NCAA Tourney Pittsburgh; Point Park Opens ’42nd Street’; Pgh Musical Theatre Staging ‘Little Mermaid’ (Thurs., 3/15/18)

1) The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, aka March Madness, officially starts March 13 with the “First Four” play-in games and continues through April 2. Sadly our Pitt Panthers, Duquesne Dukes, and Robert Morris Colonials probably won’t be in the dance this year, but there are plenty of top teams and Cinderellas to root for. Head on out to your favorite sports bar, neighborhood pub, or wing restaurant. Some suggestions are Cupka’s Cafe II, Cappy’s, William Penn Tavern, Bigham Tavern, Quaker Steak & Lube, Mario’s East Side Saloon, and The Saloon. It’s also time to play your office tourney pool. And you’re also in luck if you want to get out from in front of your TV set and see some games in person, as Pittsburgh (through Duquesne University) hosts the first and second rounds of the regional playoffs at PPG Paints Arena March 15-17. See our related story: Countdown to March Madness: Stories Behind the NCAA Tournament Games in Pittsburgh. (MV)

Today’s games:

Midwest Region: Rhode Island (7) vs. Oklahoma (10), 12:15 p.m., Duke (2) vs. Iona (15), 2:45 p.m.

East Region: Villanova (1) vs.Radford (16), 6:50 p.m. Virginia Tech (8) vs. Alabama (9), 9:20 p.m.

2) If you’re into New York City lore and show-biz nostalgia, 42nd Street is one of those iconic streets. Slicing through the bright lights of mid-Manhattan, it will take you from Grand Central Station over to Times Square and beyond, dancing across the Broadway theater district as it goes—and the whole aura makes you want to put on a top hat and drink champagne till dawn, right? That’s what the legendary producer David Merrick figured when he opened the musical 42nd Street on Broadway in 1980. The stage show is based on a 1933 movie of the same title, the kind that laid on the glitz and glamor to cheer up Depression-era audiences. It has a plot about a plucky chorus girl who gets her big break and finds stardom. It’s loaded with razzle-dazzle song-and-dance numbers from the Thirties. 42nd Street packed ‘em in and won a Tony for Best Musical. And now, here in Pittsburgh, Point Park Conservatory Theatre figures today’s audiences need a shot of that old-time pick-me-up. They’re doing 42nd Street at Pittsburgh Playhouse. 8 p.m. Performance continue through March 25. 222 Craft Ave., Oakland. (MV)

3) DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID (musical adapted from the movie). In an animated film, it’s easy to depict scenes at sea and under water. In a live stage show, not so easy! Come see how it’s done. 7:30 p.m. March 15-25, Pittsburgh Musical Theater. Byham Theater, 101 6th St., Cultural District. (MV)

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