Over the years, Superman and Spider-Man have faced many foes. Usually for the sake of a happy ending, they always prevail. But there’s one enemy that they’ve both suffered humiliating, public defeats at the hands of. I’m of course referring… Read More ›
Pittsburgh CLO
A Musical Christmas Carol
When I walked into the Byham Theater to see Pittsburgh CLO’s A Musical Christmas Carol for the very first time, I let out an involuntary “Wow!”. The impact of D Martyn Bookwalter’s set is nothing short of breathtaking. Antique artifacts… Read More ›
Xanadu
The burning question at the heart of Xanadu is simple. What is Xanadu? Merriam-Webster defines it as “an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious placeâ€. According to Wikipedia, Xanadu is both a 1980 flop cult classic film featuring Olivia Newton-John and hit… Read More ›
Million Dollar Quartet
There are two kinds of jukebox musicals in the world. In one type, the songs originally performed by an established musical act are incorporated into that person or group’s biography. Examples of these highly marketable, live docudramas include Jersey Boys… Read More ›
Mamma Mia
Any fairly seasoned or routine theatre-goer has a certain expectation for crowd makeup at certain shows. The niche, hyper-baroque, perhaps one person piece—the crowd is replete with art majors, the wandering scraggly dude wearing overalls with nothing underneath as a… Read More ›
Show Tune Saturday Night
The last Saturday night of the month, the Pittsburgh CLO presents Show Tune Saturday Night at the Cabaret in Theatre Square. It was conceived by the Mark Fleischer, the Producing Director at the CLO, as a combination meet and greet… Read More ›
Newsies
Believe it or not, times used to be harder for those with a career in the journalism industry. No clear victor has emerged in this war between modern journalists and their cantankerous subjects who cry “Fake news!” in the… Read More ›
Hot Metal Musicals 2017
The development of a new musical is a complex art. From the development of the original idea, into a workable script (book), music and lyrics, it is a consuming labor of passion, creativity, and love. Those who attended Musical Theatre… Read More ›
The Triumphant Return of Hot Metal Musicals
In their ongoing commitment to diverse, vibrantly talented and symphonically-centered productions, Musical Theatre Artists of Pittsburgh (MTAP) is putting forth its second-ever, groundbreaking Hot Metal Musicals. Coordinated and initiated by MTAP’s creative mastermind, Stephanie Riso, Hot Metal Musicals was designed… Read More ›
In the Heights
A lot has changed since the 2007 Off-Broadway premiere of In the Heights. For the career of its creator/composer/lyricist/original star Lin-Manuel Miranda. For the landscape of musical theatre—thanks to his 2015 follow up Hamilton. For the quality of life for… Read More ›