Okay, so I realize I can't keep calling things best kept secrets because it implies I'm some kind…read moreof secret-holder and I'm totally not. But you guys, Pittsburgh Festival Opera? It's opera overload for a few weeks a year with amazing performers from all over the country. If you have never been to an opera, seriously go. At least once. Tickets are super affordable, the theater is small, and they do stuff in English, so it's not throwing you into an $80 a ticket, Italian epic that's 3.5 hours long. Which, don't get me wrong, I love all of that (except the expense!) But PFO is really non threatening and accessible. I had the pleasure of seeing La Boheme Warhola last night. All I kind of knew was it was an adaptation of la boheme with a 60s Warhol ish feel and that it was in English. They still did supertitles over the stage even though it was in English, which was great. And the actors were amazing. So talented and engaging and irreverent and just excellent. I absolutely loved it. Icing on the cake? Free street parking! Their 2018 season is almost over so seriously get on their mailing list so you'll get the announcements for the 2019 season.

From the owner: Pittsburgh Festival Opera (PFO) presents innovative opera, producing American works,…read morereinterpretations of older works, and new works, for the widest possible audience. Opera Theater focuses on diversity in programming and casting, on crossing boundaries and bringing together talents from all the arts, on encouraging new talent, and on broadening audiences through outreach and education, to create a body of work that is original, entertaining, contemporary and relevant. Summer season now at Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Ave., Pittsburgh 15213. Touring and special events take place at varied venues around the region. See web site for details.

My family and I love going to shows and the Benedum is one of our favorite venues. We always have…read moresuch a great time together. They keep it up really well and make sure that it is clean for every show. They also keep the chandeliers clean and the paint updated. The ushers are always helpful and the staff at the concessions are nice too. We have seen so many wonderful Broadway Shows and concerts there with so many talented performers. We're so lucky to have such amazing talent and so many amazing shows come to Pittsburgh every year. We're also starting to get some of the most popular and current shows from Broadway. The concerts are so much better there since it's a small venue and most seats are good seats. They have artists from all different genres which is nice too. We have also seen some good comedians there too. If you want to see a good show then you should see it at the Benedum.

All of it ....love the ambiance, the organized effort to seat everyone in an organized fashion…read more Bathrooms are cute... snack stand with drinks. Just perfect and get here on time or early or you have to wait -

For a city our size, we are so very fortunate to have a professional ballet company and school of…read morethe quality of PBT. The school is wonderful. They have classes that start as early as 18 months (mommy & me) and run all the way through adult fitness classes. The school is divided into several divisions. Children's (the youngest through around age 8), student (8 through around 14), pre professional and graduate. Anyone can participate in the children's division, but you need to audition for placement in the student division. PBT also has an adult fitness/wellness curriculum that has classes like ballet 101 and Pilates. The staff and teachers are absolutely wonderful. They genuinely care about each and every kid (or adult) in their class. PBT as a whole is wonderful as well! They do several mainstage productions a year including the Nutcracker every December. They are always creative, beautiful and just a joy to watch and appreciate the artistry. I especially love when they are productions with the orchestra. Overall, an amazing organization with a wonderful school and great productions.

I have seen the PBT presentation of The Nutcracker several times, but this may have been the last…read morefor me. I enjoy the Pittsburgh references to the story and in the scenery but, really, the hockey-stick-carrying penguin, the rats waving "terrible towels" were a bit strange. As were the "local celebrities" who were given non-speaking, non-dancing (thankfully!) roles as party guests-- why?? What could be next? Pittsburgh Dance Moms in minor roles? Apparently I prefer a more traditional version of The Nutcracker. I missed some of the costumes and dances from the original Balanchine production. I know that some will say that it's predictable and static to do this the same way every year, but when I think of this ballet, it is what I want to see. That being said, the dancers were wonderfully talented and executed their movements perfectly. We are fortunate to have their talent in Pittsburgh!

Best ballet school in Pittsburgh. Wonderful teachers and fantastic place. My daughter is…read morereceiving top notch ballet training!

