Pittsburgh Playhouse Unveils 24 – 25 Season Featuring Theatre, Dance & More

Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University has revealed the lineup for the 2024-2025 season. The new vision aims to revitalize downtown and embraces a community focused and family friendly season that includes a newly developed interactive and immersive experience boasting cutting-edge 360 degree projections, a Fall Festival featuring a Halloween Show, and a full roster of offerings from the critically acclaimed Conservatory of Performing Arts. 

The Pittsburgh Playhouse's new season is designed to directly tie into Pioneer Vision 2030, Point Park's strategic plan, by taking steps to better engage the community and involving University alums who have built successful careers. Under the direction of Kiesha Lalama, Managing and Artistic Director, the Playhouse is launching several new suites of programming including Arts Accelerator, which will connect Point Park University students with professional alumni working on Broadway and beyond in the performing arts industry.

Lalama said of the new programming, “The Pittsburgh Playhouse remains steadfast in its mission to transform lives through art. We reimagined new and exciting opportunities to energize our city. This newly designed season provides inspiration for our community, current students, alumni, and new friends to come together, experience the feelings of live entertainment, and make those meaningful connections. We are thrilled to offer a welcoming environment with reimagined entertainment for everyone, as the Playhouse advances to become the premiere downtown destination for arts entertainment.”

As an arts-forward and supported organization, the university is proud to innovate a new immersive and interactive show for audiences. ASCEND is a highly stimulating experience for thrill seeking audiences. The journey through the four elements of fire, earth, water, and wind includes dynamic music, live performance, 360 degree projections, aerialists, and more.

The Fall Festival includes a newly developed family friendly Halloween themed show, created by Broadway/Stage/Film veteran and Point Park University alumnus, Ahmad Simmons. The show will be playing several times a day and throughout the fall festivities which include food & drinks, face painting, arts & crafts and more.

New this year, the Playhouse will partner with Andy Conte, Managing Director of the Center of Media Innovation, Margot Bingham, Point Park University alumna and stage/film/television star, and Ed Traversari, local legend in the music industry to bring audiences “behind the curtain” intimate interviews with our region's impactful leaders and visionaries in the new series Backstage/Onstage.

Audiences can also expect their tried-and-true favorites: 12 shows from the renowned Conservatory of Performing Arts across many styles of dance, musicals, and plays, and the return of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Holiday Celebration. 

A crowd gathered at the Pittsburgh Playhouse for the season announcement and a sneak preview of the intimate experiences that will encompass Backstage/Onstage.

Subscriptions are on sale now—choose your own mix of four, six, or more tickets, or choose from our All-Access Pass. Subscribers receive many benefits including advance notice of newly-added Playhouse events, flexibility and free ticket exchanges, complimentary drinks, and more. Subscribe now to receive the lowest price. For more information, visit www.pittsburghplayhouse.com or subscribe to our email list

Arts Accelerator

Supports the development of new audience experiences that innovate and elevate.

April 24 – May 18, 2025: ASCEND. A Transcendent Experience: Journey from a state of calm to a jubilant cosmic dance party! The extraordinary creatives of the Pittsburgh Playhouse merge talents to produce an innovative new show, ASCEND. This highly stimulating and interactive production is for thrill seeking audiences in search of energizing entertainment.

A mystical symbolic staff guides an uplifting journey through the four elements of fire, earth, water, and air. This family friendly immersive experience integrates audience participation with dynamic music, live performance, and awe-inspiring 360 – degree visuals. Fire engages the mind with striking visuals, Earth ignites the body with exhilarating drumming, Water consumes the soul with marvelous spectacle, Air rejuvenates the spirit with breathtaking aerial artists

Playhouse Presents

Unites artists, alumni, and community to empower, educate, and excite.

October 18, 2024: Koresh Dance Company. Koresh Dance Company, one of Philadelphia's premier contemporary dance companies, recognized nationally and internationally for superb technique and emotionally compelling appeal presents Hollow Apple (2024). This evening-length work is inspired by the endless desire to be liked, and loved by strangers, only to reveal our fears of unworthiness. Choreographed by Artistic Director, Roni Koresh, with original composition by Sage DeAgro-Ruopp and poetry by Karl Mullen.

December 13, 2024: The Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra Holiday Concert. A must-see during the holiday season. The PJO Holiday Concert has become a tradition for families all over the Greater Pittsburgh region to take a break from the busy prep of the season and make special memories that last a lifetime. Our local greats in the PJO render new treatments of holiday classics, collaborate with some of the greatest jazz artists globally, and turn the season into a unique celebration of wonder, bliss, and merriment the whole family will treasure.

