Pittsburgh Symphony Orcestra, Thriller with Music of Michael Jackson

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 

A THRILLER with The Music of Michael Jackson

by Jenn Carr, Roving Pittsburgher Reviewer

On a chilly November evening, I attended the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Music of Michael Jackson at Heinz Hall with my son, Noah.  We were both interested to see how the symphony would interact with the King of Pop’s extensive collection of decade-spanning music. 

What a pleasant surprise!!  The Symphony was integrated with a professional troupe of vocalists, electric guitar, bass, keyboards and drum kit.  The solo vocalist was an energetic young man, Jason Delisco who paid homage to the enigmatic MJ without trying to be an impersonation of the man.  He was entertaining and engaging telling stories of how the music influenced him and other musicians.

The audience had come ready to fully enjoy the musical influences of Michael Jackson.  It was demonstrated in the whoops and hollers MJ-style throughout the evening.  Showing a great influence across people of all ages, there were many young children and teens dressed in the “Beat It” signature jacket, sequined gloves and sleek fedoras.  It was not a wasted effort to show your MJ influence as Delisco brought children up on stage to display their best dance moves.  It was not the ominous effects of Wagner or the crystallized delights of Tchaikovsky however; it was a wonderful evening of reminiscing across the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s of one man’s tremendous talents.

 

Jenn Carr, Your Credit Mechanic.com, the maven of credit repair and education can help you raise your credit scores an average of 50-100 points with her “90 Day Credit Makeover”.

Halloween Night Stomp

“STOMP” left us speechless and wanting more. . .

by Jenn Carr, Roving Pittsburgher Reporter

                                                                    

What a great way to spend a cold, rainy evening in Pittsburgh…in fact, what an awesome way to spend any type of evening.  My 12 year old son and I saw the production of STOMP.  We went to the show with the expectation that we were about to see a lot of drumming and banging on stuff.  

Immensely entertaining!! We were intrigued, amused, and downright flabbergasted by the entire performance.

The show starts so quietly with a lone, spiky-haired, muscular man pushing a broom, in a spotlight.  The man begins a tapping out a rhythm with the broom, his feet scratching and tapping along the stage floor.  Slowly he is joined by other members of the troupe, pushing brooms, scratching the floor, flipping brooms upside down to rhythmically tap the floor. It becomes a choreographed chaos of movement across the full stage.  You don’t know where to watch first. Performers cross in front of each other as they hand off their broom to another person. It was watching a very complex juggling act.

A parade of fantastical situations are brought to the stage from kitchen sinks, inner tubes, scaffolding, and a fantastic cigarette lighter sequence.

From off-stage 4 guys walk out carrying what looks like a drum kit.  However, it turns be out to be different size stainless steel kitchen sinks hanging from chains around their necks. It is hard to even imagine how kitchen sinks, rubber gloves and water can become a composition of rhythm and musicality. 

As the lights come up, the performers are bouncing in synch on large, truck inner tubes.  The squeak of the rubber against the floor is the foundation for this next composition.  Then, they start drumming on the tube and reaching across to tap sticks with their performing neighbors.  Unbelievably inventive!!

As if we were not already in awe at the creativity of the show, the complete cast lines up in the dark across the front of the stage.  Soon we realize, in each hand, they are holding old-fashioned cigarette lighters.  Click and swish, we understand the display and music will be created as they flick open the lids, spin the lighter wheel, ignite a flame and slam the lid closed.  However, the audience starts to understand the visual sequencing as flames appear and disappear in syncopation with the rhythm

The normal person does not look at brown paper bags, tire rims and rubber piping and imagine a concerto.  The skills of the performers and the talent of the producers shine brilliantly from beginning to end.

You walk out of the concert hall with a better appreciation for ordinary, even mundane pieces of our everyday can bring music to life.  The only bad point of the whole evening is walking out of the concert hall with a 12 year old boy tapping and banging on everything in arm’s reach.


Jenn Carr, “Your Credit Mechanic”
                                                                                                      
“Let us help you get back on the road to better credit”

Three Sisters Sparkles as First Jewel in Chekhov Celebration Crown

The highly educated and cultured, Moscow-bred Three Sisters have seen the circumstances of their lives reduced. The First Act opens on the one year anniversary of their army father’s passing, which coincidentally is the youngest of the brood Irina’s birthday, the play shows a trio of sisters dissatisfied with their lot in life.  As a result of their father’s military life, the family has decamped to a town so disconnected it is miles from the nearest train station, and enlivened only by the temporary presence of a battalion of soldiers.   The sisters hunger for any contact that can bring their beloved Moscow back to them as cherished yet enlivened memories.

