Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University has revealed key plans for the 2026-2027 season, including workshopping and premiering a new musical, and the return of legacy companies Playhouse REP and Playhouse Jr., that were stalwarts of the Pittsburgh theater scene when the venue was located in Oakland.
On Friday, March 27, 2026, at the annual Starmakers Gala, it was announced that Point Park has entered a “first-of-its-kind partnership between a university and a Broadway production.”
The new show Girls Just Want to Have Fun: The Musical — featuring a book by Lauren Marcus and M. Dickson, and arrangements and orchestrations by Georgia Stitt, developed with Lively McCabe Entertainment and Primary Wave Music — will be workshopped this spring with students from Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts, before its world premiere at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in November 2026.
According to Music Theatre International, Girls Just Want To Have Fun is a new jukebox musical, featuring 1980s hits and adapted from the 1985 film starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt and Shannen Doherty.
“This is more than a production, it is a transformational opportunity,” said Kiesha Lalama, Executive Producer and Interim Dean of the School of Theatre, Film and Animation. “As we establish the Playhouse as an epicenter for entertainment and education, students will collaborate directly with industry professionals; performing, designing, stage managing, and developing original work with the genuine potential to reach audiences on an international stage.”
“For 90 years, the Pittsburgh Playhouse has been central to Pittsburgh’s cultural fabric,” said Point Park University President Dr. Chris W. Brussalis. “This partnership positions our students, our university, and our city on a national and international stage.”
PLAYHOUSE REP AND PLAYHOUSE JR.
The former Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University, on Craft Avenue in Oakland, closed in June 2018, along with the professional company The REP and Playhouse Jr. The former Playhouse had hosted theater productions since the 1930s, with the kid-friendly productions of Playhouse Jr. established in the 1940s. What was then Point Park College acquired the venue in 1968.
The REP, founded under former Playhouse Artistic Director Ronald Allan-Lindblom, will make its return as a professional company in which students work alongside established artists under professional contracts, bridging the gap between training and career.
Playhouse Jr., one of the nation’s longest-running children’s theater programs, will once again introduce young audiences to live theater, while providing opportunities for early professional experiences.
“For many, this is personal,” Lalama said. “These programs shaped careers and built a lasting connection with the community.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2026–2027 SEASON INCLUDE:
- Continued partnership with WQED through the Breakthrough Sessions: Tomorrow’s Music Today, which champions artists on the move, offering a space to premiere fresh work and share the stories and process behind their creations. The series is filmed by PPU students, then shown on WQED and streamed on WQED+.
- The return of family-friendly Fall Fest and Boo’s Halloween House Party.
- Newcomer Yuletide! A Holiday Spectacular, “a journey of magic, dance and the season’s music, inviting audiences of all ages to believe in the enchantment of the season.”
- Celebrating 35 years of artistic excellence, The Koresh Dance Company will perform for one night only in October, featuring four Point Park University alumni.
- The return of immersive experience ASCEND, a fusion of music, dance, and aerial artistry, and Artfully UPlifting, a sensory-friendly concert experience.
- December marks the return of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra.
- Pittsburgh Playhouse continues to present National Theatre Live screenings throughout the year.
- COPA School of Theatre major productions include The Bed Trick, Tartuffe, Blood Wedding, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
- COPA School of Dance concerts: The Fall Dance Concert will feature choreography by Ron K Brown, Larry Keigwin and Lloyd Cullbreath; Contemporary Choreographers will feature works by Daniel Karasik, Pilobolus, and Springboard Danse; the Winter Dance Concert will feature works by Alejandro Cerrudo and Jennifer Archibald; and the Spring Dance Concert has works by Christian Dennis and Springboard Danse.
For more information and additional announcements, visit pittsburghplayhouse.com.
Categories: Our Posts, Season Listings, Show Previews, Venue
Fantastic to hear that the late great Playhouse Rep will be revived!
A compelling season, for sure!