'Burgh Vivant

by Claire DeMarco

Annie (Aubree Liscotti) lives in a New York orphanage in the 1930’s during the height of the Depression. It’s a dreary place run by Miss Hannigan (Connor McCanlus).  Hannigan is not nice and most times is a little inebriated.

The orphans’ lives are not pleasant, but it’s Annie who is always pushing to leave that horrible place and find her biological parents. She always looks for ways to leave the orphanage, but thus far has been unsuccessful.

One day, Miss Hannigan receives a visit from Grace Farrell (Caroline Nicolian), secretary to Oliver Warbucks (Allan Snyder), one of the wealthiest men in America.  Farrell’s mission is to bring an orphan to his home to spend two weeks during the Christmas holidays.

To his dismay, Warbucks discovers that his orphan is a girl and not the boy he requested.  But Annie is disarmingly charming, and with Farrell’s support, he is soon won over.  He finds a new purpose in life and intends to adopt Annie.

Although excited and honored by Warbucks’ offer, Annie is determined to find her real parents.  Warbucks calls all his high connections to help make that happen.

Back at the orphanage, Miss Hannigan is surprised by two visitors – her brother, Rooster Hannigan (Isaac Miller), and his girl, Lily St. Regis (Allie Burns).  Recently out of jail, Rooster is already planning his next illegal escapade. Together with Miss Hannigan, they all lament their state in life, feeling sorry for themselves.

Two stories evolve.  Will Annie find her parents?  Do the Hannigan siblings and Rooster’s girlfriend find a way out of their miserable lives?

With strong vocals and great stage presence, Liscotti captivates as the ever-hopeful Annie.  She delivers with “Maybe” and “Tomorrow,” songs synonymous with this musical.

McCanlus owns the stage as the obnoxious Miss Hannigan.  His facial features, perfectly timed side glances, and physical movements accentuate his raucous, often tipsy behavior.  An outrageous character, but you can’t help but love him!   McCanlus sings “Little Girls” as a testimonial of his dislike for his wards, especially Annie.

Snyder transitions from a man whose entire world is centered on making money into a gentle human being, now in sync with the more important things in life.  What a powerful solo rendition of “Something Was Missing.”

Miller and Burns complement one another, Miller as the con artist and Burns as his ditsy girlfriend and cohort.  They solidify that cohesion, along with McCanlus, in their lament-filled agony about their lives in the song “Easy Street.”

Nicolian portrays Farrell as the dutiful and supportive secretary who, in many instances, has more influence on her boss than he realizes.

A shout out to Domenica Buffo, Olivia Duddie, Ainsley Christof, Brenna Asti, Charley Galman, and Charlie Kennis.  They delivered as the other orphans in Annie’s world, especially with the song “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.”

The entire talented cast contributes to this production’s success.

Note:  The concept for “Annie”, the Broadway musical, originated from a 1920’s comic strip titled “Little Orphan Annie.”  The show’s timeframe was moved to the 1930’s Great Depression.  This musical has won seven Tony awards.  It remains a favorite musical production.

Book by Thomas Meehan, Music by Charles Strouse, and Lyrics by Martin Charnin.

Wonderful music accompaniment by the orchestra under the direction of Dr. Francesca Tortorello, DMA.

Kudos to Director Quinn Patrick Shannon.

Note: Depending on the performance date, many of the actors’ roles are performed by other members of the cast.

-CED

“Annie” runs from February 19 to March 1at the Byham Theater, 101 6^th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.  “Annie” is a production of Pittsburgh Musical Theater.  For tickets and additional information, click here. 

 

By Michael Buzzelli

Late one night, Sheila (Tracey Maina) and her brother David (Andrew Perfetti) come home drunk from a party and lie down in the park in front of his home. Strangely, with no real explanation, Sheila and David become rooted to the spot in Agnes Borinsky’s “The Trees.”

A crowd gathers to see the unusual situation, as David and Sheila cannot move from their spot. Their Grandmother (Yide Liu), who speaks Polish, is among the first to camp out with her grandchildren.

Julian (Thomas Sirianni) reads about the duo in the newspaper and shows up to see the spectacle. Others are drawn to them.

Norman (Griffin Maley) finds the siblings while cruising the park. Sheila’s friend Charlotte (Lizzy Boulos) shows up to help out.  Rabbi Saul (Mayce Lee) drives from Cleveland to Connecticut to meet with them. She feels a spiritual connection to the two of them, mostly Sheila. A vendor salesman, Terry (Seth Pittsburg, no H), shows up selling chips, bottled water, and paninis.

