THURSDAY through NEXT SUNDAY
Comedian Aries Spears will appear at the Pittsburgh Improv, 166 E. Bridge St., at The Waterfront at Homestead. Best known as a series regular on Fox TV’s sketch comedy show “MADtv,” Mr. Spears also is well known for playing Cuba Gooding Jr.’s brother in the film “Jerry Maguire.” Showtimes are 8 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday; 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday; and 7 p.m. next Sunday. For more info and tickets, $25, www.improv.com or 412-462-5233.
FRIDAY and SATURDAY
An opening reception will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. for artist Suso Phizer’s solo exhibition “Pretend Ones” at Bunker Projects, 5106 Penn Ave., Garfield. A Q & A with the artist will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday. Ms. Phizer, a St. Louis, MO, native and Philadelphia resident, is an MFA candidate at Tyler School of Art. She completed a two month residency at Bunker Projects in summer 2017. “Pretend Ones” is an audio installation visitors navigate to hear disparate accounts of gender and sexuality drawn from interviews held in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and NYC. The work seeks to challenge assumptions about the ways body shape and function determine gender and desire. The exhibition continues through Jan. 28. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Information: www.bunkerprojects.org.
SATURDAY
Pittsburgh Opera hosts a free Brown Bag concert featuring excerpts from their upcoming productions. The concert takes place at the opera’s headquarters, 2425 Liberty Avenue in the Strip at noon. The program also includes music by Puccini, Rossini, Mozart and more, and the event concludes with an informal reception. Free and open to the public. pittsburghopera.org; 412-281-0912.
SATURDAY
Citiparks annual Mascot Skate will be held at the Schenley Park Skating Rink, Overlook Drive, Oakland, at 1:30 p.m. Dozens of mascots are slated to participate. Parents are encouraged to bring along cameras to capture the special moments as their children take to the ice with the characters. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (60 and older) and $3 for youth (17 and younger). Skate rental is $3, and skate sharpening is $5. For more information, 412-422-6523 or www.citiparks.net.
First Published: December 31, 2017, 11:00 a.m.
