Dramatic Arts

Pittsburgh CLO has revealed casting to finish out summer and head into the holiday season. The news includes who’s joining Beth Malone in Seussical, who’s returning as star of Who’s Holiday!, and a new Scrooge but PCLO favorite, Charles Shaughnessy, joining the annual A Musical Christmas Carol.  (Scroll down for a guide to “Christmas in…

Upcoming: Ballet Under The Stars at Hartwood Acres on Sunday, July 25th One of our favorite end-of-summer traditions is back! Gather friends and family, pack your picnic blankets and head over to beautiful Hartwood Acres for some late afternoon family fun, followed by an evening of outdoor ballet – free to the public! PBT …

By SHARON EBERSON The stage adaptation of Young Frankenstein holds a special place in my heart, and not just because the movie version ranks high on my Beloved Films List.  The musical led to a phone interview with the person atop my Beloved Funny Person List: Mel Brooks.  I am reminded of that momentous phone…

Hello, and welcome to The Crush Bar, a Substack about theatre written by me, Fergus Morgan. This newsletter is the first in a series of special issues focusing on the Edinburgh Fringe, which runs throughout August. Each one will contain a brief round-up of updates from the festival, plus recommendations for five shows to see.…

Opening July 19th, the production is Directed by company member Katy Chmurra.  The setting is a squalid farm home occupied by a family filled with suppressed violence and an unease born of deep-seated unhappiness. The characters are a ranting alcoholic grandfather; a sanctimonious grandmother who goes on drinking bouts with the local minister; and their sons,…

By SHARON EBERSON For as long as fans want to hear Let It Go and Defying Gravity, songs that Idina Menzel put on the map of Viral Hits, she will gladly keep singing them. Her concert coming to the Benedum Center on August 10, 2024, is part of her Take Me or Leave Me Tour…

By JESSICA NEU Whether you are a Star Wars aficionado, could identify Yoda, or have ridden a ride in Star Wars land at Disney, odds are you can recognize the opening score of the franchise films. Composer John Williams’ score remains an iconic piece of music that has remained part of the cultural zeitgeist since the first Star Wars…

By SHARON EBERSON Brace yourself for Oleanna. The David Mamet drama is not a pleasant diversion on a hot summer’s day, nor is it meant to be. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and provocateur aims to challenge beliefs we may hold to be self-evident, often on the most infuriating, offensive terms – his terms. The current Kinetic…

By SHARON EBERSON The comeback of Pittsburgh International Classic Theatre – PICT, in all of its incarnations – hits a new stride, with the announcement of two productions in Carnegie, PA, venues, the first in September and the next, in March 2025. Since being named artistic director in February 2023, Elizabeth Elias Huffman has created…