Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces new PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh 2019-20 season
Broadway's "A Bronx Tale."
A scene from Broadway's "Mean Girls"
Broadway's "The Band's Visit."
"Disney's the Lion King"
Broadway's "Escape to Margaritaville."
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s recently announced 2019-20 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season is a promising fun ride with a perfect mix of classic and new.
The seven-show season opens with “Mean Girls,” with the rest of the season including “The Band’s Visit,” “A Bronx Tale,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Miss Saigon,” “Summer: The Donna Summer Story” and “Escape to Margaritaville.”
Along with the regular season, season specials include “Cats,” “Les Miserables,” “The Illusionists” and a special four-week engagement of “Disney’s The Lion King.” Season specials are not included in the regular season subscription and tickets can be bought separately, according to Robin Elrod, director of communications for The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
The touring Broadway shows coming to Pittsburgh this season collectively boast more than 30 Tony Awards, according to the Trust.
“The Band’s Visit,” alone has won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
“‘The Band’s Visit’ is probably the artistic tent-pole of the season,” said Marc Fleming, president of marketing, communications and Broadway programming for the Trust. “It’s a different kind of show, more of a hybrid between a musical and a play.
“It’s a very sensual and moving 90-minute show with no intermission,” he added. “And while some shows are sit back and relax, this one is more about leaning in and following every nuance.”
Fleming also added that “Mean Girls” is the new musical comedy written by Tina Fey and produced by Saturday Night Live’s Lorin Michael. It’s based upon the 2004 cult classic film, but updated to current day in this stage version.
“It’s about a teenage girl who was home-schooled in Africa trying to fit in at an affluent Chicago high school ruled by a female clique that tries to change who she is,” he said. “There is a strong message for girls hidden in the satire, ‘to own your power’ and to ‘never apologize for being a boss.'”
The set for the show is nearly all digital – even more so than “Anastasia,” which was at the Benedum Center last November.
“The good news is that the displays are getting so high definition, you don’t realize they are not real sets,” Fleming said. “And it works especially well for a fast-moving story like ‘Mean Girls.'”
Elrod said another great offering throughout the upcoming year is the Sensory-Friendly performance of “Disney’s The Lion King,” scheduled for Sept. 14. This is the second time this type of performance has been offered for a show.
“The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to partner with Disney Theatrical Productions for this very special performance,” said Elrod. “This will be a sensory-friendly performance that allows families with members on the Autism spectrum to experience a Broadway production with several alterations that meet the needs of the audience.”
Something else exciting happening at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust was the announcement that the hit show “Hamilton” will again hit the stage in Pittsburgh as part of the 2020-21 season.
Season ticket holders of 2019-20 who renew into the 2020-21 season will receive priority seating for the show.
Subscription packages to the seven-show series range from $205 to $723 per subscription. Single tickets will go on sale six to eight weeks in advance of the show’s opening for most events. Group discounts apply to orders of 10 tickets or more for most events.
For season tickets, visit TrustArts.org/Broadway or call 412-456-1390, and for group orders, visit TrustArts.org/GroupSales or call 412-471-6930.
For more information, visit TrustArts.org or the Box Office at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, or call 412-456-4800.
n “Mean Girls,” Oct. 28-Nov. 3, Benedum Center.
n “A Bronx Tale,” Nov. 19-24, Benedum Center.
n “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Dec.31-Jan. 5, 2020, Heinz Hall
n “Miss Saigon,” Feb. 4-9, 2020, Benedum Center.
n “The Band’s Visit,” March 10-15, 2020, Benedum Center
n “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” April 7-12, 2020, Benedum Center.
n “Escape to Margaritaville,” May 12-17, 2020, Benedum Center.
The specials for the 2019 season include:
n “Disney’s The Lion King,” Sept. 4-29, Benedum Center.
n “Les Miserables,” Nov. 26-Dec. 1, Benedum Center.
n “The Illusionist: Magic of the Holidays,” Dec. 26-29, Heinz Hall.
n “Cats,” Feb. 26-March 1, 2020, Benedum Center.