BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR Playbill

Billy Strayhorn’s spirit has swept through our building, filling our hallways with music, our rehearsal room with imagination, and our hearts with resolve.

Mr. Strayhorn’s path, from his humble beginnings and musical promise at Westinghouse High School to his international renown and transformational impact on jazz history, has both humbled and inspired our staff and artists as we have worked together to honor him in this vibrant world premiere musical.

He reminds me that there is no greater service we can provide than to share our talents and believe in our friends, that rigorous collaboration and true love are the world’s most powerful forces, and that every student who walks through our doors has the potential for greatness.

There are a vast number of talented, generous people who have gathered to lift this project into life; our collaborators and supporters reach across Pittsburgh and throughout the nation. That said, I will be eternally grateful to Rob Zellers for bringing this story to The Public; to Kent Gash for his bright vision and uncompromising pursuit of excellence; to Dell Howlett for his electric movement vocabulary; to Steven Tabakin for being a true and steadfast partner; and to Matthew Whitaker for the way he unleashes his own genius to lift Mr. Strayhorn’s brilliance off the page. I know I speak for all of us when I say we are all especially, and tenderly, indebted to the Strayhorn Family for trusting us with Billy's legacy.

Welcome friends. I am truly delighted to share this bright moment in Theatre and in our collective history with you. So much music... So much life...

Onward indeed,

Marya Sea Kaminski

Portrait of Billy Strayhorn in New York between 1946 and 1948. Photo by William P. Gottlieb. Courtesy of the William P. Gottlieb Collection (Library of Congress).

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER

By Special Arrangement with Swee Pea Limited Liability Company

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MARYA SEA KAMINSKI

PRESENTS

MANAGING DIRECTOR SHAUNDA MCDILL

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BILLY STRAYHORN

CHOREOGRAPHY BY DELL HOWLETT

CHARL BROWN*

JOSEPH ROBERT FEDORE*

RICHARD McBRIDE

Set Designer

JASON SHERWOOD

Projection Designer

SHAWN DUAN

BOOK BY ROB ZELLERS with KENT GASH

MUSIC DIRECTION BY MATTHEW WHITAKER

DIRECTED BY KENT GASH

with

TAYLOR C. COLLIER

DARIUS DE HAAS*

JOSEPH McGRANAGHAN *

ARIELLE ROBERTS

TRACY ANTHONY DUNBAR

KEZIAH JOHN-PAUL*

J.D. MOLLISON*

SAIGE SMITH*

Costume Designer JAHISE LEBOUEF

Wig Designer TENEL DORSEY

Lighting Designer RUI RITA

Fight Director JOSÉ PÉREZ IV

Production Stage Manager

HEATHER ANKLEY*

Casting

TARA RUBIN CASTING

MERRI SUGARMAN, C.S.A.

Sound Designer ZACH MOORE

Orchestrator BRUCE COUGHLIN

*Denotes AEA Member

Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For was developed in part in March 2023 by The Acting Company (Kent Gash, Artistic Director; Devin Brain, Producing Director; Erik Schroeder, Managing Director).

SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR, INDEED…

It’s impossible to define Billy Strayhorn and his oeuvre, simply. A genius composer, lyricist, arranger, raconteur, bon vivant, son, lover, friend, uncle, and empath who was Black and Gay at a time when it was so much harder to be those two things than it is in 2023. And let’s be clear… many of the brutalities that Billy may have faced we continue to confront in this divisive moment in time. From W.E.B. Du Bois to Bell Hooks there have been volumes written about the insane contradictory plurality of Black lives - the audacity and bravery of pursuing sustained, loving Black relationships in a society whose racism is no longer thinly veiled. Images and expressions of Black people loving Black people are rare, especially on stage. There is an endless code switching that melanated people and LGBTQIA people learn quickly in order to stay alive. We often retrofit our beings in order to survive the ascending values of whatever context we are in. This is a survival tactic. It can also drive you mad. How does the chameleon know who or what they really are? Billy Strayhorn innately eschewed this behavior. Choosing not just to survive, but to thrive and live his life authentically. If that meant not being the headliner or front man of his own band, so be it. He was his own man and had a lifelong love affair with music! In doing so he became the headliner and front man in his LIFE, HIS WAY, AND ON HIS TERMS.

The genius of jazz - the genius of Billy Strayhorn, in part - is that in spite of so many obstacles (poverty, racism, homophobia, illness), his talent, his dreams, his Herculean imagination, his love of life, love, and all its contradictory madness, he made some of the most sophisticated, haunting, heartfelt, and soulful music. The dreams and yearning of this diminutive brotha were poured into America’s sole original art form, creating timeless, unforgettable classics like "Lush Life" and the signature theme song of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, "Take The 'A' Train." Billy Strayhorn’s music has the mercurial quality of endless surprise and can be as direct and impactful as an adrenaline shot to the heart.

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn seemed to be two halves of the same epic creative soul for most of their professional lives. Some the greatest music written by these giants was written by both of them, together. Duke Ellington was one of America’s foremost composers and bandleaders, and arguably the first to truly become a “brand." When the Ellington Orchestra was the house band of The Cotton Club in Harlem, jazz and Ellingtonia took the country and the world by storm. For more than 40 years in the heyday of jazz, the Ellington Orchestra was the gold standard and created some of the most important and original music of the last century. Before MJ, Prince, Elvis, or any of the rest, there was ELLINGTON. Billy Strayhorn was never the front man of the Ellington Orchestra, yet he wrote and created some of the Ellington orchestra’s most famous and definitive songs. Sometimes called enigmatic, we can surmise that by being in the background Billy Strayhorn remained his authentic self, and by all accounts, he never hid his sexuality. Those closest to him, like best friends Lena Horne and the great Broadway orchestrator Luther Henderson, spoke adoringly of Billy’s quick wit, heart, optimism, generosity, wisdom, and the speed of his seemingly endless invention. He knew how to turn challenges and problems into opportunities. By living so authentically, Billy Strayhorn may have “closeted” some of his talent from the spotlight, but he got his music played by the greatest jazz band in history. Strayhorn's enormous body of work has proven influential and stood the test of time.

It is my fervent hope that our impressionistic musical portrait of Mr. Strayhorn finally delivers a dream that Billy never lived to see. While attending Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, Billy wrote the book, music, and lyrics for an original full-length musical called Fantastic Rhythm. Some of that music is performed on the O'Reilly Theater stage in our show. The Ellington-Strayhorn body of work includes not just popular songs, but orchestral suites, film scores, opera, and several musical theater pieces. Their theatrical work had only mild success, for reasons lost to time. I hope Billy Strayhorn: Something To Live For makes good on the promise begun in Fantastic Rhythm all those years ago. A celebration of the music of Billy Strayhorn can’t separate the life from the music. For Billy they are irrevocably, inextricably linked. What did it cost him to be an openly gay, Black genius? If Billy Strayhorn were writing a musical about his own life in 2023, what might he write? That’s the question we humbly try to answer. What a life. What a beautiful and moving body of work. SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR, INDEED!

