'Burgh Vivant

By Michael Buzzelli

City Theatre celebrated its first 50 years with its own unique, irreverent style at its most significant fundraising event, the Bash on Saturday, May 17th.

VIP guests were treated to a glorious repast catered by Sprezzatura Catering.  Instead of opening the street to a festival, like last year’s Bash, City Theatre presented a cabaret of sorts on the Main Stage Theatre.

The show, hosted by drag queen, DIxie Surewood (in a rotating collection of sparkly couture) featured live music, performers, two short documentaries, proclamations for local government officials, and more.

Side note: My calendar is filling up with iconic new holidays such as City Theatre Day and Monteze Freeland Day.

One of the documentaries, a brief history of the City Theatre’s fifty remarkable years, narrated by Joanna Obuzor, was both humorous and historically significant.

James McNeel enticed the audience to donate while delivering a sobering message about the state of the Arts in the current political climate (without mentioning Lord Voldemort by name).

Shane McLaughlin and Julianne Avolio rocked out with a preview of the theatre’s upcoming show, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” backed up by a band under Camille Rolla’s musical direction.

Jerreme Rodriguez sang a plea to his potential sugar daddy, in “Sugar Daddy,” another preview song from “Hedwig.”

A special treat of the night was a raucously funny sketch with Lara Hayhurst, reprising her role as Dusty from Selina Fillinger’s “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” with the original Broadway Bernie, Lea DeLaria, and our local Bernie, Missy Moreno. It was side-splittingly hilarious.

After an astonishing fifty years, City Theatre still knows how to throw a party, and the Bash is one of Pittsburgh’s best when it comes to celebrating the vast array of the city and the City’s talent.

-MB

It’s not to late to continue the spirit of giving. Donations to City Theatre can be made here. 

 

 

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD and Theron Raymond (6th grader)

Little Lake Theatre Company continues its 77th season with Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s adaptation of Dan Brown’s 2003 novel, The Da Vinci Code. The book is the second in Brown’s series featuring Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon.

The Da Vinci Code is in fact the best-selling American novel of all time. Tom Hanks famously brought Langdon to life in Ron Howard’s 2006 film adaptation. Translating this internationally beloved treasure to the stage is no small feat for Patrick Cannon who’s both Little Lake’s artistic director as well as the show’s director. However, Cannon proves more than equal to the task.

If you’ve read the book or seen the movie – or both, it’s incredibly fast-paced. Langdon (Arjun Kumar) and Parisian cryptologist, Sophie Neveu (Chelsea Davis) are being pursued as they’re on a quest for the Holy Grail. Patrick Cannon smartly sustains the furious pacing by choosing a simple set design. Instead of moving props, lighting and sound cues demarcate scene changes and elucidate characters.

Nicole White’s brilliant lighting design uses color to create categorization. The first time red light is used is to symbolize the swastika at the play’s start when Langdon is lecturing to a Parisian audience about symbology. Nicole White goes on to bathe the religious figures from the Opus Dei order in red light, symbolizing both their blood flow from self-flagellation as well as the danger they pose.

Anthony Del Grosso is not just the sound designer. Del Grosso also wrote an original score for this Little Lake production. If the world is lucky, this will become the play’s de facto. The play only came to the U.S. for the first time in 2023 after premiering in the UK in 2022. The ethereal qualities of Del Grosso’s guitar-strained sections are particularly enchanting.

While Cannon triumphs, so does Arjun Kumar as Langdon. Following in the footsteps of Tom Hanks could be daunting. However, Kumar pays homage to the man we think of as Robert Langdon while still making the character his own. Kumar is notably most comfortable when lecturing. Even in one on one conversations, he’s most confident when he lectures on a known symbology topic. It’s not surprising, but a bit wistful and tragic, when Sophie asks him at one point whom he can call. It turns out his most significant personal relationship is with his tropical fish as he self-deprecatingly refers to himself as “their food god.”

Chelsea Davis brings a quietly intense energy to Sophie Neveu. She quickly discerns how to motivate Langdon. Davis’ subtle facial expressions of masked patience when Langdon lapses into professor mode are priceless.

