The simplest way to put it is also the best: Derek Hughes is good. He is, in fact, almost unfairly good: he’s both witty enough and good enough at magic that he could easily let either half of his show’s equation rest… Read More ›
Archived Reviews
Archived from Pittsburgh in the Round
Comtra Shows a Lot of Heart in “Dogfight”
This past weekend I attended Comtra Theatre’s opening night performance of Dogfight. The show first debuted Off-Broadway in 2012 as a musical adaptation of the 1991 film of the same name. Comtra’s production is directed by Johnny Gallagher who presents… Read More ›
“Amahl”‘s Message Magnified by Resonance Works
A child’s eyes reflect wonder and faith sometimes blurred by adult perception. Likewise, some holiday classics deserve a new angle. Resonance Works Pittsburgh under Maria Sensi Sellner has performed annually since 2014 and now moves the beloved one-act opera into… Read More ›
Tidings of Raunch and Hilarity at Arcade Theatre’s “The Night Before Christmas”
This holiday season, Arcade Comedy Theater invites audiences to join them for a night of debauchery with The Night Before Christmas by Anthony Neilson. Unlike the classic poem of the same name, The Night Before Christmas is a rowdy… Read More ›
“Yinzer Scrooged”: A Pittsburghian Dickens Delight
I think it’s fair to say that Pittsburgh punches above its weight in terms of its artistic offerings, and its holiday smorgasbord is no exception: it seems that every theater, restaurant, museum, and gallery in the city has welcomed the… Read More ›
Spellbinding Delight of Robert Ramirez’s Musical Theatre Magician
This season at Liberty Magic, several of the performers have been given catchy monikers; the latest magician to headline the venue, Robert Ramirez, is billed as “the Musical Theater Magician,” a phrase that piqued my interest and left me not… Read More ›
Lessons of “The Carols” Are Timeless and Eminently Entertaining
Holiday treats are often overly sweet and holiday entertainments often swerve into stereotypes but The Carols at Carnegie Stage serves up the right potpourri of story, talent, rhymes, schemes, and timeless wisdom. Circa wartime 1944, this bright and innovative musical… Read More ›
The Hilariously Dark Side of Christmas in “Santaland Diaries”
By Eva Phillips There’s an inescapable dread and ennui that comes with the holiday season. If the despotic demands to buy the best gifts, prepare the best meals, and have the best life-changes to dazzle family and friends with your… Read More ›
Storm the Barricades for “Les Miserables”
By Eva Phill;ipsWe exist in a remarkable sort of renaissance for musical theater. Indeed, the past 10 to 15 years has been characterized by an abundance of shows that successfully marry the flamboyant bombast and gleeful absurdity of classic musical… Read More ›
Pittsburgh CLO’s “Forever Plaid”
By Eva Phillips It is surprising how a horrific accident or cruel twist of fate can catapult a career. Just ask Buddy Holly, or Lynyrd Skynyrd, or Otis Redding. Or ask the strapping young lads of Forever Plaid. Sure, Forever… Read More ›