EVER UP AND ONWARD!

I was raised in a household where storytelling was an art form. Dramatic stories, humorous, tragic, racy, the full range. If you could do the voices, all the better. A household where jazz and show tunes were always on the hi-fi, a piano in the living room, and a mom in her kitchen singing all the songs in her jazzy contralto.

I was happily ensconced in my job as Education Director at Pittsburgh Public Theater when the urge came to find my way into the art. The storytelling gene was there. So were years of sitting in the theater watching Pittsburgh Public Theater productions being put together (roughly 175 of them). Still, much would have to be learned as I went. The Chief was 2003. In 2010 came Harry’s Friendly Service, a father-daughter story set in Youngstown, Ohio, against the backdrop of the steel mills closing.

Learning as I went, I was lucky to work with and befriend some of the best theater professionals in America. Actors talking about their craft. Directors meeting the challenges of staging comedy in a thrust space. Technical Directors and Scenics talking about floor treatments. Lighting Designers explaining how to light a show from above.

Fast forward to 2013 when Tony Norman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette invited me to review a new biography of Duke Ellington, which became my first real introduction to Billy Strayhorn. Raised in an impoverished household in Homewood, Billy knew he was gay from an early age, never feeling that it was something he needed to hide. He attended the racially and ethnically diverse Westinghouse High School where he was a stand-out student, member of the French Club, and president of the Pen Club. He worked his way up to First Pianist in the mostly white school orchestra, always the team player, modest when citing his accomplishments.

A storyteller learns to recognize a good story. Drama, conflict, color, plenty of hardship, and obstacles to overcome. Our human condition. A story where we can see ourselves. None more so than the short, meaningful, and accomplished life of William Thomas Strayhorn.

Undated photo of Billy Strayhorn. Courtesy of the National Museum of American History Archives Center, Duke Ellington Collection.

BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR THE CAST in order of appearance

Ernest Brown, Dancer

Mercer Ellington

Bessie Dudley, Dancer

Aaron Bridgers

Mickey Scrima, Lennia Hayton, Sailor

Lena Horne, Billie Holiday

This performance of Billy Strayhorn: Something To Live For runs approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes with one intermission.

In service of this story, today's performance contains racist and homophobic slurs, staged violence, and prop cigarettes that emit nicotine-free vapor.

This show contains sequences of flashing lights that may affect people who experience photosensitivity. This show contains haze and fog effects.

CHARL BROWN AARON BRIDGERS

Charl is a vocalist and Tony-nominated actor for his portrayal of Smokey Robinson in Motown: The Musical, a role he revived opening the West End Production. He is featured on the Grammy-nominated Original Broadway Cast Album. He has also appeared on Broadway in Jersey Boys & Sister Act. He’s currently touring with his all-Broadway alumn vocal group, The Doowop Project whose PBS special began airing last summer in local markets all across the United States, as well as his one-man concert show Smokey & Me: A Celebration of Smokey Robinson. Charl was last seen on stage as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime at Moonlight Amphitheater for which he was nominated for a San Diego Theatre Critics Award for best performance by a lead actor in a musical. Charl has been seen across the country in renowned theatrical and concert venues such as The Kennedy Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and The MUNY, the country’s largest regional theater venue. He has also performed with multiple symphonies in the United States and Canada as well as at The Blue Note in Bejing. TV credits include: Madam Secretary, FBI, and Evil (CBS).

TAYLOR C. COLLIER BESSIE DUDLEY, DANCER, DANCE CAPTAIN

Taylor Collier is a native of Washington, D.C., where she trained with Dance Institute of Washington and the Washington School of Ballet. She has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Ron K. Brown, Showboat at San Francisco Opera, “Come Through” with Bon Iver, and Guys and Dolls at the Guthrie Theater.

TRACY ANTHONY DUNBAR ERNEST BROWN, DANCER, FIGHT CAPTAIN

Tracy, originally from New Jersey, graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance Performance.He is so excited to be making his Pittsburgh Public Theater debut as a part of this production!

JOSEPH ROBERT FEDORE PRODUCTION UNDERSTUDY

Joseph was last seen in LPPAC’s The Play That Goes Wrong (Trevor u/s), CLO’s production of A Musical Christmas Carol as Choirmaster/Caroler, and Ed in Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s Evil Dead: The Musical Other recent credits include: Schroder in You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (CLO), Gator in Memphis (LPPAC), and Andre Swing in Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Westchester Broadway Theater). Joseph would like to thank the cast, crew, and team for letting him be a part of this production! He is a proud graduate of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School (Class of 2009).

DARIUS DE HAAS BILLY STRAYHORN

Darius de Haas is thrilled to celebrate Billy Strayhorn, a composer whose music he has sung for more than 20 years. His theater credits include Broadway: Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Carousel, Rent, The Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm, Marie Christine, and Shuffle Along. Other notable shows include As You Like It, Running Man (Obie Award), and Children of Eden. Recent TV/Film credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (singing voice of Shy Baldwin) on Amazon Prime and the upcoming Mother May I Have A Kidney. An acclaimed concert and recording artist, he has performed concerts for, among others, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and The Boston Pops as well as many venues across the US and abroad. His recordings include “Day Dream: Variations on Strayhorn,” “Quiet Please,” and many Original Cast Recordings and soundtracks. Darius is a founding member of Black Theatre United. www.dariusdehaas.com

KEZIAH JOHN-PAUL LILLIAN STRAYHORN, IVIE ANDERSON

Keziah is a proud graduate of NYU Tisch’s New Studio and Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She is currently in the cast of The Book of Mormon on Broadway. As a singer, songwriter, and rapper, she performs with her band, The Blackstarz, in NYC. Favorite roles: The Wild Party (Kate), Broadway at the White House (Ensemble), The Seven (DJ). With an abundance of love to Mom, family, friends and teachers, she’s thrilled to be working with this genius creative team on Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For.

RICHARD McBRIDE MERCER ELLINGTON

Richard is JAZZED to be back on the O'Reilly Theater stage. He was last seen as Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream In Harlem, and before that as BoBo in A Raisin In The Sun. Richard is incredibly thankful to Kent and Marya for this opportunity!

