina Garten shares her natural approach to food; sharing tips, stories, and maybe even some recipes. Onstage, Ina Garten delivers a charming insider’s view of the world of the Barefoot Contessa and the pleasures of good food, cooked with love and passion, and engages the audience in an interactive Q&A.
Use promo code BAREFOOT to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the public Friday, June 28! To Buy Tickets: Online at TrustArts.org; Call 412-456-6666; Box Office at Theater Square; Groups 10+ Tickets 412-471-6930. This is a Mills Entertainment presentation. Regular Trust ticketing policies may not apply.
SUMMER GALLERY CRAWL ANNOUNCED FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICT WITH EXTENDED HOURS
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announced the date and time for its July Gallery Crawl today. On Friday, July 12, 2013, from 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., the crawl will showcase a wide variety of thought provoking art exhibitions in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. Live bands, DJs, dance, comedy, and participatory activities are also part of the complimentary happenings
during the crawl.
“Visitors can enjoy spending their summer evening in the Cultural District with over 30 event stops during the Gallery Crawl. Catch a free ride around the District on a Green Gears Pedicab! A few highlights include new exhibit openings at Wood Street Galleries, SPACE, 707 and 709 Penn Galleries. Music is a big part of the evening as well,” comments Darcy Kucenic, Director of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh & Manager of Education and Operations with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Read the entire release here.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announced the date and time for its July Gallery Crawl today. On Friday, July 12, 2013, from 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., the crawl will showcase a wide variety of thought provoking art exhibitions in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. Live bands, DJs, dance, comedy, and participatory activities are also part of the complimentary happenings
“Visitors can enjoy spending their summer evening in the Cultural District with over 30 event stops during the Gallery Crawl. Catch a free ride around the District on a Green Gears Pedicab! A few highlights include new exhibit openings at Wood Street Galleries, SPACE, 707 and 709 Penn Galleries. Music is a big part of the evening as well,” comments Darcy Kucenic, Director of Highmark First Night Pittsburgh & Manager of Education and Operations with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Read the entire release here.
Pittsburgh CLO to Hold Auditions for the Staged Reading of Judge Jackie Justice, The Trials of Love
Principals must be available September 30, 2013 – October 5, 2013.
Who
Five actors who can sing well for a staged reading of a new musical.
JACKIE (Female - 50s): Mezzo, Belt. Sharp witted, cynical television judge.
HENRY (40s): Tenor. Jackie’s mild-mannered, insecure bailiff.
SHANE (40s): Baritone. Smarmy television executive. Also plays several small roles, Including Jackie’s pompous ex-husband, a government agent, a ventriloquist and a zombie .
WOMAN #1 (20’S-30’S): Versatile Singer, mix and belt abilities. Plays a variety of roles.
MAN # 1 (20’S-30’S): Versatile Tenor. Plays a variety of roles.
By appointment – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday, July 27 at the CLO Academy. Callbacks will be Sunday, July 28. Please call or email to schedule an audition time. Pittsburgh CLO Academy, 130 Academy Avenue, 8th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Requirements: Auditioners should prepare two songs of their best material; one uptempo and one ballad. Bring legible sheet music in the correct key; Applications can be downloaded from our website, www.pittsburghclo.org/pages/clo_auditions or picked up at the audition; Requests for an audition appointment should be e-mailed to CabaretAuditions@pittsburghclo.org, and include a preferred time range, which will be honored as sign-ups permit. If e-mail is not available, please call 412-281-3973 x 234. E-mail is highly preferred.
JACKIE (Female - 50s): Mezzo, Belt. Sharp witted, cynical television judge.
HENRY (40s): Tenor. Jackie’s mild-mannered, insecure bailiff.
SHANE (40s): Baritone. Smarmy television executive. Also plays several small roles, Including Jackie’s pompous ex-husband, a government agent, a ventriloquist and a zombie .
WOMAN #1 (20’S-30’S): Versatile Singer, mix and belt abilities. Plays a variety of roles.
