Day 424-Hadestown a Greek Tragedy (Orpheus and Eurdice) set in a Speakeasy preceeds Pittsburgh Opera's version

 

Hadestown kicks off the PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh 2026-27 season. This is not your typical feel-good musical but akin to a tragic opera. Like watching an opera, my focus was drawn not to the story, but the music and elaborate set. Hadestown is loosely based on a Greek myth. The songwriter, Orpheus, falls in love with Eurydice and tries to rescue her from the underworld, where Hades, god of the dead, rules with Perephone, goddess of the seasons and flowers. The kick is that the myth is set in a speakeasy. The gospel and  jazz ballads, like opera’s arias, tell the story and enchant (listen here).

This Broadway musical preceeds Pittsburgh Opera's Orpheus & Eurydice, where the same story is told in a different genre, but again it's all about the music. 

Reflection

The show opens with the narrator, Hermes (Rudy Foster) in a shinny suit and at times carrying an open umbrella like the leader in a Mardi Gras parade. He introduces the cast in the gospel-sounding song "Road to Hell." The opening was lively with the band on stage, dancing, hand-raising, clapping and foot stamping. My feet started tapping and I was ready to whoop a “yeah.” The music grabs you under its spell and never really lets you go throughout the show.

In the myth, the earth is harsh and cold when Perephone (Namisa Mdlalose Bizana) lives below with her lover Hades. When she returns every 6 months, all prosper singing "Liv'in it Up on Top."  Bizama's  powerhouse voice seemed to stop the show with this song in Act 1.  In Act 2 the Perephone again belts it out in  "Our Lady of the Underground" . In fact, every vocalist in this show had  “a moment” when they sang. It was all about the music.

Eurudice is the dreamer, with pure voice 

Orpheus (Jose Contreras), the dreamer, falls in love with Eurydice (Hawa Kamara), the realist. Orpheus' song, in higher octaves, is  pure when he sings about how the world used to be in "Epic I."  He is working on a song to keep the earth always spring. Engrossed in songwriting,  he is oblivious to the harsh climate and starvation that prompts Eurydice  to sign  a contract with Hades to work in Hadestown for food. It’s never a good move to bargain with the god of the underground and of course, the deal is not what she expected singing, "I'm Gone, I'm Gone."

The set transformed to the underworld, with smoky light beams streaming from an opening garage door, workers moving in unison on a circular rotating floor, their arms perfectly choreographed to the movement of labor. It seems harsh and  oppressive as Hades (Nickolaus Colon) in a wonderful deep bass voice sings, "Why We Build a Wall." The company replies, “we build a wall to keep us free-to keep out our enemy. Our enemy is poverty.” It made me pause and think about our world.

Three Fates sing the thoughts of charters and hope

Like most operas, Hadestown’s end is tragic but still lends hope. Three “Fates” like fairies, sing the thoughts of the characters or outcomes throughout the show. They reminded us that even though life can be grim, there is hope, represented by Eurydice who had the “gift to see how the world could be in spite of the way it is.”  

(For tickets to Hadestown or other shows in PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh go to Trustarts.org. To revisit this story in the form of an opera go pittsburghopera.org. Hadestown runs October 27- November 1, 2026 at the Benedum Center. Orpheus & Eurdice runs November 14, 20, 22 at Byham Theather) 

Spiritual Source

Then I saw a new heaven and new earth, for old heaven and old earth had disappeared (Revelation 21:1)

Other sources:

Hadestown | Official Site

https://trustarts.org/

https://pittsburghopera.org/

https://pittsburghopera.org/season/orpheus-and-eurydice/

Day 433 -The Lion King, Broadway in Pittsburgh- A Bold Musical Journey into the African Savanna

 

The Lion King based on Disney’s animated movie, is not just for children. The Lion King has been touring North America for more than 24 years and was last in Pittsburgh in 2019.  The show has won 6 Tony Awards and fuses pop music written by Elton John and Tim Rice with African rhythms. The African plains come to life with the spectacular blending of puppetry and actors. It tells the story of the lion cub, Simba's journey to become the ruler of Pride Rock like Mufasa, his father. It’s a bold musical and visual journey into the African Savanna.

Day 432 - 25 Years Later We Remember 911 -Shanksvill PA Flight 93 -America United

 

Even though 25 years have passed, I remember EXACTLY what I was doing on September 11, 2001, when the hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center.  During this horrific event, “time stood still,” and we were glued to the television watching repetitive replays of the events. Yet this monstrous day somehow birthed a feeling of unity in this country. Stores were sold out of American flags. The American flag waved everywhere, on cars, homes, lawns and television. Americans had a united spirit to help, pray and care for one another.    

 During this time of polarized everything, especially elections, visiting the memorial is a powerful reminder to pause, put aside our differences and unite as we honor those who left this world on September 11, 2001.  

Day 431- Clue Live on Stage- Pittsburgh Broadway Series-Who Dun It?

I think my love of true crime television started in my childhood, while playing the game Clue.  The winner of the board game becomes the ultimate detective by identifying the “murder, weapon and in what room.” Clue Live on Stage has the zany antics of our favorite characters, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Ms. Scarlett, the butler, cook, and others. It’s a comedic ride as bodies drop and the audience joins the quest for “Who dun it?”  

