Category: The Shaker

Inside dish on interviews, editorials, events listings, musings from the minds of BV’s contributors, viewer mail, and other bits of fabulousness — It all goes into The Shaker, ‘Burgh Vivant’s bacchanalian bulletin board. Saddle up to the bar, and get ready for another round of what’s shakin’!

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The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s To To-Dos THIS WEEKEND (2/27 – 3/1)

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by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh the last weekend of February.

 

Talk About It

Ten people will stand up and tell true stories at The Moth’s Pittsburgh GrandSLAM III. The theme is “When Worlds Collide” with host Alan Olifson and musical guests Sarah Siplak of the Wreckids. True stories told live on Thursday, February 26 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh.  For more information, go to http://themoth.org/events/event/pittsburgh-moth-grandslam-iii-when-worlds-collide/

 

Get on the Bus, Gus

The B.U.S. is back for its tenth year! The B.U.S. (Bricolage Urban Scrawl) is a fundraiser that puts theatre-making at the heart of the event. Bricolage will collaborate with over 40 local theatre artists, asking them to risk their creative necks for this unconventional and exhilarating fundraiser experience. Inspired by a 90-minute city bus ride, these daring artists have just 24 hours to write, direct, and memorize six new 10-minute plays.  Made up stories told live Saturday, February 28 at New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh.  For more information, go to http://www.bricolagepgh.org/

 

Boom, Boom, Boom, Let’s Go Back to My Room

Saturday, February 28, three impov troupes vie for the championship at “Make Nice Boom.” The champs, Well Known Strangers, take on two new contenders LGBTQ*Bert and Yeah Those Guys. Each team will vie for your votes while doing hilarious improvisational comedy.  Taste the rainbow at Cativo, 14644th Street, Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville).  For more information, go to http://www.unplannedcomedy.com/

 

Sisters are doing it for themselves

The “Sisters Sorella, an original monthly sitcom” returns to the Arcade Comedy Theater. Three Italian sisters, played by Tressa Glover, Julianne Avolio, and Maggie Carr, are some spicy meatball makers. It’s a live sitcom and it’s hilarious. It happens Friday and Saturday at the Arcade Comedy Theater, 811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh.  For more information, go to http://www.nonameplayers.org/

 

Ghosts

On February 27th Virginia Gruenert’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Ghosts” opens at the Off the Wall Theater in Carnegie. Mrs. Helen Alving has accepted her pastor’s counsel and endured her husband’s many infidelities in silence. Ten years after his death, she is about to dedicate an orphanage to his memory. Her son, Oswald, kept innocent after his father’s profligacy, returns home for the dedication. His attraction to the housemaid conjures up ghosts of his parents’ unhappy marriage. This disastrous romance, along with Oswald’s increasing symptoms of the venereal disease inherited from his father, force Mrs. Alving to confront her own “Ghosts.”  Go haunt the Off the Wall Theater, 25 East Main Street, Carnegie.  For more information, go to http://www.insideoffthewall.com/

 

-MB.

 

 

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Black Lives Matter in FOR THE TREE TO DROP

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Review by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

 

Set Sophocles’ “Antigone” to the tune of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” and you get Lissa Brennan’s “For the Tree to Drop,” a dark, haunting microcosm of murder and injustice in the Deep South.

A slave, Henry (Justin Lonesome) attempts to escape his bonds and run away. Unfortunately, there is no escape for the doomed slave. He is brought down by a pack of dogs. Edgar (David Whalen) is compelled to set an example of Henry and hangs him from a tall tree yards away from the main house of his vast plantation.

Henry’s sister, Estella (Siovhan Christensen) stands vigil over the rotting corpse dangling from the tree. She forgoes her duties as a laundress in the main house and digs into the earth with her fingers, insisting on a proper burial for her brother’s body.

Another house slave, Theenie (Linda Haston), realizes that Estella’s defiance will have horrifying consequences for the other slaves at the plantation and seeks to dissuade the young girl from her course of action. Edgar is enraged by Estella’s disobedience, but cannot deter her from her mission. He is reluctant to inflict punishment on the girl. Suffice to say, he has his reasons.

From the window of the main house, Clarinda (Karen Baum), Edgar’s wife, is repulsed by Henry’s hanging body on her front lawn and wishes to aid Estella in burying him, even though it will incense her husband.

Aside from “Antigone” and Abel Meeropol’s poem (the original composition of Holiday’s song), “Strangefruit,” Brennan’s play reverberates with echoes of literary giants. It is peppered with Shakespearean references and allusions, and there is a familiar conceit from Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.”

The play is a brisk 65 minute opus, with no intermission. The dialogue smolders with intensity. It’s an important piece of work. Not only because reflects on the horrors of the Antebellum era, but it pulsates with commentary on contemporary society.

Best of all, it is a play written by a local playwright performed by local actors, and it is triumphant. Proving that Pittsburgh isn’t just for sports enthusiasts anymore. There is a plethora of local talent and director Alan Stanford mines that eponymous talent expertly.

Christensen is able to go toe-to-toe with Whalen. It’s no easy feat, but she accomplishes the Herculean task with aplomb. Her performance is heart-wrenching.

Ironically, I first encountered Lonesome in a local production of “Antigone” last season at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. He is charismatic and charming as the ill-fated slave.

Haston depicts Theenie with style and grace. At first, Theenie seems to be the comic relief, but Brennan (with Haston’s help) takes the character to darker and more mysterious places.

It should go without saying, but Whalen and Baum are treasures in Pittsburgh’s burgeoning theater scene. Praising them has become redundant. Whalen is frightening as the vengeful plantation owner, and Baum is luminescent as Clarinda. It would be gauche to say that Clarinda is equally trapped by her circumstances, but there is a deep sadness behind the bored belle’s eyes. Baum executes the unspoken anguish flawlessly.

The setting is sparse, picture Cosmo Kramer’s perfect apartment (it’s all about levels). The set, however, is enhanced by Jessi Sedon-Essad’s multi-media projection design, as well as the gorgeously crafted costumes from Joan Markert.

While Twitter and Facebook buzz with trendy aphorisms like “Black Lives Matter,” Brennan is pulling back the veil and remembering a time when black lives mattered even less, and the result is a powerful, thought-provoking play. “For the Tree to Drop” reminds us that we will someday transcend our cruelty and barbarism as we inch up the evolutionary ladder. There will always be heroes and heroines who strive for a more just and egalitarian society. Someone must make the first, painful step upward.

