Arts in Pittsburgh: “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Looking for something to do this weekend that’s worth the investment?  Check out Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama’s production of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”  The production ends on Sunday, November 22, but it is worth the rushing to get a seat.  Tickets range from $10-25 with discounts for students and seniors.  For more information click here: http://tinyurl.com/yg3lcxn

 

 

Why miss out anyway?   See the next big stars before they are famous.
Some of the creative arts greatest talents are former students of  Carnegie Mellon Drama’s program:

* John-Michael Tebelak, playwright and director (Godspell)

* Van Hansis, actor (As The World Turns)

* Maura West, actress (As The World Turns)

* Rob Marshall, film director, nominated for a 2003 Academy Award for Chicago.

* Ted Danson, actor (Cheers, Damages)

* Jack Klugman, actor

* Ethan Hawke (briefly attended), actor

* Pablo Schreiber, actor

* Andrew Kober, actor (Hair)

* Gabriel Macht, actor

* Gaius Charles, actor (Friday Night Lights)

* Ann Roth, costume designer (The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley)

* Eugene Lee, scenic designer (Saturday Night Live)

* George Romero, film director

* Dagmara Dominczyk, actress (The Count of Monte Cristo)

* Erik Jensen, actor/playwright

* Stephen Schwartz, film and theatre composer

* John Pasquin, film director

* John Wells, executive producer/creator (The West Wing, ER)

* Patrick Wilson, actor (Angels in America, Little Children, Watchmen)

* Blair Underwood, actor

* Billy Porter, actor/singer

* Laura San Giacomo, actress

* Sourced from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Mellon_School_of_Drama

Is Jay-z Jealous?

One thing that Pittsburgh has is a whole lotta pride and one recent display caught my ear.  You see a few months ago Jay-z released Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys.  An ode to NYC the song, Keys belts out the chorus :

New York!!!!
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There’s nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York!!!
These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York

So as I am driving last week, I was surprise to hear the Pittsburgh version of this anthem, Steel City State of Mind featured on B94.  It initially irked me, but now I have come accept that this is what makes Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.  You decide for yourself and let me know what you think.

Click here to listen:

Steel City State of Mind

Plum on Penn Circle S

I like to share the good things that I find around this city and while this spot is not completely new—it was new to me!  A group of us headed out to Plum unwind and have some grown up food.  Plum is a newer restaurant located on Penn Circle South in East Liberty.

 

The menu is Pan Asian fusion, offering a variety of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai dishes.  After figuring out how to get in, we were greeted by a very professional staff and seated promptly.  I’d have to say the best part of the experience was a cross between the decor and dessert.  Don’t get me wrong, the food was really good, (I recommend the duck) but I think it is worth the visit alone to experience the interior and thoughtful/delicious desserts.

 

 

Check it out: www.plumpanasiankitchen.com

A Funny Follow Up…

Just found this funny and very local write up about Hollywood in the Steel City and the inconvenience of it all.

 

Check it out:

Hollywood Go Home!

Hollywood Has Landed in Pittsburgh

I witness things here that I never see anywhere else.  Seas of black and gold on Sundays.   Entire school systems shutting down due to a successful Superbowl bid.  Fried hoagies! And a host of other oddities that I believe makes this city so unique.  So when my friend sent me a text saying, ” I don’t know.  I think I just saw Jake Gyllenhaal on Walnut St.”  I didn’t think twice or question her judgment.  Of course he’s here.  Pittsburgh is officially the next Hollywood.  Jake (and sometimes Reese, too!) is here to film his new movie, Love and Other Drugs.  (Look at some pictures of sweaty Jake flexing in da burgh)

Filming in Pittsburgh is not really something  new, but it has picked up in the past few months.  And we all remember the backlash of a few clever words uttered from this woman’s mouth.

Yeah.  I actually felt badly for her….but anyway.

I remember when I was in second grade, my mother was selected an extra (her third time) for the  HBO movie Criminal Justice starring Rosie Perez, Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Grey.  She was on set for a couple of  super long days.  For the most part, she would just sit, but on a few special days she would come home with stories.  At 5 and 7, my sister and I looked at my mother in amazement as she recounted sharing a banana with Rosie Perez.  Rosie was really big at that time, just coming off of her “Do The Right Thing” success and I had to know all of the details:  Did she ask you?  Or did you offer your banana? Was she nice about it?  Was she hungry?  When my mother successfully answered the questions to our liking, I sat there with a very intense internal dialogue:  Well, if I was a celebrity, I wouldn’t being eating something as plain as banana.  A banana?  And why was she sitting with my mother?

Here’s a the trailer for that 80’s blockbuster–my mother appears blurred at about 45-50 seconds in.  She was a juror in a red sweater:

Criminal Justice trailer.

