Historian Goodwin at Heinz Hall; Toubab Krewe Takes on Club Cafe (CPs Wed., 4/23/2014)

1) Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin is at Heinz Hall as part of a speakers series. The renowned presidential historian brings the past to life as she highlights the lives and policies of Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and many others. Her award-winning book Team of Rivals became the basis for the 2012 Spielberg film Lincoln. Spielberg also acquired the rights to her 2013 book The Bully Pulpit, highlighting the first decade of the Progressive Era. You’ll need to purchase a subscription to the series to see her, or you can try to find a few spare tickets online. 8 p.m. 600 Penn Ave., Cultural District.

2) It’s not rock, it’s not folk, it’s Toubab Krewe at Club Cafe. Not bound by specific musical genres, the band is all and none of the above, simultaneously. Its sound is part jam, part African traditional, part bluegrass, and a giant spoonful of indie fermenting in a punch bowl of music that’s funky, fresh, and smooth. In the song “Salimou,” the band highlights instruments this self-proclaimed band nerd has never seen before, leaving audiences wondering, “What was that, and how can I hear more?” With special guest ChopShop. 9 p.m. 56 – 58 S. 12th St., South Side.

3) Are you aching for a symphonic sound but haven’t been able to get to Heinz Hall to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra? Join the Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic for a night of exquisite music at Carnegie Music Hall. The repertoire includes Glinka’s Ruslan and Ludmila Overture, Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 1, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D Minor. Featuring soloist Kryzsztof Rucinski on the violin, the CMU Philharmonic is under the direction of Andrés Cárdenes. Get there early for the preview party and to get the coveted Tweet Seats, where audience members live Tweet with CMU School of Music faculty members Lance LaDuke and Daniel Nesta Curtis with the hash tag #CMUCardenes. This event is free for CMU students, faculty, and staff with valid ID. For the general public, a mere $5 gets you in the door. 8 p.m. 440 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

4) Where do love and marriage intersect? See the comedic struggle of a timeless love triangle in George Bernard Shaw’s famed Candida at the O’Reilly Theater. Our heroine may be married, but that doesn’t stop the young poet Eugene Marchbanks from trying to win Candida’s affections. This opens the doors to comedy, drama, and the still-relevant question, “What do women really want in a man?” The answer may not be what you think. Runs through May 18. 8 p.m. 600 Penn Ave., Cultural District.

5) The battling Buccos take on the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. 7:05 p.m. 115 Federal St., North Shore.

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