January 22 – 26, 2025: Robin & Me: My Little Spark of Madness, written and performed by Dave Droxler. An autobiographical play that follows Dave Droxler as he becomes multiple characters and whimsically relives hilarious and difficult life moments, including the times when his father dropped the ball and Robin stepped in to get him through. But how long will it take before Dave learns how to do it without Robin's help? Premiered Off-Broadway at Abingdon Theatre Company, winning 5 BroadwayWorld Awards including Best Actor, Best Director, and Best New Play.

Community Features

Inside/Outside Summer Concert Series

Experiences to share with everyone 

Inside Outside is the Pittsburgh Playhouse's Summer Concert Series, a casual spot both indoors and out, where you interact with the artists you love and your first drink is on us. Join us Thursdays and Fridays through June and July for drinks and live entertainment in our beautiful Highmark Theatre which opens onto our Forbes Avenue plaza.

Thirsty Thursdays with MCG Jazz

Thursday, June 27: Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band. Nicknamed the Gypsy-jazz Warbler by the New York Times, Tatiana Eva-Marie is a transatlantic bandleader, singer, author, and actress based in Brooklyn. She plays French pop derived from the Django tradition with Balkan Gypsy and folk influences.

Thursday, July 11: Tuck & Patti. For over 44 years, this unique, genre-crossing vocal/guitar duo has cast its passionate musical spell worldwide, capturing the hearts of lovers, the respect of jazz buffs and the jaw-dropping awe of guitarists and singers. They have long been regarded by musicians and critics as the standard for an improvising musical duo.

Thursday, July 18: The Bill O'Connell Latin-Jazz Group. Bill O'Connell's professional career spans almost half a century and has earned him widespread acclaim for his virtuosic skills as an attention-grabbing keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Over the decades, the multi-talented musician has produced countless demonstrations of his myriad talents.

Thursday, July 25: Dave Stryker Trio. Whether you've heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 35 CDs as a leader to date), or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.”

Funday Fridays

Friday, June 28th: Dance Along with Dixie Surewood's disco dance party. Dixie Surewood, Pittsburgh's own National Comedy Queen, presents her special brand of comedic drag featuring a stellar playlist of the legendary queens of Disco! This fabled revue show has it all—lip syncing to the standards, live singing, Dixie's famous tap solo, and, of course, the greatest drag outfits in town.

Friday, July 12th: Paint Along with DJ Rojo & Painting with a Twist. Relax with a beverage and experience Painting with a Twist—fun art, not fine art! An instructor will lead attendees step-by-step through a specific painting, no experience necessary. DJ Rojo spins the soundtrack for an excellent afternoon activity!

Friday, July 19th: Laugh Along with comedian Aaron Kleiber. Aaron Kleiber has been entertaining his entire life — from climbing atop his grandmother's coffee table as a child and being voted class clown at Steel Valley High School - to playing make-believe in front of a camera or taking the stage at comedy clubs across North America today.

Friday, July 26th: Play Along with Bombici in a jam session. BYO instrument! Local experimental electroacoustic group Bombici leads a participatory jam session for musicians at all experience levels. Bring an instrument and join in, or just listen to what the performers and audience musicians create together in the moment.

Backstage/Onstage

Experiences to connect with everyone

This new series is co-produced by Point Park University alumna and stage/film/television star Margot Bingham (“Boardwalk Empire,” “The Family”) and hosted by media innovator, Andy Conte and entertainment expert, Ed Traversari. Backstage/Onstage invites Playhouse patrons behind the curtain into intimate and unique conversations with Pittsburgh's thought leaders across various industries.

Fall Fest

Experiences to be with everyone

October 17 – 27, 2024. The first annual Pittsburgh Playhouse Fall Fest features entertainment for everyone! Enjoy food & drinks, carnival booths, local vendors, face painting, arts & crafts, tarot readings, and a Halloween themed parody show. This Halloween themed show is created by Point Park University alumnus and Broadway/Stage/Film performer and creative producer, Ahmad Simmons (Illinoise, Hadestown, West Side Story). This Family Friendly show is interactive, playful, fun, and 45-50 minutes in length.

