Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: April 3-5
Not only is it Easter weekend, but it’s also Pirates Home Opener weekend! If you manage to find time between celebrating those two important holidays, here are some things to do around town that will be just as fun. Jurassic Quest Bring the whole family to real-as-life animatronic dinosaurs this...
Quantum Theatre takes audiences behind the scenes with ’10 out of 12′
Controlled chaos reigns in playwright Anne Washburn’s “10 Out of 12,” and director Andrew William Smith has been in charge of creating it. Quantum Theatre is mounting the play at the Mellon Institute in Oakland, with opening night on Friday. The run continues through April 26. “It’s been beautiful because...
Review: ‘Water for Elephants’ at Benedum Center is a pachyderm-sized spectacle with a dark side
Much like the circus at its center, the musical “Water for Elephants” is a dazzling spectacle — but also a bit messy, and with a lot of darkness lurking in the shadows beyond the Big Top lights. The musical is based on the best-selling 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and...
Penn-Trafford High School to perform ‘Mamma Mia’
Audiences for Penn-Trafford High School’s spring musical, “Mamma Mia!,” should warm up their vocals and wear their dancing shoes before coming to see the show April 10 to 19, director Tom Bekavac said. It is a show that viewers of all ages can appreciate, Bekavac said. “There’s a familiarity of...
Jeff Goldblum kicks off new season of Pittsburgh Symphony’s PNC Pops
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is gearing up for a new season of timeless popular music, blockbuster movie scores and special guests. The PSO’s 2026-27 PNC Pops season is a packed schedule that will kick off the weekend of Oct. 9-11 with a tribute to the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Singer...
Penn Middle slated to perform ‘Frozen Jr.’
Penn Middle School drama club director Maddie Nick has never heard children scream as loud as when she announced the group would perform “Frozen Jr.” as its spring musical. “It was in the middle of the school day, too. We probably disrupted some classes with that,” Nick said with a...
Gateway High School’s spring musical worth catching if you can
Between the cast, orchestra and stage crew, Gateway’s musical program lost 11 seniors to graduation last spring, leaving a younger cast to fill their shoes. The group is excited to step into the spotlight with “Catch Me If You Can.” With a creative team led by producer Mary Chase and...
Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Primary Trust’ will have Pittsburgh premiere with Public Theater
“This is what happened.” That’s the first line spoken by main character Kenneth in Eboni Booth’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Primary Trust,” said director Kyle Haden. In the 90 or so minutes that follow, Pittsburgh Public Theater audiences will get to find out exactly what happened from their seats at the...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 27-29
From brews to “Beetlejuice,” from coconuts to crafts, Pittsburgh’s got a lot going on this weekend. If you’ve got some free time after a busy week, here are a few things to try out around town. Modern Craft Market Spring cleaning is in full swing, which means it’s also time...
Bill Maher will win the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain humor prize following White House denial
WASHINGTON — Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center said Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied that the comedian, who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with President Donald Trump, would win it. “For nearly three decades, the...
‘Lion King,’ ‘Phantom,’ ‘Beetlejuice’ among Cultural Trust’s 2026-27 musical season
From awe-inspiring production design to emotional award-winning musicals to old favorites, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh 2026-27 season will be one for the ages. The Trust revealed the new season in a video announcement Monday night, as well as a full slate of more than 50 other...
‘It’s About Time’: Pittsburgh Opera’s annual fashion show combines community, art and eras
The Pittsburgh Opera is partnering with Richard Parsakian, longtime owner of a leading vintage clothing store in Pittsburgh, to host its annual fashion show fundraiser, featuring an array of local talent. The show, “It’s About Time,” begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Bitz Opera Factory at the Pittsburgh Opera’s...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 20-22
From short-sleeve weather to snow and back again, Pittsburgh weather is certainly doing its thing this week. Spring will officially begin on Friday, so whether it’s breezy, rainy, chilly or hot, step into the next season with these events around town. Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience This performance is an...
Boards of Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh CLO approve mergerVideo
The leadership of Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh CLO announced Wednesday that the boards of both companies have voted to merge into a new cultural institution. “This theater will be a dynamic destination in the city’s Cultural District as part of the broader Downtown revitalization already underway, energizing audiences of...
Innovative artists and performers gear up for Pittsburgh Fringe Festival
Designed as a home for live performance and art “on the fringe,” the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival has been operating since 2014 as part of a global Fringe movement. The 10-day-long slate of shows launches around Pittsburgh on Thursday. The concept started in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1947 to be “on the...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 13-15
Tens of thousands of spectators and participants will flock to Downtown Pittsburgh for the St. Patrick’s Day parade this Saturday. But those kind of crowds aren’t everyone’s scene. Want to have fun without all the craziness? Here are some events to try instead. Row House Cinema Japanese Film Festival Row...
Review: ‘Chicago’ at the Benedum Center turns murder into riveting performance
“Chicago” is a musical that needs no introduction. The show’s 1996 revival will hit 30 years onstage this November and is the longest currently running Broadway show. And lest we forget the Academy Award-winning 2002 film adaptation. There’s no doubt such a successful show has earned its place in the...
Pittsburgh Public Theater, CLO to vote on consolidation plan
Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater announced they will vote on consolidating their organizations. A letter emailed to supporters on Monday stated the consolidation is “not a merger” but rather a “differentiated theater model” aimed at building “a true destination theater experience” in Downtown’s Cultural District in alignment with broader...
Quaker Valley High School to present ‘Alice by Heart’
Austin Wolford noticed Quaker Valley High School students had become curiouser and curiouser about his musical selections. With recent shows like “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy” and “My Fair Lady,” veteran performers began to feel that very few things, indeed, were really impossible. This helped fuel his team’s...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: March 6-8
Areyou ready to open up that long-closed storage bin and pull out your favorite spring outfits yet? This weekend will be a great time to show them off around Pittsburgh at some of these events. History Uncorked This annual soiree is always a great time at the Heinz History Center....
Review: Pittsburgh Playhouse lampoons showtunes in ‘Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits’
Musicals are almost always a great time at the theater. But do you know what can be even more fun? Making fun of musicals. That’s the name of the game for “Forbidden Broadway,” an oft-updated revue that’s been parodying the Great White Way from off-Broadway for more than 40 years....
Trafford Middle School to perform ‘Into the Woods Jr.’ in March
Audiences of Trafford Middle School’s spring musical “Into the Woods Jr.” will witness multiple beloved storylines and characters in one performance, slated for March 20 to 22. Director Janice Ruoff calls it a whimsical, fractured fairy tale, featuring stories such as “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella”...
Grateful Dead meets contemporary dance in Attack Theatre’s ‘Once in a While’
Anyone familiar with the music and subculture of the Grateful Dead understands the innate physicality of a Dead show. A closely packed crowd flows in unison with the slow build of a jam, collectively exhaling as melodies resolve. The audience gives its energy to the band, and the band gives...
Here’s what students will perform during 2026 high school musical season
As spring approaches, high school theater kids all over the region are dusting off their tap shoes, doing vocal warm-ups and memorizing their lines. Here’s a look at which schools are doing which shows this spring musical season. Apollo-Ridge: “Mamma Mia!” March 12-14 Avonworth: “The Phantom of the Opera,” March...
Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Benedum Center is a dazzling Disney fantasy
It’s a tale as old as time … or about as old as the early ’90s, anyway. “Beauty and the Beast” lit up silver screens as a Disney animated film in 1991 and took its place on Broadway in 1993. As screen-to-stage transfers go, this one had to be something...
