Freshworks: Caroline Yoo and Davine Byon, April 5-6 at Kelly Strayhorn Theater.

The Kelly Strayhorn Theater will host "Freshworks: Caroline Yoo and Davine Byon" on April 5 and 6.

Prophecies & Soy Sauce Shots is an experimental performance with artists Caroline Yoo and Davine Byon. They dance together, rejecting the permanently aspirational future and reflecting on the consequences of ancestral dreamwork. The performance asks, are we dreaming in resistance of or within the confines of colonized standards of success? They move through three vignettes, using projections, sculpture, music, and the exchange of dreams. This new performance in process pieces together a messy, precious home in the diaspora, and asks whose dreams – past, present, and future – we are living for.

Freshworks is KST’s creative residency for Pittsburgh-based artists and collaborators. It supports playful exploration in performance through interdisciplinary work in contemporary dance, theater, music, and multimedia. The program provides artists with financial resources, studio space, production staff, lighting and sound design, professional development, and encouragement for creative risk-taking.

The shows run from 7:30 to 9:00 pm each night and include a post-show discussion. Tickets are available at "pay what moves you prices" online. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater is located at 5941 Penn Ave. in East Liberty (map).

Harmony in Tradition: The 27th Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Fair and Show, February 4 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

"Harmony in Tradition: The 27th Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Fair and Show" will take place on February 4 at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Join us for a mesmerizing Lunar New Year celebration where ancient Chinese traditions meet Pittsburgh’s vibrant performing arts landscape creating a world where cultural diversity shines! Spend the afternoon immersed in an experience that brings together ancient traditions and contemporary aesthetics, fostering the collective and collaborative spirit in our community. The event is divided into two segments: the Fair and the Show, each presenting an exciting array of movement, music, and tradition.

The 27th Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Celebration is presented by the Chinese Association of Science and Technology Pittsburgh Chapter with collaboration and support by Carnegie Museum of Art, a partnership that reinforces both organizations’ commitment to cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

Tickets are available online, with discounted prices for museum members. The event runs from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Carnegie Museum of Art, located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakkland (map) and accessible by a number of city buses.

Ineffable Cà Phê to open inside Pittsburgh's forthcoming Fresh International Market in summer 2024.

via @bowenkou

Fresh International Market announced last year it will open its first Pittsurgh-area location later this year, and the owner recently shared on social media that Ineffable Cà Phê will open a location inside in what will be the area's largest Asian grocery store. Ineffable Cà Phê is a Vietnamese coffee shop and cafe that opened in Lawrenceville in 2017. The Fresh International Market press release from last March has more details about the opening, scheduled now for Summer 2024:

New tenant Fresh International Market will offer authentic Asian flavors to Pittsburgh customers.

A major grocery store chain is set to open its seventh store in Pittsburgh's North Point Breeze neighborhood, within the Rockwell Park innovation center. Known for its unique selection of international ingredients and authentic Asian cuisine, the market's new store will occupy the entire 40,000 RSF Apollo building.

Of the new store, Rockwell Park Principal Al Lardo shares: "We are thrilled to welcome Fresh International Market to Rockwell Park and the North Point Breeze community. This new store will be a fantastic addition to the city's vibrant food scene. The store's unique selection of international ingredients and prepared meals will provide greater convenience and comfort for local residents." He noted that the arrival of Fresh International Market would also contribute to the continued growth and development of Rockwell Park: “The opening of Fresh International Market at Rockwell Park marks a significant milestone for the Rockwell Park’s growth and development as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and community engagement."

According to Fresh International Market Founder and President Bowen Kou, the store aims to become a part of the local community:

"Fresh International Market is excited to join the vibrant Rockwell Park community and offer our unique range of international brands and Asian cuisine to local residents. We are happy to become a part of this beautiful and dynamic place and look forward to contributing to its growth and development. Our goal is to be more than just a grocery store, but a destination where customers can discover new flavors and expand their culinary horizons."

The store will be located in the Apollo building on 7511 Thomas Blvd, which was built in 1906. The construction work is expected to take up to 15 months.

