Theater & Arts category, Page 11
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces return of ‘Hamilton,’ other shows for 2024-25 season
Pittsburgh will get another shot to see smash-hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” this fall. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announced their 2024-2025 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season, which will kick off with “Hamilton” from Sept. 11-29, 2024, at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. The season will also include shows...
Westmoreland Cultural Trust taps Penn Township native as new CEO
Twenty-one years ago, Penn- Trafford High School student Benjamin Luczak stood on the stage of The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, performing for an audience in the musical “Brigadoon.” In a few weeks, Luczak, 37, will have the responsibility of overseeing operations of The Palace, now that the Westmoreland Cultural Trust has...
Seton Hill ships puppets to Florida middle school drama program left without props one week before showtime
When Seton Hill University professor Lisa Leibering’s theater design students created puppets for a local middle school production of “Finding Nemo Jr.,” they never expected their work would travel more than 1,000 miles away from Greensburg. But, when a middle school drama program director from Broward County, Fla., called about...
Pittsburgh Playhouse’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ enchants with both drama and laughs
Nobody does tragedy or comedy like William Shakespeare did, and his play “The Winter’s Tale” has a little bit of both. Fortunately for audiences, Pittsburgh Playhouse’s Conservatory Theatre Company brought both the drama and the laughs at Wednesday’s opening night performance of the Bard’s classic. “The Winter’s Tale” is a...
NPR comedy news quiz ‘Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!’ to bring live show to Benedum Center
Since 1998, listeners have enjoyed NPR’s comedic news quiz show “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” On Thursday, the show, normally recorded in Chicago, is coming to provide live laughs and current event insights at the Benedum Center. “Wait Wait” is a weekly show that features host Peter Sagal and a rotating...
Pittsburgh CLO announces programs to remove barriers for theatergoers
People stressed about where they will park Downtown, how much they’ll spend on their children’s tickets or arranging for a babysitter so they can go to a Pittsburgh CLO show can give its summer season a try because of new programs. “We always say that (our shows are) by Pittsburgh,...
Pitt Stages’ ‘Spring Awakening’ is a raw portrait of adolescence with a big heart
The smash hit musical “Spring Awakening” is not for the faint of heart, but Pitt Stages at the University of Pittsburgh put on an amazingly heartfelt show at the opening performance Saturday night at the Charity Randall Theatre in Oakland. Based on an 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind, “Spring...
‘Welcome to Night Vale’ podcast brings live show to Roxian Theatre
Something strange will be happening at the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks on Saturday night. “Welcome to Night Vale,” a popular scripted podcast, will bring its latest live show, “The Attic,” to town. The podcast is written as a series of radio station broadcasts from the fictional town of Night...
3rd annual comedy fundraiser will benefit Carnegie Library of Homestead
On Saturday night, the Friends of the Carnegie Library of Homestead will put on a night of laughs for a good cause at the Munhall venue. The third annual “Comedy at the Carnegie” benefit will be headlined by Mark Eddie and hosted by Aaron Kleiber, with a slate of local...
New play by Stoney Richards opens Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks’ 20th season
Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks is kicking off its 20th season this April with a slate of events for fans of the legendary playwright. The “Week of Will,” an annual tradition for Shakespeare in the Parks, begins on April 23, William Shakespeare’s 460th birthday. The weeklong program will include the...
Stage review: Pittsburgh Public Theater’s ‘Earnest’ is a timeless comedy with a fresh take
As spring comes to Pittsburgh, love — and laughter — is in the air with Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The play, newly adapted and directed by Jenny Koons, and in collaboration with Baltimore Center Stage, premiered Wednesday night at the...
‘Mamma Mia!’ mixes endless laughs with ABBA hits at Benedum
After 25 years, “Mamma Mia!” still has audiences dancing in their seats to the timeless tunes of pop group ABBA. The 25th anniversary tour’s Pittsburgh engagement, presented by the Cultural Trust as a season special part of the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series, opened Tuesday night at the Benedum Center....