MAN # 1 (20’S-30’S): Versatile Tenor. Plays a variety of roles.
By appointment – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday, July 27 at the CLO Academy. Callbacks will be Sunday, July 28. Please call or email to schedule an audition time. Pittsburgh CLO Academy, 130 Academy Avenue, 8th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Requirements: Auditioners should prepare two songs of their best material; one uptempo and one ballad. Bring legible sheet music in the correct key; Applications can be downloaded from our website, www.pittsburghclo.org/pages/clo_auditions or picked up at the audition; Requests for an audition appointment should be e-mailed to CabaretAuditions@pittsburghclo.org, and include a preferred time range, which will be honored as sign-ups permit. If e-mail is not available, please call 412-281-3973 x 234. E-mail is highly preferred.
Pittsburgh Opera General Director Christopher Hahn has announced that Gregory Spears’s opera Paul’s Case is the Second Stage Project for 2014. The Second Stage Project is an additional showcase for the company’s Resident Artists, some of whom have gone on to sing on the world’s most famous stages. The opera runs February 22 – March 2, 2014 in the
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| Paul's Case |
Paul’s Case, by 36-year-old Gregory Spears, with a libretto by Mr. Spears and Kathryn Walat, is based on Willa Cather’s 1905 short story. Paul is a high school “dandy” whose artistic and social aspirations drive him to escape from sooty turn-of-the-century Pittsburgh. He defies his headmaster and his father, steals money, and goes to New York City to live the high life at the Waldorf Astoria. After a drunken night with a Yale student, reality comes crashing down, and Paul’s longings are crushed in a wrenching finale. Read the entire release here.
Broadway star Patrick Cassidy will direct Oklahoma! for Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre Company in October.
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| Patrick Cassidy |
Oklahoma! opens Friday, Oct. 18 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Rockwell Theatre at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. The production opens the Conservatory Theatre Company’s season, which runs Oct. 18-April 19, 2014.Cassidy recently played Professor Harold Hill opposite his mother, Shirley Jones, in sold-out performances of The Music Man at the Sacramento Music Circus. He also recreated the role his father, Jack Cassidy, originated in 1966, in the Dallas Theater Center's production of It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman. He then went on to star opposite Patti LuPone in Annie Get Your Gun for the Ravinia Theater Festival, directed by Lonny Price. On Broadway, Cassidy has been seen as Julian Marsh in 42nd Street, in Elton John’s Aida (as well as the national tour for which he won the 2002 National Broadway Theater Award for Best Actor in a Touring Musical), Annie Get Your Gun, The Pirates of Penzance, and Leader of the Pack. Read the entire release here.
Kids Korner
Playhouse Jr., Point Park University’s family and children’s theatre company and the nation’s
The 2013-2014 season features two musicals – The Wind in the Willows and the ever-popular Tony Award-winning 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – and an allegorical drama, Hush: An Interview with America. Playhouse Jr. will offer performances for school and community groups on weekday mornings, May 7 – June 6, 2014, and public performances on weekends May 10 – June 8, 2014.
Playhouse Jr. field trip tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 19, and cost $6. Subscriptions and single tickets will go on sale Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. Subscription packages are $15, single tickets $7 each. Those who purchase three subscriptions get the fourth free. To order a season subscription, contact the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office by phone 412.392.8000, or online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com.
Women and Girls Advacement
YWCA Addresses Violence Against Women
Violence against women, in its many forms, has no demographic boundaries. It is known to all age groups, all races, all religions, and all socioeconomic backgrounds. A woman is battered every 15 seconds in the United States, and 700,000 women are raped every year. No community is immune, and violence against women is a serious problem around the globe. According to the World Bank, at least one out of every five women in the world has been physically abused or sexually assaulted. (Source: YWCA USA Week Without Violence.)
