Pittsburgh Public Theater To Premiere New Musical BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski and Managing Director Shaunda McDill announced the 2023/2024 season, "Ever Up & Onward," live on Wednesday to a delighted pre-show audience at the O'Reilly Theater.

The season opens September 19 with the world premiere of Highmark Presents Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For. "Ever up and onward" is widely known to be the composer, arranger and jazz pianist's maxim. Two additional shows were announced in anticipation of the complete season reveal at the Public's annual gala on April 13 at the Heinz History Center.

Highmark Presents Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For opens the 2023/2024 season at Pittsburgh Public Theater and runs September 19 to October 8. This lush new production is the latest passion project of Pittsburgh favorite and long-time member of The Public family Rob Zellers (The Chief) with Kent Gash, directed by Gash and with musical direction from internationally renowned jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker. They tell the extraordinary story of jazz songwriter Billy Strayhorn, known for songs including "Lush Life" and "Take the 'A' Train," who faced hatred and heartbreak as a Black queer man even while playing alongside greats including Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday. Something to Live For will feature a live jazz band on stage at the O'Reilly Theater, and is produced in association with Swee Pea, LLC.

"We are so excited to bring this Pittsburgh legend to life on the stage," Kaminski said, "and see Strayhorn's motto as the perfect way to define the work of our upcoming season."

Pittsburgh Public Theater follows Something to Live For with the highly anticipated Pittsburgh premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the acclaimed book by Cheryl Strayed (author of the best-selling Wild) and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos (star of the 2002 blockbuster film My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Strayed, the once-anonymous author of the viral advice column Dear Sugar, tells the story of Sugar and the readers who pour their hearts out to her as she provides guidance and inspiration to them with humor and heart.

Tiny Beautiful Things, a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, will take the O'Reilly Theater stage November 1 - 19, and offers viewers the chance to see the story live on stage - including those following the premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things on Hulu this coming April.

Back by popular demand, Pittsburgh Public Theater announced the return of A Christmas Story: The Play, December 9 - 23 at The O'Reilly. A Christmas Story: The Play brings the classic movie story to life on stage featuring a jubilant cast of children and adults certain to delight audiences of all ages. The Public's inaugural production of the show in 2022 drew packed crowds and evoked nostalgia for those familiar with the tale while introducing the classic to scores of children.

"The Public has outdone itself," Eberson wrote of last year's production, a sentiment sure to resonate with new and returning fans alike at the 2023 production of A Christmas Story: The Play.

The Public, helmed by Managing Director Shaunda McDill and Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski, plans to reveal the remaining four titles of its 2023/2024 season at its annual fundraising gala at Heinz History Center on April 13. Tickets to the Spring Fling Gala are now available for purchase at www.ppt.org/gala.

Pittsburgh Public Theater is dedicated to making its performances accessible to all audiences. It is proud to offer an American Sign Language Series, a Live Audio Description Series, assistive listening devices, I-Caption services, and D-Scriptive services at select performances. Tickets for these performances can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 412.316.1600. For more information on our accessibility offerings, please contact Director of Education and Engagement Parag S. Gohel at pgohel@ppt.org.

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