21 Asian restaurants and eateries coming soon, or maybe not quite so soon, to Pittsburgh.

via @parisbaguetteus

Since 2011, PennsylvAsia has documented the Asian restaurant openings (and closings) in the Pittsburgh area. In August, we looked at the 15 biggest names coming soon (or not-so-soon) to the area, taking a page from the local news outlets that seemed to find success posting lists from PennsylvAsia scoops. Now, at the start of 2024, let's take a look at a list of the 21 biggest Asian restaurants coming in the near or distant future. Some of these are repeats from the summer, if progress has been slow, while others are recently new developments. The additions will certainly be welcome in the area: new bakeries and dessert spots, more dim sum, five Korean BBQ places this year, for example, and of course more bubble tea. We are also attracting a number of national and international chains, which is a testament to the growing power of Pittsburgh's food scene, since these places were content with overlooking Pittsburgh over the last decade or two. Let's dig in . .

"Book Excerpts We Should Read, Talk About and Act On: Year of the Tiger," January 4 with Carnegie Library, JCC, and Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host "Book Excerpts We Should Read, Talk About and Act On: Year of the Tiger" virtually on January 4.

Join JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s CivicCLP for a Zoom conversation based on book excerpts that can impact how we move towards reconciliation as a community and as individuals. No need to read the book; we will share excerpts and guide discussion.

 

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life

 

Drawing on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice uses her unique talent to share an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:00 pm and is free, though registration is required.

API Month Conversation with Professor Xiang - "Last Night at the Telegraph Club", January 24 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's University Library System will present API Month Conversation with Professor Xiang - "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" on January 24.

Join the University Library System for a conversation with Professor Lidong Xiang from the English Department to talk about "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" as part of API month at Pitt. The book received National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2021, but is currently banned from the K-12 schools and libraries in many states. 

The novel tells the story of Lily Hu, the daughter of Chinese immigrants, as she explores her sexuality and the struggles and threats her family faces in 1950's San Francisco during the Red Scare and the McCarthyism investigations. 

Professor Xiang is assistant professor at the English Department in the University of Pittsburgh. She received the Doctoral Degree in Childhood Studies from Rutgers University; and is committed to critically engaging with social justice issues regarding girls and other marginalized children and youth.

It runs from 12:30 to 1:15 pm in the 1st Floor Cafe of Hillman Library (map), and is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended and can be completed online.

Margaret Cho: Live and LIVID in Pittsburgh, March 30.

Margaret Cho will bring her Live and LIVID tour to Pittsburgh on March 30, 2024.

Comedian. Actor. Musician. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Five-time Grammy and Emmy nominee. Margaret Cho’s strong voice has been lighting the path for other women, other members of underrepresented groups, other performers, to follow. Her recent television appearances – guest star on Season 2 of The Flight Attendant (HBO Max), guest star on Season 2 of Hacks (HBO Max) and two Netflix is a Joke comedy specials: Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration and Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin: Ladies Night Live – have expanded an already wide-ranging career, and her role as the ‘mother hen’ in the well-reviewed movie Fire Island solidifies why we all love Margaret in the first place.

As a comedian Margaret has been named one of Rolling Stone magazine's 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time, one of Vogue magazine’s Top 9 Female Comedians of all time, while CNN chose her as one of the 50 People Who Changed American Comedy. Thankfully, Margaret has more stories to tell, and her production company, Animal Family Productions, has multiple scripted shows in development for 2022 and beyond.

She will perform at the Byham Theater in the Cultural District (map). Tickets for the 7:30 pm show are now available online.

Artist Talks: Elina Zhang, Brent Nakamoto, December 14 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh Department of Studio Arts will host Elina Zhang and Brent Nakamoto as part of its Artist Talks series on December 14. It starts at 6:00 pm in B42 of the Frick Fine Arts building (map).

Lyn Lapid performing in Pittsburgh, January 29.

Singer-songwriter Lyn Lapid will perform in Pittsburgh on January 29.

A classically trained musician, unpredictable vocal dynamo, and fearless genre-breaker, Lyn Lapid asserts herself as an individual through and through. At 21-years-old, the Filipino American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist has unassumingly emerged as an unapologetic and undeniable voice for her generation. In 2018, Lyn started to build a following by posting covers of artists like Daniel Caesar, H.E.R., Ariana Grande, Edith Piaf, Sarah McLachlan and many more, where she amassed over 60 million-plus views and counting on her channel. In late 2019, Lyn launched her TikTok page, building an audience of 5 million followers and over 1 billion views at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, a snippet of her first original, “Producer Man,” exploded. Produced by Dan Nigro [Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray], the song gathered over 70 million views and 8 million likes and exploded as “the most-viewed unreleased demo on a TikTok video in 2020.”

