by jvranish1 | Jan 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
The latest version of Jesus Christ Superstar — the one being showcased now in the 50th Anniversary Tour — is a prime example of theatrical time travel, embracing its original inspiration in the Bible on the way Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1970 rock opera...
by jvranish1 | Oct 22, 2019 | On Stage, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Uncategorized
As the sun rose on the Benedum Center stage, that famous parade of animals — there is nothing more spectacular in any Broadway musical — made its way down the aisles to herald the now-familiar story of The Lion King. At least to me. It was my fourth time...
by jvranish1 | Sep 14, 2019 | Uncategorized
What with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre celebrating its 50th anniversary, that provided an impetus to bring back The Dancers’ Trust, an organization that raises money for the inevitable transition that virtually all dancers must make. To its credit, The Trust, run...
by jvranish1 | Aug 22, 2019 | Uncategorized
The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera went out on a limb by hiring Camille Brown as the choreographer for the award-winning musical, Once. At first glance, it’s the intimate story of a Guy and a Girl who weave their love story through the power of music. Once cast....
by jvranish1 | Aug 20, 2019 | Uncategorized
Dance festivals are a whole different animal. They typically don’t allow the audience to luxuriate in a lengthy work, allow it to wash over them, ruminate on what it all means. The festival formats generally celebrate the dance. To my surprise, though, PearlArts...
by jvranish1 | Jul 31, 2019 | Uncategorized
Okay, so the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera production, Rock of Ages, set me off on a tangent, mining the history of juke-box musicals, where familiar music often spawns the story. The term apparently began in 1969 with the music of Burt Bacharach in the award-winning...
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