Their brother Andrei is on the fast track at the university and is poised to make a name for himself until he makes a bad choice in spouse, the initially silly then increasingly malevolent Natasha.  The rest of the cast is peopled with visiting soldiers, faithful family retainers and friends.

Fedotik (Adrian Blake Enscoe) delights Irina (Vera Varlamov)

The current Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre’s (PICT) performance sets Irina (Vera Varmalov) in the spotlight as the naïve young adult, relishing in her birthday gifts and cake at the outset to a disenchanted worker in menial positions until she ultimately triumphs by taking control of her fate and heading to Moscow with the impassioned announcement: "I'll go away tomorrow, by myself."

Olga (Nike Doukas), the oldest sister, is seen at first trying to rally the rest of the family with almost brittle chatter as she welcomes a steady stream of visitors and plays the role of gracious hostess.  As the performance moves from act to act, Olga seems to become even more visibly downtrodden, increasingly suffering from headaches as the burdens of her life wear her down.

Vershinin and Masha

Masha (Allison McLemore), the middle sister, is clearly in an unhappy marriage.  She appears to barely tolerate her older, teacher husband. When he gives Irina the same gift for her birthday as he had presented for a previous occasion, she can barely contain her derision.  Upon meeting the foolish romantic artillery battalion officer Vershinin (David Whalen), she and her sisters recall their childish nickname for him, “the Lovesick Major”.  As he drones on about his philosophy on the future, she experiences an attraction that is both dangerous and fruitless. In the end, Vershinin is transferred and Masha unhappily returns to the cuckolded Kulygin.

As dispossessed as the women characters are in Three Sisters, the men are portrayed as elitist, displaying juvenile romantic fantasies and hopelessly naïve and idealistic views of the future.  The gambling Andrei (Christian Conn) squanders the family fortune while Olga frets and Natasha (Megan McDermott)  moves in for the kill.  Baron Tuzenbach (Leo Marks) asserts his “Russianness” to try and woo Irina, while the annoyingly bizarre Solyony (Jonathan Visser) stalks through his scenes.  The most charming of the sycophants, the handsome Vershinin (David Whalen) and the playful Chebutykin (Larry John Meyers) provide the tragic-comedic relief to the male contingent of the play.

I confess the multiple names of any Russian work, and Chekhov is not immune to this, always present a problem for me to follow the storyline.  Chekhov’s style is certainly lighter and more subtle than many of his countrymen.  The decline of the Russian affluent middle class is poignantly portrayed in a story that resonates in any age.

The intimacy of the Henry Heymann Theatre enables the audience to feel as though they are eavesdropping on the family dynamic and the tiny community to which they have been exiled.

Three Sisters is playing at select dates and times at the Henry Heymann Theatre in the Stephen Foster Memorial, Oakland through August 26th.

Photo Credit:  Suellen Fitzsimmons

Reviewed by:
Joyce Kane

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Roving Pittsburgher Report, Still Humming from The Gershwin's at PSO

The Gershwin’s - Here to Stay

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

JoAnn R. Forrester

Empress of Biz Re-invent in Rugged Times

Saturday, June 23, 2012,  I experienced the  Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra  led by Marvin Hamlisch bring the music of Ira and George Gershwin ALIVE and transport me to their era where music was being created that spoke of the American energy, longings, struggles, dreams and achievement s of the  1920’s and 30’s   

What an exciting night with pianist and performer Kevin Copeland.  He weaves the story of the Gershwin’s and their era in pictures, song, dance and music. His piano playing and singing is magical and channels the Gershwin’s into life.  His performance of Rhapsody in Blue was so exhilarating it brought a standing ovation at intermission.

Ira and George Gerschwin, compliments
Pittsburgh Symphony orchestra web

Sylvia McNair, Granny Award winning songstress voice is superb and thrilled me as she sang the songs of the  brothers. One word…magnificent! 

Ryan Van Den Boom dancer extraordinaire reminded me of Fred Astaire and there is nothing better.

As usual Marvin Hamlisch added his shining touch to the evening and the musicians of the PSO responded with joy and excellence.

An unique touch was the exclusive home videos from the Gershwin family which gave insight to their era and lives.    Rhapsody in Blue. A night of pure Gershwin, who could ask for anything more?