Following the breakout success of “Producer Man,” she debuted a string of viral releases in 2021, including “Itsy Bitsy,” “Infinite,” and “In My Mind.” The latter eclipsed 111 million Spotify streams and counting and paved the way for 2022’s acclaimed The Outsider EP. Along the way, she received co-signs from Billie Eilish, BTS’ Jungkook, and Sabrina Carpenter, toured with Eric Nam, Ricky Montgomery, and Claire Rosinkranz, and earned praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, Billboard, Buzzfeed, E! Online, Refinery29, HYPEBAE, Idolator, Ones To Watch, and more.

In June 2023 the songstress maintained her prolific pace with the follow-up, to love in the 21st century EP. She supported the project by selling out all 20 cities on her first nationwide headline tour that summer. Amassed over 700 million streams to date and with more music and touring on the horizon, Lyn Lapid has affirmed herself as a star on the rise.

The show at Thunberbird Cafe & Music Hall in Lawrenceville (map) starts at 7:00 pm and tickets for the all-ages show are available online. VIP tickets including a meet-and-greet are available as well.

One-Log Bridge by Yan Pang at New Hazlett Theater, December 7 and 8.

The New Hazlett Theater will host three performances of One-Log Bridge on December 7 and 8.

One-Log Bridge is a new opera theatre work about the immigrant experience in the U.S. One-Log Bridge uses the beauty of voice to explore the social complexities inherent in notions of resilience, race, solidarity, immigration, and settlement challenges.

Tickets for the three shows are available online from $20 for students/artists and $30 for the general public.

"Book Excerpts We Should Read, Talk About and Act On: Year of the Tiger," January 4 with Carnegie Library, JCC, and Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, and the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host "Book Excerpts We Should Read, Talk About and Act On: Year of the Tiger" virtually on January 4.

Join JCC’s Center for Loving Kindness, the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s CivicCLP for a Zoom conversation based on book excerpts that can impact how we move towards reconciliation as a community and as individuals. No need to read the book; we will share excerpts and guide discussion.

 

Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life

 

Drawing on a collection of original essays, previously published work, conversations, graphics, photos, commissioned art by disabled and Asian American artists, and more, Alice uses her unique talent to share an impressionistic scrapbook of her life as an Asian American disabled activist, community organizer, media maker, and dreamer.

The event runs from 7:00 to 8:00 pm and is free, though registration is required.

Filipino American Association' of Pittsburgh Multicultural Day Festival, November 11 in West Mifflin.

The Filipino American Association of Pittsburgh will host a Multicultural Day festival will host a Multicultural Day Festival on November 11. It runs from 3 to 6 pm at the Philippine Center at 200 Church St. in West Mifflin (map).

2019 documentary Geographies of Kinship at Pitt, November 10.

The 2019 documentary Geographies of Kinship will play at the University of Pittsburgh on November 10.

In honor of National Adoption Month, the Pitt Adoption Community for Education is screening Geographies of Kinship. The film follows four adult adoptees as they return to Korea, their country of birth, and recover the personal histories that were lost when they were adopted in the U.S. We'll have tea and cookies and open discussion after the film.

The Pitt Adoption Community for Education includes faculty from the English Department at the Oakland and Greensburg campuses.

It starts at 7:00 pm in 118E Mervis Hall (map).

Pitt's Korean Student Association hosts Michelle Zauner, October 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's Korean Student Association will host Michelle Zauner on October 28.

what’s that I hear??? 📣⁉️Michelle Zauner, lead vocalist of the band Japanese Breakfast & author of the book Crying in Hmart, is coming to Pitt campus?!?! 😱🙊😎

‼️join KSA on October 28 from 5-7 PM at the Cathedral of Learning Room G24 for a conversation with Michelle‼️ we will be discussing themes such as loss, cultural identity, familial bonds, Korean heritage, breaking out into the music industry as an Asian American artist, and the power of her dreamy, poignant, and unique music & writing to be a source of inspiration for many, whether you are of Asian descent or not 🌍

🗣️🗣️🗣️ pssst I heard she’s also doing book autograph signings towards the end of the event 🙊 feel free to bring a copy of her book, Crying in Hmart 🤭

The event is free but registration is encouraged as seating is limited.

Susuwatari - a Shakuhachi Recital, October 28 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh will host Devon Osamu Tipp and "Susuwatari - a Shakuhachi Recital" on October 28.

Please join Devon Osamu Tipp for a recital of contemporary and traditional shakuhachi music. Featured on the program are new multimedia compositions by Pitt alumni Cullyn Murphy, and Devon Osamu Tipp, and current grad students Luis Miguel Delgado Grande and Jay Rauch. Rauch's work features an experimental film that mixes elements of Japanese aesthetics, noise, and improvisation.

