CHMH Hosts British Pop Rocker Joe Jackson; Michael McDonald Plays the Palace (Sun., 10/25/15)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr2n-9p7WM

1) To baseball historians, Joe Jackson was the great outfielder accused of conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series in the controversial Black Sox scandal, but there’s another Joe Jackson who is active on the music scene today—and he’s a five-tool player. This modern Jackson writes, sings, plays piano and keyboards, and blows a sax. His many genres include rock, pop, jazz, classical (!), and an updated version of big-band swing. Jackson started making music in 1970 at the age of 16 and is still creating new material with the digits flipped (he’s currently 61). Over the years he has moved from his native England to New York to Berlin, released 35 albums, and performed with multitudes of various bands, ad-hoc combos, and collaborating artists. Jackson is touring in support of his new album Fast Forward, and he’ll be here at Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall. 8 p.m. 510 E. 10^th Ave., Munhall. (MV)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-xetxYwyak

2) Ever since the 1980s, when he was in his early 30s, Michael McDonald has had the stern visage and silvery-grey mane of hair that make him look like the professor you don’t mess with. He has long employed a serious tenor-baritone voice to lecture audiences on the fallacies of “What a Fool Believes,” his big 1979 hit as featured vocalist of The Doobie Brothers. Prior to his tenured position with The Doobies, McDonald performed doctorate research as a backup vocalist with Steely Dan. And since leaving The Doobies he has had a distinguished career of more than three decades as an independent scholar, singing solo as well as collaborating with many renowned colleagues. Professor McDonald will present a review of his most significant work from various periods in a plenary session at The Palace Theatre. 7 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. (MV)

3) Whether you saw the movie or missed it, here’s a chance to get your dark fairy tales live on stage. Point Park University’s Conservatory Theatre is performing Into the Woods, the spooky Stephen Sondheim musical that was released last year as a film starring Meryl Streep as The Witch. More than a few Sondheim aficionados consider Into the Woods their favorite. The musical’s book, by James Lapine, mashes up a variety of fairy tales (“Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rapunzel,” etc.) into a chilling saga of what can happen when people get what they wish for. Into the Woods opened on Broadway in 1987 and has become a cult classic, oft produced elsewhere. With musical theater being a specialty at Point Park, one can expect the Conservatory Theatre—the school’s student company—to make quite a good show of it. 2 p.m. Ends today.  At Pittsburgh Playhouse, 222 Craft Ave., Oakland. (MV)

Share on Social Media