‘The 39 Steps’ Continues at CLO Cabaret; Toad the Wet Sprocket Plays Jergel’s (Wed., 8/31/16)

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. 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. In the Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., Cultural District. 7:30 p.m. continues through September 11. (MV)

2) Jergel’s Rhythm Grille hosts California rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket, who took the fictional band name from Monty Python’s Eric Idle, created for the 1975 BBC-TV show “Rutland Weekend Television.” The band scored a top hit in 1991 with “All I Want.” Toad is touring in support of  its first album in 16 years, Constellation. 8 p.m. 285 Northgate Dr., Warrendale.

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