A Christmas Story at Little Lake Theatre
Nine-year-old Ralphie Parker is on the quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts—an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. He lives with his own dysfunctional family in a modest suburban home and dreams and schemes about his coveted air rifle.
A Christmas Story, the Musical received rave reviews on its Broadway run, is based on the movie classic that runs seemingly everywhere over Christmas. The music ranges from gentle ballads to show-stopping full-ensemble numbers such as “Ralphie to the Rescue!”, “A Major Award,” “Sticky Situation,” “Up on Santa’s Lap,” “Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana” and the inevitable “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!”
Performances are now through December 16th on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 pm with matinees on Sundays at 2 pm *Recommended age: 5+ For tickets click here.
The Humble Rapture of MARY ANNING, “Princess of Paleontology” (who sold seashells by the seashore) presented by Musical Theatre Artists of Pittsburgh (MTAP)
Thrust into the 19th-century world of one of the greatest female paleontologists of all time, we journey with Mary Anning from the cliffs of Lyme Regis where she resides with her dog, Tray, to Deep Time where beautiful monsters await, and into the not-so-distant past where she seeks her lost Father and siblings. This remarkable tale of the humble, brilliant, vibrant and grieving English girl at odds with, but also profoundly linked to, “gentlemen” scientists in an era of Scientific Wonder, brings us closer to this curious and relatively unknown fossil hunter. The show journeys through her life from being struck by lightning as a baby, to her death from breast cancer at the age of 47. It is a tale of inspired persistence, of what can be lost, and rediscovered.
Featured performers for this reading include Billy Hartung, Ethan Saks, Leon Zionts, and Natalie Hatcher, who will read the role of Mary Anning. Ensemble members include Betsy Lawrence, Laura Barletta, Chris Morriss, and Erich Lascek.
MTAP presents a reading of this original musical, on Sunday, December 16th at 8:00 pm at the Charles Gray Auditorium inside Pittsburgh CLO Academy. For reservations visit https://www.artful.ly/store/events/16535
In the Heights from Pittsburgh Musical Theater
The hope of a winning lottery ticket hangs in the air of the streets in Manhattan, leaving the community on the brink of change. Experience the thrill of In the Heights, from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, as the characters chase the American dream in hip-hop, pop, and Latin rhythms filled with the vibrant energy of the ever-bustling streets of Manhattan!
In the Heights tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams, and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. In the Heights is the winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.
Performances are January 24th, 25th, 26th, February 1st, and 2nd at 7:30 pm with Sunday matinees on January 27th, and February 3rd at 2:00 pm. For tickets click here.
Double Threat Trio from the Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret
To make it on Broadway, you gotta sing, dance, AND act — in other words, you must be a triple-threat. In a city of triple-threats, Nina, Kenny, and Jamison are unemployable. Nina sings, but can’t act to save her life. Kenny dances, but can’t sing a note. And Jamison, a classically trained actor, can barely point his toes. But who needs reality when you’ve got a dream? This world premiere musical comedy is about finding your friends and playing to your strengths.
The Double Threat Trio is at the Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret with performances from February 15th to April 28th. For tickets click here.
Cabaret from Carnegie Mellon Universtiy’s School of Drama
There was a cabaret, and there was a master of ceremonies… and there was a city called Berlin, in a country called Germany…and it was the end of the world.”
CMU presents a different take on the award-winning, Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret Directed and Choreographed by Tomé Cousin with Music Direction by Rick Edinger. Pittsburgh Public Theatre produced Cabaret a few years ago in their thrust stage that was very similar to the Alan Cummings revival version from New York’s Round About Theatre. Point Park opened their new Pittsburgh Playhouse with Cabaret this fall in the intimate ninety seat Rauh Black Box Theatre with a hybrid between original and revival versions.
Regardless of version, Cabaret remains one of musical theatre’s most emotionally moving stories. The show explores what it means to live a life of excess in a world of increasing restraints, and at what point being carefree becomes careless. The unabashed decadence of 1930s Berlin envelops American writer Cliff Bradshaw with the help of a vivacious, seductive, and talented cabaret performer, Sally Bowles. As Hitler’s totalitarian regime looms larger and larger, it becomes clear to Cliff that this lavish lifestyle is just a beautiful distraction.
It will be interesting to see how CMU’s design wizards transform their largest performance venue into the Kit Kat Klub with director Cousin’s choice of version and how they impact your heart. “Leave all your troubles outside, come to the Cabaret.”
Cabaret performances are February 21stto March 2nd. For tickets click here.
And, of course, Hamilton at the Benedum, there may still be a few higher priced tickets available and last minute rush and lottery opportunities. For details click here.
And while spring may be not yet around the corner, it’s not too early to look for tickets to that other groundbreaking musical, Come From Away whose tour lands at the Benedum in April. For more information click here.
Happy Holidays and may 2019 bring you a great year of musical theatre!
George Hoover got his start in theatre in Miami when his family ran the Coconut Grove Playhouse. His career encompasses a variety of work in both the design and technical side of motion pictures, live theatre, and television. George is a three-time Emmy Award winner, member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, Broadcasting & Cable Technology Leadership Award winner, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Life Fellow, and most importantly a passionate theatre person and generally handy guy.
Categories: Feature