‘King James’ Plays Opening Night at City Theatre; Rivers Casino Hosts Jim Donovan & Sun King Warriors (Fri., 4/25/25)

KING JAMES by Rajiv Joseph. City Theatre. Through May 11.

1) The season finale at Pittsburgh’s City Theatre this year is King James, and it’s not about the Bible. The James in question is LeBron. American playwright Rajiv Joseph has written a buddy comedy about two guys in Cleveland who follow the NBA superstar through the early to middle years of his storied career. They’re excited when LeBron debuts with their hometown Cavaliers … dejected when he defects to join the hated Miami Heat … and rewarded when he returns to win a title with the Cavs. James himself is such an intriguing character that a question arises: Why is this play only focused on his fans? One answer might be the difficulty of finding an actor who can portray a 6-foot-9 athlete built like Hercules. But the real answer, apparently, is that our passion for sports reflects how we live and relate to one another. That’s why they say “Ball is life”! King James is a co-production of City Theatre and Cleveland Playhouse. See it here directed by Monteze Freeland. 8 p.m. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. (M.V.)

2) Jim Donovan & Sun King Warriors are one of Pittsburgh’s top rock/jam bands. They are very active on the local music scene, playing brewery shows, Allegheny Summer Concert Series, Rivers Casino, festivals and even last year’s Pittsburgh Earth Day festivities at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. The Sun King Warriors have been working on a new album for the last two years and released Like a Light last October. Jim Donovan was one of the members of Rusted Root, a very successful jam rock band in the 1990’s. 9 p.m. Rivers Casino, 777 Casino Dr., Chateau.  (R.H.)

Share on Social Media