Theater & Arts category, Page 29
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ brings familiar story with a rock edge to BenedumVideo
The Broadway musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” is returning to its roots. The 1970 rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice actually began as a rock opera concept album before it debuted on Broadway in 1971. For its 50th anniversary touring production coming to Benedum...
‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ comes alive on Byham stage
A favorite holiday tradition is watching Charlie Brown and his pals as they once again discover the real meaning of Christmas in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the 1965 animated television special based on the Peanuts comic strip by beloved cartoonist the late Charles M. Schulz. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust will...
Classical music, dance offerings abound in Pittsburgh in 2020
Music and dance shift back into high gear after the mid-winter break, with many alluring and important performances coming up. The Pittsburgh Symphony, for example, will present 15 weekends of classical music from January to June. Among the many highlights are two full-evening masterpieces by Ludwig van Beethoven – “Fidelio”...
San Francisco musical, longest running in US, to hang up hat
SAN FRANCISCO — When you think of America’s longest-running musicals, Broadway favorites such as “The Lion King” or “Chicago” may come to mind. But there’s a small San Francisco show that’s been a must-see for tourists and locals alike for more than 45 years — and now the curtain is...
Relive a miracle with Resonance Works’ ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’
The origins of many Christmas traditions are shrouded in the mists of time, but there is no doubt about the most popular Christmas opera. “Amahl and the Night Visitors” was first seen on Christmas Eve 1951, when it was premiered on NBC television. The artistic range of commercial television was...
Cabaret Theatre plans 2 free readings of Christmas elf story
The Cabaret Theatre is planning free readings of “Biggie, the Elf Who Didn’t Fit In” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21 in the Olde Main Theater, 350 Main St., Latrobe. “The story of ‘Biggie’ centers around an elf who isn’t an elf at all. He is rather an aging, simple-minded man...
Yinzer Yuletide celebrates Christmas traditionsVideo
Yinzer Yuletide, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s new entertainment experience, fills the O’Reilly Theater with holiday spirit. Beginning with the decor of the theater’s large front windows, the experience features WQED producer Rick Sebak hosting a variety show. The idea for the program came from the theater’s managing director, Lou Castelli, and...
‘Annie’ steps in as last-minute replacement at Geyer
Patrons of Geyer Performing Arts Center may have been surprised to find that “White Christmas” was removed from the performance schedule just weeks before it was set to open at the theater in Scottdale. When the leadership team was unable to secure the rights to produce the classic holiday show,...
Greensburg Civic Theatre’s ‘Frozen Jr.’ warms the hearts of cast, audience
A cast of 48 local actors ranging in age from 5 to 17 is set to warm the hearts of theatergoers as they revisit the icy kingdom of Arendelle in Greensburg Civic Theatre’s Greasepaint Players’ production of “Disney’s Frozen Jr.” The junior version of the megahit 2013 Disney film, “Frozen...
Catch the musical take on ‘A Christmas Story’ at The LampVideo
The third time’s sure to be a charm when Stage Right brings back its production of “A Christmas Story the Musical” for one weekend only Dec. 13-15 at The Lamp Theatre in Irwin. The Greensburg-based professional theater company first introduced the musical retelling of the 1983 film by Benj Pasek...
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre sets stage for ‘The Nutcracker’
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre put the final touches on their production of “The Nutcracker” during a dress rehersal Thursday at the Benedum Center. There will be 26 performances of “The Nutcracker” from Dec. 6-29, at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. Tickets start at $28, and are available at www.pbt.org, 412-456-6666...
Barebones Productions steps up with ‘Dance Nation’ in Braddock theater
The Barebones Black Box Theatre in Braddock has built a reputation for bringing edgy, entertaining and thought-provoking plays to the stage. Its current production, “Dance Nation,” is no exception. “Dance Nation” is a comedy/drama by Clare Barron that played to off-Broadway audiences in New York last year. But while it...
Former Palace Theatre owner still loves Greensburg’s grand dameVideo
Judy Marinelli couldn’t help getting a little emotional at Thursday night’s show at The Palace Theatre in downtown Greensburg. Nostalgia was already in the air, as Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, the Drifters and the Platters performed favorites from the 1950s and ’60s. Marinelli’s thoughts invariably turned to her late husband, Carl....
