RELEASE: KST’s 25th Anniversary: Suite Life Concert Brings Holiday Tradition Back with Musical Director Hugo Cruz
Hugo Cruz, Photo by Chad Isaiah
Celebrate KST’s 25th Anniversary and honor Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly on Saturday, November 29!
Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) invites audiences to celebrate its 25th anniversary and experience the beloved holiday concert Suite Life: A Celebration of Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly on Saturday, November 29, 7:30pm – 9:00pm. To honor KST’s namesakes and their contributions, Suite Life welcomes musical director Hugo Cruz back with his popular Cuban jazz renditions of Strayhorn’s music against the backdrop of Kelly’s visual legacy. With direction by Pria Dahiya, lighting design by El Wolhardt, and special musical guests, the evening promises a fresh take on beloved standards that the whole family can enjoy. VIP Soundcheck Reception tickets include preferred seating, a complimentary cocktail and catering by Secretos de mis Abuelos from 6:00pm – 7:00pm.
Over the past 25 years, KST has served an annual average of 165 artists, hosting 450 activations, and facilitating 600 subsidized rental programs through their Producing Partners program. “In the most recent programming year, KST welcomed more than 20,000 patrons through our doors, a reflection of our continued role as a creative home and cultural anchor for Pittsburgh’s arts community”, says KST’s Co-Executive Director Melanie Paglia.
“For a quarter of a century, Kelly Strayhorn Theater has stood as a beacon in Pittsburgh’s East End, a gathering place where generations have come together to imagine, build, and celebrate. Billy Strayhorn and Gene Kelly, two titans of their genres, inform our interest in performance that pushes boundaries while honoring the legacies of the greats who came before,” shares Co-Executive Joseph Hall.
Audience members from Suite Life 2024, Photo by Chad Isaiah
Suite Life offers jazz enthusiasts, families and friends, and KST supporters the opportunity to come together to celebrate the arts, music, and community. Returning musical director Hugo Cruz reveals that, “this year, we fuse Cuban, Afro-Cuban, and funk elements into timeless jazz. We are collaborating with a few new musicians to bring the audience a fresh and dynamic performance.”
The exceptional group of internationally recognized, locally based musicians include J.D. Chaisson on trumpet, Craig Davis on piano, Chantal Joseph on vocals, Frank Cohen on trombone, Noel Quintana on percussion, Brian Stahurski on bass, and Mike Tomaro on saxophone. Expanding on the brass section, the concert is doubling the extravaganza.
As the director of Suite Life and a KST Freshworks alum, Pria Dahiya returns to an artistic home, “KST places incredible trust and investment in its artists and is genuinely committed to attracting and retaining multidisciplinary talent in this region. I’ve built my entire artistic network through KST, connecting with artists across mediums and backgrounds I never would have encountered on my university campus”.
“Honoring the roots of our city’s rich musical heritage, the event welcomes special guests whose families represent the enduring legacy of Pittsburgh jazz,” says Melike Konur, the Director of Advancement. The names of these guests will be announced closer to the date of the performance.
The audience is invited to enjoy a VIP Soundcheck Reception from 6:00pm – 7:00pm by purchasing a Soundcheck ticket. VIP guests enjoy early entry, first choice of their preferred seating, a signature cocktail and light bites curated for the evening. A special and exclusive listen to one of the night’s musical selections with the artists highlights the soundcheck experience.
SUITE LIFE: A Celebration of Billy Strayhorn & Gene Kelly
Saturday, November 29, 2025 | 6:00pm – 7:00pm VIP Soundcheck | 7:30pm – 9:00pm Concert
Kelly Strayhorn Theater | 5941 Penn Ave.
Tickets for Suite Life are Pay What Moves You, $35 – $200 per attendee, and can be reserved here.
When purchasing your ticket, please consider adding a donation equal to or greater than your ticket price. Ticket sales cover only part of the cost, and your gift keeps Suite Life alive—supporting the artistry, lights, food, and seamless magic of the night.
Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The fair market value (FMV) of Suite Life general admission tickets is $75 per Concert ticket and $150 per VIP Suite ticket. The portion of your payment that exceeds the FMV is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Hugo Cruz (Musical Director & Percussion) is a Cuban-born, award-winning, internationally renowned drummer and composer who has performed in South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Chile, and Venezuela. Hugo is the leader of Caminos, who fuse rhythms and melodies of Afro-Cuban, Cuban, American jazz and funk styles. Caminos released their first original album Punto de Partida in 2022, and have made appearances at Fábrica de Artes in Havana, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, among others.
