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Evil Dead: The Musical is the bloody, uproarious musical-comedy version of the cult-classic Evil Dead movies. It’s the first installment of Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s late-night After Hours series. Feb. 2-10. West End. 412-539-0900 or www.pittsburghmusicals.com
In 1962 Alabama, an African-American detective from California tries to solve a small-town murder; Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co. stages Matt Pelfrey’s adaptation of John Ball’s novel, In the Heat of the Night, which also inspired an iconic film and hit TV series. Feb. 2-March 11. Downtown. www.pghplaywrights.com
Come to Meeting. A unique percussive score, performed live on stage by tiny mechanized instruments, is the setting for two performers in this work by Australian choreographer Antony Hamilton and musician Alisdair Macindoe. Feb. 8. August Wilson Center, Downtown. www.trustarts.org
It’s the Arcade Comedy Theater Fifth Anniversary. The big day at the newly relocated theater includes an cocktail-hour fundraiser, followed by the monthly improv show Arcade Hootenanny (with nationally known special guests Maribeth Monroe and Jaime Moyer) and a late-night standup-comedy gameshow. Feb. 10. Downtown. www.arcadecomedytheater.com
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre performs Swan Lake, the all-time classic tale of love and magic, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, played live by the PBT Orchestra. Feb. 16-25. Benedum Center, Downtown. 412-281-0360 or www.pbt.org
There’s a reason Bollywood cinema is so popular — the exuberant dancing, the songs, the colorful costumes and often spectacular locales (or at least, extravagant sets). Bollywood Boulevard: A Journey Through Hindi Cinema is a stage show that provides dance, music and visual imagery to reprise the evolution of Indian’s beloved cinema. Feb 22. Byham, Downtown. www.trustarts.org
In the new Quantum Theatre show, Inside Passage, Pittsburgh-based playwright and performer Gab Cody uses documentary film and spoken work to tell a personal story of separated families, Native American children and an attempt “to reknit what had unraveled.” March 2-25. Provident Charter School, Troy Hill. www.quantumtheatre.com
Haters are gonna hate, and girrrrl, you don’t want to miss it. The Haters Roast: The Shady Tour features drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, including Latrice Royale, Jinkx Monsoon and Trinity Taylor. Good thing this is going down in a library, because there will be reading. March 21. Carnegie Library of Homestead. Munhall. 412-462-3444 or www.librarymusichall.com
Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning Rent is back, in a 20th-anniversary touring production. This original rock musical about scrappy artists in New York City during the 1980s was inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, and remains a popular — and uplifting — production. March 27-April 1. Heinz Hall, Downtown. 412-392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org
This article appears in Jan 24-30, 2018 and Winter Guide (2018).
