Come to The Center and be yourself!

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“Kid-focused training is at the heart of the Center for Theater Arts.” – KidsburghPgh

Check out this article celebrating all that is thriving in excellent theater and performing arts education in the city of Pittsburgh.
We are proud to be entering our 4th decade of high quality arts education and providing great opportunities for kids to learn!

To read full article CLICK on KIDSBURGH Logo below — or check us out on Facebook

 

 

CENTER FOR THEATER ARTS

Now in its 35th year, the Center for Theater Arts in the South Hill has a curriculum of over 80 classes offered to kids from age 4 to 17.

Dance classes include tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. Acting classes include acting for the camera and improvisation, while the “Acting Playground” class explores how voice, body, emotions, and creativity are tools for the craft of acting. Voice classes and those in musical theater are offered, too.

“The school is about and for kids. Period. When they come through the door at our school, they can come to the center and be themselves,” says Billy Hartung, executive director. “It’s like they say, I have found my people. It’s not about perfection. It’s not about career training. It’s about artistic experiences and growth and celebration.”

Hartung, an alum of the school, went on to play Broadway and appear in film before returning to raise his family in Pittsburgh. He appreciates and supports the center’s nurturing environment.

“I’m not a theater company. I’m a theater school,” he says. “And I think what we share with these kids every chance we get, is the character that you develop in yourself is more important to us than the character you’re playing.”

The kid-focused training is vital to help kids improve their self-image and self-confidence through artistic expression, he says.

Which brings us to the center’s Special Actors program, which boasts over 100 participants with special needs from age 9 to 86.

“We close our school on Fridays, and we open all the studios, and we have the same teachers and the same resources,” Hartung says. “And we have musical theater classes for children with special needs. Some of those kids have been here for 25 years.”

Thank you for the great coverage KidsburghPgh, KDKA-TV | CBS Pittsburgh, and Kristine Sorensen! Look for us on the Official Pittsburgh Today Live! Enrollment is open now for summer camps and workshops — join us for our CTA summer series!

Click on the Pittsburgh Today Logo to view the story and celebrate, share and enjoy more Great NEWS!!!

 

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Congratulations to all of our CTA Students on completing  an amazing year of classes and performances. The End of Year CTA Showcases were a HUGE success. We are looking forward to  having you return for our 37th year of operation.

 

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BRAVO!  BRAVA!   – Everyone who attended the 2017 CTA REACH FOR A STAR GALA  continues to talk about our very special guest Patrons Reception Performer Hugh Panero ! Hugh used his amazing voice to celebrate our students and applaud the CTA for all of the amazing work we have been doing for over 36 years.  

Hugh is perhaps best known for having played the coveted role of the Phantom in Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera over 2,000 times, including the 25th Anniversary production. Hugh made his Broadway debut in the original production of Les Misérables as Marius, the role he originated in the First National company. He also created the roles of Buddy in the original Side Show.

Hugh Panaro has been described as “the leader of Broadway’s dwindling supply of great leading men.” Critically lauded and adored by fans, he demonstrates versatility, charisma, and tremendous vocal talent”

Hugh strongly believes in programs that empower young kids to “use their voice and be themselves” — Please join us for a very special CTA Patrons Reception where he uses his voice to promote and share a very powerful and valuable message titled … Bullied to Broadway. — an evening of song

Special thanks to our sponsors!

Patrons Sponsors

Tom and Dona Hotopp
and Bob and Tara O’Brien families
The Moore family
Pipitone Group
Ralph Schugar Chapel

 

Title Sponsors

Mt. Lebanon Office Suites
David and Marci Heckler
Tim Federle
Bradley Brown Design Group, Inc.
First State Mechanical

 

Superstar Sponsors

Pediatric Alliance, P.C.
Mrs. Mary Ketchum
Suzi and Brian Walters & Family
Knepper Press

 

Patrons Sponsors

Mr. Alan Stein
Knepper Press
Mr. and Mrs. David & Lisa Dvorin
Babst Calland
The McQuillan Group
Dr. and Mrs. Rich Beigi
St. Clair Hospital

 

Director Sponsors

Mayberry Orthodontics
Point Park University
Steinger, Bies & Company, Inc
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Eccher
The Comber Family
Lynne and Mike Federle
Sam and Anne Zacharias
Renaissance 3 Architects

Past Patrons Reception Performers

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4 Powerhouse Performances from a cast of CTA students that left the audience wanting more!!!

