Things to do in Western Pa.: April 7, 2021

Get ready for the return of Sweet Baby James to the Steel City, with renowned music man James Taylor rescheduling his postponed PPG Paints Arena date for Aug. 3.

Local favorites The Clarks have a June 5 concert at the Starlight Drive-In in Butler.

In the meantime, there’s plenty of entertainment, both live and virtual, in the form of art exhibitions and workshops, movies, activities for all ages and more music.

The details are here, in this week’s Big List.

Acting careers

• Breaking in: Prime Stage Theatre’s Innovative Master Classes series will present “Get in Front of an Agent” online at 2 p.m. April 24. The class will take an in-depth look at how the talent industry functions through the viewpoint of an agent, along with a walk through the steps needed to break into the industry.

Fee is $75; space is limited. To register, visit primestage.com.

Art

• Online art crawl: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is offering “Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District: Virtual Edition” with releases in March, April and May. The first stop, available now, explores “202021: a new constellation,” a public art installation also on view in-person in the Cultural District. Curated by Tereneh Idia, it includes work by 12 Pittsburgh-based artists.

The crawl, with photos and audio commentary, can be seen at crawl.trustarts.org.

• Get the point: The “Acupuncture Photography Project,” a collaboration of photographer Autumn Stankay and acupuncturist Emily Andrews, will run Friday through May 9 in The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg. The exhibition features a series of photographs representing the ancient medicine of acupuncture in the modern world.

Details: thewestmoreland.org

• Picture This at the Library: “Reflective Roles,” with Maura Taylor’s recent oil and acrylics with a twist on fairy tale characters, is available for viewing through May 13 during regular hours at the Greensburg Hempfield Area Library, 237 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Greensburg. Exhibit is sponsored by Greensburg Art Center.

Details: greensburgartcenter.org

Fashion

• Very fashionable: A fashion show and purse auction is set for 2-4 p.m. May 22 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley. Saint Francis University costume designer Bonnie Resinski will discuss women’s clothing from the 1890s to the 1990s, along with social, political, economic and designer influences on those fashions. Event will include tea and treats, games of chance and a prize for the attendee with the best hat.

Fee is $25. Space is limited; reservation deadline is May 14 at 724-238-6015 or sama-art.org.

Film

• Hop in the car: The Allegheny County Drive-In Movies series is offering free movies at dusk Fridays in the Boyce Park Wave Pool parking lot and Saturdays in the Settlers Cabin Wave Pool parking lot. Attendance is first-come, first-served; capacity is limited to 100 vehicles per movie. All attendees must be in vehicles.

Weekly movie schedules for both parks are posted at alleghenycounty.us.

• Cinema at home: Offerings available through April 30 from Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Harris Theater @ Home virtual cinema are the 2021 Oscar-nominated short animated, documentary and live action films; “Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings The Band,” about the pioneering African American female jazz pianist, arranger and composer; and “Jazz on a Summer’s Day,” with performances filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island.

To purchase tickets, visit trustarts.org.

• Make a scene: Women in Film and Media Pittsburgh will host a virtual screenwriting seminar at 6 p.m. April 21. “”What Makes Great Scenes Great” will be led by Steve Cuden, co-creator of the hit Broadway musical, “Jekyll & Hyde.” Fee is $10.

Details: wifmpit.org

Food and drink

• Walk the walk: Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the third annual Wine, Whiskey & Sweets Walk from 1-5 p.m. May 8 in Ligonier.The outdoor walking event, beginning in the Town Hall courtyard, will feature samplings of more than 15 wines and whiskeys, along with sweet treats.

Ticket sales for the 21-and-over event are limited; no tickets will be sold on site. Fee is $25.

Details: 724-238-4200 or ligonier.com

Humanities

• Smart talk: The Pittsburgh Humanities Festival is virtual this year, with these programs streaming on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Facebook page and YouTube channel: “The National Negro Opera House,” with Jonnet Solomon, 7 p.m. today; “Liner Notes for the Revolution: The Intellectual Life of Black Feminist Sound,” with Daphne A. Brooks, 7 p.m. April 14; “Cookie Activism: Using Sugar as a Platform for Social Justice,” with Jasmine Cho, 7 p.m. April 21; and“Gun Violence Prevention: A Discussion with Young Community Leaders,” 7 p.m. April 28.

