Pittsburgh rings in 2016 with First Night festivities
As usual, Pittsburgh's going out with a big celebration — musicians, magicians, dancers, artists, comedians, fire eaters, and fireworks.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's annual First Night festivities have so much packed into a six-hour span throughout the Cultural District, you could never do it all. Many of the indoor events require a First Night Button and a free voucher.
One of the biggest events that everyone can take part in is the FexEx Ground Parade, which includes dozens of performance groups and the giant puppets from Studio Capezzuti. It starts at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center at 8 p.m. and runs along Penn Avenue then right on Sixth Street.
As for everything else, here's a roundup of the bigger events to amuse yourself until the midnight countdown.
The Wailers
It's not accurate to say the Wailers were only Bob Marley's backing band. The group's musical contributions — especially those of Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Marley's trusted confidant and friend — were essential to propelling Marley to stardom and showcasing reggae beyond its Jamaican homeland.
Since Marley died in 1981, the Wailers have appeared before an estimated 24 million fans, and collaborated with acts from Sting to Stevie Wonder to Kenny Cheney.
The Wailers will help ring in the New Year on the Highmark Stage, on Penn Avenue in the Cultural District starting at 10:45 p.m.
Billy Price
It's been a very good year for Billy Price, who will play three First Night shows (at 6:30, 8:45 and 10 p.m.) with his band at the Byham Theater.
In May, Price released “This Time for Real” with the celebrated Chicago soul singer Otis Clay. The album earned the longtime friends a nomination for best soul blues album for next year's Blues Music Awards in Memphis. It's a much deserved honor for Price, who got his start four decades ago with the Keystone Rhythm Band and has since kept the spirit of soul music alive, not only in Pittsburgh, but across the country. Voucher required.
Drew the Dramatic Fool
Feeling foolish is the name of the game when it comes to Drew the Dramatic Fool.
Dubbed “foolish theater for smart audiences,” his show mixes high-stakes drama with circus skills, magic and visual theater — with stuff like juggling 36 balls to sawing a woman in half.
Inspired by animated cartoons, silent comedians and absurdist plays, it's a comical examination of fears — the fear of performing, fear of failure, and fear of death.
Shows are at 7, 9 and 10 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts school. Voucher required.
Fire & Ice Plaza
With the recent weather, there might just be more fire than ice this year. But that shouldn't deter Ice Creations from carving up some cool designs with their chainsaws at the Fire & Ice Plaza in the Penn Avenue and Eighth Street parking lot. There will also be fire dancing, music, special lighting, and even their own fireworks finale. Times for the half-hour shows are at 6, 7, 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.
Also in the Plaza, back for its sixth First Night, Steel Town Fire features fiery fans, snakes, swords, poi and fire-eating over the course of a varied show performed to music. It's co-directed by Victoria Kerestes and Erika May, who take advantage of the magnetism of live fire in their choreography. Shows start at 6:30, 7:30, 9 and 10 p.m.
‘Jane's Jungle Adventure'
In Gemini Children's Theater production of “Jane's Jungle Adventure,” Jane is lost in the jungle and no longer has use of her trusted GPS. With the help of a new friend, Tarzan, and his jungle animal family, she's able to navigate through the trees to her camp site. Kids can “monkey around” with the characters and be part of the show as jungle animals, assisting Jane as she treks through the trees.
The 45-minute shows in the Highmark Auditorium at Fifth Avenue Place are at 6:30, 8:30 and 9:45 p.m. Voucher required.
Unsuk
Veteran belly dancer Unsuk (Susan Goelz) will give a demonstration of many styles, such as Egyptian, veil dance, fusion skirt dance and folklore Khaleeji at three shows, each including a brief belly dancing lesson.
Unsuk is a Middle East dance artist, instructor and choreographer who has been active in the city's belly dancing scene for 11 years. She teaches weekly in Canonsburg and has taught classes at local colleges.
Shows start at 6:15, 9:15 and 10 p.m. at CAPA on Ninth Street.
Staycee Pearl Dance Project
Recalling childhood memories and games, Staycee Pearl Dance Project's “Playground” is the result of two years of collaborative work by Pearl and her dancers. It compares and contrasts the uninhibited movement of children and the form of a professionally trained dancer.
Pearl's work explores conceptual possibilities in collaboration with multidisciplinary artists. Her husband, Hermann, provides music and/or sound designs.
Performances start at 8:30 and 9:45 p.m. at the August Wilson Center. Voucher required
‘The Voyage of SeaSoar'
Bricolage Production Company presents an interactive theatrical experience with “The Voyage of SeaSoar.”
Created by Parag S. Gohel, Ayne Tercia and Cory Talmer, the piece focuses on a yellow-bodied winged creature that collects subaquatic data for scientific research. After it crashes, the crew of the Revelle must scramble to repair SeaSoar and the valuable data inside. However, the crew doesn't have the key to deciphering SeaSoar's language, which is where the audience comes in.
The 45-minute show starts at 7, 8:30 and 10 p.m. at 937 Liberty Ave.
Dwayne Dolphin
Dwayne Dolphin, bass.
