Positively Pittsburgh Live News 12-17-12

Positively Pittsburgh Live News

12-17-12

Listen to the show online here

First Night Pittsburgh Celebration
December 31 | 6pm - midnight
Pittsburgh's Cultural District

ALL ACCESS BUTTONS AVAILABLE NOW!

Have fun downtown at the region’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration! Highmark First Night Pittsburgh celebrates the arts and our community. Experience live music, dance, theater, magic, comedy, visual art, film, and hands-on activities for all ages. There’s something for everyone! See up to 150 arts-focused and family-friendly events at nearly 50 indoor and outdoor venues.  See the full schedule of events.

Subscribe to the Highmark First Night Pittsburgh email list to receive email updates about Highmark First Night Pittsburgh 2013.To Buy Buttons: Online at TrustArts.org; Call 412-456-6666; or visit the Box Office at Theater Square.

***

***************WIN FREE PASSES TO OVERLY'S!!!!***********

Share your Christmas Decoration pictures and have a chance to get one of ten passes for a carload to Overly Country Christmas at Westmoreland Fairgrounds. Send your pictures of your home or office decorations to: info@pplmag.com

Jpeg's only please. Also need: full name, address, email, and phone number

The best ten pictures will be chosen to receive the Carload Passes for Overly but all pictures will be posted in a video with Christmas music with your name so we all know how wonderful your lights are. The video will be posted between Christmas and New Year's on the front page of: http://pplmag.com

Last date to send in your pictures so that you can get and use your passes: December 20, 2012 at Midnight. Overly's runs through January 5.

***

"Jessica Lee's Entrepreneurial Thursdays"

Musical Networking Happy Hour, EVERY THURSDAY!!! Cover Charge: Only $5.00

Vocalist Jessica Lee & Friends, Little E's Jazz & Blues Club,

949 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, 2nd Floor above Mahoney's Restaurant

5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Jessica Lee

Pre-show networking session at 5:30 pm. Informal matchmaking for job seekers, employers & new entrepreneurs! Live music starts at 6:00 pm.

December 20, 2012:

"Holiday Show  Last Minute Shoppers"

Featuring interviews with:

Co-host:  Amy Calligaro, Miche Handbags www.amycalligaro.miche.com

Katie Calligaro, Silpada Designs Jewelry www.mysilpada.com/katie.calligaro

Lynn McQuire, Mary Kay Cosmetics www.marykay.com/lmcguire2

Ken Heusey, Kenneth Heusey Productions www.khprod.com

Mary Beth Kratsas, MBK Photography www.mbkphotos.com

Martin Thomas Stone Jewelry

J. Gregory Olverson, Artist

***

Andrew Varela (Javert), Les Misérables
 Photo by Deen van Meer

LES MISÉRABLES CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTCasting for Cameron Mackintosh’s new 25^th anniversary production of Les Misérables has been announced for the premiere Pittsburgh engagement at the Benedum Center, Tuesday, January 15 through Sunday, January 27, 2013. The all new production of Les Misérables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. 

Les Misérables is part of the PNC Broadway Across America – Pittsburgh series presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

Peter Lockyer portrays the fugitive Jean Valjean. He is joined by Andrew Varela as Javert, Timothy Gulan as Thénardier, Shawna M. Hamic as Madame Thénardier, Genevieve Leclerc as Fantine, Jason Forbach as Enjolras, Briana Carlson-Goodman as Éponine, Devin Ilaw as Marius and Lauren Wiley as Cosette.  Erin Cearlock and Ava Della Pietra alternate in the role of Little Cosette/Young Éponine.  Joshua Colley and Hayden Wall alternate in the role of Gavroche.  For more information on the production, engagement dates, and locations please visit www.LesMis.com.

***

Ready to Run

Local election season is upon us and we are asking members of the community to identify and recruit women in the community (perhaps yourself!) to consider participating in the public leadership process. The Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics at Chatham University is offering-- Ready to Run™, a one day, bipartisan campaign training for women.

This is the only one day program that utilizes both national and local experts to build your skill set. It will be offered on Saturday, January 12, 2013 at the Chatham University, Shadyside Campus.The early bird rate of $50 expires next Friday, December 21st! Register online HERE!

Ready to Run program attendees walk away with: "How to" instructions on running for office; Fundraising and media skills; Real world advice and best practices from experts; Strategies for positioning yourself for public leadership; Inspiration to launch a campaign; and a better understanding of party politics.

***

Immaculate Reception Memories

It has been 40 years since the famous “Immaculate Reception” play was set in history. The History Center will host a special public event on Saturday, December 22, titled, “Immaculate Reception Memories,” where fans can relive the greatest play in NFL history with those directly involved in it. The event, which begins at noon, will feature the screening of a new NFL Films documentary along with special appearances by members of the 1972 Steelers team, including Franco Harris, John "Frenchy" Fuqua, Andy Russell, Rocky Bleier, Mike Wagner, and more.

Franco Harris, Courtesy of Heinz
History Center website

Also scheduled to appear are fans involved in the play, including Jim Baker, who owns the Immaculate Reception game ball that is currently on display in the Gridiron Glory: The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition, and Sharon Levosky, who helped launch the name of the "Immaculate Reception" on Myron Cope's television show.

The "Immaculate Reception Memories" event is expected to sell out, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $25 for History Center members. All tickets include admission to Gridiron Glory and all History Center exhibitions. For complete information, visit the Heinz History Center Website.

