This weekend, Southwest Ballet Company , a classical company based in Carnegie, will perform "Clara's Nutcracker Dream." The story concerns a girl who is given a nutcracker on her 16th birthday a week before Christmas and finds herself smitten with a handsome stranger who may or may not be the enchanted toy.
The holiday production will be presented at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today and 3 p.m. Sunday at Chartiers Valley High School, 50 Thomas Run Road in Bridgeville, off Interstate 79 south of Pittsburgh. Reserved seats are $16; $10 for senior citizens. Discounts are available for youth groups. Tickets will be available only at the box office.
Details: 412-279-8133 or info@southwestballet.org .
-- William Loeffler
MUSIC Symphony Brass concert to benefit library
Pittsburgh Symphony Brass will give a rare live concert on Dec. 20 with the Fox Chapel Area High School Madrigal Singers to benefit the Sharpsburg Branch of the Lauri Ann West Memorial Library.
Symphony musicians George Vosburgh and Neal Berntsen , trumpets; William Caballero , horn; Peter Sullivan , trombone; and Craig Knox , tuba, will play arrangements of holiday favorites from their CDs.
The concert will start at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Grace United Methodist Church, Sharpsburg. Admission is $10.
Details: 412-621-3006.
-- Mark Kanny
THEATER 'Late Nite Catechism' will return in January
"Late Nite Catechism," the show that refuses to die, will experience a resurrection at City Theatre beginning Jan. 10.
The popular interactive comedy, in which the audience becomes an adult catechism class conducted by "Sister," opened April 19 and ran for 24 weeks and 168 performances in City Theatre's Lester Hamburg Studio Theatre with Kimberly Richards in the role of Sister. It drew 18,000 people, a City Theatre record, before its closing Oct. 2.
Its closing was quickly followed by the opening of its Christmas counterpart, "Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold," in which Richards is appearing to sold-out houses through Jan. 8.
"At first we thought "Late Nite Catechism" would appeal just to a niche audience, but we found that it transcends age and denomination," says City Theatre artistic director Tracy Brigden . "The show has introduced a new audience to City Theatre, many of whom are returning for our other productions."
Tickets for "Late Nite Catechism" are now on sale for performances that will run Jan. 10 through Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Sundays in the Lester Hamburg Studio Theatre at City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street at 13th Street, South Side.
Admission is $30 for performances Jan. 10 through 22, and $35 for performances Jan. 24 through Feb. 12.
Details: 412-431-2489 or www.CityTheatreCompany.org .
-- Alice T. Carter
Cultural events in the city today
City Theatre presents "Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold" at 5:30 and 9 p.m. Performances continue through Jan. 8 at the Lester Hamburg Studio Theatre of City Theatre, 57 S. 13th St., South Side. $35. 412-431-2489.
Pittsburgh Public Theater presents "Yellowman" at 2 and 8 p.m. Performances continue through Sunday at the O'Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Downtown. $29.50 to $44.50. 412-316-1600.
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh presents "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" at 11 a.m., 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Performances continue through Sunday at the Benedum Center, Seventh Street and Penn Avenue, Downtown. $26 to $56. 412-456-6666.
City Theatre presents "Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie" at 5:30 and 9 p.m. Performances continue through Dec. 11 at City Theatre's main stage, 57 S. 13th St., South Side. $40. 412-431-2489.
PEOPLE 'Lost' stars accused of driving under influence
Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros , who star on ABC's "Lost," were arrested within 15 minutes of each other in Kailua, Hawaii, for allegedly driving under the influence of an intoxicant.
Both failed field sobriety tests and were released Thursday on $500 bail each, police said. The actresses, who were in separate cars, were arrested after their vehicles were spotted weaving on Pali Highway, which connects Kailua and Honolulu, police said.
Watros, who portrays Libby on "Lost," was arrested at 12:05 a.m. Rodriguez, who plays Ana Lucia, was arrested at 12:20 a.m., according to police records. Rodriguez was booked under the name Mayte Michelle Rodriguez.
A telephone call left with Rodriguez's publicist, Marcel Pariseau, wasn't immediately returned Friday. Watros' publicist, Dominique Appel, said Friday that she had no comment.
Rodriguez, 27, and Watros, 37, were to appear at a driver's license revocation hearing at Kaneohe District Court on Dec. 29, police records show.
Motorists arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant automatically have their driver's license revoked. They are given a temporary license that allows them to drive, but under several restrictions.
Big & Rich to perform in Rose Bowl halftime show
Rose Bowl fans, Big & Rich are comin' to your city.
The country duo will perform during halftime of the Bowl Championship Series' title game on Jan. 4, "Big" Kenny Alphin told The Associated Press.
Alphin and partner John Rich are known as big college football fans. They recorded a special version of their song "Comin' to Your City" for ESPN's "College Gameday."
Alphin said it will be "exciting" to watch the national championship game in Pasadena, Calif. The teams will be announced Sunday, the day after the conference title games.
Big & Rich will be joined by Cowboy Troy , who attended the University of Texas. The No. 2 Longhorns will play in the Rose Bowl if they beat Colorado on Saturday in the Big 12 championship.
Alphin roots for Virginia Tech, which is a long shot to reach the game even if the Hokies win the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech fell from its No. 3 ranking after losing to Miami four weeks ago.
"They got close," Alphin said.
Big & Rich, known for their "hick-hop" style that blends rock, rap and country music, sold more than 2 million copies of their major label debut, "Horse of a Different Color."
They played at a show in Jackson on Thursday night with Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy to benefit Country Music Television's "One Country" campaign for hurricane relief.
Proceeds went to six organizations that are aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina, including the American Red Cross.
Onassis' granddaughter to take wedding vows today
Surrounded by palm trees and azalea bushes on a lush estate, Greek billionaire Athina Roussel Onassis was expected to say 'I do' to an Olympic athlete today in what Brazilians expect will be one of the most lavish weddings in years.
The 20-year-old Onassis -- granddaughter and sole heiress of the late shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and one of the world's richest women -- will marry Brazilian equestrian star Alvaro Afonso de Miranda , the 32-year-old son of an insurance company owner.
Miranda, known popularly as Doda, was a member of the Brazilian showjumping team that won a bronze medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and another in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
The wedding was scheduled at the Maria Luiza and Oscar Americano Foundation, an 18.5-acre spread that includes a museum, a teahouse and a cultural center. The estate is in Sao Paulo's upscale Morumbi district, near the palace where the governor of Sao Paulo state lives and works.
The couple, who share a love for horses and showjumping, met in 2002 at a riding center in Belgium owned by Brazilian equestrian Nelson Pessoa.
Athina Roussel Onassis was raised in Switzerland by her French-born father, Thierry Roussel . She inherited an estimated $2.7 billion from her grandfather on her 18th birthday. Roussel's presence at the wedding hasn't been confirmed.