The festival, launched in 2015, is a a production of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presented by Citizens Bank.

Details: trustarts.org

Kids’ stuff

• “Les Miz”: An immersive three-week musical theater camp for ages 10-18 is planned for July 19-Aug. 6 at The Strand Theater in Zelienople. Camp will culminate with Aug. 6-8 performances of “Les Miserable.” Program offers extensive training, rehearsal and production experience. Fee is $300.

Details: 724-742-0400 or thestrandtheater.org

• Legends and myths: Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and MuseumLab has launched “The Cryptid Critter Crawl,” with eight outdoor installations created by Pittsburgh-based interactive artist Owen Lowery. Sculptures on the grounds of the museum in Pittsburgh’s North Side portray creatures from myth and legend such as Bigfoot, Nessie and Mothman.

Signs direct viewers to a mobile website, cryptidcrittercrawl.com, that offers each cryptid’s back story, audio tales, a map and supplemental materials, such as coloring sheets. Access to the installation is free.

Details: pittsburghkids.org

Museums

• It’s a hit: Spring Fest is planned for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Clemente Museum, in Engine House 25 at 3339 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh. The outdoor event will celebrate the museum’s reopening with vendors including Birch Creek Farm, Engine House 25 Wines, Lola’s Eatery, Sausalido, spruce & adorn and the museum.

The museum houses objects, memorabilia and images from the life of Pittsburgh Pirates great Roberto Clemente.

Details: clementemuseum.com

Music

• Music man: Alt-country/rock, singer/songwriter Jackson Gardner will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday in Greensburg’s The Palace Theatre, as part of the weekly VIP Experience live­stream concert series featuring regional acts performing original music. The free concert will stream on The Palace Theatre and Westmoreland Cultural Trust Facebook pages.

Details: thepalacetheatre.org

• Big bang: Pittsburgh Symphony’s “Ultraviolinistics: Exotic Melodies Meet Virtuosic Fireworks” will premiere online at 7:30p.m. Saturday. Manfred Honeck conducts the concert recorded live Feb. 27 in Heinz Hall, featuring music by Dvorak, Shostakovich, Vivaldi, Arvo Part and other composers.

A ticket is $15 at pittsburghsymphony.org.

• Jazz age: River City Brass will present a livestream concert, “Rhapsody in Blue,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. From the stage of The Palace Theatre, the band will play highlights from the Roaring ‘20’s, with music by Gershwin, Ellington, Porter and other jazz age composers.

Fee per household is $25; video must be watched in full within 24 hours of initial access to the stream.

Details: thepalacetheatre.org

• The “Bird”: Pittsburgh Opera will offer a free livestream of its upcoming production, “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird,” at 7:30 p.m. April 16 on its YouTube channel and Facebook page. Seats for in-person performances April 10-22 are sold out, although a wait list is available for seats that may become available.

Details: pittsburghopera.org

• Drive-in music: These concerts are scheduled, rain or shine, at the Starlight Drive-In in Butler County: The Clarks with special guest The Vindys, 8 p.m. June 5; and Fitz & The Tantrums, 8 p.m July 7. Advance ticketing for both shows is by the carload; prices vary. Parking is first-come, first-served.

Tickets are available at druskyent.com or eventbrite.com.

• Sweet Baby James: James Taylor and His All-Star Band, with special guest Jackson Browne, have announced rescheduled U.S. tour dates, including an Aug. 3 show at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Previously purchased tickets will be honored. Anyone unable to attend the rescheduled date should contact the point of purchase for refund information.

Details: tour.jamestaylor.com

Science

• Down to earth: Earth Week programming is planned April 21-25 at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. Special events and programs will include daily on-site programs, pop-up experiences on select days, virtual experiences on Facebook and sensory sensitive hours. Among topics are healthy eating, planting and composting, clouds, water purification, biodiversity, ocean plastic and more.

Building capacity is limited; visitors should purchase timed tickets.

Details: carnegiesciencecenter.org

Shopping

• Made by hand: The Handmade Arcade Spring Marketplace will take place virtually from April 30-May 2, featuring wares by more than 60 makers who live or work in Allegheny County. Products include home goods, jewelry, clothing and decor. In anticipation of the market, sellers are sharing stories about their products, inspirations and processes via the organization’s social media outlets.

Details: handmadearcade.org