Clue Live on Stage has the zany antics of our favorite characters

Reflection

The cast of characters all receive identical mysterious invitations to Mr. Boddy’s Manor. He  is blackmailing each of them for prior acts of bad behavior- the motive. The grandiose  mansion looks like something straight out of Disney’s “Haunted Mansion Ride.”  As each invitee enters, there is a crash of lightning, reminding me of an epic cartoon-like emphasis.   

The players of this murder mystery entertain with vivid personalities: the Colonel is as dumb as nails; Mr. Green is the bumbling idiot; the Professor is the defunked intellectual; Ms. White is the deadpan pessimist; Ms. Peacock is eccentric; Ms. Scarlett is the sultry tease, and the cook is just plain strange.

This comedy combusts with wit and action.  Doors crash, lights flicker, parties appear and disappear.  During all the  commotion caused by the numerous dead victims, someone asks, “Whose idea was this meeting anyway?” The butler replies, “Parker Brothers” (ta da).

A highlight is the slow-motion replay scenarios of each character as the killer. Adam Brett, the butler Wadsworth, has a noteworthy physical and speedy dialogue near the conclusion which produced a burst of applause.

Clue, the show, is funny without being too punchy or silly. It will bring back the joys of playing the beloved game for some of us and surely make you a fan of the “who dun it?”

(For tickets to Clue and more on the PNC Pittsburgh Broadway series, go to Trustarts.org. Next up is Wicked.)

Other Sources

Trustarts.org

 Clue Live on Stage Tour

Day 430-Cheers to Madame Clicquot, CLO’s New Historical Musical, The Queen of the Bubbly

 

 

 Pittsburgh audiences are the first to experience this new musical about a visionary woman in the 1800s who transformed a French winery into one that to this day is at the pinnacle of the champagne industry.  Madame Clicquot is based on the true story of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. She overcame the obstacles of the French Revolution, Napoleon’s rule, and the limitations imposed on women to become a successful entrepreneur of the bubbly.  

This world premiere, stacked with Broadway talent, uses state-of-the-art graphics and elaborate period costumes.  The score reminds me of the classic “Rodgers and Hammerstein” musical era.   Cheers to what this lady accomplished and to CLO’s new musical production.  

Day 429 Rise on Point, Twirl, or Jump Down the Yellow Brick Road with The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT)- The Wizard of Oz

 

The iconic 1939 Movie, The Wizard of Oz, was a staple in my son’s and my childhood. The story from the classic 1900 novel is a timeless tale that has morphed into many versions.  Pittsburgh Ballet’s premiere of  Septime Webre’s large-scale ballet takes you down the Yellow Brick Road on point, with twirls, jumps, and much more. The beauty of the dance, mixed with special effects, an extravagant set design, and even some puppets, transports you to the wonderful world of OZ.

Day 428- PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh, Tap Dancing Sizzles in Some Like it Hot

 

The musical, Some Like it Hot is based on the 1959 movie voted by film critics as the best comedy of all time.  During Prohibition in Chicago, two musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness a mob hit.  They go undercover, disguised as women, and join an all-girl band to flee the pursuit of gangsters. Mix in song,  love interests, a little self-discovery, and the razzle-dazzle of tap dancing, and you've got one hot musical.   

Day 427 -Take a Soak at Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

 

 

Just about two and a half hours from Pittsburgh, you will find a small West Virginia town that was established around the flow of mineral water in 1776, Berkeley Springs. These springs were frequented by Native Americans and even George Washington. The Berkeley Springs State Park offers visitors the opportunity to take a soak at the Spa or The Old Roman Bathhouse and experience the healing and relaxing properties of this mineral-rich water.  

Day 425- Lullaby Project Celebration Concert, A Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Community Engagement Program-Mother's Songs of Love Spread Joy

 

 

The Lullaby Project is one of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Community Engagement Programs. This is the second cohort where the Trust teamed up with the Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute matching new and expecting mothers and caregivers with songwriters and musicians to create very personal Lullabies for their child. On March 1, 2025 the Trust's second cohort Lullaby  Project Celebration took place. The performances of these original songs spread joy that reminds us that no matter what our differences, the love between a family/mother and child is universal.  

Reflection

Brooke Horejsi, Chief Programming and Engagement Officer for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, put it so well, “This is a love celebration from the heart.”  The concert consists of seven participant poems that were transformed into soft, jazzy, even pop-like tunes. The musical quality was impressive but the messages of affection, hope and aspirations for these new lives showered the room with positivism.

Day 424- Attack Theatre-Sessions- Combustion of Story, Song and Dance with alt-pop artist Rachel Sage and Cellist Dave Eggar

 

 

Founded in 1994, Attack Theatre is a modern dance company that fuses live music and other art forms in their performances. They are a company with a mission to “remain curious” for new ideas. That is just what they are doing with the "24-25 Season of Fire.”  In Sessions, alt-pop artist Rachael Sage, and cellist Dave Eggar combust with the dance company for an evening of storytelling, song, music and movement.

Day 423-Life of Pi, A Theatrical Experience-Finding “a Light” to Defeat Fear

 

 Life of Pi is a stage production based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel. The book was also adapted into a movie. A 16-year old boy’s journey to survive a cargo shipwreck sharing a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger is brought to life with the use of extraordinary puppets and special effects.   Pi, an explorer of spirituality, found his own “light” to defeat fear. He holds on for 227 days adrift in the ocean before being rescued.