What a wonderful treat. was the music of the Gershwin’s, with the artistry of Hamlisch, Cole, McNair and Van Den Boom.  We are so blessed to have this world class organization in Pittsburgh. I left the performance humming and filled with musical good spirits that still lingers on and keeps on dancing around in my head. Amazing what good music does for your soul!

“There was a plea that was sent out to match a challenge of $250,000.  I invite all of you who love good music to rise to the occasion and make sure the challenge grant is met and exceeded. 

What an exciting night with pianist and superb musician Kevin Copeland as he weaves the story of the Gershwin’s and their era in pictures, song dance and music. His piano playing and singing is magical and channels the Gershwin’s into life.  His performance of Rhapsody in Blue was so exhilarating it brought a standing ovation at intermission.

Sylvia McNair, Granny Award winning songstress voice is superb and thrilled me as she sang the songs of the Gershwin brothers. One word…magnificent! 

JoAnn Forrester is the Host of Empress of Biz, Reinvent in Rugged Times, a business Talkcast syndicated on PPLMag, Pittsburgh's First Internet Radio and TV Network.  You can hear JoAnn at Business friends every Thursday at 9 AM on the TalkShoe network or archived later at:  http://pplmag.com 

Held Captive by the "Pitmen Painters"

Review:  The Pitmen Painters

Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theater

Professional Theater in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh

by Good News Reporter,  JoAnn R. Forrester, Empress of biz

J F Harrison

The Pony Putter

From:  http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/home.html

I have four words for the Pitmen Painters:  Riveting, Irreverent, Insightful and Amazing.  I thoroughly enjoyed the play “The Pitmen Painters” presented by the Pittsburgh Irish Classical Theater.  This is a play based on a true story of Robert Lyon, Master of Painting at Armstrong College, Newcastle and his relationship with the miners who desired to know more about the world through their organization, The Workers Education Association.

The play presents a series of classes spanning the 13 years from 1934 to 1947.  During that time the world was convulsed in a major depression, a horrific war and post war recovery.  The original members of the class, thirty of them, are depicted amazingly by five actors.  From the first class, I was captured by their interaction and how they fought with one another and the instructor to understand a world that was beyond their experience.  We forget how rigid the class system was in England, and how little they really interacted or understood one another.  The world was defined in a certain way, and, as Americans, it is difficult for us to really understand such a rigid system.  The play gives an insightful look into that world.  One technique used to draw one into their time, work and life circumstances was to portray scenes on a screen with a projector that was behind the actors. Through those pictures, and the actor’s dialogue in front, one gets immersed in their world

Harry Wilson

Ashington Colliery

From:  http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/exhibition.html 

Lyon quickly realizes that he cannot just lecture to the miners.  He must find a way to communicate and break down the class barriers.  He decides to teach the men to paint.  He challenges them to explain their world.  He asks them to paint men, women and children involved in hard, backbreaking, dangerous work and to explain their everyday lives through the pictures they paint of life above and below the ground.  And paint they did, marvelously!  Each scene one sees the men grow, open up and demonstrate their artistic gifts, become knowledgeable in art and be able to speak elegantly and insightfully about pieces of art.

The acting was superb.  I was entranced and felt I was a cat sitting in the corner, watching it all.  When the intermission came, I was surprised.  It took me a few seconds to bring myself back from the mid 1930’s in England.   When it ended I wanted to say, “Wait!  There’s more!  Tell me more.”

I invite you to go and see “The Pitmen Painters” and be captured as I was by the play.  It is a wonderful way to spend an evening!

JoAnn Forrester is the Host of Empress of Biz, Reinvent in Rugged Times, a business Talkcast syndicated on PPLMag, Pittsburgh's First Internet Radio and TV Network.  You can hear JoAnn at Business friends every Thursday at 9 AM on the TalkShoe network or archived later at:  http://pplmag.com 

Roving Pittsburgher Review “THE PRIESTS” DELIGHT AND INSPIRE

“THE PRIESTS” DELIGHT AND INSPIRE 

Byham Theatre, Sunday April 29, 2012, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

By Tamar Cerafici

Yinz missed a great concert last night if you weren’t at the Byham Theatre last night.

Fathers Eugene and Martin O’Hagan,
and Father David Delargy 

Fathers Eugene and Martin O’Hagan, and Father David Delargy, collectively singing as “The Priests,” blended pop and classical style with affable grace. The trio of two tenors (Fathers Eugene and Martin) and a baritone (Father David) did it with the help of local musicians and good friendship (37 years, beginning in a Belfast, Northern Ireland, boarding school).