(“For the Tree to Drop” runs through February 28 at PICT’s new downtown location, inside the Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh)

 

-MB.

 

 

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The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (2/19 – 2/22)

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by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

 

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh the weekend of February 19 – 22.

 

Don’t Stop the Motion

Alexis Gideon and a team of artistic collaborators present the world premiere of The Crumbling, a 21 minute narrative stop-motion animated opera that combines projected video with live music.  Follow the trials of an apprentice librarian as she tries to save her city from crumbling down around her. I’m picturing Burgess Meredith and some broken spectacles, but I suspect it will be far different from that.  It starts, stops, and starts again at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh (North Side).  For more information, go to http://newhazletttheater.org/

 

Johnny Dangerously

John McIntire is about to get dangerous again. He’ll be talking about the First Amendment with panelists; Post-Gazette cartoonist Rob Rogers, ACLU dude Vic Walczak and Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner in the Freedom of Speech episode of the Dangerously Live Talk Show at the Cabaret Theater in Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh.  For more information, go to https://trustarts.culturaldistrict.org/event/3303/the-john-mcintire-dangerously-live-comedy-talk-show

 

Bet on Black

Race to the Coffin Comedy presents Comedy Roulette: Comedy with a Catch, featuring Jesse Irvin, Shannon Norman, Molly Sharrow, Holly Price, Ed Bailey, and Hosted by John Dick Winters at Club Café, 56-58 12th Street, Pittsburgh (South Side) on Friday, February 22. For more information, go to ttp://www.ticketweb.com/clubcafe

 

Downtown!

PICT kicks off its new season of plays with its new Downtown Series with Lissa Brennan’s “For the Tree to Drop.” February 19 – 28, 2015 at The Peirce Studio inside the Trust Arts Education Center, 805 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222  For more information, go to http://www.picttheatre.org/2015/02/10/for-the-tree-to-drop-is-a-breath-taking-world-premiere-by-a-pittsburgh-playwright/

 

Roll Over, Beethoven

Huzzah! This weekend it’s Beethovenfest: the Hero! Conducter Manfred Honeck brings you the music of Beethoven “Heroic” middle period, including symphony No. 3 in E-Flat major, Opus 55, and “Eroica.” It’s the second of three Beethoven symphonies from each of the three important periods of his life.  You’ll find beautiful music at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh (Downtown). For more information, go to http://trustarts.culturaldistrict.org/production/40185/beethovenfest-the-hero

 

– MB.

 

 

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No Name Players announces SWAN Day Pittsburgh 2015

 

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PITTSBURGH, PA  – The 7th annual SWAN Day Pittsburgh will be unlike any other SWAN Day our city has seen before! On Saturday March 14th, The Twentieth Century Club in Oakland will be filled with WORLD PREMIERE works by local female MUSICIANS, CHOREOGRAPHERS, THEATRE ARTISTS, FILMMAKERS, VISUAL ARTISTS, LIVE PAINTERS and more. It’s all in celebration of SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day. No Name Players has asked participating SWAN Day Pittsburgh 2015 artists to submit works using this idea as inspiration: “Everyone has an untold story hidden behind closed doors. Try to understand that people are not always as they first seem.”

There is no other event in Pittsburgh that showcases world premiere works by local women artists from so many disciplines. Please join us as we do our part to honor the power of women artists and their work.

Featured artists include: Kahmeela Adams, Brooke Annibale, Judith Avers, Jackie Baker, David Bielewicz, Jennifer Buck, Camelia Road, Siovhan Christensen, Angela Citrola, Continuum Dance Theater, Ashley Cornwall, Tiara Dinkins, Jessica Heberle, Aimee Manion, Jena Oberg, Gayle Pazerski, Bridgette Perdue, Rachna Rajen, Reed Dance, Danielle Rode, Elizabeth L. Ruelas, Texture Contemporary Ballet, Bria Walker, Students from Act One Theatre School and Pittsburgh CAPA and more!

Tickets for SWAN Day Pittsburgh 2015 are available online at ShowClix (http://www.showclix.com/event/3918385) and are priced at $25 presale and $30 at the door.

Recommended for mature audiences.

If you are interested in attending or scheduling interview time with Producing Artistic Director Tressa Glover, please contact us at your earliest convenience and we will be happy to make arrangements.

For more information about No Name Players and/or SWAN Day, please visit www.nonameplayers.org or www.swanday.org, or please contact Don DiGiulio at don@nonameplayers.org or 412.496.0393.

The Twentieth Century Club is located at 4201 Bigelow Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

 

 

 

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Historical Fiction becomes Hysterical Fiction with PRUSSIA: 1866

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Review by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

 

Playwright Gab Cody takes a healthy portion of Oscar Wilde, a soupçon of Noel Coward, and throws in a dash of the Moliere for good measure in her world premiere play, “Prussia: 1866.” It’s a comedy of manners, wherein all of the characters behave without manners.

Drew Palajsa plays Friedrich “Fritz” Nietzsche (yes, that Nietzsche). Fritz is desperately in love with his tutor’s wife, Mariska (Laura Lee Brautigam). His mutton-chopped tutor, Heinrich Von Klump (Philip Winters) is oblivious. Meanwhile, Heinrich’s secretary (secret co-writer), Rosemary (Gab Cody) is in love with Heinrich, even though she is being pursued by a handsome American Delegate (Sam Turich). The maid, Karoline (Hayley Neilsen), literally swoons over Fritz. If that wasn’t complicated enough, Griselda Eberstark (Mary Rawson) has her own giant monkey wrench to throw into the plot.

 

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Prussia: 1866 | Philip Winters | Photo: Jeff Swensen, 2015

Though Nietzsche was a real person, the rest of this historical fiction, very, very fictional historical fiction. The only truth of the play is that Friedrich Nietzsche was 22 in 1866 and living in Prussia. The rest rides in on the trolley from Make Believe (Note: The playwright has written segments for “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood”). Nietzsche probably wouldn’t have minded the revisionist take on his life. He believed that history was always being rewritten. Although, he would probably take umbrage for being portrayed as a Dionysian character, ruled by disorder, intoxication, emotion and ecstasy. But what lovely Dionysian chaos “Prussia: 1866” stirs up.

