Cher and Nile Rodgers/Chic in Concert at PPG Paints Arena; ‘She Kills Monsters’ at August Wilson Center (Thurs., 4/18/19)

1) Fresh off her 2018 Kennedy Center Honors prize, Cher will perform at PPG Paints Arena. Her other awards put her a Tony short of an EGOT with an Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar in her trophy case. She also has three Golden Globe Awards. But it’s not awards that make Cher into a mononymous legend. It’s a career that began in the ’60s with the late Sonny Bono and their multi-platinum hit “I Got You Babe.” (The couple was married but divorced in 1975, the same year that Cher married the late Gregg Allman, whom she also divorced.) Her television work includes The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, and her film work includes Moonstruck, which garnered her a Best Actress Oscar. She’s charted many solo songs, including “If I Could Turn Back Time” and “Believe,” the latter of which pioneered the use of Auto-Tune. Off stage, she’s fought for LGBTQ rights and HIV/AIDS prevention.

And as if this bill weren’t already incredible, Nile Rodgers and Chic open. Chic had many top songs that pulled people onto the discotheque dance floors, including “Good Times,” “Le Freak,” “I Want Your Love,” and “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah).” Rodgers co-founded Chic with bassist Bernard Edwards, who passed to that great disco in the sky in 1996. Besides touring with Chic, Rodgers has worked on many a pop hit in the 21st century, including “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. 7:30 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (RH, CM)

2) The video here is from the off-Broadway premiere of She Kills Monsters, at The Flea Theater in New York in 2011. Since then, the fantasy play has become a cult favorite in theater towns such as Chicago—where Steppenwolf Theatre and many others have staged it—and now She Kills Monsters can be seen in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. It’s about a young woman who, in grieving for her deceased sister, finds the sister’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook. She then decides to set off on the quest described there. Playwright Qui Nguyen is both an award winner in theater and a gaming expert, so his story amounts to quite a trip. The local production is part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Multiple Choice Events series, done in partnership with Pitt’s Department of Theatre Arts, which performed She Kills Monsters on campus last fall. 8 p.m. at the August Wilson Center. Tonight only. 980 Liberty Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

3) There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day and pay tribute to our beautiful and delicate planet. One interesting manner is Pittsburgh Earth Week Ecolution Fashion Show, which is part of five days of events for Pittsburgh Earth Day 2018. The main event begins in the beautiful, airy lobby of the Fairmont Hotel at 7 p.m. and is curated by Richard Parsakian and styled by Izzazu Salon, Spa, & Serata. This year’s theme, Rebirth, is destined to give you a dazzling experience. Musical heat will be generated by the noted DJ Soy Sos. The main highlight of the evening, from 7 to 10 p.m., will be a runway fashion show. It will feature models sporting stylish clothing made from recycled and reused materials created especially for the event by talented local designers. There is a VIP part of the evening, which begins at 6 p.m. and features complimentary hors d’oeuvres. VIP ticket holders will also get a reserved seat next to the runway for the fashion show. Fairmont Hotel, 510 Market St., Downtown. 

Share on Social Media