Dreamweaver Marketing Associates News and Views: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

JazzLive International Festival Schedule of Events Announced

You are invited to join The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

for the kick-off celebration of the

PITTSBURGH JAZZLIVE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

Thursday, May 31
OFFICIAL PITTSBURGH JAZZLIVE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
KICKOFF PARTY!
SHOPPING, SALES, GIVEAWAYS, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT!
Macy’s, Downtown Pittsburgh
Main Floor
5-7PM
Mark Lucas Band with special guest Sean Jones

FESTIVAL EVENTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 1
PITTSBURGH JAZZLIVE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
JAZZLIVE CRAWL, throughout the Cultural District
5:30 – 9pm, unless otherwise noted
NO COVER. SEATING AVAILABLE FOR DINING/BAR WHERE APPLICABLE

Original Fish Market
1001 Liberty Avenue
Joe Negri
5:30 -8:30PM
Jazz guitar legend, classic melodies and old favorites.
Hosted by Tony Mowod

August Wilson Center for African American Culture
980 Liberty Avenue
Brett Williams and Friends
New jazz and funk fusion

Awesome Books
929 Liberty Avenue
Poet, Vanessa German and neo soul artist, Joy Ike create a music and poetry salon, and invite friends to join in. Sean Jones makes guest appearance at 7pm

Trust Arts Education Center
805-807 Liberty Avenue
Peirce Studio
Al Dowe featuring Etta Cox
5-7PM
Pittsburgh favorites playing standards, straight-ahead jazz

Crazy Mocha
801 Liberty Avenue
DJ SMI
Spinning funk and rare jazz grooves

Taste of Dahntahn
535 Liberty Avenue
Jevon Rushton Band featuring Shawnee Lake & Fred Pugh
Funky drummer and vocals by fiery Shawnee Lake and silky smooth Fred Pugh

Nola on the Square
24 Market Street
Kenny Blake Band
Smooth sax

Fairmont Hotel’s Jazz at Andy’s
510 Market Street
Tania Grubbs
Standards, vocals, ballads
5:30 – 12AM
Martinis, tapas, and cool setting with vocalist and her very talented friends

Caffé Amante
120 Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue Place, 2ndfloor
Mike Tomaro
Classic jazz standards

Wyndham Grand Hotel Pittsburgh
600 Commonwealth Place, at the POINT
Mark Strickland
Jazz guitarist extraordinaire plays cool jazz
Hosted by Bob Studebaker

Olive or Twist
140 6thStreet
Kevin Howard Band
Smooth jazz and R & B in the upstairs lounge

Melange Bistro Bar
136 6thStreet
James Johnson III
Funk and jazz, with a wicked rhythm section

Braddock’s American Brasserie
107 6thStreet
Tim Stevens/Leonard Johnson Project
Ballads and cool jazz

Backstage Bar
655 Penn Avenue,
Thomas Wendt Quartet featuring Maureen Budway
Classic, straight ahead jazz
Host by Tony Mowod

Agnes Katz Plaza
Corner of 7thand Penn Avenue
Big Mean Sound Machine
Afro Beat with electronica

Agnes Katz Plaza
Corner of 7th and Penn Avenue
J Malls
Pittsburgh Vinyl Sale

Tambellini’s Restaurant
139 & 7thStreet
Michele Bensen and Chris Pangikas
Sophisticated lady and her piano man

Bossa Nova
123 7thStreet
Puro Queso Jazz Quartet featuring Daniel Hidalgo Wong
Latin Jazz

Future Tenant
819 Penn Avenue
Thoth Trio
Experimental, always surprising melodies

Nine on Nine
900 Penn Avenue
Max Leake
Piano jazz favorite does solo like no other

Sharp Edge Bistro
922 Penn Avenue
Eric Johnson
Sometimes bluesy, sometimes a cool West Coast vibe…always entertaining

Seviche
930 Penn Avenue
George Jones New View Trio
Latin jazz with conga master

August Henry’s City Saloon
946 Penn Avenue
Alton Merrell
Piano with loads of soul

Sonoma Grille
947 Penn Avenue
Dwayne Dolphin
Bass legend makes it funky with hard driving soul jazz

CABARET JAZZLIVE SPECIAL SESSION-TICKETED PERFORMANCE
Fort Apache Band w/Andy and Jerry Gonzalez
Latin jazz legends make rare Pittsburgh appearance.
Cabaret Theater
Friday, June 1
8pm
For tickets, call 412 456 6666, or visit trustarts.org
Also available at the door night of show

OUTDOOR STAGES
JUNE 2, 2012
Penn Avenue Stage I
1:00 Introduction & Remarks
1:15 – 2:00PM Ernie Krivda & The Detroit Connection
2:45 – 3:30PM Clayton Brothers
4:15 – 5:15pm Sean Jones Quintet
6:00 – 7:15PM Average White Band

Penn Avenue Stage II
2:00 – 2:45PM Jesse Fischer & Soul Cycle
3:30 – 4:15PM Jeff ‘Tain” Watts Quartet
5:15 – 6:00PM Robert Glasper Experiment

9thStreet Stage
1:30 – 2:30PM Carolyn Perteete
3:00 – 4:00PM Poogie Bell
4:30 – 5:45PM Center of Life

JUNE 3, 2012
Penn Avenue Stage I
1:00PM Introductions & Remarks
1:15 – 2:00PM Curtis Brothers
2:45 – 3:30PM Warren Wolf Quartet
4:15 – 5:00PM Allan Harris Band
6:00 – 7:15PM Lalah Hathaway

Penn Avenue Stage II
2:00 – 2:45PM David Budway Quartet
3:30 – 4:14PM Aurora Jazz Fusion
5:00 – 6:00PM Monty Alexander
Harlem – Kingston Express Quartet

9thStreet Stage
1:30 – 2:30PM Mark Lucas
3:45 – 5:00PM Roger Humphries & RH Factor

AFTER THE CRAWL…AFTER THE CONCERTS
June 1 JazzLive Jam Session
Fairmont Hotel’s Jazz at Andys
510 Market Street
9 - 12am │Vocal Jam w/Tania Grubb

Melange Bistro Bar
136 6thStreet
10 – 2am │DJ Nate the Phat Barber

Seviche
930 Penn Avenue
10 – 2 am │ 2 Turntables and a saxophone

Sonoma Grille
947 Penn Avenue
10 -2 am │Poogie Bell Band

June 2 JazzLive Jam Sessions
Original Fish Market
1001 Liberty Avenue
10 - 1 am │Sean Jones

Seviche
930 Penn Avenue
10 – 2 am

Sonoma Grille
947 Penn Avenue
10 -2 am │Roger Humphries

SHOWCASE NOIR
African American Artist & Designer Market
Corner of 8th Street and Penn Avenue, Cultural District
Saturday, June 2, 12-8 p.m.
Sunday, June 3, 12-7 p.m.
A unique arts showcase featuring the work of some of the region's finest African-American artists, incuding pottery, paintings, jewelry and sculpture available for sale.

