Christmas Eve Eve (no spell check, this is not a double entry, it's the eve of Christmas eve), I attended Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's production of "The Nutcracker," the third different Nutcracker I went to this month. What a great way to experience the holidays, such beautiful music, dancing costumes and sets! Here are some interesting facts I discovered about the PBT Nutcracker taken from an announcement to prepare patrons before the performance: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre makes its current version of the beloved classic uniquely Pittsburgh-connected by including more than 13 different “easter eggs” that only a true “yinzer” might catch. In 2002, former artistic director Terrence S. Orr conceived and choreographed this Pittsburgh-themed version of The Nutcracker and the company has performed this version each year since. Note: There is only 4 more PBT performances of the Nutcracker this month- December 26 - 28. 1. Kaufmann’s Clock Founded in the 1870s in downtown P...
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's The Nutcracker Suite in Carnegie for the Second Consecutive Year
The Adam Lee Morgan Band Credit: photo taken from website adamleemorgan.com For the second year in a row, I sat through a concert by the Adam Lee Morgan Jazz Band at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie. The 15-member ensemble performed Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s The Nutcracker Suite , not in the order Tchaikovsky wrote it but in the order Ellington or Strayhorn did, according to band leader Adam Lee Morgan. The concert hall held one of the largest audiences I’ve ever seen in the space, and the crowd was definitely in a festive mood, which made everything even more effervescent. Morgan introduced each section of the concert, which made it more interesting and many members of the band had solos in which to display their talent. A quick review of the evening’s program showed that the caliber of the musicians is noteworthy. Many of the players teach at places like Duquesne University or Washington a...