Kelly Strayhorn Theater Reveals Fall 2025 Season In Celebration of 25th Anniversary
Featuring: David Roussève's world premiere of Becoming Daddy AF, Pumpkin Palooza, Visual Art Gallery, and New Freshworks Residencies.
Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) will present its Fall 2025 season from September through December, marking its 25th anniversary as a cultural anchor in Pittsburgh’s East End.
The lineup includes the world premiere of Becoming Daddy AF by David Roussève (September 26–27), new Freshworks Residencies, beloved holiday programming, and community-centered events, all under the season’s theme of “joy as an act of resistance.”
Founded in 2001 and named for Pittsburgh icons Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, KST has become a hub for creativity, community building, and collective liberation. The 2025–2026 season also commemorates the 50th anniversary of Dance Alloy Theater’s founding, highlighting Pittsburgh’s long-standing support of artistic innovators.
The season opens with Roussève’s Becoming Daddy AF, a dance-theater meditation on ancestry, living with HIV, and personal loss, accompanied by the Pittsburgh Queer History Project’s exhibit Calendar Girls in the House of Tilden (opening September 26). Freshworks Artists in Residence will present in-progress works, including Moire del Carmen’s Baquiné (October 3–4) and Rickia Davenport’s The Choice (November 7–8). Holiday favorites return with Pumpkin Palooza (October 25) and Suite Life: A Celebration of Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly (November 29).
Through the Mutual Aid Residency program, Dreams of Hope and Balafon West African Dance Ensemble will offer youth-centered dance, music, and intergenerational gatherings throughout the fall.
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BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical Benedum Center (6/23-6/28) |
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Mean Girls Benedum Center (7/07-7/12) |
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Suffs Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (7/21-7/26) |
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Bruno Mars & DJ Pee.Wee Acrisure Stadium (8/29-8/29) |
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Beyond Purple - a Tribute to Deep Purple, Rainbow, Dio, and Whitesnake The Lamp Theatre (7/31-7/31) |
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John Cameron Mitchell: Hedwig 25th Anniversary Movie Tour Roxian Theatre Presented By Citizens (10/19-10/19) |
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MTV Unplugged Tribute Band returns to Jergel's Rhythm Grille On July 16, 2026 Jergel's Rhythm Grille (7/16-7/16) |
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Zac Brown Band PPG Paints Arena (9/13-9/13) |
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Superunknown: The Premier Tribute to Chris Cornell presents 'The 35 Tour' The Lamp Theatre (7/10-7/10) |
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The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show The Dinner Detective Pittsburgh (7/18-7/18) |