For listing of events, visit http://pittsburghjazzlive.com/

Pittsburgh JazzLive International Festival is presented in conjunction with the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival. The JazzLive festival is made through the generosity and community support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation, UPMC, City of Pittsburgh, Macy's and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates. Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping. Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business. www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Share Heinz Hall Memories to Celebrate 40th Anniversary

For Immediate Release
May 30, 2012

PUBLIC INVITED TO SHARE HEINZ HALL MEMORIES ONLINE AS PART OF 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

People can submit stories, upload photos on PSO website

PITTSBURGH – In honor of the 40th anniversary of Heinz Hall, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is inviting members of the public to post their favorite memories of Heinz Hall from the past four decades.

The PSO wants contributors to share memories of a visit to Heinz Hall by creating a written post online and uploading photos at www.pittsburghsymphony.org/memories by Sunday, June 10.

Sept. 10, 1971 marked the opening night for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in its newly-renovated home. Before the opening event, subscriptions for the 1971- 1972 season were sold out. The entire city of Pittsburgh was celebrating the opening of its new performing arts center and the nation took notice. The dedication address was given by Henry L. Hillman. The oboe sounded an ‘A,’ Music Director William Steinberg arrived at the podium, and the first notes of Beethoven’s Overture to Consecration of the House rang throughout the new concert hall.

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Contact: James Barthen, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Investment Fraud Screening and Panel Discussion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 24, 2012
CONTACT: George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366 ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459 mpisano@wqed.org

PENNSYLVANIA SECURITIES COMMISSIONER
JOINS FINRA FOUNDATION AND AARP REPRESENTATIVES FOR PANEL DISCUSSION AT WQED

Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud Screening & Panel Discussion
Thursday, May 31, 2012
10:15 a.m. WQED Multimedia
Elsie Hilliard Hillman Conference Center
4802 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
R.S.V.P. to 412-622-1512

PITTSBURGH—Investment fraud affects millions of Americans each year. On Thursday, May 31, at 10:15 a.m. at its Oakland location, WQED is holding a FREE screening of scenes from the documentary Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud with an expert panel discussion to follow regarding investment fraud and prevention resources in partnership with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation and AARP. This engagement opportunity is a follow-up to WQED’s statewide broadcast of Fighting Fraud in

Pennsylvania: A Statewide Initiative and Trick$ of the Trade on April 26th in partnership with the FINRA Foundation.

Panelists include: Vincent J. Gastgeb, Allegheny County Councilman and Pennsylvania Securities Commissioner; Christine N. Kieffer, FINRA Investor Education Foundation Senior Director; and Mary Bach, AARP Pennsylvania Consumer Issues Task Force Chair.

Reservations can be made through the WQED Events Line at 412-622-1521. Parking will be available in the WQED Visitors Lot located on the left side of the building. Light refreshments will be provided at 10:15 a.m. and the program will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Trick$ of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud is a documentary developed by the FINRA Foundation in collaboration with AARP. The program is presented by WQED Multimedia, and distributed by American Public Television (APT) to public television stations nationwide.

DVD copies of the program are available by calling (866) 973-4672 or by visiting
SaveAndInvest.org/TricksoftheTrade.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high- definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is the largest foundation in the United States dedicated to investor education. Its mission is to provide investors with high-quality, easily accessible information and tools to better understand the markets and the basic principles of saving and investing. The FINRA Foundation’s Investor Protection Campaign, online at SaveAndInvest.org, is a targeted effort to reduce the incidence of investment fraud among investors by teaching the tactics most commonly used by fraudsters and the simple steps every investor can take to reduce their risk.

AARP has 1.8 million members in Pennsylvania. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with nearly 35 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Pennsylvania Securities Commission (PSC) is the state agency regulating the investment industry. The PSC’s mission is to protect Pennsylvania investors from fraudulent and abusive practices in the offer and sale of securities. It has been a trusted resource for Pennsylvania investors since 1923 and offers publications, videos and programs to help investors understand how to evaluate investments and avoid becoming a victim of fraud. To learn more, go to 1-800-600-0007 or www.psc.state.pa.us.

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PSO Wins Prestigious International Award

For Immediate Release
May 16, 2012

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WINS PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR MAHLER 4 RECORDING

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) on Tuesday received a prestigious International Classical Music Award (ICMA) trophy during the annual Award Ceremony in Nantes, France. The award-winning Exton recording featured Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, conducted by Music Director Manfred Honeck and featuring soprano Sunhae Im.

Honeck, who is in Pittsburgh, said, “The members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and I are very excited to receive this recognition for our work. It is a great honor to have been chosen by this very distinguished jury. … Having grown up in Vienna, I feel a personal connection with Mahler’s music and I try to bring some special Viennese elements to the interpretation of these works.”

The May 15 awards ceremony featured a Gala Concert at La Cité, with the participation of some of ICMA winners and the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire conducted by its music director John Axelrod. France Musique and other radio stations of the European Broadcasting Union's worldwide network broadcast the concert live.

The Jury of the International Classical Music Awards announced the winners for 2012 in February in Vienna. The International Classical Music Awards are the preeminent awards for classical music on an international level. The jury consists of leading music critics and editors of the most important magazines, online services and radio stations: Andante (Turkey), Crescendo (Belgium), Fono Forum (Germany), Gramofon (Hungary), IMZ (Austria), MDR-Figaro (Germany), Musica (Italy), Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Orpheus Radio (Russia), Pizzicato (Luxembourg), Radio 100.7 (Luxembourg), Resmusica.com (France), Scherzo (Spain) and Viva Classica (Finland).

