‘The 39 Steps’ at CLO Cabaret; Mario’s East Side Hosts Team Trivia (Thurs., 6/30/16)

Megan Pickrell and Allan Snyder are bound for a strange adventure in “The 39 Steps.” p: Matt Polk.

1) The 39 Steps, Alfred Hitchcock’s black-and-white thriller about a man pursued by sinister spies, has been remade several times but for many years hadn’t been properly parodied. In 2005 the English comedian and playwright Patrick Barlow took care of that unfinished business. His madcap play won an Olivier Award (the British equivalent of a Tony) for Best New Comedy. It has become an audience favorite on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in cities from Shanghai to Montevideo.

Barlow’s send-up of The 39 Steps is officially titled John Buchan’s The 39 Steps, after the author of the novel that Hitchcock adapted for the screen (got that?). Since the play uses only four actors for 150 roles, there’s a lot of high-speed shuffling, which helps build a comic energy that parrots the suspenseful energy of the movie. The small cast of Barlow’s John Buchan’s The 39 Steps also makes it a natural for cabaret theater, so naturally the Pittsburgh production is being done by CLO Cabaret. 7:30 p.m. Performances through August 14. In the Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District. (MV)

2) Mario’s East Side hosts Team Trivia Night every Thursday. Win, place, or show and your team will earn Mario’s gift certificates. Play against the Miller Lite Girls, and you could even win Miller Lite trinkets and giveaways! Feed your brain some chewy trivia and your stomach some delicious Mario’s food. 8 p.m. 5442 Walnut St., Shadyside.

3) Now You See Me 2 – A sequel to the 2013 surprise hit about a bunch of magicians (oops, sorry, “illusionists”) who, in the middle of their stage shows, rob banks and give money to the audience. I remember liking the original a lot for it’s skewed viewpoint and offbeat sense of fun. I was a bit disappointed, however, that a few of the magic tricks (oops, illusions) were done with CGI. I mean, what’s the point? Magic tricks are amazing because they’re real … or rather because they make the unreal seem real. But then again, if Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy—a ventriloquist and his doll—could be a hit on radio, then movies about magicians who don’t actually perform magic is par for the course. Judging from the trailer, this sequel unfortunately looks to be a CGI spectacular with not a whole lot of real-life illusions going on. But there is a knockout cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco return from the original and joining them will be Daniel Radcliffe. See Fandango for screens and times. (TH)

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