THE SLEEPING BEAUTY to be Presented as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre 2022-23 Season Finale

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will perform the majestic, family-friendly ballet The Sleeping Beauty as its 2022-23 season finale May 19-21st. This magnificent ballet will be staged at the Benedum Center with the Tchaikovsky score performed live by the PBT Orchestra.

The Sleeping Beauty is one of the greatest of the classical story ballets, a tour de force of classical choreography and fairytale charm. The ballet comes to life with storybook scenery, glittering costumes and pristine choreography. Audiences of all ages will revel in a suite of delightful dances by Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré, six fairies, the evil Carabosse and storybook characters including Puss 'n Boots, the White Cat and the Bluebirds.

In the 130 years since its 1890 premiere in St. Petersburg, Russia, The Sleeping Beauty has captivated the hearts of audiences worldwide. It is often considered the gold standard for classical ballet technique.

"I am thrilled to be staging and directing my first full-length ballet for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre," said Adam W. McKinney, artistic director at PBT. "The Sleeping Beauty is iconic and an absolutely gorgeous ballet. I am excited to present our updated version to our Pittsburgh audiences. This ballet has something for everyone; from impeccable ballet choreography to storybook characters to themes of love and overcoming adversity, my hope is that Pittsburgh will appreciate the experience."

In 1888, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, director of Russia's Imperial Theatre ideated the work. He envisioned a ballet that would not only tell the story of an enchanted princess but would also pay tribute to the opulent, 17th-century court of Louis XIV, the French king who loved and codified ballet and ballet technique. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will be performing The Sleeping Beauty based on the original 1890 choreography and concept by Marius Petipa with original music from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The staging and direction is by PBT Artistic Director Adam W. McKinney and is based on PBT's 2019 production.

Schedule
Five performances will be held at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh on the following dates and times:

• Friday, May 19, 2023 - 12 p.m.- Student Matinee
• Friday, May 19, 2023 - 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, May 20, 2023 - 2 p.m.
• Saturday, May 20, 2023 - 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, May 21, 2023 - 2 p.m.

Ticket Information

Single tickets start at $29 and are available at pbt.org or 412-456-6666.
Groups purchasing eight or more tickets save up to 50%. More information is available at pbt.org/groups.

Theater Programs

Audience members will have the opportunity to join PBT online and at the theater for a series of pre-and post-show programs for The Sleeping Beauty. Additional details can be found here.

Virtual Preview | Stay tuned for information.

Director's Cut | Friday, May 19 | 6:30 p.m.
Dance makers give their insights into the ballet. Register here.

Performance Preview | Saturday, May 20 | 6:30 p.m.
A quick introduction to the production. No registration is necessary.

Curtain Up! | Sunday, May 21 | 1 p.m.
Watch the last few minutes of company class on stage, and dive into Tchaikovsky's glorious score with PBT Music Director and Principal Conductor Charles Barker. No registration is necessary.

Audio-described Performance | Sunday, May 21 | 2 p.m.
Live narration of the performance for those with blindness or vision impairment, or for anyone who'd like to listen. No registration is necessary.

Coming Soon to PBT:

The 2023-2024 Season

• Light in the Dark: October 27-29, 2023 at the Byham Theater
• The Nutcracker: December 8-28, 2023 at the Benedum Center
• Beauty and the Beast: February 16-25, 2023 at the Benedum Center
• Spring Mix with the PBT Orchestra: April 5-7, 2023 at the Benedum Center
• Cinderella with the PBT Orchestra: May 17-19, 2023 at the Benedum Center

Season subscriptions are now available. 3-ballet packages start at $82.50 per person. More information is available at pbt.org/subscribe or by calling 412-454-9107.

About Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been Pittsburgh's premier professional ballet company since 1969. Today, PBT is a nationally-recognized ballet company of 33 professional dancers, a training institution for over 1,200 students of all ages, and an incubator for education and accessibility programs in classrooms, libraries and community centers throughout the region. The company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Adam W. McKinney and Acting Executive Director Kathryn Gigler, performs a wide-ranging repertoire of classical ballets, contemporary masterworks and new commissions in nearly 50 performances annually.

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