ALL WEEKEND
XTREME circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Circus XTREME pulls into the PPG Paints Arena, Uptown, this weekend, promising to be X-TRAORDINARY, UN-XPECTED, X-HILARATING and X-OTIC.
Ringmaster David Shipman will lead a cast that features Dogs of the City, tiger trainer Taba Maluenda, camel riders, human cannonball Nicole Sanders, BMX riders, The Flashkicks, pendulum of steel man Benny Ibarra, Angelic Aerialists, Clown Alley and more.
Times are 7 p.m. today and Friday; 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $25 to $90; ticketmaster.com.
ALL WEEKEND
Aviary art
Photographer Dave DiCello, known for dazzling shots of Pittsburgh’s skyline, is the featured artist at the National Aviary’s Wings & Wildlife Art Show this weekend on the North Side. It will focus on his new series of work featuring the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.
“Having grown up in the city, I’ve spent many an afternoon at the National Aviary, first as a child and more recently with my 2-year-old son,” he said in a statement. “To have the opportunity to display my art there is a true honor, and I’m looking forward to showcasing my landscape work, including images from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, a snow-covered McConnells Mill and the waterfalls of Ohiopyle.”
The Wings & Wildlife weekend begins with an opening night Soiree and Benefit Auction from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday ($100; www.showclix.com) and continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday showcasing more than 30 locally and nationally known artists from five states working in paint, photography, textiles, jewelry, metal, ceramics, paper, wood and more. They include Ashley Cecil, wearable textiles; Chandler Beatty, painting; Jocelyn Beatty, painting; JP Diroll, photography; and Suzanne Connor, textiles.
Admission is $14; $13 seniors; $13 children ages 2-12. www.aviary.org or 412-258-9433.
FRIDAY
Tropical times
Party in the Tropics is a festive way to bask in “The Fall Flower Show: Bask in Nature’s Bounty,” running through Sunday at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Oakland.
Guests can dance to the beats of a DJ and enjoy sweet and savory morsels and unique cocktails and seasonal beer selections in the lush greenery.
It runs from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday. Entry is free with Phipps admission, but space is limited. Open only to guests 21 or older with a valid ID (passport or driver’s license). https://phipps.conservatory.org.
FRIDAY
Contemporary CRAFTED
The Society for Contemporary Craft, Strip District, is celebrating the holidays with CRAFTED, a showcase of more than 100 pieces of handmade tableware by 30-some ceramic artists from around the world. Cups, mugs, bowls, platters and more will be available for purchase.
It opens Friday with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. that is free and open to the public. There is also a VIP preview from 5:30 to 6 p.m. ($30); 412-261-7003.
FRIDAY
Narcissister at Warhol
Narcissister is the rare artist on The Andy Warhol Museum performance art series to have appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” and she passed the audition by freaking out the panel.
Narcissister is an Alvin Ailey-trained feminist performance artist who employs masks, elaborate costumes, contemporary dance and music in “deconstructing stereotypical representations of gender, racial identity and sexuality.”
Huffington Post called Narcissister, whose identity is kept secret, the “topless feminist superhero of New York.” The performance, co-presented with Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Art, contains adult content, strong language and nudity. It begins at 8 p.m. at The Warhol on the North Side. Tickets are $15; $12 members and students; www.warhol.org or 412-237-8300.
SATURDAY
Quin twins
Tegan and Sara, the popular Canadian duo of Quin twins, has come a long way from its acoustic roots, evolving into alt-rock and more glossy modern pop while keeping the harmonies and smart songcraft at the core.
The twins’ eighth album, “Love You to Death,” sticks with the ’80s new wave influence on songs that address their cozy sibling relationship (“100x,” “White Knuckles”) and gay themes (“Boyfriend,” “BWU”).
They play Stage AE, North Shore. Doors at 7 p.m. Tickets are $29.50-$32; ticketmaster.com.
SATURDAY
Celtic travels
Loreena McKennitt, the Celtic/New Age singer and multi-instrumentalist from Manitoba, Canada, who made her major label debut 25 years ago with “The Visit,” arrives for an intimate trio performance with collaborators Brian Hughes and Caroline Lavelle.
She will offer songs inspired by her travels in pursuit of Celtic history, with inspirations coming from the Sufis in Istanbul, the Berbers in Morocco, Delphi in Greece and the poetry of Yeats and Shakespeare.
It’s at the Byham Theater, Downtown, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50; www.trustarts.org.
SATURDAY
Smashing pumpkins
Saturday at the Carnegie Science Center will be all about smashing pumpkins — the real-life act, not the band.
Families are invited to bring their pumpkins to the annual Great Pumpkin Smash, a physics-filled day of fun that will involve rolling the leftover jack-o’-lanterns off the Science Center’s roof. The learning part is the discussion of why some smash, some splatter and some bounce. Spectators can witness the smashing sequence from a safe distance outside the “splash zone” on the ground.
The Science Center’s back lawn will be used to demonstrate how liquid nitrogen can be used to create an exciting pumpkin blast. There will also be pumpkin-flavored ice scream during the “Science in a Scoop” show on the BodyStage.
It’s 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. rain or shine; CarnegieScienceCenter.org.
SATURDAY
Pitt Jazz jam
Pianist Geri Allen, director of University of Pittsburgh’s Jazz Studies Program, will lead the 46th annual Pitt Jazz Seminar Concert Saturday night at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
She will be joined by guest artists Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Dwayne Dolphin (bass), Perry Hughes (guitar), David McMurray (saxophone), Jamison Ross (drums), Fred Wesley (trombone) and Cassandra Wilson (vocals).
Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress S. Epatha Merkerson, best known for her role as an NYPD lieutenant on the drama “Law & Order,” will serve as master of ceremonies.
It begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$30 advance; $30-$35 at the door; $10 students with a valid ID. music.pitt.edu/tickets; 412-624-7529.
SUNDAY
Houdini act
On the day Mayor Bill Peduto has declared to be Lee Terbosic Day in Pittsburgh, the touring magician will perform a death-defying feat in the middle of Downtown.
The Pittsburgh native who has appeared on “America’s Got Talent” and TLC’s “Four Weddings” will be placed in a straitjacket and lifted into the sky by a crane to perform an escape stunt that has a special significance for him.
“On Nov. 6, 1916, Harry Houdini performed this very dangerous stunt himself at the corner of Liberty Avenue and Wood Street in Downtown Pittsburgh, and now 100 years to the day, I plan to re-create it at the very same location on Lee Terbosic Day,” he said in a statement.
It will take place between 10 a.m. and noon. Preceding the event will be the annual EQT Pittsburgh Ten Miler beginning at 8 a.m. For info about Houdini 100, visitwww.houdini100.com.
SUNDAY
Pioneer evening
The pioneer landmark Oliver Miller Homestead in South Park presents An Evening at Mansfield, a candle and lantern-lit event that will have people gathering to discuss the news, including soldiers sent by President George Washington. There will be cookies and hot cider for sale. It runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. It is located off the circle in Allegheny County’s South Park on Stone Manse Drive. Admission is $2; olivermillerhomestead.org.
First Published: November 3, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