Cody throws in philosophy, sexual politics, religion and suffrage. Don’t assume this is an overly-intellectual play that drones on about man’s (and woman’s) place in the world. It’s a zany comedy with allusions of intellectual grandeur, and it’s delightful.

Comedy works best when the actors take it seriously. The characters must believe they will live or die from their actions and decisions in the absurd world they live in. Cody’s Fritz believes he will die without Mariska’s love. Palajsa nails it. He is immersed in Fritz’s madcap machinations. He is also fearless, playing a chunk of the first act naked.

Mary Rawson’s Griselda Eberstark channels Maggie Smith, playing the character with all the imperiousness of Lady Bracknell (“The Importance of Being Earnest”), Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess (“Downton Abbey) and Aunt Charlotte (“Room with a View”). Eberstark is haughty and over-bearing, but, unlike the aforementioned dowagers and spinster aunt, she is a libertine. Rawson plays her both sly and supercilious. The incongruity is hilarious.

Sam Turich’s American Delegate is a delight. His befuddlement as he bounces off the language barrier was laugh-out-loud funny. Cody compounds the comedy with a delightful bit of purposeful misinterpreted interpretation.

Director Kim Martin does a fantastic job, especially when the actors are zipping around in and out of doors and passageways or falling out of windows. There is a kinetic ballet in the second act that is executed flawlessly thanks to Martin’s direction.

High praise must be lauded on Hayley Neilsen’s Karoline. She is uproariously funny as the protestant maid. It is a small part played large by the young actor. Nietzsche and the Von Klamp’s summoned the maid with a bell. Whenever the bell sounded, it produced Pavlovian tittering. The audience expected hilarity with every ring, and they received it in kind. For some inexplicable reason, the Prussian protestant speaks with a cockney accent, but, like the plot, it doesn’t really matter.

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Prussia: 1866 | From left: Drew Palajsa, Laura Lee Brautigam, Gab Cody, Mary Rawson, Philip Winters | Photo: Jeff Swensen, 2015

“Prussia: 1866” is not only funny, but beautifully rendered by the cast and crew. There were excellent costumes by Cathleen Cocker-Perry. A special merit must be awarded for Brautigam’s Seussical hairstyle. The set is a sumptuous design in sea foam green by Stephanie Mayer-Staley. The lighting design by Andrew David Ostrowski was superb. The production team created an unusual technique for making fire using steam, wind and light. It was a clever effect.

Toward the end, the play collapses into silliness. If you’re willing to go along for the ride, you’re in for a treat. “Prussia: 1866” isn’t perfect, but it’s perfectly fun.

“Prussia: 1866” runs through February 22 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.

 

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Pittsburgh Opera announces its 77th Season

 

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Pittsburgh, PA… Pittsburgh Opera announces its 2015-2016 season. The season includes four operas produced at the Benedum Center, and two Resident Artist operas, including the annual production at Pittsburgh CAPA Theater and the new Second Stage Project at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters.


PERFORMANCES

Verdi’s NABUCCO

Director and set designer Bernard Uzan conceived this visually dazzling production of Verdi’s early work, starring Mark Delavan (Rigoletto, 2013) as the troubled monarch Nabucco, and sizzling Hungarian soprano Csilla Boross as his daughter Abigaille. Depicting the story of the Jews in exile in Babylon, Nabucco’s epic scale and grandeur (including the famous chorus “Va, pensiero”) doesn’t eclipse the intimate family story that is at the heart of the opera. Nabucco is a traditional production with the added interest of large, impressive projections. Antony Walker conducts.

Mozart’s COSÌ FAN TUTTE, or The School for Lovers

Britain’s “favorite baritone” and the real-life Billy Elliot, Sir Thomas Allen, directs this playful lesson in love–and stars as Don Alfonso, who schools two young couples in fidelity.  Former Resident Artists Jennifer Holloway (Don Giovanni, 2012) and Danielle Pastin (Otello, 2014) star as Dorabella and Fiordiligi, with newcomer Hadleigh Adams as Guglielmo. This Così fan tutte is set in the Italian seaside, in a charming production from Boston Lyric Opera. Antony Walker conducts.

 

Mark Adamo’s LITTLE WOMEN

The Resident Artists of Pittsburgh Opera will star in Pittsburgh Opera’s annual production at CAPA Theater: Mark Adamo’s 1998 Little Women, based on Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War-era coming-of-age novel. Adamo’s opera has enjoyed frequent performances since its debut, including a 2001 broadcast on PBS “Great Performances.” Little Women is a new production by Pittsburgh Opera.

SECOND STAGE PROJECT: 27
The company’s Second Stage Project takes up residence for a third year in the George R. White Studio at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters in the 2015-16 season. Starring the Resident Artists, the production is inspired by the Studio’s flexible performance space and the desire to explore adventurous repertoire. The 2016 Second Stage Project is Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27. Named for the address of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’s salon at 27 Rue de Fleurus in Paris, 27 is a snapshot of the women’s shared lives and their famous friends, including Picasso, Hemingway, and Matisse, who stop in to visit. 27 is a new production by Pittsburgh Opera.

Rossini’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

As do many comedies, The Barber of Seville begins with a fellow who’s smitten by a pretty girl. However, not many comedies have that madcap quality that has made it such a popular favorite, given the Hollywood treatment in this zany production. A stellar cast also makes this opera a “don’t miss,” including former Resident Artist Jonathan Beyer (La bohème, 2009) as Figaro, local favorite Kevin Glavin (La bohème, 2014) as Bartolo, and debuts by rising stars Emily Fons (Rosina) and Michele Angelini (Almaviva). Antony Walker conducts.

Stravinsky’s THE RAKE’S PROGRESS

Concluding the 2015-‘16 mainstage season is the landmark David Hockney production of The Rake’s Progress, now owned by Pittsburgh Opera. This fable, based on William Hogarth’s famous series of engravings of the same name, bears an impressive pedigree, not only in the Hockney sets and costumes, but in W. H. Auden’s libretto and Stravinsky’s electrifying score. Star tenor Alek Shrader debuts as Tom Rakewell, alongside Layla Claire (The Magic Flute, 2013) and David Pittsinger (The Capulets and the Montagues, 2006) as Nick Shadow. Antony Walker conducts; Roy Rallo directs.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Pittsburgh Opera’s signature fundraiser galas bookend each season: The Diamond Horseshoe Ball ramps up the excitement, and Maecenas puts on the finishing touch. The 61st annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball kicks off the 2015-‘16 season October 9, 2015, paired with Nabucco as part of a sparkling Opening Weekend. In mid-season, back by popular demand, is our splashy New Year’s Eve celebration with dinner, entertainment, and a party, on December 31, 2015 at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Maecenas XXXII will carry on the tradition of Pittsburgh Top Ten parties on May 14, 2016, closing the season with panache.