The PSO’s award-winning recording was nominated alongside Exton’s release of another PSO recording – Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, featuring mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, and Children’s Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh.

PSO’s recordings of Mahler’s Third, Fourth and Fifth symphonies are available at http://pittsburghsymphonyorchestra.bigcartel.com/category/cds and at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., downtown. PSO recordings are made possible by a generous grant from BNY Mellon.

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Contact: James Barthen, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org

Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org

Lee Hall's The Pitmen Painters Premieres in Pittsburgh

Art for the 99%
Miners redefine their lives by becoming artists in the Pittsburgh Premiere of Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters

Media Contact: Michelle Belan
Marketing Director
Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre
mbelan@picttheatre.org
412-561-6000 x203
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pittsburgh, PA – May 10, 2012. PICT continues its season with the Pittsburgh premiere of The Pitmen Painters, by Billy Elliot author Lee Hall. The production features Brad Heberlee as Robert Lyon, Simon Bradbury as Oliver Kilbourn, Alan Stanford as Harry Wilson, Daryll Heysham as Jimmy Floyd, Larry John Meyers as George Brown, Bernard Balbot as Young Lad, Linda Kimbrough as Helen Sutherland, Rachel McKeon as Susan Parks, and Sean Sears as Ben Nicholson. PICT Producing Artistic Director Andrew S. Paul directs The Pitmen Painters, which runs May 31st through June 23 in the intimate Henry Heymann Theatre.

Winner of London’s 2009 Olivier Award for Best Play, this true story about an inspiring group of miners touched the hearts of audiences around the world. In 1934, a group of miners and a dental mechanic from Ashington, a coal-mining town in northeast England, hired a professor from Newcastle University to teach an evening Art Appreciation class. Unable to understand each other at first, they embarked on one of the most unusual experiments in British art, as the pitmen learned to become painters. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists became their friends, their work was taken for prestigious collections and they were celebrated throughout the British art world; but every day they worked, as before, down the mine.

Playwright Lee Hall has enjoyed success writing for film, television, stage and radio. His screenwriting credits include Billy Elliot (Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay) and War Horse, (directed by Steven Spielberg). For stage: Billy Elliot the Musical (with Elton John, winning 10 of 15 Tony nominations); Olivier-nominated Cooking with Elvis; Spoonface Steinberg, and adaptations for stage including The Barber of Seville, The Good Hope, Pinocchio, Mother Courage, and Servant to Two Masters. For television: The Wind in the Willows, Spoonface Steinberg and The Student Prince. His radio play I Love You, Jimmy Spud won the Sony Award for Best Writing on the Radio. He is currently working on a play about composer Messiaen.

When asked to write a play to mark the reopening of the Live Theatre in Newcastle, England, Lee Hall came across a second-hand book, Pitmen Painters: The Ashington Group, by William Feavers. Before he was halfway through the book, he knew he had found the inspiration for a new play. Hall writes, “Quite clearly, the working classes of the early part of last century were aspirational about high art. They not only felt entitled, but felt a duty to take part in the best that life has to offer in terms of art and culture.” These miners made art a part of their lives rather than leaving it to the upper classes. Art was not a commodity for commercial benefit but an integral part of daily living. Painting was not a commercial enterprise for the Ashington Group, but was simply about painting life as they knew it. A compelling, hilarious salute to the power of individual expression and the collective spirit, The Pitmen Painters is a deeply moving and timely look at art, class and politics.

Alan Stanford is the PICT 2012 Artist-in-Residence. Stanford made his PICT directorial debut in 2007 with the acclaimed production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome. Since then, his PICT directing credits have included In the Next Room or the vibrator play, as well as Betrayal and Celebration in the 2010 Pinter Celebration, and last season’s record-breaking production of The Mask of Moriarty. Stanford has a long association with Dublin’s famed Gate Theatre, where he has directed numerous productions including Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, and God of Carnage. He has toured the world over the past decade as Pozzo in the Gate Theatre production of Waiting for Godot. Stanford is also a company member in PICT’s Chekhov Celebration, directing Brian Friel’s Afterplay and The Yalta Game, and starring as Count Shabelsky in Ivanov and Svetlovidov in Swan Song.

Brad Heberlee recently appeared as Dr. Givings in PICT’s In the Next Room or the vibrator play. Linda Kimbrough previously appeared at PICT as Mrs. Lintott in The History Boys. She has originated roles in four of David Mamet's plays: Edmond, Reunion, The Water Engine, Squirrels, and as Charlotta in his adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. Daryll Heysham returns to PICT after playing Inspector Lestrade in last December’s box-office hit The Mask of Moriarty. Simon Bradbury was last seen on the PICT stage in 2010 Hobson’s Choice; his performance as Will Mossop earned him a Performer of the Year nod by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Larry John Meyers is in his eleventh season with PICT, most recently performing in Othello as well as The Hothouse and The Room during PICT’s Pinter Celebration

Scenic design is by Gianni Downs, lighting by Jim French, costumes by Rachel Parent, and sound design by Chris Rummel. The Pitmen Painters performs May 31 through June 23 in the Henry Heymann Theatre.

The 2012 Media Sponsors are WYEP and Essential Public Radio. Single tickets are available now through PICT’s new online ticketing system at www.picttheatre.org, or by calling ProArtsTickets at 412.394.3353 for an additional $1.50 phone fee. A range of options are available for money-saving season subscriptions, and can be purchased by contacting Carolyn Ludwig at (412) 561-6000 ext. 207, or on the PICT website at www.picttheatre.org.

PICT receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as funding from the Allegheny County Regional Assets District.

The Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production. PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh and PICT productions at The Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres are presented in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.

FACT SHEET - The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall
Pittsburgh Premiere
Directed by Andrew S. Paul
The Henry Heymann in the Stephen Foster Memorial
4301 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Cast: Bernard Balbot, Simon Bradbury, Brad Heberlee, Daryll Heysham, Linda Kimbrough, Rachel McKeon, Larry John Meyers, Alan Stanford

Design Team: Gianni Downs (scenic design); Rachel Parent (costume design); Jim French (lighting design); Chris Rummel (sound design); George DeShetler (properties)

Performances
First Week: Thursday – Friday, May 31-June 1, Previews, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 2, Opening, 8:00 p.m. (followed by reception)
Sunday, June 3, 2:00 p.m. (followed by talk-back with Artist-in-Residence Alan Stanford)

Second Week: Tuesday, June 5, 7:00 p.m. (Professional Tuesday performance)
Wednesday – Saturday, June 6-9, 8:00 p.m.*
Sunday, June 10, 2:00 p.m.
*preshow lectures Wednesday and Thursday, June and 6 and 7, 7:00 p.m. Free.

