So the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is celebrating 25 years of performances, workshops and real estate deals that transformed the Liberty/Penn Avenue corridor from seedy to spectacular. With Carol Brown and now Kevin McMahon at the helm, this organization may be the biggest stimulus package (yes, at least equal to the Steelers) that Pittsburgh has received.
Despite uncooperative weather, Friday night revelers celebrated at numerous locations during the latest installment of the Cultural Crawl, taking in Wood Street Galleries, ballroom lessons at Arthur Murray Studios and an assortment of other activities.
Having been around for those 25 years, I began thinking about the debut of the Benedum Center, which was the first major project of the Trust. I had seen a touring production of “Evita” at its predecessor, the Stanley Theater, where I thought the cast was singing in Spanish until the second scene (sound systems have come a long way).
The opening program at the Benedum on Sept. 27, 1987 was something called “Purely Pittsburgh,” a variety show with the likes of Chuck Aber (from Mr. Rogers), Don Brockett, John Costa, Karen Prunczik and Margaret Whiting. They sang songs by Pittsburgh-connected composers including Stephen Foster (of course), Victor Herbert, Billy Strayhorn, Errol Garner and Fred Rogers (of course).
The next day the Benedum present its first professional presentation, the modern dance troupe, Pilobolus, in signature works like “Ocellus” and “Walklyndon.” Yes, Pittsburgh supported the dance, even then. I still recall that first performance and remember comparing the hall’s somber bronzes and browns to the vibrant red, white and gold colors of Heinz Hall, somewhat unfavorably at first.
But when the lights went down, the Benedum almost magically disappeared and the audience was drawn to the stage. Despite its large size, the hall took on a special intimacy that benefitted the viewer. I still feel the same way about this Pittsburgh landmark after 25 years of watching, mostly on the aisle, and have grown to love its tasteful decor.
When the Benedum opened in 1987, many people wondered if Pittsburgh could sustain two large performance halls. Heinz Hall had the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as its anchor, but the Benedum…could the Civic Light Opera, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pittsburgh Opera have the same staying power?
Well, we have the answer now. Despite the recent economic downturn, the arts are flourishing in Pittsburgh and have become one of this city’s main drawing cards. The Trust, which was initially very secretive, preferring to remain behind the scenes, has increased its visibility a hundredfold and has become a huge success story. It has added more theaters, parking garages and galleries to its cityscape. But its influence reaches far beyond its Downtown borders to East Liberty, Oakland, the North Shore and the suburbs, where arts groups and their supporters look for guidance, inspiration and motivation.
Long live the Trust!
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