Tavish (Jay Remenih) tags along with Julian, and David’s boyfriend, Jared (Nathan Jacobs-Hyman), shows up to break up with him, but keeps coming back to visit.

Sheryl (Maddie Colucci), mentioned earlier, appears in the second act.

Ezra (Nate Feldman) also shows up in the second act (but spoilers prevent this review from revealing more).

The siblings create a queer forest of Arden, where Bohemians flock to support and care for the human trees.

promotional material for “The Trees.”Though the show starts with an absurd problem, the show is rooted (pardon the pun) in realistic relationships. It’s weird, but fun.

The cast is superb (the length of this review prohibits this reviewer from individually calling out each of them, but we will cover some of the best).

Maina and Liu have a conversation in Polish! It’s amazing to watch Maina ride a wave between English and Polish. It’s astonishing to watch. Polish tutor Kornelia Gondek worked with the actors to get the accents right.

Maina and Perfetti have a great dynamic. They are comfortable with each other, bickering like real siblings. Perfetti is a master of the pregnant pause. He delivers his lines with thoughtful elegance.

While every character gets to jab and thrust in rapid-fire witty lines, Maley’s Norman is the biggest comic relief. He knows his way around a joke.

Lee’s Saul has the headiest material as her character struggles with her relationship with God, finding something deep and meaningful at Sheila’s side.

The stage space is transformed into an idyllic, pastoral scene by Liza Brown (with Britton Mauk, one of Pittsburgh’s prolific scenic designers).

“The Trees” is expertly directed by Natasha Cole. She keeps things light, even when the characters are discussing loneliness, the nature of love, and myriad existential crises. 

Borinsky’s script is odd. She never explains the situation, but she also doesn’t sensationalize it. It’s an allegory, a fable, or a fairy tale told in modern times. The trick is not to get hung up on the mechanics of the show’s magic and to go with the flow. She doesn’t answer questions; she creates situations for characters to explore.

It’s easy to get hung up on how the characters eat, defecate, and make love to their perspective partners, but it’s best not to think too hard about it.

“The Trees” isn’t for everyone. If you use the word “woke” as a pejorative, this show isn’t for you. There are so many LGBTQ characters in “The Trees,” you could almost hear Emily Montgomery (Joan Cusack in “In & Out”) running out into the street and crying out, “Is everybody gay?!!?”

The show has more gay characters than “Kinky Boots” and “La Cage Aux Folles” combined, and that is a good thing. For everyone who doesn’t normally see themselves in media, “The Trees” is required viewing.

-MB

By Lonnie the Theater Lady

Pittsburgh native, Emmy award winning writer, comedian, producer and actor, Ed Driscoll has returned to regale Pittsburgh audiences with some of the most memorable escapades he’s had over his twenty-five-year career in show business.

His expansive experience includes writing jokes for Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers, Michael Buble’ and Justin Timberlake. Driscoll has written for the Academy Awards, Comic Relief and ESPN’s Espy Awards. He has also written for several sitcoms including “The Drew Carey Show”.

Driscoll spins some seriously funny, true tales based on his life events. One particularly amusing story relates what happened one evening when he got lost on his way to Billy Crystal’s house, in a torrential rainstorm. (Pre GPS technology)

No spoilers–but his problem-solving antics are hilarious.

Another delightful story reveals what happened the night he ran into Bob Newhart’s trash cans–another one of many humorous crowd-pleasing tales!

Driscoll discloses the details of a practical joke that went very wrong, leading the police to question Dennis Miller as a suspected Vanna White stalker. It was very comical!

Driscoll’s an entertaining, witty storyteller with perfect comedic timing. He sprinkles some valuable encouraging life lessons into his captivating narrative. Driscoll’s spellbinding warm story telling style engages the audience from the first moment of the show until the last. “Cracking Up” is guaranteed to live up to its name. Not only will you laugh but you’ll be uplifted. Don’t miss this engaging, intimate evening with the wildly talented, Ed Driscoll.

By Michael Buzzelli

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Emily Dickinson, and even Tony Orlando and Dawn wax poetic about oak trees. Layon Gray joins the illustrious club of tree huggers with his play, “Meet Me at the Oak.”