The production’s only weak link is Lynnelle Goins as Maria. Her robotic recitation turns what is supposed to be an emotional reunion into something blander than a plain bagel, but her role is thankfully small.

John Reilly brings a fiery reimaging to Sir Ian McKellan’s cinematic portrayal of eccentric billionaire Sir Leigh Teabing. Costume designer Sylvia Sims-Linkish outfits Teabing in a cherry red velvet blazer that’s reminiscent of Daddy Warbucks, and Reilly’s jolly nature keeps us guessing at his character’s motivations.

Dialect coach Lisa Ann Goldsmith works magic with the cast as they flawlessly bridge American, French and British accents.

Little Lake is the first theatre in the area to produce The Da Vinci Code, so don’t miss the chance to see Patrick Cannon guide this dynamic thriller.

-TKR, Ph.D. & TR

Little Lake’s production of The Da Vinci Code runs through June 1, 2025 at Little Lake Theatre, 500 Lakeside Drive, Canonsburg, PA, 15317.  Purchase tickets online here.

by Claire DeMarco

Traumatic events that happen in the past are rarely forgotten, nor are they often forgiven.  Sometimes the participants are so entrenched in their interpretation of the grievance, it becomes difficult for either party to make the first move.

It’s the early 1940’s and Henrik (Sam Tsoutsouvas) lives at an old remote castle and has lived there his entire life.  He’s retired from the military.

He has not seen or talked to his longtime friend, Konrad (Jack Wetherall) for over forty years. Konrad has lived in London among other locations for a long time.  This is his first visit back to his hometown.

Henrik and Konrad meet about their past relationship, once close but now broken. Henrik has been waiting for this day for a long time.

Lots of innocuous banter ensues as the two discuss each other’s lives, rehashing old memories, catching up on recent events. Intertwined are serious discussions on the Russian Revolution, death (theirs) and at their age (in their 70’s) they don’t have much time to live.

But after lunch things get heated.  Konrad is more disheveled – no jacket, hair messed, drinking a lot.  Henrik finally speaks out, questioning Konrad on what happened years ago. In addition to his piercing questions, he also suggests what he believes are possible answers.

Will we fully understand how Henrik’s late wife Krisztina fits into the equation or does she?  Does her detailed diary provide any solutions?

Is there more than one reason for Henrik and Konrad’s initial separation?

Is hunting for the truth finally revealed?

Tsoutsouvas is outstanding as Henrik.  He is the aggressor as he pushes Konrad, using psychological tactics as attempts to bring out what really happened (or what he thinks happened) years ago.  His obsession with this moment is intense.

Wetherall excels as he portrays Konrad with a more casual approach as he interacts with Henrik.  His facial expressions often relay his emotional state.

Although there is one scene where Tsoutsouvas basically has a monologue for twenty plus minutes while Wetherall sits placidly in a nearby chair, our concentration is not only on Tsoutsouvas but Wetherall as well.  Tsoutsouvas is forceful, constantly asking Wetherall questions, demanding answers, yet never getting any.  He is authoritative and commanding.  But it is Wetherall who also captures our attention as he sits without moving, with a facial expression that never changes. He is alert and aware of the interrogation from Tsoutsouvas but it’s also obvious that his mind is elsewhere.

Both actors have to be strong to pull this scene off and they reinforce one another’s performance brilliantly.

Susie McGregor-Laine is delightful as Nini, Henrik’s long-time nurse/housekeeper. Although she works for Henrik, it’s obvious that she has a lot to say about everything, even the upcoming reunion.  Henrik listens!

This is an excellent production of a psychological drama.

“Embers” was adapted by Christopher Hampton from a book by Sándor Márai.

Scenic Design by Johnmichael Bohach is stunning, dark as befits an old castle but equally warm, filled with old world charm and opulence.

Lighting Designer Andrew David Ostrowski’s lighting effects complement the set design. Kudos to Director Andrew Paul.

