The Weekend Rundown

Cirque Du Soleil's "Varekai"
Fri-Sun, Cirque Du Soleil Village at Heinz Field
cirquedusoleil.com

"Friends And Lovers"
Fri, 8 pm, Byham Theater, Downtown
pgharts.org or (412) 456-6666

Whole Health Expo
Sat-Sun, Pittsburgh Expo Mart, Monroeville
wholehealthexpo.com

"Secrets & Mysteries Of The World"
With Sylvia Browne & John Holland
Fri, 7-10 pm, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown
hayhouse.com or pittsburghcc.com

"Madame Butterfly"
Fri-Sun, Benedum Center, Downtown
pbt.org

Cheesesteak-Eating Contest
Sat, 7 pm, Southside Steaks, South Side
(412) 390-1844

Bizarre Carnival - freakiest costume contest, magic, tarot cards, palm reading, tattoo
Sat, 10 pm, Margarita Mama's, Station Square
(412) 434-8100

"The Men Of Playgirl" Tour
Sat, 10 pm, Light, Strip District
pghnightlife.com

"Clash of Empires" Exhibit Opening
Sun, 10 am-5 pm, Heinz History Center, Strip District
pghhistory.org or (412) 454-6000

"Pops Goes British!"
Fri-Sun, Heinz Hall, Downtown
pittsburghsymphony.org or (412) 392-4900

"Music Video: 1982-2000"
Fri-Sun, Wood Street Galleries, Downtown
woodstreetgalleries.org

"Nine Days in the Sun"
Fri-Sun, 542 Penn Avenue, Downtown
pgharts.org or (412) 288-0358

"Ghetto Superstar"
Fri-Sun, City Theatre, South Side
citytheatrecompany.org or (412) 431-CITY

"The Beatles Generation: An Illustrated Journey" (final weekend)
Fri-Sat, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Downtown
aip.aii.edu

"Effectuation II"
Fri-Sat, Attack Theatre Studios, Bloomfield
attacktheatre.com or (412) 441-8444

W.A.R. (Walk And Ride) Against Hunger
Sat, 9 am, Boston Park to Buena Vista Park and back
(412) 464-1892

Miss Pittsburgh Oustanding Teen Pageant
Sat, 3 pm, Carlow University, Oakland
winacrown.com or (866) 386-5086

Teen Art Attack - Ashley Cole reading, poetry jam, open mike
Sat, 5:30 pm, Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland
cmoa.org

Late Night Cabaret at Theater Square, Downtown
Fri: Henry Shapiro/Swing Dancing
Sat: Clare Ascani
CLOcabaret.com or (412) 281-1264 ext. 237

Blue Jean Cabaret
Sat, 10 pm, Greater Homewood Coliseum
(412) 628-3667 or (412) 401-4185

"Spring From The Shadows" horror trilogy
Fri-Sat, Allegheny Playhouse, North Side
(412) 851-0922 or rageofthestage@yahoo.com

World T’ai Chi /QiGong Day
Sat, 9 am-noon, Northmoreland Park (Pavillion 11)
innerstrengthmartialarts.org or (724) 845-1041

Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra's "Tribute to Heroism"
Sun, 3 pm, Palace Theatre, Greensburg
thepalacetheatre.org or (724) 836-8000

Steel City Music Festival
Sat, 7 pm, Gateway Middle School, Monroeville
steelcityambassadors.org or (412) 889-0422

Huff's Arts & Crafts Show
Fri-Sun, Ross Park Mall, Ross Township
simon.com or (412) 369-4400

"A Little Day of Beauty"
Sat, 8-10 am, 1-3 pm, Kaufmann's, South Hills Village
simon.com or (412) 831-2900

Spring Into Fitness
Sun, 1 pm, The Mall at Robinson, Robinson Township
shoprobinsonmall.com or (412) 788-6530

"Pretend To Be" Event
Sat, noon-4 pm, KB Toys, Monroeville Mall
monroevillemall.com or (412) 243-8511

Gateway Clipper Cruises
gatewayclipper.com

[WTAE The Pittsburgh Channel.com]

April 29: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers

Games People Don’t Play
Writer: BILL O’DRISCOLL

There’s a nice paradox in the juxtaposition, one that says something about the weird role sports has come to play in America. The antique leather ball, hand-stitched and small as an infant’s fist, rests near the sleek synthetics of a modern football uniform draped over a mannequin. But if the first displays you see at Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers -- Abraham Lincoln’s handball and the threads Terry Bradshaw wore to his final Super Bowl -- span some six-score years, they mark a cultural distance perhaps even greater.

The two glass cases are among three dozen teamed up in Sports, a Smithsonian Institution road show making its national premiere at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. Like its cousin the arts, sport perpetually walks the line between “just for fun” and deadly serious; it’s an amusement that’s alternately blamed and credited for our moral fiber.
Read on...

Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers continues through May 31. Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Strip District. 412-454-6000.

April 29: Assembly of Dust

Venue: Club Cafe
Date: Friday, April 29, 2005
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Ticket price: $12 advance, $14 at door.
Ticket contact info: 412-323-1919
Click here for their official website!

