ALL WEEKEND
Baroque and festive
Have it your way: Chatham Baroque gives audiences of all ages and interests festive concerts for the holiday season.
For the hardcore baroque crowd: On Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, the early music group explores the music of one of its favorite composers, George Frideric Handel, and several Italian composers. The program, called “Handel’s Gloria: Celebrating the Divine in Baroque Italy,” includes Handel’s titular piece, along with music by Scarlatti, Vivaldi and Monteverdi. The French-Canadian soprano Pascale Beaudin and guest instrumentalists will be featured. Saturday’s 8 p.m. concert takes place at Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Ave., Shadyside, and Sunday’s 2:30 p.m. show is at Campbell Memorial Chapel, Chatham University. $30, $20 for seniors, $10 for students, at www.chathambaroque.org or 412-687-1788.
For the slightly younger set: Chatham Baroque’s children’s series, Peanut Butter and Jam Sessions, tackles the Christmas spirit with “Sing we Noel,” featuring instrumental music, carol singalongs and more. Two performances, about 45 minutes each, start at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Calvary Episcopal Church. $5 for children, $8 for adults.
Finally, for the (visually) artistically inclined: Chatham Baroque will perform on Friday evening among the Maxo Vanka murals at St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, 24 Maryland Ave., Millvale. The program, which overlaps with pieces from Saturday night and Sunday, is presented by the Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka. A docent-led tour of the murals begins at 7 p.m., and the concert starts at 8 p.m. $20.
ALL WEEKEND
Family friendly
If you’re looking for ways to get the kids excited for Christmas — as if that were hard to do — some of our favorite places have special things planned.
The Gateway Clipper is offering Santa Family Fun Cruises with Santa and a DJ Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (boards 1 p.m., $20, $8 kids), as well as one more Breakfast with Santa Cruise at 9:30 a.m. Saturday ($25). There’s also a final Holiday Captains Dinner Cruise at 6:30 p.m. Saturday ($60/$28); 412-355-7980; www.gatewayclipper.com.
Along with Wings in Winter Holiday Show daily at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., the National Aviary on the North Side presents its African Penguin out front for Disco’s Kids Only Night Out from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday. It’s for kids in grades Grades K-2 and 3-5. There will be stories, bat feedings, crafts to take home, a scavenger hunt, flashlight hike and opportunities to meet a penguin up close. It’s a chance for mom and dad to finish holiday shopping. It’s $50 per child; additional $5 for dinner. Preregistration is required at 412-258-9439 or email education.programs@aviary.org.
Kennywood Holiday Lights, with its 90-foot-tall Christmas tree and Christmas light show, continues through Sunday (5-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday), plus Dec. 23; www.kennywood.com.
Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens is keeping the doors open late for the Winter Flower Show and Light Garden: Days of Snow and Nights Aglow with Candlelight Evenings (until 11 p.m.). For the little ones, there are Santa Visits from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; phipps.conservatory.org.
ALL WEEKEND
James Street celebration
James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy, sporting a newly renovated third floor ballroom, celebrates its fifth year under the ownership of the Saftner family with a full weekend of jazz, blues and burlesque. Here’s the schedule:
Thursday: Dan Bubien Band ($5), Roger Humphries Jam Session, 8 p.m.
Friday: John Petrucelli Big Band, 7 p.m.; The Blues Orphans, 8 p.m., $5.
Saturday: Tony Campbell Jam Session, 5 p.m., $5; Jimmy Adler’s Christmas Special, 8 p.m., $5; Sleigh: Sixth Annual Drag King Spectacular with Maximum Capacity (from Toronto), The Velvet Heartbreakers and more, 9 p.m., $10; jamesstreetgastropub.com.
ALL WEEKEND
PSO Holiday Pops
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, still back from its nearly two-month strike, continues its holiday pops concerts this weekend.
The orchestra is joined by Broadway performer Capathia Jenkins, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Three Rivers Ringers, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and special guests Christopher Sanders and Santa Claus for a program that runs the gamut from “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to the Hallelujah Chorus from “Messiah.”
Visitors to Heinz Hall can enjoy the 25-foot Christmas tree and menorah and the famous Santaland from the former Kaufmann’s and Macy’s store.
Times are 8 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20: www.pittsburghsymphony.org or 412-392-4900.
THURSDAY
RAW story
RAW: natural born artists showcases local emerging artists in film, fashion, music, visual art, performance art, hair and makeup artistry and photography at XTAZA, 1620 Smallman St., Strip District, at 7 p.m.