JOSEPH McGRANAGHAN MICKEY SCRIMA, LENNIE HAYTON, SAILOR

Joseph McGranaghan is a Pittsburgh-based artist and educator. Recent Pittsburgh credits include Shantytown (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Co.), The Cherry Orchard (Quantum) and Barefoot in the Park (Pittsburgh Public Theater). New York: LaMama ETC, Mabou Mines, SITI Company, Magis Theatre, Hudson Warehouse, Storm Theatre, Workshop Theatre Company and Fault Line Theatre. Regional: Asolo Rep, Baltimore Center Stage, Clarence Brown Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Lantern Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, and others. T.V./Film: Mayor of Kingstown, American Rust, Liberte: A Call to Spy, Hack My Life, The Lucky 6.

J.D. MOLLISON DUKE ELLINGTON

J.D. is so excited to return to The Public after appearing in A Servant To Two Masters. Other past productions: Octet (Signature Theater and Berkeley Rep), Malvolio (Classical Theater of Harlem), black oddyssey (CalShakes), Jelly’s Last Jam (Alliance Theater), X: Or, Betty Shabazz v. The Nation (The Acting Company), Venice (N.Y. Public Theater), A Civil War Christmas (New York Theater Workshop), Les Miserables (Broadway Revival Original Cast), The Winter’s Tale (Dallas Theater Center Public Works). T.V./Film: Godfather of Harlem, Shameless, Law and Order: SVU, Madam Secretary, The Snare. Training: Carnegie Mellon University.

ARIELLE ROBERTS LENA HORNE, BILLIE HOLIDAY

Arielle Roberts is delighted to be making her debut with Pittsburgh Public Theater. Recent credits include Oli in Come See About Me (Cedar Fair Entertainment), and Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors (Artisan Center Theatre). BFA Acting - TCU. LINK Class 5. She sends endless love to Joel and Ann-Mary. arielleroberts.com

SAIGE SMITH PRODUCTION UNDERSTUDY

Saige Smith is thrilled to make history with this production! Recent credits include: Hamlet with Quantum Theatre, Steel Magnolias, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem, Murder on the Orient Express with Pittsburgh Public Theater, Clyde’s with City Theatre, and Sister Act, Puffs, Kinky Boots at Pittsburgh CLO. (PPU MT ‘18)

BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

BILLY STRAYHORN MUSIC AND LYRICS

Billy Strayhorn was one of the greatest composers in the history of jazz. His body of work includes standards like "Take the ‘A’ Train," "Something To Live For," "Day Dream" and "Lush Life." He grew up poor in Pittsburgh, graduated from high school in 1933, then moved to New York where he settled in Harlem and joined the Duke Ellington Orchestra. His 30-year collaboration with Ellington was one of the most prolific and groundbreaking in the history of American music. Strayhorn was also deeply committed to social and charitable causes, a strong supporter of the civil rights movement, and a personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. His life was tragically cut short; he passed away in 1967 at the age of 51.

ROB ZELLERS CO-AUTHOR

Rob Zellers’ plays have been developed at Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Urban Stages, Writers Theatre of New Jersey, Youngstown Playhouse, The Lark, PlayPenn, and the New Harmony Project. He is co-author of The Chief, the most successful play in Pittsburgh Public Theater’s history, published by University of Pittsburgh Press and made into a feature film. Other plays: Harry’s Friendly Service – Edgerton Award, semi-finalist O’Neill Conference, premiered Pittsburgh Public Theater 2010; Mr. Wheeler’s - premiered Pioneer Theatre Company’s 2015 Play-by-Play Series; Safekeeping – semifinalist O’Neill Conference, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and Ashland New Plays; Redux – nominated National New Play Network, Zoom presentation Pittsburgh Public Theater. For Alexa.

KENT GASH DIRECTOR, CO-AUTHOR

Kent Gash is an award-winning director and the Artistic Director of The Acting Company which returned to national touring in 2022 with The Three Musketeers by Kirsten Childs, now playing at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Mr. Gash directed Robert O’Hara’s Barbecue at the Public Theater and is co-author and director of Langston In Harlem (2010 Audelco Awards Best Musical). New York productions include Cori Thomas’ Lockdown for the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and the virtual co-production with WP Theater, the off-Broadway premiere of Miss Evers’ Boys for Melting Pot Theatre Co., Ellington’s Beggar’s Holiday for the York and the off-Broadway revival of William’s Home for Melting Pot.

Among his nearly 100 regional productions are Tarell McCraney’s Choir Boy at Steppenwolf Theatre (3 Jeff Awards), Studio Theatre D.C., and Marin Theatre Co. (Bay Area Critics Award, Best Production), Dominique Morisseau’s Paradise Blue for Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, Master Harold… and the Boys at Arizona Theatre Co., Guys and Dolls at the Guthrie, The Wiz at Ford’s Theatre (Washington Post ‘Ten Best,’ BroadwayWorld Best Musical, plus three Helen Hayes Awards) and August Wilson’s Gem of The Ocean at South Coast Rep (LA Times ‘Ten Best’), The Mountaintop, Topdog/ Underdog (Elliot Norton Award – Best Director), Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Trinity Rep, North Shore, Arizona Theatre Co and Maltz-Jupiter, Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Wig Out! for Studio Theatre, DC., The Comedy of Errors at OSF, Jelly’s Last Jam, Alliance Theatre (Suzi Bass Awards, Best Musical, Best Director) and Pacific Overtures at Cincinnati Playhouse, Alliance Theatre and North Shore (Suzi Bass and New England Critics, Best Musical)

Mr. Gash is the former Associate Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Alliance Theatre (2001-2009) and The Alabama Shakespeare Festival (1999-2001), is founding director of The New Studio on Broadway at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU, and a proud graduate of both the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama (BFA in Acting) and UCLA (MFA in Directing.

DELL HOWLETT CHOREOGRAPHER, INTIMACY DIRECTOR

Dell Howlett is a New York-based, Virginia-born choreographer and director, and the proud son of an educator and veteran. Selected directing and choreography credits include: Malvolio (Classical Theatre of Harlem), Toni Stone (Alliance Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory), It Came From Outer Space (Chicago Shakespeare), R&H Cinderella (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), GuysandDolls (Ford’s Theatre), ParadiseSquare (Associate to Bill T. Jones, Berkeley Repertory Theatre), GuysandDolls (Guthrie Theater), The Wiz (Ford’s Theater), Wig Out! (Studio Theater), CA Lyons Project (Alliance Theater, Suzi Bass Award Winner), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Marin Theater Company), Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (The Acting Company), Broadway Inspirational Voices (Foxwoods Theater), Is Anybody Listening? (Sheen Center). Dell is Co-Head of Dance at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in the Department of Drama’s New Studio on Broadway. SDCFA.

MATTHEW WHITAKER MUSIC DIRECTOR, CONDUCTOR, ARRANGER, PIANIST

Matthew Whitaker’s love for playing music began at age 3 after his grandfather gave him a small Yamaha keyboard. Now at age 22, he tours around the world, bringing his music to new fans and music lovers alike. Matthew has recorded 3 albums as a leader, with a 4th on the way.

