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Greg Kerestan - Page 3

Greg Kerestan

Greg Kerestan works in the greater Pittsburgh theatrical scene as an actor, musician, librettist, lyricist and composer. His musical "Tink!" was a Next Link full production selection in the 2016 New York Musical festival, and his musical "The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari" won Best New Musical or Play in the BWW Pittsburgh 2022 audience choice awards. When not seeing shows or writing shows, Greg works in government social services.






Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Exceeds All Expectations at Benedum Center
Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Exceeds All Expectations at Benedum Center
July 30, 2023

The CLO production proves once and for all that this is the best musical you've never heard of.

Review: BITES AND PINTS FESTIVAL 2023 Brings Music and Food Back to Kennywood Park
Review: BITES AND PINTS FESTIVAL 2023 Brings Music and Food Back to Kennywood Park
July 22, 2023

After two pandemic years, life has returned, sometimes better than ever, at Pittsburgh's theme park staple.

Review: SOME ENCHANTED EVENING Brings a Touch of Class at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
Review: SOME ENCHANTED EVENING Brings a Touch of Class at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
July 21, 2023

The summer institution shakes up its image with a lightly sophisticated musical revue.

Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Climbs Every Mountain at Benedum Center
Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Climbs Every Mountain at Benedum Center
July 13, 2023

A heightened comic sensibility makes this old classic feel fresh to even the most cynical viewer (namely, me).

Review: MOON OVER BUFFALO Brings Classic Laughs at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
Review: MOON OVER BUFFALO Brings Classic Laughs at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
June 30, 2023

Summer isn't summer until there's a classic farce onstage at Saint Vincent.

Review: Pittsburgh CLO's INTO THE WOODS Restores the Weirdness at Benedum Center
Review: Pittsburgh CLO's INTO THE WOODS Restores the Weirdness at Benedum Center
June 30, 2023

Forty years of productions and a Disney movie have made the show cuddly, but this CLO production restores the weirdness and wackiness at the show's edges.

Review: Pittsburgh CLO Sets Sail with ANYTHING GOES at Benedum Center
Review: Pittsburgh CLO Sets Sail with ANYTHING GOES at Benedum Center
June 15, 2023

Almost every time you see a major production of Anything Goes, it'll vary in some way from the last one you saw. There are at least three licensable editions of the show, from as far back as the 1930s and as recent as 2022. The song stack is in perpetual flux between a long list of Cole Porter greatest hits and B-sides, and there are several characters who appear only in certain editions of the show. About a decade ago, the show underwent a reputation update from 'park and bark' diva and vaudeville standard to an all-singing-all-dancing showcase for triple-threat performers. It's a lot of wigs on a very old head, but somehow the show still works.

Review: THE ANDREWS BROTHERS Blends Farce and Revue at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
Review: THE ANDREWS BROTHERS Blends Farce and Revue at Saint Vincent Summer Theatre
June 3, 2023

The summer institution's season opener effortlessly blends the two genres the venue is most famous for.

Review: FALSETTOS at Front Porch Theatricals Pairs a Warm Heart with a Cold Shoulder
Review: FALSETTOS at Front Porch Theatricals Pairs a Warm Heart with a Cold Shoulder
May 24, 2023

William Finn's neurotic queer musical epic isn't necessarily user-friendly, but Pittsburgh's best local playhouse still manages to find the warmth amidst the dysfunction.

Review: YOUNG AMERICANS Takes a Road Trip at Pittsburgh Public Theater
Review: YOUNG AMERICANS Takes a Road Trip at Pittsburgh Public Theater
May 8, 2023

Lauren Yee's time-bending new play shows the power of identity, family and a really good mixtape.

Review: MANDY PATINKIN IN CONCERT: BEING ALIVE Is Uncompromisingly Unique at Pittsburgh Playhouse
Review: MANDY PATINKIN IN CONCERT: BEING ALIVE Is Uncompromisingly Unique at Pittsburgh Playhouse
May 6, 2023

There's a reason Patinkin is a legend, and it's because he is so permanently himself and no one else.

Review: TINA Rocks and Rolls Down the River at Benedum Center
Review: TINA Rocks and Rolls Down the River at Benedum Center
April 8, 2023

This jukebox rocker may not be 'simply the best' in the genre, but its energy and surreal touches make it stand out from the pack.

Review: BEETLEJUICE Brings Big Demon Energy to the Benedum Center
Review: BEETLEJUICE Brings Big Demon Energy to the Benedum Center
February 24, 2023

Go see Beetlejuice. Go see Beetlejuice. Go see Beetlejuice. Okay, storytime! I have a personal connection to the Beetlejuice musical on two levels. First, when I was a senior in high school and a freshman in college, I followed Stephen Sondheim's advice on learning how to write by adapting an existing work solely for educational purposes, to learn 'how' to do it. My 'untitled unauthorized Beetlejuice musical' project was almost uniformly bad, but it taught me a lot; the two songs from it that showed any promise both wound up revised and repurposed into the musical I wrote during the pandemic. Second... I'm the guy who named the Netherlings. Yes, the devoted, rabid and sometimes frightening Beetlejuice musical fan club is named after a term I coined online. Naturally, when the tour came to town, I had to see it, and believe me: it did not disappoint.

Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM IN HARLEM Shakes Up Shakespeare at Pittsburgh Public Theater
Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM IN HARLEM Shakes Up Shakespeare at Pittsburgh Public Theater
February 10, 2023

Justin Emeka's riotous reimagining is the best Shakespeare in Pittsburgh since 'Othello' at the Public.

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME Combines Brecht and NPR at City Theatre
Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME Combines Brecht and NPR at City Theatre
February 9, 2023

Pleasantly disorienting, this pseudo-docutheatre raises questions large and small.

Review: KINKY BOOTS Rocks its Regional Premiere at The Lamp Theatre
Review: KINKY BOOTS Rocks its Regional Premiere at The Lamp Theatre
February 6, 2023

A stripped-down presentation and some local grit (plus actual queens) helps this show find its footing in a small production.

Review: HAIRSPRAY at Benedum Center Is A New Golden Oldie
Review: HAIRSPRAY at Benedum Center Is A New Golden Oldie
January 6, 2023

This super-sixties musical continues to feel fresh, while also seeming like it's been around forever.

Review: A CHRISTMAS STORY Is A Perfect Salty Cookie at Pittsburgh Public Theater
Review: A CHRISTMAS STORY Is A Perfect Salty Cookie at Pittsburgh Public Theater
December 9, 2022

The smartest, stupidest, most beloved Christmas tale of the twentieth century comes to life, and then some, in Michael Berresse's farcical production.

Review: FRONT PORCH CABARET Reunites Old Friends at Front Porch Theatricals
Review: FRONT PORCH CABARET Reunites Old Friends at Front Porch Theatricals
November 30, 2022

Front Porch announces a season of Finn and Sondheim, in an evening of song and stories. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to measure the pulse of the Pittsburgh theatre scene, you will feel it the most intensely and regionally in Front Porch. The company's mission to produce exciting musicals specifically highlighting the talents of Pittsburgh-area artists makes it feel somehow organically part of the community; much as I love seeing the talents of major Broadway stars at Pittsburgh CLO every years, there's a thrill in seeing a Front Porch show and knowing 'all of this was made here.' Though Front Porch's impresario and producer Leon S. Zionts passed away several years ago, he has remained an active member of its creative community, as the shortlist of shows he crafted with fellow producers Bruce E. G. Smith and Nancy D. Zionts continues to guide the company's mission statement forward.

Review: HADESTOWN Exceeds the Hype at Benedum Center
Review: HADESTOWN Exceeds the Hype at Benedum Center
November 20, 2022

The gritty folk-opera sensation isn't the second coming of Hamilton, it's the second coming of RENT.



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