Broken Social Scene in Concert at Byham; Pittsburgh Playwrights Staging ‘East Texas Hot Links’ (Sun., 10/1/17)

1) Having recently visited Toronto, I can attest that there are many happening scenes there, including the music scene. Broken Social Scene is a collective of Toronto musicians built around the nucleus of Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. The size of the group can go from a low of six to a high of 19 members. Many play in other bands in Toronto including Metric, who were here last year as a headliner for Thrival Music Festival. Leslie Feist of her namesake band also performs with the group. Feist and Metric’s Emily Haines are slated to perform on this tour. Broken Social Scene’s music is fluid, occupying many different genres such as Baroque pop, grand orchestrations, and experimental. The group has released five albums including Hug of Thunder, which dropped in July. Broken Social Scene has been nominated for five Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards), winning two. Opening is Scottish indie-rock band Frightened Rabbit. 8 p.m. Byham Theater, 101 6th St., Cultural District. (RH)

2) Two years ago, veteran actor Eugene Lee visited Pittsburgh to play the role of August Wilson in How I Learned What I Learned, the one-man show about Wilson’s life. This year the attraction is a play written by Lee himself. East Texas Hot Licks has some similarities to Wilson’s Hill District epics, but it’s shorter (about 90 minutes) and set in a small-town bar in Texas. The bar is a gathering spot for local African Americans during the Jim Crow era of the 1950s. As the play unfolds, we get to know an assortment of odd characters whose high-spirited camaraderie evolves into tensions and, ultimately, tragedy. East Texas Hot Licks was staged at theaters across the country after its 1991 premiere, and a revival last year in the Chicago area drew rave reviews from that city’s major dailies. Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company is presenting East Texas Hot Licks here. 3 p.m. Performances continue through November 5. 937 Liberty Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

Free RADical Days 2017 Events

Carnegie Science Center
Free admission: 10AM-5PM
Discover the science behind Pittsburgh’s rivers and see some local animals in H2Oh! Defy Gravity on the Ropes Challenge, try to score against Hockey-bot, tour an authentic submarine, and explore our gigantic model railroad. Free admission to all exhibits, planetarium, and live shows; laser shows not included.
One Allegheny Ave. (North Shore)

Fort Pitt Museum
Free admission: 10AM-5PM
Step back in time to Pittsburgh’s birthplace at the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park. Discover the world-shaping events that occurred right here in Western Pennsylvania.
601 Commonwealth Place (Point State Park)

Prime Stage Theatre at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main
Free admission: 1PM
Come for a sneak preview of our upcoming season that features selections from All Quiet on the Western Front, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Diary of Anne Frank.
4400 Forbes Ave. (Oakland)

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures presents Katherine Applegate at Carnegie Lecture Hall – Oakland
Free admission: 2:30-4PM
Applegate is the author of the Newbery Medal-winning The One and Only Ivan, the New York Times bestselling Crenshaw, and several bestselling young adult series. Her forthcoming book, Wishtree, features an old oak tree and a crow that help their neighbors embrace their differences. A book signing will follow this lecture. Tickets are free; reserve yours at pittsburghlectures.org/Katherine-applegate/
4400 Forbes Ave. (Oakland)

Pittsburgh Savoyards
Free admission: 7-9PM
Come and experience a live orchestra rehearsal with some cast members of HMS Pinafore.  Guy Russo conducts the orchestra and vocal rehearsals and fills in any missing parts with his own wonderful singing.  Enjoy the lovely music of Gilbert & Sullivan’s best-loved operetta!
St. James Catholic Church, 200 Walnut St. (Sewickley)

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