-CED

“Embers” is a production of Kinetic Theatre Company and is performed at Carnegie Stage, 25 West Main Street, Carnegie, PA.  Performances run from May 15^th – May 25^th. For more information, click here.

 

 

by Michael Buzzelli

Three couples have vastly different reactions when thoughts of pregnancy dance in their heads in “Baby.”

Danny (Branden Max Stroppel) and Lizzie (Saige Smith) are college kids who have just moved in together.

Pam (Lindsay Bayer Ray) and Nicki (Maria Bechtell) are trying various methods of insemination.

Alan (Allan Synder, with two L’s) and Arlene (Becki Toth) have four grown children, having Empty Nest Syndrome, when they have a whoopsie during a romantic getaway.

Each couple faces a variety of challenges, moving the story along over the next nine months of their lives.

While the musical first ran in 1983-84, this is a slightly revised version of the original musical, which includes (at some points tacked on) a wider range of diverse characters turning Pam and Nick (adding an i to the end of her name, changing the character’s sex) into a lesbian couple and adding some physical limitations to Danny and Lizzie.

Note: The revised version contains some inconsistences with Lizzie’s legally blind status, and Danny’s partially deaf status that could have been written with a bit more care. For example, in the noisy train station, Danny is the one who hears the last call for boarding, instead of Lizzie, more attention could have been placed on their needing to see each other’s faces when they speak, and the ASL is used inconsistently, etc.

The cast is phenomenal, especially our leading ladies, Smith, Toth, Bechtell, and Bayer Ray.

Smith shines in her role. She is quickly proving to be one of Pittsburgh’s brightest stars.

Toth is a powerhouse. She belts out some gorgeous lyrics and has natural comedic skills. She accomplishes more with an eyeroll or a facial expression than most actors.

Bechtell has a glorious singing voice, in solo numbers, and when harmonizing with Bayer Ray and the other cast members.

Stoppel is another stand out, fresh from Point Park’s “Arcadia.”

Synder gets a lot of laughs, mostly from various aches and pains his character suffers as an aging father-to-be.

The excellent cast is backed up by a superb band under Deana Muro’s musical direction. Her band included fan-favorite musicians such as Shelby Williams, Alex Weibel, Paule Thompson and Kamran Mian.

Johnmichael Bohach’s set is straight out of “Babes in Toyland,” a playful stack of colorful building blocks seen in every nursery around the world.

While the first act of the show is a bit long, director Kristiann Menotiades enlivens the scene changes cute interstitial bits from the chorus/crew as they set the stage. William Forrest Smith gets a few playful moments, and Isabella Corea and Sarah Hennessy provide amusing bits, particularly in “The Ladies Sing their Song.” Menotiades’ casting choices are excellent.

If you’re looking for a show with pathos, humor and heart, “Baby” delivers.

-MB

“Baby” runs until May 25 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. For tickets and additional information, please go here.

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by Claire DeMarco

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is not a traditional musical comedy with a plot, but rather a series of vignettes. These storylines cover the many stages of love and relationships, including, but not limited to, early dating, marriage, marriage with children, marriage forever, and divorce.

In this production, nine actors play multiple parts. The actors are Dylan Beasley, Christa Brook, Elena Falgione, Ivy Ferris, Rebecca Godlove, Mike Leahy, Kristin Pacelli, Brock Stanley, and Audrey Wells.

With nineteen scenes in a fast-paced show, we watch interpretations of love and life relationships and how they change and evolve over time.

“Funerals Are for Dating” finds two people alone in a funeral home, proving that love can be found in the most unexpected places.

“The Family that Drives…” features the song “On the Highway of Love.” It presents a madcap, yet probably not exaggerated, skit of a family traveling together – kids fighting in the back seat, mom carrying some precious concoction she’s made (in a plastic container, of course).

“Scared Straight” spoofs the dating game for those over 30 with a skit set in a prison. One of the inmates is a single person looking for love.

This is just a tease of the many comedic scenes in this entertaining and well-done production of a popular off-Broadway musical comedy.

