Michael McKelvey’s return to Pittsburgh includes producing and directing musicals with Pittsburgh theater artists, starting with “Assassins,” the Sondheim-Weidman show with Carnegie Mellon roots.
Point Park University
A Brutal Week in Pittsburgh Theater Demands A Reset: Let’s Do Better
I have seen the fallout from mismanaging expectations and a lack of transparency when jobs are lost, and the rift it can create between people practicing their calling and those entrusted with their livelihoods. The team transitioning Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh CLO into a single entity, as well as those performing a “strategic review” of Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, chose to fire a whole bunch of people (three at the Playhouse) within a few days of each other, without providing any public-facing explanation.
Did they think no one would notice?
Here’s my plea: Le’s do better.
Pittsburgh Playhouse’s ‘Our Town’ is a Stoic Portrait of Mortality, Companionship, and the Passage of Time
By JESSICA NEU Walking into the Playhouse theater for their current production of Thornton Wilder’s classic play, Our Town, you are greeted with a barren stage immersed in three-quarters-in-the-round seating, with various light fixtures perched above the stage. As the cast takes… Read More ›
Guest Review: ‘10 Out of 12′: Immersive Theater Done Right
Theater is an art form that continues to expand humanity’s understanding of reality through many different formats. We’ve seen the changes that theater has gone through and continues to do so, adapting to encapsulate the reality of modern times and tell stories that grab attention and bring us, the audience, into the world. Quantum Theatre’s production of 10 Out of 12 does exactly this. A meta script brought to life through immersive blocking, mixed with sound design that makes the audience feel that they’re in the booth, 10 Out of 12 is a masterclass in what theater today can be.
Pittsburgh Playhouse Announces New Musical Premiere, Plus Return of Playhouse REP and Playhouse Jr. for 2026-2027
Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University has revealed key plans for the 2026-2027 season, including workshopping and premiering a new musical, and the return of legacy companies Playhouse REP and Playhouse Jr., that were stalwarts of the Pittsburgh theater scene when the venue was located in Oakland.
Pittsburgh Playhouse 2025-2026 Season Includes ‘The Chief’ and Return of ‘Ascend’
The Chief is coming to the Pittsburgh Playhouse for the 2025-2026 Playhouse Presents season. The popular solo play about Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. returns Downtown to kick off 2026 at the Point Park University performance center. Also next year, the… Read More ›
The Champagne of Musicals: Pittsburgh CLO Readies to Pop the Cork on ‘Madame Clicquot’ World Premiere
“Mark Fleischer, who knows Matt [Castle] and Frank from Brainstorm Records, called them and said, ‘What on earth is this thing you’re doing with my favorite Champagne?’ And they said, ‘Oh, I think you might have to talk to Laurie. He didn’t even know I was from Pittsburgh, and I mean, my whole family is from Pittsburgh. And so it feels like bringing it home.”
With ASCEND, Point Park’s Pittsburgh Playhouse Enters a New Phase of Artistic Creation
The enchantment begins the moment you enter ASCEND, a circle of wonder within the Pittsburgh Playhouse, where an original, interactive visual feast, in the style and grandeur of Cirque du Soleil, awaits.
There’s No Place Like Home for Holiday Onstage: Pittsburgh CLO’s ‘A Musical Christmas Carol’; ‘Christmas Live! With Joe Serafini and Friends’
By SHARON EBERSON Amid a sea of 2024 A Christmas Carol adaptations on Pittsburgh area stages, for the comfort and joy of my own traditions, I chose a couple that began on Friday the 13th: First, Pittsburgh CLO’s A Musical… Read More ›
Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Bestows Point Park With National Production Awards
A performance of the play ≈ [Almost Equal To], presented at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, has been recognized with several Kennedy Center American College Theater Awards, sponsored by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The festival, a national… Read More ›
