Pittsburgh Public Theater to debut Pittsburgh premiere of
Broadway star’s smash hit DRAGON LADY
Writer and performer Sara Porkalob’s stunning cabaret musical tells powerful family history
Jan. 16, 2024 | Pittsburgh Public Theater is honored to welcome Broadway’s Sara Porkalob (1776) to the O’Reilly Theater for the Pittsburgh premiere of her musical DRAGON LADY. Critics have described her solo cabaret musical as an “incandescent” (Boston Globe) show that “roars with fire” (San Francisco Chronicle), from an artist who is “a force for change,” (Seattle Times). American Theatre magazine named her one of Fall 2023’s People to Watch.
DRAGON LADY
GANGSTERS… MURDER… KARAOKE?
After Grandma Porkalob’s birthday party karaoke antics, you’ll never hear “House of the Rising Sun” or “Gangsta’s Paradise” the same way again. Broadway star Sara Porkalob belts out the funny and fearless tale of her Filipino gangster family’s sordid and often laugh-out-loud past in a musical that will have all generations buzzing. Each pitch-perfect performance is more transcendent than the last, garnering Sara the title of “POWERHOUSE…a FORCE and a PHENOMENON” (Boston Globe). Now it’s Pittsburgh’s turn to bask in the Porkalob experience with Sara, Grandma Maria, and the countless characters who made their matriarchy really “sing.”
Ticket Information
DRAGON LADY runs Feb. 7 – 25 at the O’Reilly Theater in Downtown. Tickets are available at PPT.org/DRAGON or by calling the Box Office at 412.316.1600.
Rating: R/MA (mature audience). Recommended for 18+ and parental guidance strongly suggested for anyone under 18.
“DRAGON LADY – and Sara Porkalob herself – is such a powerful example of what’s coming next in the American theater,” Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski said. “This is cutting-edge storytelling that lucky audiences across the country have enjoyed, and it’s coming right here to the O’Reilly Theater.”
DRAGON LADY spans musical genres, dozens of characters, births and deaths, and multiple continents. Her work defies classification and has earned her praise and recognition across the country as audiences in Boston, San Diego, Seattle, and San Francisco, have enjoyed DRAGON LADY’s tour.
“This will be my first time in Pittsburgh and I'm so excited to meet the community,” Porkalob said. “I can promise them DRAGON LADY is unlike any other solo show they've ever seen – it'll make you gasp, howl in laughter, and maybe even cry. There's something for everyone in the play.”
Andrew Russell continues his collaboration with Porkalob as director for this production of DRAGON LADY. Russell, the former producing artistic director of the Tony Award-winning Intiman Theatre in Seattle, directed DRAGON LADY at American Repertory Theater at Harvard University in Boston, Intiman Theatre in Seattle, and Marin Theatre Company in San Francisco. He has worked as a storytelling consultant for Universal Studios and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.
Sasha Schwartz serves as scenic designer in this staging of DRAGON LADY, with Spenser Matubang joining as lighting designer and Erin Bednarz as sound designer. Stage Manager Kelly Haywood returns to The Public after most recently managing an immersive adaptation of A TELL-TALE HEART.
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Pittsburgh Public Theater strives to serve as a true public theater to the Pittsburgh region, producing more than 120 performances each season and welcoming more than 70,000 guests through the O’Reilly Theater’s doors every year. The theater is renowned for its exceptional mix of programming, featuring international classics, fresh new works, and favorite musicals. Its commitment to education and engagement initiatives is a hallmark and includes the signature Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest and innovative community partnerships. The organization, under the leadership of Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski and Managing Director Shaunda McDill, celebrates its 49th season in 2023.