Note:  The entire cast is excellent.  All nine actors play a multitude of characters of varying ages with unique personalities. Coordination between and among the players is critical and successful.  In addition to their acting chops, they are all excellent singers.

Elena Falgione is a dynamo in “The Very First Dating Video of Rosie Ritz!  Her characterization of a recently divorced woman recording a video with a dating service is comedy at its best.  Her timing, great comedic timing (and a little too much wine), makes this performance a showstopper.

Stanley’s facial expressions and mannerisms are excellent. His take as a prisoner in “Scared Straight” is both scary and funny. His smile becomes almost sinister, in a Jack Nicholson “Shining” sort of way, as he presents his credentials as a potential match in the dating game.

Ferris is delightful as the too-busy girl in ‘Not Tonight, I’m Busy, Busy, Busy,’ trying to justify why she wants to skip past the first date because she has ‘better things to do’.

Pacelli and Leahy complement one another in “Lasagna Incident”.  As a dating couple, both awkwardly attempt to take their relationship to the next level.  Leahy is convincing as the backward, clumsy suitor, while Pacelli offers a solution by inviting him to dinner for lasagna.  Pacelli sums up the upcoming evening with a beautifully sung version of “I Will Be Loved Tonight”.

Caught in a funeral home, Wells plays a shy woman who becomes the target of a flirtatious, talkative man (Stanley). As a widow, her demeanor is at first cautious. She rapidly warms up to the prospect of involvement with this talkative widower as they spend the afternoon in the funeral home.  The scene ends with them both singing “I Can Live with That” with gusto.,

The Studio of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall is a perfect location for this production.

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” Book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro—music by Jimmy Roberts.

The set is simplistic with a few handheld props and chair rearrangements when necessary.

Kudos to Director Connor McCanlus and Choreographer Victor Aponte.

-CED

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” runs May 9 to May 18th at The Studio of the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall, Carnegie, PA.  For tickets and additional information, click here.

By Michael Buzzelli

When Winnifred (Katie Flanigan), an uncouth princess from the other side of the swamp, comes to the castle with marriage on her mind, she’s bound to aggravate Queen Aggravain (Stacie Paronish) in “Once Upon A Mattress.”

Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer took Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea,” and fractured that fairy tale with a broad musical farce (with music by Mary Rodgers) back in 1953. Carol Burnett made her Broadway debut, originating the role.

Side note: The show premiered in Pennsylvania, in Pike County at Camp Tamiment, a theater camp.

There was a recent revival of the show on Broadway with Sutton Foster played Winnifred to Michael Urie’s Dauntless with revised material from Amy Sherman Palladino (“Gilmore Girls,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Etoile”).

To crib from “Six” this show has a queen of the castle and a bunch of dirty rascals.

Katie Flanigan does a fine job as Princess Winifred.

Paronish is a stand out as Aggravain. She swaggers on the stage, shooing peasants, shouting rapid-fire orders at her servants and generally being both aggravating and vain (hence the name).

Rich Ivaun is channeling Harpo Marx as King Sextimus the Silent, chasing women and pantomiming through most of the show.  Every Sextimus scene is like a rousing round of Charades where you’re paired up with some bad guessers.

Catherine Hayashi hands in a pleasing performance as Lady Larken. There’s a fun bit in the show where she disguises herself as a boy and fools absolutely no one (it always bothered me when Lucille Ball would dress up like a dude and keep her lipstick on).

On opening night, the rest of the cast seemed a little shy. While it’s not fair to compare a community theater production to a Broadway show, it was hard to get the original cast recording out of my head. On the plus side, this ticket is far less as expensive as a Broadway show and there are raffles during intermission.

There were two great elements to the show: Cindy Berg’s costumes (the Nightingale costume was outrageous and hilarious), and Joe Wagner’s set. Wagner’s set is fit for a king.

Ruth Ann Fox handled the music with aplomb. Her orchestra was top notch.

Even though the show had flaws, “Once Upon A Mattress” is a good place to expose your children to live theater. It’s a funny fairy tale with good songs that might encourage your kids to move  in a cultural direction.

