Hot picks: The xx at Stage AE; 'Costumes for a Cause'
Quiet power
There's long been an arms race among rock bands, to see who can play the loudest — volume always being associated with risk, excitement and disruption of the status quo. Well, what happens when everything is loud?
British band The xx went quiet, subtle, minimalist. Not only did it work, it's a revelation. The almost-whispery intimacy between singer/bassist Romy Madley-Croft and singer/guitarist Oliver Sim comes from a friendship that goes back to the days before they could walk.
There's nothing soft about them, though. Their songs can be haunting and whip-smart, without raising the volume much above third member Jamie Smith's subtle electronic rhythms.
The xx will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at Stage AE. Tickets are $30 to $32. Details: 800-745-3000 or www.stageae.com
— Michael Machosky
The Magique of helping others
The fourth annual“Costumes for a Cause” will be Sept. 21 at Cavo in the Strip District. The charity fashion show is hosted by Chelsea's of New York and event founder Michele Garris. Proceeds benefit the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign.
Cocktail party starts at 8 p.m.; show starts at 10 p.m. There will be stilt walkers, jugglers and possibly a fire-eater at the “Cirque Magique”-themed event. Comedy magician Lee Terbosic will perform prior to the fashion show, where 25 models will showcase the latest in upscale costumes from J. Valentine, Roma Costume, Glamour House and Starline. Makeup will be provided by Charity by Dawn Lilly. Celebrity guest host will be model Tiffany Toth.
Tickets are $40; $30 in advance.
Details: www.costumesforacause2013.eventbrite.com
— JoAnne Klimovich Harrop
The wings are in her voice
The aptly named Angel Olsen indeed has a voice like an angel — well, a very sad, broken-hearted angel, who probably listened to the lonesome sounds of country legends like Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells instead of the heavenly choruses. Seriously, her voice is amazing enough to (mostly) shut up the crowd at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago this summer, which is no small task. A frequent collaborator with like-minded Will Oldham, Olsen is well on her way to a strong solo career.
She'll be performing at 8 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Andy Warhol Museum, North Side. Admission is $12 to $15. Details: 412-237-8300 or www.warhol.org.
— Michael Machosky
Spanks for the laughs
“50 Shades of Grey” refuses to fade to black.
Now available in paperback, E.L. James' steamy novel has spent 77 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list.
Meanwhile, the recent announcement that Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam have been cast in the upcoming movie adaptation has sent pulses racing as fans of the trilogy debate the actors' suitability for the roles.
In addition, there have been a spate of books and shows that parody the novels, to indulge fans lusting for more.
Two of those live stage shows will make area appearances in the coming weeks:
• “Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody” returns Sept. 19 to 21 to the Byham Theater, Downtown, where it appeared in early January. A presentation of the Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series, the show employs musical numbers, comedy and a hunk in a grey tie.
The show follows the writer and main character, E.B. Janet, as she sends her husband and children away while she spends the weekend writing an erotic tale. Inspired by a bottle of chardonnay, her fantasy novel literally brings her characters and their bawdy sexual encounters to life.
Performances are 8 p.m. Sept. 19 and 20 and 2 and 8 p.m. Sept. 21. Admission is $35.50 to $45.50.
Details: 412-456-6666 or www.trustarts.org
• “50 Shades! The Musical — The Original Parody” comes to the Carnegie Library Music Hall in Munhall for a single show at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6.
This version begins in a book club where its female members are deciding to read the novel. A cast of 10 performs 11 original songs, dance numbers backed up by an onstage band in this parody that spoofs the book and readers' enthusiastic responses to it.
Admission is $37 to $65. Details: 412-368-5225 or www.carnegieconcerts.com
— Alice T. Carter
Reviving ‘Is He Dead?'
When a scholar exhumed Mark Twain's long-lost play“Is He Dead?” from a university archive, contemporary playwright David Ives set about reviving it.
The result — a farce about art, artists and the people who revere it — is having its final performances through Sept. 21 at Little Lake Theatre in North Strabane.
Set in 1846, in and around Paris, the comedy “Is He Dead?” revolves around Jean-François Millet, a starving, unknown artist and his equally impoverished pals who hit on a fundraising scheme.
Recognizing that the works of dead artists often sell at higher prices, Millet fakes his death and disguises himself as his twin sister. Needless to say, complications, love and silliness ensue.
Performances are 8 p.m. Sept. 19 to 21 at the North Strabane theater. Admission is $18 and $20; $12 for age 15 and younger.
Details: 724-745-6300 or www.littlelake.org
— Alice T. Carter
