Positively Pittsburgh Live News 2-25-13

Positively Pittsburgh Live News

2-25-13

Śląsk Polish Ensemble:  60^th Anniversary Tour

The song and dance group, Śląsk Polish Ensemble will be performing at the Byham Theater on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. As one of the largest Polish folk ensembles, they have performed over 6,000 shows all over the world. Their 60th Anniversary Tour will celebrate the vivid and dynamic folk music and dance of Poland with an 80-member ensemble and stunning, traditional costumes.

Śląsk Polish Song and Dance Ensemble was formed in 1953 by renowned composer, educator and writer Stanisław Hadyna. Śląsk’s debut performance in Warsaw in 1954 profoundly impacted the country, and as a touring show the ensemble still delights and amazes audiences all over the world. The group is currently based in Koszęcin, Poland and tours worldwide. Read the entire release here.

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Rock's Dig for the Cure event raises $900 for breast cancer awareness
The seventh annual “Dig for the Cure” event sponsored by the Slippery Rock University women's volleyball team generated $900 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® foundation, event coordinator Erin Street announced Tuesday.

“We are extremely happy to again be able to assist the Komen foundation in their quest to improve breast cancer awareness and fight the dreaded disease,” said Street, The Rock's assistant volleyball coach. Read the entire release here. 

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We Are the Pittsburgh Marathon

Five years after its 2009 revival, the 2013 Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon expects a 30,000 participant sell-out. 2013 marks the year of fives for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, as Cinco de Mayo 2013 will not only recognize the fifth year of this race, but a course crossing five bridges, a ranking as one of the top five family-friendly marathons in the country, and five million cumulative dollars raised by the Run for a Reason Charity Program.

Due to this passion for charity and betterment of Pittsburgh’s community, runners can still register after the point of sell-out with the Run for a Reason Charity Program. The value that the Pittsburgh Marathon places on its charities every year is unmatched by any other race. In 2009, the Marathon started with five participating charities and has since grown to involve more than 70 local and national charities. To honor this growth since its inception, this year we feature five charities that have contributed significantly to the success of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc.

These charities include: The Animal Rescue League is represented by Executive Director, Dan Rossi. This charity has participated in the Pittsburgh Marathon for four years and is so far this year’s top fundraiser with more than $28,000 raised. Donations go towards anything from micro-chipping to a total month’s care for animals in the shelter. Best of all, Executive Director Dan Rossi will get an Animal Rescue League tattoo if he can raise $10,000!

Genre’s Kids with Cancer Fund is represented by Genre himself. This charity for childhood cancer support raised $25,000 through the 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon. Money raised for this charity provides children with cancer with iTunes games and songs, gaming systems, and gas cards for their families. Genre’s Kids’ mission is to help families living through childhood cancer emotionally, financially, and spiritually.

Pittsburgh Promise is represented by Executive Director Saleem Ghubril. 2013 marks the fifth year of Pittsburgh Promise’s participation in the Pittsburgh Marathon. In 2012, they raised $50,000. In efforts to provide access to higher education, they work toward a $250 million goal with $160 million already raised. Each dollar raised has the face of Promise scholar as this charity works to enhance its students, schools, and city.

Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank is represented by CEO Linda Scales. This food bank participated in the 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon and raised $15,000 with 68 runners to fight hunger and poverty in our region. For every dollar donated to this charity, $.94 goes directly to the community and they donate an average of 20 million pounds of food per year to agencies, where people who need food can register and get help.

The Oasis Recovery Center of Western PA is represented by Executive Director Dr. Karen Plavan PhD. As a first-year charity, Team Oasis works to raise money for addiction recovery. The recovery center provides pre and post-rehabilitation needs for addiction recovery. With an attitude of “We know. We can help,” the Oasis Recovery Center of Western PA is located on Penn Avenue and offers intervention and immediate response services.  

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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Presents Unspoken at the August Wilson Center

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre returns to the intimate theater setting of the August Wilson Center for an eclectic mixed repertory program featuring master choreographers George Balanchine, Antony Tudor and Mark Morris in Unspoken, onstage for seven performances March 8-17, 2014. 

Spanning works by 20th Century contemporaries George Balanchine and Antony Tudor to present-day dance force Mark Morris, the Unspoken program features Tudor’s evocative Jardin Aux Lilas (Lilac Garden), Balanchine’s classical Serenade and Morris’ joyful Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes. Read the entire release here.

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THE MICROSCOPIC OPERA COMPANY PRESENTS: The Little Sweep

The Little Sweep

 In celebration of Benjamin Britten’s birth centennial celebration, The Microscopic Opera Company presents The Little Sweep featuring professional singers and students from CAPA High School, and chamber orchestra (string quartet, four hand piano and percussion).

WHERE:  CAPA High School Theater

WHEN: March 1 (7:00PM) | March 2 (4:00 PM & 7:00PM)  | March 3 (2:00PM and 4:00PM)

TICKETS: $15 adult / $8 youth 18 and under |Available at:  www.microscopicopera.org

Read the entire release here. 

