A contemplation — “So, Pam, what brings you joy?” My dear friend Cindy asked me this as we were discussing writing prompts. I speak with her and some other writing friends sporadically over Zoom in a group that formed during the depths of the COVID lockdowns. I found it hard to answer succinctly…

Broadway Musical, Stone, Parker and Lopez — This one, my word. This show has been packing the Eugene O’Neill Theater since 2011. We went last night, and the line to get in stretched forever. I really didn’t know what to expect, and now that I’ve seen it, I’m still not quite sure what I saw. It was…

Opera by Handel Handel was quite the fellow, writing operas by the handful until they fell out of favor, and oratories became the rage and so he had to amuse himself by writing The Messiah. Last night we saw the Pittsburgh Opera’s production of Ariodonte. The music was sublime, the…

Stories happen to those who tell them — So this happened: I was walking my two dogs, Cubby and Sparky, as I do every morning we’re in Pittsburgh. We live on a switchback road, Clayton Avenue, that is connected to a main street, Perrysville Avenue, at two points. It’s a circle, more or less, really convenient and I…