Jonius (Thaddeus Daniels) and Selma (Kenya Wilson) have a mighty oak on their property in Alexandria, Louisiana. They have dubbed the tree BEN because one of Jonius’s ancestors carved the initials in the tree back when the oak was on an Antebellum plantation. Their daughter, Ruthie (Tahiliah Rose Bergel), wants to climb the old oak. Even though Jonius and his friend, Earl (Dennis Brito), climbed the tree as children, Jonius doesn’t want his daughter scaling it.

Gossipy friend-of-the-family, Luther (David Roberts), tells Jonius that a white family is moving in next door.

Ruthie is the first to interact with the very pleasant nurse, Mary Coles (Lillian Monique Sherman), and her cantankerous (read racist) husband, Frank (Sal Rendino). When Selma directs Mary to the nearest grocery store, the Piggly Wiggly, she invites the neighbor to cut through the yard on the way back because it’s a shortcut. Mary, however, trips over a gnarled root from the old tree and falls on their property.

When Luther finds Mary unconscious in the yard next to old BEN, he is accused of pushing her. He is arrested. From there, a complicated web of fear and hate strangles both Frank and Jonius. The neighbors are far from neighborly.

Gray describes “Meet Me at the Oak” as “a love letter to my hometown – my neighborhood, the people who shaped me, and the family who raised me. It carries the weight of memory, the courage of survival, and the beauty of choosing love and compassion over fear.”

Gray’s play is about hope, even if it takes some frightening turns to get there. There is a lovely moment with the family dancing to a record filled with joyful exuberance, a moment of beauty before descending into a ghastly neighborhood nightmare.

The cast is amazing. Their performances ring with truth.

Daniels is triumphant as the patriarch of a nuclear family. He is a passionate man, a fully realized character with hopes, fears, and dreams. The character is at his best during his sweeter moments. Daniels exudes natural charm in the quiet, reflective moments.

Bergel shines as the young daughter, Ruthie. The actor, who isn’t yet twelve years old, is giving 100%. Yes, she’s adorable, but her ability is far beyond her years.

Wilson’s Selma is a thoughtful, caring matriarch. While Selma is a 50s Black housewife, Wilson plays to the character’s soul. You see the intelligence and gravitas of the woman who is really running the household, even though she’s making it look like her hubby is calling the shots.

Roberts plays Luther with unrestrained emotions. His character’s emotions are always over-the-top. Whether it’s happiness, sadness or anger its cranked up to 11.

Herb Newsome’s set is charming and simple, looking like a lower-middle-class home in the 50s. His BEN is the secret eighth member of the cast. The tree looks imposing, gnarled, and stately. The Oak in “Meet Me in the Oak” has a personality all of its own.

There is a beautiful memorial to the ancestors, created with clever projection design by Aidan Cole.

Gray also directs his work. It’s not often that a playwright can direct his own play. They don’t have emotional distance to make bold changes or quiet revisions. That said, Gray does a phenomenal job with his own material.

Sadly, Americans are still hung up on “Othering,” and we haven’t progressed far enough since the attitudes of the 1950s. Gray reminds us to be our better selves even in dire circumstances. The lesson is given dramatically – sometimes melodramatically – without feeling like a morality play. While there are a few prayers – including a beautiful version of “Amazing Grace” – it’s never preachy. Gray is more interested in telling the story as he sees fit.

“Meet Me at the Oak” needs to be seen.  It should be required viewing for anyone in the Senate, House of Representatives and/or ICE agents, because the people who NEED to see the play, probably aren’t going to see the play, but you should.

-MB

“Meet Me at the Oak” runs until March 1st at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s Helen Wayne Rahu Rehearsal Hall, 621 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and additional information, click here. 

By Michael Buzzelli

Vocalist Jessica Vosk breezed into Pittsburgh before her upcoming musical adaptation of “Beaches” on Broadway (rehearsals began the day of her show, Monday, February 16, 2026, but Vosk will join the troupe on Tuesday, February 17, 2026).

Vosk accompanied by acclaimed conductor, music director, orchestrator, composer, and arranger, Mary-Mitchell Campbell (“Mean Girls,” “Tuck Everlasting,” “Finding Neverland,” “The Prom,” and more), and musical director, actor and drummer, Rich Mecurio (drummer for “Waitress” and Van Zandt, and Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, and the drummer on Vosk’s Christmas album, “SLEIGH.”

