Turning 30

City Theatre and Pittsburgh Public Theater both celebrate 30th birthdays this upcoming season. Actually, City is the older by three months: It was born in June 1975, and the Public in September 1975, both in the same building, the Allegheny Community Theater (later the Hazlett Theater) on the North Side.

In Sunday's paper, City Theatre announces "30 for 30," a yearlong series of events to mark its anniversary, kicking off with a free open house (tours, season previews, music, food, performance by Billy Porter, etc.) starting at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10. But City gets a prior jump on Sept. 1 with a 7-10 p.m. anniversary season kick-off fund-raiser at the Mount Washington "smart house" of Steven Herforth and Peter Karlovich (maybe you saw it on the Mount Washington house tour); for $100 tickets call 412-431-CITY.

Priority as the season's first 30th anniversary party, however, goes to the Public, which is throwing itself a big fund-raising gala from 7 to midnight on Aug. 27 at the O'Reilly.

The organizers are calling it "Manhattan: The Party" and they claim that you can "visit all the hot spots of New York City" as they turn the O'Reilly into the Big Apple:

"From a subway trip to re-creations of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Broadway, Times Square, Shubert Alley and the Rainbow Room, every nook and cranny in the O'Reilly will give patrons the chance to experience the sights, sounds and people that make NYC the 'city that never sleeps.' "

Guests are promised treats from Chinatown, Little Italy and Zabar's Deli, plus hot dogs from street vendors. You can have a drink at Sardi's or dance to live music in the Rainbow Room. Video monitors will play New York-themed movies. PPT founders Joan Apt and Margaret Rieck and leading man Tom Atkins will be honored, and the evening is being chaired by David and Susan Matter.

Tickets are $300 per person, which includes an open bar. For info or tickets, contact Melanie Gulasy at 412-316-8200, ext. 724, or at mgulasy@ppt.org.

KUDOS

A couple of weeks back the American Alliance of Theater in Education held its conference in Salt Lake City and awarded its 2004 Distinguished New Play award for a play published in the past year (Dramatic Publishing) to Tammy Ryan's "The Music Lesson." Previous winners include James Still's "And Then They Came For Me" and Steven Dietz's "Still Life With Iris." And lest we forget, Pittsburgh's own Prime Stage (artistic director, Wayne Brinda) won AATE's 2000 award as Best New Theater for Youth.