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER

HEATHER ANKLEY PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Heather Ankley has worked professionally as a stage manager for more than 25 years. Her body of work includes the following productions at Pittsburgh Public Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream In Harlem. TUTS: Ain’t Misbehavin’, Rent Her Pittsburgh CLO credits span 8 seasons and include: Double Threat Trio (WP), Peter Pan, Sister Act, Game On (WP), In The Heights, Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Kinky Boots, A Chorus Line, and A Musical Christmas Carol. Credits at The REP include: Scottsboro Boys, Wig Out!, Choir Boy, Souvenir. PICT credit: Merchant of Venice. Pittsburgh Opera credits: Marriage of Figaro, Falstaff, Dead Man Walking, Grapes of Wrath. She is a proud member of AEA and IATSE #3.

JASON SHERWOOD SET DESIGNER

Jason Sherwood designed the 2020 Oscars and “Rent: Live,” for which he received consecutive Emmy Awards. Other work includes tours for Sam Smith, Spice Girls, Sara Bareilles, performances for Janelle Monáe, Eminem, Camila Cabello, and world premieres at New York Theatre Workshop, the Atlantic, ART, and many regional theaters. Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Henry Hewes nominations. @JasonSherwoodDesign

JAHISE LEBOUEF COSTUME DESIGNER

Jahise LeBouef’s Broadway credits include Assistant Designer to the following: MJ The Musical; The Devil Wears Prada Off-Broadway: Rattlestick; In The Southern Breeze. LORT: Hartford Stage; Trouble in Mind. Regional: Loyola with Crescent City Stage; Cry it Out. Film: “Dance For Me” (BET+); “Major” (Short Film). Television: Costume Coordinator for “Blue Bloods” and “The Endgame.” Education: BFA in Production and Design, NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

RUI RITA LIGHTING DESIGNER

Selected Broadway: Skeleton Crew; Velocity of Autumn; Trip to Bountiful; Present Laughter; Dividing the Estate; Enchanted April. Off-Broadway premieres: Paradise Blue (Signature), Horton Foote’s Old Friends & Orphans’ Home Cycle (Hewes Award, Signature), Happiest Song Plays Last (Second Stage), Just Jim Dale (Roundabout), Nightingale, Moonlight and Magnolias (Manhattan Theatre Club), Carpetbagger’s Children and Far East (Lincoln Center Theater), Dinner with Friends (Variety Arts Center). Off-Broadway revivals: The Piano Lesson (Signature), Talley’s Folly (Roundabout), and Engaged (Obie Award, TFANA). Recent regional credits include Alley, CenterStage, Center Theatre Group, Dallas Theater Center, Ford’s, Guthrie, Huntington, Oregon Shakespeare, Old Globe. www.designbyrui.com

ZACH MOORE SOUND DESIGNER

Zach Moore most recently designed sound for Newsies for Pittsburgh Playhouse, and sound and projections for A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem for Pittsburgh Public Theater. His 100+ sound designs at The Public include the world premieres of The Chief and Paper Doll, original music for Marjorie Prime, Hamlet, and Equus, and designs for Sweat, The Humans, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Other collaborations include Asolo Rep, City Theatre, PICT, NBA Ballet in Tokyo, TheaterWorks Hartford, The Huntington, Long Wharf Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, and Reduced Shakespeare Company.

SHAWN DUAN PROJECTION DESIGNER

Shawn Duan is a New York-based Projection and Video Designer. Broadway: Chinglish. NYC: MET Museum, The Public, New York City Opera. Regional: Arena Stage, the Alliance, Berkeley Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Goodspeed, The Guthrie, McCarter, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Rep, South Coast Rep, Yale Rep. Tour/Concert: numerous US/International commercial entertainment tours. Awards: Lortel Award, CT Critic’s Award, and nominations for Drama Desk, OCC.

TENEL DORSEY WIG DESIGNER

Tenel Dorsey is the owner and operator of Dreamz Hair Salon in Homestead. The salon has a staff of 13 professionals and offers a wide range of services including coloring, cutting, styling, extensions, and more. Tenel specializes in wigs and hair replacement, and she obtained her NPI to accept health insurance for clients battling hair loss. She has over 30 years of experience and is very passionate about her craft and developing her team.

BRUCE COUGHLIN ORCHESTRATOR

Broadway: War Paint, Amelie, 9 to 5, Grey Gardens, Light in the Piazza, Urinetown, The Wild Party (LaChiusa). Regional: A Man of No Importance (with Jim Parsons), Giant (LaChiusa). Opera: Grapes of Wrath and 27 (composer: Gordon). Other: Metallica S&M2. Awards: Tony (+2 nominations), Drama Desk (+12 nominations), Obie. Coming: How to Dance in Ohio (Broadway).

BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

RUSSELL BARTMUS SUPERVISING COPYIST

Russell Bartmus is a music copyist for film, television, and Broadway, and has been since 1978.

CONNOR MUNION ASSOCIATE SET DESIGNER

Connor Munion works as a designer and art director for theater, television, and live events. In theater he has worked with New York Theatre Workshop, New York City Center, ART, Atlantic, and many other regional theaters. Television credits include work with VH1, NBC, CMT, The Tony Awards, and Apple Music.

LaTREA REMBERT ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER

LaTrea Rembert is a Pittsburgh-based performer and dance teacher who is honored to be a part of this beautiful work of art. LaTrea currently serves on faculty at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and Pittsburgh Musical Theater, and has also been an adjunct professor in Dance at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University. Additionally, he dances professionally with the STAYCEE PEARL dance project and Soy Sos where he is entering his 9th season. His theatrical talents were shared recently in Once On This Island with Pittsburgh CLO and The Devil Is A Lie with Quantum Theater.

ELLIE HANDEL ASST. STAGE MANAGER, SCRIPT SUPERVISOR, MUSIC ASSISTANT

Ellie Handel makes Pittsburgh Public Theater debut with this show! Ellie is a multi-hyphenate stage manager, director, and educator. Her favorite credits include Emojiland (PSM, first national tour), My Fair Lady (Assistant Director, second national tour), and Indecent (Director, Next Stage Arts). Graduate of & Adjunct Professor at NYU Tisch’s New Studio on Broadway. Love to her family and friends. @EllieHandel.

AMARA J. COMANS PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Amara is a recent graduate of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School. Stage Management credits include: Spring Awakening, Punk Rock, American Idiot, Rock of Ages (The Collective), You’re the Worst: A New Musical, and Footloose Jr. (Pittsburgh Musical Theater).

