Greg Kerestan
BWW Review: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Raises the Dead at Pittsburgh Public
February 6, 2018
Vaudeville, burlesque and television variety shows may be dead, but Ted Pappas uses the classic Sondheim musical to exhume the bodies and bring them roaring back to life.
BWW Review: THE ABSLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY Walks a Tightrope at City Theatre
February 1, 2018
There are some things it's hard to joke about, but the tasteful crime tragicomedy of James Lecesne's one-man show somehow holds it together.
BWW Review: THE HUMANS Gets Weird on Multiple Levels at Pittsburgh Public
November 20, 2017
If you want to discuss mystery, and I think we need to at this point, there are two essential tropes that must be considered. First, we have Chekhov's gun- if a seemingly important thing is brought up, even casually, near the beginning, it will prove to be important by the end. (Case in point: Chekhov introduces a gun early in Hedda Gabler, and somebody gets shot by the end of the evening.) Second, we have the opposite of Chekhov's gun, the red herring- sometimes, a seemingly important thing is brought up, even casually, to divert attention and create misdirection from what is truly important. (Case in point, Sigmund Freud stated that anything longer than it is wide represented a phallic icon, but justified his own smoking by stating 'sometimes, a cigar can be just a cigar,' not emblematic of anything else.)
BWW Review: EQUUS Isn't Horsing Around at Pittsburgh Public
October 10, 2017
Peter Shaffer's genre-busting psychodrama gets a bracing production, featuring a revelatory change of pace by Daniel Krell.
BWW Review: Dying is Easy, Comedy Hard at City Theatre's A FUNNY THING...
October 4, 2017
Putney and McGeever both nail the sitcom rhythms of their dialogue, Putney channeling Kristin Bell's frayed-around-the-edges perkiness while McGeever strongly recalls Jesse Tyler Ferguson's squirmy tragicomedy in cult classic The Class. The rapport between the two of them is realistically uneasy, feeling alternately welcome and pathetic in both antagonistic and romantic moments. As directed by Joshua Kahan Brody, the balance never slides to firmly for too long to the 'funny' or 'dour' side of the sadcom scale, assisted by the intermittent interjections of Kendra McLaughlin's taciturn Geena.
BWW REVIEW: My Way Tributes Sinatra at St. Vincent
August 8, 2017
Classy, frothy, smooth and swingin', this Sinatra revue feels like a cruise ship nightclub show in the best possible way.
BWW Review: SEE HOW THEY RUN at St. Vincent Continues a Beloved Summer Tradition
July 13, 2017
If you've ever wondered what a farce by Agatha Christie would be like, St. Vincent's annual summer farce will satisfy your curiosity- not to mention showcase all the local favorites in their triumphant returns.
BWW Review: MISS ABIGAIL'S GUIDE Blends Laughs with Love at CLO Cabaret
July 6, 2017
In lesser hands, this Off-Broadway two-hander would be nothing but a long comedy sketch. But the never-a-dull-moment CLO Cabaret and a bona fide triple threat celebrity wring gold and unexpected emotional depth from the lightweight piece.
BWW Review: Blasphemy is Fun in AN ACT OF GOD at Pittsburgh Public
June 28, 2017
Marcus Stevens finally finds a role he can truly sink his teeth into, in this fluffy but unexpectedly dark Biblical farce.
BWW Review: WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE? Mines Humor, Heartbreak at St. Vincent
May 30, 2017
When the tunes are this infectious and the cast this endearing, little things like plot and characterization are secondary concerns.
BWW Review: TARZAN at PMT Anchored by Strong Performances, Lots of Rope
May 10, 2017
Disney's jungle tuner is all about stunts and spectacle, and PMT's production delivers both, with some spectacular singing thrown in.
BWW Review: Binge-Watching DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Pittsburgh Public
May 2, 2017
As blasphemous as it sounds, Arthur Miller's classic American tragedy is almost as good as peak television.
BWW Review: MEDEA Finds Reality Amidst Shadows and Sprites at Seton Hill
April 5, 2017
Parsing the real from the unreal, and the cathartic from the callous, makes Melissa Hill Grande's production of the Greek tragedy a unique, almost interactive, viewing experience.
BWW Review: DADDY LONG LEGS Blends the Sweet and Strange at Pittsburgh Public
March 22, 2017
A fantastic directorial interpretation and a dazzling cast bring lightness and charm to a deeply unusual, almost unbalanced, romantic comedy.
BWW Review: FOREVER PLAID Hits a High Note at the Lamp
March 9, 2017
The classic musical/cabaret hybrid takes audiences back to a different era in both music and comedy.
BWW Review: A Practically Perfect TWELFTH NIGHT at Pittsburgh Public
February 9, 2017
Shakespeare's remix of his own work gets masterfully refitted as full-on farce in Ted Pappas's production.
BWW Review: Life is a CABARET at Split Stage
February 2, 2017
Kander and Ebb's legendary musical has never been more timely.
BWW Review: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Rings Out at PMT
February 1, 2017
After a two-decade wait, Disney's cult animated musical finally comes to the stage, in an all too timely production.
BWW Review: TOMMY Brings Sound and Fury at Pittsburgh Playhouse
October 27, 2016
Director/choreographer Zeva Barzell stages a flashy and energetic show, despite not having the strongest material to work with.
BWW Review: THE FANTASTICKS Reinvents Meta-Theatre at Pittsburgh Public
October 7, 2016
Gone are the Dust Bowl affectations and commedia dell'arte affectations- Ted Pappas's reworking of the Rostandesque chamber musical is all about the power of theatre
February 6, 2018
Vaudeville, burlesque and television variety shows may be dead, but Ted Pappas uses the classic Sondheim musical to exhume the bodies and bring them roaring back to life.