WOW …The Energy was infectious …Non-Stop Fun from beginning to end.

A Wonderful Show! Thank you so much CTA!

The Leader of the Pack  – a show that had me dancing in my seat from beginning to end!

I loved the Show – So many talented kids! Fabulous Job CTA, As usual!!

The Show was awesome and my daughter had a great time throughout rehearsals and performance. Such a wonderful experience!!  

We are so proud of the cast of Leader of the Pack! You worked so hard, tried new things, took great risks and sang your hearts out!! We hope your child is proud of their accomplishments.

We are confident they enjoyed this rehearsal and performance  process as much as we all did here at the Center.  In fact, I would imagine that some of you can’t get many of the songs out of your head!  Thank you again for the privilege of working with your children, they never cease to amaze us!

Leader of the Pack photo credit: Jacob Malizio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Jukebox Hit Broadway musical is a retrospective that celebrates the life and times of Ellie Greenwich, whose doo wop sounds skyrocketed to the top of the sixties charts. The story of Ellie’s rise to fame and fortune is punctuated with the virtual Hit Parade of her music: “Chapel of Love,” “Da Do Ron Ron,” “Be My Baby,” “Hanky Panky,” Do Wah Diddy,” “And Then He Kissed Me” and, of course, the title song “Leader of the Pack.”

“A happy, high spirited, foot stomping romp. I never realized the songs of the sixties could sound so good.” – WNBC Radio

“The show dances with that up tempo “wall of sound’ that was part of all our lives.” – Hollywood Reporter

 

 

 

 

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Dazzling  – Exciting – Amazing – Contagious – Exhilarating!

These are just some of the word used to describe the CTA High School Production of FOOTLOOSE over the weekend — and this was during Intermission!!!

The creative team involved at the Center shared that….. It was thrilling watching the show come to life in the studios at the CTA!!!

Congratulations!!!!   — Everybody …and I mean everybody in the audience and also on the stage CUTLOOSE during the four performances and it was an absolute BLAST!!!

Over 80 High School students from 6 different school districts in the Pittsburgh area flocked to the studios at the Center for Theater Arts and they “cut loose”!!!

The CTA was dancing again in one of the most energetic and exciting rehearsal processes we have seen in a long time! It is a very dynamic time to be in rehearsals for one of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory to bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results.

It so important to take a moment and tell you how proud we are of our cast and the work that they did on this production. We have been challenging and encouraging them to take risks, push themselves to the next level and of course  -work together as an ensemble.   As BOTH of our Casts prepared to take the stage, they worked together like a road company. All rehearsals were conducted outside of the theater with only two rehearsals on location before our first performance. This is difficult even for the experienced professionals. Our students, the tech crew and staff should be commended for their patience, talents and hard work in making it to opening night on stage!

Special thanks go to all of the staff and faculty at the Center for work above and beyond the call of duty.  The amazing amount of energy, commitment, creativity, time and talent that the teachers put into creating this performance is a tribute to their dedication to the Center for Theater Arts and its students.  The students and I applaud them!

As an Original Broadway Cast member I was overjoyed with the opportunity to stage, and share my love and excitement for this incredibly entertaining musical with the students at CTA, and celebrate the history and stories behind creating and working on FOOTLOOSE – from the page to the stage!!

It’s been almost 20 years since the show was created for the Broadway stage, and I would like to thank everyone at CTA for taking this footloose and fancy free trip down memory lane with me.  It takes more than a memory and a rehearsal space to put a musical together – and this time we have committed to not one – but TWO wonderful casts!! I thank everyone for their effort, patience, commitment and talents! I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say…we hoped FOOTLOOSE was flashy, innocent, dazzling, energetic and a wonderful night out with your family!
Congratulations!!!
– Billy Hartung      

 

FOOTLOOSE was presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com.

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Our acting classes will give you a warm, fun, supportive environment in which you can explore Acting technique and method, including speech, movement and individual investment.

We need your support.

CTA is a non-profit organization. All of our receipts go directly to supporting our program and staff. Your sponsorship and contributions help us keep the performing arts thriving in this community.

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OUR MISSION

The Center for Theater Arts is dedicated to offering the highest quality performing arts instruction and committed to providing all students, including those with special needs, opportunities to improve their self-image and self-confidence through artistic expression.