Fourth edition of "Fail-Safe: Los Angeles x Pittsburgh"---featuring Asian-American artists Young Joon Kwak, Kim Ye, Caroline Yoo, Davine Byon, and Stephanie Tsong---at Kelly Strayhorn Theater, November 11 and 12.

The November 11 and 12 edition of "Fail-Safe: Los Angeles x Pittsburgh" will prominently feature a number of LA- and Pittsburgh-based Asian-American artists and performers.

Fail-Safe is a recurring variety performance show which brings together artists exploring performance across disciplines to present new experimental projects in early stages of development. Organized by Angela Washko, Scott Andrew, and Jesse Stiles, this fourth edition of Fail-Safe will create a dialogue about performance between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Fail-Safe: Los Angeles x Pittsburgh comprises two evenings of new and in-progress performance works by interdisciplinary musicians, performance artists, and dancers from these two cities. On both evenings, visiting artists will be preceded by a lineup of Pittsburgh-based artists whose practices share affinities.

On November 11th, Los Angeles-based artists Young Joon Kwak and Kim Ye present a new experimental performance work from their series Rites of Matrilineal Dissent. The digitally mediated performance takes audiences through a journey of failure and discovery, of new selves and new bodies, and new forms of love and kinship. Pittsburgh artists include Caroline Yoo, Goofy Toof, London Williams, and MICHIYAYA Dance featuring Anya Clark.

On November 12th, visiting artist duo Xina Xurner (Marvin Astorga and Young Joon Kwak) will present their cathartic music performance combining DIY and power electronics, mutated vocals, and bad drag to expand ideas about queer and trans bodies. Pittsburgh artists include Swampwalk, Sacred Sauce (Samira Mendoza & Gladstone Butler), and Davine Byon. The performances will be followed by a dance party hosted by Formosa (Jellyfish).

Please be advised: these performances will explore the topic of sexuality and some may include nudity.

Tickets are available online. The Kelly Strayhorn Theater is located at 5941 Penn Ave. in East Liberty (map).

2004 film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) in Pittsburgh, September 25 - 28.

The 2004 film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) will play in Pittsburgh from September 25 through 28, part of this year's Studio Ghibli Fest. From the distributor:

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, comes the Academy Award®- nominated fantasy adventure for the whole family.

Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a curse on Sophie and turns her into a 90-year-old woman. On a quest to break the spell, Sophie climbs aboard Howl’s magnificent moving castle and into a new life of wonder and adventure. But as the true power of Howl’s wizardry is revealed, Sophie finds herself fighting to protect them both from a dangerous war of sorcery that threatens their world.

It plays locally at AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online. Please note, the shows on the 25th and 28th are dubbed in English, while the shows on the 26th and 27th are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Rashomon (羅生門) downtown at Harris Theater, October 2.

The 1950 Akira Kurosawa film Rashomon (羅生門) will play at the Harris Theater on October 2. A synopsis of the film, from a 2002 Roger Ebert review:

The film opens in torrential rain, and five shots move from long shot to closeup to reveal two men sitting in the shelter of Kyoto's Rashomon Gate. The rain will be a useful device, unmistakably setting apart the present from the past. The two men are a priest and a woodcutter, and when a commoner runs in out of the rain and engages them in conversation, he learns that a samurai has been murdered and his wife raped and a local bandit is suspected. In the course of telling the commoner what they know, the woodcutter and the priest will introduce flashbacks in which the bandit, the wife and the woodcutter say what they saw, or think they saw--and then a medium turns up to channel the ghost of the dead samurai. Although the stories are in radical disagreement, it is unlike any of the original participants are lying for their own advantage, since each claims to be the murderer.

Tickets and showtime information is not yet available. The Harris Theater is located in downtown's Cultural District (map).

The Peking Acrobats featuring The Shanghai Circus, October 12 in Pittsburgh.

The Peking Acrobats featuring The Shanghai Circus will perform downtown at the PNC Theatre on October 12.

This event is presented in partnership with the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center. This attraction has been called "incredible," "breathtaking," "stunning," and "quite unbelievable," to quote but a few of the critics. As a special treat for fans of THE PEKING ACROBATS, this all new production now features performers from THE SHANGHAI CIRCUS to create a very special Chinese Acrobatic extravaganza unlike any other! The amalgamation of THE PEKING ACROBATS and THE SHANGHAI CIRCUS offers the unique talents and the very best of both shows.

For the last thirty one years,THE PEKING ACROBATS have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and display their technical prowess at such arts as trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control.THE PEKING ACROBATS are often accompanied by live musicians who skillfully play traditional Chinese instruments; the time-honored Chinese music coalesces with high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatic feats, creating an exuberant entertainment event with the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival.

THE PEKING ACROBATS are part of a time-honored Chinese tradition, rooted in centuries of Chinese history and folk art. Tradition demands that each generation of acrobats add its own improvements and embellishments; because of this, high honor is conferred upon those skilled enough to become acrobats. THE PEKING ACROBATS seek to uphold this rich and ancient folk art tradition, bringing it to new technical heights while integrating twenty-first century technology.

“THE PEKING ACROBATS [are] pushing the envelope of human possibility,” combining agility and grace in remarkable feats of “pure artistry.”—Clive Davis of the New York Post

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show are available online. The PNC Theatre is located at 350 Forbes Ave. (map).

Pittsburgh's first city-wide Kpop Random Play Dance event September 25 in Schenley Plaza.

Pittsburgh's first ever city-wide Kpop Random Play Dance event will take place on Sunday, September 25 in Oakland's Schenley Plaza.

