By Sharon Eberson
Tony Award-winner LaChanze, a nominee again this year for Trouble in Mind, is coming to Pittsburgh, one of the stars who comprise the 2022-23 Trust Cabaret Series.
Two artists with Carnegie Mellon School of Drama ties – Stephen Schwartz and Megan Hilty – plus Carole J. Bufford and Norm Lewis fill out the starry lineup.
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust series will move to the neighboring 650-seat O’Reilly Theater during renovations to the nearby Greer Cabaret Theater, where performances have taken place in past seasons.
“The Trust Cabaret Series has featured some of the brightest stars from Broadway, Hollywood, and the music industry who have dazzled our audiences over the years,” said Randal Miller, director of Special Projects and Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We are honored to continue this legacy with the celebrated talents of Stephen Schwartz and Friends, Megan Hilty, LaChanze, Carole J. Bufford, and Norm Lewis. Every performance this season will showcase a different energy, performance style, and set of stories.”
2022-23 Trust Cabaret Series Schedule
All performances are Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19: Stephen Schwartz & Friends. The Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer-lyricist of shows such as Godspell, Pippen, and Wicked graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with a B.F.A. in Drama. In 2015, he received the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award for his humanitarian and mentorship contributions to the theater. Stephen Schwartz & Friends includes appearances by Tony Award-winner Debbie Gravitte and Emmy nominees Scott Coulter and Michael McCorry Rose.
Nov. 7, 2022: Megan Hilty. Most recognizable for her portrayal of Ivy Lynn in NBC’s musical drama Smash, Tony nominee Hilty most recently played Lily in Annie Live! on NBC and portrayed Patsy Cline in Patsy & Loretta, directed by Callie Khouri for Lifetime. Stage credits include her Tony-nominated role in Noises Off, 9 to 5, and Glinda in Wicked.
Feb. 6, 2023: LaChanze. The award-winning, magnetic stage and screen actress/singer has a long list of Broadway credits, including Tony nominations for Trouble in Mind and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Once on This Island, and a win for the 2006 original production of The Color Purple. Her film work includes The Help, Side Effects, Heartbreak Hotel, For Love or Money, Leap of Faith, and My New Gun. She won an Emmy for the PBS special of Handel’s Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise.
March 27, 2023: Carole J. Bufford. One of the most sought-after young performers in the New York cabaret and jazz scene, Bufford 2020 was awarded the prestigious American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. Her recent shows, Speak Easy and Body & Soul, earned rave reviews, including in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. She is also the recipient of a Nightlife, Bistro, and BroadwayWorld Award for Outstanding Vocalist. She was featured in Michael Feinstein’s Great American Songbook series at Jazz @ Lincoln Center.
May 8, 2023: Norm Lewis. Emmy- Tony- and SAG Award-nominee Lewis recently starred in Spike Lee’s acclaimed Da 5 Bloods and the groundbreaking FX series Pose. Other screen credits include Caiaphas in the NBC special Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! He returned to Broadway last year in Chicken and Biscuits and previously appeared in the revival of Once on This Island and made history as The Phantom of the Opera‘s first African American Phantom on Broadway. Lewis is a proud founding member of Black Theatre United, “which stands together to help protect Black people, Black talent, and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in theater and communities across the country.”
Tickets – Subscription packages are on sale now; single tickets go on sale on Aug.12. To subscribe, call 412-456-1390 or visit http://www.TrustArts.org/CabaretSeries. For more information, call Trust guest services at 412-456-6666 or visit https://trustarts.org/calendar
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