Third Week: Tuesday, June 12, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday – Saturday, June 13 – 16, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 17, 2:00 p.m.

Fourth Week: Tuesday, June 19, 7:00 pm
Wednesday – Friday, June 20 – 22, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 23, 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

PICT Special Events (All Free of Charge)
Preshow Lecture Series
Wednesday, June 6, 7:00 p.m.
Subject - Outsider Art: An Interview with Felice Cleveland

Thursday, June 7, 7:00 p.m.
Behind the Scenes with The Pitmen Painters
Gianni Downs, Scenic Designer/Production Manager

Talk Back Series
Sunday, April 22, following the 2:00 p.m. matinee
Featuring Alan Stanford, Artist-in-Residence, portraying Harry Wilson in the production

Panel Discussion Series
Sunday, June 17, 2012, 12 noon
Art for the 99%

PANELISTS:
John Carson, Regina and Marlin Miller Professor and Head of the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University
Allyson Holtz, Artistic Director, Operation Valor Arts: a Veteran’s Initiative
Barbara McCloskey, Associate Professor, Department of History of Art & Architecture, University of Pittsburgh

Gale McGloin, Moderator

Subscriptions: $224 - $252 (10 packages and Flex Plans available)
Single Tickets: starting at $25 ($20 under 26 with valid ID)

Pick, purchase and print your tickets online at www.picttheatre.org,
or call ProArtsTickets at 412.394.3353
PICT - Great Stories. Well Told.

SBA Exporter of the Year is Local Scientist Dr. Richard Somiari

News Release
PITTSBURGH DISTRICT OFFICE
Release Date: May 16, 2012
Release Number: PGH12-16
Contact: Janet Heyl (412) 395-6560, ext. 103
Janet.Heyl@sba.gov
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Blogs

Local scientist helping world science community unravel medical mysteries named SBA exporter of the year

Dr. Richard Somiari

JOHNSTOWN, PA – This May, people across the country will participate in charitable events for a breast cancer cure while each day Dr. Richard Somiari, president and chief scientific officer of Integrated Technologies & Services International, works with his 11-member scientific team analyzing blood for biomarkers to help develop a blood test that can screen for breast cancer.

“Our research may help to create a blood test that will lead to early detection of breast cancer as it sometimes can take 15 years for a lump to appear,” said Somiari. “The test will be of great service to women in rural areas as well as men – who can also contract breast cancer.”

Recently named SBA Region III and Western Pennsylvania Exporter of the Year, Somiari decided after one year as an intern to study applied science, subsequently completed a PhD in Biochemistry and started working as a scientist, then formed a research facility to share his biotechnology and genetic profiling expertise with the worldwide medical community.

Somiari will be lauded at the Western Pennsylvania SBA May 25th Awards Luncheon at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel Pittsburgh. The luncheon is held in conjunction with the 49th annual celebration of National Small Business Week. Like the other 68 district winners, his nomination was forwarded to their respective regional office – in this case Region 3, which spans Delaware, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia – where he became the regional winner.

The breast cancer screening effort is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). The grant is a rarity for the seven-year-old firm, which relies on exporting its technological services in order to succeed.

Growing up in Nigeria, Somiari spent time at hospitals with his widowed mother, a nurse and the family provider. Witnessing both joyous and sorrowful medical outcomes, he realized he wanted to join the medical research community. Recruited to the area in 2000 to launch the Windber Research Institute, Somiari believes the daily research and analysis his team conducts will help meet tomorrow’s medical needs.

“My main motivation in forming ITSI was to accelerate discovery and the validation of basic research results without going through many bureaucratic layers,” he said. “We offer analytical services on tissue samples, produce analytical testing kits and offer consulting services.”

Somiari, once a fellow at the University of Maryland School Of Medicine, began with virtually no clients in the United States. Instead, his testing kits have been sent to Nigeria and Europe, where he has research contacts.

“The Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission came to me about opportunities to export to Europe and beyond, as everyone wants to export to the United States,” he said. “In the bioscience world, everything that comes out of the U.S. is of the highest standard.”

His company, which utilized three SBA loans for equipment, working capital and construction, has at various times been awarded consulting contracts in South Africa and Nigeria. In Nigeria, ITSI was contracted to design, equip, train and support the Nigerian Defense Headquarters military DNA banking and analysis center. The reference DNA bank will allow identification of fallen military personnel and support biomedical research of national significance. Somiari also began creating analytical kits that ensure accuracy in the biomedical research field.

“This service started by accident as people want to do what we are doing, but in their own laboratory to validate their research. Because samples often arrived in different conditions due to packaging, pre-processing and temperature and this can make the results obtained different,” he explained. “We make kits that are standardized, contain the necessary and appropriate chemicals and even exact protocol on how to perform the analysis.”

ITSI also provides analytical services to help universities and drug manufacturers unlock the mysteries of cancer, often by analyzing proteins and DNA. “Every human being has a unique order of molecules that make up their DNA, and machines can determine the order of the ATCG molecules that make up DNA,” he said. “Certain diseases, like cancer, arise because of sequential errors in DNA.”

He added that the human body has molecules that act as a proofreader and altered sequences detected can be repaired. But problems arise when errors go unrepaired and multiple errors accumulate over time. “Our research effort is not used to treat patients today, but to gain more insight as today’s medical treatments are the results of studies performed 10-15 years ago.”

According to Somiari, ITSI finally is receiving attention from United States scientists who pore over scientific journals and find out that other scientists have used ITSI’s kits or services. “Scientists have to cite the source of any chemicals used and where they were purchased,” he said. “Therefore, scientists who want to do the same research will naturally purchase the same product, which often is our product.”

