Kelly Strayhorn returns to live shows Sept. 16
After nearly two years, the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty is back. The arts organization has announced a fall season filled with dance, theater, art and music.
Called Welcome Home, the season begins Sept. 16 with the collaborative art group Women of Visions bringing the Detroit Sound to Pittsburgh with “Black & Solid Gold: The Hits of Magnificent Motown.” A panel discussion starts at 6:30 p.m. and the concert at 8 p.m. A follow-up conversation between Women of Visions founders and artists featured in the show will take place at 2 p.m. Sept. 25.
A film commissioned by the Kelly Strayhorn, “Switch Signal,” was shot in June at the theater, the Hill District, the Carrie Furnaces and other locations. The film, which screens at 7 p.m. Sept. 24, features Propelled Animals, a collective of artists, dancers, scholars, musicians and designers. Through marches, choreography, music and more, the film explores the absence of community during the pandemic. It’s a love letter to Pittsburgh and is rooted in the imagination and mindfulness of Fred Rogers.
On Oct. 23, look for “Halloween Mayhem,” a family-friendly costumed event with spooky activities, hands-on crafts, a costume parade, pumpkin carving and decorating, and performances by Alumni Theater Company.
Sound engineer Soy Sos collaborates with musical guests on a soundscape journey with a mix of modular synths, electronics and traditional instruments in “Synchronized” on Nov. 17 and Dec. 15. Staged in Kelly Strayhorn’s Alloy Studios on Penn Avenue in Friendship, the show also features Staycee Pearl dance project & Soy Sos dancers moving within the soundscape, creating an intimate, immersive experience.
The Kelly Strayhorn honors its namesake entertainers, jazz musician Billy Strayhorn and movie hoofer Gene Kelly, in “Suite Life,” an annual benefit concert
for the future of the theater that returns Nov. 27.
Masks are required for both vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. For more information and a full lineup of events, visit kelly-strayhorn.org.