SUITE LIFE: A Celebration of Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly Comes to Kelly Strayhorn Theater

Kelly Strayhorn Theater will invite audiences to experience a sizzling new take on the art of KST’s legendary namesakes at SUITE LIFE: A Celebration of Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly. This year’s annual benefit on Saturday, November 30, will begin with an exclusive VIP Soundcheck at 5:30pm, followed by a 7:30pm concert offering Afro-Cuban riffs on Strayhorn’s beloved jazz classics. Suite Life will be directed by Pria Dahiya, with musical director Hugo Cruz leading an outstanding ensemble of musicians, including Degnis Bofill, Chantal Joseph, Mike Tomaro, Joe Sheehan, and Brian Stahurski. 

An annual high point of the long weekend in the East End, Suite Life is both a popular holiday tradition and an opportunity to invest in a pillar of Pittsburgh’s creative community. KST is excited to welcome Musical Director and percussionist Hugo Cruz in bringing Strayhorn’s jazz staples to life. Cruz is a Cuban-born composer and musician who has performed at venues including Havana’s Fábrica de Artes, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. His Cuban musical background influences his adaptation of Strayhorn’s music, highlighting rhythmic percussion and joy from Latin beats. Recently, Cruz performed at KST with the #notwhite Collective — a group of women artists who use art to reject colonialism — in their mixed media art exhibition Sister Soul Spectrum. 

"I have always been surrounded by music and those who love music — especially Cuban music," says Cruz. "My background and identity as moro or indio in Cuba, meaning someone of African, European, and Taino descent, gives me a unique place in this topic — my ancestry is mixed, as are many Cubans. Culturally, I have been exposed to multiple genres and styles of music that influence my work."

Hugo Cruz will bring these influences to Suite Life with a talented roster of musicians. The lineup of performers will include Chantal Joseph, Brian Stahurski, pianist Joe Sheehan, vocalist and percussionist Degnis Bofill, and saxophonistMike Tomar. 

Joining Hugo in leading Suite Life is returning director Pria Dahiya, a director, writer, and visual artist who was most recently part of Fall 2023’s Freshworks program, a creative incubator for Pittsburgh-based artists. Dahiya’s performance project, You and Me and the End of the World, offered an insightful take on youth and desire in the digital age.

Prior to the concert, attendees can gain exclusive, behind-the-scenes insights into the making of Suite Life at the VIP Soundcheck. The theme of the VIP event, a Flower is a Lovesome Thing, takes its name from a classic Strayhorn tune. From 5:30pm – 7:00pm KST welcomes VIP sponsor &flowers, who will lead a collaborative flower pressing activity in the lobby. Anyone who participates will take home their one-of-a-kind print, courtesy of &flowers and VIP gift sponsor BonBon Press, who designed and printed the edition on an original Heidelberg Windmill letterpress. VIP patrons will have the opportunity to mix and mingle over a signature seasonal cocktail and mocktail from TLC Libations and elevated hors d’oeuvres before a VIP-only performance from Hugo Cruz and his ensemble. 

In 2023, KST invited people through its doors on 348 days out of the year and created opportunities for 224 local and nationally recognized artists. At Suite Life, music lovers, business leaders, and community members can support this anchor arts organization, which continuously activates the Penn Ave corridor. According to Co-Executive Director Joseph Hall, Suite Life is fundamental to KST’s mission of elevating Black and queer artists in the Pittsburgh community. 

“When you support Kelly Strayhorn Theater, you are saying YES to this city,” says Hall. “Every gift and sponsorship we receive helps build a home for creatively experimental work that uplifts, entertains, and opens space for crucial community dialogue. Your generosity helps ensure that KST remains the soul of East Liberty, where artists and Pittsburghers of all backgrounds can thrive.”

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