by Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant A group of thirteen-year-old dancers in Liverpool, Ohio give it their all to win a series of dance competitions that will get them to Nationals in Tampa, Florida in Clare Barron’s absurdist play, “Dance Nation.” Side note: Tampa, Florida is the Mecca to this dance troupe. The girls speak… Read more »
The Vivant Vault
Theatre
Welcome to the ‘Burgh Vivant archives. Here you can scroll through years of features and commentary on Pittsburgh arts & culture. Or search by keyword for segments on a particular company, organization, artist, restaurant, event, or performance.
The Politics of Colorism – a review of “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play”
By Tiffany Raymond, ‘Burgh Vivant The Pittsburgh Public Theater’s production of “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” takes place in 1986 at a girls’ boarding school in Ghana. In delving into pecking orders and prettiness rankings, Ghanaian American playwright, Jocelyn Bioh, makes transparent the universal nature of high school mean girls. Paulina (Markia… Read more »
No Bees in This Beehive – A review of “Hairspray”
By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant Pretty, perky, pleasantly plump. Tracy Turnblad (Caroline Connell) is a teenager in 1962 Baltimore. Her hair reflects the times – with so much applied hairspray that even a 50 mile-an-hour wind does not move it. She loves to dance and rushes home from high school every day to watch the… Read more »
A Change is Gonna Come – a review of “One Night in Miami”
By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant On an auspicious night in Miami, the new World Heavyweight Champion, Cassius Clay (Thomas Walter Booker), celebrates his success with his friends; football player Jim Brown (Quincy Chad), spiritual leader and social activist Malcolm X (Avery Glymph) and singer/songwriter Sam Cooke (Dwayne Washington) in “One Night in Miami” by… Read more »
Youth is full of sport – a review of “Much Ado About Nothing”
Tiffany Raymond, ‘Burgh Vivant Steven Wilson’s new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” at the Pittsburgh Playhouse takes risks – and reaps the rewards. Wilson not only wrote the adaptation, but he directs the production. Wilson’s adaptation takes place in World War II-era Italy after the Italians have allied with the U.S. He… Read more »
An article of importance – a review of “Or,”
By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant Poet, playwright and spy Aphra Behn (Georgia Mendes) welcomes King Charles II (Dylan T. Jackson) into her life and into her bed in “Or,” a play about England’s first female playwright by Liz Duffy Adams. Once the king resumes his throne, after the death of Cromwell, he frees Aphra… Read more »
We’ll Have Nun of That – A review of “Over the Tavern”
By Claire DeMarco, ‘Burgh Vivant In the 1950’s in upper state New York the Pazinski’s, a Polish Catholic family, live above Chet’s Bar and Grill, the eponymous establishment run by Chet Pazinski (Steven F. Gallagher). Chet and his wife Ellen (Megan May) have four teenage children, Rudy (Dylan Lawton), Georgie (Ben Meyer), Annie (Delilah Hartlage)… Read more »
Dark Lady – a review of “The Woman in Black”
By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant Mr. Arthur Kipps (Martin Giles) hires an Actor (James FitzGerald) to help him tell a frightening story from his past in Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s Gothic horror novel, “The Woman in Black.” In the prior year, Kipps sequesters himself from his family on Christmas Eve because they… Read more »
Love, Labor and Loss – a review of “Shakespeare’s Will”
By Michael “Buzz” Buzzelli, ‘Burgh Vivant On the night of his funeral, Anne Hathaway (Sheila McKenna) recounts her love, labors and her losses in Vern Thiessen’s “Shakespeare’s Will.” She tells the tale of meeting young William Shakespeare, her future husband, at the fair in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the town where the two grew up. She details… Read more »
Review: FOREVER PLAID, Pittsburgh CLO
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“A lighthearted, nostalgic stroll down memory lane:” Lonnie the Theater Lady talks Pittsburgh CLO’s FOREVER PLAID, performing at the Greer Cabaret Theater through December 29th. For tickets or more information, visit www.pittsburghclo.org.
