Happenings
Concerts
Jupiter String Quartet, featuring pieces by Haydn, Shostakovich, Gubaidulina, and Beethoven, 8 p.m. Dec. 8, Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland, Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, 412-624-4129, www.pittsburghchambermusic.org.
Handel’s Messiah, Lawrence Loh, conductor, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, 8 p.m. Dec. 12; Handel’s Messiah Sing-along, 8 p.m. Dec. 13, Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 412-392-4200, www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
Illuminare-The Light of Christmas, 8 p.m. Dec. 12, Sixth Presbyterian Church, 1688 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill, The Pittsburgh Camerata, 412-421-5884, www.pittsburghcamerata.org.
A Night Before Christmas, performances by jazz group Spyro Gyra,
7 and 9:30 p.m. Dec. 13, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, 1815 Metropolitan St., North Side, 412-322-0800, www.manchesterguild.org.
And the Angels Sing, 3 p.m. Dec. 14, River City Brass Band, Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Pitts-Johnstown, 412-322-7222, www.rcbb.com.
Highmark Holiday Pops: Holiday Memories With the PSO, Daniel Meyer, conductor, Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17, Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 412-392-4200, www.pittsburghsymphony.org.
Coro Latinoamericano Concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 19, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, Pitt’s Center for Latin American Studies, 412-551-2777, www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas.
Exhibitions
Frick Art and Historical Center, From Michelangelo to Annibale Carracci: A Century of Italian Drawings, through Jan. 4, 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze, 412-371-0600, www.frickart.org.
Andy Warhol Museum, 1958, through Jan. 11, 117 Sandusky St., North Side, 412-237-8300, www.warhol.org.
Carnegie Museum of Art, 55th Carnegie International, through Jan. 11; Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes, through Jan. 18, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland, 412-622-3131, www.cmoa.org.
Free at Last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th Centuries, through April 5, exhibition by the University of Pittsburgh at the Senator John Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Strip District, 412-454-6000, www.pghhistory.org.
Films
Cleopatra (2003), directed by Eduardo Mignogna, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, Latin American Film Series, Pitt’s Center for Latin American Studies, 412-648-7392, www.amigosdelcinelatinoamericano2008.blogspot.com.
Afro@Digital (2003), directed by Balufu Bakupa-Kanyida, 5 p.m. Dec. 11, 4130 Posvar Hall, Pitt’s African Film Series, 412-648-2058, www.ucis.pitt.edu/africa.
Lectures/Seminars/Readings
School of Information Sciences Information Session, open to all prospective students, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Room 522, Information Sciences Building, RSVP encouraged, 412-624-3988, www.ischool.pitt.edu.
“Preparing Competitive Grant Applications: Developing Your Grant-Writing Skills,” Bruce A. Freedman, Pitt professor and chair of Department of Pharmacology, 3-5 p.m. Dec. 9, S120 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, 2008-09 Postdoctoral Professionalism Series, Office of Academic Career Development, 412-648-8486, register at www.oacd.health.pitt.edu.
Yannis Simonides, performing his one-man show, “The Apology Project,” 8 p.m. Dec. 10, Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland, International Poetry Forum, 412-621-9893, www.thepoetryforum.org.
Slave Ship to Human Rights Forum, Marcus Rediker, Pitt Department of History chair; Martha Richards Conley, co-coordinator of Pittsburgh chapter of Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Ave., Squirrel Hill, 412-422-7100.
“The Development of Early Pythagorean Cosmology,” Carl Huffman, the Edwin L. Minar Professor of Classical Studies and Robert Stockwell Professor of Greek Language and Literature, DePauw University, 3:30 p.m. Dec. 12, 244B Cathedral of Learning, Pitt’s Department of Classics, 412-624-4494, www.classics.pitt.edu.
“Preparing to Serve on a Study Section Panel: Tips for Being an Effective Reviewer,” Gerald F. Gebhart, Pitt professor of anesthesiology and director of Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, 3-5 p.m. Dec. 16, S100 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Science Tower, Fall 2008 Health Sciences Faculty Professional Development Series, Office of Academic Career Development, 412-648-8486, register at www.oacd.health.pitt.edu.
“Preventing Back and Neck Pain Through a Healthy Diet, Exercise and Spinal Manipulation,” Daniel S. Miller, Center for Integrative Medicine chiropractor, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18, UPMC’s Center for Integrative Medicine, Suite 310, 580 S. Aiken Ave., Shadyside, 412-623-3023, integrativemedicine.upmc.com.
Miscellaneous
Book Signing, For the Love of Murphy’s: The Behind-the-Counter Story of a Great American Retailer, by Jason Togyer, noon Dec. 11, University of Pittsburgh Book Center, 412-648-1453.
Sixth Annual Pittsburgh Szopka Exhibition and Holiday Reception, Polish food and music and display of szopki, or Cracow crèches, 1-4 p.m. Dec. 14, Cloister, Frick Fine Arts Building, Pitt’s Nationality Rooms Program and Polish Classroom Committee, 412-835-0539, contact@cracowcrafts.com.