FREE AND LOW-COST EVENTS

Pittsburgh Opera strives to bring opera to all members of the community and is pleased to continue offering free and low-cost events in the 2015-‘16 season. Introducing its Resident Artists to the community, Pittsburgh Opera presents Rising Stars, Sunday, September 20, 2015 in the George R. White Opera Studio of Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue). Brown Bag concerts will continue monthly during the season; the insightful Opera Up Close returns five times during the season, too.
The community is also invited to Art Song Recitals, starring the Resident Artists; these recitals are hosted by the Friends of Pittsburgh Opera. Also, the company continues Meet the Artists with  General Director Christopher Hahn, immediately following each Tuesday opera performance.

OPERA BROADCASTS/PREVIEWS

Pittsburgh Opera partners with Classical WQED FM 89.3 to broadcast its opera performances on the airwaves and via the station’s website. Beginning September 5, 2015 with Grand & Glorious, WQED FM 89.3 broadcasts the 2014-‘15 productions at 1:00 PM on consecutive Saturdays, through October 10. WQED also produces half-hour previews of each upcoming opera and broadcasts them twice before each opera’s opening. Specific opera preview dates and times will be announced soon.

TICKETS/SEASON TICKETS

As part of Pittsburgh Opera’s continued efforts to make opera accessible to all members of the community, single tickets for the 2015-‘16 season will again start at just $12. Season tickets are $43 – $671. Single ticket sales begin August 24, 2015. For additional information, call (412) 281-0912, or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.

 

 

THE OPERAS

Nabucco (1842)

By Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on Biblical episodes from the books of Daniel and Jeremiah

Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Last performed at Pittsburgh Opera in 1973
  • Traditional production, from Opera Carolina

Performances of Nabucco
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 8:00 PM          Friday, October 16, 2014 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:00 PM           Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 2:00 PM

 

Overview of Nabucco
Verdi’s career had just begun when his wife died and his second opera Un giorno di regno failed; he swore never to compose again, but was finally persuaded by La Scala’s impresario to read Solera’s libretto for Nabucco. It became a tremendous success: “this is the opera with which my artistic career really begins. And though I had many difficulties to fight against, it is certain that Nabucco was born under a lucky star.”This wrenching story of the plight of the Jews in Babylon, the father-daughter story at its heart, and an exciting production featuring multiple projections makes Nabucco a welcome start to the season.

Pittsburgh Opera welcomes back Mark Delavan as Nabucco, after his acclaimed appearance here as Scarpia/Tosca in 2012 and the title role in Rigoletto (2013). Red-hot Hungarian soprano Csilla Boross debuts in the demanding role of Abigaille, while former Resident Artist Oren Gradus takes the important role of the priest Zaccaria. Bernard Uzan directs; Music Director Antony Walker conducts the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Cast and Artistic Team: Nabucco

Nabucco                                                   Mark Delavan

Abigaille                                                    Csilla Boross +

Fenena                                                     Laurel Semerdjian *

Zaccaria                                                   Oren Gradus **

Ismaele                                                     TBA

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Bernard Uzan

Set Designer                                             Bernard Uzan and Michael Baumgarten

Lighting Designer                                      Michael Baumgarten

Asst. Conductor                                        Glenn Lewis

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Production by Opera Carolina.

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

Così fan tutte, or The School for Lovers (1790)

By W.A. Mozart

Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Last performed at Pittsburgh Opera in 2006
  • Traditional production, from Boston Lyric Opera

Performances of Così fan tutte
Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 8:00 PM        Friday, November 13, 2014 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 7:00 PM       Sunday, November 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM

 

Overview of Così fan tutte
Given how popular Così fan tutte is now, it is hard to believe that it received only a few performances during Mozart’s life, partly due to the long mourning period after the death of his patron, Emperor Joseph II of Austria. Although the subject matter of testing lovers’ fidelity didn’t offend Viennese sensibilities of the time, throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries it was considered risqué. After World War II, the opera finally regained its place in the standard operatic repertoire.

Sir Thomas Allen debuts at Pittsburgh Opera in the dual role of stage director and Don Alfonso. Noted as the inspiration for “Billy Elliot,” Allen has also been called Britain’s “Favorite Baritone.” Former Resident Artist Danielle Pastin, hailed in local media for her role debut here as Desdemona/Otello (2014), returns as Fiordiligi, while another former Resident Artist Jennifer Holloway (Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni, 2012), portrays her friend Dorabella, both subjected to the test of fidelity to their lovers Ferrando and Guglielmo–with no small amount of scheming by Don Alfonso and the maid Despina (Sari Gruber, La bohème, 2014). Music Director Antony Walker conducts.

Cast and Artistic Team: Così fan tutte

Dorabella                                                  Jennifer Holloway **

Fiordiligi                                                    Danielle Pastin **

Guglielmo                                                 Hadleigh Adams +

Ferrando                                                   TBA

Don Alfonso                                              Sir Thomas Allen +

Despina                                                    Sari Gruber

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Sir Thomas Allen +

Set Designer                                             John Conklin
Costume Designer                                   Gail Buckley

Lighting Designer                                      Marcus Dilliard

Asst. Conductor                                        Glenn Lewis

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Production by Boston Lyric Opera.

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

Little Women (1998)

By Mark Adamo

Libretto by Mark Adamo, based on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868)

Sung in English with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at CAPA Theater, 111 Ninth Street, Downtown

  • PITTSBURGH PREMIERE in a NEW PRODUCTION by Pittsburgh Opera

 

Performances of Little Women
Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 8:00 PM          Friday, January 29, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 7:00 PM           Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Overview of Little Women

Louisa May Alcott’s classic coming-of-age novel set in 1860s New England is the inspiration for Mark Adamo’s 1998 opera, which has enjoyed remarkable success, including a PBS “Great Performances” television special in 2001 and much critical acclaim, by The New York Times and others.