It starts at 5:00 pm in the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium in Oakland (map) and the suggested donation is $10.

"Stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown," free at Heinz History Center, October 29.

The Heinz History Center will present "Stories from Pittsburgh's Chinatown" on October 29.

Join the History Center for a rich celebration of stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Featuring two short film screenings and a panel discussion, this event will vividly explore family and communal narratives from this long-overlooked neighborhood. Panelists (including community members, artists, and experts) will share their memories and research reflections on the history and legacy of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Attendees will learn how Chinese Americans established businesses, started families, and created community despite the racism and discrimination that they faced. Participants will also garner insights into the decades-long partnerships and advocacy within the Chinese American community that has resulted in broader recognition of this history.

It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free with advance registration. More information about the presenters and the films is available on the Heinz History Center's hompeage. The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. at the western edge of the Strip District (map).

"Stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown," free at Heinz History Center, October 29.

The Heinz History Center will present "Stories from Pittsburgh's Chinatown" on October 29.

Join the History Center for a rich celebration of stories from Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Featuring two short film screenings and a panel discussion, this event will vividly explore family and communal narratives from this long-overlooked neighborhood. Panelists (including community members, artists, and experts) will share their memories and research reflections on the history and legacy of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown.

Attendees will learn how Chinese Americans established businesses, started families, and created community despite the racism and discrimination that they faced. Participants will also garner insights into the decades-long partnerships and advocacy within the Chinese American community that has resulted in broader recognition of this history.

It runs from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and is free with advance registration. More information about the presenters and the films is available on the Heinz History Center's hompeage. The Heinz History Center is located at 1212 Smallman St. at the western edge of the Strip District (map).

Alphabet City Kids: Story Hour with Jack Wong 黃雋喬, October 14 at Pittsburgh International Literary Festival.

City of Asylum will present Alphabet City Kids: Story Hour with Jack Wong 黃雋喬 on October 14, part of LitFest'23.

Following along with our ongoing Alphabet City Kids series, this youth centered program offers story time with Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Winning author/illustrator Jack Wong, as he celebrates the release of his new picture book The Words We Share. The story hour will be followed by an engagement activity and a Q&A with Jack.

In The Words We Share, a young girl named Angie helps her dad navigate life in a new country where she understands the language more than he does. Ever since they moved to Canada, he relies on her to translate for him from English to Chinese. Angie is happy to help: when they go to restaurants, at the grocery store, and, one day, when her dad needs help writing some signs for his work. Building off her success with her dad’s signs, Angie offers her translation skills to others in their community. She’s thrilled when her new business takes off, until one of her clients says he’s unhappy with her work. When her dad offers to help, she can’t imagine how he could. Working together, they find a surprising solution, fixing the problem in a way Angie never would have predicted.

Bunkasai with Japanese Student Association at Pitt, October 15.

The Japanese Student Association at the University of Pittsburgh will host its annual Bunkasai on October 15.

🏮PITT JSA BUNKASAI 2023 (文化祭)🏮

Pitt JSA's 2023 Bunkasai 🎌 is approaching quickly!! ⏳This year's event will be on Sunday, October 15th from 4-7:30PM in the WPU Assembly Room!! 🙌🏼Come join us for a night of live performances, 🎤booths, 🎪 games, 🎳 and FREE FOOD! 🍣 This year's theme is Studio Ghibli’s very own Spirited Away so get ready for all the themed decor we have in store 😱🎨

You do not have to be in JSA or even a Pitt student to come! Bunkasai will be open to the public, so bring all your friends💪🏼

Hope to see you there!! 🙈

The event is free and open to the public.

Work underway on Pittsburgh's first Paris Baguette.

In mid-August Pittsburgh's first Paris Baguette was announced for The Block Northway, and work is underway on the space it will occupy on the lower leven next to Blaze Pizza. The Block Northway is a shopping center on McKnight Road that emerged from the remnants of the old Northway Mall.
via @parisbaguetteus

Paris Baguette is a chain of Korean bakeries ubiquitous throughout South Korea that has over 150 locations across the United States. The menu boasts a wide variety of cakes, baked goods, sandwiches, juices, and coffees, in addition its eponymous French bread. It has several spots in Philadelphia already, and had a Youngstown location listed as "coming soon" though mention of it was removed from the website earlier this month. Paris Baguette's arrival is part of a boom in new Asian restaurants, particularly chain restaurants, making their way to Pittsburgh.