From the owner: Ballet, Dance, Pointe, Modern, Contemporary, Jazz, Pre-Professional Ballet, Beginner Ballet, Mommy…read more& Me, The Nutcracker

I haven't taken a dance class here yet, but I've been to a couple events and they were great! I've…read morealso spoken to a bunch of people that have taken classes here and they love them. The first event I came to was the New Years party. The first couple of hours was partner dancing. You didn't need to bring a partner with you because everyone was really friendly, switching up partners throughout the night. People were willing to help you learn new moves if you don't know how to dance, too. The rest of the night was a free for all and had a fun variety of music to dance to. There were snacks, party favors and a live band. It was a great time! The second event I went to was just this past weekend. It was a 90's trivia night with a cash prize for 1st place and a 6 pack of zima for 2nd place, which fit perfectly into the theme. Everyone was encouraged to dress in their best 90's gear and the space had 90's themed snacks and music. Our team definitely lost, but we still had a good time! After the trivia, it was dance party time! There was a good mix of people of all ages. I would definitely recommend checking out the next event they have. You can tell the owner puts a lot of thought and care into her events.

A really nice place to take dance lessons, I don't think they are as hard-sell as most of the other…read morecommercial dance studios. Their open dances are excellent. The main dance floor is somewhat narrow but has a really nice surface for dancing. The studio offers a wide variety of classes, including West Coast Swing, Argentine Tango, Ballroom, and Swing. Reasonable prices.

Cool concept but the food leaves a lot to desire. My hamburger was served on a hotdog bun and the…read moreice cream was freezer burnt. I don't like paying before I eat because I base my tips on the food.

Just a great bowl of homemade Chili! A real lifesaver on a frosty cold day of bike riding. The…read morebuilding's great, it looks like they have a track for running a model train around, but it wasn't working when I was there.

We are so blessed to have such a talented symphony, multiple world renowned conductors and amazing…read moreguest performers. We have been fortunate enough to have seen all kinds of wonderful performances with the symphony. We have seen everything from movie nights, classical performances, holiday concerts (The Holiday Pops Show, especially when conducted by Byron Strickland is the conductor.) and well known artists singing their greatest hits. They even do fun nights like Tropical Rock. We had a ball at that show. Tonight, we saw our favorite classical performance, Scheherazade. There was a guest conductor from New Zealand who was one of the best we have ever seen. She was so expressive and then highlighted all sections of the symphony and the guest violinist. The guest violinist and the first violinist of our Symphony were phenomenal. It was so well done especially the first song where they used the instruments to mimic rain and bird sounds. It was unbelievable. We were transfixed. If you have the opportunity go see a symphony performance. They are absolutely phenomenal and perform globally.

I've been fortunate enough to catch a few performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra now,…read moreand they never fail to blow me away. The musicianship is absolutely world-class; the sheer talent and precision across every section is incredible to witness live. Heinz Hall has a fantastic energy, and whether they are tackling massive classical staples or modern pieces, the quality is always top-tier. Every performance feels like a masterclass.

My twins dance here and have had amazing experiences. My son first participated in their ballet…read moreproduction of Peter Pan. He was not a student of the studio at the time but was warmly welcomed by everyone involved. One of the things we love is that in addition to the annual recital, they stage two full production ballets and a play. Kids of all abilities, sizes and talent levels are involved which isn't always the case in dance. In addition to the productions, classes are great. They are affordable and class sizes tend to be on the smaller side. We actually come from Monroeville to dance here (and many others come from a variety of towns too). If you are looking for a friendly, inclusive dance environment that also has great performance opportunities this is definitely the place.

From the owner: The Carnegie Performing Arts Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing quality…read moreperformance opportunity and dance education. For more then 30 years CPAC has been committed to bringing quality affordable performing arts education and experience to students of all ages. By providing a caring and nurturing environment CPAC belives that active participation in all aspects of performing will make available the most well-rounded arts education and result in the best prepared performer.