-MB

“Once Upon a Mattress” runs until May 18th at the Bud Allison Memorial Auditorium at Mount Pleasant Community Center, 20 Wabash Ave, Hickory, PA 15340. For tickets and more information, click here. 

Liberty Magic: Joshua Jay makes magic in Making Magic

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD and Theron Raymond (6th grader)

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Liberty Magic continue their 2025 show series with magician Joshua Jay in Making Magic.

Jay is a world-renowned magician who travels over 300 days a year performing his art. The fact he’s in Pittsburgh through June 1 to premiere his brand-new show is a boon for our fair city. On May 21, he’ll even be throwing out the first pitch with a magic trick at the Pirates game. If only he could bestow the magic of a winning season on the Buccos!

This award-winning, globetrotting magician is also neighborhood adjacent. He was born and raised in nearby Canton, Ohio. Immediately following the world premiere of his new show here in Pittsburgh, Joshua Jay will perform at the massive Kennedy Center.

In a meta-moment, a voiceover of Josh’s internal monologue deliberating how to start the show in fact opens the show. He establishes both his impeccable timing and ability to connect with the audience when he walks on stage just as the narration muses, “They scream with excitement.” The audience responds accordingly, and the hype energy is made real. He performs a series of illusions that rapidly raise the bar and reinforce his 2020 “Magician of the Year” accolades.

Jay shares “This is a show about the making of a show.” Accordingly, he talks about the process of creating this world premiere over the last eight months. His authenticity fosters a bond with the audience. As a magician, it’s his job to make his tricks look effortless – so effortless they’re breath-taking illusions. Like any profession, one doesn’t necessarily think about what it takes to achieve expertise. When Jay talks about practicing his tricks in front of a 3-way mirror to see what they look like from different angles, it’s a unique insight into the labor of creating effortlessness.

One piece of “show making” Jay shares is he started taking shadow puppet lessons during the pandemic. (I didn’t even know shadow puppet lessons were a thing.) He wanted to learn enough to do one trick he had conceptualized. His instructor refused to teach him for a single trick, and five years later, he’s still a student. This half-decade commitment is an inspiring testimony to his growth mindset and dedication to advancing his craft.

Subsequently, he treats the audience to an exquisite shadow puppet show. We live in a high tech world, yet Jay casts magic with the ordinary. It’s utterly transfixing to witness his hands become storytellers as they cascade through a panoply of animals. The creatures are accompanied by a gentle soundtrack of nature sounds, and his flawless timing matches each shadow to the appropriate animal sound. You find your eyes involuntarily darting from the screen of shadows to his actual hands to see the shapes and evolution of stag to elephant to owl. He brings it back to the trick in question, astonishing as his shadows interact with real objects.

Jay’s tricks are layered stories. He thoughtfully utilizes audience participation. This simultaneously builds engagement and allows him to remove himself from the magic, making the participants unexpected heroes. It also heightens the wow factor as he somehow didn’t touch a thing and yet, magic! This is particularly true with his card tricks, which are the mainstay of his show. He stabs cards with a sword and makes cards appear that triangulate data points from random audience members. His experimental show reminds us that making and telling stories is the magic of a collective experience.

Ages 12 and up are welcome, so don’t miss the chance to see Joshua Jay in Making Magic through June 1, 2025 at the wonderfully intimate Liberty Magic (811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222).  Liberty Magic also offers a VIP experience to go backstage and connect with Josh after his show. You’ll see a few bonus magic tricks too. Purchase tickets online here.

-TKR, Ph. D. & TR

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, Ph.D., and Theron Raymond (6th grader)

Prime Stage Theatre finishes its 28th season with Sherman L. Sergel’s adaptation of Reginald Rose’s 1955 play, Twelve Angry Men. The play was a fast-follow to Rose’s 1954 Emmy Award-winning TV movie of the same name. In 1957, legend Sidney Lumet directed the Academy Award-nominated film version. The story’s rapid adaptation across mediums is a testimony to its relevance in the cultural zeitgeist.

