The Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) presents its 15th annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 20 with In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King: An MLK Day Celebration Through Art & Advocacy and Let Freedom Sing. In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King presents an engaging Youth & Family program featuring local artists’ performances and activities connecting participants to valuable community resources. Attendees will explore how Rev. Dr. King’s legacy of activism resonates with today’s ongoing struggles for social justice. This event is part of the Citizens Series: KST Presents Arts and Community Programs, sponsored by Citizens.
In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King runs from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with local performances scheduled from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The day’s festivities culminate with the 18th annual Let Freedom Sing Concert at 7:30 pm. In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King is hosted by KST’s board chair, Alyssa P. Lyon, formerly the Director of the Black Environmental Collective.
KST’s Programming Manager Sarah Gilmer said, “Dr. King spoke of the interconnected struggles for justice, emphasizing the need to challenge inequality and champion dignity for all. This year’s celebration brings his words and other pioneers of justice to life through a program that explores pressing priorities like youth empowerment, reproductive justice, and the collective pursuit of peace.”
This day of reflection, unity, and creative expression highlights performances from new local performance partners and returning partner Hill Dance Academy Theatre. Student performers from Los Sabrosos Dance Company’s class “Breakin’ for Kids” will open the show. Guardians of Sound’s Hip Hop Orchestra, a creative performing ensemble composed of youth, young professionals, and established professional musicians, will perform three songs appointed for MLK Day.
This year, In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King brings art and advocacy to the forefront through new and special collaborations. KST commissioned Bearing Life: A Dance Play on Black Women’s Reproductive Health from choreographer and teaching artist Rickia Davenport, featuring Alumni Theater Company’s professional ensemble members.
Inspired by Rickia’s first-hand experience facing Preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy, and child loss at birth, Bearing Life responds to the reproductive health challenges Black women face through dance.
Research has shown that pregnancy-related mortality rates and morbidity rates are higher for Black women compared to White women. KST commissioned this work at this time when historical, racial, and socio-economic reasons forced black women to have less access to prenatal care.
KST is also excited to present a special pop-up gallery exhibition for MLK Day. Displayed in the lobby are the Oneness Dove, an interactive wooden art piece, and a special mural, both created in collaboration with the KSCI-ART Youth Initiative teens led by Kirsten Raglin-Smith. KSCI-ART Youth Initiative will facilitate event attendees decorating and adding their circles to the Oneness Dove that will be displayed in the KST Gallery until Sunday, February 16, 2025. Participants can also take home a 3D-printed circle to commemorate this inspiring tribute to Dr. King’s vision.
The Let Freedom Sing Concert celebrates social justice through vocal and instrumental music and spoken word. The concert features vocal solos by Anqwenique and choral selections by The Heritage Gospel Chorale of Pittsburgh, directed by Dr. Herbert Jones. It concludes with a performance by the intergenerational MLK Festival Choir, directed by Dr. Herbert Jones and Nikki Porter, with a jazz trio accompanying the singers throughout the evening. KDKA-TV reporter Mikey Hood will serve as the celebrity emcee.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King: An MLK Day Celebration Through Art & Advocacy on Monday, January 20, 2025 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm Community Partner Activities | 2:00pm – 3:00pm Performance Program at Kelly Strayhorn Theater | 5941 Penn Ave. Tickets for In the Spirit of Rev. Dr. King are Pay What Moves You, $0 – $25 per attendee, and can be reserved here.
Let Freedom Sing on Monday, January 20, 2025 | 7:30pm also at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. Tickets for Let Freedom Sing are Pay What Moves You, $2 – $50 per attendee, and can be reserved here.
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Feature Stories
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