Pittsburgh Opera once again features its Resident Artists in major roles in a new production: Corrie Stallings takes the lead as irrepressible Jo; Laurel Semerdjian is the practical Meg; Adelaide Boedecker is the fragile Beth. Pittsburgh Opera will again partner with Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for set design of this new production. Crystal Manich (Rodelinda, 2015) directs; Glenn Lewis (Paul’s Case, 2014) conducts.

Cast and Artistic Team: Little Women

Jo                                                              Corrie Stallings *

Meg                                                          Laurel Semerdjian *

Amy                                                          TBA *

Beth                                                          Adelaide Boedecker *

Laurie                                                        Adam Bonanni *

Brooke                                                      TBA *

Friedrich Bhaer                                         Matthew Scollin *

Conductor                                                 Glenn Lewis

Stage Director                                          Crystal Manich

Director of Musical Studies                      Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

New production by Pittsburgh Opera

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

 

Second Stage Project: 27 (2014)

By Ricky Ian Gordon

Libretto by Royce Vavrek

Sung in English with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Ave., in the Strip

  • PITTSBURGH PREMIERE in a NEW PRODUCTION by Pittsburgh Opera

Performances of 27
Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 8:00 PM         Friday, February 26, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 7:00 PM         Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Overview of 27
Debuting in June 2014 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and composed for Stephanie Blythe, Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 is already acclaimed for its “quick-witted libretto,” “serious fun” and “tuneful score.” 27 is named for the address of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas’s salon at 27 Rue de Fleurus in Paris, and is a humorous snapshot of the women’s shared lives and their famous visitors, including Picasso, Hemingway, and Matisse. 27 is a new production by Pittsburgh Opera.

 

Cast and Artistic Team: 27

Gertrude Stein                                          Laurel Semerdjian *

Alice B. Toklas                                         Adelaide Boedecker *

Pablo Picasso                                           Adam Bonanni *

Leo Stein                                                  TBA *

Ernest Hemingway                                   Matthew Scollin *

Conductor                                                 TBA

Stage Director                                          Jennifer Williams *

Director of Musical Studies                      Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

New production by Pittsburgh Opera

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni


The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) (1816)

by Giaochino Rossini

Libretto by Cesare Sterbini,

based on a play of the same title by Pierre Beaumarchais

Sung in Italian with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Last performed at Pittsburgh Opera in 2010
  • Hollywood-inspired production, set in a Sevillian movie studio

 

Performances of The Barber of Seville
Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 8:00 PM                  Friday, April 8, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 7:00 PM                   Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 2:00 PM
ALSO: Thursday, April 7: Student Matinee performance at 10:30 AM

 

Overview of The Barber of Seville

One of the wonderful things about a comic masterpiece such as The Barber of Seville is that it lends itself seamlessly to an alternate treatment. Bugs Bunny’s incredibly popular “Rabbit of Seville” is testament to that mutability, and the charming production by Vancouver Opera that comes to Pittsburgh in Spring 2016 takes the action to a movie studio in Seville, with Rosina as its resident starlet and Bartolo as the studio boss. Madcap antics ensue.

Pittsburgh Opera continues to show its pride in its former Resident Artists by bringing back Jonathan Beyer (La bohème, 2009) as Figaro, and Kevin Glavin (La bohème, 2014) as Bartolo. Michele Angelini, Emily Fons, and Brandon Cedel make debuts as Almaviva, Rosina, and Basilio. Linda Brovsky (Rigoletto, 2013) directs; Antony Walker conducts the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

Pittsburgh Opera’s annual Student Matinee will introduce 2000+ school children grades 3-12 to this lively, colorful opera on Thursday, April 7 at the Benedum Center. The Resident Artists take lead roles in the Student Matinee, and are accompanied by the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, in yet another opportunity to hone performance skills.

Cast and Artistic Team: The Barber of Seville

Count Almaviva                                        Michele Angelini +

Figaro                                                       Jonathan Beyer **

Rosina                                                      Emily Fons +

Bartolo                                                      Kevin Glavin **

Basilio                                                       Brandon Cedel +

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Linda Brovsky

Set Designer                                             Allan Stichbury

Costume Designer                                   Parvin Mrhardy

Lighting Designer                                      TBA

Asst. Conductor                                        TBA

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Original production by Vancouver Opera, now owned by Pittsburgh Opera.

+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

The Rake’s Progress (1951)

By Igor Stravinsky

Libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, based loosely on the engravings of

William Hogarth

Sung in English, with English texts projected above the stage

Four performances at the Benedum Center

  • Pittsburgh Opera premiere
  • Production by David Hockney

Performances of The Rake’s Progress
Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 8:00 PM                Friday, May 6, 2016 at 7:30 PM

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 7:00 PM                   Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 2:00 PM

Overview of The Rake’s Progress

A simple fable that has been given “the treatment” in visual art, ballet, film, and opera, Tom Rakewell’s journey from fortunate heir to gambler to inmate at Bedlam resonates most dramatically in the hands of Igor Stravinsky, W. H. Auden, and David Hockney, who designed the sets and costumes. The stellar cast also adds shine to the Pittsburgh premiere of The Rake’s Progress. (In 2001, The Rake’s Progress was performed in Pittsburgh: an abbreviated production with a student orchestra, at Pittsburgh Opera Center. The 2016 performances will be the first that are fully-produced.)

Layla Claire, acclaimed locally as Pamina/The Magic Flute (2013), returns as Anne Trulove, alongside David Pittsinger (The Capulets and the Montagues, 2008) as Nick Shadow. Alek Shrader will bring “youthful vibrant tenor and superb vocalism” to the role of Tom Rakewell, in a Pittsburgh Opera debut. Roy Rallo directs; Music Director Antony Walker conducts the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and Chorus.

 

 

Cast and Artistic Team: The Rake’s Progress

Tom Rakewell                                          Alek Shrader +

Anne Trulove                                            Layla Claire

Nick Shadow                                            David Pittsinger

Baba the Turk                                           TBA

Sellem                                                      TBA

Conductor                                                 Antony Walker

Stage Director                                          Roy Rallo

Set Designer                                             David Hockney

Costume Designer                                   David Hockney

Lighting Designer                                      TBA

Chorus Master                                          Mark Trawka

Associate Coach/Pianist                          James Lesniak

Production from San Francisco Opera; production now owned by Pittsburgh Opera.