The show opens with the voice of God. The unseen presiding trial judge instructs the 12 jurors and reminds them to “deliberate honestly.” Director Shane Valenzi wisely freeze frames all 12 actors in the jury room during this speech. This not only heightens their deference but anchors the rule of law as the prevailing voice in the room. The judge’s voice is commanding and authoritative, reminiscent of the opening narration from Law & Order.

Costume designer Meg Kelly is true to the era with all dozen dressed in suits. However, it’s not a sea of sameness. Juror #4 (Keith Zagorski) wears a tailored pinstripe suit, distinguishing him as an authoritative executive and a man of means. The foreman (Mark Spondike) is hunched and dressed in a dated and worn looking suit with trousers a smidge too short that bespeak a working class life. These status subtleties are outward manifestations of how the assembled jurors differ in the deliberation process and deciding of a verdict. They may be 12 white men, but they’re hardly a homogenous group.

The play’s title is a little aggressive and off-putting but also inaccurate. Twelve Angry Men conjures a one-dimensional emotional valence. Anger is an emotion. However, there’s more frustration than anger. The jurors are motivated and distracted by highly relatable externalities. Juror #7 (Luke Hancock) wants a quick verdict so he can get to the Yankees game he has tickets for. Hancock imbues this with the modern equivalent of missing a Taylor Swift concert. The monetary and experiential costs of missing the game weigh more heavily on him than the fate of a man’s life.

As Juror #12, Marc Duchin paces, exuding the energy of an edgy, amped-up ad executive. He’s preemptively anxious about the prospect of a lengthy deliberation, worrying aloud that “my job could be gone.” Despite being a 70-year old play, the cutthroat concerns of employment security are remarkably resonant.

There’s also vulnerability in the emotional landscape. Juror #8 (Everett Lowe) asks thoughtful questions that force the jurors to dissect details of the trial’s timeline, which is unveiled over the course of the deliberation process. Lowe physically towers over the other actors, and his height becomes symbolic of his commanding wisdom.

Alex Barnhart’s mid-century set design is austere and brilliant. The wooden jury room floor is covered by an area rug that leaves a generous perimeter of exposed flooring. The area rug is shadowed by a rectangular table that’s uncomfortably small for 12 people. Barnhart’s concentric layering thoughtfully creates a sense of the walls closing in. His minimalist design also allows the people and their personalities to fill the set.

What director Shane Valenzi does miss is cigarettes and ashtrays. Smoking was the 1950s norm, including courtrooms and jury rooms. If you’ve ever seen Lumet’s film, the jurors smoke throughout the deliberation. Some full ashtrays and herbal cigarettes would have sharpened the era-specific feel and heightened the suffocation of small room claustrophobia.

Juror #11 (David Knackman) is a European immigrant. While Juror #11 is a naturalized citizen, Knackman leans into a lingering accent to earmark the immigrant. He echoes the omniscient, absent judge, making an impassioned speech for due process, the legal system, and democracy. He reminds the assembled that he came to America because it’s a place where “A man is entitled to unpopular opinions,” and it is “one of the reasons why we are strong.” With America’s courts and legal system currently under siege, that reminder of strength has never been more relevant.

-TKR, Ph.D. & TR

You can see Prime Stage’s production of Twelve Angry Men through May 11, 2025 at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212.  Purchase tickets online here.

By Michael Buzzelli

The 2024-2025 Trust Arts Cabaret closes out its season with the stunning CMU graduate, Patina Miller (“Power Book III: Raising Kanan”).

The star of stage and screen opened with a sultry rendition of “Fever.”

Miller went on to sing from the Broadway songbook, briefly stopping to share anecdotes about her time in Pittsburgh. At the 9:30 show, Miller’s former Carnegie Mellon University voice teachers were in attendance.

Miller nailed “Corner of the Sky” from the 2013 revival of “Pippin” in which she starred as the Leading Player, the show’s emcee/narrator character, a role originated by Ben Vereen.

