Fast-Paced Comedy Comes to MLT Stage

March 08, 2024 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

Cast members of McKeesport Little Theater's latest production, the comedy "Nana's Naughty Knickers," in front from left, are Terri Davis as Vera Walters, Matt Tracy as Tom O'Grady, Emily Buckel as Bridget Charles, and Lindsey DiBattista as Sylvia Charles, aka Nana. In back are Nate Perrin as Clair Schmidt, Cory Sigler as Gil Schmidt, and Mandy Eckenrode as Heather Van Pree. (Photos by Bonnijean Cooney Adams for Tube City Almanac)

Law student Bridget Charles has no idea what awaits her when she moves in with her grandmother in New York City for the summer.

But she soon finds out her Nana is running a questionable business from her apartment, providing sexy lingerie for senior citizens.

Written by Katherine DiSavino , the comedy “Nana’s Naughty Knickers” opens Friday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. at McKeesport Little Theater.

MLT board members and actors Eddie Kunz and Sierra Mitchell teamed up, under the guidance of executive producer Jan Gerber, to co-produce the theater’s latest show.

MLT Juniors Conjure Lively ‘Aladdin’ Adaptation

January 12, 2024 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

Members of the cast of Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” at McKeesport Little Theater prepare for the show’s opening on Friday. (Photos by Bonnijean Cooney Adams for Tube City Almanac)

Those who love the story of Aladdin should thoroughly enjoy the latest Juniors’ show at McKeesport Little Theater.

Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” musical stage production features an expanded storyline that includes Aladdin’s fellow street urchins Babkak, Kassim, and Omar, who become his best friends, supporters, and rescuers.

There are some different songs in the stage version, but plenty of familiar tunes, too.

The theater is transformed into the town of Agrabah just in time for opening night, Friday (Jan. 12) with a colorful production complete with stunning costumes and great musical selections performed by a live pit.

Some of the actors are veterans of the Juniors program and have performed together there or elsewhere, while others are just getting their feet wet in theater.

MLT Brings Back ‘Rocky Horror’ For Halloween

October 27, 2023 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

Kat Grosso as Frank-N-Furter's golden creation Rocky, far right, and cast rehearse a scene from the cult favorite “Rocky Horror Show,” returning to McKeesport Little Theater for one weekend only. (Photo courtesy MLT)

When patrons of McKeesport Little Theater’s 2022 debut of “Rocky Horror Show” made it clear they’d like to see it become an annual event, director Heather Atkinson took it to heart.

“We got a lot of response last year that people wanted us to do this every year, so we put in for the rights again the day after ‘Rocky Horror’ closed, and found out we were approved again the day before Thanksgiving,” she said.

With show rights acquired and Atkinson on board to return to direct, she said she started thinking about things that would carry over from the 2022 production and others she wanted to change.

The 2023 MLT edition of “Rocky Horror Show” opens today (Oct. 27), and continues for one weekend only on Saturday (Oct. 28) and Sunday (Oct. 29). All shows are at 7:30 p.m., with pre-show activities starting at 6:45 p.m.

MLT Takes on Ambitious ‘SpongeBob’ Musical

September 13, 2023 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

From left, Nyjair Wilkerson hones his skills as Squidward Q. Tentacles, with Michael Stanley and Dylan Stramaski, who play dual roles in the show. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)

The show that director Will Dixon calls “the hardest show I’ve ever done” is about a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea.

“The SpongeBob Musical” opens Friday at McKeesport Little Theater and runs for two weekends. Rehearsals started in June. Dixon said the musical’s intense choreography, music and dancing makes it an ambitious show for a small community theater.

The beloved children’s cartoon show — which held plenty of humor for parents as well — was adapted to a musical for all ages that opened on Broadway in 2017. That’s when Dixon and a few others who eventually became part of the MLT cast decided to take a road trip and headed to New York City to see it.

“I had not slept for 36 hours,” he said. “Still, I was on the edge of my seat. After that, I knew I wanted to direct it.”

Serra Band Corrals Western-Themed Show

September 05, 2023 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

Serra musicians and color guard fine tune the drill during summer evening band camp. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)

Serra Catholic High School's band director said fans and audiences can expect a “lighthearted, very upbeat show” when the official competition season kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Penn-Trafford High School.

Jesse Bush described “Wanted” as a “cowboy-inspired show” with musicians and color guard featured in duets, solos, and even a vocal selection.

Music includes several songs by Randall Standridge, the Eagles, Johnny Cash, and others, Bush said.

Drum major Vincent Brown said he taught himself how to play the harmonica, which is featured at the very beginning of the production. His character is the protagonist cowboy searching for antagonist wanted man Michael Aland.