ARTfully UPlifting

Experiences to include everyone

March 15, 2025. The Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. ARTfully UPlifting is a sensory friendly performance specifically designed and created to for neurodivergent individuals with sensory processing difficulties, sensory needs, and disabilities. A variety of live performances—singing, dancing, poetry, and more—are showcased in a concert style format. The entire theater offers a relaxed environment including house lights up and production sound down. Patrons are welcome to enter and exit the theater as needed. A quiet room for calming is available off the grand lobby. This judgement free, safe, and fun experience is for the entire family. ARTfully UPlifting is also a wonderful opportunity for first-time theater goers and young children. The Pittsburgh Playhouse is proud to partner with Autism Connection of Pennsylvania, the ESTEEM Group, and Achieva.

COPA Theatre

The Conservatory Theatre Company world-class theatre program with BFA degrees in Acting, Musical Theatre, Theatre Arts and Theatre Production: Design, Technical Direction and Stage Management. Each season, the Conservatory Theatre Company produces six mainstage productions that engage our students and audiences with diverse works that include musical theatre, classical literature, contemporary plays and experimental projects.

October 10 – 20, 2024: The Trees by Agnes Borinsky. Late one night, drunk-stumbling home through a neighborhood park, two siblings' feet take root in the earth. Literally. Word of this extraordinary event spreads and brings together an otherwise disparate group of strangers, each seeking renewed purpose. The Trees by Agnes Borinsky asks us to consider: in our mercenary world, how can we have a more expansive notion of what change is possible? What of our old lives do we hold onto?

November 13 – 17, 2024: Steel Pier. Book by David Thompson, music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, and David Thompson. In the honky-tonk world of marathon dancing in Atlantic City in 1933, a captivating assortment of depression-era souls gather on the Steel Pier, hoping to dance their way to fame and prizes.

December 4 – 8, 2024: Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. This brilliant play moves smoothly between 1809 and the present as it explores the nature of truth and time, the difference between classical and romantic temperaments, and the disruptive influence of sex on our life orbits- the attraction Newton left out.

February 19 – 23, 2025: Jerry's Girls. Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, concepts by Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento and Jerry Herman. This dynamic musical revue features all of the best songs for women from such immortal musicals as Mame, Hello Dolly!, Milk and Honey, Mack and Mabel, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine and La Cage Aux Folles.

March 26 – 30, 2025: 12 Ophelias (a play with broken songs) by Caridad Svich. Shakespeare's Ophelia rises up out of the water dreaming of Pop-Tarts and other sweet things. She finds herself in a neo-Elizabethan Appalachian setting where Gertrude runs a brothel, Hamlet is called a Rude Boy, and nothing is what it seems. In this mirrored world of word-scraps, Ophelia cuts a new path for herself.

April 9 – 13, 2025: Legally Blonde: The Musical. Book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin. A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances - this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal!

COPA DANCE

Point Park University's dance program is recognized as one of the best college dance programs in the United States by DanceUS.org.  The superb training combined with top tier performance opportunities provide students with the real-world training necessary to succeed in today's dance world. Productions include a diverse range of ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary works choreographed by established and emerging guest artists and a faculty of renowned dance professionals. 

October 9 – 13, 2024: Fall Dance Concert. The Conservatory Dance Company presents a concert featuring works by Roni Koresh, Juel Lane, and Ilian Lopez.

October 23 – 27, 2024: Fall Student Choreography Project. See the dancers of tomorrow onstage today. The Student Choreography Project showcases the depth and breadth of talent on display within the Conservatory Dance program, featuring the cutting-edge, fresh work of the top young artists in the country.

December 11 – 15, 2024: Contemporary Choreographers. The Conservatory Dance Company presents a concert featuring works by newly-appointed, to-be-announced Point Park University dance faculty.

February 19 – 23, 2025: Winter Dance Concert. The Conservatory Dance Company presents a concert featuring works by Omar Román de Jesús, Nacho Duato, Karla Puno Garcia, and Houston Thomas.

March 5 – 9, 2025: Spring Student Choreography Project. The continuation of the Student Choreography Project. New choreographers design the show and new dancers take the stage, demonstrating the strength and versatility of Point Park University's students.

April 16 – 20, 2025: Faculty Choreolab. This annual concert shines a light on the Point Park Conservatory Dance Faculty and the artistry for which they are renowned.

SCREENINGS

The Pittsburgh Playhouse is proud to partner with By Experience (National Theatre Live, Great Art On Screen, MET Opera Live in HD) to provide our metropolitan area with affordable access to the highest quality cultural events from around the world. Can't travel to New York or London? See the live events on our silver screen!

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