Entertainment category, Page 21
TV Talk: ‘Masterpiece’ boss on PBS cuts; ‘The Pitt’ season 2 teaser debutsVideo
This weekend, as “Masterpiece” series “The Marlow Murder Club” (9 p.m. Sunday) and “Unforgotten” (10 p.m. Sunday, WQED-TV) return for new seasons, it seemed prudent to check in with “Masterpiece” executive producer Susanne Simpson on what impact the federal government defunding PBS will have on one of PBS’s most popular,...
Pittsburgh New Works Festival to premiere 14 new plays
The Pittsburgh New Works Festival will bring together 14 brand new one-act plays from around the world with local Pittsburgh theater talent, all starting on Aug. 21. This festival season will encompass four weekends, with performances on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Genesius Theater at Duquesne University. A...
TV Talk: ‘The Pitt’ wins most TCA Awards; Greensburg dog trainer on Prime Video series
The Television Critics Association announced the winners of its 2025 awards with Pittsburgh-set HBO Max ER drama “The Pitt” winning the most trophies — four — taking home honors for program of the year, best drama, best new show and individual achievement in drama for star/writer/executive producer Noah Wyle. Among...
TV Q&A: Stations darned if they do, darned if they don’t interrupt programming
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: Horrible news out of Clairton on Aug. 11 with the explosion at the coke works. Think Channel 2 and Channel 11 know it happened? God...
Linkin Park enters new era with singer Emily Armstrong on From Zero tour stop in PittsburghVideo
If “the hardest part of ending is starting again” — a line from Linkin Park’s 2010 song “Waiting for the End” — then their most difficult moments may be in the past. The potential ending of the band came with the death of lead singer Chester Bennington by suicide in...
Antiques, other props from ‘Hershey’ filming hit the auction block
With a traditionally strong market for Hollywood memorabilia, the sale of props from a movie shoot is not unusual. But typically, those props are just that — recreations of items such as swords from a medieval film or fake body parts from a horror movie. In the case of “Hershey”...
Ukrainian folk group Kommuna Lux brings music, humanitarian mission to PittsburghVideo
With their country under attack by Russia, the musicians in Ukrainian folk band Kommuna Lux have a two-fold mission. First, they put on shows blending Balkan swing with klezmer music and traditional Ukrainian folk to help preserve the music and culture of their homeland. And second, those shows help raise...
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to stage free ‘Under the Stars’ show at Hartwood Acres
A tradition is returning to Hartwood Acres with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s “Ballet Under the Stars” program on Aug. 24. With a variety of pieces from PBT classics past and future, this free performance will wow attendees of all ages. “We are pleased to be participating in this community-based tradition, and...
‘Ketamine Queen’ accused of selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry agrees to plead guilty
LOS ANGELES — A woman known as the “Ketamine Queen,” charged with selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him, agreed to plead guilty Monday. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the “Friends” star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors,...
Pittsburgh musician Bill Toms on writing a more personal album, playing a new venueVideo
Guitarist Bill Toms has played at dozens of venues throughout the Pittsburgh region over his almost 40 years as a professional musician. But on Saturday, he’ll add a new one to the list with a show at Crafthouse in Whitehall. Bill Toms & Hard Rain will headline a show which...
MSNBC will change its name later this year as part of corporate divorce from NBC
Changing its mind about keeping its name, the MSNBC news network said Monday it will become My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW for short, as part of its corporate divorce from NBC. The TV network, which appeals to liberal audiences with a stable of personalities including Rachel Maddow,...
Vinny Palese finds his footing as a folk drifter amid Pittsburgh’s music scene
Singer-songwriter Vinny Palese considers himself a drifter in the Pittsburgh music scene. “Just blow in, cause a scene and then get out,” he said. His debut album, “Doesn’t Play Well With Others,” dropped in May after several EPs and singles over the past few years. ”It has a very at-home...
