Reviews of current productions by our writers
“Speak,” a new play about the intentional damage — physical and emotional — we are capable of inflicting on one another, and the healing powers of kindness and art.
The work, an adaptation by Tammy Ryan of Laurie Halse Anderson’s popular 1999 YA novel, was commissioned by Prime Stage Theatre, and made its debut on April 30 at the New Hazlett Theater.
By Guilherme Meletti Yazbek Presented over two evenings as part of Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Freshworks program, A Conversation, by multidisciplinary artist LaTrea Derome, unfolded as a modest yet affectively charged work-in-progress. The piece operated through a deliberately simple scenic device—one that placed personal narrative… Read More ›
A cautionary tale of troubled teens, families in crisis, and the consequences when a lie goes viral, DEAR EVAN HANSEN burst onto Broadway in 2016, and rewrote the rules of engagement by adding social-media screens to 21st-century theatrical storytelling. In Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s riveting regional premiere of the Tony Award-winner, Anthony Marino Jr.’s superbly awkward Evan and the strikingly original staging are among the reasons to revisit Dear Evan Hansen if you have already seen the show. If you haven’t, or even if you have, bring tissues.
By JESSICA NEU There was perhaps no better way to celebrate International Dance Day than with the opening of Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts’ annual Spring Dance Concert. The crowd-pleasing tradition showcases the conservatory’s talented and irreverent performers. This year’s performance… Read More ›
By GUILHERME YAZBEK Yesterday, as I made my way to downtown Pittsburgh on the bus, I found myself trying to recall what I remembered about the musical Little Shop of Horrors. Not much, as it turned out—just the insistently catchy opening… Read More ›
By Hanna Wing-Bonica Clowns can be traced back to 2500 BCE in ancient Egypt, but these were not the “clowns” that we know of today. They were known for their sharp insights and humor. In Verdi’s Falstaff, some might see… Read More ›
Maria Caruso’s Bodiography presents Arcadia isn’t just a performance of one of her works; there is a buildup featuring a selection of past choreographic works before Caruso reveals her newest work. Arcadia, a full-length ballet collaboration with composer Kevin Keller, opens with a performance of Astravore, choreographed by Kirstie Corso and performed by Bodiography’s Student Company. It ends with Arcadia, a sequel to Evensong, a previous collaboration between Keller and Caruso.
By JESSICA NEU The first thing you will notice upon entering Heinz Hall for the PSO’s latest installment of PNC POPS, Tropical Rock For 5 O’Clock Somewhere, is the vibrant colors. The ushers are adorned in bright leis, and some of the musicians are wearing… Read More ›
By GUILHERME MELETTI YAZBEK 5, 4, 3, 2, 1—lift off! This is not the much-narrated Apollo 11, nor is it the latest Artemis II mission. In fact, the subject here is not the renewed space race currently underway in the twenty-first… Read More ›
If you love rapid-fire, eye-rolling puns, the North American Tour of “Shucked,” now at the Benedum Center, will fill you to overflowing with “farm to fable” lunacy and laughter.