“Affable” and “grace” were the operative words of the evening.   

The “Byham Ensemble,” led the program with a balanced and interesting arrangement of Handel’s Royal Fireworks music and provided interludes. (The group, a pick-up quintet of local musicians, was led by The Priests’ music arranger at the piano. I want to say Fergus Mackenzie, but the program sadly provided no information, and I was too stunned by the power of the first set to take careful notes. I do know that his first name was Fergus, which is a name more associated with the Highlands of Scotland than the Emerald Isle.) The ensemble accompanied the group throughout the program, and one never got the impression that they had probably had time for a sound check and a quick run-through of the program order before the performance.

Appropriately, the trio’s work began with “Laudamus Te” (rough translation: Glory to Thee) from Vivaldi’s Gloria I.  I was happy because I know the piece well, and could sort of sing along. I couldn’t resist, such was the joy of the performance. There followed in quick succession a series of well-arranged Latin religious pieces, including a lovely Ave Maria. The Fathers continued the religious theme with an absolutely stunning version of Amazing Grace, along with a short history of that lovely hymn.

A minor quibble directed to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: Though each of the pieces was introduced with a delightful if overly rehearsed patter, I found the lack of a printed set list distracting. My brain is foggy from allergies; I wanted something to help remember the concert besides the album the Fathers were hawking. I realize they are on a whirlwind tour, and this was the 6^th concert in 7 days for them. But I can’t believe that the order of the program wasn’t so set that you couldn’t provide a loose piece of paper or something. Now I have that off my chest.

I admire The Priests’ use of local musicians. They not only gave well-deserved credit to the Byham Ensemble (they name each group after the theatre in which they perform), but they introduced me to the lovely soprano voice of Leah Edmonson Dyer. Dyer is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma from Carnegie Mellon U, and was a 2011-2012 winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Major Auditions. Her solo with the Fathers as well as her solo set were clearly and powerfully sung. I admired her “O Mio Bambino Caro,” and “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” which are both difficult to sing. Dyer’s maturity and passion made both pieces (rather too-much-done in the soprano repertoire for my taste) seem fresh and original. Her final “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was a powerful anthem to hope in hard times. I’m so glad she sang the verse, which is left out of the 1939 movie. When “all the world is a hopeless jumble,” it is nice to wonder if there’s another world, accessible and in Technicolor.

The Priests themselves are an entertaining trio – you can hear for yourselves at their blog, thepriests.com, where they give their own thoughts on the concert – scroll past the concert dates to hear it. By themselves, they have powerful voices – evidenced by the short solo turns each of them took in the second half. Together they are excellent representatives of the impish mood that infuses Irish folk singing and performance. The lighter second half was simply entertaining, mainly because the Fathers had gotten the serious religious stuff out of the way, and could get personal. My great-grandmother was from County Armagh, but I rarely feel the pull of the motherland like I did last night. I appreciated the Fathers’ sincere dedication of each of the solo and folk tunes to teachers, parents, and culture.

These guys are, if anything, sincere. They believe in their work as musicians. They believe in their call to serve God and His children. They believe deeply in the work that their success has allowed them to perform, including building schools in Third World countries, supporting retired priests, and working in their own parishes. They ingratiated themselves with this audience by sincerely wanting to relate to it: Father David was a youth priest with the Ulster Project in Ohio and visited Pittsburgh often; the O’Hagen Fathers have family connections in Ohio; their Irish-accented “yinz” was a highlight. This sincerity only infused the evening with a casual sweetness that I rarely see in other, more overly produced and less entertaining, products of the classic-pop trend (see, Andrea Boccelli or Andre Rieu).

The evening was filled with grace. The audience was receptive and encouraging. The Fathers shared their faith with friendly enthusiasm. Although they are polished performers (Fathers Eugene and Martin have been performing together since Father Martin could walk), enduring a marathon six vocal concerts in 7 days, they still performed with the grace of supremely talented priests entertaining in the hall for a night of parish entertainment.

And for that, I am grateful.

Tamar Cerafici is an environmental lawyer whose national practice includes nuclear power and sustainable development consulting. She is the author of “Dominate: How Lawyers Use 4 Strategies to Crush Their Competition,” and the founder of The-Barefoot-Barrister.com as well as LegalShoe, and The Lawyer’s New Clothes, new media channels on PositivelyPittsburghlivemagazine.com that teach lawyers how to build enterprises and find balance in their practices without selling their souls.

