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 ›
SummerWithPITR
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 Liar
Classical theatre has a reputation among the American public for being stuffy, cumbersome, and just plain boring. Anyone who has seen a well-performed Shakespeare knows what hogwash this is, but if any more proof were needed, Kinetic Theatre Company’s production… Read More ›
Seussical: The Musical!
Apple Hill Playhouse has a hit on its hands with the Orchard Performing Arts Company’s production of Seussical. Not to let the cat out of the bag, Or in this case out of the hat, Before we get through the… Read More ›
Pippin
Few Broadway shows are referred to as often and simultaneously as misunderstood as Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin. For the unfamiliar, it’s a musical about the real-world medieval figures of King Charlemagne and his son, Pippin, although what’s portrayed onstage has very… 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 ›
One Man, Two Guvnors
The further theater strays from the mainstream entertainment spotlight, the more its creators look back to the various ‘have-to-sees’ for its commercial rejuvenation, especially outside of the gilded cage that is Broadway. However, audiences demand prescience. As modern discourse becomes… Read More ›
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Stephen Sondheim’s musical adaptation of Sweeney Todd has been entertaining audiences for nearly forty years, and last night’s performance of the work by Pittsburgh Festival Opera did much to explain the show’s enduring popularity. In Sondheim’s creation of the musical,… Read More ›
A Night of Mini Splendors at the Glitterbox!
The spirit of communities can often be captured and conveyed through gatherings centered around theatrical communing. Much like agoras and church meetings (though often a bit more rowdy, to be certain), theatrical performances serve as a meeting place for members… Read More ›