Two Pittsburgh Stars Return Home: Michael Chabon and Tamara Tunie (Fri., 12/9/16)

1) The great American writer Michael Chabon is the author of multiple novels, almost all of which fall under various subgenres. His 1988 debut, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, and its 1995 follow-up, Wonder Boys, are literary fiction. 2000’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001, melds highbrow literature with the “lowbrow” world of 1940s comic book publishing. 2007’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union has aspects of both detective and science fiction. Moonglow, published this year, reads like a memoir, yet it too is a novel. Chabon has also written essays, short stories, and young adult fiction. Wonder Boys was adapted into a 2000 movie, which was filmed in Pittsburgh. A 1984 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Chabon returns for a conversation with Dan Kubis, assistant director of the university’s humanities center, which co-sponsored the free event. Chabon will also read from Moonglow. Kubis hosts Pitt’s “Being Human” Podcast. Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. 8 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. (CM)

2) Tamara Tunie, star of stage, screen, and TV, is also a talented singer. Tunie is a McKeesport native best known for her ongoing role as Medical Examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on the NBC series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In addition to theater, Tunie studied classical voice at CMU. Tunie, a Tony and Drama Desk Award winner, has performed Legends from the ‘Burgh on tour and in New York City to large crowds and critics’ raves. She is back home and will be performing the program at City Theatre. The performance will take place in a cabaret setting and will include the songs of Pittsburgh music legends Lena Horne, Henry Mancini, Phyllis Hyman, and George Benson. Backing Tunie is a band of current Pittsburgh jazz all-stars, including Roger Humphries (drums), Max Leake (conducting and piano), and Jeff Grubbs (bass). City Theatre, in addition to its great theatrical performances, has had some interesting, related entertainers on its stages. Last month, actor Bryan Cranston gave a talk about his life in support of his recent autobiography. Performances are December 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. on the main stage. 1300 Bingham St., South Side.

3) “Romeo’s Tune,” with its catchy piano hooks and driving melody, rocketed up the charts to No. 11 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1980. The song received heavy FM radio rotation and brought Steve Forbert and his 1979 album, Jackrabbit Slim, into the American lexicon. Although he released critically successful albums afterwards, he mostly dropped out of the public consciousness, that is, until Any Old Time, a Jimmie Rodgers tribute, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album. This year, he released a new album, Flying at Night, and a memoir, Big City Cat. As an added bit of fun trivia, Forbert appears as Cyndi Lauper’s boyfriend in the “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” music video. You’ll have the chance to see Forbert, a native of Meridian, Mississippi, in the intimate setting of Club Cafe. 7 p.m. 56-58 S. 12th St., South Side. (RH/CM)

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