TARA RUBIN CASTING CASTING

Selected Broadway and National Tours: Back To The Future, Here Lies Love, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, SIX, Ain’t Too Proud, King Kong, The Band’s Visit, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Big Fish, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera. Selected Off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe’s Café. Film: Here Today. Regional: Paper Mill Playhouse, George Street Playhouse, Asolo Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe.

THE ACTING COMPANY

The Acting Company develops actors by touring professional theater across America. Founded in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley with the first class of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School, the Company has launched the careers of two generations actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Mary Lou Rosato, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint, Frances Conroy, Harriet Harris, Jeffrey Wright, and Jesse L. Martin. In 2003, the Company was awarded the Tony honor for Excellence in the Theater and their work has been seen by over 4 million people in 48 States, 10 countries, on and Off-Broadway. New works commissioned by the Company includes their current tour of Lisa Peterson’s Odyssey, as well as plays by Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, John Guare, Beth Henley, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Meg Miroshnik, and Ntozake Shange. The Company's education programs bring professional productions, in-school residencies, and teacher training workshops to thousands of students each year.

STEVEN TABAKIN (SWEE PEA, LLC)

A native of Pittsburgh, Steven Tabakin is honored to have the opportunity to develop and produce Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For in collaboration with Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Strayhorn family, and an extraordinary group of artists – with the generous support of Swee Pea LLC investors and donors to The Public. He has held senior producing and executive positions at Tashtego Films, The Public Theater and Thirteen/WNET. His Public Theater (NYC) producing credits include Caroline, or Change; The Story; See What I Wanna See; Well; Embedded; Passing Strange; The Public Sings, Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk; The Wild Party; Saturn Returns; On the Town; The Tempest; and many others. Presently based at Triple Birch Media, he recently directed and produced documentaries about piano prodigy Matthew Whitaker and Alvin Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab for WNET’s All Arts. He began his producing career as a trainee at Pittsburgh Public Theater during the 1993-94 season.

THERON EUGENE BROWN ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION COPYIST

A jazz virtuoso and Akron, Ohio native, renowned for his mastery on the piano. When not captivating global audiences, he shares his passion for music as a dedicated educator at the University of Akron. Brown’s harmonious brilliance echoes through Akron’s streets, inspiring the next generation of jazz enthusiasts.

MARTY ASHBY ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER

Marty Ashby is a jazz guitarist, producer, programming consultant, motivational speaker and advocate of jazz and its unique place in American culture. He is Executive Producer of MCG Jazz, which he started in 1987. He has produced more than 2,000 concerts and 60 recordings for MCG Jazz winning five GRAMMY® Awards.

LYNN SPEAKMAN WOODWINDS

Lynn Speakman has been a performer, composer, arranger, transcriber, engraver, and music educator for more than 20 years. She keeps busy working on projects for a long list of clients both local and nationwide as well as performing and teaching locally and at the Stanford Jazz Workshop in the summers.

JASON KUSH WOODWINDS

Dr. Jason Kush is an active leader, soloist, and ensemble member. He regularly performs with the Pittsburgh Symphony and Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, and has appeared with many luminaries including Hugh Jackman and Andrea Bocelli. The Jason Kush Quartet performs original compositions and recently released Finally Friday on the MCG Jazz label. He currently teaches at Slippery Rock University.

SAMUEL EISENREICH WOODWINDS

Sam is an active freelance woodwind doubler in the Pittsburgh area. He regularly performs for the Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Front Porch Theatricals, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, and PMT. Sam is also a full-time elementary school teacher. Much love to Cassandra and our two sweet boys, Everest and Oakley.

DAVID WIGENBACH TRUMPET

Dave regularly performs with the Pittsburgh CLO, Bachelor Boys Band, and Balcony Big Band. Dave teaches elementary music in the Moniteau school district. He lives in Butler with his wife and children.

J.D. CHAISSON TRUMPET

J.D. Chaisson is a Pittsburgh-based trumpet player. Though originally from the New England area, J.D. chose to attend Duquesne University where he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in trumpet performance. He is first call for many recording sessions, is the lead trumpet player for the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, has been a guest artist for Duquesne and Slippery Rock University, and is an adjunct professor teaching trumpet performance at Duquesne University.

JEFF BUSH TROMBONE

Veteran trombonist Jeff Bush has performed/toured/recorded with Harry Connick Jr, Paul Anka, Tom Waits, Frankie Valli, Broadway Shows in New York City, and many more. He currently serves on the music faculty at Duquesne University.

MARK ERIC PETERSON BASS

Bassist Mark Peterson resides in New York City and has performed with a diverse roster of artists: Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Cirque Du Soleil, Janet Jackson, Jason Robert Brown, Joan Baez. Mark has served as bassist for the following Broadway productions: Caroline, Or Change; Waitress (U.S. tour); Bridges of Madison County; and Aida.

JOHNNY STEELE PERCUSSION

Percussionist Johnny Steele has toured, performed, and recorded with the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Immanuel Wilkins, Julius Rodriguez, Endea Owens, and many more. He is the mainstay drummer for internationally acclaimed piano prodigy Matthew Whitaker. He has performed at festivals including the ELBJazz Festival (Hamburg), The Newport Jazz Festival (Rhode Island), The Montreal Jazz Festival (Canada), and The Rio Das Ostras Jazz e Blues Festival (Brazil). Steele was featured by Grammy award-winner Wynton Marsalis as drummer for the score of "In a Different Key," and composed the solo drum score for the film "45 to 1." His debut album The Game is now available on all streaming platforms.

musical numbers

ACT I

Live for the Moment

Music: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, †‡§

Sophisticated Lady

Ivie and Duke

Duke Ellington, Irving Mills and Mitchell Parish, Ǥ

Lush Life

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn ,

So This Is Love

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn , ΨΩ

A Penthouse on Shady Avenue ··· Edna Mae & Mickey

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †‡

Something To Live For

Music: Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington,

Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn

Brighten the Corner

Ida Mae Dudley Ogdon

Love, Love ··················

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †‡

Frederico Garcia Lorca

My Little Brown Book

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †

Rockin' in Rhythm

Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Harry Carney, and Eddie De Lange,

Oo, You Make Me Tingle

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †

Chelsea Bridge

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †‡

(Love Has) Passed Me By

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †‡

Lillian, & Aaron

ACT II

Act II Entracte · ······· Ivie & Duke

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, Ω

Day Dream ···· Billie

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, †‡∆§

Firestarter ······································ Bessie & Ernest

Billy Strayhorn, †‡

Love Came · ··· Aaron

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, ΩΨж

Rocks in My Bed

Music: Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, §

Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn

Multi-Colored Blue ···· Lena, Billy, Ivie, Mercer, Bessie, & Ernest

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †‡

Satin Doll ·· ·· Ivie

Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, †‡§Ө

Cacophony ······································· The Company

Come Sunday ·· ·· Lillian

Music and Lyrics: Duke Ellington, Ψ

A Flower is a Lovesome Thing ··· · Billy

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn, †‡

So This Is Love (Reprise) Lena, Lennie, Aaron, Billy, Officiate

Billy Strayhorn ΨΩ

I'm Checkin' Out, Goombye ············ Billy and Aaron

Music: Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, †‡∆

Billy & Lena

Daybreak Express ······························· The Company

Duke Ellington, §

Finale Act I

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn,

† - Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc.