Can you also guess which of the top movies were made in Pittsburgh?  I will give you a few hints:

Dogma.  Night of the Living Dead.  Silence of the Lambs.

Click here for the entire list.

Does This Steelers Jersey Make Me Look Fat?

Taking a break from NYC, sometimes my friends and I would come here for a mini-get away.  I know its sounds weird, but a few years ago Pittsburgh was our great escape.  We would pile into a car and about 8 hours later, we would arrive in the land of plenty.  Plenty of  food.  Plenty cheap.  Plenty abundant.

My friends would love it as we traveled from Eat n’ Park to Pamela’s, marveling about getting a meal for under $10.  Impossible at most eateries in the city.  However, after the food haze worn off, it was also noted that our city was large.  Not large in surface area, but our people.  Now I am a generous woman by most’s standards and I knew that Pittsburgh was not the place to come and get thin, but it sorta stung to hear my New York brethren talk about my Pittsburghers.  In fact, one commented, ” I love this place! You can eat what you want and not care how you look!!”  Ouch.   It is true.  We are larger than most cities, but not everyone eats wings and hoagies every night, only to hide their rolls under an oversized Steelers jersey–some care!

In fact, we ranked #25 in Men’s Health’s The Fittest and Fattest Cities in America.  We made the top tier of  the fittest (yes, you read correctly) cities in the U.S.  Don’t believe me?   Click here.

When I moved back, I realized that there are many outdoor fitness activities in this city.  You could probably find more here to do than most.   So here is a list of my top Pittsburgh outdoor workouts:

1.  The Highland Park Reservoir-  I love, love, love this place.  The view is beautiful.  The people are kind and supportive.  I also appreciate how you can make this a beginner workout with a simple brisk walk or challenge yourself by incorporating the steps and surrounding inclines.

2. Frick Park- Some of the best outdoor space that Pittsburgh has to offer, you can enjoy the best views in the city while crafting your own personal workout.  You can always take a break and look at some of the historic design and architecture by famed architect John Russell Pope.

3. Eliza Furnace Trail -  About 4.0  miles long this trail is great for a bike ride, jog or rollerblading.  Not the prettiest of the city’s trails, it works if you need a diversion.

4. Cathedral Steps at the University of Pittsburgh- This  historic landmark in the city is the second-tallest education building in the world and ideal for torture!  There are 764 steps total.  If you climbed 100 times that would equal 40,000 feet, or 7 miles.

5.  Kayak Pittsburgh -  First- timers or pros, you can get your workout in while enjoying the beautiful views of our rivers.  You can also rent bikes to ride along the trails.  Affordable and fun, they even offer tutorials!

Get ready for my next post on Progressive Pittsburgh!

Africa, London and Pittsburgh?

There were many strange circumstances surrounding my birth over 3 decades ago.  First of all, my mother thought that she was dying and so did my father, but she wasn’t.  It was just a little morning sickness from her first born- me!  Native Pittsburghers, living in London, they had limited knowledge of the medical care in the UK.  The doctor came to the hotel, “No you’re not dying, just pregnant.” I was conceived in Africa, discovered in London and raised in Pittsburgh.

Now, at least in my mind, they had a choice.  Stay in London and raise me there–dual citzenship, a proper British education and travel all around Europe is what I imagined.  Or the other option was to return to Pittsburgh and raise their daughter around family, black n’ gold, steel mills and plenty of fried foods.  I got the second.  In fact, I arrived on January 21, 1979 on the day of Super Bowl XIII.  You might remember.  The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas for their third Superbowl win (click here if you would like to relive a bit of that win).  I almost wasn’t delivered. More on that later, though.

So I grew up, moved away and moved back–making me a boomeranger.   You learn so much the second time around!  Although it was a rough adjustment, I have found that Pittsburgh has some pretty unique experiences to offer.  Some good. Some not-so-good.  Some just plain bizarre.

For the die-hard fans here’s another classic moment from that glorious Superbowl era:

Stay tuned for my next post: “Does This Steelers Jersey Make Me Look Fat?”

Pittsburgh and back.

Welcome!  A short time ago, I began to think about my Pittsburgh experience.   I grew up here and plotted to move far, far away.  I wandered to Ohio then made my way to New York where I lived as a Brooklynite for about 6 years.  Returning to Pittsburgh has been a rollercoaster ride of explorations and news finds.  I miss New York, but I have discovered some new, exciting things about Pittsburgh that I would like to share with other Pittsburghers and the rest of the world.

So here I will share with you all things Pittsburgh.  From where to eat, hot spots for entertaining, best workout locations, good shopping and a whole bunch of other hidden treasures in this rich city from the lens of a Pittsburgher returned.  Follow me….