In 2002, Mike Speranzo and Liz Berlin transformed a church Mr. Smalls Theatre. The venue includes a concert hall that can hold 800 people for concerts or other events, a smaller stage, and a restaurant. In the basement there is a small café. Mr. Smalls Theatre has hosted performances by both local and national artists. President Bill Clinton even visited once for a political rally. The building itself was also once a Catholic Church called St. Ann’s.
Tag: Music
Ibeji Drum Ensemble
Dressed in vibrant West African clothing and sitting at a pair of djembe drums, it’s easy to tell Anthony Mitchell, Jr. and his brother Dante are ibeji, twins.
Bahá’í Devotions
Pittsburgh has a long history of diverse religious groups, and one such group is the Bahá’í faith. The Bahá’í faith in Pittsburgh dates all the way back to 1909 when they officially organized as a group. Although they are only a small portion of the United States, the Bahá’í faith has a wide range of practices and devotional groups. There are about 20 different devotional groups in Pittsburgh alone, each with a different topic and structure. This diversity shows the flexibility and, at the same time, the unity of the Bahá’í faith.
Revival Hymns
The powerful emotions invoked in the music were a staple of the revivalists attempts to galvanize the latent Christian population, strengthen Protestant Christianity’s authority, and bolster church membership.