Review: ‘Another Kind of Silence’ Challenges the Languages That We Speak

Oh, did I mention I’m taking a class in theater reviews? The first lesson is to write about what you know. I know lesbians better than anything else in this production – better than ASL, Greece, mythology, or being an ex-pat. I didn’t learn anything new about lesbians, but I learned a lot about the […]

And now Sue’s Reviews of the Famiworths Single-Serve Coffee Maker

Well, I have to fess up. I now own a Keurig. Well, a different brand single use pod machine, but basically the same thing. A friend gave it to me. I think she got it from a Buy Not a Thing list. That shouldn’t matter, but it does. I was going to use it in […]

Review: The Queen of My Dreams Explores Queer Pakistani Themes

My third indie movie review with Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) characters (watching the fourth now) was a little disappointing. The story focuses on a mother-daughter relationship between Pakistani-Canadian Azra, a young queer filmmaker, and her traditional Pakistani mother, Mariam. Azra’s father and Mariam’s husband dies at the beginning of the film. […]

Review: ‘Come From Away’ Changed My Relationship to Musicals

Here’s a review secret – I don’t love musicals. I grew up immersed in the old-school classics that my mother watched, they hold a special place in the nostalgia corner of my heart. But the tendency to convert everything that moves into a musical – Disney, children’s books, movies – has left me skeptical of […]

Review: ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Sticks the Landing

Broadway smash ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ fuses the familiar angst of coming of age stories with atypical elements that don’t so much turn the genre on its head as better align it with our lived experiences. The setup is familiar – new girl in town with a dysfunctional family, some unspoken secrets, optimistic spirit, quirky aunt meets […]

Review: Hamilton Inspired My 13 Year Old Nephew to Google

a black teen male standing in a theater with the stage in the background

HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. HAMILTON features […]

Review: Wicked Little Letters is a Delightful Romp

Wicked Little Letters

Spoilerish Delightful, the word that comes to mind after watching the movie Wicked Little Letters. The film returns to a long forgotten episode from the 1920’s. Featuring Olivia Colman as the prim spinster Edith Swan seemingly targeted by an onslaught of lewd anonymous letters filled with the unique cursing of the English, the cast boasts […]

Holiday Spirits Captivate Pemberley for this City Theatre Production

The magic of Jane Austen brought a gift to Pittsburgh this month with the staging of Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley by City Theatre. A reunion of (most of) the Bennett sisters for the holidays- at Pemberley no less – was just what this Jane Austen fan wanted. Miss Bennett is part of a holiday […]

Review: The Little Mermaid and My 11-Year-Old Nephew

Spoilerish We sent our Disney movie expert Elijah, 11, to preview the Live Action version of The Little Mermaid. Elijah submitted an audio review and I added the transcript. Elijah is 11, an experienced Disney fan courtesy of his mom, and also happens to be a Black child. He previously connected the movie casting to […]

Review: A Mother Son/Duo Reviews Dear Evan Hansen

I feel as if this play told the perfect personal view of what it’s like to suffer from social anxiety and feel as if you don’t matter or no one is watching. Our review of Dear Evan Hansen currently at The Benedum is a little different. We sent our reviewer Sarah and her 16-year-old son, […]