On August 29, 2013, from 12:00-1:00pm, the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Pirates will create emergency kits for greater Pittsburgh domestic violence shelters and organizations. These kits will contain new/unopened personal hygiene and toiletry items, sorted and stored in individual Ziploc bags, for safe and easy distribution to women and children at the residential facilities and shelters. Staff/volunteers from the shelters will also be on hand to accept larger household items that will allow women and children to create their own living spaces free from violence and abuse. The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh asks for your donations during the months of June, July and August for the new/unopened items listed below. Donations will be shared with the following organizations: Alle-Kiski Area Hope Center, Inc.; Crisis Center North; Womansplace, Inc.; Women’s Center and Shelter; and YWCA Women’s Resource Center. YWCA Greater Pittsburgh is located in downtown Pittsburgh (412.391.5100).
Please deliver all donations to the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh (305 Wood St, downtown Pittsburgh) through 11:00 AM on August 29, 2013
New bed sheets (single and double); New underwear (boys) and robes (ladies); Diapers & pull-ups (all sizes)l New bath & hand towels (all colors/sizes); Bathroom mats and rugs; Kitchen towels and utensils; Silverware, can openers, dishes; Gas and grocery gift cards; Educational toys and books (T-5 yrs);Travel size soap, shampoo, conditioner; Deodorant and wash cloths; Other small personal care hygiene items; Gently used small appliances (alarm clocks, hair dryers, coffee makers).
For the same price as an average lunch, you can make a "World of Difference" in a woman's life.
This year's Global Forum and World of Difference Awards' theme is Empowering Women: Advancing Economic Growth. Your contribution can help women from countries all over the world come together and gain knowledge that they can take home to their villages, families and businesses. It's a once in a lifetime experience for many, and you can help for as little as $10.
These women will learn more about other cultures and countries through education and enrich their lives when they return home. A small donation will make a significant impact and with just a
We are funded solely on private and corporate donations and 100% of your donation goes to keep these worthwhile programs alive.
Many of these women would never have the opportunity to learn from leaders and other cultures to better their lives. You have the power to change this! By sharing the inspiring stories of their accomplishments, these awardees are honored in testament to the growing recognition that women's economic empowerment is vital to all forms of growth and progress in societies worldwide. Every single dollar has impact toward building a better education and economic future for women on a global basis! Details here.
Business Buzz
Pittsburgh 12th in nation for job growth
The total nonfarm job figure for May 2013 in the Pittsburgh region was 1,1708,700, and the year-over-year job growth rate was 0.9 percent, which was below the benchmark average of
Over the five-year period from May 2008 to May 2013, the Pittsburgh region gained 16,800 nonfarm jobs. Pittsburgh's job growth rate over the past five years was 1.4 percent.
Thanks for your interest,Douglas Heuck, Program Director, PittsburghTODAY
"Jessica Lee's Entrepreneurial Thursdays"
Musical Networking Happy Hour, EVERY THURSDAY!!! Cover Charge: Only $5.00
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| Jessica Lee |
Featuring interviews with:
Co-host Thomas R. Hana, Financial Repreesentative www.nmfn.com
Jerry Cozewith, President - Entrepreneuring Youth www.EYouthamerica.org
Jake Voelker, Co-Owner - PA Brew Tours www.pabrewtours.com
Jerry Cozewith, President - Entrepreneuring Youth www.EYouthamerica.org
Jake Voelker, Co-Owner - PA Brew Tours www.pabrewtours.com
Rae Coleman,Owner - Enhanced Creativity
Stefano Gridelli, CEO Netbeez
Chris Potenza, President & CEO Odyssey Endeavors Inc.
Stefano Gridelli, CEO Netbeez
Chris Potenza, President & CEO Odyssey Endeavors Inc.
The Small Business Administration has changed some of its standards that determine which businesses are small enough to receive benefits from the organization.
Story Highlights:
SBA revised standards for a small business will add 17,000 more companies
Those businesses are eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans and government contracts
Annual revenue size standards for 25 industries went to $35.5 million from $7 million
The federal government has -- in some cases, drastically -- revised standards that determine which businesses are small enough to receive Small Business Administration aid.
