Review: THE COFFIN MAKER Deftly Blends Genres at Pittsburgh Public Theater
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...
Review: FAT HAM Serves Cookout Chaos Realness at City Theatre
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...
Review: DRAGON LADY Weaves Memory and Magic at Pittsburgh Public Theater
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? ...
Review: THE PERFECT MATE Is Fantastic, and Fantastical, at Pittsburgh CLO
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, ...