'Paw Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure' comes to PPG Paints Arena

There will be some Pirates in Pittsburgh this weekend, but they won’t be playing baseball.

“Paw Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure” is set for PPG Paints Arena, in Pittsburgh’s Uptown, Jan. 11-13.

It’s a pirate day in Adventure Bay, and Mayor Goodway is getting ready for a big celebration. But first Ryder and his team of pirate pups must rescue Cap’n Turbot from a mysterious cavern. When they do, they also discover a secret pirate treasure map. The Paw Patrol set out over land and sea to find the treasure for Mayor Goodway’s celebration before Mayor Humdinger finds it first. The pups will need all paws on deck for this pirate adventure, including some help from the newest pup, Tracker.

“For a lot of kids, this will be their first experience with live theater,” says Rebecca Shubart, senior production manager for Z Star Entertainment, which is bringing the tour to Pittsburgh. “And if they have a good time and walk out with smiles on their faces they will want to come back and see the Paw Patrol and other shows. And everyone likes pirates, especially in Pittsburgh.”

Dressed for the occasion

Many of the children in the audience will come wearing their favorite character’s costume, including carrying backpacks and coloring books.

There will be new songs and a new storyline, she says. It is about an hour and a half, including an intermission and is an interactive performance where the kids can clap and yell and cheer.

“We encourage the kids to be involved,” she says. “It’s about having a good time. This show, I believe, appeals to all ages. It’s the perfect show where older siblings might have grown up watching it and then they come with their younger siblings who have just starting liking it.”

They can relate

When they see the characters they know from this No. 1 show on Nick Jr. which first aired in 2013 their eyes light up. These characters are their friends who have been invited into their living rooms via television and are now live and in person on stage.

“Ryder and Skye and Tracker will look right at you and talk to you,” she says. “It’s a show that interests both boys and girls.”

It is more of a puppetry-style show where you see the actors and actresses who are playing the parts inside the costumes.

“But when the kids see them, they usually only see the characters and not the live people,” she says.

Shows are at 6 p.m. Jan. 11, 10 a.m., 2 and 6 p.m. Jan. 12 and 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jan. 13

Tickets are $23-$175.

Details: ppgpaintsarena.com

JoAnne Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact JoAnne at 724-853-5062 or jharrop@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Jharrop_Trib.