Season Previews and Interviews.
Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 32nd annual Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest will crown winners in two divisions at 7 p.m., Monday, February 23, 2026, at the O’Reilly Theater. On Thursday, February 27, the Public kicks off its new Lobby Series, a community-driven initiative billed as “your chance to help transform the O’Reilly Theater lobby into a lively third place for connection and creativity.”
As Attack Theatre’s 30th anniversary season unfolds, the company turns toward memory, chance, and the fleeting moments that shape experience. The result is Once in a While, a world-premiere dance work set to the music of the Grateful Dead — a… Read More ›
By JESSICA NEU The Benedum Center has invited Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to ‘be their guest’ from Tuesday, February 24th, through March 1st. The production marks the 30th anniversary of Disney’s groundbreaking musical that brings the beloved 1991 film to life…. Read More ›
“Annie” was not a show on Connor McCanlus‘ dance card as a performer. Until now. At auditions for Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s professional production of “Annie,” set for the Byham Theater February 19-March 1, 2026, McCanlus made his pitch and won the role of Annie’s nemesis, Miss Hannigan, with Quinn Patrick Shannon directing. The friends talked about their teaming for the show before a recent rehearsal, and lots of laughter ensued.
By GUILHERME YAZBEK A tale as old as time is about to take over Pittsburgh. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast arrives in the city in a dazzling new North American tour—the first major U.S. staging of the beloved musical in more… Read More ›
As February begins, more than a dozen schools are on the eve of their performances, while others have months before curtain. As we continue to seek out upcoming shows and update the 2026 Western Pennsylvania Spring High School Musicals listing, we are kicking off now, to accommodate the schools that are first out of the starting gate.
COMMENTARY by SHARON EBERSON Another day, another bloodbath for arts criticism. The Washington Post on Wednesday wiped out 30% of its workforce, including chief theater critic Naveen Kumar, who in 2024 had replaced longtime critic Peter Marks. Leave it to… Read More ›
To herald its evolving developmental mission, the New Hazlett on Wednesday announced “a pivotal expansion of its commitment to the creative community, leading with a unified approach to growth and the already-active Resident Company Model (RCM),” including new co-presenting partnership with The Becoming Arts Collective, that demonstrates the theater’s immediate impact through a partner-focused approach.”
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.”
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?
