Point Park grad returns with inventive musical | Blogh

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Point Park grad returns with inventive musical

Posted By on Wed, Oct 31, 2012 at 2:47 PM

Actor and Shaler native John Allen Biles is back in town to present his independent production of the well-regarded, cleverly structured musical The Last Five Years.

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The show’s at Off The Wall Theater’s new space, in Carnegie, tomorrow through Nov. 10. Admission is free (though a donation is requested).

Biles graduated from Point Park University’s theater program in 2000 and moved to New York. His work as a professional actor includes stints off-Broadway, in regionally touring shows and more.

He moved back to Pittsburgh in April, but The Last Five Years marks his theatrical homecoming.

“After spending over a decade in New York City, I saw many of my talented Pittsburgh friends struggling to find an outlet for their craft,” he says in a press release. “I wanted to produce this show to not only give myself some exposure but also my talented friends.”

The Last Five Years, by Jason Robert Brown, is a 2002 musical about the relationship between Jamie, a rising young novelist, and Cathy, a struggling actress. The story is told two ways at once: chronologically by Jamie, starting with their first date, and in reverse chronology by Cathy, going backward from their divorce.

Biles plays Jamie, and Cathy is played by Pittsburgh-based actress Holly Bryan Scott. Locally based Nick Mitchell directs.

The production premieres tomorrow and runs Thursdays through Saturdays through Nov. 10. Shows are at 7:30. The requested donation is $18 cash, at the door.

The Off the Wall venue is located at 25 W. Main St., Carnegie.

For more information, or to reserve seats, email [email protected].

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