‘Hamilton’ returning for PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season
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The 2020-21 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season will mark the return of the megahit Tony Award-winning musical “Hamilton.”
In addition, it will feature the Pittsburgh premiere of the 2019 best musical winner: “Hadestown.”
Presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Broadway Across America, the season also will feature the 2019 winner of the Tony Award for Best Revival, “Oklahoma!”
The eight-show season also features Tony-nominated musicals “Ain’t Too Proud,” “My Fair Lady,” and “The Cher Show,” along with Audience Choice winner “Pretty Woman: The Musical” and Academy Award-winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher.
Season specials include return engagements of Pittsburgh fan favorites, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” and Blue Man Group.
“When the world and life as we knew it turned upside down at the beginning of March, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust was forced to delay many events, including our 2020-21 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season announcement,” says Marc Fleming, Trust vice president of marketing, communications, and Broadway programming. “We received overwhelming feedback from Broadway audiences that they couldn’t wait to learn about next season’s shows.
“It’s clear that the arts offer a guiding light in dimmer times and I think everyone is looking forward to gathering to see the curtain rise again in the Cultural District,” Fleming says.
The 2020-21 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season schedule for the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District includes:
‘Ain’t Too Proud,’ Aug. 25-30
“Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations” follows the Motown group’s journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on the strength of 42 Top Ten Hits, as personal and political conflicts threaten to tear them apart during a decade of civil unrest in America.
Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, “Ain’t Too Proud includes hits like “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and more.
Written by three-time Obie Award-winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff and featuring the Tony-winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo, “Ain’t Too Proud” launches their first national tour to more than 50 cities across America.
‘Hadestown,’ Oct. 27-Nov. 1
Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, “Hadestown” intertwines the mythic tales of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice and of King Hades and his wife Persephone, inviting viewers on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back, performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers.
‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Nov. 24-29
The New York Times Critic’s Pick is “the most successful American play in Broadway history. It has not played to a single empty seat,” according to “60 Minutes.” Rolling Stone calls it “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic.”
‘Hamilton,’ Jan. 5-Feb. 7
“Hamilton” is the story of America then, told by America now, with a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway. The musical retelling of the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton has book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony, Grammy and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
‘The Cher Show,’ Feb. 23-28
The Tony Award-winning musical follows the pop culture queen through six straight decades: as the kid starting out, the glam pop star and the icon. Featuring 35 hits, “’The Cher Show’ is an explosion of fabulous excess,” according to Rolling Stone, and “a blindingly sparkly celebration of Cher’s life,” according to The New York Times.
‘Oklahoma!,’ March 9-14
The re-imagining of the original 1943 show has earned the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Stripped down to reveal the darker psychological truths at its core, Daniel Fish’s production tells a story of a community circling its wagons against an outsider, and the frontier life that shaped America. Upending of the sunny romance of a farmer and a cowpoke allows the classic musical – and our country – to be seen in a whole new light. The Daily Beast says, “Forget your traditional idea of ‘Oklahoma!’ Daniel Fish’s daring, brilliant, utterly absorbing re-interpretation is dark and different — brilliantly so.”
‘Pretty Woman: The Musical,’ March 30-April 4
After its Broadway run, the Audience Choice Award-winning musical has gone on tour. “If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical,” according to BuzzFeed News. Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s international smash hit song, “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired one of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time. The musical delivers on all the iconic moments from the movie.
‘My Fair Lady,’ April 13-18
Entertainment Weekly calls it “a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time.” Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” “My Fair Lady” tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?
Season specials
Also coming to the Benedum Center are these 2020-21 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Season Specials:
‘Beautiful – The Carole King Musical,’ Sept. 29-Oct. 4
Long before she was chart-topping music legend Carole King, she was Brooklyn girl Carol Klein, who fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll. “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Featuring beloved songs like “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “You’ve Got A Friend,” the show won two 2014 Tony Awards and the 2015 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
Blue Man Group, April 27-May 2
Blue Man Group’s new North American Tour returns to Pittsburgh with its signature drumming, colorful moments of creativity and quirky comedy. Featuring pulsing, original music, custom-made instruments, surprise audience interaction and hilarious absurdity, the Blue Men provide a joyful experience for audiences of all ages.
Ticket information
Subscription packages to the eight-show series range from $240 to $909 per subscription. Single tickets generally go on sale six to eight weeks in advance of a show’s opening.
Details: 412-456-4800 or trustarts.org