Check out a concert of Pittsburgh rock, blues and R&B musicians, watch The Wiz at the Black Bottom Film Festival or enjoy the opera, Cinderella — here's what to do in Pittsburgh this weekend.
Pittsburgh music legends
A who’s-who of old-school Pittsburgh rock, blues and R&B turns out for “The First 50 Years,” harmonica master Marc Reisman’s celebration of his half-century on local stages and recordings. On Thu., Oct. 26, Reisman performs at the Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall with the likes of Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, Billy Price, Bill Toms and Hard Rain, Ernie Hawkins, Jon Bindley and more.
'Light in the Dark'
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre opens its season with “Light in the Dark,” a program featuring four contemporary works telling “compelling stories of tragedy, hope and human connection.” The company tackles pieces by acclaimed choreographers Jennifer Archibald, Barak Marshall, Sasha Janes and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. There are performances daily Fri., Oct. 27-Sun. Oct. 28, at the Byham Theater.
'Ease on Down the Road'
Special screenings of “The Wiz” (1978) and pioneering Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux’s classic silent drama “Within Our Gates” (1920) are among the highlights of the sixth annual Black Bottom Film Festival. The three-day event for films centering on Black lives runs Fri., Oct. 27-Sun., Oct. 29, at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, and also features workshops, panel discussions and special guests.
Does the glass slipper fit?
Celebrated French composer and singer Pauline Viardot’s 1904 “Cinderella” gets a fresh take by Pittsburgh’s Resonance Works. Emily Pulley, Shannon Jennings and Donovan Elliot Smith star as the Fairy Godmother, Cinderella and Prince Charming; Resonance promises a pre-show “royal soiree” with cocktails and cabaret, making audiences part of the action. There are three performances Fri, Oct. 27-Sun., Oct. 29, in the Studio at the Andrew Carnegie Free LIbrary & Music Hall, in Carnegie.
Drag Queen Bingo!
You’ll have to expect something extra-special outfits-wise at the Halloween edition of True T PGH’s Drag Queen Bingo at Trace Brewing on Sat., Oct. 28. Bonus: The 3-6 p.m. event concludes in plenty of time to make the evening’s holiday parties.
'The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk'
The iconic paintings of Marc Chagall, depicting he and his wife, Bella, airborne and infatuated, are the inspiration for “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.” Daniel Jamieson and Ian Ross’ klezmer stage musical depicts Marc and Bella’s romance in turbulent 20th-century Europe. The show, staged in Squirrel Hill’s Rodef Shalom Congregation, is the 100th production for Pittsburgh’s Quantum Theatre. It opens Sat., Oct. 28, and runs through Nov. 26.
