Summer Stages: BWW's Top Summer Theatre Picks - Pittsburgh!

With temperatures rapidly on the climb, what better way to beat the heat than by taking in a show? Here are BroadwayWorld Pittsburgh's top five picks to help you keep your cool this summer - just a small sampling of innumerable entertainment options available in Pittsburgh throughout the upcoming summer months!

PRIVATE LIVES, Pittsburgh Public Theater
May 24 – June 24
O’Reilly Theatre

Pittsburgh Public Theater closes its 2011-2012 season with Noël Coward’s PRIVATE LIVES. The production stars Michael Brusasco and Victoria Mack as the glamorous Elyot and Amanda, a formerly married pair whose lust is reawakened by a chance meeting – on honeymoon with their new spouses! Now playing at the O’Reilly Theatre, this silly and scandalous screwball romp is sure to be a Pittsburgh crowd-pleaser, particularly after its recent Broadway revival starring Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall.

A CHORUS LINE, Pittsburgh CLO
June 15 – June 24
Benedum Center

Amidst a Summer Season of six classic hits and Broadway blockbusters including COME FLY AWAY, ANNIE, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, SUNSET BOULEVARD, and The Addams Family, Pittsburgh CLO stages A CHORUS LINE, June 15 – 24. Directed and choreographed by original A CHORUS LINE cast member Baayork Lee, Pittsburgh CLO’s production of this Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical will be nothing short of a “singular sensation!”

CANDIDE, Pittsburgh Opera Theater's Summerfest
July 7, 13, 15
Richard E. Rauh Theater

Beginning on June 30, Pittsburgh Opera Theater’s Summerfest boasts an eclectic mix of opera, concerts, recitals, and cabaret, promising entertainment for nearly every brand of theatergoer. Following a riveting summer 2011 production of Ricky Ian Gordon’s EURIDICE AND ORPHEUS, Pittsburgh Opera Theater’s upcoming production of Leonard Bernstein’s CANDIDE will present a glimpse into what may just be the “best of all possible worlds” – just one of six exciting options that audiences may attend throughout the two-week festival.

CHEKHOV CELEBRATION, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre
July 19 – August 26
Henry Heymann Theatre/Charity Randall Theatre

This summer, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical pays tribute to one of the greatest classical playwrights of all time, Russian author and dramatist Anton Chekhov. A “celebration” of all things Chekhov, PICT is set to present both THREE SISTERS and IVANOV; the latter will quite notably be receiving its United States premiere. In addition to these two full-fledged productions, PICT will also present several short programs and vaudeville-style performances throughout the month of August.

THE GOLDEN DRAGON, Quantum Theatre
August 2 – August 26
Lake Carnegie in Highland Park

Quantum Theatre’s kicks off its 2012-2013 season this August with Roland Schimmelpfennig’s THE GOLDEN DRAGON, a show being billed as a “tragicomic tale of globalization.” Known for staging each of its productions in unconventional, ‘found’ spaces – including last summer’s production of TWELFTH NIGHT at the West Penn Hospital Foundation Research Facility and their most recent endeavor, THE ELECTRIC BABY, at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh – Quantum Theatre will present THE GOLDEN DRAGON at Lake Carnegie in Highland Park.

Alexandra Strycula is currently pursuing a degree in Theatre and American Studies at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York City. While at Barnard, Alexandra has produced and assistant directed several works of student theatre. Her keen interest in arts administration has also led her to positions with Disney-ABC Television Group, Pittsburgh CLO, The New Group, The New York Musical Theatre Festival, and Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre. Born and raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Alexandra is thrilled to put her theatrical passion to use as a contributing editor for her hometown.

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