Pittsburgh Musical Theater Announces Innovative New Season, Plans to Activate West End

PITTSBURGH - June 6, 2017 - PRLog -- Pittsburgh Musical Theater (PMT), one of the anchor organizations making up the fabric of Pittsburgh's rich cultural community, introduced an exciting show lineup to compliment a new business model for their 2017/2018 "Sing Out Loud" season, along with an ambitious renovation project that will catapult their West End facility into one of the most sought after independent venues in the city.

The company, which recently celebrated their 25^th anniversary, will migrate two of their professional series shows, previously held at The Byham Theater, to The Gargaro Theater, located in PMT's facility at 327 Main Street in the West End. The company will still produce two professional shows at the Byham Theater for their next season (Disney's Beauty and the Beast and another Disney favorite), but with this move, it opens a whole new world of possibilities for programming, conservatory growth, and activating the West End for more community involvement.

"We're very fortunate to begin this new phase in our goal to continue providing world-class education to students and professional theater in the city of Pittsburgh. PMT has always been a dear friend of the West End, and we're looking forward to activating this exciting new programming for our neighbors. Being able to showcase professional and student talent within PMT's own space is a dream come true and we're very grateful for all of the support we've received from the community," said ColleenDoyno, Executive Artistic Director of PMT.

The highly anticipated PMT/ CAPA School Collaborative Show will kick-off the new season on October 26^th with Disney's Beauty and the Beast, February 1^st will welcome the Gargaro Theater's first professional show with the Pittsburgh premier of We Will Rock You, PMT will venture back to The Byham Theater on March 15^th for another Disney favorite to be announced July 1^st, and Avenue Q will close out the season on May 3^rd, also produced at The Gargaro Theater.

On February 2^nd, "PMT After-Hours," a brand new series held at The Gargaro Theater, will offer an edgy alternative theater experience with their production of Evil Dead the Musical. With show times starting 10:30pm, this nuveau experience will be one-of-a-kind.

"Our exciting new season puts the ticket holder in the driver's seat. Our Byham series will still give theater goers blockbuster family-friendly Disney favorites, and our new After-Hours series will offer more edgy titles like "Evil Dead". Our ability to offer such a wide variety of programming for our audience continues to reinforce our message of quality musical theater for everyone," Doyno said.

In the realm of education, Pittsburgh Musical Theater is at the top of their class in terms of giving students opportunities to go along with the world-class education they receive from Pittsburgh's hardest-working educators and performers.

The Richard E. Rauh Conservatory's "Sing Out Loud" season will include a city favorite, A Lyrical Christmas Carol, premiering December 14^th at the New Hazlett Theater. Spring 2018 will welcome Disney's High School Musical Jr. and Titanic the Musical, also premiering at The New Hazlett Theater.

"It is extremely important to nurture and foster the talents and gifts of the exceptional young artists we are privileged to mentor through our educational programs. Their conservatory season is not merely a representation of the extraordinary talent and self-confidence they possess, but more importantly a testament to the hours of hard work and dedication to training that they put in year round. Their ability to consistently achieve such high levels of success in performance is nothing short of amazing and it is inspiring every day to be a part of their story," said Jenn Lybarger, PMT's Conservatory Director.

The theater space, which is housed in the lower level of the company's 35,000 square foot school, and has hosted PMT's Gala, along with other student productions, will begin major renovations to accommodate the new programming initiatives. New seating, sound system, an updated mezzanine level, and concession areas were all revealed during an electric staff meeting.

"Everyone is so excited to begin this new chapter," said Doyno. "The entire staff at PMT has been so dedicated and integral to its success, they deserve this new space just as much as the community they serve every day."

Additional plans for the sprawling facility include a live music and event venue, and permanent art gallery space.

"Art is a great bridge to many different programming opportunities within the community, and we want people sharing the creativity we live. It will be the only space in the city where you can view beautiful works of art and listen to our talented performers practice in the same breath," said Doyno.

The company has already begun fundraising for the new renovations, and will continue its season through the construction phase.

For more information on Pittsburgh Musical Theater, visit http://www.pittsburghmusicals.com

About Pittsburgh Musical Theater

Pittsburgh Musical Theater (PMT) is a multi-faceted, non-profit (501c3) musical theater company and conservatory based in Pittsburgh's West End. The company was founded in 1992 by Dr. Ken Gargaro, and is now under the leadership of Colleen Doyno, Executive Artistic Director. Pittsburgh Musical Theater offers a multitude of multi-disciplinary courses for students of all ages, and is home to one the most comprehensive pre-college programs in the city. PMT also produces a professional stage series that plays out of The Byham Theater, located in The Cultural District, and PMT Studios, a multi-use theater space located in their facility. The company's conservatory season also uses PMT studios in additionthe North Side's New Hazlett Theater.