The Broadway singer and actress regaled the crowd at the Greer Cabaret Theatre with stories from her career in show business, delivered with delightful and charming wit.

The Broadway performer opened the show from the rear of the theater, cutting through the audience and winding her way to the stage, commenting as she went. She turned to one guest seated at a table, “Is that a cookie?”

When the patron offered her the cookie, she responded, “No. I can’t. I am in the middle of a show.”

Vosk covered songs from “Waitress,” “Beaches,” “Wicked,” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

In 2022, Vosk headlined “Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration” at Carnegie Hall.  Her version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was astonishing.

The singer even rocked a Taylor Swift song, “Treacherous,” to the delight of the audience.

Vosk received two standing O’s, and midway through the set, there was a mini-standing ovation as a smattering of the crowd rose after her rendition of “The Wizard and I.”

The Broadway star has her own Christmas album, “SLEIGH,” and you can listen to a track here.

Vosk was entertaining and engaging, and one of the best performers of a stellar season at the Greer.

-MB

The 2025-2026 Trust Cabaret continues with Eva Noblezada on March 9th, 2026, and Cheyenne Jackson on May 11, 2026. For more information and tickets, click here. 

by Claire DeMarco

“Love Letters” follows the lives of two people who have known each other since childhood.  Andrew Makepeace Ladd III (Zach Wyatt) and Melissa Gardner (Tammy Wyatt) began their journey with the written word in grade school, sending little notes to one another during class.  Their correspondence didn’t get off to a smooth start.  When their teacher exposed them, Ladd and Gardner were forced to repeat “I will not write personal notes in class” multiple times.

Their relationship has fluctuated over the years as they have found themselves in different parts of the world, taken different career paths, married (and divorced), and had children.  But they always keep corresponding.

As time goes on, Melissa has more issues than Andrew.  She is a free spirit, an artist, and one who eventually has difficulties with excessive drinking.  Her emphasis on the course her art takes is as fluid as her multiple marriages.

Andrew chooses a legal career, applies himself, and takes the next logical step for him by pursuing politics.  He has a successful marriage and three sons.

The hint of jealousy rises from both sides when either one announces a new love interest or marriage.  One wonders how deep their attachment is.  Their relationship is complex and fluctuates between love, annoyance, jealousy, concern, and sympathy.

As they grow older, many more complexities within their own worlds demand more of their attention.

Does their relationship remain the same after fifty years of correspondence?  Do they continue to write to one another?

Zach’s Ladd is strait-laced.  He has set his career objectives from an early age; his path is straight forward, with no deviations. His physical delivery is spot on, and he sits stick-straight as he delivers his lines. As he grows older and faces certain family issues, his composure shifts from rigid to more relaxed and casual.

Tammy shines as her delivery is the opposite of Ladd’s.  She flails her arms, makes faces as she reads her correspondence from Ladd, twists her ankles, and generally moves quite a bit.  Tammy’s physical gymnastics and facial expressions tell us all we need to know about Melissa. She is a free spirit and spontaneous.  When she experiences failure, she becomes more remorseful and sullen.

Independently, their performances are excellent, but in tandem, they excel.  They complement each other, and their timing is perfect.

Special Note: Actors Zach Wyatt and Tammy Wyatt are a married couple, and their romance, which began in 2006, included exchanging letters and notes!  This play must have special meaning to them.

Note: Lonnie, the Theater Lady, mentioned that this production was the third time she had seen this play.  She told me that this production was the best one she’d ever seen.

A stamp of approval for this production of “Love Letters.”

“Love Letters” was written by A. R. Gurney.

Ed and Elaine Cassidy’s set design adds a nice touch to the story.  Most productions of “Love Letters” take place on a bare stage with two uninteresting tables side by side.  This set design reflects each character’s background and personality, with props and colors built around their unique traits.

Excellent direction by producer/director Ken Gargaro.

-CED

“Love Letters” is produced by Ken Gargaro. Performances run from February 12^th to February 21^st at Carnegie Stage, 25 W. Main Street, Carnegie, PA. For tickets and additional information, click here.

 

 

By Michael Buzzelli

Robbie Doerfler (Robert Frankenberry) assembles his best friends, Rose (Desiree Soteres) and Roger (Christopher Scott), to aid him in successfully launching a revised project, a new take on the works of Walt Whitman, in “I Hear America Singing,” a Pittsburgh-produced film, ingeniously described as a 75-minute operafilm (part of the Bardo Trilogy).