Her set list included “Fabulous Baby!” from her star turn as Deloris Van Cartier in the stage adaptation of “Sister Act.”

Miller belted some of her favorite songs, including “No One is Alone” from “Into the Woods.”

Miller was accompanied by James Sampliner, a veteran music director for countless Broadway artists including Pittsburgh’s own Billy Porter.

The evening at the Cabaret  was, as the song states, “Fabulous Baby!”

-MB

The Trust Arts Cabaret series is at the Greer Cabaret Theatre, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets to the 2025-2026 Trust Arts Cabaret series click  here. 

Jenna (Zanny Laird) knows that her whole life is about to change when she learns that she’s pregnant in the blockbuster Broadway play, “Waitress.”

Jenna doesn’t love her husband, Earl (Corey Rieger), with good reason. The man is cruel, selfish and lazy. However, Jenna can’t figure out how to leave him.

Jenna’s personality is perfectly encapsulated in song, “She is messy, but she’s kind. She is lonely most of the time,” but she’s also an amazing pie maker.  Fellow waitresses, Becky (La’Nette Wallace), and Dawn (Catherine Baird) are  slinging hash and flinging barbs in Joe’s Diner alongside her. They are also her moral (and sometimes immoral) support system.

Jenna’s the overwhelmed one. Becky is the sassy one. Dawn is the ditzy one. It’s the 70s sitcom “Alice” with a Sara Bareilles soundtrack.

Her life changes when she meets Dr. Jim Pomatter (Brett Goodnack, everyone’s favorite chainsaw wielding Ash), her gynecologist.

Meanwhile Becky is knocking boots with the manager, Cal (Ben Sheedy),  the  Mel to Jenna’s Alice. Dawn gets a meet-cute with the goofy but lovable, Ogie (a hilarious Quinn Patrick Shannon, turning in a brilliant performance in a smaller role).

The diner owner, Joe (Danny Herman), is a tough curmudgeon, but he’s got a soft spot for Jenna, as long as she remembers to put his tomatoes on the side.

When putting the show together, Director Tim Seib picked the perfect ingredients, blending top notch actors, a superb band, with amazing music created a smash hit.

Laird has proven time and time again that she is a star on the Pittsburgh stage and would be welcome on any Broadway stage. Her rendition of “She Used To Be Mine” is a showstopper. There are not enough hyperboles to describe it.

Goodnack also has star quality. He has grown into a charismatic and dynamic leading man.

Side note: This critic recognized Goodnack’s burgeoning talent  in a musical theater improv group, the Wunderstudies, nearly fifteen years ago where he told a certain Patch reporter to “Try the funnel cakes!” at a fair in Oakdale, PA.

Wallace’s Becky is a blast. She absolutely slays with “I Didn’t Plan It,” a powerful number that opens up the second act.

“Waitress” is filled with extras. Diners need patrons and musicals need backup dancers and harmonizers. It’s a gifted class of background performers. Nurse Norma (Jeyni Ortiz-Valentin) dishes out some of the best lines of the show, spitting them out, under her breath, with candor and aplomb. Isabel Kruse has a silent role as Jenna’s deceased mom, but it is a poignant performance.

Tucker Topel’s scenic design emulates the Broadway stage version of the set with soft pinks and blues fit for Lulu’s nursery. It is perfectly complemented by Todd Nonn’s impeccable lighting design.

Excellent costumes by Jeremy Eiben, which includes, waitress costumes, street clothes, and some Revolutionary War cosplay.

One small side note: There are renovation plans in the works for PMT stages and that’s a good thing, because if you get stuck behind a tall or broad- shouldered person, you’re only seeing part of the performance.

The show runs a little long, especially when setting up all of the characters and their various storylines, but it gives all of the principle cast members their own moment to shine.

If you’re ready for a uplifting story of hope and redemption, “Waitress” is ready to serve you. It’s a must-see show.

-MB

“Waitress” runs until May 25 at the Gargaro Theater in Pittsburgh’s West End, 327 South Main Street, Pittsburgh, PA  15220. For more information, click here.