Poet in New York by Pig Iron Theatre Company at the Strayhorn

KST Presents

Pig Iron Theatre Company

Poet in New York

September 30 – October 1 (60 mins)

**October 1 performance is performed in Spanish.


"A stunning performance…the poignancy and humor he can almost simultaneously create make Lorca’s hopes and disillusioned dreams come alive." -- The Herald (Glasgow)

Dito van Reigersberg of Pig Iron Theatre Company pays homage to Spanish poet, playwright and theater director Federico García Lorca in this tour de force one-man play.


Poet takes place in 1929 as a broken-hearted Lorca arrives in New York City to find a whirlwind of Harlem blues, looming skyscrapers, and stock market disasters.


Pig Iron founder Dito van Reigersberg plays nine characters, from a volcanic Salvador Dalí to Harlem blues-singer Victoria Spivey to the ghost of Walt Whitman, in a unique evening of dance-theater that has become one of Pig Iron’s signature works.”


Special Reception & Tickets for Two!


Join us for a special reception following Saturday's performance! An Evening with Pig Iron includes two tickets to the show, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live music. Pig Iron’s Dito van Reigersberg will mingle with guests as flamenco guitarist Jon Banuelos caps off this Spanish night with flamenco singing and dancing.

Tickets for An Evening with Pig Iron are limited,

advance purchase is recommended.

BUY TICKETS



*Saturday's performance is in Spanish.



Show Dates, Times & Tickets

Friday, September 30
8:00 PM

Saturday, October 1
8:00 PM (Performance in Spanish)



Each performance includes a free Pre-Show Mixer.

Friday's performance is followed by a post show discussion.



Advance $20
Door $25

15206 Residents
$15

Students & Artists
$10





Mediante el baile y palabrada hablada, Poeta en Nueva York rinde homenaje al poeta, dramaturgo y director teatral espanol Federico García Lorca, inspirándose en su estancia de nueve meses en Nueva York en 1929.



Unase a nosotros antes del espectáculo en una reunión informal a las 7 pm.

About Pig Iron Theatre Company

Founded in 1995 as an interdisciplinary ensemble, Pig Iron Theatre Company is dedicated to the creation of new and exuberant performance works that defy easy categorization. In the part 14 years the company has created 24 original works and has toured festivals and theatres in England, Scotland, Poland, Lithuania, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Romania and Germany. In 2006,Pig Iron was named Theatre Company of the Year in the Philadelphia Weekly. The company made Philadelphia its permanent home in 1997; though individual pieces are often developed in residency at other theatres or at universities, Pig Iron premieres new work in their hometown of Philadelphia.

Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Avenue

412.363.3000

www.kelly-strayhorn.org

Benise: The Spanish Guitar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Media Contact:

Veronica Corpuz
(412) 471-6082
corpuz@pgharts.org

Diana Roth
(412) 471-8717
roth@pgharts.org

Artwork available at http://pressroom.pgharts.org/?p=578

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents

BENISE

with his new music, dance, stage extravaganza

The Spanish Guitar

Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m.

Byham Theater, 101 Sixth Street

“Fiery entertainer…one of the most colorful live shows of the season (Los Angeles Daily News)!”

“A unique musical journey that lures the audience into a willing trance (Charlotte Observer).”

Pittsburgh, PA: The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the mesmerizing and invigorating performance of guitarist extraordinaire, Benise: The Spanish Guitar at the Byham Theater on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. Known for his theatrical live shows and Emmy Award -winning television productions on PBS, Benise performs intoxicating Spanish flamenco-inspired riffs with a cast of world-class musicians and dancers in this new staged production. Benise’s unique music fuses Latin styles such as flamenco, salsa, tango, and samba with African rhythms and rock, to create a sound that appeals to a wide range of music listeners and performance enthusiasts. The Spanish Guitar features brilliantly choreographed dance numbers, exciting and exotic orchestral pieces, and breathtaking costumes. This performance is part of the Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series.

Beginning his career as a busker on the streets of Los Angeles, Roni Benise’s unique sound caught the attention of PBS which led to his 2006-2007 television debut Nights of Fire! This collaboration of theater, music, Brazilian samba, and Argentine tango won him an Emmy Award and set his career in full force leading to eight CDs, two DVDs, his own record label Rosanegra Music and his newest production The Spanish Guitar. “I am inspired by places I have traveled,” says Benise, “so I will try to capture the essence and beauty of those places in my melodies. I am very fortunate as music has become my passport to traveling the world. It’s truly like painting on air, creating colors and lush soundscapes that take people (and me) away to a safe place with no prejudice and no boundaries.”

The touring stage production The Spanish Guitar is an epic tale that integrates live performance with real footage of Benise in his voyage across the globe. From the cobblestone streets of Old Havana to the sacred Temples of India, The Spanish Guitar becomes a treasure chest of inspiration - the keeper of stories of glory and tragedy through times and world’s gone by.

Tickets ($26.25, $37.25, $44.25) for Benise: The Spanish Guitar on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., at the Byham Theater may be purchased at the Box Office at Theater Square, at 655 Penn Avenue, online at www.pgharts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. To purchase 10 or more tickets at special discounted rates, please call (412) 471-6930.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the cultural and economic development of Pittsburgh’s 14-block Cultural District through public and private support. The Trust presents and encourages diverse performing and visual arts programs within the District, and is an impetus for additional development in downtown Pittsburgh. In addition to the Trust Presents series, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series, Pittsburgh Dance Council, Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater and Children’s Festival CD Live, JazzLive, First Night Pittsburgh, Gallery Crawl, and Three Rivers Arts Festival, among other Cultural District and arts events. The Trust owns Theater Square and the Cabaret at Theater Square; James E. Rohr Building & Arts Education Center; the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts; Byham, O’Reilly, and Harris Theaters; visual arts galleries: Wood Street Galleries, at 601 Wood Street; SPACE, at 812 Liberty Avenue and 937 Liberty: a multipurpose performance and exhibit space, among other downtown arts facilities.
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