‡ - Reservoir Media

Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn

Finale ··· · Billy

Music and Lyrics: Billy Strayhorn , †‡

Bows

Imagine My Frustration ···· The Company

Billy Strayhorn, †‡

MUSIC LICENSING BY

Ψ

ж

∆ - EMI Robbins Catalog

CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT FUNDERS

$50,000+

Anonymous

Allegheny Foundation

Allegheny Regional Asset District

$20,000 - $49,999

Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation

Benter Foundation

BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania

$10,000 - $19,999

Henry C. Frick Educational Fund of the Buhl Foundation

The Jack Buncher Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999

#1 Cochran

Bozzone Family Foundation

The Burke Family

$4,999 & UNDER

Actors’ Equity Foundation, Inc.

Irving & Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation

Baird

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation

Eden Hall Foundation

The Grable Foundation

Arthur J. & Betty F. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund

Dollar Bank

Emma Clyde Hodge Memorial Fund

The Anne L. & George H. Clapp Charitable Trust

The Fine Foundation

Roy A. Hunt Foundation

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

FISA MAK Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation

James T. and Hetty E. Knox Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation

RMK Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation

The Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation

The Heinz Endowments

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Richard King Mellon Foundation

John Keith Maitland Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

PNC Foundation

Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc.

Roesch Family Charitable Trust

James M. and Lucy K. Schoonmaker Foundation

Hilda M. Willis Foundation

Lewis A. and Donna M. Patterson Charitable Foundation

W. I. Patterson Charitable Fund

The Rust Foundation

Spang and Company Charitable Trust

UPMC Health Plan

Phillip H. and Betty L. Wimmer Family Foundation

INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS - DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE

PLATINUM ($10,000+)

Anonymous (5)

Stephanie Bozic

M. Patrick Daniels Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation

Michael R. Daniels

Estate Of Ruth A Succop

Janet & Bill Hunt

Heidi G. Kuehn

David & Susan Matter

Shaunda & Sager McDill

GOLD ($5,000 - $9,999)

Anonymous

Jim & Electra Agras

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Bakaitus, Jr.

Ellie & Bob Bernstein

Drs. Barbara & Albert Biglan

Robert C. Levin & Dr. Kerry Bron

Jo-Ann M. Churchill

Kristen Clendaniel Clark

The Honorable & Mrs. Thomas Corbett

Randi Dauler

Ms. Dorothy Davis & Mr. David Lynch

Tom & Pam Doran

Robert & Marilyn Egan

Mr. & Mrs. Grady Gaspar

SILVER ($2,500 - $4,999)

Lois Appel

Dr. Karen E. Binkley

Marian & Jeff Bragdon

Dr. Quintin B. Bullock

Drs. Hal & Kimberly Burch

Rob & Christina Cochran

James & Stephanie Dewar Charitable Fund

William & Sherryl Gillespie

Rhoda & David Hartmann

Lynn Hyde & Jeremy Burton

Ms. Barbara H. Bott & Mr. Robert L. Jennings, Jr.

Tom & Becky McGough

Stuart & Linda Miller

Richard W. Moriarty, M.D.

Neishloss and Fleming Fund

The June H. Nimick Trust

Peter & Leslie Robinson

Karen Greb

Courtney Horrigan

Becky & Tim Kcehowski

MaryAnn & Bill King

Mrs. Mary S. Kistler

Krysia Kubiak & Ricardo A. Vila-Roger

Jeff & Katie Kulbieda

Michael Martorella & Patty Diulus-Myers

Dolores Kara

Patricia K. Nichols

Sandy & Gene O’Sullivan

Eric & Sharon Perelman

Richard E. Rauh

Neil M. Resnick & Susan L. Greenspan

Art & Greta Rooney

Mr. & Mrs. Hayes C. Stover

John & Nancy Traina

Barry & Ann Sullivan

Eleni Lucido

Robert & Christine Pietrandrea

Gary & Joanne Reamey

Miriam Shapira & David Ross

Judy & John Woffington

Margaret A. McLean & Stanley Yorsz

George & Marcia Seeley

Preston & Annette Shimer

The Frederick W. Steinberg

Charitable Foundation

Ms. Mary W. Murrin

Tom & Judy Thompson

Pittsburgh Public Theater is grateful for the generous support of the individuals and institutions that make up our Supporting Cast.

BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS - DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE (CONTINUED)

BRONZE ($1,000 - $2,499)

Anonymous (7)

