FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh
Show Publicist: Shaunda Miles, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: 412-471-1578/Miles@TrustArts.org
Diana Roth, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: 412-471-8717/Roth@TrustArts.org
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST ANNOUNCES
COMPLETE CAST FOR 2013-2014 SEASON NATIONAL TOUR OF
THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY & BESS
FEBRUARY 25, 2014 – MARCH 2, 2014 | BENEDUM CENTER
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
PITTSBURGH, PA: The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award® for Best Musical Revival, announces the complete cast for the tour which launched at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre this past November. The tour, accompanied by a 23-piece orchestra, will be presented at Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center February 25 through March 2, 2014. Tickets for the engagement go on sale Friday, December 6, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.
The cast features NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy, ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess, ALVIN CRAWFORD as Crown, KINGSLEY LEGGS as Sporting Life, SUMAYYA ALI as Clara, DENISHA BALLEW as Serena, DANIELLE LEE GREAVES as Mariah and DAVID HUGHEY as Jake.
The cast also includes DAN BARNHILL, VANJAH BOIKAI, ADRIANNA M. CLEVELAND, ROOSEVELT ANDRÉCREDIT, CICILY DANIELS, DWELVAN DAVID, NKRUMAH GATLING, TAMAR GREENE, NICOLE ADELL JOHNSON, JAMES EARL JONES II, QUENTIN OLIVER LEE, CHERYSE McLEOD LEWIS, SARITA RACHELLE LILLY, KENT OVERSHOWN, CHAUNCEY PACKER, LINDSAY ROBERTS, FRED ROSE and SOARA-JOYE ROSS.
“Every so often a project comes along that is so astonishing that one has to drop everything and just say I’m going to do it. That’s what I felt when I was asked to do The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” said Tony Award®-winning director DIANE PAULUS. “The epic sweep of the story, the immense history of the musical itself and the unforgettable Gershwin score, highlighted by ‘Summertime,’ ‘I Got Plenty of Nothing’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ make this unquestionably one of the greatest American masterpieces.”
THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS by GEORGE GERSHWIN, DUBOSE and DOROTHY HEYWARD, and IRA GERSHWIN, features one of Broadway’s most accomplished creative teams, led by Tony Award®-winning directorDIANE PAULUS (Pippin, Hair), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright SUZAN-LORI PARKS (Topdog/Underdog), and two-time Obie Award-winning composer DIEDRE L. MURRAY (Running Man). The creative team also includes choreographer RONALD K. BROWN, set designer RICCARDO HERNANDEZ, costume designer ESOSA, lighting designer CHRISTOPHER AKERLIND, sound designer ACME SOUND PARTNERS, music supervisor CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOUS, and music director/conductor DALE RIELING.
Based on DuBose Heyward's novel “Porgy” and the play of the same name, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward, the Broadway revival of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS is a stunning and stirring new staging with a magnificent 23-piece orchestra, including such legendary songs as “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “I Got Plenty of Nothing.” The classic story is set in Charleston’s fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the courageous Porgy. Threatened by her formidable former lover Crown, and the seductive enticements of the colorful troublemaker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess’ relationship evolves into a deep romance that triumphs as one of theater’s most exhilarating love stories.
Before presenting the world premiere production of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS during its 2011/12 season the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University first produced the groundbreaking immersive theater event Sleep No More in an empty school in Brookline, MA and developed Once the Musical in its club theater venue OBERON. This past season the A.R.T. went on to mount the world premiere engagements of the 2013 Tony Award®-winning revival ofPippin and the critically acclaimed, upcoming Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie starring Cherry Jones, Zachary Quinto, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Brian J. Smith. Following its sold-out engagement at A.R.T., THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS moved to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway for a limited engagement with an official opening on January 12, 2012. After extending the show twice, THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS closed on September 23, 2012 after 322 performances, making it the longest running production of PORGY AND BESS to ever play Broadway. The 2012 Broadway Cast Recording of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS is now available on PS Classics.
PORGY AND BESS first premiered at the Colonial Theatre in Boston on September 30, 1935. Broadway performances followed featuring a cast of classically trained African-American singers — a daring and visionary artistic choice at the time. This new adaptation of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS was specifically created for Broadway and features a revised book in a musical theatre format and jazz-oriented musical arrangements.
