BILLY STRAYHORN: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR World Premiere Set for Pittsburgh Public Theater 2023-24 Fall Season

Pittsburgh Public Theater has announced the 2023/2024 season! The season opens September 19th with the world premiere of Highmark Presents Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For. “Ever Up and Onward” is widely known to be the composer, arranger, lyricist and jazz pianist’s motto. The complete season reveal will be held at PPT’s annual gala on April 13th at the Heinz History Center.

Highmark Presents Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For opens the 2023/2024 season at Pittsburgh Public Theater and runs September 19th to October 8th. This lush new project is the latest passion project of a Pittsburgh favorite Rob Zellers with Kent Gash, who is also directing, and musical direction from internationally renowned jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker. They tell the extraordinary story of jazz songwriter Billy Strayhorn, known for songs including “Lush Life” and “Take the ‘A’ Train,” who faced hatred and heartbreak as a Black queer man even while playing alongside greats including Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday. Something to Live For will feature a live jazz band on stage at the O’Reilly Theater, and is produced in association with Swee Pea, LLC.

“We are so excited to bring this Pittsburgh legend to life on the stage,” says Marya Sea Kaminski, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, “and see Strayhorn’s motto as the perfect way to define the work of our upcoming season.”