The Alan L. & Barbara B. Ackerman Foundation

Drs. Richard Ambrosino & Renata Hoca

William P. Anderson

Carolyn Hess Abraham & Jerome Apt

Angelo Baiocchi & Maureen Puskar

Richard C. Barney

Bob & Loretta Barone

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Berger

Rob & Hongwei Bittner

Bobbi Bonnett

Thomas & Sandra Bradigan

Douglas Branson & Elizabeth S. Hurtt Branson

Carolyn & Bill Byham

Calihan Foundation

Nancy and Stanley Cieslak

Family Foundation

Barbara Cooley & Robert M. Thaw

H. Scott & Sally Cunningham

Todd & Michele Dominick

James & Ann Dugan

Jan & Howard Engelberg

Jan Fleisher

Eóin & Kate Gill

Dr. John A Gillespie

Michael & Cathy Ginsberg

Gismondi Family Fund

Mr. Albert Gordon

Frank & Maria Guyette

Brian & Jill Hamlin

George Heigel & Luke Klein

James & Jean Higgins

David & Loretta Hoglund

Alice Jane Jenkins

Russell W. Johnson

Carolyn J. Jones

Kimberly A. Kifer

Laura King and José Cruz

Rebecca & Jeremy Kronman

Family Foundation

Barry & Becky Lynch

Mary Casillo McCormick

Erin McLaughlin & Jason McKee

Ms. Marcia Metelsky

Mark & Mary Ellen Meyer

Dr. & Mrs. Gregory A. Morris

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel A. Onorato

Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Pagliari

Paul M. Palevsky, MD & Sharon R. Roseman, MD

M. Catherine Peters & Charles E. Reese

Bonnie Resinski

John Rieck

Norm & Maze Riffner

Mr. & Mrs. William F. Roemer

Shereen & Paul Rosenberg

Harvey & Lynn Rubin

Rich & Linda Ruffalo

Mr. & Mrs. Edmund S. Ruffin, III

Christopher Ruscitti & Catherine Schilken

Chela Sanchez & Kyle Haden

Joseph & Catherine Sharek

Joseph & Lynn Smith

James Snyder & Danielle Katz

Marcia & Mel Solomon

Kate A. Sphar

Robert & Janet Squires

COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS

IN HONOR OF

George Abbott by Timonthy Abbott

Lou Castelli by Anonymous, Margaret A. McLean & Stanley Yorsz

Cat Cup Club by Ms. Alison Robertson

Randi K. Dauler by H. Scott & Sally Cunningham

Harry S. Albert by Mrs. Harry S. Albert

Joan Apt by Randi Dauler

Jason Andrews by Anonymous

Marielle Bartolomucci by G.R. Bartolomucci

Susan Berti by Adam Berti

Ned Churchill by Jo-Ann M. Churchill

L. Van V. Dauler, Jr. by Randi Dauler

Educational Programming by Gerard & Mary Ann Berty

Health Care Workers by Dr. Eric & Mrs. Marion Miller

Lynn Hyde & Jeremy G. Burton by Abby G. & Stuart Burton

Marya Sea Kaminski by Sr. Rita M. Yeasted, SFCC

Maureen Keane by Randi Dauler

Eleni Lucido by James & Ann Duga

Ted Pappas by Jim & Electra Agras, Gerri Weiss

Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Awesome Staff by Maureen Keane

IN MEMORY OF

Lyndell Glosser by Randi Dauler

Dr. Sandra Jones-Gordon by Mr. Albert Gordon

Robert V. Johnson by Nancy L. Heilman

Delphine Hvozdovich by Monica Pagano

Elaine Belle Krasik by Carl Krasik

Marty Katz by Janie Katz

Carroll Colbert Logsdon by Mr. William H. Logsdon

Jerry Rabinowitz, MD by Randi Dauler

Royce Rice by Barbara Rice

Robert W. Reimers by Jane L. Reimers

Rosemary Front by Sherry W. Rosenberg

Carol Thompson by Kenneth Thompson

Carol Blair Troese by Terry Klein

Joanne & Terence Starz

Denny and Colleen

Janie & Harry Thompson

James S. Thompson Michael Thomson & Joyce Milberg

Marlene A. Tomasello

Ms. Susanne Wagner

Elaine Wertheim

Peggy C. Whitehurst

Bruce & Barbara Wiegand Family Foundation

Doris C. Williams

Richard & Nancy Lee Williams

Bud & Barb Wise

Dr. & Mrs. Michael R. Wollman

Richard & Rebecca L. Zahren

Dr. & Mrs. P. Alvin Zamba

Dennis & Pat Zerega

Zombeck Family Fund

Miriam Shapira by Ms. Bonnie Sun

Alec Silberblatt by Jay Silberblatt & Lori Sisson, Gloria Silberblatt Bodek

Rob Zellers by Elinor Nathanson & Peter Kogan

Vincent Varvaro by Filomena F. Varvaro

James N. Williams, Jr. by Doris C. Williams

Maynard Briggs Witherell by The Witherell Family

Charles Wittlin by Mr. & Mrs. Joel Rosenthal

Lauren Rae Stroje by Andrew & Rose Stroje

Leon Zionts by Mr. Steve Cuden

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER EXTENDS SPECIAL GRATITUDE TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS PRODUCTION OF BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR POSSIBLE:

Richard W. Moriarty, M.D. Stuart & Linda Miller for Matthew Whitaker's residency

Anonymous (4)

Pamela Golden

Matthew & Deborah Graver

Marcia & Mel Solomon

John & Nancy Traina

Dr. and Mrs. Gregory A. Morris Ms. Mary W. Murrin

PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER IS GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS PRODUCTION:

Joseph Hall

Ben Pryor

Liz Rudnik

Marty Ashby

Mark Jackovic

Renée J. Govanucci

David Hajdu

Constanza Henry

Harrison Apple Doc Nelson Harrison

Bruce Mayhall Rastrelli

Alyce Claerbaut

Galen Dumas

Leslie Dumas

Vivienne Shaffer

Hope Anthony Fight Assistants Annie Batista, Marisa Postava, & Andy Hickly Krostyne Studio

Interested in joining our Supporting Cast? Visit PPT.org/GIVE or scan the QR code above to make a gift and help us continue providing exquisite theatrical and educational experiences at your Pittsburgh Public Theater.

To view our full donor listing, scan the QR code above or visit PPT.org/SUPPORT.

Michelle Aloe

Johnnie Bettis, III

Dr. Quintin Bullock

Kristen Clendaniel Clark

Robert E. Cochran

Susan Corbett

Michael R. Daniels

Dorothy A. Davis*

Michell Gainey

Kyle Haden*

Lynn Hyde

Josie Innamorato

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Angela Blanton, Chair*

Bal Srinivasan, Secretary*

S. Rebekah Kcehowski, Vice Chair*

Jeffrey M. Kulbieda, Treasurer*

William Jenkins

Marya Sea Kaminski**

Krysia M. Kubiak*

Conor Lamb

Eleni Lucido

Michael R. Martorella

Shaunda McDill **

Erin McLaughlin

Ayisha A. Morgan-Lee, EdD

Daniel A. Onorato

Eric Perelman

Jessica Priselac

EMERITUS TRUSTEES

Peter D. Robinson

Arthur J. Rooney II

Miriam Shapira

Andrea Clark Smith*

Joseph B. Smith*

James D. Snyder*

Kate Sphar

F. Connelly Thieman

Jeremy Waldrup

TJ Young

Anthony L. Bucci

Carolyn M. Byham

Randi Dauler

Judith M. Davenport, DMD

John P. Friel

Michael Ginsberg

William E. Hunt

Diana R. Jannetta

Marilyn M. Jenkins

Linda Kortlandt

Jeremy Z. Kronman

David M. Matter

W. Thomas McGough, Jr

Marcia Metelsky

FOUNDING TRUSTEES

Joan F. Apt +

John Mills, III

Stuart M. Miller

Richard W. Moriarty, M.D.+

Barry R. Sullivan

Thomas M. Thompson

Stanely Yorsz

Margaret Rieck +

* Member of the Executive Committee

**Ex-Officio

+Deceased

BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

From classics to contemporary work, the Black Bottom Film Festival (BBFF) illuminates and celebrates African American cinema and uniqueness of Black people on film. The festival screens short and feature films rooted in the recurring themes of spirituality, race, family conflict, honor, duty, and the struggle of the working-class; themes ever-present in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle plays.

Featuring

OCT. 27-29 2023

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Dr. Jacqueline Stewart President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum, Host of Turner Classic Movies

Maya Cade Creator of the Black Film Archive

Dear Friends of Pittsburgh Public Theater,

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is pleased to be the presenting sponsor of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s performance of Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For. As a long-time partner of Pittsburgh Public Theater, we appreciate their continued dedication to bringing exceptional artistic and cultural experiences to our region.

Arts and culture positively impact our overall quality of life. Part of our community-minded strategy at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is to partner with non-profit organizations that bring joy, foster well-being, and help build bridges between cultures. Pittsburgh Public Theater is a shining example of that.

At Highmark, we believe in working together to ensure healthier, brighter, stronger futures for all, and Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For speaks to the power of facing challenges together, as our greatest strengths are one another. Thank you for joining us to support Pittsburgh Public Theater and ensuring our city’s arts and culture scene continues to thrive. Enjoy the show.

Daniel Onorato Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Highmark Health

Experience your favorite superhero films like never before on the big screen at Heinz Hall with a live orchestra playing the soundtrack!

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

Monday, October 9, 2023 • 7:30 p.m.

Featuring a soundtrack that blends symphonic orchestral music with hip-hop, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert pairs a screening of the Academy Award®winning animated film with live musicians and turntables.

Joining the tour is The Broadway Sinfonietta, an all-women and majority women-of-color orchestra led by conductor Emily Marshall.

Please note: This show is not with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

SUPERMAN IN CONCERT

Saturday, October 21, 2023 • 7:00 p.m.

Jacob Joyce, conductor

You’ll believe a man can fly as Superman in Concert arrives in concert halls around the world, accompanied by the power of the full Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performing John Williams’ triumphant original score live to picture!

SUPERMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Get your tickets today! • pittsburghsymphony.org

From top: [Untitled photo, possibly related to: Group of Florida migrants on their way to Cranberry, New Jersey, to pick potatoes. Near Shawboro, North Carolina], 1940. Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration—Office of War Information Photograph Collection. 1941 Pontiac Streamliner Torpedo 6 Touring Sedan. Courtesy The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage.

Pittsburgh’s unsung heroine who taught America to sing

April 2024 at the Byham Theater

Tickets start at $15 · Kids and teens half price

pittsburghopera.org/mary

BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

Billy Strayhorn: Something To Live For is produced by special arrangement with Swee Pea, LLC.

Swee Pea, LLC., is grateful to the following for their support of this production:

The Acting Company

Billy Strayhorn Songs, Inc.

New York University

Pittsburgh Public Theater Donors

Primary Stages

Swee Pea, LLC Investors

Yamaha Artist Services

Ondine Landa Abramson

Alyce Claerbaut

Janet & Mike Fazzini

Myra Falisz

Bob Hofmann

Leah Hamos

Kathy Kendra

Mark Phillis

Becky Rickard

Abigail Klem Spector & Warren Spector

Michelle Taylor

May & Moses Whitaker

Jean Zellers

For information about the future life of Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For, visit strayhornmusical.com

SOLICH PIANO

Have a drink, on us!

Make a new or increased gift TODAY, and we’ll give you one complimentary drink to enjoy.

Simply make your gift online at PPT.ORG/GIVE or by scanning the below QR code, then show one of our bartenders your emailed receipt to claim your drink. Cheers!

Lenora Nemetz in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (photo by Michael Henninger)

Artistic Director

Marya Sea Kaminski

Managing Director

Shaunda McDill

Artistic

Casting & Literary Director

Brian Pope

Resident Director

Justin Emeka

Artist in Residence

Demeatria Boccella

Resident Fight & Intimacy Director

José Pérez IV

Resident Playwrights

Mora V. Harris

Brian Pope

Kelly Trumbull

Alec Silberblatt

TJ Young

Administrative & Finance

Director of Finance & Administration

Stewart Urist

Accounts Receivable Coordinator

Pamela Hilliard

Finance Manager

Jim Overton

Accounts Payable Coordinator

Anna Skeels

Systems Coordinator

Fred Noel

Shared Talent & Equity Director

Fatima Bunafoor

Executive & Equity Coordinator

Meleana Felton

Executive Assistant & Board Liason

Lindsayt Barr

Development

Director of Development

Laura King

Senior Manager of Development

Devan Mercurio

Development Associate

Milton Melendez

Education & Engagement

Director of Edu. & Eng.

Parag S. Gohel

Engagement Manager

Jalina McClarin

Workforce Director

Morgan Overton

House Management

House Manager

Jamie Dawson

Assistant House Manager

Shawn Israel

Marketing & Communications

Marketing & Comms. Director

Aja Jones

Marketing & Comms. Manager

Christie Snyder

Community Liason

Brian Starks

Patron Services

Associate Director of Patron Services

Fred Frances

Patron Services Data Associate

Ali Mohammed Srour

Production

Director of Production & Operations

Monica Bowin

Associate Director of Operations

Trent Wolfred

Company Manager

Savannah Merrill

Assistant Company Manager

Jay Chapman

Technical Director

Rob McLeod

Scene Shop Manager

Lisa Harshbarger

Head Shop Carpenter

Drew Palajsa

Scene Shop Carpenters

Sean DeKonty

Joseph Paski

Shannon Seibel

Charge Scenic Artist

Celeste Parrendo

Assistant Charge Artist

Adalgisa Bosonetto-Schwerin

Scenic Painters

Vince Borelli

Alex Dolinger

Youssef Kadri

Patrick McDonough

Properties Head

Gay Kahkonen

Properties Coordinator

Kelly Yann

Costume Shop Head

Venise St. Pierre

Costume Shop Coordinator

Christyann Trbovich

Costume Shop Associates

Kyle Huber

Valerie Macher

Draper

Erin Baker

Frist Hands/Stitchers

Colleen Crivello

Kim Leo

Head Electrician

Joshua Beumer

Assistant Electrician

Chris Barker

Follow Spot 1

Joshua Kovel

Follow Spot 2

Neil McConville

Head Sound Engineer

Zach Moore

Projection Programmers

Bryce Bienz

John Kaminski

A2

Eric Baldauf

Wardrobe Head

Johanna Cahill

Dresser

Jo(e) Herr

Hair and Wig Stylist

Kathy Mathews

Head Stage Carpenter

Mikey Abate

Deck Carpenter

Rich Harkins

Billy Strayhorn: Something To

Live For

Associate Set Designer

Connor Munion

Assistant Costume Designer

Kyle Artone

Associate Lighting Designer

Carl Faber

Lighting Design Assistant

Eve Bandi

Assistant Sound Designer

Ian Stoll

Assistant Projection Designer

Ben Arrigo

Marquisha Pharmacy Services Advocate UPMC Health Plan