Arts & Entertainment writers offer capsule comments on this, that and the other thing ...

Sweet Honey in the Rock

Trying to describe an evening spent with Sweet Honey in the Rock would be like trying to describe seeing Moses part the Red Sea. Unless you were there, you can't fully take it in.

Imagine seven of the most beautiful, diversely talented, highly intellectual, socially aware, justice-seeking, creative women you ever have met in one room. Imagine they share their stories of life: the essence of love and loss, the joy of anticipation and the sorrow of disappointment. They share their hope for the future: yours, mine, ours. Imagine. They open their mouths, and then, incredibly, they sing some of the most beautiful music you have ever heard.

That is Sweet Honey in the Rock.

On Sunday at the Byham Theater, the Grammy-winning a cappella group covered mostly original material that was cultivated over the 30 years since "her" founder, Bernice Johnson Reagon (now retired), started. The topics of the material ranged from a rap number describing who they were and what they did to a heart-rending tale of addiction written by Aisha Kahlil.

Other highlights of the evening included "Freedom Never Dies," a narrative song about the murder of Florida civil rights leader Harry Moore. "Sometime" was a soul ballad that rose to a fevered gospel pitch and brought the house to its feet. It was sung by Arnae, a powerhouse who has committed to singing full time with the group after spending her time singing around the globe (literally) with every big name in popular music and stage. Other crowd favorites included "No Mirrors in My Nana's House" and "Give Your Hands to the Struggle."

Pittsburgh welcomed home one of its own, sort of. Ysaye M. Barnwell, the baritone of the group, received her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh in cranio-facial studies. When she is not singing, she is a professor, author, poet and composer. Barnwell's original composition "Let Us Rise in Love" showcased her rich, expressive vocal talents.

In the midst of all this, the most intriguing member is the one who speaks only with her hands, Shirley Childress Saxton. She's a professional sign language interpreter who learned to sign from her deaf parents, and her sign interpretation of the music was beautifully profound.

Sweet Honey in the Rock members said that their mission is to spread joy. They succeeded.

-- Review by Rosa Colucci,

George Carlin

What if George Carlin hadn't been just a comic genius?

What if he'd been a mad, crazy, Dr. Evil kind of genius?

We caught a glimpse of that Saturday night at Heinz Hall during his last bit, one that he shelved shortly after Sept. 11 fearing it was too offensive: a little thing he calls "I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die."

OK, it sounds dark, and sure enough it was, beginning with "the best thing I can hear on TV is, 'We interrupt this program.' " But it was also a majestic comic book vision of apocalypse that began with an asteroid the size of Pennsylvania hitting ... Pennsylvania and upsetting the entire universe to the point where everything goes dark, lightning bolts shoot out of the ground and, ultimately, dead people such as Babe Ruth, Groucho Marx, Adolf Hitler and others return for some kind of world summit.

And that bit was actually on the lighter side -- compared to Carlin's second number. In that one, he looked at his watch and said, "There goes another one," explaining that every 30 seconds, someone commits suicide. His idea? "The Suicide Network -- Must Die TV." Carlin got into the head of the person contemplating his own demise. How he might need to buy a rope but won't really want to spend much on it, so he'll go to Wal-Mart, where there's a sale, and, hey, if he uses a credit card, he won't ever have to pay.

"I'm killing myself," Carlin said with maniacal glee, "and Wal-Mart's paying for it."

On the Suicide Network, he figures, it will be much more creative. "Some [guy] will figure out how to kill himself with dental floss and a crossbow."

You could tell this gallows humor -- literally -- had people both laughing and shifting in their seats. (The young couple next to me headed to the exit the moment he made a crack about Jesus.) This was Carlin at his darkest, emphasized by the good conventional stand-up of opener Dennis Blair. But it wasn't Carlin at his best. His opening rap about the modern man ("tireless and wireless, an alpha male on beta-blockers," etc.) was nothing short of brilliant. But Carlin filled the middle of the set with reruns about "the first enema" (gross) and "songs about cancer" (tasteless), plus a bit on airplane flatulence (gross again).

An update on the "Seven Dirty Words" would have been timely, ambitious and probably a lot funnier. The 67-year-old comic says he shies away from topical humor, but he's way too brilliant to waste his (and our) time on poop jokes.

-- Review by Scott Mervis,

"Angel"

In his ongoing efforts to save humanity, Angel (David Boreanaz) signs away his own future, betrayal runs rampant and death looms in the series finale of The WB's "Angel" (9 p.m. tomorrow). Would fans of the series expect any different?

"Live the day like it's your last, because it probably is," Angel tells his crew of demon fighters. Those words prove prophetic as Angel and Co. seek to bring down the universe's most evil power players and stave off yet another apocalypse.

Reminding us once again he's the most literate TV writer around -- if you can get past the prosthetic-faced monsters -- "Buffyverse" creator Joss Whedon co-wrote the finale with Jeffrey Bell, who also directed the fast-paced hour.

Anyone hoping for a conclusion wrapped in a bow will be disappointed; then again, anyone expecting that from Whedon hasn't been paying much attention over the years.

Filled with nods to the past, the "Angel" finale delivers shocking twists, heartbreak and laughs. The inconclusive finale is less depressing than knowing viewers will no longer have the opportunity to bask in such smart, creative storytelling on a weekly basis.

-- Review by Rob Owen,

Janis Ian

At her May 1 concert, singer-songwriter Janis Ian was so taken by the Pittsburgh crowd and Club Cafe's digital video-recording capability that she's coming back next month.

Ian will be at the 110-seat showcase on the South Side to perform two free shows at 7:30 p.m. June 15 and 16. Admission is by reservation only, and fans are invited to participate in the recording of Ian's live DVD. To register, call Club Cafe at 412-431-4950 after 3 p.m. Give your name, names of all guests and your phone number. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 6 p.m., and all members of the audience should be prepared to appear in the DVD.

With wall-mounted, remote-controlled cameras and a digital video recording studio upstairs, Club Cafe was built with the intention of recording and marketing celebrity DVDs. Ian's project will be the club's third, following releases by Jill Sobule and Adrian Belew.

-- By John Hayes,