The Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Meetup Group

"Falstaff" (Italian opera adapted from Shakespeare) 65% off discount tickets

Fri, May 1 · 6:30 PM EDT

Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, 237 7th St, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Falstaff
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto adapted by Arrigo Boito from the play The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes
from Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2, by William Shakespeare

APRIL 28, MAY 1, 3, 2026 at the Benedum

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to experience classic Italian comedic opera?

Laugh last, laugh best.
Beloved buffoon Sir John Falstaff has fallen on hard times. But being a ladies’ man (or so he’d like to think), he drunkenly schemes to cash in on his wit and charm by wooing the wealthy wives of Windsor, Alice Ford and Meg Page. However, when these women uncover that he has sent them both identical love letters, they hatch a plan of their own to teach Falstaff a lesson he won’t soon forget!
The music matches the merriment and mischief of this madcap romp. See why Verdi’s buoyant comedy, based on Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, is considered one of the best comedic operas of all time!

Antony Walker conducts; Crystal Manich directs.

Understand Every Word: Falstaff is sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage at all performances.

Meetup Ticket Discount Offer
With promo code “POMEETUP” Meetup members can purchase discounted tickets of $50 (regularly $149) or $28 (regularly $86) or $17 (regularly $49) for the Friday, May 1st, 7 pm performance.

With this link the discount is pre-applied (where discount seats are shown the Orchestra Level but if you click on the theater map, you can see discount seats in the Director’s Circle, First Tier, and Second Tier balcony as well) - http://www.culturaldistrict.org/promotion/apply?promotion_code=POMEETUP If you have any questions, please contact Álvaro Muñoz, Group Services Manager, PITTSBURGH OPERA at 412-281-0912 x 213

There are a limited number of discounted seats. Tickets must be purchased online in advance and are not for sale at the box office.

This is a very generous offer and a wonderful opportunity to experience opera, especially for those that perhaps have never checked out classic opera before. Naturally, this offer is not intended to be a substitute for Pittsburgh Opera 2025-2026 subscriptions which have many benefits.

For more information about this production, including review articles, audio/video previews, cast info, etc., please visit

PRE-SHOW DISCUSSION Tickets include a very interesting pre-show discussion (with colorful study guide) one hour before each performance. Thus, we can meet inside the Benedum at 6 PM on Friday, May 1 for this discussion.

The Meetup ticket offer is a really good deal, so think about treating yourself and family/friends for a truly memorable evening.

For more information about this production, including review articles, audio/video previews, cast info, etc., please visit FALSTAFF | Pittsburgh Opera

And if you can't make it on May 1 with the Meetup ticket offer, please consider attending one of the other performances.

Tuesday, April 28 at 7 PM

Friday, May 1 at 7 PM

Sunday, May 3 at 3 PM

Normally priced tickets and ticket availability for all performances may be found at FALSTAFF | Pittsburgh Opera or by calling (412) 456-6666 or stopping by the Theater Square/Benedum Box Office. Please note student (18 & Under) tickets are 50% off for all performances.

Parking Here is the ParkPGH website with real-time info on downtown parking garage availability or call 412-423-8980.

Peregrination: Xiaojing Yan 闫晓静 Exhibit and more at Contemporary Craft

Sat, May 2 · 10:45 AM EDT

Contemporary Craft, 5645 Butler Street ,, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Check out the intriguing Peregrination: Xiaojing Yan 闫晓静 exhibit which will be closing after May 2, 2026 at Contemporary Craft, 5645 Butler Street, which is open Monday-Saturday from 10 AM - 5 PM.

Please note there will be a free guided Gallery Tour on Saturday, May 2 at 11 AM. Registration required.

Peregrination, a long and meandering journey…
This exhibition features work by Toronto based artist, Xiaojing Yan. Through the lens of personal migration and cultural hybridity, Yan explores the evolving relationship between identity, tradition, and the natural world. Yan’s art reflects a journey of transformation – an intricate weaving of folklore, ritual, and nature into a symbolic and dreamlike representation of lived experience.

Drawing from ancient Chinese myths and customs, Yan reinterprets traditional narrative through a contemporary lens, reflecting on the fluidity of cultural memory. Her practice is both a tribute and a reimagining, examining how heritage can be at once rooted and reshaped – especially through her choices of materials and processes. Natural motifs, often deeply embedded in Chinese folklore, emerge in her work as metaphors for movement, adaptation, and belonging. Mountains, rivers, and celestial elements echo the rhythms of migration, symbolizing the passage between worlds – both physical and spiritual.

Through meticulous craftsmanship and layered symbolism, her work becomes a meditation space – where the past converses with the present. Laden with symbolism, her creations remain as resonant today as they were historically, also engaging with contemporary concerns. In this act of peregrination, Yan constructs a landscape uniquely her own, evoking poetic and philosophical reflections on humanity’s connection to the natural world.

This exhibition is part of Handwork 2026.