TV Talk: ‘Twisted Tale’ revisits Amanda Knox story from all anglesVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Hulu’s “Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox,” streaming its first two episodes Wednesday, upends expectations for a true crime miniseries with an embrace of magical realism that’s hinted at in the show’s title. Knox, who executive...
Pittsburgh Playwrights hits all the right notes with ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ at Madison Arts Center
“One, two, you know what to do.” The inaugural production held in Madison Arts Center’s new cabaret space is the third in Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s August Wilson’s American Century Cycle Experience, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Before Saturday’s matinee performance, founder and producing artistic/technical director of the company Mark Clayton...
‘He devoted his life to these things’: Late Pittsburgh artist Charles Jackson showcased at Greensburg Art Center
Walking through Sandra Jackson’s childhood home is akin to walking through an art museum. The Perrysville Avenue property in Pittsburgh’s North Side holds the artwork of Jackson’s father, Charles Jackson, who devoted nearly six decades of his life to documenting the city through paintings. A selection of his work —...
English teacher at Shaler Area High School spends summer researching August Wilson archives for new lesson plan
English teacher Anne Loudon knew of the late 1990s feud between playwright August Wilson and theater critic Robert Brustein through her knowledge of Wilson’s 1996 “The Ground on Which I Stand” speech that sparked the dispute. What she didn’t know — but discovered during her summer research — were the...
Terence Stamp, British actor who portrayed General Zod in early Superman films, dies at 87
LONDON — Terence Stamp, the British actor who often played the role of a complex villain, including that of General Zod in the early Superman films, has died. He was 87. His death on Sunday was disclosed in a death notice published online. The London-born Stamp started his film career...
‘Weapons’ maintained top spot during second weekend, scaring off newcomer ‘Nobody 2’
LOS ANGELES — “Weapons” scared its way to the top of the box office in its debut and managed to stay there during its second box office weekend, beating out “Freakier Friday” and newcomer “Nobody 2.” Zach Cregger’s horror earned $25 million in 3,450 North American theaters, a 43% drop...
The end is near: Megadeth to release final album and embark on farewell tour
NEW YORK — Call it a symphony for dissolution. American thrash metal giants Megadeth have announced their forthcoming album will be their last. They will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. “There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,”...
Front Porch Theatricals evoke color and light with ‘Sunday in the Park with George’
Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to visit the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s an amazing collection that contains artifacts and art from all over the world, both old and new. But one of the most mesmerizing pieces in the whole museum is the massive “A Sunday Afternoon on...
Rapper Sean Kingston to be sentenced for $1 million fraud scheme in South Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rapper Sean Kingston is scheduled to be sentenced in South Florida on Friday after being convicted of a $1 million fraud scheme. Kingston, whose legal name is Kisean Paul Anderson, and his mother, Janice Eleanor Turner, were each convicted by a federal jury in March of...
Art appreciation: Ohio Township woman colors the world
Among the pages of the textbook “Art Through the Ages” by Helen Gardner, Carolyn Brahney learned to appreciate art and inspire others to embrace their creativity. A 1962 graduate of Youngstown (now State) University with a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts and education, Brahney began teaching junior high school...
Pittsburgh Playwrights delivers riveting production of August Wilson’s ‘Two Trains Running’
Continuing a winning streak with their August Wilson’s American Century Cycle Experience, Pittsburgh Playwrights’ production of “Two Trains Running” takes the audience on a fantastic ride — and marks a milestone. Playwrights has shown a long-standing dedication to producing Wilson’s work. As of this production, they have now twice completed...
5 highlights from Taylor Swift’s 2-hour Travis Kelce podcast interviewVideo
When the world found out this week Taylor Swift would be a featured guest on the “New Heights” podcast, fans were sent into a frenzy. It’s hosted by Swift’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his brother, retired fellow football player Jason Kelce. They teased the upcoming...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Aug. 15-17
It may still be hot out, but there’s something in the air that’s suggesting a whisper of fall. Maybe it’s all the back-to-school sales or the Halloween decorations all over stores. Or maybe it’s the football. Hold on to summer a little longer with these events this weekend. Little Italy...
