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JAN. 26 – Prime Stage Theatre presents – “Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy: A Concert Celebrating the Spirit of Freedom House”

 THEATRE LOVES JAZZ!


Jan. 26:  Local jazz legends convene for “Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy – 
       A Concert Celebrating the Spirit of Freedom House”
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Get ready for a stellar evening of epic jazz and landmark local history when MCG Jazz and Prime Stage Theatrepresent “Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy:  A Concert Celebrating the Spirit of Freedom House” Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, on Pittsburgh’s Northside.
 
The concert highlights the Jan. 23-Feb. 1 world premiere run of Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance, an original Prime Stage Theatre play by L.E. McCullough dramatizing the 1967 creation of Freedom House Ambulance Service, America’s first mobile emergency medical unit staffed by professionally-trained paramedics from Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
 
Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy features a live set by Roger Humphries (drums), Dwayne Dolphin (bass), Max Leake (piano) and Mark Jackovic (saxophone) showcasing the music of Pittsburgh jazz greats Ahmad Jamal, Stanley Turrentine and Billy Strayhorn. 
 
Hosted by MCG Jazz executive producer Marty Ashby, the concert includes historic video clips and images from the award-winning PBS film documentary on Pittsburgh Jazz, We Knew What We Had: The Greatest Jazz Story Never Told.
 
Tickets are pay-what-you-can starting at $20 and available online at https://tinyurl.com/4rjfvbbt or by calling (412) 320-4610.
 
Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy will be performed on the stage set of Freedom House:  Giving Life a Second Chance, the first-ever stage production of the Freedom House story, and it portrays a topic that couldn’t be more timely, as America’s public health resources face an ongoing wave of new challenges.
 
During its 8-year lifespan from 1967-1975, Freedom House Ambulance Service flourished as the foundational model for today’s paramedic profession and modern EMS departments around the world. Crucial to the program’s success were the men and women from Pittsburgh’s largely African American Hill District whose dedication and skill transformed themselves, their community and the nation. 
 
Directed by Scott Calhoon, the cast includes Willa “Katy” Cotten, Cynthia Dallas, Justin Mohr, Darrin Mosley, Anne Rematt, DeVaughn Robinson and Ryan Warsing.
 
The world premiere production runs for 7 shows Jan. 23-Feb. 1, 2026 at New Hazlett Theater and is sponsored in part by Arts, Equity, & Education Fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation and official media sponsor SLB Radio. Tickets are available at https://primestage.com/productions/freedom-house/ or by calling (412) 320-4610 x10.


 
WHAT:  MCG Jazz and Prime Stage Theatre present “Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy:  A Concert Celebrating the Spirit of Freedom House”, hosted by MCG Jazz executive producer Marty Ashby and featuring live performance by Roger Humphries (drums), Dwayne Dolphin (bass), Max Leake (piano) and Mark Jackovic (saxophone) showcasing the music of Pittsburgh jazz greats Ahmad Jamal, Stanley Turrentine and Billy Strayhorn. 
 
WHEN:  Monday, Jan. 26, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
 
WHERE:  New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, Pittsburgh PA 15212
 
TICKETS:  Pay-what-you-can starting at $20 and available online at https://tinyurl.com/4rjfvbbt or calling (412) 320-4610.
 
OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR:  SLB Radio
 
*  Prime Stage Theatre promotes accessibility for special needs audiences. Prime Stage Theatre audio describer Nathan Ruggles has won a national Achievement Award in Audio Description from the American Council of the Blind.
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Prime Stage Theatre Upcoming Events
 
* Jan. 23-Feb. 1, 2026 ­– Freedom House:  Giving Life a Second Chance
By L.E. McCullough; directed by Scott Calhoon
Historical playwright L.E. McCullough dramatizes the 1967 creation of Freedom House Ambulance Service, America’s first mobile emergency medical unit staffed by professionally-trained paramedics from Pittsburgh’s Hill District.
 
* Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, 7:30 p.m. 
Pittsburgh Jazz Legacy:  A Concert Celebrating the Spirit of Freedom House
Marty Ashby of MCG Jazz hosts an unforgettable evening of live jazz on the stunning set of Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance. Featuring live performance by living legends Roger Humphries (drums), Dwayne Dolphin (bass), Max Leake (piano) and Mark Jackovic (saxophone), this concert showcases the music of historic Pittsburgh jazz greats Ahmad Jamal, Stanley Turrentine and Billy Strayhorn and includes video clips and images from the MCG Jazz PBS documentary on Pittsburgh Jazz. 
  
* May 1-10, 2026 – Speak
By Tammy Ryan; directed by Dana Hardy Bingham
Resident New Dramatists playwright Tammy Ryan brings to the stage Laurie Halse Anderson’s acclaimed young adult novel Speak, the contemporary story of a teenage girl who uses art to find her voice and redefine her identity after the trauma of rape.   # # #

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