PHOTOS BY SEAN COLLIER

It’s a cliche, but it holds true for the O’Reilly Theater: There’s not a bad seat in the house.

The closest rows feel shockingly close, as if the action could at any moment fall into your lap. Every detail remains clear even in the back rows, including the sound; the acoustics of the building were designed so that amplification was rarely necessary, as the building carries the performers’ voices to every corner of the 650-seat auditorium.

Even if you’re seated on the side of the stage, peering down at the action, it feels intimate — and you get a bit of opera-box glamour, the thrill of being able to survey both the show and the crowd.

When the O’Reilly Theater was completed in 1999, it was a gleaming and stylish new addition to the Cultural District. Designed by the late Michael Graves, a world-renowned architect known for projects ranging from the Dutch Ministry of Public Health to the Dolphin and Swan resorts at Walt Disney World, the O’Reilly was meant to enhance the experience of going to the theater, from the inviting lobby to the memorable and bright house itself. On a show night, it’s bustling and busy; even when empty, it draws the eye, prompting passersby to plan another trip.

In the hands of permanent residents Pittsburgh Public Theater, the O’Reilly — a Pittsburgh Cultural Trust venue — has hosted world premieres, lavish musicals, intimate one-acts and nearly every other configuration of theater imaginable. That’s true now more than ever; last month, a public performance was given in the theater’s Helen Wayne Rauh Rehearsal Hall, as New Horizon Theater staged a production of the drama “Webeime” in the upstairs space. That show played concurrently with the Public’s musical “Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For” in September, meaning audiences were watching two shows simultaneously at the O’Reilly. This month, a new production of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Tell-Tale Heart” by Alec Silberblatt will find yet another space for performance, as audiences will be led below the theater stage for a subterranean, immersive experience.

Wherever and whatever the production, a trip to the O’Reilly is its own reward; this is a space that enhances everything that is presented on its stages. When it opened, the theater was the new kid on the block, literally in the shadow of hallowed spaces such as Heinz Hall and the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts; nearly 25 years later, it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with those giants.

Insider’s Tip
Don’t miss the upstairs bar. If you’re seated on the ground floor, you might never see the bar in the second-floor lobby. Skip the crowds that gather around the small bar cart in the main lobby and head upstairs for your pre-show or intermission drink.

While You’re Here: There’s a new destination for a pre-show cocktail or quick meal — it’s just technically at another theater. The new Lounge at the Greer Cabaret, open to the public, is a few doors down from the O’Reilly.