While at Contemporary Craft, check out:

1. Excellence In Fibers XI Exhibition on view through June 27, 2026
2. Anthropocene Archive Exhibition on view through May 30, 2026
3. Gift Store As part of Contemporary Craft’s mission, their goal is to support nationally recognized craft artists, as well as new and emerging talent. The CC Store represents over 150 artists nationwide, offering handmade, one-of-a-kind art pieces in ceramic, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wood, and furniture. Each of these pieces has spent countless hours in the hands of an artist before reaching us. When you purchase work at Contemporary Craft, you directly support the livelihood of working artists and helping to advance the economic ecosystem of the craft community.
4. Check out Contemporary Craft’s Studios that offer in-person craft classes and workshops in metals/jewelry making, wood, fiber, mixed media, book binding, and paper arts at every level from beginner-friendly to mastery. Check out the full list of workshops and register on their upcoming workshops page! Or learn more about their Open Studio Rental program. Scholarship money is also available for all Workshops and for Open Studio Rental. Click to apply! Consider supporting the Studio with a purchase from their Wish List!

Meetup Considerations Depending on the interests of the group and the weather forecast, the group will discuss other Saturday afternoon options, such as walking around Lawrenceville or grabbing lunch/drink at a nearby restaurant. For example, Hop Farm Brewing is located only 1 block away from Contemporary Craft. It is open from 12 PM – 11 PM on Saturdays, while the kitchen is open from 3 PM - 10 PM.

Stay tuned for updates!

Parking and Accessibility Contemporary Craft has its own small parking lot. Street parking is available as this part of Upper Lawrenceville is not usually very busy. Public transportation is available as PRT Buses 87 and 91 have bus stops next to Contemporary Craft.

America 250 Song Shop Concert & Strip District lunch

Sat, May 9 · 11:45 AM EDT

Pittsburgh Opera in the Strip, 2425 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Please join us for a free concert performed by Pittsburgh Opera's incredibly talented Resident Artist singers -- to celebrate America’s sesquicentennial with an “America 250” theme -- as we also welcome new members to the Meetup group.

There will also be free coffee/tea and cookies.

The free, informal Song Shops feature Pittsburgh Opera's Resident Artists. Beginning at 12:00 PM on selected Saturdays, these one-hour performances are free, fun, and open to everyone. Guests are encouraged to bring a friend and bring a lunch. FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera provide a reception after each Song Shop concert. Doors open at 11:30AM.

Attracting about 200 people each month, these free performances feature Pittsburgh Opera's Resident Artists for one-hour concerts to help showcase upcoming productions during Pittsburgh Opera's 2025-2026 season.

Free Family-Friendly Concert

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

This free performance takes place at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Avenue in the Strip. It's free and open to everyone. However, to assist with logistics, please register in advance May Song Shop 2026

Doors open at 11:30 AM.

Please note that the Pittsburgh Opera garage is available only for handicapped parking, by reservation. Handicapped parking reservations must be made by 4 PM Friday, May 8.

For more information about Pittsburgh Opera

So whether you're curious or just looking to take a little break while shopping in the Strip, please consider stopping by Pittsburgh Opera to enjoy their resident artists as they sing classics to give guests a little taste of opera.

And if you're relatively new to Meetup, this is a nice event to meet people in a very relaxed, convenient setting. Because the concert ends at 1 PM, your Saturday afternoon will still be open. Depending on the RSVPs, weather, and interests of the group, some people may go out for an optional lunch or walk around the Strip District.

Options for Spending Time After the Concert

1. If the weather is nice, walk over to the new Pittsburgh Walk of Fame with the installation of the first 10 stars (dedicated on October 20, 2025) near 19th and Smallman.
2. Lunch within a few blocks from the Pittsburgh Opera location.
3. Heinz History Center & Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum (1212 Smallman Street)

Parking There are several websites with recommendations for parking in the Strip District, such as Strip District Neighbors | Pittsburgh Pennsylvania | Directions & Parking

The Strip District is readily accessible with PRT Buses 54, 86, 87, 88, and 91 which have stops near the corner of 25th and Liberty which is directly across from the Pittsburgh Opera location.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon

Mon, May 11 · 7:15 PM EDT

Carnegie Music Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, US

Please join Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures as they welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon who returns with an extraordinary novel for our times, a profound and incandescent narrative that explores our thirst for knowledge, the power of unexpected connection, and the lengths we will go to in pursuit of metamorphosis.

A chance meeting with father and son soon becomes a mind-bending trip for neuroscientist, Beatrix, that may eventually free her of her past and alter her life irrevocably. With The Night Garden, Michael Chabon offers a mind-expanding story of possibility and transformation.

TICKETS
In person tickets start at $31 Michael Chabon for the upper balcony (where it is easier for a group to sit together) Tickets may also be purchased by phone (412) 622-8866 or at the door starting at 6:30 PM

For Online Tickets ($31) Michael Chabon OnlineThe viewing link will be emailed on the day of the event. Viewers will have access to the recorded program for one week.

Parking While many visitors find street parking, the Carnegie Museum has plenty of parking which is conveniently located near the museum entrance at the corner of Forbes Ave & S. Craig Street. Here is a link with more info about parking and directions http://cmoa.org/visit/directions-maps-parking/