Opening Night for Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘Twenty-Seven’; Mack Avenue SuperBand Plays MCG Jazz (Sat., 2/20/16)

Gertrude Stein at home under her portrait by Picasso, who is a character in “Twenty-Seven.”

1) Two prominent artistic figures lived briefly in Pittsburgh before their trajectories crossed many years later. Gertrude Stein was born in Allegheny (now the North Side) in 1874, then moved away with her family at age 3, eventually settling in Paris where she became an avant-garde writer and a famous friend to famous artists. Long Island native Ricky Ian Gordon studied at Carnegie Mellon in the 1970s on his way to becoming a composer, known for musical works adapted from American literature. Gordon has written operas including The Grapes of Wrath, from Steinbeck’s novel, and art songs like the quirky “Lana Turner Has Collapsed,” from a Frank O’Hara poem. Was it inevitable that he would compose a Gertrude Stein opera? Twenty-Seven, titled after Stein’s Paris address at 27 Rue de Fleurus, is being staged by Pittsburgh Opera after its recent premiere in St. Louis. The opera presents scenes from her storied life—especially her long relationship with Alice B. Toklas—and has been praised for combining Stein-ish humor with lively music. The libretto is by Royce Vavrek. Pittsburgh Opera’s Twenty-Seven has mezzo-soprano Laurel Semerdjian as Stein and soprano Adelaide Boedecker as Toklas. 8 p.m. Performances through February 28. At the company’s headquarters, 2425 Liberty Ave., Strip District. (MV)

2) Mack Avenue is one of Detroit’s major thoroughfares, running through areas from midtown into the suburbs. Mack Avenue Records, founded in 1999, is a label that has won notice as a significant new pipeline for jazz talent. And the Mack Avenue SuperBand, founded in 2012, features a rotating lineup of some of the label’s best. The SuperBand brings an intriguing crew to town for a concert in the MCG Jazz series. On saxophone is Tia Fuller, who, along with being a relative rarity as instrumentalist—there aren’t a lot of women playing jazz sax—is also a composer and bandleader. Sean Jones, on trumpet, is ex-lead trumpeter of the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra and a former music professor at Duquesne University. Rounding out the current roster are Gary Burton (vibes), Carl Allen (drums), Christian Sands (piano), and Christian McBride (bass and leader of the Mack Avenue SuperBand). Two shows, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan St., Manchester. (MV)

3) The Pens face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning today in a 12:30 p.m. game at the Consol Energy center. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown.

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