J.D. Chaisson (Trumpet) is a Pittsburgh-based trumpet player and a Duquesne University alumnus. He’s toured with many local and national artists as well as spent years on the road with the New Orleans-based funk band Dumpstaphunk. In Pittsburgh, J.D. performs regularly and teaches trumpet at Duquesne University.
Pria Dahiya (Director) is a theatre and film director crafting digitally-mediated live performances. Recent directing work: PLAY:BODY (New Product Company, 2025), My Sister’s Lipstick (New Hazlett Theatre, 2025), Suite Life (Kelly Strayhorn Theatre, 2024), Earth Angel (New Product Company, 2024), Love and Money (CMU Drama, 2024). Assistant Directing Work: The Adventures of Pussy Jones (Dir. Gab Cody, 2025), and Amm(i)gone (Dir. Adil Mansoor, KST Studios and The Theatre Offensive, 2021–2022). BFA: Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.
Craig Davis (Piano) is a seasoned jazz pianist with over 30 years of experience as a performer and educator. A Pittsburgh native, he studied under drummer Roger Humphries and earned degrees from Indiana University and Manhattan School of Music. He has performed with the Artie Shaw Orchestra and Sean Jones’ quintet, and debuted as a leader at NYC’s Kitano. His album Tone Paintings (MCG Jazz) earned 4½ stars in DownBeat and featured John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton.
Chantal Joseph (Vocal) is a dynamic and versatile musician and educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. Originally from Cape Cod, Chantal has played at the Newport Jazz Festival and with renowned ensembles such as the Boston Pops and Cape Symphony. She continues to perform with New York based Perry Rossi Orchestras. Since relocating to Pittsburgh, she has continued to captivate audiences and was even named Best R&B Performer by the Pittsburgh City Paper.
Frank Cohen (Trombone), a Pittsburgh native, moved to New York City at 18 to attend the Manhattan School of Music on full scholarship. A multi-GRAMMY and Latin-GRAMMY-winning trombonist, he’s known for his versatility across genres. Frank performs with Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Willie Colon, and others. As a freelancer, he’s worked with icons like Jay Z, Aretha Franklin, and Yo-Yo Ma. Outside music, he enjoys martial arts, travel, hockey, and discovering new restaurants
Noel Quintana (Percussion), aka “Mr. Conga,” is a Latin music percussionist, bandleader, and historian with over 30 years of experience. He studied Afro-Caribbean styles in New York, performed with legends like Tito Puente, and led bands in both NYC and Ohio. Now based in Pittsburgh, he tours with his band, teaches Latin percussion, and hosts a radio show on Latin Jazz and Salsa. His band, The Latin Crew, performs regularly across the region.
Brian Stahurski (Bass) received his formal education at Duquesne University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance in 1989 while studying with Jeffrey Mangone, and a Master’s degree in Performance in 1992 while studying with Anthony Bianco. Since then he has performed with the Pittsburgh Ballet Orchestra, major Broadway touring productions, the Wheeling Symphony, WQED’s Live from Studio A on PBS television and various Jazz, Blues, Salsa, Pop and Rock artists around Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomaro (Sax) is a saxophonist, composer, arranger and jazz educator. He recently retired from his position as Jazz Studies Program Director at Duquesne University. Mike is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Vandoren Diamond Artist. He has many credits to his name on nationally-released CDs, including 5 of his own and over 200 published compositions and arrangements. Mike is co-author of the textbook, Instrumental Jazz Arranging: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide.
E. Lieu Wolhardt (Lighting Designer) is a multi-cultural / multi-media / multi-disciplinary artist, as well as a lighting and projection designer. A child of globalization, their work addresses themes of violence, non-bodies, exilic spaces, self obsession, self repulsion, and the existential nature of being everything & nothing at all.
ABOUT KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER
Named after 20th century entertainment legends Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, both natives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people. We welcome our home to all who uplift Black, Indigenous, people of color, and queer voices.
KST is an institutional arts anchor in Pittsburgh’s East End that has served the community for more than two decades. Since launching KST Presents programming in ’08, KST has been Black-led, fostering radical imagination for Black and queer arts, culture, and community in Pittsburgh by cultivating BIPOC and/or queer artists, entrepreneurs, and arts administrators, developing their careers, and shifting narratives around Black possibility.
##