Pittsburgh Theater Reviews

Review: FALSETTOS at Front Porch Theatricals Pairs a Warm Heart with a Cold Shoulder
by Greg Kerestan - May 24, 2023

William Finn's neurotic queer musical epic isn't necessarily user-friendly, but Pittsburgh's best local playhouse still manages to find the warmth amidst the dysfunction....

Review: YOUNG AMERICANS Takes a Road Trip at Pittsburgh Public Theater
by Greg Kerestan - May 08, 2023

Lauren Yee's time-bending new play shows the power of identity, family and a really good mixtape....

Review: MANDY PATINKIN IN CONCERT: BEING ALIVE Is Uncompromisingly Unique at Pittsburgh Playhouse
by Greg Kerestan - May 06, 2023

There's a reason Patinkin is a legend, and it's because he is so permanently himself and no one else....

Review: TINA Rocks and Rolls Down the River at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - April 08, 2023

This jukebox rocker may not be 'simply the best' in the genre, but its energy and surreal touches make it stand out from the pack....

Review: BEETLEJUICE Brings Big Demon Energy to the Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - February 24, 2023

Go see Beetlejuice. Go see Beetlejuice. Go see Beetlejuice. Okay, storytime! I have a personal connection to the Beetlejuice musical on two levels. First, when I was a senior in high school and a freshman in college, I followed Stephen Sondheim's advice on learning how to write by adapting an existi...

Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM IN HARLEM Shakes Up Shakespeare at Pittsburgh Public Theater
by Greg Kerestan - February 10, 2023

Justin Emeka's riotous reimagining is the best Shakespeare in Pittsburgh since 'Othello' at the Public....

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME Combines Brecht and NPR at City Theatre
by Greg Kerestan - February 09, 2023

Pleasantly disorienting, this pseudo-docutheatre raises questions large and small....

Review: KINKY BOOTS Rocks its Regional Premiere at The Lamp Theatre
by Greg Kerestan - February 06, 2023

A stripped-down presentation and some local grit (plus actual queens) helps this show find its footing in a small production....

Review: HAIRSPRAY at Benedum Center Is A New Golden Oldie
by Greg Kerestan - January 06, 2023

This super-sixties musical continues to feel fresh, while also seeming like it's been around forever....

Review: A CHRISTMAS STORY Is A Perfect Salty Cookie at Pittsburgh Public Theater
by Greg Kerestan - December 09, 2022

The smartest, stupidest, most beloved Christmas tale of the twentieth century comes to life, and then some, in Michael Berresse's farcical production....

Review: FRONT PORCH CABARET Reunites Old Friends at Front Porch Theatricals
by Greg Kerestan - November 30, 2022

Front Porch announces a season of Finn and Sondheim, in an evening of song and stories. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to measure the pulse of the Pittsburgh theatre scene, you will feel it the most intensely and regionally in Front Porch. The company's mission to produce exciting musicals spe...

Review: HADESTOWN Exceeds the Hype at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - November 20, 2022

The gritty folk-opera sensation isn't the second coming of Hamilton, it's the second coming of RENT....

Review: FRANKENSTEIN Resurrects a Classic at Prime Stage
by Greg Kerestan - November 11, 2022

What did our critic think of FRANKENSTEIN at Prime Stage? I'm a lifelong horror buff, devouring the Famous Monsters of Filmland on celluloid and printed page, as well as the artsy, philosophical 'elevated horror' that has become a literary and cinematic movement in the last decade. Both the schlocky...

Review: FROZEN Is an Icy Blast at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - October 13, 2022

Disney's biggest 'princess show' ever is weirder and more fun than you remember. When Frozen fever hit a decade ago, it was inescapable. No matter how you felt about Anna, Elsa and Olaf, they were quickly overexposed. Bizarre Frozen merchandise is still on the shelves to this day- Frozen cereal, Els...

Review: GRAND HOTEL Seasons Melodrama with Melody at Front Porch Theatricals
by Greg Kerestan - August 24, 2022

The New Hazlett is the perfect place for this sophisticated, wildly ambitious, almost overstuffed, musical soap opera....

Review: Pittsburgh CLO's SISTER ACT Brings Disco Delight at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - August 14, 2022

What a way to end the season- a toe-tapping, hilarious disco throwback....

Review: Pittsburgh CLO Slightly Reinvents GODSPELL at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - July 19, 2022

Pittsburgh's greatest musical theatre creation comes home, in a production that's something old, something new. If you're going to talk about musicals in Pittsburgh, let alone musicals FROM Pittsburgh, the story is ultimately going to revolve around Godspell. Created by bookwriter John-Michael Tebel...

Review: LEND ME A TENOR Brings Classic Laughs at Saint Vincent Summer Theater
by Greg Kerestan - July 14, 2022

What did our critic think? A local institution reborn post-pandemic, the summer farce at Saint Vincent returns with a bang. When people think of summer stock, there's a mental image of college students and outdated hoofers, sometimes even a former TV star, sweating their way through outdated musical...

Review: Pittsburgh CLO's KINKY BOOTS Makes Everybody Say 'Yeah!' at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - July 12, 2022

What did our critic think? This kicky, soulful musical comedy may be slightly outdated already, but it's got heels full of heart....

Review: PUFFS Provides Hilarious, Filthy Fun at CLO Cabaret
by Greg Kerestan - July 11, 2022

The adult-oriented evening performances of the Potter parody are a gut-busting mix of improv, nostalgia and theatre magic....

Review: Pittsburgh CLO's THE DROWSY CHAPERONE Produces an Unexpected Understudy at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - June 29, 2022

What did our critic think? This 'good musical about a bad musical' is full of surprises, and none greater than the Saturday matinee....

Review: NUNSENSE Proves a Hard Habit to Break at Saint Vincent Summer Theater
by Greg Kerestan - June 18, 2022

It may be a product of its time, but what a surprisingly weird, subversive show it can be....

BWW Review: ROCK OF AGES Burns Down the House at The Lamp Theater
by Greg Kerestan - June 14, 2022

What did our critic think? Split Stage continues to provide a haven for adult-oriented semi-pro theatre. The plot, overly convoluted by design, parodies eighties movie comedies with a 'let's save the rock venue' stream of cliches that get mercilessly savaged. Wannabe rocker Drew (Gabe DeRose) can't ...

BWW Review: BITES AND PINTS FESTIVAL Returns Live Music and Delicious Food to Kennywood Park
by Greg Kerestan - June 14, 2022

What did our critic think? There are a few cultural institutions in the Pittsburgh area of which I'm not just a supporter, I'm an outright stan. Chief among these are the Pittsburgh CLO summer season, the annual farce at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre (more on that later this week), and the Bites and ...

BWW Review: JERSEY BOYS Sings Tight, Sweet Harmony at Benedum Center
by Greg Kerestan - June 09, 2022

Des McAnuff's once-revolutionary 'biopic musical' is still the best in its genre....