Sean Collier

2 weeks ago | pittsburghmagazine.com | Sean Collier

Before the company’s three-show summer season begins, they’ll stage the world-premiere musical “Madame Clicquot.” How do you warm up for a season of musical theater? If you’re the Pittsburgh CLO: With even more musical theater, of course. And why not make it a world premiere? The storied organization has for 79 years staged musicals in Pittsburgh, introducing local audiences to iconic Broadway hits and lesser-known gems.

2 weeks ago | pittsburghmagazine.com | Sean Collier

Joel announced Friday that he’s recovering from a recently diagnosed brain disorder. An upcoming concert featuring rock legends Billy Joel and Rod Stewart has been canceled after Joel announced he’s recovering from a recently diagnosed brain disorder. The 76-year-old performer announced Friday via social media that he’s been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a condition that can occur when spinal fluid builds up and applies pressure to the brain.

2 weeks ago | pittsburghmagazine.com | Sean Collier

We have a true rarity with the “Mission: Impossible” series. Unlike nearly every other franchise I can name, this one is determined to conclude. That’s right: They actually seem to mean it when they say “Final” in this film’s subtitle, “The Final Reckoning.” Tom Cruise, after all, is 62; he can only dangle off of things for so long.

2 weeks ago | pittsburghmagazine.com | Sean Collier

Last week, I was invited to visit the Casino Theatre in Vandergrift. If you find yourself in this small, upriver town, you can’t miss it; the center of Vandergrift is wrapped around the handsome building. That’s been the case for 125 years. It’s one of the oldest theaters in the region — possibly the oldest, depending on what you count. It’s certainly one of the best-preserved; a painstaking, entirely volunteer effort has kept the building in good health while maintaining architectural charm.

3 weeks ago | pittsburghmagazine.com | Sean Collier

Fourteen years have passed since we last faced death — or Death, perhaps — in the “Final Destination” franchise. If you somehow managed to avoid the five films released between 2000 and 2011, there’s a simple formula: An innocent victim has a premonition of a mass-casualty event then warns others of the impending tragedy. Angered by his lost quarry, Death (rendered as a series of increasingly improbable accidents) picks off the survivors.