Thu., July 9 -- Stage
John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, set in a Catholic school in the Bronx, in 1964, is a morally probing actors' showcase about an idealistic young priest and a suspicious nun. Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre stages its new production of this Pulitzer- and Tony-winning 2005 play in the intimate confines of the Henry Heymann Theatre. The show's directed by Jeffrey M. Cordell and stars Maria Becoates-Bey, Meghan Heimbecker and David Whalen as Father Flynn. A three-week run opens tonight. Bill O'Driscoll 8 p.m. Show continues through Aug. 1. Stephen Foster Memorial, Forbes Avenue at Bigelow, Oakland. $17-48. 412-394-3353 or www.picttheatre.org
Fri., July 10 -- Music
Tonight marks the kickoff of a July tradition that doesn't involve barbecue or baseball: the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble's summer concert season. For the next four weekends, the group will present music by contemporary composers, including two world premieres of works commissioned specifically for PNME. Tonight, the ensemble plays works by Robert Paterson, David Bithell, Alejandro Viñao and Roger Dannenberg, along with a new commission by renowned American composer Pierre Jalbert. Andy Mulkerin 8 p.m. Also 8 p.m. Sat., July 11. City Theatre, 1300 Bingham St., South Side. $15 ($10 students/seniors; first-timers free). 412-431-CITY or www.pnme.org
Fri., July 10 -- Tribute
Along with The Beatles, Beach Boys and other ambitious, transcendent pop, it's not difficult to imagine the Pink Floyd catalog factoring in the "classical" music repertoire of the future. But why wait until then? Tonight, long-running Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine performs the classic album Dark Side of the Moon with a little extra class courtesy of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Aaron Jentzen 8 p.m. Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $20-70. 412-392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org
Sat., July 11 -- Art
During the 1600s, it took a while to get from Amsterdam to Rome. And many Dutch painters who visited or otherwise looked to Italy were deeply inspired by the Italian countryside, or campagna. Aelbert Cuyp, Nicolaes Berchem and Karel Dujardin are a few of the 17 such masters whose work is featured in The Dutch Italianates: 17th-Century Masterpieces from Dulwich Picture Gallery. The famed London museum's limited North American tour stops at the Frick Art & Historical Center. The show of 40 paintings -- fields, cows, peasants, sky -- opens to the public today. BO 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Exhibit continues through Sept. 20. 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze. Free. 412-371-0600
Sat., July 11 -- Outdoors
East Asia may be the go-to destination for soul-cleansing, but Venture Outdoors has assembled all the ingredients for a spiritual journey that's much closer to home. A Buddhist priest, an eco-artist and an environmentalist co-lead a hike through South Park this morning, as part of the Interconnectedness Series. Each guru will facilitate discussion that explores how the world functions as a dynamic whole, touching on everything from tree-bark art projects to Pittsburgh's natural history. Andrea Bullard 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Also Sat., Aug. 15. Buffalo Drive, South Park. $34 ($25 members). 412-255-0564 or www.ventureoutdoors.org
Sat., July 11 -- Dance
Elsewhere in this issue we cover Urban Experiment, the Pillow Project's new series of site-specific public dance performances around town. If you can't be in the right place at the right time for those, the troupe and its collaborators stay put tonight for the first of this season's Second Saturdays performances, combining dance, music and video in a casual, lounge-y atmosphere. Featured guests include Dance Alloy Theater veteran Michael Walsh and the Project's videographer Jessi Sedon, who brings the projections. The jazz-themed program is provocatively titled Dirty, Hot and Blue. BO 7-10 p.m. 214 N. Lexington, North Point Breeze. $5 suggested donation. 412-225-9269 or www.pillowproject.org
Sat., July 11 -- Stage
Last year, reviewers struggled to encapsulate Happy to Be Here, Randy Kovitz's two-man stage piece with Paul Bernstein. "So maybe it's a kind of multimedia poetry jam," mused CP critic Robert Isenberg ... or else "an impressionist story about a Renaissance man in an abstract world." Anyway, it was an hour long, with singing, ranting, video, social critique, guitar and drums. Now it's back, revised as (ahem) Still Happy to Be Here. As part of Future Tenant's Trespass residency series, Kovitz returns tonight and tomorrow preceding a full production in August. BO 8 p.m. Also 8 p.m. Sun., July 12. 819 Penn Ave., Downtown. $5. 412-325-7037 or www.futuretenant.org
Sat., July 11 -- Music
