ALL WEEKEND
'Tribes' at City
"Tribes" takes that staple of drama and comedy, the family meal, and tests the sensibilities of entire communities. In the play opening in previews at City Theatre, Billy is a deaf son bringing home his fiance, Sylvia, who is going deaf. Mix in an overbearing dad who values high-IQ conversation above all and family members with their own issues, and you can't help but wonder, is anybody really listening?
The joint production of City and the Philadelphia Theater Company is directed by Stuart Carden, a former City associate director. Read more about the show in next week's Weekend Mag.
"Tribes" is in previews at City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St., South Side, 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 8 p.m. next Thursday. Performances of regular run: 7 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday; 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 5:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (check citytheatrecompany.org for exceptions). Tickets: $35-$55; 412-431-CITY (2489) or www.citytheatrecompany.org.
Going Home
A sure sign of spring on the way is the 33rd annual Duquesne Light Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, which begins Friday and continues through March 16 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.
More than 1,500 exhibits, products and services will be on display. New this year is the chance for a free appraisal of small antiques by "Auction Kings' " Lori Verderame, a former museum director who taught art history at Penn State. "Dr. Lori" will appear at noon, 3 and 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; noon and 3 p.m. Sundays; and 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday (one item per person).
Radio and TV do-it-yourself expert Lou Manfredini will appear Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Marvin Windows booth. At 2 p.m., he will give a talk, "Your Home Is Your Best Investment." Jeff Holper the Mole Man will appear Friday through Monday and Don Engebretson, the "Renegade Gardener," will speak each day of the 10-day show. The CAPA House Band will perform jazz each day at the Crawford Grill stage.
Hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $10, $4 kids 6-12; under 6 free. Go to pghhome.com. Parking is available at Heinz Field lots for $6 and includes a continuous running shuttle to the show.
Disney skate
While the Penguins are away, Mickey and Donald will play. "Disney on Ice" takes over the Consol Energy Center ice this weekend with "100 Years of Magic," featuring 65 characters -- including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio and Disney princesses -- from 18 classic stories.
They will present scenes from "The Lion King," "Toy Story," "Mulan," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles" and more.
Tickets are $26.25-$73.50. Times are 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. today; 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday. www.ticketmaster.com.
On with the shows
Prime Stage's "The Importance of Being Earnest" opens Saturday with "Go Wild With Wilde," inviting patrons to dress up in Oscar Wilde-inspired outfits as they enjoy refreshments and "a trivial comedy for serious people." Rich Keitel directs a cast including would-be Ernests Tom Driscoll and Andrew Swackhammer with Hayley Nielsen and Magan Dee Yanko as the objects of their affection. Bracknell is played by Susan McGregor-Laine in the production at the New Hazlett Theater, in preview Friday and running through March 16, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets: $20 ($15 age 62+; $10 students); www.primestage.com.
• The Pittsburgh Savoyards celebrate their 75th season with Gilbert & Sullivan's satirical operetta "Utopia Unlimited." Guy Russo is music director and conductor and Robert B. Hockenberry stage director and choreographer for the Savoyards, whose mission is perpetuating the heritage of Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas. Performances are Friday through March 16, 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Ave., Carnegie. Tickets are $20 ($15 seniors; $10 preteen) at the door, showclix.com or 412-734-8476.
* Homer's "The Iliad" morphs into "An Iliad," a solo show at Pittsburgh Public Theater starring Teagle Bougere as a witness to war since the beginning of time. He is compelled to recount tales of the Trojan War in the hopes that perhaps someday, people will take a hint and history will not repeat itself. "An Iliad" is at the O'Reilly Theater, Downtown, through April 6: 7 p.m. Tuesdays; 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays (check ppt.org for exceptions). Tickets: $23-$55, students and 26 and younger $15.75; 412-316-1600 or ppt.org.
PBT '3x3'
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will showcase a trio of works by three choreographers in "3x3," opening Friday and running through March 16 at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture, Downtown.
Viktor Plotnikov's new "In Your Eyes" features six couples performing the musically driven choreography set to Antonin Dvorak's "American" string quartet No. 12 opus 96 in F major.
A Pittsburgh premiere of Julia Adam's "Ketubah" brings the traditions of Eastern European Jewish Ashkenazi marriages to the stage through ballet, modern, Israeli folk dance and Klezmer music.
"Smoke 'n Roses" by Dwight Rhoden (Complexions Contemporary Ballet) will bring a jazz flavor to the mix with a live performance by Pittsburgh vocalist Etta Cox. The piece debuted during PBT's 2006-07 season and draws steps from contemporary ballet.
Shows are 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $25.75 at www.pbt.org or 412-456-6666.