For more information, please visit www.porgyandbessthemusical.com
For more information or to purchase the 2012 Broadway Cast Recording, visit http://www.psclassics.com/
Or Follow the Tour at:
http://facebook.com/TheGershwinsPorgyandBessNationalTour
http://youtube.com/PorgyandBessTour
http://twitter.com/PorgyBessTour
TICKETS
The performance schedule is Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $20 and are available at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, by visiting www.TrustArts.org, or by calling (412) 456-4800. Groups of 10 or more may also purchase tickets in advance by calling 412-471-6930.
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
A leading Broadway producer and the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, BAA operates in 40 cities, bringing first-class touring musicals and plays to audiences across the US and Canada in markets such as Costa Mesa, Fort Lauderdale, Tempe, Boston, Minneapolis and New Orleans. As a producer, current and upcoming productions include Million Dollar Quartet, Pippin, Betrayal, Bullets Over Broadway, Little Miss Sunshine and Bull Durham. BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. A major catalytic force in the city, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.
PHOTO CREDITS: Michael J. Lutch
###
Media Contacts:
PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh
Show Publicist: Shaunda Miles, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: 412-471-1578/Miles@TrustArts.org
Diana Roth, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: 412-471-8717/Roth@TrustArts.org
“The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess is A TRIUMPH!”
San Francisco Chronicle
“A Sumptuous Musical Treat!
This ‘Porgy’ emerges as a moving, tribute to the genius of the original!”
Bay Area News Group
#1 MUSICAL OF THE YEAR
“A don’t-miss theater event.”
–TIME Magazine
“A BIG HIT!
An indispensable ticket!”
- The New York Times
“A great achievement that left me breathless.”
–The New Yorker
“A GORGEOUS VERSION OF THE GERSHWIN MASTERPIECE!”
- Associated Press
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST ANNOUNCES
COMPLETE CAST FOR 2013-2014 SEASON NATIONAL TOUR OF
THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY & BESS
FEBRUARY 25, 2014 – MARCH 2, 2014 | BENEDUM CENTER
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
PITTSBURGH, PA: The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award® for Best Musical Revival, announces the complete cast for the tour which launched at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre this past November. The tour, accompanied by a 23-piece orchestra, will be presented at Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center February 25 through March 2, 2014. Tickets for the engagement go on sale Friday, December 6, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS is part of the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Broadway Across America and Pittsburgh Symphony.
 |
| Alicia Hall Moran as Bess and Nathaniel Stampley as Porgy |
The cast features NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy, ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess, ALVIN CRAWFORD as Crown, KINGSLEY LEGGS as Sporting Life, SUMAYYA ALI as Clara, DENISHA BALLEW as Serena, DANIELLE LEE GREAVES as Mariah and DAVID HUGHEY as Jake.
The cast also includes DAN BARNHILL, VANJAH BOIKAI, ADRIANNA M. CLEVELAND, ROOSEVELT ANDRÉCREDIT, CICILY DANIELS, DWELVAN DAVID, NKRUMAH GATLING, TAMAR GREENE, NICOLE ADELL JOHNSON, JAMES EARL JONES II, QUENTIN OLIVER LEE, CHERYSE McLEOD LEWIS, SARITA RACHELLE LILLY, KENT OVERSHOWN, CHAUNCEY PACKER, LINDSAY ROBERTS, FRED ROSE and SOARA-JOYE ROSS.
“Every so often a project comes along that is so astonishing that one has to drop everything and just say I’m going to do it. That’s what I felt when I was asked to do The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” said Tony Award®-winning director DIANE PAULUS. “The epic sweep of the story, the immense history of the musical itself and the unforgettable Gershwin score, highlighted by ‘Summertime,’ ‘I Got Plenty of Nothing’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ make this unquestionably one of the greatest American masterpieces.”
THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS by GEORGE GERSHWIN, DUBOSE and DOROTHY HEYWARD, and IRA GERSHWIN, features one of Broadway’s most accomplished creative teams, led by Tony Award®-winning directorDIANE PAULUS (Pippin, Hair), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright SUZAN-LORI PARKS (Topdog/Underdog), and two-time Obie Award-winning composer DIEDRE L. MURRAY (Running Man). The creative team also includes choreographer RONALD K. BROWN, set designer RICCARDO HERNANDEZ, costume designer ESOSA, lighting designer CHRISTOPHER AKERLIND, sound designer ACME SOUND PARTNERS, music supervisor CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOUS, and music director/conductor DALE RIELING.
 |
| Cast of Porgy and Bess |
Based on DuBose Heyward's novel “Porgy” and the play of the same name, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward, the Broadway revival of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS is a stunning and stirring new staging with a magnificent 23-piece orchestra, including such legendary songs as “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “I Got Plenty of Nothing.” The classic story is set in Charleston’s fabled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bess struggles to break free from her scandalous past, and the only one who can rescue her is the courageous Porgy. Threatened by her formidable former lover Crown, and the seductive enticements of the colorful troublemaker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess’ relationship evolves into a deep romance that triumphs as one of theater’s most exhilarating love stories.
Before presenting the world premiere production of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS during its 2011/12 season the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University first produced the groundbreaking immersive theater event Sleep No More in an empty school in Brookline, MA and developed Once the Musical in its club theater venue OBERON. This past season the A.R.T. went on to mount the world premiere engagements of the 2013 Tony Award®-winning revival ofPippin and the critically acclaimed, upcoming Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie starring Cherry Jones, Zachary Quinto, Celia Keenan-Bolger and Brian J. Smith. Following its sold-out engagement at A.R.T., THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS moved to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway for a limited engagement with an official opening on January 12, 2012. After extending the show twice, THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS closed on September 23, 2012 after 322 performances, making it the longest running production of PORGY AND BESS to ever play Broadway. The 2012 Broadway Cast Recording of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS is now available on PS Classics.
 |
| Kingsley Leggs as Sporting Life with Cast of Porgy and Bess |
PORGY AND BESS first premiered at the Colonial Theatre in Boston on September 30, 1935. Broadway performances followed featuring a cast of classically trained African-American singers — a daring and visionary artistic choice at the time. This new adaptation of THE GERSHWINS’ PORGY AND BESS was specifically created for Broadway and features a revised book in a musical theatre format and jazz-oriented musical arrangements.
For more information, please visit www.porgyandbessthemusical.com
For more information or to purchase the 2012 Broadway Cast Recording, visit http://www.psclassics.com/
Or Follow the Tour at:
http://facebook.com/TheGershwinsPorgyandBessNationalTour
http://youtube.com/PorgyandBessTour
http://twitter.com/PorgyBessTour
TICKETS
The performance schedule is Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $20 and are available at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, by visiting www.TrustArts.org, or by calling (412) 456-4800. Groups of 10 or more may also purchase tickets in advance by calling 412-471-6930.
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
A leading Broadway producer and the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, BAA operates in 40 cities, bringing first-class touring musicals and plays to audiences across the US and Canada in markets such as Costa Mesa, Fort Lauderdale, Tempe, Boston, Minneapolis and New Orleans. As a producer, current and upcoming productions include Million Dollar Quartet, Pippin, Betrayal, Bullets Over Broadway, Little Miss Sunshine and Bull Durham. BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com
PITTSBURGH CULTURAL TRUST
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has overseen one of Pittsburgh’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit arts organization whose mission is the cultural and economic revitalization of a 14-block arts and entertainment/residential neighborhood called the Cultural District. A major catalytic force in the city, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a unique model of how public-private partnerships can reinvent a city with authenticity, innovation and creativity. Using the arts as an economic catalyst, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has holistically created a world-renowned Cultural District that is revitalizing the city, improving the regional economy and enhancing Pittsburgh’s quality of life. Thanks to the support of foundations, corporations, government agencies and thousands of private citizens, the Trust stands as a national model of urban redevelopment through the arts.
PHOTO CREDITS: Michael J. Lutch
###
Posted on behalf of
Dreamweaver Marketing Associates. Joyce
Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support
company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance,
creative design services and light bookkeeping.
Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work
'on' their business rather than 'in' their business. www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh
