Don’t miss your chance to grab tickets to the hottest events in Pittsburgh. This week, a pair of can’t-miss concerts at Star Lake are daring you to venture out to Burgettstown on a weeknight — but we’re pretty sure both will be more than worth a groggy morning. Read on for more on those shows — plus favorite movies, Broadway hits with a skyline for a backdrop and a one-of-a-kind meal in Zelienople.
Get Tickets to the Hottest Events in Pittsburgh August 24-30
TLC with Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue
Monday, August 24, Pavilion at Star Lake
If you made a mixtape solely featuring these three acts, it’d be an irresistible collection of hits: Waterfalls, Shoop, My Lovin’, No Scrubs, Push It, Giving Him Something He Can Feel and dozens more. Expect Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue to team up on the 1993 hit Whatta Man, as they did during an electric Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction performance — and expect TLC to pay ample tribute to their bygone partner, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, in between vocal fireworks.
Kesha
Tuesday, August 25, Pavilion at Star Lake
Pyrotechnic vocalist, soulful songwriter and fierce activist Kesha has been generating irresistible anthems for more than 15 years, from the inescapable dirty pop of Tik Tok to boisterous R&B anthems such as Woman. There’s remarkable range in her catalogue — look up her Dolly Parton collaboration, Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You), or her cover of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright — and her concerts are joyous occasions. She’ll be joined on the Star Lake stage by Chromeo and Erika Jayne.
Black Swan
Wednesday, August 26, Also Daily August 21-27, Row House
In the past 15 years, filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s films have been … singular. You might even call them curious. And, yes, you can call some of them bad. (Let’s never reopen the Mother! debate.) But The Wrestler and Black Swan, his unofficially linked duology about performers putting their bodies and souls on the line, is unimpeachable; Black Swan, in fact, is one of the greatest films of the 2010s. Natalie Portman, who won an Oscar for the role, stars as a fragile ballerina pushed to madness by the demands of her permission, preparing for a Swan Lake that’s infecting her mind. It’ll play at Row House as part of a week dubbed “The Show Must Go On,” also featuring Phantom of the Paradise, All That Jazz, Inside Llewyn Davis and Cabaret.
The Sandlot
Thursday, August 27, North Shore Plaza
Here’s a much different movie — but one probably targeting the same audience, MPAA rating aside. The 1993 family baseball comedy The Sandlot, about a group of misfit teen ballplayers and their request to retrieve an autographed treasure from a monstrous neighborhood pooch, is a Millennial cultural touchstone. (You’re killin’ me, Smalls.) It’s also the sort of movie that would never be made for kids today, loaded with bad behavior, bad language and general mischief. Should you take the kids? Sure — it’ll make them feel like they’re getting away with something. But you’re going for your own nostalgic evening under the stars. The Sandlot will be screened outdoors at North Shore Plaza.
Music on the Lawn
Friday, August 28, South Side Works
When a big gathering fills the South Side Works, it shows what this space — removed from East Carson Street, a stone’s throw from the river, self-contained yet expansive — has the potential to be. At Music on the Lawn, live music (starting at 6:30 p.m.) will be accompanied by a cash bar from The Speckled Egg, food from area vendors and more — including giant lawn games from the folks at Pins Mechanical, the sprawling bowling/arcade complex nearby. It’s a very different (and, dare we say, better) version of a night out on the South Side. But, you can always hit up a traditional South Side night out after.
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Broadway
Saturday, August 29, Also Aug. 27, 28, 30, The Overlook
Even the best Broadway spectacular doesn’t have a backdrop this grand. Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s annual Broadway at the Overlook debut brings a musical theater revue to the city’s West End Overlook Park, with the skyline framing the performers as the sun sets. Expect tunes from the company’s upcoming season — Miss Saigon, Matilda the Musical, Million Dollar Quartet and more — from a roster of bravura performers. The shows kick off at 7 p.m.; arrive early (and bring your own chair) for the best seats in the house. Want to elevate your pre-show meal? Skip the cheese tray and get take-out from Subba Asian Restaurant on the North Side before you cross the West End Bridge.
Della Terra & JL Shorr Gallery Dinner
Sunday, August 30, Della Terra
Head to Zelienople for a one-of-a-kind dining opportunity, as chefs from Della Terra present a five-course meal inspired by the work of painter Nicole Renee Ryan. The JL Shorr Gallery, where Ryan’s work can be seen, will be on hand to talk art — and Della Terra’s chefs will introduce each course, explaining how individual works by Ryan inspired the creation of these one-night-only dishes. It’s a delicious and engaging collision of art and cuisine.
Plus, check out our calendar for other events this week and beyond. Or, view our guide for things to do in Pittsburgh anytime of the year.
Story by Sean Collier
Photo Courtesy of Pittsburgh Musical Theater
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