Writer/Director Daron Hagen’s “I Hear America Singing” is unusual. It’s a meta-commentary on the creative process, an operetta, a musical, and a fictional documentary.

P.S. It’s first and foremost a drama, and there is only a smattering of laughs, which keeps the film out of the “mockumentary” category.

It’s sort of “Merrily We Roll Along” in the right chronological order, but in this case, two of the friends are former lovers.

Robbie was friends with Rose and Roger when they were married, but after the divorce, Robbie distanced himself from Roger.

Hagen’s film touches on a lot of subjects; the nature of art, love (in a variety of forms), friendships, writer’s block, and more. Much of it, delivered in song.

It’s an ambitious project (the musical and the film), and Hagen is aware of the critics. Hagen voices of one of the critics, alongside Talal Jabari and Tevi Eber, in this metacommentary on art.

Jabari and Evi’s critic characters are named after Greek mythological creatures, Charon (the boatman on the river Styx), and Acheron (a river of woe and entrance to the underworld), but neither of them are seen.

Watch the trailer here.

Soteres has a strong singing voice. Her character of Rose is the most likable. Soteres plays Rose with a frank matter of fact-ness and down-to-Earth charm.

Frankenberry is extremely talented. His singing voice is also powerful. He oozes charisma on screen. He manages to deliver the only laugh lines in the script, with a dash of self-deprecating humor.

There are several Will-They/Won’t They moments between Rose and Roger. Maybe a few too many. It becomes hard to care about their situation-ship.

Note: I didn’t want them to get back together, Roger’s character is pretty unlikable, not just because he’s a Republican, but because he wants to impose limits on Robbie’s creativity (in a very Republican way, though).

While Scott’s Roger is annoying, he has a marvelous singing voice as well.

Hagen was Pitt’s 2007 Franz Lehar Composer-in-Residence, and he’s grown into a strong multi-hyphenate. The songs, some of which are based on America’s greatest poet, Walt Whitman, mix together with his original compositions.

Hagen could have benefitted from one more editorial pass on the script and/or the final cut. Early in the film, there is a scene in a hallway where the voices are tinny (the audio quality isn’t quite right). The scene should have been cut since it didn’t match the sound quality of the rest of the film, which is excellent.

With the rare exceptions, such as Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Alfred Hitchcock, most films benefit when the writer and the director are two distinct individuals, having another creator help shape the work could have turned this into a masterpiece.

The cast and crew worked with Aria412, a premiere Pittsburgh institution for supporting local artists performing a variety of opera, art house, musical theater and popular tunes. “I Hear America Singing” has all of those elements. 

-MB

Find the film here.

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD

Liberty Magic continues another spellbinding season with Czech Republic magician, Ondrej Psenicka, in 52 Lovers.

As an audience member at any live magic show, particularly a venue as wonderfully intimate as Liberty Magic, you find yourself leaning in and forward. There’s the involuntary hubris of thinking you’ll somehow figure it out, glimpse that ah-ha moment the card goes up the sleeve or some small moment that will put you in the special audience of one that discerns the trick.

Ondrej Psenicka is up for the challenge, and his languorous style dares you to spot the deceit. He fooled Penn and Teller not once, not twice, but three times, so he’s comfortable with us mere mortals. Not that this stopped me from leaning in to try and figure it out. Spoiler alert – I didn’t.

Psenicka establishes a warm, approachable ambiance before his show even starts. He immediately develops audience rapport, interacting with the audience as they trickle in. He hands out packs of cards as well as single playing cards with instructions on them. We aren’t just attending a show. We are immediately welcomed as his assistants, and he makes the audience feel like essential components of his show.

Ondrej’s memory is phenomenally flawless. Even though he does endless shows, he never missed a name or even hesitated on one. His confidence brings the audience in as confidantes, heightening the feeling that we are all his assistants. In fact, an audience member named Jorge was running a few minutes late to join his crew, and Ondrej made him a touchstone of the show.

Psenicka’s sleight of hand is atmospheric. The cards become literal storytellers in his palms as he makes them spell messages. A camera livestreams for enhanced close-up visibility, another level to his dare. This storytelling bookends the show. The cards both foreshadow where we are going and provide a summary of where we have been.

Psenicka’s talents, however, goes beyond prestidigitation. He thoughtfully interweaves his skills as a mentalist to bring variety.