+    Pittsburgh Opera debut

*     Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist

**   Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni

 

 

 

Tickets and Group Discounts

Pittsburgh Opera strives to make opera intellectually and financially accessible to a diverse audience and this season is proud to continue offering single tickets starting at $12. In addition to single tickets, the Opera has a wide range of season ticket options, starting at just $43.

Subscribers enjoy the benefits of:

¡  The best seats at the best prices

¡  Easy, FREE ticket exchanges

¡  Split-Pay Plan for Early Birds: up to 5 months to pay for the subscription

¡  Reserved parking at Theater Square Garage

¡  15% subscriber discount on additional single tickets to mainstage operas

¡  20% subscriber discount on the Resident Artist opera

¡  Money-Back Guarantee: – if subscribers are not satisfied with their first opera,

Pittsburgh Opera will refund the balance of the subscription

For tickets, call (412) 456-6666 or visit www.pittsburghopera.org.

Pittsburgh Opera is committed to making opera accessible to all groups in the Pittsburgh area by providing great discounts and special services to group ticketholders. Unlike the large numbers required by many other organizations, a group at Pittsburgh Opera can be as few as 6 people!  For more information about group ticket services and discounts, contact Randy Adams at (412) 281-0912, ext. 213 or groups@pittsburghopera.org.

SPECIAL EVENTS

                                                         

Rising Stars

Sunday, September 20, 2015, 6:00 PM

George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)

Pittsburgh Opera hosts its annual Rising Stars on Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 6:00 PM in the Opera’s Strip District headquarters. Rising Stars is the community’s first opportunity to meet the incoming Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists, using the opera audition process to introduce the singers. This performance is free and open to everyone. At Rising Stars, each Resident Artist first performs a selection of his or her own choosing, followed with one chosen by General Director Christopher Hahn and Music Director Antony Walker. A final aria to conclude the concert is selected by the audience. Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call Emily Grand at (412) 281-0912, ext. 257 for more information.

61st annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball

Friday, October 9, 2015, 7:00 PM

Location TBA

Pittsburgh Opera special events have a reputation for elegance and excitement. The annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball is its signature season kickoff gala, where guests enjoy an evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing, and special entertainment. Each year, one lucky Diamond Horseshoe Ball guest is selected at random to receive a diamond-encrusted pendant in the shape of a horseshoe. The 61st annual Diamond Horseshoe Ball will be held on Friday, October 9, 2015, at a location to be announced. Call Alli Frymoyer at (412) 281-0912, ext. 225 for more information.

 

New Year’s Eve

Thursday, December 31, 2015, 7:30 PM

Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland

Back by popular demand! This glittery event, the only one of its kind in Pittsburgh, returns to Carnegie Music Hall for dinner, entertainment and party to ring in 2015. The entertainment will feature members of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra and our Resident Artists, with details to be announced at a later time. Auld Lang Syne will be held on Thursday, December 31, 2014, at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. Call Alli Frymoyer at (412) 281-0912, ext. 225 for more information.


Maecenas XXXII

Saturday, May 14, 2016, 6:00 PM

Location TBA

Consistently hailed as one of Pittsburgh “Top Ten” parties, Pittsburgh Opera‘s Maecenas is the social event not to be missed! Named for Gaius Maecenas, the wealthy Roman

statesman and cultural patron, the Maecenas gala has developed a reputation for a spectacular environment and great entertainment. Maecenas XXXII will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Specific details will be released at a later date. Call Alli Frymoyer at (412) 281-0912, ext. 225 for more information.

Art Song Recitals

Selected Sundays during the season, 2:00 PM
George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)
In the 2015-‘16 season, Pittsburgh Opera continues to present Art Song Recitals. Each recital offers one-hour performances of art song literature from a variety of composers and styles, featuring Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists. Art Song recital dates, performers and selections will be released at a later date. Call (412) 281-0912, ext. 257 for more information. There is a $5 general admission fee, but Art Song Recitals are free to members of Friends of Pittsburgh Opera and to donors at $50+.

Brown Bag Concerts

Selected Saturdays during the season, 12:00 PM

George R. White Opera Studio, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)

Pittsburgh Opera continues its popular and free Brown Bag Concerts in 2014-‘15. Attracting an average of 157 each month, these informal performances feature the Resident Artists of Pittsburgh Opera. Beginning at 12:00 PM on selected Saturdays of each month, October 2015 – April 2016, these one-hour performances are free and open to everyone. Guests are encouraged to bring a friend and bring a lunch. Friends of Pittsburgh Opera provide a reception after each Brown Bag concert.

Brown Bag Concert Dates 2015-‘16

October 17, 2015                                February 6, 2016

November 14, 2015                            March 19, 2016

December 12, 2015                            April 6, 2016

January 9, 2016

Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 262 for more information about the Brown Bag Concerts.

 

Opera Up Close

Selected Sundays during the season, 2:00 PM

Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue)

Pittsburgh Opera hosts another season of its popular Opera Up Close presentations. These entertaining and insightful programs are offered five times per season in Pittsburgh Opera’s headquarters (2425 Liberty Avenue) in the Strip District. Each Opera Up Close begins with an in-depth musical analysis of the opera with Maestro Antony Walker or a guest conductor, followed by a lively panel discussion. There is a $5 general admission fee, but Opera Up Close events are free to members of Friends of Pittsburgh Opera and to donors at $50+.

Opera Up Close Dates 2015-‘16     

Nabucco – September 27, 2015        27 – February 14, 2016

Cosi fan tutte – October 25, 2015    The Barber of Seville – March 20, 2016

Little Women – January 10, 2016     The Rake’s Progress – April 17, 2016

Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 262 for more information.

Meet the Artists

Ticketholders for each Tuesday opera performance are invited to join General Director Christopher Hahn immediately following the performance to enjoy lively repartee, as Mr. Hahn interviews the stars of the production. This event is free to all Tuesday opera ticketholders, and is held in the Lower Lobby for Benedum performances, in the Black Box for CAPA performances, and in the performance space at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters.

Meet the Artists Dates 2015-‘16

Nabucco –  Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Così fan tutte  – Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Little Women – Tuesday, January 26, 2016 (at CAPA Theater)

27 – Tuesday, February 23, 2016 (at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters)

The Barber of Seville – Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Daughter of the Regiment – Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 214 for more information.

FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera  Events
Friends of Pittsburgh Opera schedules events geared toward fellowship, fundraising, and opera scholarship during the year. Events for 2015-‘16 included a Holiday party, a Valentine’s Day dinner/dance party, salon-type events, and talks by opera aficionados and scholars. The schedule of 2015-’16 FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera events will be announced at a later time.

Additional Events

 

Pittsburgh Opera 2014-‘15 Season Performances on WQED-FM 89.3

Pittsburgh Opera, in collaboration with Classical WQED-FM 89.3, will broadcast the 2014-2015 season productions, giving listeners an opportunity to enjoy the operas all over again. For more information, call (412) 281-0912, ext. 214.


Pittsburgh Opera 2014-‘15 Opera Broadcast Dates

Grand & Glorious – September 5, 2015  Sumeida’s Song – September 26, 2015

Otello – September 12, 2015         Carmen – October 3, 2015
Rodelinda – September 19, 2015             Daughter of the Regiment – October 10, 2015

 

Pittsburgh Opera Previews on WQED-FM 89.3

Hosted by WQED’s Stephen Baum, these previews are broadcast twice before each production opens, giving listeners an in-depth introduction to the singers, music and production of each of the season’s operas. Visit the Pittsburgh Opera website after June 30 for specific dates. For more information, call (412) 281-0912, ext. 214.

 

Pre-Opera Talks

Ticketholders are invited to attend a Pre-Opera Talk one hour before each performance’s

curtain (except the Second Stage Project) in the Main Floor/Orchestra section of the Benedum Center or in the Black Box for CAPA performances. Learn about the composer, the story and some juicy details about the opera! These talks are free to all ticketholders. Visit www.pittsburghopera.org or call (412) 281-0912, ext. 234 for more information.

 

 

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The “Buzz” from Buzzelli: Pittsburgh’s Top To-Do’s THIS WEEKEND (2/12 – 2/15)

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by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

 

Here are the Top Five Things to do in Pittsburgh this week (February 12 – 15)

 

Primed for love

On Valentine’s Day, Prime Stage Theatre has “A night of Love Stories and Songs” in their new studio at 840 Saw Mill Run Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA. Not only will you hear songs and love stories, there’s giving a romantic gift basket for two at the event, so you won’t even have to buy your honey a gift, other than theater tickets. For more information, go to http://primestage.com/shows_and_tickets/2nd_stage.html

 

Grin and Bare it

Robert Morris University Colonial Theatre presents “Bare: A Pop Opera” a musical about the coming-of-age story of five high school seniors at a Catholic boarding school. Feb. 11 through the 15 at Massey Hall, RMU’s Moon Campus, 6001 University Blvd. Moon Township, PA. For more information, go to http://studentlife.rmu.edu/colonial-theatre

 

Three-in-One

It’s “(Yet Another) Evening of One Acts” with Stage Right. Three one act plays by local playwrights will be performed at the Boyd Community Center, 1220 Powers Run Road, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, go to http://www.stagerightboyd.org/

 

Chaste Around

Moll Yellowhammer loves Torchwood (not the “Doctor Who” spinoff), but sadly, she is engaged to Sir Walter Whorehound in “A Chaste Maid in Cheapside.” I’m going just for the names! It’s a night of romantic intrigues and betrayals at Duquesne University’s Peter Mills Theater (Inside Rockwell Hall), 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh. For more information, go to http://www.duqredmasquers.com/#!current-production/c13sl

 

Three Little Maids are We…

If you think Yellowhammer and Whorehound are strange names, meet Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo. The Pittsburgh Savoyards conclude their 77th season with Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado.” It happens at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, 300 Beechwood Avenue, Carnegie. For more information, go to http://www.pittsburghsavoyards.org/wordpress/

 

-MB.

 

 

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Pittsburgh Veteran Actor and Stage Producer Patrick Jordan to be Acknowledged by Pittsburgh’s City Council

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Pittsburgh, February 4, 2015 – Patrick Jordan, The Post-Gazette’s Performer of the Year in 2014, and founder of barebones productions is being recognized by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh for his years of dedication to the community and its cultural enrichment. Since Mr. Jordan founded barebones productions in 2003, he has consistently shown a dedication to the growth of local theater artists by producing challenging, thought provoking, and most of all entertaining plays in an effort to attract young, new theater audiences.

WATCH/LISTEN: ‘Burgh Vivant’s interview with Patrick Jordan – Founder and Artistic Director, barebones productions.

Mr. Jordan was inspired to start his own production company after he did not see what he thought needed to be seen on Pittsburgh stages. Mr. Jordan has said, around the time he started barebones, “there were a lot of plays and playwrights that had been looked over and I didn’t want a generation of Pittsburgh Theatre goers to miss out on them.”  Since he started barebones, Jordan has become one of the most successful theater professionals in Pittsburgh.

In 2014, Mr. Jordan and barebones productions put on two plays, both of which were named as 2014’s best productions by the Post-Gazette. In Steady Rain, Patrick Jordan paired with David Whalen for the challenging drama about two Chicago cops, who were originally played on Broadway by Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman. To round out 2014’s stellar year, he and barebones put on the iconic play, A Streetcar Named Desire, which is barebones most intricate production in its 11 year history

In May 2015, barebones productions will mount the Pittsburgh premiere of Miki Johnson’s American Falls in Braddock on the same site as Kevin Sousa’s new restaurant, Superior Motors.

 Mr. Jordan has been conducting workshops, leading public art projects, and has appeared in speaking and teaching engagements locally and nationally. Patrick Jordan has dedicated his life and company to promoting the arts in Pittsburgh. For these reasons, the Council of the City of Pittsburgh declares Tuesday, February 10, 2015, to be “Patrick Jordan Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.

 

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Clarissa explains it all: Review – MR. JOY, City Theatre

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by Mike “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant.

 

Clarissa is going to explain the situation as best she can. The precocious eleven-year-old, HIV-positive, shoe designer worships Mr. Joy, a Chinese immigrant who owns a shoe repair shop in Harlem. She is one of nine characters in Tangela Large’s metamorphic performance in “Mr. Joy.”

