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| - I was involved in the arts for a very long time, and the ONLY reason I've given this three stars is because of the potential of the venue. Definitely NOT because of the quality of its offerings.
The space itself is fantastic. The food offerings, though a bit small portioned and high priced, are decent and add to the experience of 'the space'. Add beverage service, and it's even better. The floor cabaret layout is 'mostly' comfortable, except for when there are two couples who don't know each other wedged around a small table, with food and drinks. It can be a little cramped, and a little uncomfortable depending on who you're stuck sitting with. Even though it's not as close, I actually prefer the more theater style seating in the rear because it's raised up which makes it easier to see 'over' people. The staff and service is always very nice, and generally efficient.
The stage is a decent size for smaller scale shows, but it's REALLY perfect for presentations that they rarely do, and for which the sound and acoustics work better than at most other venues in the burgh. And the perfect presentations that they rarely do, I do believe they actually don't do at ALL, but rather someone else rents the space five or six times per year and does the presenting.
The Cultural Trust Cabaret Series is the perfect presentation for this room. The series is generally as classy as the room can be, and brings out the absolute best in the intimate space. Sadly, this only happens about six times in a year. The rest of the year, we're stuck with the mindless grunting low-brow dreck that CLO decides to present.
Drag Queens selling tupperware, poorly directed shows wildy popular in their better forms across the country...ten years ago. Nothing intellectually challenging. Nothing with any level of depth. Just a ton of low-brow camp, with not a Windstream in sight. Just eat and drink and snort at sophomoric gutter humor. That's apparently the best they can do, and they do it in grand Pittsburgh 'meh-that-gets-a-standing-ovation' style.
However, they seem to know what their audience wants, and gives it to them by the trough full. And the brilliant architect who created the space wasted his time. Troughs belong in barns.
And the worst part is...since Pittsburghers don't KNOW any better, being consistently fed this 'meh' level, they don't know the difference between high quality and 'just good enough'. So they give standing ovations to 'just good enough', and since there's really no competition for your hard earned dollars, there's no striving for excellence. Why should they? If 'just good enough' is good enough for you, why should they reach higher? And thus, it gets no better.
It really is horribly sad that in the heart of our so-called 'cultural district' is the potential for something really amazing...national acts who can't fill Heinz Hall or the arena (whatever the hell it's called this week, according to who gave more money), and who are too big for the local head banger dives like Rex, Smalls and Club Cafe. They would fit in here perfectly, but no one involved seems to care about them.
And there are a million theater pieces from across the country, and even Canada, that would really challenge the usual theater-minded person with functioning brain cells and an IQ over 50. Many of which don't involve fart jokes and cross dressing (seriously...it's 2016...it's really not that hilarious any more). But someone would need to not only THINK outside the black and gold box, but they might actually have to get OUT of the black and gold box to FIND such things. And our little sequestered cluster of 'local' producers...well..forget that.
As for the mother bear of CLO, well, they've had their schtick down for decades...BIG shows with LOTS of kids...the more kids, the more family members that are going to fork out the dough to see junior and missy in their min-star chorus roles. But top notch? Sadly, no. They were always one step above Gargaro, who runs the same schtick. But only ONE.
But right next door is another brilliant venue doing 'meh' for the sparkly black and gold sweater crowds...also in the heart of the 'cultural' district, and expensively architected.
But they all have the fingers of their iron fists tightly wrapped around their control of the scene. So this scene isn't likely to change until death do us part.
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