BWW Review: THE ABSLUTE BRIGHTNESS OF LEONARD PELKEY Walks a Tightrope at City Theatre
February 1, 2018
There are some things it's hard to joke about, but the tasteful crime tragicomedy of James Lecesne's one-man show somehow holds it together.
BWW Review: THE HUMANS Gets Weird on Multiple Levels at Pittsburgh Public
November 20, 2017
If you want to discuss mystery, and I think we need to at this point, there are two essential tropes that must be considered. First, we have Chekhov's gun- if a seemingly important thing is brought up, even casually, near the beginning, it will prove to be important by the end. (Case in point: Chekhov introduces a gun early in Hedda Gabler, and somebody gets shot by the end of the evening.) Second, we have the opposite of Chekhov's gun, the red herring- sometimes, a seemingly important thing is brought up, even casually, to divert attention and create misdirection from what is truly important. (Case in point, Sigmund Freud stated that anything longer than it is wide represented a phallic icon, but justified his own smoking by stating 'sometimes, a cigar can be just a cigar,' not emblematic of anything else.)
BWW Review: EQUUS Isn't Horsing Around at Pittsburgh Public
October 10, 2017
Peter Shaffer's genre-busting psychodrama gets a bracing production, featuring a revelatory change of pace by Daniel Krell.
BWW Review: Dying is Easy, Comedy Hard at City Theatre's A FUNNY THING...
October 4, 2017
Putney and McGeever both nail the sitcom rhythms of their dialogue, Putney channeling Kristin Bell's frayed-around-the-edges perkiness while McGeever strongly recalls Jesse Tyler Ferguson's squirmy tragicomedy in cult classic The Class. The rapport between the two of them is realistically uneasy, feeling alternately welcome and pathetic in both antagonistic and romantic moments. As directed by Joshua Kahan Brody, the balance never slides to firmly for too long to the 'funny' or 'dour' side of the sadcom scale, assisted by the intermittent interjections of Kendra McLaughlin's taciturn Geena.
BWW REVIEW: My Way Tributes Sinatra at St. Vincent
August 8, 2017
Classy, frothy, smooth and swingin', this Sinatra revue feels like a cruise ship nightclub show in the best possible way.
BWW Review: SEE HOW THEY RUN at St. Vincent Continues a Beloved Summer Tradition
July 13, 2017
If you've ever wondered what a farce by Agatha Christie would be like, St. Vincent's annual summer farce will satisfy your curiosity- not to mention showcase all the local favorites in their triumphant returns.
BWW Review: MISS ABIGAIL'S GUIDE Blends Laughs with Love at CLO Cabaret
July 6, 2017
In lesser hands, this Off-Broadway two-hander would be nothing but a long comedy sketch. But the never-a-dull-moment CLO Cabaret and a bona fide triple threat celebrity wring gold and unexpected emotional depth from the lightweight piece.
BWW Review: Blasphemy is Fun in AN ACT OF GOD at Pittsburgh Public
June 28, 2017
Marcus Stevens finally finds a role he can truly sink his teeth into, in this fluffy but unexpectedly dark Biblical farce.
BWW Review: WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE? Mines Humor, Heartbreak at St. Vincent
May 30, 2017
When the tunes are this infectious and the cast this endearing, little things like plot and characterization are secondary concerns.
BWW Review: TARZAN at PMT Anchored by Strong Performances, Lots of Rope
May 10, 2017
Disney's jungle tuner is all about stunts and spectacle, and PMT's production delivers both, with some spectacular singing thrown in.
BWW Review: Binge-Watching DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Pittsburgh Public
May 2, 2017
As blasphemous as it sounds, Arthur Miller's classic American tragedy is almost as good as peak television.
BWW Review: MEDEA Finds Reality Amidst Shadows and Sprites at Seton Hill
April 5, 2017
Parsing the real from the unreal, and the cathartic from the callous, makes Melissa Hill Grande's production of the Greek tragedy a unique, almost interactive, viewing experience.
BWW Review: DADDY LONG LEGS Blends the Sweet and Strange at Pittsburgh Public
March 22, 2017
A fantastic directorial interpretation and a dazzling cast bring lightness and charm to a deeply unusual, almost unbalanced, romantic comedy.
BWW Review: FOREVER PLAID Hits a High Note at the Lamp
March 9, 2017
The classic musical/cabaret hybrid takes audiences back to a different era in both music and comedy.
BWW Review: A Practically Perfect TWELFTH NIGHT at Pittsburgh Public
February 9, 2017
Shakespeare's remix of his own work gets masterfully refitted as full-on farce in Ted Pappas's production.
BWW Review: Life is a CABARET at Split Stage
February 2, 2017
Kander and Ebb's legendary musical has never been more timely.
BWW Review: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Rings Out at PMT
February 1, 2017
After a two-decade wait, Disney's cult animated musical finally comes to the stage, in an all too timely production.
BWW Review: TOMMY Brings Sound and Fury at Pittsburgh Playhouse
October 27, 2016
Director/choreographer Zeva Barzell stages a flashy and energetic show, despite not having the strongest material to work with.
BWW Review: THE FANTASTICKS Reinvents Meta-Theatre at Pittsburgh Public
October 7, 2016
Gone are the Dust Bowl affectations and commedia dell'arte affectations- Ted Pappas's reworking of the Rostandesque chamber musical is all about the power of theatre
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