“HOLIDAY RAWK” will feature more than 40 local artists including Landon Thomas, One Time Originals by Jennifer Lee, Faye Blair, PG Gentile Photography, Lun Original Art — PatrickChuck and Black Hearrts Clothing. Portia Foxx will be the host and DJ Motor Mane is the guest DJ. Dress code for this 21-and-over event is fashionable attire. Valid ID required. Tickets are $20 advance, $25 at the door; www.RAWartists.org.
THURSDAY
Electronic Ghost
Handsome Ghost, the sweet electronic pop project of Boston native and school teacher Tim Noyes, plays Cattivo in Lawrenceville, having just come off a tour with Melanie Martinez. Handsome Ghost is touring behind the new EP “The Brilliant Glow,” which he described as “six songs about growing up, going out, finding love and losing love, and then losing love again.”
Yoke Lore and Cali open the 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $9.75 to $15; www.cattivopgh.com.
FRIDAY
Cathedral music
East Liberty Presbyterian Church opens its doors for the traditional Christmas in East Liberty with The Brass Roots, organist Dr. Ed Moore and the ELPC Chancel Choir doing Christmas classics for brass ensemble and pipe organ and familiar carols sung by the audience.
It will be led by conductor Alex Toa and feature guest narrator Jim Cunningham from WQED-FM. Admission is free, but a freewill offering will be received. It begins at 7:30 p.m. at 116 S. Highland Ave.
FRIDAY
Drifting in
Driftwood, from Binghamton, N.Y., brings its folk, old-time country and rock to Club Cafe on the South Side Friday. Rusted Root fans might know the group from their gigs together. Driftwood, supporting new album “City Lights,” has also toured with and played festivals with Bela Fleck, Old Crow Medicine Show and Del McCoury.
The show is at 9 p.m. with the Wreckids and Dear Other. Tickets are $12; ticketweb.com.
FRIDAY
Prince Rama party
Here is the background on the Larson sisters, who make up Brooklyn performance-art/rock duo Prince Rama, which was discovered and nurtured by Animal Collective.
“Taraka and Nimai grew up in ashrams; lived on black metal communes; worked for utopian architects; [wrote] manifestos; delivered lectures from pools of fake blood; conducted group exorcisms disguised as VHS workouts; and are now tackling the world of extreme sports in a surreal, psychedelic, and nihilistic fashion.”
Yes, Prince Rama, playing the My Perfect Body: Body Beats Dance Party in The Andy Warhol Museum entrance space on Friday, is touring behind Xtreme Now, a high-energy, ’80s-style electronic dance-pop venture into the Extreme Sports Genre. The full concept includes a visual art exhibition, energy drink and fashion line of active-wear. reckids and Dear Other. Tickets are $12; www.clubcafelive.com.
It begins at 10 p.m. Tickets are $15; $12 students and members; www.warhol.org
SATURDAY
Dance for toys
If you have energy to burn, head to the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center where Modern Era Weddings is holding its inaugural family friendly dance-a-thon for Toys for Tots.
It will consist of 24 hours of DJed dancing, raffle prizes and visits from local athletes and celebrities.
Participants will register and dance “per hour” for a list of pre-selected sponsors as collected by the participant. Registration begins at 10 a.m. Saturday ($20), and the dance-a-thon runs from noon to Saturday until noon Sunday.
Spectators will be admitted at a “suggested donation” of $20, but will be on a “give what you can” basis with a minimum of $5. Go to www.moderneraweddings.com.
SATURDAY
Flashes of Pixburgh
The Heinz History Center has scoured its vast collection of photographs for “Pixburgh: A Photographic Experience,” a new exhibition that puts our favorite city in focus.
With nearly 400 images dating from the 1850s to 1960s, it covers a variety of subjects from 19th-century “selfies” to the 1936 Flood to the 1960 World Series.
Subjects include: the faces of Pittsburgh, showing racial, ethnic and religious diversity; famous landmarks like the Point, the Kaufmann’s Clock and Three Rivers Stadium; Pittsburgh at work; leisure activities; and dogs and other pets.
There will also be interactive activities. Details at www.heinzhistorycenter.org.
SATURDAY
Drag Queen holiday
“The holidays were never this naughty before” is the tagline for A Drag Queen Christmas, filling the stage at the Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall on Saturday.
It will highlight contestants from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” featuring Season 8 fan favorite Thorgy Thor on the violin along with Kim Chi, Naomi Smalls, Milk, Trixie Mattel, Roxxxy Andrews, Pearl and Chi Chi DeVayne.
It begins at 8 p.m. All ages. Tickets are $22; $150 Super Fan Ticket with first or second row seat, priority line to meet all the queens and take pics starting at 6 p.m. (before the show), autographed tour poster and more; $75 VIP ticket for premium main floor reserved seat plus meet and greet and pics with all the queens starting at 6 p.m.; www.ticketfly.com.
First Published: December 15, 2016, 5:00 a.m.
