Pittsburgh Public Theater presents global livestream of DRAGON LADY as Charter Member of the League of Live Stream Theater
Feb. 12, 2024 | Pittsburgh Public Theater’s newest venture is a first in the organization’s nearly 50-year history as it announced today it will live stream select performances of a mainstage production through a partnership with one of the industry’s most exciting emerging nonprofits.
Audiences worldwide will have the opportunity to watch the final four performances of DRAGON LADY from Broadway’s Sara Porkalob (1776) Feb. 23–25, as The Public joins the nonprofit The League of Live Stream Theater (LOLST) as a Charter Member in the dynamic venture’s 2023/2024 digital season. Tickets to the four live streamed performances from Feb. 23–25 are $49 and are available now at PPT.org/DragonLive.
“The pandemic really made theaters around the country, us included, reinvent how we bring our audiences the art we’re so proud of,” Pittsburgh Public Theater Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski said. “I’m particularly excited for this first-of-its-kind digital season with The League of Live Stream Theater to see what conversations emerge between the work in Pittsburgh, off-Broadway and across the country.”
Other installments in the 2023/2024 LOLST season have included the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre’s LITTLE COMEDIES, Manhattan Theatre Club’s JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING, and Vineyard Theatre’s SCENE PARTNERS starring Dianne Wiest. LOLST also live streamed other Broadway and international theaters’ works, including BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY at Second Stage and Irish Repertory Theatre’s ENDGAME.
“In conversations with theater executives across the nation, the themes of remaining responsive and nimble continue to arise,” Pittsburgh Public Theater Managing Director Shaunda McDill said. “Intentional investment into forward-thinking collaborations, like this one with LOLST, keeps us in alignment with current best practices and opportunities to share our work with communities within and beyond the southwestern Pennsylvania region.”
LOLST was founded in 2022 and born out of collaborations between media leaders Jim Augustine and Oren Michaels, who joined to create their first-ever simultaneous live stream of a Broadway production with Lynne Nottage’s CLYDE’S in 2022. The collaboration resulted in the generation of LOLST, which seeks to bring live, world-class theater into homes, schools and community centers around the world.
"By opening up new avenues of artistic expression, we're sharing the stories of local and regional theaters with a broader audience,” LOLST Co-Founder Oren Michaels said. “This benefits these vital institutions and the communities they serve."
DRAGON LADY is the second installment of The Dragon Cycle, a series of matrilineal family history performances from Broadway star and artist-activist Sara Porkalob (1776). The cabaret musical arrives in Pittsburgh Feb. 7–25 after engagements in San Francisco, Seattle and Boston, where critics described DRAGON LADY as an “incandescent” (Boston Globe) show that “roars with fire” (San Francisco Chronicle). American Theatre magazine named Porkalob among its People to Watch in Fall 2023.
“Audiences at theaters across the country have loved this show for years, so we’re thrilled to share it with those who may not be able to see it in person,” Andrew Russell, the show’s director, said. “We’re grateful to be part of this incredible new initiative that makes theater more accessible, affordable and inclusive.”
STREAMING TICKET INFORMATION
The Public will stream the final 4 performances of DRAGON LADY from Feb. 23–25. Tickets are available at PPT.org/DragonLive.
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LEAGUE OF LIVE STREAM THEATER
The League of Live Stream Theater (LOLST), a new nonprofit founded in 2022, provides the production, technical, financial, and marketing solutions to bring nonprofit theater to a global audience, via live stream. Founders Jim Augustine and Oren Michels, veterans in the theater and technology industries, have a vision to make Broadway and regional theater more accessible than ever before, driving new audiences to new works, increasing awareness for world-class stages and artists, and helping these nonprofit institutions to thrive for another generation. Founding support for The League of Live Stream Theater has been provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Sherrill Family Foundation. To learn more, visit lolst.org.
PITTSBURGH PUBLIC THEATER
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.