‘The Nutcracker’ continues to be magical in Pittsburgh, Greensburg
Although “The Nutcracker” is perfect family Christmas entertainment, surprisingly it was not a hit when it was first performed in Russia in 1892. But when it did finally catch on more than 50 years ago, it quickly became a ubiquitous part of the holiday season. It’s now the most frequently...
Vandergrift’s Casino Theatre hosts annual holiday extravaganza
Get in the holiday spirit at “Hometown Christmas 2019: Counting Down to Christmas.” This 24th annual event will feature songs that exude happy feelings this time of the year. There are three performances at the Casino Theatre in Vandergrift. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-7 and 2 p.m. Dec....
Review: ‘School Girls’ tackles universal themes of racism, body image
I was born and brought up in Pakistan, a country that I suppose is known to the world as very traditional and, in some ways, rigid. But as I spent a week in Pittsburgh as a visiting reporter, I saw how things are no different here: Thousands of miles away...
New ‘Night Before Christmas’ takes familiar story on fresh journey
The phrase “Twas the Night Before Christmas” is as much a part of the holiday lexicon as Santa’s “Ho ho ho!” From the Clement Moore poem (actually titled “A Visit From St. Nicholas”) to the oft-sung song to animated and live-action movies, it’s a refrain embedded into our Christmas psyches....
Seton Hill student choreographers promise thought-provoking dances
TaMara Swank, assistant professor of dance at Seton Hill University, knows what a valuable experience it is for dance students to create an original dance piece from concept to completion. “A goal for the student choreographers is to challenge themselves to stay true to their concept or idea during the...
Tale of the March sisters comes alive in song in latest Geyer production
A favorite classic novel comes to life in a production of “Little Women the Musical” being staged Nov. 21-24 at Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale. The musical directed by Jill Jassmann-Sharlock of Acme focuses on the book’s four March sisters and their mother, Marmee, living in Concord, Mass., while...
Beloved ‘Les Miserables’ comes back to PittsburghVideo
Cameron Mackintosh’s epic musical “Les Miserables” is one of those special productions that tend to draw massive crowds wherever they go. The national tour that last came through Pittsburgh in 2013 featured a remastered 25th anniversary edition with new staging — minus the traditional iconic turntable revolving stage — and...
Alumni ‘come home’ for Stage Right’s production of ‘Newsies’
Stage Right’s upcoming musical at the Palace Theatre is going to be “big news” with its cast of nearly 100 actors representing the Greensburg theater company’s current students, alums and professionals. “Disney’s Newsies,” the Broadway musical that debuted in 2012 and played for more than 1,000 performances in NYC, will...
Utah school from ‘High School Musical’ may get tourist boost
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah high school where the Disney movie “High School Musical” was filmed over a decade ago has become a tourist destination, and the trend could grow with the premiere of Disney’s new streaming service series based on the film. Much of the popular 2006 movie...
Hit the mean streets with ‘A Bronx Tale’ playing in the Benedum Center
The Broadway musical “A Bronx Tale” has been compared to a “Jersey Boys” meets “West Side Story” kind of show: “Jersey Boys” for its rich musical score of doo-wop music and “West Side Story” for its drama and grittiness. It’s not a traditional love story, but it does focus on...
Pitt-Greensburg thespians present a satirical take on Chekhov
The Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company is gearing up for its fall production, the comedy-drama “Chekhov in Yalta,” written by John Driver and Jeffrey Haddow. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14-16 and 2 p.m. Nov. 17 in Ferguson Theater on the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus. Eleven students will perform...
Quantum Theatre presents ‘Shakespeare’s Will’ in a Homestead churchVideo
The pool of water inside the church is enticing. It’s a different kind of prop used for this play – “Shakespeare’s Will.” But then again it’s Quantum Theatre, which mounts productions in unusual spaces with non-traditional sets. Quantum Theatre founder and director Karla Boos has transformed West Homestead United Methodist...