Western Pennsylvania SBA District Director Carl Knoblock said that Somiari’s research facility further cements the region as a medical research and technological hub. “He is performing research that will help universities and drug companies throughout the world gain insight into unlocking the mysteries of diseases that plague mankind,” he said. “He has exported his ideas and concepts to a great many countries and now U.S. scientists are taking note. I’m pleased to recognize him as SBA’s Exporter of the Year for Region 3 and Western Pennsylvania.”

Somiari said he was humbled and excited to capture both local and regional exporting honors. “I appreciate the recognition as it truly is an honor to help the medical field succeed.”
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The U.S. Small Business Administration – helping small businesses start, grow and succeed. If you would like to speak with the Dr. Richard Somiari or Carl Knoblock, Western Pennsylvania SBA district director, please contact Janet Heyl at 412-395-6560, ext. 103

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Squonk Opera Celebrates 20 Years of Squonking

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Squonk Opera celebrates 20 years of Squonking

Performances take place at Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival - June 8, 9 and 10

Pittsburgh, PA: In celebration of 20 years of creating and performing original multimedia works in and from Pittsburgh, Squonk Opera will be doing 20 free shows all around Pittsburgh this summer, more local shows than they’ve ever done in a season. They will premiere this next creation – GO Roadshow– at the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival with shows on June 8, 9 and 10.

GO Roadshowwill be a free street spectacle aboard a 34-foot long monster truck. This show-making machine will be retrofitted with truck-horn calliope, a wall made of rotors and a spinning grand piano that is played while it wheels around! Each show will start with a shameless parade of peacock trumpets, spinning drums, accordion, sousaphone and glockenspiel.

“GO is a music and art-mobile - a rolling ruckus that opens up like a mechanical blossom to make the street a vibrant place where people can share a community of the imagination,” says Co-Artistic Director and composer Jackie Dempsey. Night shows will include video projected on a rotor screen made of movement itself, and on a blimp that will have a mouth that opens in a call to celebration. “We are drawing from the great American history of traveling circuses, Shriner and holiday parades, medicine shows, and used car lot events that vitalized the heartland of this country,” says Co-Artistic Director and chief designer Steve O’Hearn.

Squonk Opera hails from Pittsburgh, has toured the world and played on and off Broadway. They are celebrating their 20th anniversary of creating completely original work from Pittsburgh: no scripts from LA, or design from New York or music from London. Squonk is just Pittsburghers making their own art and music. And now, they are taking it to the street.

GO Roadshowhas been generously funded by Fisher Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Anonymous Donor, The Heinz Endowments, EQT Corporation, Henry C. Frick Educational Fund of the Buhl Foundation, Hillman Foundation, The Grable Foundation, The Fine Foundation and the PA Council on the Arts. Commissioners include Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and many generous individual donors.

For more information, go to our website at http://www.squonkopera.org/
Final rehearsals will be held on Thursday, May 31 and Friday, August 1 from 2 to 10 pm at the Squonk Farm in Tarentum, PA. If you would like details so you can stop by to chat or take photos, email Jackie Dempsey (contact info below).

To watch a video about the creation and to see sketches, etc., go to our Kickstarter campaign athttp://www.kickstarter.com/projects/squonkopera/go-roadshow

Squonk Opera’s GO Roadshow Summer 2012 Schedule
Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival
Presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and sponsored by EQT Corporation
Downtown Pittsburgh, PA
June 8 – Evening show at 9.45 pm
June 9 – Daytime shows at 1 pm & 4 pm, evening show at 9.45 pm
June 10 – Daytime time show at 12 pm (parade starts in family area), evening show at 7.45 pm

Arsenal Park
Presented by Citiparks
Lawrenceville, PA
July 12 – Shows are between 10 am and 1 pm

Highland Park
Presented by Citiparks
Highland Park, PA
July 13 - Shows are between 10 am and 1 pm

Schenley Plaza
Presented by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and sponsored by EQT Corporation
Oakland, PA
July 14 - Evening show at 8.45 pm, daytime events TBD

Pittsburgh Public Schools Summer Dreamers Academy
Pittsburgh, PA
July 31, August 1, August 2 – Shows at 12 & 12.30 pm

Mon County Fair
Sponsored by EQT Corporation
Morgantown, WV
August 11 – Times TBD

Schenley Plaza
Presented by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and sponsored by EQT Corporation
Oakland, PA
August 25 - Evening show at 8 pm, daytime events TBD

Hays Recreational Area
Presented by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
Wilkinsburg, PA
August 26 – Show and tree planting at 1 pm

Community Food Bank Garden
Presented by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
Bellevue, PA
August 26 – Show and tree planting at 7 pm

A Fair in the Park
Presented by Citiparks
Mellon Park, Shadyside, PA
September 7 – Show time TBD

Storybook & Alphabet Trails
Presented by Citiparks
Frick Park, Regent Square, PA
September 8 – Show time TBD

A Fair in the Park
Presented by Citiparks
Mellon Park, Shadyside, PA
September 9 – Show time TBD

Summer/Fall tour dates are currently scheduled for:
Artscape
Baltimore, MD
July 20, 21 and 22, 2012

IngenuityFest
Cleveland, OH
September 14, 15 and 16, 2012

Contact info:
Steve O’Hearn, Co-Artistic Director/Designer/Wind Player
steve@squonkopera.org
412.496.6480

Jackie Dempsey, Co-Artistic Director/Composer/Pianist
jackie@squonkopera.org
412.654.1796

PBS Debuts Website for 50+ Population, Next Avenue

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 22, 2012

CONTACT: George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366 ghazimanolis@wqed.org

WQED debuts Pittsburgh Next AvenueSM, New PBS System Website for the Booming 50+ Population

Expansive new online initiative will provide expertise from expert contributors, public television, and trustworthy sources on aging

PITTSBURGH – America is in the midst of an age boom. The 50+ population in America has grown from 74 million in 1999 to more than 99 million today, and is projected to be 127 million in 2030. While part can be attributed to the sheer size of the boomer demographic, part is due to a dramatic increase in longevity – at the beginning of the 20th century, life expectancy was 49 years, and today it tops more than 80 years.

In response, the PBS system and WQED introduces Next Avenue, an extensive new website that launched May 15. Designed to meet the needs and the potential of this age boom, Next Avenue will engage, inspire and inform the more than 100 million people who are transitioning into what many see as a new life stage in human development – a stage between young adulthood and “old old.”