All That Jazz
Heinz Hall will turn into a Broadway theater this weekend, as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pops presents "All that Jazz: A Symphonic Celebration of Kander and Ebb."
Singers Nikki Renee Daniels, Janine DiVita, Ted Keegan, Beth Leavel and Ron Remke join the Pops and conductor Jack Everly in a tribute to the duo behind "Cabaret," "New York, New York," "Chicago" and more.
Performances are 7:30 tonight; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $21-$99; 412-392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
Sold out
We have a run of sold-out shows this weekend, including the Dropkick Murphys at Stage AE Saturday (see page W-8), Japanese-fronted indie-pop/trip-hop band Cibo Matto at Club Cafe Friday, and teen star Austin Mahone at Stage AE on Sunday night.
Tickets for Mahone, who opened for Taylor Swift at Heinz Field last summer, sold out in 12 minutes. The Stage AE website notes that lining up for his show is "prohibited until the conclusion of the sold-out Dropkick Murphys concert on Saturday."
Those two crowds ... not a good match.
FRIDAY
Phish fry
Just in time for lenten season, you can catch a piece of Phish at Stage AE on Friday. Mike Gordon, bassist in the veteran jam band, turns up there with his latest solo album, "Overstep," written with guitarist and longtime collaborator Scott Murawski during writing retreats in New England and produced by Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Uncle Tupelo, Pixies).
The band's reggae single, "Yarmouth Road," was premiered on the Phish summer tour. The Gordon-Murawski team will be joined by percussionist Craig Myers, keyboardist Tom Cleary and drummer Todd Isler.
Doors are at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25; ticketmaster.com.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Discovering Floyd
It's been two years since we saw Roger Waters here and 20 since Pink Floyd (the Waters-less Pink Floyd) played Three Rivers Stadium.
You'll have to settle for Brit Floyd, which is obviously a popular fallback considering the band again is doing consecutive nights at the Benedum Center Friday and Saturday.
The group, launched in Liverpool in 2011, is on the Discovery World Tour, named after the Floyd boxed set, doing music from the Syd Barrett psych-pop days in the '60s to the swansong "The Division Bell."
The group, featured on PBS specials, promises new video animation, theatrics and inflatables.
Shows are 8 p.m. Tickets start at $37.50; 412-456-6666 or trustarts.org.
Baron Batch work
If you've followed the work of Baron Batch, you know he did more than run with the football.
The former Steelers running back (2011-12) is also a writer and painter opening a show of his works at Gallerie Chiz in Shadyside, with pieces by Terry Wise of furniture and accessories made from industrial found material. The reception is Saturday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 5831 Ellsworth Ave. 412-441-6005 or www.galleriechiz.com.
He is also having his second one night exhibit at 7 p.m. Friday at Pavilion X, 120 Blvd. of the Allies, Downtown, as a benefit for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Pittsburgh. ($75; www.fundraise.com).
SATURDAY
Music Saturday
• Molasses Creek, a group from Ocracoke Island, N.C., featured on "Prairie Home Companion," brings its contemporary folk to SongSpace at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $15; $10 students, available at the door. For more information, call 412-621-8008; www.uusongspace.com.
• Local pianist Alvin Zhu will perform a recital for the Music for Mt. Lebanon series, replacing the previously scheduled artist, Mona Golabek. Mr. Zhu won the Keynotes Competition in 2012. The show is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Southminster Presbyterian Church. Tickets: $25, $10 for children under 18; www.musicformtlebanon.org or the door.
• The Butler County Symphony Orchestra will present American Big Band standards Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Butler Intermediate High School, 551 Fairground Hill Road. The concert features harpist Sophia Lee and clarinetist/saxophonist Sal Andolina. Tickets: $23 for adults, $5.50 for students; 724-283-1402 or www.showclix.com.
• Tonic and Vertical Horizon team up for a night of '90s alt-rock at Altar Bar, Strip, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: $30-$33; www.thealtarbar.com.
SATURDAY
• Bert Kreischer, best known for his daring challenges on the Travel Channel show "Bert the Conquerer," takes the stage at the Pittsburgh Improv, Waterfront, this weekend. His stand-up special "Bert Kreischer: Comfortably Dumb" has been a hit on Comedy Central. Times are 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday and 7 and 9:15 p.m. Saturday. $20; pittsburgh.improv.com.
• Pittsburgh Opera will present two events showcasing resident artists at its Strip District headquarters. A free brown bag concert Saturday at noon will feature Jasmine Muhammad, Phillip Gay, Alex DeSocio, Meredith Lustig and Nicole Rodin. On Sunday at 2 p.m., Ms. Lustig, Samantha Korbey and Joseph Barron will perform at this season's final Art Song recital. That event is $5, with a reception to follow. More at www.pittsburghopera.org.
First Published: March 6, 2014, 5:00 a.m.