April 29: Madame Butterfly

Madame Butterfly

Venue: Benedum Center
Date: Friday, April 29, 2005
Time: 8 p.m.
Ticket price: $14- $117
Ticket contact info: 412-456-6666

A PBT Premiere! Innocence, love and betrayal unfold in this exotic ballet that has lit the international dance world on fire. Choreographed by Stanton Welch and featuring the unforgettable score by Puccini, Madame Butterfly tells the story of a beautiful geisha who is passionately in love with an American naval officer – with tragic consequences.

April 21-May 14: Henry IV

By William Shakespeare
adapted by Dakin Matthews

April 21– May 14, 2005
Charity Randall Theatre, Oakland

Writer: LISSA BRENNAN
City Paper

Beauty, it’s claimed, is in the eye of the beholder. So is everything else. Take theater -? although clues and insights overflow from any text, purists can be damned, for there’s no single set and pat blueprint for bringing a character to life. Every actor’s embodiment of a part is different. In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, for example, there are many ways to interpret the role of Prince Hal, Henry’s tavern-haunting son. The same can be said for the part of laudable Hotspur.

And there are numerous manners in which someone working on a version that features alternating Hals/Hotspurs can construe their own production. David Conrad, who with Scott Ferrara trades off the roles in Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre’s new offering of Dakin Matthew’s adaptation, says, “The show’s not going to change that much. We’re little and these characters are huge.” Show director and PICT Artistic Director Andrew Paul sees it differently. “I think the show will be radically different [depending on who plays what role],” he says. “I want them to interpret the words in their own ways.”

Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, with a sizable cast, a running time topping three hours and painstakingly choreographed combat sequences, is a formidable beast even without Hal and Hotspur doppelgangers. But Conrad, Ferrara and Paul are confident they’ll succeed. The casting will switch Hals and Hotspurs performance by performance, and while the actors have been allowed to find their own paths, they’ve grown from watching each other. “It definitely pushes us,” says Ferrara. “We encourage each other.”

The cast also features Sam Tsoutsouvas, making his triumphant return to Pittsburgh following his success as Frank Lloyd Wright in City Theatre’s Work Song; and local favorites including Brian Barefoot, Martin Giles, John Gresh, Tim Hartman, Susan McGregor Laine and Sheila McKenna.

“The play’s got fantastic swordplay, unbelievable political intrigue, and some of the best comedic scenes,” says Paul. “I think it’s literally a play that has something for everyone.”

PICT presents Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2. Thu., April 21, through May 14. Charity Randall Theater, Oakland. $28 (students $15). 412-394-3353

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April 25: Let's Go Bucks

Pirates vs. Houston Astros

Venue: PNC Park
Date: Monday, April 25, 2005
Time: 7:05 p.m.
Ticket price: varies
Ticket contact info: 1-800-BUY-BUCS

April 26: Edwin McCain at Club Cafe

Edwin McCain

•	Next: 4/26 , 8:00PM;
	Club Cafe
	56 South 12th St. Pittsburgh, PA 15203 412-431-4950
•	Click here for a complete schedule

Long before Edwin McCain scored a contract with Atlantic Records, he toured the country with the soulful jam sessions that would ultimately draw him one of the most loyal grassroots audiences an artist could ever hope for. His following, akin to the crowds that stuck by the Dave Matthews Band before it tasted mega-stardom, started in Charleston, S.C., where word of this acoustic rocker spread, launching his journey to Top 40 stardom.

McCain's dogged work ethic -- he would often tour 300 days a year, opening for such acts as the Allman Brothers and Hootie and the Blowfish -- earned him experience and the exposure he needed to draw a new crop of fans. For those who know the name but momentarily forget his tunes, think of the runaway hit, 'I'll Be,' a repeated song on 'Dawson's Creek' and 'American Idol,' where its popularity among contestants recently earned McCain a cameo.

'I Could Not Ask for More' is another song that helped catapult McCain's music into the hearts of adoring fans. Now with a secure fan base behind him, McCain has released two albums, 'Austin Sessions,' an acoustic compilation, and 'Scream and Whisper,' which doesn't deviate much from his folk-pop aesthetic. -- Valerie Q. Carino

Music: Folk, Jazz, R&B, Rock, Soul

Nightlife: Live Music in Bar/Club

Official Web Site
[from AOL City Guide]

This Week: Happy Hour at Deja Vu

Experience the perfect place to relax and unwind. Whether it's after a long day at the office or just to meet friends, Dejavu Lounge is the place.

A casual atmosphere radiating with style and comfort. From the fine selection of drinks, food, and music, to the relaxed comfort seating areas.

Located on Penn Avenue in the Strip District, where it's always Deja Vu.

Dejavu Lounge And Restaurant
2106 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412.434.1144

Happy Hour - Monday Thru Friday 5 - 7 PM
Monday $3 Finlandia Vodka Drinks & Special Martinis 9 - 11 PM
Tuesday $4 Turi Vodka 9 - 11 PM
Wednesday $3 Coronas & $4 Bacardi Drinks 9 - 11 PM
Thursday $2 Michelob Ultra & $5 Cosmos 9 - 11 PM
Friday $2 Coors Light All Day And $5 Martinis - Also Enjoy Half Price Appetizers 5 - 7 PM