Roving Pittsburgher Review, Anoushka Shankar, April 12, 2012

Roving Pittsburgher Review

Anoushka Shankar

April 12, 2012

by Good News Reporter, Joanne Quinn-Smith, aka Techno Granny

Cohen & Grigsby TRUST PRESENTS Series

I must admit that I am an old yuppie head.  I think I made a new term.  But I have every Ravi Shankar album (on vinyl) that was ever produced but I had not really paid much attention to Anoushka.  Just by mere name recognition I decided to attend the concert with some Indian clients and friends.  Great move on my part. Cohen Grisby Trust Presents and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust as usual did not disappoint  in their grand selection of artists.

What an evening.  I had no idea that flamenco had its roots in Indian classical music or that there were so many unusual instruments used in both Spanish and Indian music.  What a stroke of genius to combine Flamenco guitar, a Spanish Singer and classical Indian music.

It was a night of beautiful, relaxing and sometimes erotic Indian music combined with the haunting chords of the flamenco guitar.  Andalusian flamenco singer, Sandra Carrasco’s singing was both flawless and unforgettable.

Sanjeev Shankar was remarkable on the Shenal and flute taking you back hundreds of years with his renderings.  What a blending of the old and the new, the East and the West.  Who knew?  Obviously Anoushka as she smiled and moderated in between sets about the music.

And the percussion!  After this concert I am convinced there is no percussion or percussion instruments in the world that can rival Indian classical and flamenco rhythms.  Pirashanna Thevarajah and Bernhard Shimelsberger (not of course an Indian name) put the bong and the bang and bunches of other sounds in percussion as far as I am concerned.

And Melon Jimenez on flamenco guitar and solos in combination with Anoushka on sitar was simply genius.  I was so incredibly thankful for the close orchestra seats that we had because this truly was a smorgasbord of sight and sound as you watched the strumming and drumming and listened to the playing and singing.  Truly a night to remember!

Good News Reporter, Joanne Quinn-Smith is also the Host of PositivelyPittsburghLive Talkcast and the Publisher of PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com, Pittsburgh's first internet radio and TV network http://pplmag.com

Joanne is the Creative Energy Officer of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates a Pittsburgh Marketing firm which specializes in Web 2.0 Branding.  She is a speaker and author and prolific talkcaster.  Find her profile on LinkedIn at:  http://joannequinnsmith.com

(c) Joanne Quinn-Smith 2012 All Rights Reserved.

Roving Pittsburgher Review, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Roving Pittsburgher Review, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

by

Pittsburgh Good News Reporter, Al Levine

Last night, April, 12, 2012,  The Techno Granny, Good News Reporter, Joanne Quinn-Smith sent me to Heinz Hall for the opening performance of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" This was the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's PNC POPS! Thursday performance. Marvin Hamlisch is the Principal Pops Conductor.

Conductor Jack Everly returned to Heinz Hall with a talented group of vocalists. They included Eric Kunze, Terrence Mann, Jennifer Paz, Kathy Voytko (a Johnstown native), Marie Zamora, The Carnegie University Concert Choir and Director Robert Page.

Go to http://pso.culturaldistrict.org/production/27893/do-you-hear-the-people-sing you will enjoy their award winning resumes. I am sure that you will recognize these World Famous Performers.

They performed songs from the Tony Award winning Les Miserables. Broadway Legends, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil collaborated to create this great musical. A few of the songs from Les Misarables were "I Dreamed a Dream", "Bring Him Home" and "One Day More".

We also enjoyed the Tony-nominated Miss Saigon hits "I'd Give My Life for You" and "The American Dream". They also performed many of the other Broadway songs from Claude-Michel and Alain.

The Conversations that Conductor Everly and the Vocalists shared with us after almost every song provided great Insights and Information that the audience enjoyed. There is an intermission of fifteen minutes after the fourteenth song. After the Performance, there was a Post-Concert Pops Talk on Stage with Conductor Jack Everly.

There will be Performances on Friday at 8PM, Saturday at 8PM and Sunday at 2:30PM. If you haven't heard the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra lately, they also performed at their usual High Standard. The Carnegie Mellon Concert Choir was fantastic too. My Girlfriend and I enjoyed our great seats and the World Class performance. 

  

Al Levine, Better known as "The Talking Machine" is one of the hosts of Pittsburgh Sports Line on the Bethel Park Public Access Channel.  He is also the

webmaster and "Pittsburgh Gaming Guru" at http://pittsburghgamingnews.com

and Community Relations and Development Director for PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com's upcoming

Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh on September 6, 2012.