Day 388- Straight No Chaser – A cappella, Their Song and Instrumental Sound is Magic (Pittsburgh 2022)

 

 Straight No Chaser  celebrates 25 years of wowing audiences by using only their voices to produce a rainbow of sounds and song. These nine men are the vocals, orchestra and/or band all rolled up into one.  This a cappella group started in 1996 at Indiana University with the purpose, according to one member, “to get girls.”  Since then, they have produced 5 albums, the latest "Straight No Chaser: Social Christmasing." They have taken a cappella to another level as master entertainers in using the voice as an instrument.  It’s like magic.

Day 387 Steubenville Ohio-Holiday Nutcracker Village- A Christmas Story of Hope and Resilience.

 

 Just about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh in Steubenville, Ohio you can enter a festive world of life-sized Nutcrackers during the Holidays. From November 22, 2022 through January 7, 2023 the downtown streets of Steubenville are transformed into a village of these happy fellows and gals.  Lined along the streets you will find one representing almost every profession, sports team, and/or hobby that you can imagine.  These brightly colored Nutcrackers gave this town a needed boost after it was hit hard when the steel mills closed. Thanks to these beautifully crafted friends, Steubenville is a magical Holiday destination. The making of  The Nutcracker Village is a true Christmas Story of  resilience and hope. 

Day 386- A Christmas Story (The Play)-Pittsburgh Public Theater-A Simpler Christmas

 

My son and I make it an annual holiday tradition to watch the movie "A Christmas Story" that takes place on Cleveland Street, Indiana in the 1940’s. We laugh over and over at nine-year-old Ralphie’s quest for a “Red Ryder, Carbine Action, two-hundred shot, range rider air rifle with a compass  in the stock” and his father’s acquisition of the “major award,” the tacky leg lamp. The movie has become an iconic classic. Even if you never watched the movie, the story elicits memories of our own childhood. It reminds us of a simpler Christmas, a time when the holiday focus was on those around the tree and not what was under it, unless of course, you are Ralphie.      

Day 385- Pittsburgh Opera -Free Brown Bag Concerts -Experience Opera Up-Close with the 22-23 Resident Artists

   

Every Year the Pittsburgh Opera gets over 500 applicants from around the world for their Resident Artist two-year program. This program gives the artists a chance to work on a variety of opera productions. Several times a year during the opera season  they preform free one hour "Brown Bag Concerts"  in the Bitz Opera Factory (Opera Headquarters) located in the Strip District. This is great opportunity to meet the new talent and experience opera up-close.  

Day 384 Hadestown-Greek Myth Set in a Speakeasy-Like an Tragic Opera, Music Enchants

Hadestown kicks off the second show of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season. This is not your typical feel-good musical but akin to a tragic opera. Like watching an opera, my focus was drawn not to the story, but the music and elaborate set. Hadestown is loosely based on a Greek myth. The songwriter, Opheus, falls in love with Eurydice and tires to rescue her from underworld where Hades, god of the dead, rules with Perephone, goddess of the seasons and flowers. The kick is that the myth is set in a speakeasy. The gospel and  jazz ballads like opera’s arias, tell the story and enchant (listen here).

Day 383- November 19, 2022 -Pittsburgh Light up Night- The City dazzles, Make Holiday Traditions and Be a Kid Again

 

Pittsburgh's Light up Night does just that, it illuminates this city’s Golden Triangle which is a spectacular sight from the top of Mt Washington. This year is the 61^st Anniversary Celebration of Highmark Light Up Night 2022, Presented by Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. This official kick off to the holiday season  started on November 21, 1960. It continues to dazzle with lights, music, food and a blast of fireworks. Make it  a  Holiday tradition and  it will make you feel like a kid again.

Day 382 A Bronx Tale, One Man Show-Palminteri’s Tale- Those Who Mold Us

 

 In this one one man stage play, actor Chazz Palminteri born, Calogero Lornezo Palminteri, brings to life 18 characters.  It is his narrative of growing up in a tough New York neighborhood in the 1960’s where the flashy Italian Mob ruled the streets. In contrast, the working man had just enough money to make ends meet.  I did not know that the 1993 film, "A Bronx Tale" was born out of Palminteri’s one man show with the same name. He also wrote the hit "Bronx Tale-The Musical" which debuted in 2016.  This is one powerful story that can successfully capture so many genres. Maybe it is so impactful because it resonates with the relational influences in our young lives, our heroes and those who help mold us into adults.