Locals Cheer Grads During Broadway Awards

June 27, 2023 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

Students who have performed with Kaitlyn Majewski in high school or at McKeesport Little Theater joined the watch party for the 2023 Jimmy Awards to show their support. (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac)

An enthusiastic group of friends, family and fellow performers gathered at McKeesport Area High School’s auditorium on Monday night to view a live stream of the 2023 Jimmy Awards.

The collaborative effort between McKeesport Little Theater and McKeesport Area School District enabled those who could not travel to New York City to support 2023 grad Kaitlyn Majewski to cheer her on as she performed as part of the competition that recognizes excellence in high school musical theatre.

Majewski and Elizabeth Forward High School student Tyler Guinto-Brody qualified for the Jimmys after being named best actress and best actor, respectively, during Pittsburgh’s Gene Kelly Awards in May.

Wartime Drama Set on U.K. Island Offers Intrigue

May 04, 2023 |

By Jason A. Mignanelli | Posted in: Entertainment

Cast of McKeesport Little Theater’s “Gabriel.” (Tabitha Bowman photo courtesy MLT)

At the height of the second World War on the Nazi-occupied British island of Guernsey in the English Channel, one family struggles to survive. In a twist of fate, an incoherent young man washes up on the beach. Unable to locate identification, the family names him “Gabriel” and decides to harbor him despite facing possible consequences of the commanding officer of the German forces, Major Von Pfunz.

The McKeesport Little Theater is presenting “Gabriel” by Moira Buffini, beginning this week. The play was first published in 1997 and was described by The New York Times as a “deftly woven plot” that “begins generating suspense early on.” Buffini is an English playwright born in Cheshire, United Kingdom.

Another reviewer wrote that “Buffini, a daring and almost shockingly inventive playwright, derives suspenseful plot turns from these characters thrust into a dangerously close situation.”

Fun, Fright as Serra Stages ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

April 20, 2023 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment

The cast of “Little Shop of Horrors,” with Brigid Fuller as Audrey (far left) and TJ Betzner as Seymour Krelborn (far right) rehearse the “Skid Row” number from Serra Catholic's spring musical, which opens Friday. (Tube City Almanac photo by Bonnijean Adams)

Following a string of Disney musicals, Serra Catholic High School’s director and students decided they wanted to do something different this year.

They’ve been hard at work honing skills needed to not only sing and dance their hearts out, but to accommodate an otherworldly, carnivorous plant that is key to the production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” It opens Friday (April 21) at 7 p.m.

“I wanted something completely different,” director Jesse Bush said. “I wanted to step outside our comfort zone and try something new.”

Some of the cast members said they were familiar with the subject matter and music from either watching the movie of the same name or attending Elizabeth Forward’s spring musical last year – while others were not.

EA Students Take a Royal Journey in ‘Anastasia’

April 11, 2023 |

By Kristen Keleschenyi | Posted in: Entertainment, North Versailles Twp. News

The cast of East Allegheny High School’s “Anastasia” rehearses the show-stopping “Paris” dance number. (Kristen Keleschenyi photo for Tube City Almanac)

The story of a princess with amnesia is about to come to life at East Allegheny.

The high school’s spring musical, “Anastasia,” opens on Thursday (April 13). The story revolves around Anastasia “Anya” Romanov, who is trying to find out about her past, but ends up befriending two con men who have ulterior motives.

Although the show is not a Disney musical, it has all the elements of one — a princess, great song and dance numbers, and (of course) there’s a love story. The show is based on the 1997 animated film of the same name, and a 1956 live-action film.

Musical director Amanda Rosco said this particular musical paired well with the students who came out to audition and their skill sets. The licensing rights to “Anastasia” just became available to schools last musical season, and EA is only the third school in the area — Belle Vernon Area being the closest and most recent — to present it to an audience.

MAHS Musical Brings ’50s Tunes to Life

March 28, 2023 |

By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment, McKeesport and Region News

The whole cast dances all out to one of the many musical numbers in “All Shook Up.” (Bonnijean Cooney Adams photo for Tube City Almanac.)

While almost all adults have at least heard – and many may have a favorite – Elvis Presley song, that isn’t necessarily true for all teens.

That’s unless those teens are in the cast, crew, or orchestra pit for McKeesport Area High School’s spring musical “All Shook Up,” which opens Thursday (March 30).

Characterized as an “American jukebox musical,” it was written in 2004 and premiered on Broadway the following year. And while “All Shook Up” is inspired by and features the music of Elvis,  the storyline is not about Presley. The male lead character is Chad (Collin Klein), who arrives as a stranger on a motorcycle to a conservative town in the Midwest circa 1950s.

While his bike is getting repaired by mechanic Natalie Haller (Kaitlyn Majewski), Chad looks for some excitement, only to learn about the town’s Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act, which prohibits things such as “loud music, public necking, and tight pants.”