Pittsburgh, PA…
December 11, 2019
Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 412.281.0912 ext. 217
Mobile: 412.427.7088 or
Contact via email
Download this as a PDF
Pittsburgh Opera presents Pittsburgh debut of heartfelt contemporary satire The Last American Hammer, Feb. 22 – March 1
Milcom Negley, a one-man militia, rages against the tyranny of federal overreach. He is hunkered down in a rural Toby Jug museum in a rust belt Ohio town where Tink Enraught, a mannered curatrix, offers him tea and cookies.
Milcom is a “Thirteenther” – a conspiracy theorist who believes an obscure, would-be Thirteenth amendment negates the authority of our government. He occupies the museum because it is the only place left in his failed town to receive federal funds – a grant for the upkeep of a rare 17th-century British pitcher known as “Sir Oswyn.”
Although Milcom expects to be swarmed by military drones, attention is paid only by Agent Reyes, a young rookie FBI field specialist. Milcom explains that the town’s only major source of employment – a hammer manufacturer – has gone under, leaving the residents lost. He is armed with “the Last American Hammer” to roll off the plant’s line and intends to hold a proxy trial against the US government using Toby jugs as physical stand-ins for a court.
The Last American Hammer will star current and former Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artists, and be performed in the intimate environs of Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Avenue. Limited capacity.
The opera is sung in English with supertitles projected above the stage.
Single tickets for adults are $40; kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price. For tickets call 412-456-6666, visit the Box Office at Theater Square, or go online at pittsburghopera.org/tickets or CulturalDistrict.org. Group discounts, including student discounts, are available.
Performance Dates/Times/Location/Length/Language
Where: Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
When:
- Sat., Feb. 22, 2020 * 8:00 PM
- Tues., Feb. 25, 2020 * 7:00 PM
- Fri., Feb. 28, 2020 * 7:30 PM
- Sun., March 1, 2020 * 2:00 PM
Run Time: To be confirmed. Tentatively ~1 hour and 30 minutes with no intermission
Language: Sung in English with supertitles projected above the stage
Fun Facts
- Toby Jugs are pottery jugs in the form of a seated person. The highest-recorded selling price for one was $30,000. The real American Toby Jug Museum is in Evanston, Illinois.
These will be just the second set of perfromances of this opera. It premiered in Washington D.C.'s Atlas Performing Arts Center in September, 2018.
UrbanArias, which commissioned the piece, describes it as "a satirical but heartfelt examination of the fallout that occurs when the American Dream fails to materialize", with "a bluegrass-infused score that brings American roots to the operatic stage."
Tickets and Group Discounts
- Single tickets for adults are $40; tickets for kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price.
- For tickets call 412-456-6666, visit the Box Office at Theater Square, or online at pittsburghopera.org/tickets or CulturalDistrict.org.
- Group discounts, including student discounts, are available.
The Story, in brief
See the The Last American Hammer show page for a complete synopsis of the opera.
Cast and Artistic Team
See the The Last American Hammer show page for a complete list of the cast and artistic team.
Media Events
Please contact Chris Cox for reservations.
- Photo Call (Mon., Feb. 10, 12:30 PM) - location TBA
- Full Dress Rehearsal (Thurs., Feb. 20, 7:00 PM) - 2425 Liberty Ave.
Related Events
- February Brown Bag concert (2/8)
- WQED Preview (2/15 & 2/21)
- FRIENDS of Pittsburgh Opera Speaker Series (2/16)
- Pittsburgh Opera mobile app (real-time during all performances)
- Audio Commentary (2/25)
- Meet the Artists (2/25)
Sponsors
- PNC is the 2019-20 Pittsburgh Opera Season Sponsor.
- WQED-FM is Pittsburgh Opera’s Media Sponsor.
- Ambridge Regional Distribution and Manufacturing Center is the Tuesday performance and ‘Meet the Artists’ post-show event sponsor.
- Pittsburgh Opera’s production is sponsored by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University.
The Last American Hammer was commissioned by UrbanArias with very generous support from Dan and Gloria Logan; and an anonymous admirer of UrbanArias in memory of Deborah Brewer.