Next Avenue is tailored to engage the 50+ population and help them plan for these “bonus years” as the most comprehensive, accessible, intelligent, and thought-provoking daily stop for this growing audience.

WQED is one of 73 Next Avenue affiliates bringing this important service to our community. When users log on to wqed.org/nextavenue they will see local information integrated within the WQED site.

The site focuses on topics people may experience differently because of their stage in life, including health, finances, work, leisure and caregiving.

The content comes from four major sources:

Contributors: Top experts and leading journalists will create original content designed to suit Next Avenue’s mission of providing inspiration, advice and perspective.
Led by Senior Editor Richard Eisenberg, the Money & Security and Work & Purpose channels offer perspectives and advice for achieving financial well- being, maximizing present careers and preparing for meaningful new work. Contributors include Chris Farrell, Financial Editor for NPR's Marketplace Money, Pension Research Council Executive Director Olivia Mitchell, Encore.org's Marc Freedman, and journalists specializing in personal finances and careers, including Kerry Hannon, Caroline Mayer, Ben Popken, Catey Hill, and Gwen Moran.
Led by Senior Editor Gary Drevitch, the Health & Well-Being and Caregiving sections will feature John Sharp, a Harvard University neuropsychiatrist; Pauline Boss of the University of Minnesota, a pioneer in the field of stress reduction for family caregivers; Margaret Morganroth Gullette of Brandeis University, a nationally-recognized authority on aging in American culture; and Sherri Snelling, a nationally recognized expert on America’s 65 million family caregivers.
Led by Senior Editor Suzanne Garber, the Living & Learning channel includes content focused on the home, arts, travel, family and relationships, spirituality, arts and entertainment, technology, personal reinvention and more. It will include contributions from marriage expert Terri Orbuch, PhD.; a founding editor of MS magazine, Suzanne Braun Levine; home and design author Akiko Busch; family relationship author Francine Russo; architect and author Michael Litchfield; cookbook author and chef Joanna Pruess; former New York Times gardening columnist Leslie Land; technology authority Simon Munk; travel expert Stephanie Oswald (“travelgirl”); and former People magazine film critic Leah Rozen.
Public media: As a PBS system product, Next Avenue will provide a wealth of video and public television personalities on the site, such as the PBS NewsHour and Rick Steves, host of the popular travel show, “Rick Steves Europe.”
Formal relationships with reliable sources: Deep content will come from Next Avenue’s formal relationships with key public and non-profit organizations that have a wealth of well-researched and trusted information. These organizations include the Administration on Aging, Encore.org and Civic Ventures, Family Caregiver Alliance, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Leading Age, National Council on Aging, National Endowment for Financial Education, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, and SCORE.
The Next Avenue editorial team: An in-house staff will create original content designed to suit Next Avenue’s mission of providing inspiration, advice and perspective to help grownups keep growing. With this dedicated staff, Next Avenue can better develop its exclusive offerings and respond to visitors’ needs and feedback. The editorial team is led by Donna Sapolin, Next Avenue’s Vice President and Editorial Director, who brings three decades of experience in both print and online journalism. Sapolin served as editor-at-large of the multi-media enterprise FLYP, editor in chief of This Old House magazine and design and style editor of Food and Wine magazine, among others.
Next Avenue is led by Twin Cities Public Television (tpt) in partnership with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), American Public Television (APT) and PBS stations nationwide.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

Next AvenueSM is a service mark of Twin Cities Public Television, Inc.

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WQED-FM Launches Pittsburgh Concert Channel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 21, 2012

CONTACT: George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366 ghazimanolis@wqed.org

CLASSICAL WQED-FM 89.3 LAUNCHES UNIQUE PITTSBURGH CONCERT CHANNEL ONLINE AND ON WQED-HD2

PITTSBURGH—Classical WQED-FM 89.3 just made Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performances available 24-hours-a-day.

Now available at wqed.org/fm and WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM) on HD Radio, the Pittsburgh Concert Channel exclusively broadcasts archived local performances (WQED-FM has recorded and broadcast) from the nationally syndicated Pittsburgh Symphony Radio series along with select concerts from Chatham Baroque, CMU School of Music and many others. Future plans for this one-of-a-kind channel include adding performances from other local arts groups. WQED- HD2 joins Classical WQED-FM 89.3 broadcasting in Pittsburgh and Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7 being simulcast in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, both of which are also available worldwide at wqed.org/fm.

“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra National Broadcast Series (Pittsburgh Symphony Radio) is a historic and successful partnership between the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and WQED, and we are thrilled that it is now being shared with a broad community,” said Jim Wilkinson, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high- definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

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Pgh Ballet Theatre Spring Performance

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Contact: Meghan McNamara
Marketing Coordinator
Office: 412-454-9117
Cell: 412-527-8953
Email: mmcnamara@pittsburghballet.org

MEDIA ALERT/ PHOTO OPPORTUNITY REQUEST FOR COVERAGE
DRESS REHEARSAL: Friday, May 25, 2012 – Byham Theater

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Presents Spring Performance 2012

WHO: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Student and Pre-Professional Divisions

WHAT: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School will close the year by showcasing the talent and diversity of more than 150 students with the 2012 Spring Performance. Under the direction of PBT Artistic Director Terrence S. Orr and School Directors Marjorie Grundvig and Dennis Marshall, the students will perform George Balanchine’s Serenade, excerpts from August Bournonville’s Napoli and La Sylphide as well as original PBT School works. Class Concert, a new work choreographed by PBT School Principal Anastasia Wovchko, will feature students ranging from Level 1-b of the Student Division through Level VI of the Pre-Professional Division. Set to music by Carl Czerny, the work is inspired by the progression of barre and centre work through a dancer’s training. Another new work, A Voice in Time, choreographed by PBT School Faculty Member Alan Obuzor, will feature students of the Pre- Professional Division performing contemporary choreography set to music by Philip Glass.

Friday’s dress rehearsal is open to media for photographing and filming.

WHERE: Byham Theater
101 Sixth Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

WHEN: DRESS REHEARSAL
Friday, May 25, from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

PERFORMANCE
Friday, May 25, at 7 p.m.

TICKETS: Tickets are $26.75 for adults and $22.75 for children 12 and under, and can be purchased online at www.trustarts.org or by calling the Cultural Trust Box Office at 412-456-6666.