At the finale, he stands on a chair, fluidly exhibiting rope tricks. This unusual view enables a wide range of angles that invite the audience to catch him. At this point, he also takes inspiration from Teller, performing silently. This heightens the authenticity as there is no clever banter to distract and redirect us. His silence is its own electricity, the rope a kinetic waterfall in his hands.

-TKR, Ph.D.

Don’t miss the chance to see Ondrej Psenicka in 52 Lovers through March 1, 2026 at Liberty Magic (811 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222).  The show’s title is as racy as it gets, so while it’s suggested for 18+, it’s appropriate for the 12+ who are allowed. Liberty Magic also offers a Skeleton Key VIP experience to go backstage and connect with Ondrej after his show, which is well worth it. Purchase tickets online here.

Reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Knight Raymond, PhD and Theron Raymond (seventh grade)

An episode of HBO’s hit series, The Pitt, referenced Freedom House, which will undoubtedly help push this visionary service into the cultural zeitgeist. It was also an appropriate reference because every ER and show about emergency medicine is a beneficiary of Freedom House.

Freedom House started in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1967. It was the first ambulance service with trained paramedics. All Freedom House employees were Black, and they collectively proved out founder Dr. Peter Safar’s vision that “ordinary people can be trained to save lives at the scene.” Before Freedom House, the police or funeral homes provided hospital transport, but not emergency care.

L.E. McCullough’s inspiring new play, Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance, appropriately has its world premiere here in Pittsburgh with Prime Stage. McCullough fills in the incredible story of Freedom House. Director Scott P. Calhoon flawlessly executes the vision with an ensemble cast that radiates and rivets.

What’s most shocking is the play reminds us how close history is. In 2026, we don’t question the 24/7 availability of highly trained emergency medical providers who can administer to us in our homes, offices, public spaces, or wherever help may be needed. McCullough’s play unfolds a sense of awe.

At one point, Freedom House paramedics arrive on the scene and save a life, and Calhoon has the gathered bystanders rejoice and clap. As a modern-day audience member, you’re not anticipating that response. McCullough reawakens the recognition that things that become commonplace shouldn’t be less worthy of celebration, and saving a life is heroic, regardless of time period.

This prescient pairing of transit and care was the brainchild of Austrian immigrant, Dr. Safar (compellingly played by Ryan Warsing). Warsing never misses a beat in bouncing between Safar’s measured Austrian accent and the ensemble characters he plays. Safar championed the creation of an ambulance service with trained staff after two deaths that could have been prevented with prompt response and proper en route care. One was former Pittsburgh mayor and Pennsylvania governor, David L. Lawrence, who died under Safar’s care after it took 20 minutes to transport the governor 4 blocks to a hospital. The other was Safar’s own daughter who died at age 12. This situation was even more dire in Pittsburgh’s historically black Hill District. Emergency calls were often ignored, and resident needs were marginalized.

All the actors play a major role and are part of the ensemble. One of Anne Rematt’s ensemble roles is a dismissive nurse who does not want to recognize the Black paramedics-in-training as healthcare workers when they come to the hospital for clinical training. Rematt also commands the stage as Dr. Caroline, Freedom House’s fervent medical director. Her evolution from prejudiced ensemble nurse to Dr. Caroline parallels the era’s positive evolution as Freedom House closely followed the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

The most memorable scene takes place simultaneously with two sets of emergency responders. Two Black Freedom House paramedics are responding to a call from a white male executive in an office building who seems to be having a heart attack. Paramedic Dave Rayzer (proudly played by Darrin Mosley, Jr) exchanges a knowing look with his partner. Mosley’s pointed nonverbal tells you it’s not the first time these Black men have been doubted. At the same time, Dr. Caroline responds to a call from a Black household, knocking on the apartment door for access. Both sets of helpers are met with resistance from those who need them most. It’s a nuanced demonstration of the way distrust cuts in multiple directions and a reminder that prejudice prohibits progress.

Richard Morris, Jr’s ingenious set design centers on Crawford Grill where Freedom House got started. Before the show, black and white photos from the era cycle, adding texture to the story. The Crawford Grill sign arches over the set, anchoring all action in the Hill District founding location. Calhoon keeps the pacing ER steady by moving chairs from the Crawford Grill tables around the set to mimic other locations. Chairs are spaced out in a row downstage to signify a bus where Freedom House medics respond to their first call. Chairs are tightly clustered to represent the back of an ambulance, and their proximity signifies the cramped working conditions of a mini hospital on wheels.