That's the simple tagline for Dolphin's website, and all you need to know about one of the city's premier jazz musicians.
Dolphin, who plays three shows at the Trust Arts Education Center (at 7, 8:45 and 10 p.m.), arguably defines jazz bass in Pittsburgh. He's worked with all of the city's jazz greats, including Roger Humphries, Pete Henderson and Carl Arter, and has performed or recorded with national talents Nancy Wilson, Melba Moore and Abby Lincoln.
One of Pittsburgh's finest groups, River City Brass is unique. The only full-time professional brass band in the country, the ensemble has been entertaining audiences since 1981.
While its name evokes an image of a Dixieland jazz band, the group is incredibly diverse, with a repertoire than includes big band, classical, show tunes, movie scores and even opera.
The band performs at 7 p.m. at the Benedum Center. Voucher required.
Fireworks
New Year's Eve is such a big event that Pittsburgh gets two big blasts from Zambelli.
The First Night festivities kick off at 6 p.m. with the Dollar Bank Children's Fireworks Display that can be best seen standing on Seventh Street looking toward the river.
Then, the big one, at midnight is the Future of Pittsburgh Grand Finale, shot off from atop Highmark Penn Avenue Place at Penn and Stanwix Street. This one includes the raising (not lowering) of the Future of Pittsburgh ball.
Soul Line Dancing
Dancing makes every party better, so why not indulge in some Soul Line Dancing at the EQT Plaza?
Novices and experienced dancers alike are welcome to join instructor Roland Ford as he teaches some simple line dancing steps and puts them to R&B, pop, hip-hop and Motown sounds.
Get the whole family or crew to dance it up in sessions at 6:45, 8:45 and 10 p.m.
The wedding pas de deux and other selections from “Don Quixote” will be performed by Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre graduate students just once — at 6:30 p.m. at the August Wilson Center — on First Night. The virtuoso ballet is based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes.
The 15 dancers will perform the popular excerpts in new choreography by the company's former principal dancer Christine Schwaner. The characters include Kitri, Basilio and an ensemble of toreadors and townspeople. Voucher required
Kids activities
Kids won't go home empty-handed from First Night as long as they're willing to use their imaginations.
• The center for crafting activities is the First National Bank Tent at Penn Avenue and Seventh Street. Gateway to the Arts crafts include a New Year's headpiece or a sparkling firecracker wand to wave during the parade. Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts will provide materials to create a decorative snowflake. And Allegheny County Park Rangers will have a variety of pelts, skulls, bird feathers, snakeskins, butterflies, and other items from local parks to study and touch. The tent is open from 6 to 10 p.m.
• The Citizens Bank Children's Theater Series will have a craft area set up at the August Wilson Center on Liberty Avenue. Help create a large-scale analog game of Tetris on a wall, create a superhero on a button or take a selfie with Junie B. Jones. There also will be “Room on the Broom” and “Good Night Moon” storybook readings. Activities are from 6 to 11 p.m.
• At Fifth Avenue Place, add your hopes for the new year to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh's resolution tree from 6 to 11 p.m. Also, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse will have fabric scraps to create whatever you want.
The Early Mays
The music of Appalachia comes alive with the Early Mays, performing twice at the Trust Arts Education Center (at 6:30 and 9 p.m.).
Featuring standout local musicians Emily Pinkerton and Ellen Gozion, they were WYEP-FM's Pittsburgh Artist of the Year for 2014 when their self-titled album was on the national folk-DJ charts for three months. Pinkerton and Gozion will be joined by West Virginia singer and musician Rachel Eddy for these performances.
Joy Ike
Joy Ike's music transcends genres. Raised in Pittsburgh, the Nigerian native's piano-based compositions alternate between pop, soul and rock, sometimes within the same song. She's so good, you can forgive Ike for leaving town to live in Philadelphia.
Ike performs at the August Wilson Center at 7, 8:45 and 10 p.m.
Brooke Annibale
Brooke Annibale's recent album, “The Simple Fear,” is an atmospheric collection of songs that showcases her talents as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. It's a mesmerizing effort that belies efforts at categorization, but fits comfortably under the banners of folk, rock and pop.
Annibale, this year's WYEP-FM Artist of the Year, performs at the Trust Arts Education Center at 7:30 and 10 p.m.
Comedy
One way to measure how much comedy has grown in the past few years is to see how much is included in the First Night festivities, and how many forms it takes.
Improv Arcade is Arcade Comedy Theater's sketch-improv show at 6:30, 7:45, 9 and 10:15 p.m. Player One, also from Arcade Comedy Theater but performing at the Cabaret at Theater Square, is high-energy improv, that might or might not reference video games and other pop culture, at 6:30 and 9 p.m. Vouchers required for both acts.
Two of the city's top stand-up comedians, J. Russ and Gab Bonesso, will take the stage at the Cabaret at Theater Square at 7:45 and 10:15 p.m. Voucher required
And if you're in the mood for something really interesting, MIC Check features a fully improvised concert, based on audience input. It's at Arcade Comedy 2 at 6:30, 7:15, 8:45 and 10 p.m.