Day 381- Pittsburgh CLO- Kinky Boots- Change Your World and Feel Fabulous.

Company, photo by Matt Polk

 

Pittsburgh CLO is back bringing affordable musical theater to Pittsburgh. Kinky Boots, which is based on a true story, has a unique plot-Charlie revitalizes his late father’s bankrupt shoe factory by finding a niche market making sexy boots for men who dress as women. Kinky Boots, is all about confidently reinventing something or even yourself. This show is also about acceptance and looking beyond appearances into one's heart. By doing this you can "change your world."

 The music by Cindy Lauper encourages and inspires with a punch of humor. The songs  seemed to be  screaming at me: Take What You Got, Sex is in Heel, The History of Wrong Guys and of course, What A Women Wants. My eyes welled with tears during, Not My Father's Son, and Hold Me in Your Heart both impactful heartful ballads by Darius Harper as Drag Queen, Lola. I had a flashback to my best  friend, Paul, who left this world much too soon. He dared to be himself when it was so difficult in the 80's. He sure sparkled just like those Kinky Boots!

Day 380- Mr. Rogers reminds us to do something nice on the 143 Day ( Spring rewind post)

 Today is the 143 day  of the year, a day of kindness and love initiated by Pittsburgh icon Mr. Rogers.  He wanted this day to ignite a spark in all to "do something nice."  During this pandemic, when stress levels are high and protesters are in the news, we all could use a reminder from Mr. Roger's to say "Happy 143 Day."  Celebrate it with a little  extra dose of  kindness and love for others and self.  

Refection

May 23, 2022  is the 143^rd day of the year. Mr. Rogers coined the number 143 as a representative of the words “I love you” and a day to spread kindness.  There is 1 letter “I,” 4 letters in “love,” and 3 letters in “You.”   This was a special number to Mr. Rogers and even kept his weight at 143 pounds.

I lost my father at a very young age and and as child I found   comfort  in the man on the television that projected a wave of kindness and calm.  "You Are Special, Words of Wisdom" is one of my favorite books. It has given me rest during the many calamities that life tossed my way. 

 Mr. Rogers said it so well:

Taking care of others is one way to show your love. Another way is letting people take good care of you when you need it.

I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be.

Feeling good about ourselves is essential in our being able to love others. 

One of my wise teachers Dr. Orr, told me "There is one thing evil cannot stand, and that is forgiveness"

Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.” 

Today follow the example of Mr. Rogers and fuel your own celebration of kindness, showing some love to others and yourself  (After writing this post, I am going to text some love from Pittsburgh all the way to my son in California and give a friend a call  who needs some support.)  

Spiritual Reflection

And he said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. this is the great first commandment. and the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

Other Sources
Link to info: Mr. Rogers Statute Pittsburgh 

Day 379-PBT Swan Lake- Be Awestruck by the Fairytale -May 6 through 15, 2022.

 

My blog inspiration book, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book” reminds us to “Take in some culture once in awhile.” There is nothing more cultural than the  ballet Swan Lake. In fact, this love story is the pinnacle of classical ballet with the demanding technique of the dance for the principle dancer  who takes on the roles of both  Odette (White Swan) and Odile (Black Swan). In 2018, I  was mesmerized by the beauty, athleticism of the dance and powerful pairing of Tchaikovsky's live score in PBT's performance. PBT is bringing Swan Lake back May 6 through May 15, 2022 giving us all a second chance to be awestruck by the fairytale.

Day 378- 2022 Winter Olympic Opens- Your own Olympic Adventure Awaits in Lake Placid NY - remembering then bobsled

 

Today is the opening for the 2022 Winter Olympics.  The winter games are a showcase of  winter adventures. We get to view the  sharp serpentine turns in alpine skiing, rat- a- tat bounce of mogul skiing, air in freestyle and long jump, grace in figure skating, endurance in cross country skiing and the trajectory speed in the bobsled and skeleton races. There is just so much action except maybe for curling- the jury is still out about that one.  Lake Placid NY, which was home of the 1980 winter games, is a place where you can venture on  your own Olympic experience.