***

‘SINGING CITY’ CHORAL CONCERT SHOWCASING 2,300 SINGERS OPENS PSO’S INAUGURAL MUSIC FOR THE SPIRIT FESTIVAL IN APRIL

Tickets available for April 20-28 festival events, including Singing City concert at Petersen Events Center, world premieres, lectures, recitals, concerts, book discussions and much more

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will hold its first Music for the Spirit Festival in April, with an extraordinary series of special concerts, recitals, discussions and other events throughout the city of Pittsburgh.

Through Music for the Spirit, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra demonstrates its deep commitment to the community, using the power of music to promote and spread a spiritual and universal message in churches, synagogues, mosques and community centers. As part of Music for the Spirit, the PSO held free concerts at St. Paul Cathedral in 2011, and at Rodef Shalom Congregation earlier this year.

Tickets for the Singing City concert are $20 for the general public, $10 for students with valid I.D., and $5 for children 12 and under. For tickets or more information, visit www.pittsburghsymphony.org.

***

Steeltown Heroes: A Teen One!

Amber Liggett is a junior in high school, a member of the National Honor Society and the international Tri-M Music Honor Society.

Amber Liggett

Amber won the Shyne award for the business category for Amber's Amazing Animal Balloons this August and Black Enterprise's Teenpreneur of the year in May! On New Year's Eve, she will be at 5th Avenue Place doing balloons for First Night.

She is also in the process of further developing her business and hiring young people to work with her. You can see Amber’s creations at wwwambersballoons.com, on her Facebook and on Twitter @ambersballoons.

In her freshmen year in high school, Amber wrote a bill that would go on to become HB 1535 in the PA State House. She decided to write this bill after a personal experience in which she was being stalked and harassed by an adult and sought protection under the law with no success. 
She could not get a restraining order from her stalker because in her case the stalker was a stranger. In our state you have to be related to the person, or have had an intimate relationship with them to get a PFA or restraining order from them. In 38 other states she would have been protected, but not in Pennsylvania. Amber’s bill would change that.

Her bill will allow those who don’t meet the current “relationship nexus” to obtain a restraining order. It covers a variety of different offenses including stalking, harassment, kidnapping, sexual assault, and more. State Representative Harhai, introduced her bill to the legislature in 2010.

Fast forward three years later to WGF’s GirlGov program 2012.Amber’s bill was still sitting in committee. She learned at GirlGov about the importance of advocacy which is a skill many other programs leave out. If you want to make a difference, and get results, then you need advocacy skills.

WGF has helped Amber personally with her bill in many ways. WGF is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure women have the support they need to overcome barriers. She is so thankful for having the support of WGF and the GirlGov girls behind her bill. They are helping Amber to develop a strategy to reintroduce her bill into the legislature this year, and will be with her 100% every step of the way. And Amber will be calling on all of you to engage in advocacy efforts with her to help this bill become law before she graduates high school in June 2013! She supports WGF because of their commitment to ensuring that women have the skills, opportunities, and support they need to reach their goals.

Please consider making an online donation to WGF before the end of the year. WGF will use your gift to support the efforts of women and girls like Amber working to advance women’s rights at the policy level in our state. The support of WGF, the GirlGov girls, and donors like you means so much to Amber.

***

Roving Pittsburgher Report

Manheim Steamroller
If you were a first timer showing up at the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Concert at the Benedum Center on December 11 or 12 looking for traditional Christmas Carols played by an orchestra, well you got a pleasant surprise. This was like no other concert I have ever been to. Just the level of talent and diversity of instruments of each member of the group was truly inspirational. 

The multimedia presentation behind the music was revolutionary in its ability to keep the audience’s mind planted solely on the theme for each rendition. The comments after the show on the way out were, “Where were all of those sounds coming from?” I mean the wind instrument echoed a choir and it was a bit confusing when you didn’t see one on stage or on the screen behind it. We sat in a row with a young couple who had five girls with them aging from 6 to 11 and they were as spellbound as the adults. Read the full review here. 

***

Burgatory: 300 McHolme Dr.,Pittsburgh, PA 15275, 412.809.9400
There are plenty of places to get a good burger, but not many to get a great burger. You can get a great burger here. But to me, that was not the highlight, the highlight was the homemade chips and the loaded nachos with everything but the kitchen sink on them. They are listed as a starter but are a meal in themselves. Also, the sides are amazing, especially the quinoa salad. There is plenty of local color if you like to read signs and don’t’ know what to talk about to your dinner partner.

***

Lazzaro Law Party at Latitude 40
The Law Office of Martin E. Lazzaro has concentrated its efforts for over fifteen years on fighting for the rights of accident victims. Their primary goal has been to efficiently and thoroughly handle claims of accident victims with the personal and professional attention that each client deserves. They represent automobile accident victims on a contingent fee basis. That means they do not get paid a fee unless a recovery is made. Call them at 1-800-I-GOT-HIT or visit them online. http://1800igothit.com/

What a great place to have a party, over 200 guests attended in one of the private banquet rooms at Latitude 40. The place includes a game room with over 80 interactive video & redemption games, the Axis Bar with stage and dance floor and the 360 Grille, an upscale, casual contemporary-American restaurant that features fire-grilled entrees to the freshest seafood and hand-crafted salads.

We were able to see videos of all of the previous parties on the amazing huge screen at the front of the room. There were also strolling performers and as always the Latitude 40 buffet, appetizers and dessert were amazing.

***

This was reported as a reproduction of PositvelyPittsburghLive news done by Joanne Quinn-Smith. (c) Joanne Quinn-Smith and PositivelyPittsburghLive(TM) 2012 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.