Voting for BroadwayWorld’s Pittsburgh Awards 2023 continues through December 31. Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For was a new musical for Pittsburgh Public Theater and there was widespread anticipation before anyone took the stage in October. Just for a refresh:
It has been widely acknowledged that Billy Strayhorn is a true Pittsburgh treasure, something that looms larger with each passing year. The city leaders first publicly recognized it in 2000 when they shared his name on the marquee of the 1914 Regent Theatre with dance icon Gene Kelly, creating the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty. Although there are two names, the philosophy of KST has leaned toward Strayhorn, presenting programs that celebrate creativity, diversity and community, all of which symbolized the jazz composer. Under visionary leadership, there is no doubt KST has been instrumental in the resurgence of this important Pittsburgh neighborhood.
Two major books emerged about the man and his music, David Hajdu’s personal biography, Lush Life, (1997) and Walter van de Leur’s detailed musical analysis of Strayhorn’s style that truly separated him from Ellington, Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn (2002).
But Strayhorn’s art was all about the performance of the music itself. Pittsburgh has seen differing artistic angles in various productions, all revealing a kaleidoscope of talents. KST co-commissioned Halfway to Dawn (2018) by choreographer David Rousseve. If you thought you knew Strayhorn, Rousseve revealed even more lifestyle nuggets, using projected texts. And if you thought you knew his music, Rousseve enhanced it with choreography that captured the essence of this major artist. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s 2000 jazz ballet premiere, Indigo in Motion, used Strayhorn as the finale in Dwight Rhoden’s work, StrayLifeLushHorn, as complex and vital as the music.
It seemed that Strayhorn’s time had come, but there has recently been more.
Then Pittsburgh thought it was getting the world premiere of Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker last fall at the Benedum Center, formerly the Stanley Theater where the two met. But it was cancelled. It was re-scheduled for a run at New York City Center in November, but the producers also cancelled that production. The two had considerable A+ talent, such as Complexions’ co-founder Desmond Richardson and Tony Award-winning choreographer Joshua Bergasse, on board.
However, the original project gave me the opportunity to research Strayhorn more fully and talk to his niece, Alyce Claerbaut, who happened to be seated near me at the Public performance. Although Alyce lives and manages Billy’s archives in Chicago, the Strayhorn family has continued to keep a strong personal niche in Pittsburgh, and collectively should keep his mighty legacy alive.
Where does that put the Pittsburgh Public Theater’s premiere at
The O’Reilly Theater? It seemed that there wasn’t any more information to be had to hold my interest.
I was wrong.
Pittsburgh was, in a way, lucky to have the first draft of this Strayhorn bio musical, which ran nearly three hours. But then, so did The Tina Turner Musical. And The Cher Show. Even The Lion King.
Co-authors Rob Zellers and Ken Gash (who also served as director) tackled so much of that lush life, 20 years of it, and compacted it all into a few hours. It followed the model of Tina Turner and Cher, molding the story around an existing musical score. In this case, the music was stellar, what with 22 year-old rising star Matthew Whitaker as musical director, conductor, arranger and pianist (Is he the next Jon Batiste?) leading a very tight live jazz band accompaniment.
Perhaps the opening and closing scenes could be tightened, using projections to cover Billy’s early career and political advocacy. And given Billy’s adventuresome approach to jazz, the story had a linear, almost comfortable style that could be approached in a more experimental fashion
But I was surprised that they found a great deal that I didn’t know, primarily Billy’s relationship with Aaron Bridges, played with a star quality by Charl Brown. Billy’s homosexuality has been acknowledged before, but this script gave it a richness and depth not seen anywhere else. Through that relationship, Sellers and Gash were able to highlight the racism of the time. And with a well-chosen, hyper-talented cast, all obviously passionate about this project, the nine performers loomed larger, more like a cast of 15 or 20.
The Tony-nominated Brown was was given his own moment, “Love Came,” a signal of his importance to this version of Billy’s life. But there were highlights for the women. Arielle Roberts memorably tackled two of the most famous, Lena Horne and Billie Holiday. Keziah John-Paul brought life to Billie’s mother, Lillian Strayhorn, and truly elevated one of Duke Ellington’s early stars, Ivie Anderson.
Obie winner Darius de Haas had done Strayhorn for 20 years. Yet he made this demanding role, diving into many of the nearly 30 songs from Billy’s archive, seem fresh, almost a part of his own DNA. At the end, he slayed the audience with an emotional solo. I was reminded of a similar rendition by another Billy, Pittsburgh native and Tony winner himself for Kinky Boots, Billy Porter. He had attached himself to the project as a producer. Could he help bring it to Broadway?
It would be the perfect vehicle for him, personally, professionally and politically. Alyce remarked that she was satisfied — her Billy was given the proper credit for his accomplishments. And Porter is almost a modern day version of a man many called Swee’Pea.
With the theatrical promise and tantalizing jazz score of this Billy Strayhorn and its strong Pittsburgh connection, this musical would be “something to live for…
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