As it turned out, Ann Talman was, indeed, her brother’s keeper – literally. Talman – a playwright and actress who grew up in Pittsburgh – has an older brother, Woody, who has severe cerebral palsy. And in a one-act, one-performer… Read More ›
WinterwithPITR
Twelfth Night
Adoring and adorable, Twelfth Night serves up all the courses of Shakespeare’s infinite variety at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. It’s a sunny production in this midwinter of discontent as staged by Artistic Director Ted Pappas who conveys his love of this… Read More ›
The Royale
This was the tightest play I’ve ever seen: opening night of The Royale at City Theatre. The jabbing dialogue overlays every continuous line. The chorus that pieces the fight, from build to final punch, works within the direction so smoothly;… Read More ›
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
The experience of seeing The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity the first time was, for me, a series of uniquely fortuitous revelations. Sitting in the back row of the bleacher-style seats before the show, I decided to see what part… Read More ›
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame brings a powerful mixture of student and professional performers to the Byham Theater, where it continues playing through February 5th. The show – based on the Victor Hugo novel and animated Disney… Read More ›
Cabaret: The Musical
The multiple Tony Award-winning Cabaret is a musical frozen in time, yet its themes remain powerful and even more relevant today. It is set in Berlin at the seedy Kit Kat Klub during the Nazis rise to power. Cabaret revolves… Read More ›
Richard the Lionheart (“Riccardo primo, re d’Inghilterra”)
Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artist Program unveiled its first production of the season last night at the CAPA Theater – Georg Frideric Händel’s largely neglected Richard the Lionheart. Händel composed the music to an Italian language libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli,… Read More ›
Artist Spotlight: Leah de Gruyl as “Richard the Lionheart”
With each passing year, Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artist Program productions seem to maintain or excel the high standards of those of the past. At first glance, this season’s offerings give every reason to look forward to them with keen anticipation. First… Read More ›
Into the Woods
Comtra Theatre opened their 34th anniversary of community theatre productions with Stephen Sondheim and James Lupine’s Into The Woods January 6th. Into The Woods was first produced on Broadway in 1987 and won several awards including the Tony for book… Read More ›
A Christmas Carol
2016, it has been said, has been a pretty garbage year. The division between Americans is greater than ever in living memory, the incoming president’s speeches resemble a series of Cards Against Humanity jokes strung together, intolerance is at the… Read More ›