Laugh along with a queer comedy show, check out FusionFest Downtown or visit the second annual Babesburgh — here's what to do in Pittsburgh this weekend.
Opera
Pittsburgh’s Resonance Works stages a well-regarded but rarely performed opera by Rossini. “La donna del lago” (“The Lady of the Lake”) is a romance set in fractious political times, as King James V, in disguise, falls for a woman related to his enemies. Tenor Javier Abreu and mezzo-soprano Timothi Williams star. There are two performances, with live music, at Oakland’s Charity Randall Theatre, on Fri., June 28, and Sun., June 30. The opera is sung in Italian, with English translations projected above the stage.
Comedy
Arcade Comedy Theater helps round out Pride month with “Taste the Rainbow,” a showcase for queer comedy voices from the region. Brandi Roberts hosts a lineup including Georgia Warder, Asher O’Briant, Nadiya Elyse, Whitney Mor, Roy Gloeckl, Matty Malloy and Joe Esch. The show is Fri., June 28.
Visual Art
The late German sculptor Beate Kuhn was celebrated at home for her ceramic works echoing natural forms, from plants and mushrooms to invertebrate animals. Kihn remains little known in the U.S., but nine years after her death, the Carnegie Museum of Art presents the first major American survey of her work. “Beate Kuhn: Turn” includes pieces from throughout her six-decade career along with a newly commissioned film. It opens Sat., June 29, and continues through Dec. 1.
Festival
The City of Pittsburgh has launched its own Juneteenth celebration. It’s called FusionFest, and it’s a free, all-day festival on Sat., June 29, focusing on Black art and culture. The indoor and outdoor activities center on Downtown’s Greenwood Plan building, on Smithfield Street. Attractions include a full day of live music and dance, art exhibits, a fashion market and more. The footprint includes portions of the Boulevard of the Allies and Third Avenue.
Festival
Babesburgh was founded in 2023 to create women-centered events. This week it’s staging the inaugural Babesburgh Bash, a day-long festival featuring about 100 women-owned and -led businesses from artisans and farmers to breweries and wellness practitioners, and from coffee and candles to Zumba and self-defense. The ticketed event runs 3-8 p.m. Sun., June 30, in and around Allegheny Landing Park, on the North Side. It was originally scheduled for Saturday, but organizers announced Friday they were moving the event to Sunday due to the weather.
Theater
Now in its third year, Be Gay [Do Crime] Productions’ “The End of Pride Spectacular” is practically a tradition. This year’s show is a brand-new play with music, a drag/lip-sync comedy about five drag performers — Mr. Business, The Professor, The Revolutionary, The Diva and The Clown — who are staging a big production but can’t agree on the all-important theme. Expect plenty of favorite lip-sync tracks, as well as a critique of “corporate pride,” on Sat., Jun 29, at Mr. Smalls Theatre.
