By SHARON EBERSON
The enchantment begins the moment you enter ASCEND, a circle of wonder within the Pittsburgh Playhouse, where an original, interactive visual feast, in the silent storytelling style and grandeur of Cirque du Soleil, awaits.
The experience blending projections, music, dance, theatricality and immersive encounters was eight years in the making, the brainchild of Kiesha Lalama, interim dean of the School of Theatre, Film and Animation, and executive producer of Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse. The performance in the Highmark Theatre is co-created and co-written with her sons, Jacob John White and Jaxon White.
“The crazy ideas in my head have come to life,” Lalama said, before a preview performance for media members, family and friends on Wednesday night.
“I wrote this eight years ago, and the timing was just not right,” she noted. “And then with the new leadership here at the university, it all clicked, and here we are.”
Ted Black, Point Park’s senior vice president of Institutional Advancement and Strategy, came to the university after spending six years as president and CEO of the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg. He was on hand to lend continuing support and be among the first to experience ASCEND, a marrying of science and art, with the four elements – earth, water, air and fire – as the theme.
Audiences experience the 360-degree entertainment – including other-worldly dancers, drummers, magical creatures and an ethereal acrobat within a moving spiral – while standing in the center of a set designed by Christian Fleming, a Carnegie Mellon alum (MFA) who was recognized in 2021 with the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Scene Design Award.
The interactive visual feast, within a circle of interactive animations, is presided over by a black-clad holder of a magical light scepter and an ensemble whose movements are choreographed to welcome guests, keep them within bounds of the performances and move platforms and props seamlessly.
The spectacle includes evocative music by Ryan McMasters, eye-popping costumes by Michael Montgomery and dynamic digital design by Daniel Fine, all produced at the university.
Working with her sons, said Llama, was a bonus in creating the show that will run through May 18, and is a prelude to the Starmakers Gala on Friday, April 25, when the 2025-2026 Point Park Conservatory of Performing Arts season will be announced.
“With Jax being a writer and Jake being the creative writer, I knew that bringing them together would bring both structure and a kind of artistry to it that I might not see,” said Lalama, a noted choreographer for both stage and screen. “Those two are on the same page and they’re pushing me to be more elevated, so it’s been fantastic. Truly, they keep me in check, but also make me better. And I love that about them.”
Introducing Ted Black to a pre-show gathering, Lalama said, “When I first started here 18 months ago, there was a new vision, and that was Ted’s. There are no words to express my gratitude for your guidance, your direction, and the endless support you’ve given me. So this new vision, was, ‘Where are we going?’ It’s about community, it’s about new friends. It’s about joining forces to create art that is going change the lives and enhance human experience. There is so much that we need to do to help each other out, to lift, to create positive energy and change.”
This family affair, including the Point Park family of artists, engineers and other creators, has the tagline: It is the ultimate dance party. Participants are invited not to just look on, but move and groove along with the performers. The
The nearly-hour long show is best seen while standing or moving within the circle, with the wish that your head swiveled like an owl’s for all there is to see. However, there are seats available on the circle’s outer rim.
You also can follow along with the creation and progress of ASCEND from home, on Instagram at @ascendtheshow and the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ASCENDtheshow
TICKETS AND DETAILS
ASCEND premieres at Pittsburgh Playhouse, 350 Forbes Ave., Downtown, April 24 – May 18, 2025. Production details, along with public ticket pricing: https://playhouse.pointpark.edu/shows-events/arts-accelerator/ascend.
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