Point Park to Launch Songwriters Cabaret Series With Inaugural Event At Greer Cabaret Theater

Point Park University's Musical Theatre Department will debut a brand-new Songwriters Cabaret Series, offering students the chance to perform in premier venues throughout their time at Point Park.

The series will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Greer Cabaret Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District. This event will provide students with a professional-level performance experience in front of family, friends, alumni and the public. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. for cocktails and food.

The inaugural show, I Will Be Me – the Songs of Kooman and Dimond, will be presented by the senior musical theatre class of 2026. The Emmy-nominated songwriting team Kooman and Dimond, known for their work in musical theater and television, will collaborate with students to create the evening's entertainment.

This new series is the brainchild of Gary Kline, Associate Dean of Point Park's School of Theatre, Film and Animation, who previously launched a similar concept at Carnegie Mellon University.

At Point Park, the series will highlight the University's commitment to preparing students for careers on stage and screen while fostering personal and professional connections between students and professionals currently writing songs and music for film, TV, theater and Broadway.

“This showcase is not only an extraordinary opportunity for our students to shine, but also for alumni, family, friends and the larger community to experience the rising stars of the musical theatre world,” Kline said. “It's a chance for audiences to see the artistry of our student performers while directly supporting the annual Senior Showcase, which supports their introduction into the theater business in New York.”

With its inaugural performance, the Songwriters Cabaret Series expands Point Park's tradition of creative excellence and experiential opportunities, fostering the next generation of leading performers.

Kooman and Dimond are an Emmy-nominated songwriting duo celebrated for their emotionally rich and inventive work in musical theater and television. Both Carnegie Mellon University alumni, they have earned prestigious awards including the Fred Ebb Award and Jonathan Larson Grant. Their stage musicals include Romantics Anonymous, Dani Girl, and The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes. They also wrote more than 150 songs for the Emmy-nominated Disney Junior series Vampirina and contributed to Netflix's Ridley Jones. Known for their blend of humor and humanity, their debut album Out of Our Heads showcases a range of Broadway voices. Kooman and Dimond continue to collaborate on groundbreaking projects that have gained international acclaim.

“We are incredibly excited to be returning to Pittsburgh, a city that is truly near and dear to our hearts. We're both Western Pennsylvania natives, met while we were students in Pittsburgh, and have had some of our earliest and most significant professional experiences here. It's always a joy to be back in the 'Burgh,” Kooman and Dimond said. “We're also thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this talented group of Point Park students. Point Park has a stellar reputation in the industry for producing brilliant performers, and we're honored to get to watch these students bring our songs to life.”

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