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Jazz Duo CD Release

April 13 - UPSTAIRS BALLROOM at the historic James Street Gastropub & Speakeasy - 8PM until MidnightAt the newly opened UPSTAIRS BALLROOM at the historic James Street Gastropub & Speakeasy, Singer Jessica Lee and Guitarist Mark Strickland will celebrate their Jazz Duo CD Release ("Silver Days, Charcoal Nights" CD) with a full band interpretation, featuring ROGER HUMPHRIES on drums, DAVID PELLOW on bass, and JAY WILLIS on saxophones. 

Visual artists will also be interpreting the CDs themes and show their visual art during the event, including jewelry, paintings and photography! 

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"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.

February 28 , 2013: "Hip, Urban Living!"

Featuring interviews with:

Co-host Tom Donoghue, AIA, LEED APProject Manager, Architect, MBA, Donoghue Project Consulting (www.donoghueprojectconsulting.com) 

Ron Jankowski, Owner - Hacienda  (www.Haciendapgh.com)

Stacia A. Christman, Owner - Easy Auto Wash (www.easyautowash.com)  

Downtown Pittsburgh Partnership (www.downtownpittsburgh.com)

Sean C. Luther, Pittsburgh 2030 District Director  (www.2030district.org)

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From our Friends at the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Arcade Comedy Theater Opens Downtown
Downtown Pittsburgh recently saw the grand opening of the newest addition to the Cultural District's already spectacular line-up of entertainment venues. The new Arcade Comedy Theater (811 Liberty Avenue) is here to fill all your needs for laughter! Their mission is to provide an interactive platform for players of all levels, both on-stage and off, to experience various forms of theatrical comedy, from proven standards to offbeat styles. 
Currently the theater has a variety of shows on its schedule including shows by Player One - Arcade Comedy Theater's own in-house Improv Group and performances by local comedians including Mike Wysocki of the 'DVE Morning Show and Aaron Kleiber.

Future plans include workshops and classes, starting in late March through Arcade Academy. Classes will start off on the topic of improv, but additional classes are planned in stand-up, children's classes and sketch-writing.

For full details and to sign-up for their newsletter, be sure to visit Arcade Comedy Theater's website.

Pittsburgh in the Cinema

Pittsburgh Film Office

It's hard NOT to think of the movies today - what with all the Oscar buzz reaching a fever pitch this week! Which makes it hard for us not to think about Pittsburgh's great new role as the much-monikered "Hollywood on the Mon!" Last year saw the release of arguably some of the most high-profile films featuring our picturesque Downtown. Of course, The Dark Knight Rises - is first to come to mind! The above photo was taken from the PDP office during the filming in Exchange Way. Tom Cruise brought Jack Reacher to life throughout the streets of Downtown. And Emma Watson's sheer joy in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, as she emerged from the tunnel onto the Ft. Pitt bridge, is easily relatable.

More films and television shows are currently slated to be filmed in Pittsburgh in the coming year. Are you interested in being an extra?  Maybe offering your home as a filming location? Check out the Pittsburgh Film Office website. It provides a wide variety of information about upcoming film projects and how you can get involved. It also includes a detailed listing of past Pittsburgh film projects.

Perhaps you just want to take in a great film. If so, be sure to keep an eye on the Pittsburgh Filmmaker's website for the Harris Theater's (809 Liberty Avenue) line-up. Through Thursday, The Harris will be showing Searching for Sugarman, Oscar nominee for Best Documentary. The documentary 56 Up will premier on Friday, March 1.

Sent in by Positive Pittsburgher Viviannea Altieri of Mondo Italiano

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From our Friends at Urban Media Today

2013 SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced that the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Personnel & Civil Service Commission has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Mayor's 2013 Pittsburgh Summer Youth Employment Program (PSYEP). The program will be split between two employment tracks, conservation service work and administration internships, and will be funded with Community Development Block Grant funds allocated by the Mayor, with possible additional funding from other sources. The 2013 PSYEP will serve approximately 225 City youths between ages 14 and 21. Since the Mayor brought back the program in 2007, nearly 3,000 young residents have gotten a job through PSYEP.

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Roving Pittsburgher Report

Khalil’s

If you like Middle Easter Food you will be amazed by the cuisisne and the atmospehere and also congeniality of the staff.  Right in the heart of the Oakland/Bloomfield/East Liberty Area. It is easily accessible also from downtown by Bigelow Blvd to Baum.

Our challenge when we go there is ordering too much food.  So we stick to the Mazza Appetizer Plate which has hummus and baba, taboole, medumas, feta, olives and home made pita bread.  You also will not get a better insalata (Italian spelling) chopped salad with Khalil’s Special dressing and the lentil soup is a great starter.  Also finish off with their cardamom tea, you won’t need dessert even though all of them are delectable.

Check out their menu here:  http://www.khalils.biz/menu.html

Khal’s II Restaurant
The Original House of Shish Ka Bob
4757 Baum Blvd.
412.683.4757

ROOTS OF ROCK and ROLL VOL 39

by Gregg Matthis

I had the great pleasure of participating in the RoRaR show at the Benedum on February 23^rd. The mostly senior crowd knows by heart most of the music being performed, so it is not just a watching show, it is a singing along show. There was an impressive line up of talent and they were all in fine form and voice for the show.

 

Since most of the artists were primarily vocal groups the performance of the back-up band is critical. This obligation was well served by Pure Gold's band who provided a steady but not overpowering sound supporting the singers. However, when it was time for the instruments to be highlighted, they sparkled.

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