Remember that jaunty Super Mario ditty that kicked off all those adventures inside Princess Peach's castle? Any true gamer does. Mario's theme music turns classical-music score tonight at Heinz Hall, along with tunes from Zelda, Final Fantasy and other classic video games. Video Games Live, a collaboration between the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, synchronizes lighting and video footage with live music. Plus, a few attendees can play games on stage during the performance. AB 8 p.m. Also 2:30 p.m. Sun., July 12. 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $30-100. 412-392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org
Sun., July 12 -- Kids
As if summer isn't already great when you're a wee one, now there's Kids Day at Schenley Plaza. Fun for the junior set includes face-painting, balloon artists, mini-golf and a puppet show. And best of all: free rides on the PNC Carousel. Topper, Puff, Toofus and Malena's Marvelous Planetary Teacup are waiting to spin around with you. Al Hoff 2-5 p.m. Forbes and Bigelow avenues, Oakland. Free. 412-682-7275 or www.pittsburghparks.org
Mon., July 13 -- Yoga
Lawrenceville's Pratique Yoga brings free classes each Monday to Oakland's Schenley Plaza, where all comers are led through their paces by Lilith Bailey-Kroll. Outdoor yoga can be a powerful way to connect to your surroundings, be they tranquil or, as in this case, bustling and urban. Bring a mat or a towel, or use one provided -- and take precautions like waterproof sunscreen. If it rains, classes move under the tent. Namaste. Melissa Meinzer Noon-1 p.m., Mondays through Aug. 24. Forbes and Bigelow avenues, Oakland. Free. www.pratiquespace.com
Mon., July 13 -- Classic Rock
Live, Bob Dylan's constant reinterpretation of his songs can make it difficult to distinguish the cartwheeling rhymes of a classic like "Jokerman" from a cut on his brand-new album, Together Through Life. But seeing ol' Bob in concert is still inspiring. I mean, if Jack Kerouac or Walt Whitman rolled into town with a grizzled, kick-ass rock band, you'd go, right? (Dylan was my first rock concert, so I get a pass on the hyperbole.) He plays the CONSOL Energy Park tonight with a couple more American originals: John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson. AJ 5:30 p.m. 1 Washington Federal Way, Washington, Pa. $67.50. 724-250-9555
Tue., July 14 -- Art
While in office, George W. Bush insisted that history would be the true judge of his presidency. The printmaking faculty at Edinboro University called 18 artists from around the country to get a head start on analyzing some of Dubya's more controversial executive decisions. The works in A Visual History of the George W. Bush Presidency contemplate the Patriot Act, water-boarding, intelligent design's place on syllabi and other issues from Bush's eight-year reign. AIR, Pittsburgh's print-making resource, hosts this traveling multi-media exhibition, now in its final week. AB 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Continues through July 20. 518 Foreland St., North Side. Free. 412-321-8664
Tuesday, July 14 -- Music
We won't blame you if you expected The Black Crowes' 2008 album Warpaint to be a disappointment. But rest assured: The new Crowes material manages to sound both fresh and vintage at once, with the same energy and swagger as Shake Your Money Maker. So, check out the band tonight at the Amphitheatre at Station Square -- it's likely to, indeed, rock. An opening set by the Levon Helm Band, featuring the legendary member of The Band, won't hurt either. AM 6:30 p.m. Station Square. $25-49.50. All ages. 800-745-3000 or www.ampstationsquare.com
Columbus garage band Psychedelic Horseshit is a member of the Siltbreeze roster, and embodies the falling-apart, strung-out, intentionally sloppy aesthetic that's emblematic of that label. Naturally, a band with a scatological reference in its name wouldn't feel the need to apply the proverbial polish. If dirty rock is your thing, the primordial prehistoric punk sounds of Psychedelic Horseshit, at Garfield Artworks tonight, may be right up your alley. With Cro Magnon, Kim Phuc and The SB. AM 8 p.m. 4931 Penn Ave., Garfield. $5. All ages. 412-361-2262 or www.garfieldartworks.com
Wed. July 15 -- Autos
The July 18-19 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix -- in which diminutive racecars hurtle through Schenley Park -- is a summer ritual. Before then, check out the PVGP Tune Up pre-party at Bossa Nova. In addition to complimentary tapas and beverages, festivities include music by Johnny B. and the Accelerators, a silent auction of sports memorabilia ... and a chance to ogle dozens of the cars parked outside. Proceeds from the event benefit the Autism Society and the Allegheny Valley School. Chris Potter 6-9 p.m. 123 Seventh St., Downtown. $30. www.pvgp.org
Thu., July 16 -- Gardening
The main principles of permaculture lie in creating agricultural and architectural systems that better match the way natural systems work. If the folks behind the Pittsburgh Garden Experiment and Steel City Soils have their way, Polish Hill might be the next permaculture showcase. Tonight is the second meeting of the loosely affiliated Permaculture Working Group, and it focuses on resources already at hand to start urban farmers on the road to sustainable growing. AM 6:45 p.m. West Penn Recreation Center, 450 30th St., Polish Hill. Free. 860-604-0523 or www.pittsburghgardenexperiment.org
