Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Congrats to "Visionista", who entered the only official guess on the blog!  Was it too hard? You know, there is an Avengers Wiki out there with exactly the info. you would have needed my peeps.
I did receive a second answer on Twitter, and even though technically @hamsandcastle didn't follow the rules (ahem), his twitter moniker made me giggle, so I threw his answer in there just to make it a little competitive.  Regardless, Visionista still came out on top with her (his?) very thorough guesses.
So, Visionista, please contact me via email (erin@burghliving.com) with your full name, the date you would like to attend Hunter Gatherers (you can find the showtimes here), and your mailing address to send over your ToonSeum passes!

Thanks for playing!

Carnivores and Superheroes Invade Downtown Pittsburgh

Hunter Gatherers' Tressa Glover as Pam, and Johnathan Visser as Richard

Recently, I was treated to a preview of the completely outrageous (in a good way) Hunter Gatherers at the Bricolage Theater.  It was the first time I have ever attended an event at the awesome little venue, and fell in love immediately with the atmosphere, although it could have been the adorable dog that greeted me at the door.  Note: if you ever want me to really love something, throw a dog into the mix, and you are guaranteed rave reviews.....
Seriously, this was such a delightfully wicked, laugh-out-very-loud, celebration of the fact that we still are slaves to our id.  In fact, 'Burgh newcomer Johnathan Visser doesn't only strip away  most of his clothes, but he also strips away most of his decorum as the climax of his performance includes a primitive caveman monologue on the joys of eating and, well, other primal urges. There is definitely a statement hidden in who comes out on top in this "dinner party gone horribly wrong", although what it is takes a back seat to the en"gross"ing (see what I did there?) performances of Visser, Amy Landis, Tressa Glover, and Michael Fuller.  The play warns that it is for mature audiences only, however I should add that vegetarians may want to skip the first few minutes......
Hunter Gatherers is running now through May 7th at the Bricolage Theater, 937 Penn Avenue in the Cultural District.  Tickets range from $17-$40, and can be purchased online.

When the press release for this little tidbit landing in my inbox, I did my traditional geeky little happy dance, and promptly purchased my tickets for the opening reception.  For those of you who are unaware, I am a big fan of comic and cartoon art, and thusly a HUGE fan and supporter of the ToonSeum.  Did you know that the ToonSeum is mere steps away from the above-mentioned Bricolage Theater?  Superheroes: Icons and Origins opens on May 5th, and will run through July 31st.  According to exhibit co-curator (and the man with the best taste in beer in the 'Burgh) John Mattie, “The exciting thing for the Toonseum regarding Icons and Origins is not only that we get to share our love of the superhero genre, but we get to exhibit some of the most influential artists of the 20^th century. The fact that these characters have not only survived but actually thrived for over 70 years is a testament to the artists and to our collective need for myths."  

GIVE-AWAY ALERT!!

Although the exhibit runs through the 31st, wouldn't it be great to stop by the ToonSeum before a night at the Theater?  Well, I am going to help you do just that!  I have two ToonSeum passes and two tickets to Bricolage Theater's Hunter Gatherers to give away!

Comment on this post with 5 current members of the Avengers, and I will work some random number generation magic on the correct answers, and announce a winner on Friday!

A few things to note:

• The ToonSeum is closed Monday and Tuesday, is open until 3pm on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and closes at 5pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so please plan your jaunt accordingly
• The passes for the ToonSeum do not expire until September 11th, so they can be used at your leisure before then
• Hunter Gatherers wraps on May 7th, so the tickets must be used tout de suite! (that means pronto - see how fancy I am?)
• In other words, you may not be able to hit up both places in one night.  I just think you need to go Downtown and see the lights more often, n'est-ce pas? (oh look, I did it again)

Now go get your geek on and bring me your answers!

post sponsored by Bricolage Theater and the ToonSeum

Afternoon at the Opera

Alexandra Loutsion and Adam Fry, Resident Artists at the Pittsburgh Opera

In past posts, I've given you my personal answer to the question: "Why Pittsburgh?"  Dogs and Hockey.  Of course, since that post, the list has been growing.  This year, the ToonSeum made a pretty strong showing, and now, you can add Opera to the roster.

That's right, Opera.

I've been juggling schedules with my friend Mel (otherwise known as our "Rookie of the Year"), to try and get to the FREE brown Bag Lunch series the Pittsburgh Opera has held throughout the 2010-2011 season.  We got it together just in time to catch the last one, this past Saturday, at the Opera's practice facility (I guess it's called the "Rehearsal Hall", but that's the hockey fan in me coming out) in the Strip District.  Free concert, lunch from Right By Nature, complimentary 21st Street Coffee, and an excuse to spend a Saturday afternoon in the Strip?  How can a girl refuse?

Growing up in a rather artistically inclined family, I've always had a strong appreciation for the Opera, in particular because my vocal range is (to put it mildly), lacking.  It's fascinating to me to hear someone who has that talent.  On Saturday, I was treated to five such talents, and I'll admit I left transformed into a little bit of an Opera groupie.  Robert Downey Jr. himself could have landed in the middle of the concert hall in full Iron Man Regalia, and I would have remained transfixed on the impressive performances of Resident Artists Alexandra Loutsion, Adam Fry, Shannon Kessler Dooley, Stephanie Lauricella, and James Flora.

The Director of Administration and Artistic Operations, William J. Powers, was our host for the event, and kept the mood light, entertaining, and diverse,  The selections for the concert ranged from the Bach/Gounod "Ave Maria" (OMG the voice on mezzo soprano Lauricella!  I welled up, and the BF left with a little bit of an Opera crush) to selections from the upcoming performance of "Dialogues of the Carmelites" by Poulenc.  Bass Adam Fry entertained us with selections from Poulenc's "Le Bestiaire", which are musical vignettes based on medieval texts of animal descriptions.  We were reminded that as an Opera singer, you aren't only required to have impressive vocal talents, but acting chops as well.  Although in French (eight years and I still could only make out a few phrases), Adam brought to life a Camel, a Tibetan Goat, and a Mouse, among others, and drew the biggest laughs from the crowd that afternoon.  Yep, that's right, Opera can be comedic.  Who knew?  As an interlude, talented pianist Mark Trawka treated us to Poulenc's "Nocturne in ut majeur", a bold, processional that made the perfect centerpiece for the event.

Opera.  It's what all of the cool kids are doing.  If you want to join us, here are some upcoming events:

Tune in to WQED on Saturday, April 23rd at 12:30pm, or Friday April 29th at 7pm.  Host Stephen Baum will preview the "Dialogues of the Carmelites" with commentary from the singers and conductors.


"Dialogues of the Carmelites" - Benedum Center, April  30th, May 3rd, 6th, 8th.
A"moving, powerful work" by Poulenc, based on "the story of 16 Carmelite Nuns who defended their faith and were executed during the political uproar of the Reign of Terror in France" (thank you to my program from Saturday's event for that description).  Tickets start at only $10!  412-456-6666 or www.pittsburghopera.org.


...and don't despair if you missed this year's Brown Bag Lunch series.  It will return in October!

To review.  My answers so far to "Why Pittsburgh?":
1. Dogs
2. Hockey
3. The ToonSeum
4. The Pittsburgh Opera

Where in the 'Burgh?

It's been a while, and this one is easy-peasy....
Can you guess where in the 'Burgh I was today?