Opening night ended with a talkback that included two original members of Freedom House. Both admitted they started as job hunters, not ground breakers. However, they quickly realized that what was happening was special. After Freedom House closed in the early 1970s, one went on to serve as an EMT for over 30 years, and most Freedom House employees launched long careers in healthcare and public service. George McCary III noted he got to “carry science into a person’s home.” McCary also answered the last call before Freedom House was dissolved, a casualty of racism as Pittsburgh’s new mayor, Peter Flaherty, refused federal funding for Freedom House. Opening night started with the reading of a proclamation by Pittsburgh’s newest mayor, Corey O’Connor, declaring January 24th Freedom House day. It was an emotional moment as history came full circle to recognize the contributions of these ordinary citizens turned global changemakers.

That’s because Freedom House was not only the first mobile emergency service in the U.S., but the world. What started in Pittsburgh’s Hill District has become a global blueprint that echoes today in every siren you hear. Come to Prime Stage and let Freedom House inspire you.

-TKR, Ph.D. & TR

Prime Stage’s production of Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance runs through February 1, 2026, at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Purchase tickets online here.

By Michael Buzzelli

Malcolm Little (Edwin Green) meets John Sanford (Trey Smith-Mills) in a famous restaurant and jazz club on Nicholas Avenue in New York’s Harlem in Jonathan Norton’s “Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem.”

Both men became famous, but each took very divergent pathways to their success and notoriety. Malcolm Little went on to be Malcolm X, and John Elroy Sanford went on to be Redd Foxx.

While both worked as dishwashers at the restaurant, Norton gets to create the relationship from whole cloth. Take Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” which posits that Pablo Picasso not only met but also hung out with Albert Einstein, and set it in Harlem, 1943.

There is a vein of truth that runs through the story.

In the 1940s, Foxx befriended Malcolm Little, later known as Malcolm X, a fellow dishwasher at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem. Both men had reddish hair, so Sanford was called “Chicago Red” after his hometown and Malcolm was known as “Detroit Red.” In his autobiography,  Malcolm X refers to Redd Foxx as “the funniest dishwasher on this earth.”

Norton takes a lot of liberties, drawing on Foxx’s material from stand-up and his sitcom, “Sanford and Son.” The Norman Lear show, based on the BBC “Steptoe and Son,” ran on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977.

Little, who is a year younger than Foxy, calls Foxy, “Pops.” There is a mention of a shop girl named Elizabeth, where Foxy creates his “I’m coming, Elizabeth,” dying bit, and Foxy crooks his hands and says, “I got the Arthur-itis.”

P.S. Even though Foxx’s lines are iconic, it’s a stretch to ask audiences to remember a show that went off the air 49 years ago.

In the story version of their lives, their friendship is a love/hate/love sort of thing. Both men save each other in different ways.

There’s a repugnant recurring gag about the kitchen sewer backing up that becomes more important by the end of the show.

While there are a lot of venomous conversations between them, there’s a very sweet ending.

Fittingly, Green is a charismatic character. He is handsome and charming, even when his character is committing some vile deeds. He eats chicken off of discarded plates, sniffs cocaine like it’s candy, and goes to work for a local mafia don.

Smith-Mills is more than just comic relief, though he gets a lot of mileage by making silly walks, putty-like facial gestures, and other crazy contortions of his body. There is also a deepening of his character, which comes through in his superb acting.

Kimberly Powers’ scenic design is brilliant, capturing the nuances of a dingy dungeon of a Harlem kitchen in 1943. It’s all greens and creams, with silver accessories. Brodie Jasch’s props are all perfectly placed.

Director Dexter J. Singleton draws nuanced performances from two terrific actors.

While the play’s ending is poignant, it seems to sneak up on you pretty quickly, glossing over many details about both men. There’s a “greatest hits” flash forward that zips by so quickly it takes a minute to realize what’s going on. Then, it’s over.

Even though it runs only 95 minutes with no intermission, it could probably use a trim of a few scenes and an expansion of the final scenes.

If you are a fan of Foxx or X, “Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” is an interesting divergence. The number one reason to go is to see two men doing some fantastic work on a well-crafted set.

-MB

“Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” runs until February 8 at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA. For tickets and additional information, click here.