Season Previews and Interviews.
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.”
FORGING AHEAD: NEW HAZLETT THEATER REBRANDS FOR THE FUTURE
The New Hazlett Theater has appointed Melissa Cardello-Linton as the first Artistic Director in its 20-year history, in conjunction with the unveiling of ForgeWorks, “designed to partner with established producers, cultural institutions, and creative teams developing ambitious new projects.” A year in the planning, the programming of ForgeWorks will be announced in September.
A CHAT WITH “SUFFS” TONY-NOMINATED DIRECTOR LEIGH SILVERMAN
The graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s BFA Directing and MFA Playwriting programs, and an intern for Pittsburgh CLO in 1994 — “We did The Music Man with Gary Sandy, and just a variety of really amazing musicals that we mounted in seven days,” she recalled — is known for the dozens of new works she has directed on and off Broadway.
Carnegie-based community theater Stage 62 is returning to the Greer Cabaret for the second straight summer, opening the musical Company this week. The initial move from their home at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Musical Hall happened both by necessity and by kismet, said Haley Hiller, Stage 62’s president, who credits the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for putting out the welcome mat.
AN INSIDE VIEW TO THE FUTURE OF PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER AND PITTSBURGH CLO
When their marriage becomes legal sometime this summer, only then will the new name and details of the Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh CLO unification be fully revealed. Until that time, they are in the engagement period of a process that will culminate in the region’s two largest professional theater companies merging into one.
