Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in Concert at PPG Paints; Split Stage Running ‘Side Show’ (Thurs., 10/12/17)

1) Country superstar Tim McGraw seems to be at a very good place in his life right now. He is a very popular act, having won three Grammy Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music awards, 11 Country Music Association (CMA) awards, 10 American Music Awards, and three People’s Choice Awards. And 10 of his albums have occupied the number one spot on the Top Country Albums charts. Oh, and he’s also married to the very talented and lovely Faith Hill, who will also be performing with him on this Soul2Soul tour as a co-headliner. Life hasn’t always been a bed of roses for McGraw. Growing up, he thought his stepfather was his real father until, while searching for Christmas presents at age 11, he found his birth certificate with his father listed as baseball player Tug McGraw. Tim’s mother took him to meet Tug, but Tug denied that he was the father for seven years. Then Tim and Tug became very close until Tug’s death from a brain tumor in 2004. In response to his father’s death, Tim recorded the song, “Live Like You Were Dying.” The song stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts for seven weeks.

Hill also has a very impressive list of accolades. She has been nominated for 17 Grammy Awards, winning five. Hill has taken hardware home from the Academy of Country Music and People’s Choice Awards. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide, making her one of the top-selling country artists ever. Top songs include “This Kiss,” “Breathe,” and “The Way You Love Me.” Both Hill and McGraw have landed some good acting roles too. As an infant, Hill was adopted into a loving family. It’s good to see both her and McGraw have overcome some early obstacles to find true love and highly successful careers. 7:30 p.m. PPG Paints Arena, 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (RH)

2) There are strange musicals, and then there is Side Show, which dramatizes a very strange true story and has a sneaky-strange effect on the audience. Daisy and Violet Hilton, born in 1908, were Siamese twins joined at the hip. Seemingly destined for lives in a circus sideshow, the Hilton sisters had a rough go of it, but went on to become skilled vaudeville performers in a joint show-biz career that peaked during the 1920s and ‘30s. The musical Side Show opens with a chilling number: “Come Look at the Freaks.” It introduces a carney troupe ranging from a bearded lady and a “cannibal king” to, of course, the Hiltons (played by two actresses who stay hip-to-hip throughout). And here’s the sneaky-strange part: Watching them sashay and struggle through their ups and downs, one can begin to identify with the conjoined twins. Who among us hasn’t felt stuck to someone else? Also, sometimes you can’t help but view them as a single person, yet their personalities are different: Who among us doesn’t have more than one side The musical is by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger. 8 p.m. Performances through October 14. Split Stage Productions, a company dedicated to adventurous theater in Westmoreland County, performs Side Show at Apple Hill Playhouse, 275 Manor Rd., Delmont. (MV)

Free RADical Days 2017 Events

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: Family Engagement Workshop
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Lawrenceville
Free admission: 10:30AM
Teaching Artist Amber Fantini will engage families through music and movement while they explore the story Oh No George! Adults will learn art strategies that support their child’s social-emotional development. Children will learn right alongside their caregivers during these engaging sessions. 279 Fisk St. (Lawrenceville)

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