Can’t Miss Events in Pittsburgh in February
Save the dates for concerts, art exhibits, dance performances & more.
PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHE RAYNAUD DE LAGE/PLEXUS POLAIRE
Best Bet
How do you turn a 650-page novel with a plot as big as the ocean into a convincing and captivating stage play? You start with 50 puppets and, vitally, a “whale-sized whale.” In the hands of French-Norwegian theater company Plexus Polaire, “Moby Dick” features seven actors and a three-piece orchestra manipulating puppets, stagecraft and special effects to create an almost cinematic experience. The puppets, performers and whale-size whale will turn the Byham Theater into the North Atlantic for two nights only, part of the Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series. “It’s completely engaging and transportive,” says Pamela Komar, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s director of programming. “It’s just a larger-than-life piece of stagecraft. It transports you, as an audience member, to the sea.” Komar reached out to the company after seeing a 2023 production of “Moby Dick” in New York; writing for the New York Times, critic Laura Collins-Hughes said of that production, “the wondrousness of this show lies in its spectacle and ambience.” “It’s theater at its finest,” Komar says. “The story takes you on such an emotional roller coaster.” — Sean Collier
“Moby Dick”
Byham Theater
Feb. 2-3
trustarts.org
Feb. 2-4 • Resonance Works
No matter the language or land, we should all know what it means to love and be loved. The Resonance Chamber Orchestra and Chorus have created two concert performances, “This Love Between Us,” blending the worlds of Hindustani and Western classical music traditions. Music can be a beautiful way to bring communities together, especially in celebrating the universal act of love.
PHOTO COURTESY BRIE RUAIS & ALBERTZ BENDA
Feb. 2-May 4
Contemporary Craft
What could you make with your own body weight in clay? New Mexico-based artist Brie Ruais took that thought and made movement-based artworks that address the experience of embodiment. Ruais’ thought-provoking sculptures (above) will be displayed in her exhibit titled “Oneness,” which explores the philosophy that humans are all connected in some sense.
PHOTO BY RANDY WONG-WESTBROOKE
Feb. 3 • Heinz Hall
Black music in America covers a diverse range of styles and genres. Led by The Lift Every Voice Unity Choir, conducted by Nikki Porter, the Lift Every Voice concert pays tribute to the legacy woven into the fabric of American history. As a special treat, Grammy Award-winning singer Oleta Adams will fill hearts with her “gospel-rooted” voice.
Feb. 7-25 • O’Reilly Theater
What do gangsters, murder and karaoke have in common? They are all part of the landscape Broadway star Sara Porkalob creates to tell the story of her Filipino gangster family. The cabaret-style musical “Dragon Lady” features songs such as “House of the Rising Sun,” sung from the point-of-view of her late grandmother, who Porkalob has referred to as: “a mercurial, glamorous, hilarious and sometimes violent woman.” Take note: this performance is suitable for a more mature audience.
Feb. 10 • Carnegie Library Lecture Hall
Following his most recent release, “Watch Your Language: Visual and Literary Reflections on a Century of American Poetry,” MacArthur Fellow Terrance Hayes comes to the Carnegie Library. This free event includes a conversation with Hayes about his works, which reflect on popular culture, race, music and masculinity.
Feb. 24 • David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Step right up and see a world of weird wonder! Sights that previously could only be seen at carnivals and museums will all be in one place — The World Oddities Expo. Experience all of the bizarre and befuddling while learning from professionals in the field during WOE Labs workshops, shopping in the Lost Curio Marketplace and enjoying live entertainment.
