THURSDAY
Women rock
Pop star and powerhouse percussionist Sheila E, best known for the 1984 hit “The Glamorous Life,” headlines the third annual Women Who Rock benefit concert at Stage AE, North Shore.
Her credits include stints with Prince, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, and she’s also served as drummer of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band and musical director for Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce.
Also on the bill will be Pittsburgh soul belter Lyndsey Smith, DJ Jess, the Sounds of Pittsburgh Chorus and Rising Star Contest winner Melina Bowser, a student at North Allegheny High School.
Doors are 6:30 p.m., concert at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $55-$85.
Proceeds benefit Magee-Womens Research Institute; womenwhorock.info.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
‘Spamilton’ at Greer
It’s not “Hamilton,” but “Spamilton: An American Parody” from the creative team behind “Forbidden Broadway.”
The New York Times’ Ben Brantley deemed the musical parody “smart, silly and often convulsively funny.” The Founding Fathers comedy is at the Greer Cabaret Theater, Downtown, through Aug. 25, and features Justin Lonesome (Ben Franklin, George Washington, others), T.J. Newton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Erin Ramirez (Leading Ladies), LaTrea Rembert (Daveed Diggs, others), and Tru Verret-Fleming (Aaron Burr, Leslie Odom Jr.), with Nick Stamatakis as King George III.
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays (check website for 1 p.m. Thursday matinees), 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays.
Tickets: $31.25-$59.75; CLOCabaret.com or 412-456-6666.
FRIDAY
Loud & Clear
Trevor Noah steps away from his desk on “The Daily Show” set at Comedy Central for an evening of stand-up comedy at the Petersen Events Center, Oakland, on the Loud & Clear Tour.
Fans can expect the comedian from South Africa and author of best-seller “Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood” to dish on politics and topics of the day with his insightful edge.
It begins at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $37; ticketmaster.com.
Outlaws & Renegades
Stage AE, North Shore, takes a rare dive into some vintage country-rock with the Outlaws & Renegades Tour.
It’s headlined by Travis Tritt, who was part of “The Class of ‘89” with Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Alan Jackson. The Georgia native’s won two Grammys and charted 19 Top 10 hits, including “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” “Here’s a Quarter” and “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive.” He recently appeared on the finale of “The Voice” to sing “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” with Andrew Sevener.
Joining Tritt is the Charlie Daniels Band, led by the 82-year-old singer-fiddler-guitarist best known for classic-rock staple “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which just hit its 40th anniversary. He also brings “Long Haired Country Boy” and “In America,” on which he warned not to “lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.”
Also on the bill is The Cadillac Three, the young Nashville Southern rockers led by Jaren Johnston, who has written singles for Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Jake Owen.
Doors open at 6 p.m. $45-$50; ticketmaster.com.
Finest in Fiberart
Fiberart International 2019, Contemporary Craft’s last exhibition in the Produce Terminal, opens with 56 works “that consider the human condition in these turbulent times and explore the unexpected relationship between fiber and other creative disciplines.”
The 23rd biennial fiber art exhibition, sponsored by the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh Inc., received 1,400 artworks submitted by artists from 28 countries. Jurors Jane Sauer and Sonya Clark selected 55 artists from eight countries and 24 states.
It opens with a reception from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman St., Strip, and Brew House Association, 711 S. 21st St., South Side. The reception is free and open to the public; contemporarycraft.org.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
StrEAT fest
The Highmark’s International StrEAT Festival takes over a vendor-lined Penn Avenue, between Stanwix and Seventh streets, Downtown, for two days of stage performances, games, raffles, cooking demonstrations and more, presented by the Downtown CDC (Community Development Corporation).
Don’t miss the meatball-eating contest. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Free; highmarkstreatfestpgh.com.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
PSO debuts
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra does a double debut this weekend with Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen leading the PSO’s first performance of “Pohjola’s Daughter” by fellow countryman Jean Sibelius and Italian pianist Beatrice Rana performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
The PSO rounds out the program at Heinz Hall, Downtown, with Tchaikovsky’s popular Symphony No. 4.
Associate Conductor Andrés Franco will offer a pre-concert talk one hour prior to the performance and following the concert, there will be a chamber performance of a Franz Krommer’s Quartet.
Times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $21 to $98; pittsburghsymphony.org.
SATURDAY
It’s George!
Caterpillar, meet monkey.
Joining the just-opened Eric Carle exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side is “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious!” and its STEM-based adventures.
Families can explore the lovable chimp’s town to help him climb his apartment building; play customer or salesperson at the produce stand; use pipes, ramps and funnels to play mini golf; build a whirligig; and more.
For details, go to pittsburghkids.org.
SUNDAY
Kids Free History
The Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip begins its UPMC Kids Free Sundays with free admission for all kids age 17 and under, sponsored by UPMC. It will run every Sunday in June; heinzhistorycenter.org/events.
Gliding through Schenley
City of Pittsburgh Community Footrace Series begins a new year with the 37th Greenfield Glide 5K Run Fitness Walk, a hilly course taking place primarily on the trails of Schenley Park.
It begins at 8:30 a.m. Day-of registration will be available starting at 7 a.m. at the Overlook Shelter in Schenley Park. Cost is $25 per runner and walker; greenfield-glide.com.
FREE MUSIC AND MOVIES
FRIDAY: The South Park Amphitheater series opens with horn-powered Pittsburgh funk/jazz band Beauty Slap joined by Funky Fly Project at 7:30 p.m. Food trucks and Hop Farm Brewing Company will be on site beginning at 6 p.m.; alleghenycounty.us/special-events/summer-concert-series.aspx.
THURSDAY-FRIDAY: The South Side Works series begins with Hell’s Oasis (Thursday) and Good Ship Gibraltar (Friday). 6 p.m.
SUNDAY: The Hartwood Acres Amphitheater season opens with Pittsburgh Opera at 7:30 p.m. Food trucks and Hop Farm Brewing Company will be at the Hampton site at 6 p.m.; alleghenycounty.us/special-events/summer-concert-series.aspx.
SUNDAY: The Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park series begins in Schenley Plaza, Oakland, with “Mary Poppins Returns” at dusk; pittsburghpa.gov/events.
First Published: May 29, 2019, 9:53 p.m.