*Media should ask for Meghan McNamara or call her cell phone at 412-527-8953 upon arrival. Advance arrangements are appreciated.
#

A Musical Tribute to 2 Fabulous Divas: Teena Marie and Whitney Houston

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release
Contact: Teresa Hawthorne
Phone: 412.403.9537
9:00 A.M. –May 24, 2012

A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO TWO FABULOUS DIVAS:
TEENA MARIE & WHITNEY HOUSTON

PITTSBURGH, PA, JUNE 9, 2012: Create-S-Team Academy of Music and Theater proudly presents A Musical Tribute to Two Fabulous Divas: Teena Marie & Whitney Houston, Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the Monroeville Racquet Club, located at 100 Oxford Drive, Monroeville PA 15146.

Join us as we pay homage to these fabulous women with a variety of musical presentations of their greatest hits featuring Pittsburgh sensations such as Taylor Ray Jetter; Diamond Gormand; Gina Yohe; Carmen Miller; Katy Cotton; Delana Flowers; Faith Otey; Katharine Logan; Catherine Ragin; Nikki Porter; Char Biggs; Teresa Hawthorne; and Mr. Hakim Rasheed.

Under the musical direction of Duquesne University’s School of Music Graduate: Joe Sheehan, this is one show you don’t want to miss.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. All proceeds benefit Create-S-Team Academy of Music and Theater, where we are promoting self-esteem through music and theater.

-End-

Chances Are Johnny Mathis Returns to Heinz Hall with PSO

For Immediate Release
May 18, 2012

LEGENDARY SINGER JOHNNY MATHIS RETURNS TO HEINZ HALL FOR 2 SPECIAL CONCERTS WITH PSO
Concerts at 8 p.m. on June 30 & July 1

PITTSBURGH – Music legend Johnny Mathis will return to Heinz Hall for a special two-night concert series with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO).

The concerts will be at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 30, and Sunday, July 1. Tickets, ranging from $35 to $125, may be purchased in person at the Heinz Hall box office at 600 Penn Ave., downtown, by calling 412.392.4900, or visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org.

This is Mathis’ sixth performance with the PSO since 1973. His last performance was a sold-out concert series in July 2010.

From jazz to ballads to Broadway, Johnny Mathis has more than 50 years in the music business. Originally from Gilmer, Texas, Mathis was known not only for his singing ability but his athleticism as well. At San Francisco State, he gained additional fame as a high jumper. But Mathis gave up his chance to become a member of the USA Olympic Team and went to New York to record his first album in March 1956. The first album, Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song, was a collection of jazz oriented renditions of popular standards, and included such songs as Angel Eyes, and Easy to Love.

At his second recording session, in the fall of 1956, he recorded two singles. These songs were to become among his most popular all-time greatest hits: Wonderful, Wonderful and It’s Not For Me To Say. Subsequently, MGM Studios signed Mathis to sing “It’s Not For Me To Say” in the film Lizzie, in which he played a tavern piano bar singer. In 1958, he appeared in A Certain Smile, where he sang the title song playing himself in an elegant nightclub scene. Since then, Johnny’s voice has been used in countless Hollywood movies.

At one point in his career, according to record historian Joel Whitburn, Mathis was one of only five recording artists to have Top 40 Hits spanning each of his first four decades as a recording artist. His second No.1 hit single, Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (recorded with Deniece Williams), came almost 21 years after his very first No. 1 hit single, Chances Are.

Mathis has received several Grammy nominations. The first was for Misty in 1960 in the category of Best Male Vocal Performance - Single Record or Track. The second was in 1992 for In a Sentimental Mood / Mathis Sings Ellington in the category of Best Traditional Pop Performance. He also was nominated in 2006 for Isn’t it Romantic in the category of Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.
-30-

Contact: James Barthen, Vice President of Public Affairs
Phone: 412.392.4835 | email: jbarthen@pittsburghsymphony.org
Contact: Ramesh Santanam, Director of Media Relations
Phone: 412.392.4827 | email: rsantanam@pittsburghsymphony.org

Friday, May 18, 2012

Hug-A-ThonPittsburgh Night at the Races

For Immediate Release

Contact
Al Levine
Community Relations and Development Director, Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh™
412-973-9611

Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh™ to Hold “Night at the Races” Event Special Races Designated as Hug-A-ThonPittsburgh™ Races

June 13, 2012 – The Meadows Racetrack and Casino

Pittsburgh – On June 13th, Hug-A-Thon PittsburghTM organizers will hold a “Night at the Races” event to raise funds for to support Hug-A-ThonPittsburgh™. Hug-A-ThonPittsburgh is a city wide event being held on September 6, 2012 and will support: Cancer Caring Center, Sickle Cell Society, and the Pittsburgh Passion's “Passion for Life Foundation.”

Admission to the “Night at the Races” event is $25 and it will be held in the upper level suites of The Meadows Racetrack and Casino beginning at 6:30 pm. There will be free appetizers and free play for all attendees.

Sponsorships packages available:
Racing Fan ($100) – 2 guests, listed as a Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh Fan for main event on September 6, 2012,

Win Place Show Fan ($250) – 4 guests, Listed as a Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh Fan, Winner Circle Photo, 4 Hug-A-Thon T-Shirts;

Superfecta Fan ($500) – 8 guests, Listed as a Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh Fan, 2 Winner Circle Photos, 8 Hug-A-Thon T-Shirts, Sponsor Ad on Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh Facebook Page till July 29th;

Winner’s Circle Fan ($1,000) – 16 guests, Listed as a Hug-A-Thon Pittsburgh Fan, 2 Winner Circle Photos, 16 Hug-A-Thon T-Shirts, 5 minute sponsor spot on Positively Pittsburgh Live Radio prior to the race on June 11th.

About the First Annual Hug-A-Thon PittsburghTM
PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com is organizing the first annual Hug-A-Thon PittsburghTM that will bring local, regional and national exposure and recognition to the city of Pittsburgh and various Pittsburgh charities. This will be a series of activities during the year culminating in a major event on September 6, 2012. PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com os working with four Pittsburgh charities to benefit from the activities of this yearlong effort. It is the great wish of PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com to create an event that brings national attention and prominence to these Pittsburgh charities and their missions in the Pittsburgh area. The First Annual Hug-A-Thon PittsburghTM is designed to prove to the world that not only is Pittsburgh one of the nation's most livable cities, but also the most likable, even HUGGABLE! Appropriately the slogan for the event is: “Pittsburgh Hugs the World.”