The Hops Stop Here: Craft Beers From Around the World, 6:15 p.m. Dec. 16, Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Ave., 412-456-6666, www.pgharts.org.
Opera/Theater/Dance
Nativity: A Christmas Gift, West African dance and gospel music inspired by Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, weekends only, Dec. 5-21, Seventh-floor Auditorium, Alumni Hall, Pitt’s Shona Sharif African Dance and Drum Ensemble, 412-648-2276.
Dublin Carol, by Conor McPherson, through Dec. 20, Henry Heymann Theatre, Stephen Foster Memorial, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, 412-561-6000, www.pictheatre.org.
St. Nicholas, by Conor McPherson, Dec. 12-20, Henry Hemann Theatre, Stephen Foster Memorial, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, 412-561-6000, www.pictheatre.org.
The Nutcracker, Dec. 12-27, Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, 412-281-0360, www.pbt.org.
Chip Davis’ Christmas: Music of Mannheim Steamroller, Dec. 16-17, Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, 412-456-6666, www.pgharts.org.
The Second City’s PratFall of Civilization, improvisational theater troupe, Dec. 18-20, Pittsburgh Public Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Downtown, 412-316-1600, www.ppt.org.
A Lyrical Christmas Carol, Dec. 18-21, New Hazlett Theater, Allegheny Square East, North Side, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, 412-539-0900, www.pittsburghmusicals.com.
A Musical Christmas Carol, through Dec. 21, Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown, CLO Cabaret, 412-325-1582, www.CLOCabaret.com.
Annie, Dec. 23-28, Benedum Center, 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown, PNC Broadway Across America, 412-456-6666, www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.
Die Fledermaus, by Johann Strauss, Dec. 27-28, Byham Theater, 101 Sixth St., Downtown, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, 412-471-6930, www.pgharts.org.
Pitt PhD Dissertation Defenses
Melinda R. Bolgar, School of Education’s Department of Health and Physical Activity, “Effects of Training Status, Exercise Mode, and Intensity on Differentiated Rating of Perceived Exertion,” 10:45 a.m. Dec. 8, Petersen Events Center Conference Room.
Karla Huebner, School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of the History of Art and Architecture, “Eroticism, Identity, and Cultural Context: Toyen and the Prague Avant-Garde,” 12:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Room 104 Frick Fine Arts Building.
Kevin Brown, Graduate School of Public Health’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, “Dendritic Cell Dynamics in Blood And Lymphoid Tissues During Pathogenic Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection,” 1 p.m. Dec. 8, A115 Crabtree Hall.
Shengnan (Shane) Wu, Swanson School’s Department of Industrial Engineering, “Agent-based Discrete Event Simulation Modeling and Evolutionary Real-time Decision Making for Large-scale Systems,” 3:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Room 1060 Benedum Hall.
Catherine Day, School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of English, “On Paying Attention: Particularity in Victorian Fiction and Empirical Thought,”
1 p.m. Dec. 9, 501 Cathedral of Learning.
James M. Leaman, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs’ International Development and Public Administration Program, “Religion, Spirituality, Corruption, and Development: Casual Links and Relationships,” 11 a.m. Dec. 10, 3412 Posvar Hall.
Eileen St. John, School of Education’s Department of Instruction and Learning, “Three Case Studies of the Use of an Audio Support System Embedded in a Computer-based Cognitive Tutoring System and Its Effects on the Word-problem Solving Performance of Struggling Readers,” 1 p.m. Dec. 10, 5151 Posvar Hall.
Judith Toure, School of Education, “There’s Some Good Karma Up in Here: A Case Study of White School Leadership in an Urban Context,” 10 a.m. Dec. 11, 5511 Posvar Hall.
Rebecca Leeman-Neill, School of Medicine’s Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, “Prevention and Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer With Natural Compound Inhibitors of STAT3,” 2 p.m. Dec. 11, 1104 Scaife Conference Center.
Barbara Stephens, Graduate School of Public Health, “A Montage of Family Postplacement Caregivers for Persons With a Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease,” noon Dec. 13, 226 Parran Hall.
Melissa Deininger, School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of French and Italian Languages and Literatures, “After the Revolution: Terror, Literature, and the Nation in Modern France,” 10 a.m. Jan. 7, 1218 Cathedral of Learning.
Other Stories From This Issue
On the Freedom Road
Follow a group of Pitt students on the Returning to the Roots of Civil Rights bus tour, a nine-day, 2,300-mile journey crisscrossing five states.
Day 1: The Awakening
Day 2: Deep Impressions
Day 3: Music, Montgomery, and More
Day 4: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Day 5: Learning to Remember
Day 6: The Mountaintop
Day 7: Slavery and Beyond
Day 8: Lessons to Bring Home
Day 9: Final Lessons