The rule changes affect 70 industries and go into effect July 22, when more than 17,000 firms not eligible for SBA benefits will begin to qualify, the SBA said Thursday.
For 25 industries, including consumer lending and sports team, among others, the average annual revenue size standard was increased to $35.5 million from $7 million.
There are two key benefits to qualifying as a small business, says Khem Sharma, chief of the SBA's division of size and standards.
Businesses become eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans and, more importantly, they are added to the agency's database of firms eligible for government contracts.
Federal agencies are supposed to give at least 23% of government-awarded contracts to small businesses, the Sharma said. Being included in the database makes it easier for agencies to locate small businesses, especially when they are searching for potential contractors based on specific criteria.
For example, says SBA spokeswoman Tiffani Clements, "If you're looking for woman-owned businesses in different industries, you can do a search for those particular businesses."
Being in the database puts small businesses on a more level playing field with much-larger rivals. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to the revised standards, Sharma says. Some small businesses will have more room to grow without fear of losing government contract eligibility.
The downside is that some smaller companies might lose out on contracts to the new "larger small businesses," Sharma said.
The SBA plans to keep a close watch on the awarding of federal contracts to determine whether adding more companies to the database is beneficial. If the SBA concludes it's harmful, it will affect the next round of revisions to size standards, Sharma says.
Typically, the SBA reviews size standards about every five years, in part to adjust for the impact of inflation on a company's annual revenue and other metrics. This round of adjustments was based on market shifts, including the average size of companies, within 70 industries.
More rule changes are coming the next few years as part of the implementation of the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act, the SBA said.
This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2013 All rights reserved.
Listen to the show online here.
Tara Darazio is a Positively Pittsburgh Live reporter, an independent copywriter, blogger, article writer, and social media strategist. If you are in need of writing assistance, or need help with your social media efforts connect with Tara on LinkedIn here.
Story Highlights:
SBA revised standards for a small business will add 17,000 more companies
Those businesses are eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans and government contracts
Annual revenue size standards for 25 industries went to $35.5 million from $7 million
The federal government has -- in some cases, drastically -- revised standards that determine which businesses are small enough to receive Small Business Administration aid.
The rule changes affect 70 industries and go into effect July 22, when more than 17,000 firms not eligible for SBA benefits will begin to qualify, the SBA said Thursday.
For 25 industries, including consumer lending and sports team, among others, the average annual revenue size standard was increased to $35.5 million from $7 million.
There are two key benefits to qualifying as a small business, says Khem Sharma, chief of the SBA's division of size and standards.
Businesses become eligible for SBA-guaranteed loans and, more importantly, they are added to the agency's database of firms eligible for government contracts.
Federal agencies are supposed to give at least 23% of government-awarded contracts to small businesses, the Sharma said. Being included in the database makes it easier for agencies to locate small businesses, especially when they are searching for potential contractors based on specific criteria.
For example, says SBA spokeswoman Tiffani Clements, "If you're looking for woman-owned businesses in different industries, you can do a search for those particular businesses."
Being in the database puts small businesses on a more level playing field with much-larger rivals. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to the revised standards, Sharma says. Some small businesses will have more room to grow without fear of losing government contract eligibility.
The downside is that some smaller companies might lose out on contracts to the new "larger small businesses," Sharma said.
The SBA plans to keep a close watch on the awarding of federal contracts to determine whether adding more companies to the database is beneficial. If the SBA concludes it's harmful, it will affect the next round of revisions to size standards, Sharma says.
Typically, the SBA reviews size standards about every five years, in part to adjust for the impact of inflation on a company's annual revenue and other metrics. This round of adjustments was based on market shifts, including the average size of companies, within 70 industries.
More rule changes are coming the next few years as part of the implementation of the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act, the SBA said.
Listen to the show online here.
Tara Darazio is a Positively Pittsburgh Live reporter, an independent copywriter, blogger, article writer, and social media strategist. If you are in need of writing assistance, or need help with your social media efforts connect with Tara on LinkedIn here.
