Yan Pang: “One-Log Bridge” Concert Premiere, March 10 at City of Asylum's Alphabet City.

City of Asylum will present the world premiere of the concert adaptation of Yan Pan's "One-Log Bridge" on March 10.

The world premiere of the One-Log-Bridge concert adaptation.

This concert adaptation of One-Log Bridge has been created especially for the Alphabet City stage and audience, exploring (through music) cross-cultural exchange as well as the latitudes of the human experience—from pain and hurt to community and joy. One-Log Bridge is the creation of composer Yan Pang, who combined elements of traditional Chinese opera and American musical theater to produce a unique show that premiered in December 2023 at the New Hazlett Theater. Based on Yan Pang’s own story, the play tells the story of an aspiring composer from China moving to America to pursue their dream. What will they find stateside? Friendship, community, and love? Or racism, humiliation, and alienation? What about both? 

A Note from Yan Pang: “My creations intricately interlace Chinese and American cultural aspects. This amalgamation generates harmonious tensions that serve as the foundation for performances addressing social justice, belonging, and my own experiences as a first-generation Chinese immigrant woman. One-Log Bridge endeavors to transcend norms, challenging expectations by venturing beyond the confines of traditional classical composition.”

This program features a concert and dance performance followed by a talkback with the performers. 

More information about the cast and crew is available online. Tickets for the in-person and streaming events are free, but registration is required. It runs from 6:00 to 7:30 at Alphabet City on the North Side (map).

Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver with Korean punk band Drinking Boys & Girls Choir (드링킹소년소녀합창단) in Pittsburgh, March 14.

The Japanese punk band Otoboke Beaver will perform at Spirit Hall on March 14 with Drinking Boys & Girls Choir (드링킹소년소녀합창단) . Tickets are now available online; PennsylvAsia will be doing a ticket giveaway on social media as the concert gets closer. Spirit Hall is located at 242 51st St. in Lawrenceville (map).

McKnight Road's Hong BBQ & Hot Pot aiming for an April 30 opening.

Hong BBQ & Hot Pot, one of at least five Korean BBQ and hot pot places opening in Pittsburgh in the near future, commented on social media that it is aiming for an April 30 opening.

Looking for the best all you can eat Chinese Hot Pot? Look no further! Chinese Hot pot, also known as Chinese fondue, is a popular cooking method throughout China and other Asian countries. It’s an entertaining activity, especially with friends and family members. The broth inside the pot boils over our specially designed heaters, and you have a variety of protein options (meatballs and thinly sliced beef are popular) to add to your pot. In addition to the protein choices, you can add noodles, vegetables, tofu, and more into your soup. The broth comes in many different styles (see our menu for options). It’s quite nutritious as it absorbs all the nutrients and flavors when cooking your meat and vegetables in the broth base. You can either enjoy our Chinese hot pot by itself or enjoy it along with our authentic Korean BBQ!

. . .

We introduce our Korean style BBQ concept, which has been a tradition passed down many generations of Korean history. Our Korean BBQ experience begins by firing up the grill at your table. All you can eat Korean BBQ, choose from our vast selection of beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and various vegetables; don’t forget to invite your grill master! While there are many side dishes to enjoy Korean BBQ with, the meats are definitely the main attraction. Many of the meats are already marinated, carefully crafted by our chefs, so all you need to do is grill it up and enjoy the amazing flavors of our Korean style delicacies.

It is next in the line of restaurants to occupy "where Tokyo Sushi Buffet used to be" in recent years in the outparcel next to Best Buy on McKnight Road (map). Signage first went up in July 2023. Hong BBQ & Hot Pot has two locations in Florida and three restaurants coming soon.

2024 movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (鬼滅の刃 柱稽古編) stays in Pittsburgh through March 7.

The 2024 movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (鬼滅の刃 柱稽古編), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 22, will stay here through at least March 7..

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will feature “A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light” (Episode 11) from the Swordsmith Village Arc, featuring the conclusion of the fierce battle between Tanjiro and Upper Four demon Hantengu, as well as Nezuko's triumph over the sun. Seamlessly followed by Episode 1 of the highly anticipated Hashira Training Arc, featuring the start of training conducted by the Hashira in preparation for the forthcoming final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, an episode never before seen by audiences.

It plays at many local theaters, including the AMC Loews Waterfront, AMC Classic South Hills Village, Waterworks Cinema, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubbed in English.

Oscar-nominated 2023 Japanese + Wim Wenders film Perfect Days remains in Pittsburgh through March 6.

The 2023 Japanese film Perfect Days, directed by Wim Wenders, which returned to Pittsburgh from February 22, will continue here through at least March 6. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the movie first played in Pittsburgh in November.

Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. A deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか) remains in one Pittsburgh-area theater through (at least) March 7.