Join us for an hour of dancing and fun as we celebrate the end of summer with PGH's first city-wide KPOP Random Play Dance Event [KPOP in Public].
Free and open to everyone.
Co-hosted by Yanlai Dance Academy, FRESA at Pitt, CMU KPDC, and KPOPittsburgh (facebook.com/groups/kpopittsburgh/).
Special thanks to the Pittsburgh Park Conservancy for the use of their space.
Rules for playing:
1. When not dancing please wait at the sides of the dancing area.
2. When the music comes on for a kpop song that you know the dance to, jump out into the middle and show off your moves!
3. If you don't know the dance, cheer on others who do!
4. Don't forget to have fun and and be respectful of those in the kpop community here in Pittsburgh!

It runs from 1:00 to 2:00 pm in Schenley Plaza (map).

Japanese guitarist Miyavi in Pittsburgh, October 15.

Japanese guitarist Miyavi will perform in Pittsburgh on October 15, part of his 20th anniversary North American tour.

MIYAVI is a musician, actor, and philanthropist, bridging cultures across the globe with his music and message. His unique style of guitar playing has taken him on 8 world tours in over 30 countries. Fans refer to MIYAVI as the “Samurai Guitarist.” He has released 13 studio albums.

In December 2018, MIYAVI released the groundbreaking collaborations album Samurai Sessions Vol. 3: Worlds Collide on Universal Music Group. The stellar list of U.S.-based collaborators included Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, Grammy nominated R&B artist Gallant, Grammy nominated Pop artist Mikky Ekko, Grammy winning producer RAC, Malaysian born R&B songstress Yuna, South Central LA rapper DUCKWRTH, “Hood EDM” rapper Bok Nero, “laptop punk” artist NVDES, and Australian born Pop artist Betty Who.

MIYAVI returned to his releasing solo albums with 2019’s NO SLEEP TILL TOKYO kicked off by a concert at Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium followed by the 2020 release of Holy Nights. On September 15, 2021 MIYAVI released his latest album Imaginary with features from KPOP star Kang Daniel and Grammy winning pop artist Kimbra.

The concert takes place at the Thunderbird Cafe, and tickets for the 18+ show are available online. Miyavi last performed in Pittsburgh, at the Thunderbird Cafe, in October 2021. The Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall is located at 4023 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map).

"Mai Khoi: Bad Activist" at Pittsburgh Playhouse, September 15.

Mai Khoi will present "Bad Activist" at Pittsburgh Playhouse on September 15.

Mai Khoi rose to pop stardom in Vietnam, where she played arena concerts and was often compared to Lady Gaga in the international media. But when she turned her celebrity to the cause of free expression, her music was banned. She was detained, harassed, evicted from her home and eventually forced into exile. She now lives in Pittsburgh. For her courage in defending human rights, Mai Khoi has been awarded the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent and the Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award for Free Speech.

The Pittsburgh Playhouse, Point Park University's Center for Media Innovation and the International Free Expression Project (IFEP) are proud to present the fully realized theatrical production of "Bad Activist" — a multimedia tour de force in which Mai Khoi tells her remarkable story and performs with extraordinary musicianship.

This production is part of the Media Innovators Speaker Series, which welcomes media changemakers and leaders in the field who have made significant contributions to journalism, storytelling and free expression.

Tickets for the 7:00 pm show at PNC Theatre are available online. The theatre is located at 350 Forbes Ave. (map).

2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形) in Pittsburgh, October 12.

The 2016 Japanese animated movie A Silent Voice (聲の形 will play in Pittsburgh on October 12. From the distributor:

Based on the best-selling manga series by Yoshitoki Ōima, A SILENT VOICE is the poignant and moving story of Shōya Ishida, a school bully, and Shōko Nishimiya, a young girl with a hearing disability. Their story begins in sixth grade when Shōko transfers to Shōya’s elementary school and quickly finds herself bullied and isolated. Years later, the tables turn, and Shōya finds himself isolated and alone. A SILENT VOICE depicts the struggles and challenges of adolescence alongside coming-of-age outside the norm.

It plays locally at the Cinemark theater in Monroeville, though more theaters may be announced later, and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on competing Chinese-language delivery apps.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an article from September 12 about the competing Chinese-language delivery apps in Pittsburgh.

For a while, Ms. Geng [of Amazing Dumplings] has been faced with a conundrum: If she changes the dish name, customers who don’t speak Chinese might understand it better. But then, how would Chinese customers recognize it as the dish they love from back home?

Now, there’s a solution: an app that allows her to speak to her Chinese customers directly.

Actually, make that three apps.

As the number of immigrants from mainland China has grown — and crucially, grown richer — Chinese food-delivery apps have sprung up to serve America’s Chinese delivery market. The apps offer a Mandarin-language experience for people on all sides of the equation, from restaurateurs to couriers to consumers.

Now, three of the apps — Fantuan, HungryPanda and Ricepo — are vying for dominance in cities across the U.S.

Pittsburgh, with its large international student population and vibrant Chinese food scene, has proven to be particularly fertile ground.

As ubiquitous advertising in areas like Squirrel Hill shows, the Steel City is in the midst of an all-out app marketing war.

PennsylvAsia noted this trend in 2020, when Chinese delivery companies started hiring locally and serving Pittsburgh-area Asian restaurants and grocers. Places like Fantuan and Hungry Panda continue to routinely hire in the area as they add businesses as clients.

2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) September 21.

The 2022 film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (ドラゴンボール 超 スーパーヒーロー), which opened in Pittsburgh on August 18, will remain here through at least September 21.

The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate Androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two Androids call themselves “Super Heroes”. They start attacking Piccolo and Gohan… What is the New Red Ribbon Army’s objective? In the face of approaching danger, it is time to awaken, Super Hero!

The movie was the top-grossing film in Japan its opening weekend of June 11-12, and is the eighth-highest earning domestic film in Japan this year so far. It plays locally at several Pittsburgh-area theaters, continuing next week at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.