PENNSYLVANIA THEATRE OF PERFORMING ARTS

by Greg Kerestan - June 07, 2024

It's a tale as old as time: the downward spiral of a once-brilliant talent into substance abuse and early death. It's the second half of the 'star is born' template, and it never goes out of style... because it sadly never stops happening in real life. The list is long, with Amy Winehouse as the rec...

by Greg Kerestan - June 05, 2024

Folks, this is a first. I've been writing reviews for BWW for about ten years now, and rarely have I seen a new work that so deftly and fearlessly blends genres and tones together. Director Monteze Freeland and playwright Mark Clayton Southers have achieved the impossible: The Coffin Maker is an exe...

by Greg Kerestan - May 30, 2024

It's an oldie but a goodie, and packed with oldies-but-goodies....

by Greg Kerestan - May 22, 2024

It's the best episode of 90s SNL that you never saw....

by Greg Kerestan - April 15, 2024

I've posted many times about how much of an institution Saint Vincent Summer Theatre has become: you know you're going to get a slapstick farce, a Golden Age or earlier revue, and usually a musical comedy with pop oldies. ...

by Greg Kerestan - April 05, 2024

Oscar Wilde's comedy of manners, lightly reconceived as a screwball farce, is a refreshing summer treat....

by Greg Kerestan - March 11, 2024

James Ijames's Pulitzer-winning comedy Fat Ham is less an adaptation or reimagining of Hamlet, and more a play ABOUT Hamlet, a response to Hamlet. The characters are all too aware of how their stories and behaviors are mirroring characters from Shakespeare's tragedy: they quote it, riff on it, confi...

by Greg Kerestan - February 26, 2024

The rediscovered orchestrations of John Williams make a beloved musical just that much better. If you were a movie or musical fan during the VHS era, you likely remember Fiddler on the Roof as one of those unwieldy three-hour films that require two different cassette tapes to watch in full, like Tit...

by Greg Kerestan - February 14, 2024

Sara Porkalob's solo show is a captivating mix of musical, monologue and alternative vibes. Solo shows are growing in popularity, both due to their artistic charms and their economic advantages post-COVID. Solo musicals, however, are still a rarity. What's the last one you can think of? ...

by Greg Kerestan - February 14, 2024

CLO's Spark program has a large-sized hit with the latest small-scale musical it commissioned. As a musical writer, let me just say: it's TOUGH to launch a new musical. The best thing you can do is have a company commission a show from you based on your pitch, otherwise you're going to have a long, ...