Beaver County native, comedian Dan Rosenberg to bring laughs to the Lindsay Theater
On April 13, Chippewa native Dan Rosenberg will return to the Linsday Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley for a night of stand up comedy with “The Coast to Coaster Tour.” Rosenberg’s comedy career spans more than three decades and includes stand up, writing, emceeing and radio hosting. He graduated...
Margaret Cho will be ‘Live and LIVID!’ at the Byham Theater
Margaret Cho, the Emmy- and Grammy-nominated stand-up comedian, actress, activist and musician, will be “Live and LIVID!” on Saturday at the Byham Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh. “I always love to go see The Andy Warhol Museum, which is really amazing, really really incredible,” Cho said about Pittsburgh in a phone...
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ coming to Geyer Performing Arts Center
The Geyer Performing Arts Center will bring a macabre favorite to the stage this week with “Arsenic and Old Lace.” The play showcases the tale of two elderly sisters who are famous for their acts of charity, but secretly poison old men who come to their home for lodging. Directed...
Review: Pittsburgh Opera’s ‘La traviata’ is a party and everyone is invited
Dancing. Drinking. Drama. Matadors. Pittsburgh Opera’s production of “La traviata,” which opened Saturday night at the Benedum Center, has something for everyone to enjoy. Composed by Giuseppe Verdi, “La traviata,” which translates in English into “The Fallen Woman,” premiered in 1853 and is one of the world’s most popular operas....
Local, international dance companies offer differing takes on ‘Alice in Wonderland’
When Alice makes her journey to the fictional Wonderland in Lewis Carroll’s 1865 children’s novel, the world is a wild reflection of what she has known up to that point as reality. The story’s underlying theme of a journey of self-discovery makes it ripe for interpretation. Two of those interpretations...
Nonprofit acting troupe will hold auditions in Unity
Storyz Studios, a nonprofit theater company, will host auditions for its upcoming production of a murder mystery, “Whispers in a Dark Manor: A Whodunnit.” Auditions will take place March 21 from 7-8:30 p.m. and March 23 from 2-4 p.m. at the SpringHill Suites, 115 Arnold Palmer Drive in Unity. Auditions...
Review: ‘Rent’ rocks at Pittsburgh Playhouse
“Rent” exploded onto Broadway in 1996 and became the musical of a generation. The rock opera, based on Giacomo Puccini’s iconic opera “La Boheme,” was a blockbuster hit that won the Tony Award for best musical and ran for more than 12 years. On Wednesday night, Point Park University’s Conservatory...
Review: Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s ‘Grease’ brings rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia to the Byham
“Grease” is one of the most well-known and beloved musicals in America, and Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s production, running through March 17 at the Byham Theater Downtown, is a great reminder of why. With book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, “Grease” premiered on Broadway in 1972. It...
‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ still going strong in Pittsburgh after decades
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was released almost 50 years ago, but the cult classic film still draws fans in Pittsburgh to interactive late-night showings. One such showing, this Saturday night at Lawrenceville’s Row House Cinema, will feature plenty of yelling at the screen, throwing of toast and playing cards,...
‘The Book of Mormon’ returns to the Benedum Center with nonstop laughs
Even after 13 years on Broadway and multiple national tours, the gleefully obscene musical comedy “The Book of Mormon” is still an undeniable crowd-pleaser. On opening night Tuesday at the Benedum Center, a buzzing audience whooped, laughed and cheered with each hilarious beat. “The Book of Mormon” is the delightfully...
Multigenerational ‘Snow White’ performance set at Geyer Performing Arts Center
A fairy tale favorite is coming to the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale this month, with a cast that connects multiple generations. The musical production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” will run at the theater from Friday to Sunday. The show is a twist on the familiar...
‘Rock of Ages’ musical a throwback to big guitar solos, bigger hair
Westmoreland Performing Arts Professional Theatre Company will transport theater fans back to a time of big guitar solos and even bigger hair as they present the musical “Rock of Ages” on Feb. 23-24. “It’s a party!” said director Tony Marino. “You’re going to sing along with pretty much every song,...
Shaler Area High School prepares for school musical
In July of 1918, Anastasia Romanov, historically known as Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna, the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, was assassinated with the rest of her family in a merchants home in Yekaterinburg by members of the White Army. During the aftermath, Anastasia’s body...
