Season Previews and Interviews.
There likely will be changes ahead for Quantum Theatre, when Katie Brook takes the helm as Artistic Director, but one thing that won’t change: “It’s safe to say that we’re going to continue to work in unusual spaces,” Brook said: “That’s part of Quantum’s identity, and it’s one of genuinely the most explicit expressions of the values of nontraditional theater.”
After three decades in Trafford, The Theatre Factory is embarking on a new chapter with a move to its new home at the Aluminum City Arts campus in New Kensington. The Theatre Factory’s 31st season will bring five distinctly different… Read More ›
By SHARON EBERSON Nicholas Perez-Hoop‘s tenure as Artistic Producer of City Theatre had only just begun as he was quizzed about what comes next — the overall theme of the season, and a theme for his own adventures as a… Read More ›
“RENT,” the smash hit rock musical that launched Sewickley native PETER MATTHEW SMITH to Broadway, brings him home later this month, to direct the show for the second time in his hometown. When BDE Productions’ Michael Greer and Vince Tresco (directed by Smith for PMT in 2010) asked him to direct “Rent” in its 30th anniversary year, Smith’s answer was a resounding, “Yes!”
By JESSICA NEU From the iconic opening lines of “Circle of Life” to the timeless story of Simba’s triumphant ascent to the leader of Pride Rock, Disney’s The Lion King has embedded its way into history since it originally premiered as an animated… Read More ›
Kiesha Lalama’s vision as the head of Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University is building for the future by staying relevant in the present, reviving cherished parts from the past, and launching the students of Point Park’s Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA) onto the global stage.
By MINGSI MA Since the musical’s premiere in 1997, Disney’s The Lion King has staged more than 11,000 performances. This poses an interesting challenge: After years of touring, the performers know the lines, songs, and dances by heart. The muscle memory is… Read More ›
By Mingsi Ma The Becoming Arts Collective marks the return of the Bridges and Stages 10-Minute Play Festival for its second year by introducing a new partnership at a new site, The New Hazlett Theater. The 26 new plays, selected… Read More ›
MARK FLEISCHER AND PITTSBURGH CLO EXIT
“It’s been an honor to work here. I take a lot of pride in what we’ve done, and the people I’ve worked with, the staff, the donors, the crew, but I recognize that it’s a time of transition, and a time that’s scary for some. My hope is that the community pulls around and says, ‘We still want this.’ Ask for what you want, and you’ll ask for what you want by buying tickets. And I hope that those people know change is not easy. Someone once said, ‘Change is not a Pittsburgh virtue,’ but we have had change. It’s not Heinz Field anymore.” — Mark Fleischer, leaving Pittsburgh for Studio Tenn Theatre in Tennessee
‘Hadestown’ Screen Splash Is a Sign for U.S. to Pick Up Pro Shot Pace
Ancient Greek mythology had a big weekend at the movies, and it wasn’t all about “The Odyssey.” A lot has been made about the debut pro shot of “Hadestown: The Musical” beating the box office of the cinematic release of “Hamilton,” which hit movie theaters in 2025, after it first streamed in 2020, as an at-home treat during the pandemic shutdown. More to the point, “Hadestown,” on limited screens, finished in fourth place on its opening weekend, behind the juggernaut that is “The Odyssey,” and family films “Moana” and “Toy Story 5.”
