In yesterday's Tony nominations story, I didn't mention that the most expensive musical of the year, "The Pirate Queen," got not a single nod. I guess that's because I saw it, and although I could imagine it getting a mention for choreography or for Linda Balgord's ferocious performance as the other queen, Elizabeth I, I wasn't surprised at the shutout.

David Gallo, Tony-nominated for the evocative set for August Wilson's "Radio Golf" (not just a construction office but an allusion to the whole Pittsburgh Cycle), has another cause to celebrate: He's engaged to former Pittsburgher Sarah Zeitler, whom I remember meeting long ago in a writing course at the Public Theater. They met when he worked here on "King Hedley II" in 1999. "It was truly August that brought us together," she writes. "This week's opening was a great celebration for us. We were able to catch up with all of the extended Wilson family that have worked on the cycle throughout the years. ... It was bittersweet."

Wall Category

Wall-to-wall directors: Karla Boos has her hands full this week. All four of her 2007-8 directors are in town: Dan Jemmett ("Billy the Kid") from France, starting rehearsals; Di Trevis ("Le Grand Meaulnes") from England, visiting during a NYC trip; Rodger Henderson ("Therese Raquin") from sky-diving in China, moving into his apartment and doing casting; and Karla herself, doubtless at her wits' end.

Wall-to-wall Tammy Ryan: The accomplished Pittsburgh playwright has an unusual triple coming up, with her award-winning "The Music Lesson" at Pittsburgh Playwright's Theatre (through May 26), her "FBI Girl: How I Learned to Crack My Father's Code" at Playhouse Rep (May 23-June 10) and a reading of her "The Gift of the Pirate Queen" at City Theatre's MOMENTUM 07 (June 16).

Off the Wall: The always stimulating Warhol Museum performance series ends this weekend with the new wave opera, "RedDust" (Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.), by Pittsburgh composer Mathew Rosenblum. Co-commissioned by Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and Sequitur of New York City, it portrays "a story based on narratives from Gertrude Stein and scenes from Ts'ao Hsueh-ch'in's 'The Story of the Stone' ... blending video, art, dance [into] a retro-futuristic ... 'opera electronica.' " Collaborators are video artist Kurt Ralske and Attack Theatre's Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope.

Online On Stage Journal

My newest entry is about Paul Schoeffler, CMU '85, who's playing the lead in the Public's Ahrens and Flaherty premiere, "The Glorious Ones" -- which ends this Sunday. Lots of national theater folk have been here to see it, as you'd expect from such a high-profile debut. There will be a future life, but we got to see it first.

The call board

The exhibit of stage design renderings by talented veteran Alfred Kirschman continues through May 31 at The Zenith, 86 S. 26 St., South Side; Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. A resident designer at the Playhouse, Kirschman has also worked at Allegheny Repertory Theatre, Pittsburgh Musical Theatre, Prime Stage and in video, TV and film

Pascale Armand, playing Condoleezza Rice in "Stuff Happens," is leaving the cast May 20. No reason's been given, but PICT's Andrew Paul says there will be a replacement ready to start on May 22.

Dance recitals

On Tuesday, the Post-Gazette began publishing an online listing of local dance recitals. Directors are asked to submit the studio name, performance location, date and contact information to Jane Vranish, jvranish@post-gazette.com. Four studios will be featured, one each in the North, South, East and West sections, and the listings will be updated periodically.

CMU playwrights

At the 39th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, April 17-22, winners from eight regional festivals showcased their talents. Among a great many awards, two for playwriting went to CMU's Mary Unser. Her "Samaritan" won the Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award for the student-written play that best explores the human experience of living with a disability, and she was one of three playwrights to be presented with a Great Plains Theatre Conference Scholarship by Edward Albee.

"Ziggy," a 10-minute play by Pittsburgher and CMU grad playwright John Paul Nickel, was one of nine staged last weekend by the national MFA Playwright's Festival at Atlantic Theater's Stage Two, NYC. Nickel already has a strong track record: "Family," "Comic Book Love," "The Sign" and "Writer's Block" have been staged here. And he wrote and directed two movies.

The bottom line

Paid admissions at city's pro theaters for the week ending May 13:

BeautyBeast/PMT (90%) ............. 5,642
GloriousOnes/Public (66%) ......... 2,869
Intimate/City (60%) ............... 1,129
Missionary/City (92%) ............... 795
Patsy Cline/CLO (34%) ............... 517
Stuff Happens/PICT (83%) ............ 508
ScarletLetter/Open (53%) ............ 115