By SHARON EBERSON Charles Gray, who served as executive director of Pittsburgh CLO from 1982 to 1996, years that included the founding of the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School …
By SHARON EBERSON It’s hard to imagine how a play with so much Pittsburgh heart and soul was met with such fondness in previous productions in Los Angeles and Chicago, and now that Andy Wa…
UPDATE: After this story was published, Susan Davey had to leave the production and was replaced by Phoebe Lloyd (Carnegie Mellon Class of 2023). By SHARON EBERSON “It’s a typical Pittsb…
By SHARON EBERSON You can see Carnegie Mellon School of Drama alumni on almost any given day there is a live performance in the region, but the university was looking for a direct way to bri…
By SHARON EBERSON Kelli O’Hara’s voice emanated from the phone Thursday morning, talking about Shirley Jones. Musical royalty gushing about royalty. Sublime. There’ll be more of that a…
By SHARON EBERSON The easiest decision about celebrating Shirley Jones’ life, career and legacy was that it would take place in Pittsburgh. “I wouldn’t have wanted to do it anywhere …
By SHARON EBERSON Fresh but still glowing with period flare, and dare I say fun when the subject is murder, Pittsburgh Public Theater’s 50th season is off to a fine-tuned, stylish start. T…
The trio comprises Back to the Future tour, Disney’s Frozen and Camelot By SHARON EBERSON Pittsburgh CLO’s 2025 three-show summer season, announced to subscribers on Friday, arrives as p…
By SHARON EBERSON It took persistence to bring Andy Warhol’s Tomato home, and that, Elizabeth Elias Huffman has in abundance. The artistic director of the new PICT (Pittsburgh Internationa…
By SHARON EBERSON For more than a year, two Pittsburgh actors have been assessing William Shakespeare’s Macbeth anew, with the purpose of coaxing from the text something fresh and meaningf…
By SHARON EBERSON Kinetic energy is the vibe emanating from Pittsburgh Public Theater as the Cultural District company rolls into season No. 50, kicking off with Dial M For Murder. Every wee…
By SHARON EBERSON Pittsburgh Public Theater opens its 50th season with a 21st-century look at the classic thriller Dial M for Murder. As in the original BBC teleplay and the 1954 Alfred Hi…
I have come here today… to talk about the ground on which I stand and all the many grounds on which I and my ancestors have toiled, and the ground of theater on which my fellow artists and…
By SHARON EBERSON The colorful totem outside of a Shadyside storefront signifies a convergence happening there, at Eons Fashion Antique, inspired by the man for all seasons inside. Richard P…
Deana Muro and Joe Jackson accept the challenge of staging a beast of a musical for Front Porch By SHARON EBERSON Music director Deana Muro called the prospect of Bandstand terrifying. So sh…
By SHARON EBERSON There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home … Three Broadway shows in three nights (more on that later) and a “planes, trains and automobiles” adventur…
By SHARON EBERSON Mark Clayton Southers pauses periodically to instruct son Marcus and nephew Matthew as they work behind the scenes: “Lemme see what you got. Oh, perfect. Get the big ladd…
By SHARON EBERSON The Mercer family is having a party, and they want you as their guest. But beware. A lot more than mingling will be asked of you. The immersive, interactive, haunting exp…
By SHARON EBERSON Naughty can be oh so nice when it’s done with devilish wit, a knowing wink and catchy melodies, and few in my lifetime have mastered that combination as well as Mel Brook…
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 …
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 …
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 pro…
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, P…
By SHARON EBERSON The Music Man reminds us of a time when hardworking, small-town folk cherished simple pleasures, a time when women gossiped, men feuded, teens rebelled, and a charming, cun…
Lure of Pittsburgh CLO show proves irresistible to stars By SHARON EBERSON If you see a gent walking around Downtown, carrying a straw hat that seems like something out of the 19-aughts, you…