Author Archives
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‘Go See A Show’ Offers Discounted Tickets to Participating Pittsburgh-Area Theaters
Go See a Show, a regional initiative involving nearly 20 producing theater companies, is underway, offering discounts to performances and aiming to “reenergize local audiences and celebrate the enduring impact of live theater.” Through July 2026, the campaign offers one-stop shopping at GoSeeAShowPGH.com, where discount codes are available for select performances.
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City Theatre Goes Solo, Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater Remain ‘Enthusiastic’ About Possible Merger
The exploration of a three-way consolidation process of Pittsburgh’s three largest producing theater companies is down to two. A letter by the leadership of the three theaters said, “After more than a year of careful exploration — grounded in data and informed by national best practices and input from all stakeholder groups … City Theatre chose to remain as an independent organization.” However, there remains “significant enthusiasm” among the respective board chairs of Pittsburgh CLO and Pittsburgh Public Theater “about the possibility of a two-way merger.”
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Review: Prime Stage Shines a Spotlight on the ‘Freedom House’ Hidden Figures
By SHARON EBERSON The pioneering Freedom House Ambulance Service has garnered much-deserved attention of late, thanks to The Pitt, the HBO show that shines a spotlight on all things Pittsburgh, following the WQED documentary Freedom House Ambulance: The FIRST Responders… Read More ›
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Exploration of ‘Malcolm X & Redd Foxx’ Real-Life Friendship Rolls into City Theatre
The kickoff to 2026 is a third straight new play co-production, with the unwieldy but descriptive title Malcolm X & Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. The two-hander comes to Pittsburgh via TheatreSquared of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and moves on to Virginia and Dallas from here.
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The Enduring Popularity of ‘Wicked’
Wicked’s popularity was not a foregone conclusion when it powered onto Broadway in 2003. The New York Times critic Ben Brantley came right out and wrote that only Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda deserved praise. “Wicked does not, alas, speak hopefully for the future of the Broadway musical. Ms. Chenoweth, on the other hand, definitely does,” he concluded. Critics. What do they know?
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Did the Butler Do It?: CMU Alum Adam Brett, with the Cast of ‘Clue,’ at the Benedum Center
In addition to the colorful suspects introduced with the Clue board game, the 1985 movie added the butler Wadsworth, played by Tim Curry and driving the comedic action toward one of three possible endings. Taking on that lead role in “Clue — A New Comedy,” arriving at the Benedum Center December 30, is CMU alum Adam Brett.
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Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre in 2026: Four New Plays, Plus August Wilson’s ‘Jitney’ in Italian, and More
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company has revealed a four-play 2026 season, including a premiere by award-winning playwright a.k. payne, while also co-hosting a unique international take on August Wilson’s Jitney. The four-play season of premieres — Ty Greenwood’s “The Paradox of Education,” “10,000 Rides” by Cynthia Dallas, “Fishy Woo Woo, Part 2” by Monteze Freeland, and “BURNBABYBURN: an american dream by a.k. payne — plus two add-on productions was curated by Monteze Freeland. Next year, the two add-ons to the season are the Italian translation of “Jitney” and the return of “A Dinah Washington Christmas.”
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2025: A Blockbuster Year in Pittsburgh Theater
In the year that was, the future of three companies takes center stage, Saige Smith hits a series of high notes, “The Shark Is Broken” goes swimmingly for barebones, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company delivers August Wilson triple play, Karla Boos announces Quantum exit, Arts Landing is readied for its closeup, and much, much more.
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Review: ‘A Sherlock Carol’: Doyle + Dickens = Delight
Some things are such crowd-pleasers, they bear repeating. Even within the packed realm of Christmas-time theater, that holds true for Kinetic Theatre’s finely tuned, atmospheric production of “A Sherlock Carol.” Introduced last year at the Stephen Foster Memorial, the show this season travels from Oakland to Carnegie Stage, and, if anything, gains in connectivity between cast and audience in the intimate space.
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Playwright, Musician, Composer Ernest McCarty (1941-2025)
A Dinah Washington Christmas, a combination of beloved Christmas songs, a celebration of the “Queen of the Blues,” and nod to the jazz heritage of the Hill District, had its debut on Thursday in the festively decked out cabaret space at Madison Arts Center. The show on opening night was held up for a short time, in anticipation of the arrival of the playwright, Ernest McCarty. Mark Clayton Southers, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s founder and artistic director, learned later of the passing that night of Mr. McCarty, 84. (Condolences to the McCarty family and friends. Details to come.)
