Off the Record Pittsburgh
THANK YOU, PITTSBURGH!
Off the Record XXV is in the books, and we’re still on a high from the show!
Our 25th anniversary show was truly one to remember, and one for which we owe so many thanks to so many people. First off, our esteemed producer, Sharon Eberson. Sharon guided our OTR family through so many challenges, including a pandemic that forced us to re-think how we even presented our show. Thanks to her, we persevered and raised even more money for our friends at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Sharon is stepping away from her producing duties, but she will always be part of our OTR family. THANK YOU, Sharon!
Then there’s our director and choreographer, Chris Laitta, our ultimate comeback kid. She fought through an extremely tough year and found her way back into the director’s chair against all odds, and presented our town with a fantastic show. We are so thankful and proud to have Chris on our team. Thank you, Chris.
We do all of this to help our neighbors in need through the food bank, and we are thankful for everyone there who helps see us through – including Lisa Scales, Jennifer Zgurich and Kara Davidson.
This year, Rob Boulware of Seneca Resources was a true fundraising hero, helping us gather sponsorships from across the energy industry to the tune of $17,000. Thank you, Rob!
Then there’s our other favorite Rob, Rob Rogers, who produces our cartoon invitation and then auctions it off for the benefit of the food bank. Thank you, Rob.
Thank you to our emcee, KDKA Radio's Larry Richert, who was there for our first show, and came back for year 25, and to our prebuttalist Corey O’Connor. Thank you to Pittsburgh City Council, and especially Council Members Bob Charland and Erika Strassburger, for proclaiming Oct. 16 Off the Record Day in Pittsburgh! Thank you to our 2025 honorees, Ken Rice, Jon Delano and David Johnson, who all played a huge part in our success over the years.
Thank you to our steering committee, led by SAG-AFTRA Ohio-Pittsburgh’s Brian Lysell, OG Barbara Vancheri, fundraiser extraordinaire Jamie Hudzik, our fabulous program artist Jen Kundrach, publicity guru Jessica Conner, our Food Bank friends, and R.J. Hufnagel of the USW, who also is a co-writer of OTR along with Matt Freed of the News Guild and our director Chris Laitta. Thank you to our committee members and our writing team, including Bill Toland, Maria Sciullo and Aaron Hudson.
To our founding fathers, Gary Rotstein and Chris Rawson, and the three unions who partner to produce our show - the News Guild, SAG-AFTRA and the USW - we wouldn't be here without your vision and leadership.
OTR wouldn’t happen without our talented friends who work long hours through the months of September and October to put the show together – thank you to stage manager Jessica Haidet Peditella, music director Shelby Williams, band members Paul Thompson and Tom Early, Victor Capone and friends on fabulous props, Tenique’ Mathieu, who takes on constant changes from all sides and still brings up those projections on cue, Kathryn Spitz Cohan jumping back into the fray as assistant stage manager.
Thank you to OTR family members like Hugh McGough and Bob Koch Turano, who asked to come back this year, and to longtime cast members like Jeffrey Pollock and Howard Elson, the Pittsburgh CAPA soon-to-be pros, and cast members like Mike Buzzelli and Jeff Freedman … It’s a special kind of torture to work never-before-used dance muscles and remember lines by multiple characters when that’s not your job, but you guys seem to love it, and I love that you love it. Folks like Tress Glover, Delana Flowers, Jenny Malarkey, who keep coming back. Thank you to our entire cast and crew and everyone who worked behind the scenes, before, during and after the show, to make it happen and to clean up after it did!Thank you to Richard Parsakian and Todd Reidbord for their generosity. Thank you for the support of friends, family and colleagues that allow all of the people associated with our show time away to get the hard work done.
Most of all, thank you, PITTSBURGH. Thank you for supporting our show for a quarter-century, for always showing up to laugh at yourself, and always supporting our neighbors in need. We’re still not sure if we’re stopping at 25, or if we’ll be back next year. But once the dust settles on number XXV, we’ll regroup and see how we feel. With any luck, we’ll see you again in 2026.
THANK YOU! WE LOVE ALL YINZ! <3
OFF THE RECORD ALUMNI ASSEMBLE!
On Sept. 8, 2025, dozens of Off the Record alumni assembled at Riverlife's Shore Thing platform along the Allegheny River
for a reunion, a group photo, and a chance to reminisce about the first 24 years of our show, as we get ready for the 25th installment coming up on Oct. 16th! Here is a video of some of Team OTR's favorite memories! We'll make more great memories on the 16th, so get your tickets now!
Pittsburgh City Council Proclaims: OFF THE RECORD DAY in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
Pittsburgh City Council proclaimed Thursday, Oct. 16 - the date of our 25th performance - will be
"OFF THE RECORD DAY" in Pittsburgh!
READ THE FULL PROCLAMATION HERE!
JOIN THE OTR ONLINE FAMILY!
Even though we are (almost always) off the record, we are still active on social media. Check us out on the following channels for updates on the show, promotional materials, and more ...
FOLLOW OTR ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER (X), INSTAGRAM and YOUTUBE.
It's All Off the Record!
Off the Record Pittsburgh has been satirizing Pittsburgh's news and newsmakers since 2001. And we do it all for a good cause, to benefit Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Because it's all ... (*almost all*) ... off the record ... we are very selective about the moments we share from past shows.
Here is a look at the first 24 years of OTR programs and a glimpse
of some of the more iconic OTR scenes from the past.
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Over the years, talented artists including Rob Rogers, Jennifer Kundrach, Tim Menees, Daniel Marsula and Tim Hartman
have produced artwork for Off the Record program covers, logos, special cartoons, and other promotional materials.
Blasts from OTRs Past
Here is a glimpse of some pieces of long-ago shows that were (*almost all*) off the record.
"Hello Sophie!" from "Off the Record XIII: All the Burgh's a Stage!"
(This was the last public appearance by Pittsburgh Mayor (and longtime Friend of OTR) Sophie Masloff.)
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"That's Cervelli," from "Off the Record XVI: "It's Buc'n Huuuge!"
"The Right," from "Off The Record XII: Reassess This!"