AandE category, Page 184

“Otherlands: Journeys in Earth’s Extinct Ecosystems,” by Thomas Halliday (Random House) If there is one uncertainty that has persisted since the beginning of time, it’s our planet’s impermanence. Thomas Halliday ventures into the vastness of this predicament in his book “Otherlands: Journeys in Earth’s Extinct Ecosystems,” a compendium on Earth’s...

Since the day it opened, The Tull Family Theater in Sewickley has been more than a place to show films. “From the beginning, the goal was to create a cultural organization of relevance and service to the region,” said Carolina Pais-Barreto Thor, CEO of the theater. “We knew because the...

If you are looking for “Hamilton” tickets and are seeing the “No Availability” notice on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust website, don’t despair. “Additional seats will be made available for sale closer to the engagement,” said Marc Fleming, the Trust’s vice president of marketing, communications and Broadway programming. “We encourage people...

NEW YORK — Dolly Parton, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and A Tribe Called Quest are among this year’s first-time nominees for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Cleveland-based institution announced 17 artists and groups being considered for Rock Hall induction, including Rage Against the Machine,...

NEW YORK — Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended for two weeks as co-host of “The View” because of what the head of ABC News called her “wrong and hurtful comments” about Jews and the Holocaust. “While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about...

The other shoe finally dropped following the abrupt departure of Kelly Frey from WTAE-TV last fall: Janelle Hall, most recently an anchor at 6 and 11 p.m., will join Michelle Wright weekday mornings, 4:30-7 a.m. Ryan Recker, who has been filling in since Frey’s departure, will also be a co-anchor...

NEW YORK — Whoopi Goldberg expressed regret Tuesday for saying on “The View” a day earlier that race was not a factor in the Holocaust, saying she was “deeply, deeply grateful” for getting an education on the topic. “The View” brought on Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League and...

“What the Fireflies Knew” by Kai Harris (Tiny Reparations Books) One of the joys of reviewing books is reading things you otherwise never would. So let me disclose up front that I chose this book because the title sounded cool. I didn’t know what it was about, didn’t know it...

For those following certain parts of Twitter during the last week, it would have been easy to come away with the impression that Spotify was facing a mass exodus of artists protesting covid-19 vaccine misinformation on Joe Rogan’s immensely popular podcast. When Neil Young pulled his music from the Swedish...

Two editions of Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel “Maus,” about his parents’ experiences during the Holocaust, have become bestsellers after being banned by a Tennessee school board recently. “The Complete Maus” (1996) and “Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History” (1986) broke onto Amazon’s top 20 list over the...

Guests once again will walk the red carpet as Party at The Palace returns live Feb. 26 to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. After a digital event in 2021, the signature fundraiser of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust will sport a Winter Wonderland theme, which will be interpreted in a different...

NEW YORK — Rihanna and A$ap Rocky took an epic stroll over the weekend in snowy New York to reveal she’s pregnant with her first child. Despite the frigid temperatures, the 33-year-old “Diamonds” singer and fashion mogul showed off her bump in a long open pink coat and jeans as...

The hit musical “Hamilton” returns to Pittsburgh for performances Feb. 22 through March 13 at the Benedum Center in the downtown Cultural District. Prospective audience members who haven’t purchased tickets yet would be well advised to do so soon, said Marc Fleming, vice president of marketing, communications and Broadway programming...

Popular Spotify podcaster Joe Rogan on Sunday night responded to allegations of misinformation on his audio program, pledging to do a better job of balancing different perspectives and putting more time into researching topics. “I’m going to do my best, but my point of doing this is always just to...

Greensburg’s Derek Woods Band will provide the musical backdrop for this year’s Groundhog Day festivities Feb. 2 at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. And if the past is any indication, Woods and his band members had better start layering their clothes now. “The sets we played were limited to about 10...

NEW YORK — Howard Hesseman, who played the radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” and the actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on “Head of the Class,” has died. He was 81. Hesseman died Saturday in Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery, his manager...

Two friends from Freeport use their complementary knowledge and talents to open a coffee shop. Two friends from Sarver push each other to develop their individual artistic talents. One of the artists and one of the shop owners also are friends, and therein lies a tale. Freeport residents Virginia Lindsay...

The man behind the camera will be in focus as the City of Pittsburgh celebrates Black History Month by showcasing the life and works of iconic photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris. An online photo gallery and monthlong display in the City-County Building lobby, entitled “Teenie Harris: The Man Behind the Lens,”...

Jazz is on its way back to the Backstage Bar at Theatre Square in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, with the return of BNY Mellon Presents JazzLive. A winter installment of the year-round series kicks off with a performance from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday by Roger Humphries + RH Factor. It will run...

NEW YORK — In last year’s “The Suicide Squad,” John Cena’s Peacemaker is a jingoistic, bigoted superhero. Transferring the DC Comics character to a TV series spinoff gave writer-director James Gunn a forum to hold the flawed character to the light in these days of political divide. Cena, one of...

OKLAHOMA CITY — A federal judge resentenced “Tiger King” Joe Exotic to 21 years in prison on Friday, reducing his punishment by just a year after an appeals court ordered a new sentence. Joe Exotic — whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage — was convicted in a murder-for-hire case involving...

Becky Lynch may have met her match for her toughest foe yet. Bianca Belair and Liv Morgan? Nah, defeated and dumped down the depth chart. Ric Flair? Not quite, largely because it’s a one-sided, old man yelling-at-the-clouds rivalry on the Nature Boy’s part. OK, Ronda Rousey? Hey, if the former...

NOTE: Spoilers ahead through Wednesday’s episode of “Book of Boba Fett” and the first two seasons of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+. Let’s be clear: I love “The Mandalorian.” It’s a great series, and I can’t wait for the third season. So I was a bit surprised when this week’s episode...

Postponement of his exhibition at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art turned out to be a good thing for artist Stephen Towns. It gave him time to create new works reflecting a shift in attitude. Originally scheduled to open in January 2021, “Stephen Towns: Declaration & Resistance” will make its...