Nine pairs of shoes are set on a city street, each pair reflecting a character in the jigsaw puzzle of shop owner’s life. Playwright Daniel Beaty examines race, socio-economic statuses, and even gender roles through one finely-tuned instrument, the actor herself. The story unfolds as each character comes forward from Large’s body, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, black and white. Each character gets their moment in the sun, and it’s a star turn for Large who plays every single one of them.

Beaty covers a lot of ground, all of it in his neighborhood of Harlem. The issues of social injustice, race, poverty, hate and fear are still polarizing our country. The problems are systemic. It’s an important discussion, but there is a little bit of proselytizing in the play, and it’s preaching to the converted. Still, some of it is difficult to hear. The truth often is.

In every one-person show, where an actor takes on multiple roles, some characters are more interesting than others. DeShawn and Ashes are marvelously represented. They are powerful voices in the multitude and Large inhabits them with aplomb. DeShawn is a street poet whose path goes off the rails pretty quickly. Ashes is a transgendered man-to-woman who longs for a relationship with her republican father, Clifford, and his vapid blonde consort, Rebecca (each is represented as well). Ashes and DeShawn’s stories are riveting. However, Grandma Bessie is a bit of a caricature. She’s a gangster granny with a Kung Fu grip. Large channels Tyler Perry’s Madea for the role.

As the play ended, the audience leapt to their feet with a thunderous applause and Large deserves the lion’s share of the credit. She’s dazzling in the eighty-five minute performance. She’s responsible for every word, every gesture and it’s a helluva feat. However, there are some minor quibbles that rest mostly on the playwright’s shoulders. Beaty instills the play with an overwhelming amount of coincidence. Not only is every character connected to Mr. Joy, every character is connected to each other, and they can’t wait to tell you. Nothing is left to the imagination. At one point, a homeless man tells you how he knows each and everyone one of them. A minor rewrite could easily excise this petty annoyance. There are a few way-to-obvious jokes that should end up on the other side of the delete key.

If there’s a main character in show, other than the unseen Joy himself, it would be Clarissa. She is the emotional core of the story. Unfortunately, the plucky girl also plucks some nerves (Editor’s Note: This reviewer has a pet peeve: adults playing children).

It’s easy to imagine that Beaty set Large loose on the stage by herself and let her run wild, but credit must be attributed to director Lou Jacob. Though I, personally, wish Jacob would have toned down Bessie and Clarissa a bit more, he has a good grasp of the structure and timing of the play. It’s a kinetic and brisk 85 minutes.

Additional credit must be lauded on Artistic Director Tracy Brigden for choosing such a thought-provoking work. With a little more nuance, “Mr. Joy” could be a tremendous piece of theater. There’s enough right with “Mr. Joy” to put it on every theater-goer’s Must See List. The real problems lie in our society. Beaty is picking at a scab that may never heal, but it’s important we pull back the gauze and look at the wound.

“Mr. Joy” runs till February 15 at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh (South Side).

 

-MB.

 

 

 

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Musical Theatre Artists of Pittsburgh announce HOT METAL MUSICALS showcase

 

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Pittsburgh, PA — Musical Theatre Artists of Pittsburgh, the group becoming better known simply as MTAP, announces both the shows and cast for Hot Metal Musicals, the inaugural showcase of members’ work. With generous funding from the Small Arts Initiative of the Heinz Endowments and in cooperation with the Pittsburgh CLO, Hot Metal Musicals will be presented on Monday, March 2, 2015, at 7:15 pm at the Cabaret Theater at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222. The show is free and open to the public; MTAP encourages online reservations at the following website: https://www.artful.ly/store/events/3925. A meet and greet reception with the artists and performers will follow the showcase.

Hot Metal Musicals will focus on musical theatre works-in-progress, presenting one song each from a number of new musicals, even some that have already been produced. That’s the case with Doug Levine’s and Marcus Stevens’s Eastburn Avenue (Playhouse Rep), or Jeremy Richter’s [best imitation] (2014 Pittsburgh Fringe). And Joe Domencic’s The Next Galileo is currently touring schools with the CLO’s Gallery of Heroes program. Other shows have had full public readings, like the MTAP-produced Off with Her Maidenhead by Amy Claussen and James Rushin, or Ted Kociolek’s and Walter Holland’s The Age of Innocence, or Jeanne Drennan’s and David Berlin’s Dear Boy. Other shows, in keeping with MTAP’s focus on building new musicals from the ground up, will give us songs perhaps being heard by the public for the first time: John Keating’s and Sandra Lowell’s Kitty, Stephanie Riso’s The Storm, Frank Gagliano’s and James Rushin’s The Magical Moscow McDonald’s Miracle of Love, Eva Rainforth’s one-woman show, Me, Myself and Others, Chuck Sperry’s Lazarus, and Andy Nagraj’s and Jonathan Spivey’s Murphy’s Law, which is to have a full reading in New York this February.

The audience will also hear a spattering of songs unattached to shows, from members David Michael King (“We Could Easily Fall in Love”), Nanette Midgley (“In Your Arms”), Laurie Klatscher (“Kiss the Cook”), and Laura Lind with the Pittsburgh anthem “Back to the Burgh.”

Two guest teams are also contributing songs from recent shows: Pittsburgh’s own Michael Mitnick, working with collaborators Kim Rosenstock and Will Connolly on Fly by Night; and CMU alums Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond with a song from their new show The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes.

MTAP member and advisor Steve Cuden, co-creator with composer Frank Wildhorn of the Broadway hit Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical, will be Production Director for Hot Metal Musicals. Member Douglas Levine will serve as Music Supervisor and also be at the keyboard, accompanying an ensemble of gifted local singers: Natalie Hatcher, Missy Moreno, Lisa Ann Goldsmith, Eva Rainforth, Justin Lonesome, Eric James Davidson, and Leon Zionts.

MTAP’s focus is new musicals, and it seeks to foster collaboration between musical theatre artists in the region and create opportunities for the development, presentation, and production of new musical theatre. Prospective members, including writers, composers, musicians, performers, managers and producers, are always welcome at meetings, which are held at the Wightman School Community Building in Squirrel Hill. Visit http://mtap.weebly.com/ for more information, including dates of meetings and bios of some of MTAP’s active members. MTAP—Musical Theatre Artists of Pittsburgh is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit service organization.

 

 

 

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