Managing Marcellus Special Set for Neighborhood Channel Rebroadcast

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 14, 2012

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

FULL WEEK OF MARCELLUS SHALE PROGRAMMING TO
REBROADCAST ON WQED: THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHANNEL

IN ADVANCE OF SERIES FINALE
New “Managing Marcellus” Special to Air on WQED in Pittsburgh & WITF in Harrisburg

PITTSBURGH— This month, a year-long focus on Marcellus Shale will culminate with a new production, an enhanced website and a marathon broadcast of the entire body of work on Shale coverage. The series, Managing Marcellus has been made possible by a grant from the Colcom Foundation. Managing Marcellus: A Journalists’ Forum will premiere on Thursday, May 31 at 8 p.m. on WQED-TV and will simulcast on WITF-TV/Harrisburg. During the broadcast, journalists from southwestern Pennsylvania and the surrounding region will discuss their personal experiences covering Marcellus Shale including what they’ve seen, who they’ve talked to, the events they’ve witnessed, and the facts they have gathered.

Viewers can join the conversation through Twitter @MarcellusWQED. Questions and comments will be read and the live panel will be able to respond.

This forum will mark the 11th WQED production to cover the subject of Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania. WQED began reporting on Marcellus Shale in June 2010 as part of an OnQ special series called, What’s In the Water? In an effort to provide the public with every possible angle of this important issue in advance of the series finale, the entire collection of Marcellus Shale programs will be re-broadcast on WQED: The Neighborhood Channel.

Beginning Sunday, May 20th at midnight through 11:59 p.m., Saturday, May 26th, all ten programs (previously broadcast) will air in rotation on WQED: The Neighborhood Channel which can be found at 13.3 over-the-air or on COMCAST Channels 195 or 201.

• OnQ Special Series: What’s In the Water? (originally broadcast June 2, 2010)
It may be the answer to the needs of an energy-hungry nation, but it's a different story for people who live close to drilling sites - especially those who rely on well water to drink, bathe and water gardens. Chris Moore talks with some of those property owners in this report which examines the promise and heartbreak of Marcellus Shale drilling.

• EXPERIENCE “Marcellus Shale: The Price of Progress” (originally broadcast November 1, 2010)
Some say it's the answer to an energy-hungry nation's needs, and that properly monitored it's a boon to the economy. But people who live on or near Marcellus Shale drilling sites say the process has ruined their drinking water and property values. WQED's Chris Moore examines the promise and heartbreak of Marcellus Shale drilling in the Pittsburgh region.

• The Marcellus Shale Debate: A Town Hall Meeting (originally broadcast November 4, 2010)
Western Pennsylvania is sitting on what seems like an endless source of natural gas. The drilling promises jobs to a struggling economy, but at what cost? Environmental groups fear the drilling is a disaster waiting to happen and some homeowners say the process has already contaminated their drinking water.

• Drilling for Answers: The Marcellus Shale Debate (originally broadcast March 31, 2011; underwritten by PNC)
This one-hour special explores the controversial issue of Marcellus Shale drilling in the Pittsburgh region. Hosted by Chris Moore, the program features guest panelists who are experts on various issues related to Marcellus Shale drilling. Tonia Caruso fields questions submitted through WQED’s web site and Facebook page and present them to the panel.

• EXPERIENCE “Two Guys, a Boat, and a Cause” (originally broadcast April 25, 2011)
WQED profiles Three Rivers Waterkeeper, a non-profit organization that serves as a voice for the waterways throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. This episode of Experience follows the dedicated environmentalists on water, on land - and even to court - as they monitor and investigate potential threats to the region's waterways; empower citizens opposed to Marcellus Shale drilling; and fight to enforce the Clean Water Act.

• Marcellus Shale: A Community Forum (originally broadcast on October 6, 2011)
This forum focuses on the impact of drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale vein.
Panelists: David Callahan, Vice President, Marcellus Shale Coalition; PA Sec. of the Department of Environmental Protection Michael Krancer; John H. Quigley, principal at
John H. Quigley, LLC and a strategic advisor and consultant for Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (Penn Future), former secretary department of conservation and natural resources; Dr.Thomas Kinnaman, Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Chair, Department of Economics, Bucknell University.

• EXPERIENCE “Managing Marcellus” (originally broadcast October 31, 2011)
This unusual look at the Marcellus Shale issue centers around a locally-produced play with actors in the roles of a gas industry representative, an elected official, an environmentalist, and a land owner - all grappling with the controversy, misconceptions and decisions surrounding Marcellus Shale drilling.

• Managing Marcellus: Energy & The Economy (originally broadcast January 26, 2012)
WQED presented a LIVE forum on energy and the economic impact of Marcellus Shale drilling. Hosted by Michael Bartley and Tonia Caruso the panel of economic and Marcellus Shale experts included Dennis Yablonsky, Allegheny Conference CEO; Michael Krancer, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary; Tom Murphy, Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research Co-Director; Matt Pitzarella, Range Resources Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs; and Jan Jarett, President & CEO of PennFuture

• Managing Marcellus: The Play (originally recorded July 27, 2011; television premiere during Marcellus Shale Week)
An original performance from the Unseam'd Shakespeare Company dramatizing issues raised by Marcellus Shale drilling in Western Pennsylvania was performed and recorded in the WQED studio. Surveys taken by the theater program audience were developed into a report that WQED used to determine the community's interest in future Marcellus Shale conversation.

• PITTSBURGH 360° “Marcellus Shale Episode” (originally broadcast March 29, 2012)
Tonia Caruso finds out how one group is addressing the health concerns of drilling in Southwest Pennsylvania, Michael Bartley takes a look at how one community in Washington County is benefitting from the shale drilling and viewers and land owners are shown what to do when the land man comes.

As part of an interactive multimedia destination, all of WQED’s productions on Marcellus Shale (including the series Managing Marcellus) and links to related social media sites are available at wqed.org/managingmarcellus.

An additional series of short documentaries on natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania called GAS RUSH STORIES was produced by independent filmmaker and broadcast journalist Kirsi Jansa are also available on WQED’s Managing Marcellus page.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.