The 2023 Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか), which opened across Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 7, will continue in a local theater through (at least) March 7. A synopsis of the movie, from the distributor:

Hayao Miyazaki's first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and the Heron is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki's long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film "Spinning Globe" was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

. . .

A young boy named Mahito
yearning for his mother
ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.
There, death comes to an end,
and life finds a new beginning.


A semi-autobiographical fantasy
about life, death, and creation,
 in tribute to friendship,
from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

It continues to play locally at the Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley (map), and tickets are available online.

Zoom lecture by Korean artist Kang Seung Lee, February 28 with Pitt's Studio Arts Department.

The Department of Studio Arts at the University of Pittsburgh will host artist Kang Seung Lee for a virtual lecture on February 28, part of its spring lecture series.

Kang Seung Lee is a multidisciplinary artist who was born in South Korea and now lives and works in Los Angeles and Seoul. His work frequently engages the legacy of transnational queer histories, particularly as they intersect with art history.

Lee's work is in the collections of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; The Getty, Los Angeles; RISDMuseum, Providence; among others. Lee is participating in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa.

The talk starts at 6:00 pm and registration is required.

"3rd Annual Achieving Excellence Speaker Series, featuring the Honorable Cindy K. Chung" at University of Pittsburgh, March 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's School of Law will present "3rd Annual Achieving Excellence Speaker Series, featuring the Honorable Cindy K. Chung" on March 28.

Please join us for a conversation with our 3rd Annual Achieving Excellence Speaker the Honorable Judge Chung as she reflects on her career, the challenges of being the first Asian American to serve on the Third Circuit, and offers insights to those interested in clerking. Judge Chung will be joined by Professors Pat Chew, Lu-in Wang, and Alveena Shah. The event will be moderated by Dylan Kim (JD ’25), President of Pitt Law’s Asian Pacific American Law Student Association.

Judge Cindy K. Chung has served as a Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit since February 2023. Prior to her judicial service, Judge Chung was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 2021 to 2023. Judge Chung served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania from 2014 to 2021. Judge Chung held numerous positions during her tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, including Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section from 2018 to 2020, Acting Deputy Chief of the Violent Crimes Section at various times in 2015 to 2017, Domestic Violence Coordinator from 2019 to 2020, Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator from 2018 to 2020, Border Security Coordinator from 2018 to 2020, and Civil Rights Coordinator from 2016 to 2018. From 2009 to 2014, Judge Chung served as a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. From 2003 to 2009, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Judge Chung served as a law clerk for Judge Myron Thompson on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama from 2002 to 2003. She received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2002 and her B.A. from Yale University in 1997.

This program has been approved by PACLE for 1.0 hour of CLE credit. There will be a $30.00 fee for processing CLE credit for this event.

The event runs from 12:30 to 2:00 pm in 111 Barco Law Building (map).

Screening of Untold Herstory (流麻溝十五號), in Mandarin with English subtitles, in Lawrenceville on March 2.

The Pittsburgh chapter of Cafe Philo will present a screening of the 2022 film Untold Herstory (流麻溝十五號) on March 2.

Cafe Philo Pittsburgh invites you to watch the movie . Join us on a journey through transitional justice and the ongoing struggle to defend democracy and freedom. unveiled narratives that were intentionally omitted from historical accounts, shedding light on a herstory left unspoken under a dictatorship.

. . .

在228事件的77年後，臺灣解嚴後的第37年，匹茲堡哲學星期五想邀請大家一起來反思、認識當年的沒能開口的故事 —「流麻溝十五號」；其實，我們距離那個年代並沒有那麼遙遠。

The screening and discussions will be in Mandarin, though the movie has English subtitles, and the event runs from 1:30 to 4:00 pm at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville. Registration can be made online.

Kung Fu Panda 4 advance screening, February 29 with Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival.

The Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival will present the Pittsburgh premiere of Kung Fu Panda 4 on February 29, an advance screening ahead of its wider release in March.

 Attention Dragon Warriors 

Join us on a Leap Day special adventure at the FREE EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE of the much-anticipated Kung Fu Panda 4!

When: February 29, 2024, at 6:30 PM

Where: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University 

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL!

But wait, there’s more!

-Before Po kicks into action, witness the future warriors in action with a KUNG FU, WUSHU and LION DANCE PERFORMANCE that will knock your socks off 

-For the foodies, an EXCLUSIVE FREE BAO BUN TASTING awaits (both veg/non-veg options), guaranteed to be as delightful as Po’s dumpling dreams 

- FREE MERCHANDISE GIVEAWAYS (First come first served basis)!
P.S We will be serving some delicious bubble tea too from Hungry Panda!

Don’t miss out on this epic night of action, laughter, and deliciousness! Mark your calendars and be part of the legacy. Kung Fu Panda 4 - where heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and appetites!

NOTE: You can register upto 4 tickets on your name!

Registration is required and can be made online. The McConomy Auditorium is located in the Jared L. Cohen University Center on Forbes Ave. in oakland (map).