Pittsburgh Opera offers a range of services to help ensure all adults enjoy their opera experience.
Audio Commentary Service
Pittsburgh Opera offers an Audio Description service for patrons with visual impairments during Tuesday performances at the Benedum Center, Calvary Episcopal Church, and the Bitz Opera Factory. The service is provided on Sunday at the Byham Theater. Through Assistive Listening Devices, patrons can hear the Supertitles read simultaneously with their appearance on the screen, as well as descriptions of the set, characters, and costumes.
2025–26 Pittsburgh Opera Audio Commentary dates:
La bohème - Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 7:00 pm
Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Pittsburgh
Fellow Travelers - Sunday, November 16, 2025, 2:00 pm
Byham Theater, downtown Pittsburgh
Curlew River - Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 7:00 pm
Calvary Episcopal Church (Shadyside), 315 Shady Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Time to Act - Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 7:00 pm
Bitz Opera Factory in the Strip District
Falstaff - Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 7:00 pm
Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Pittsburgh
Some facts about the Audio Commentary program:
A patron may reserve a seat in advance by calling 412-281-0912, extension 213. Tickets are only $14.00 each for patrons with visual impairments and a companion, and consideration will be given in case of financial hardship. Tickets are normally held in the box office at each theater.
To pick up an Assistive Listening Device, a patron presents an ID at the Guest Services Center at the Benedum Center or the Audio Commentary table in the lobby of other theaters.
Braille and Large-Print programs are available at each performance.
An all-volunteer team has provided the Audio Commentary service since 2003. Several team members provide individual assistance to patrons as they arrive and pick up Assistive Listening Devices. Another team member reads from the program book ten minutes before each act of the performance—the "pre-show"—and reads the Supertitles and describes the visual aspects of the stage—the "play-by-play".
The week before each performance, Pittsburgh Opera Education sends a reminder email to Patrons with Visual Impairments on the email list. The email contains Study Guide articles as well as information specific to the upcoming performance:
- Time and date of performance
- Performance duration
- Location logistics, security, and bag policy information
- Description of the opera
Pittsburgh Opera Audio Commentary Team— Julia, Ray, Jan, Donna, and Mary Ann
Braille and Large-Print Programs
Braille and large-print programs are available at each performance.
Hearing Assistance
Infrared hearing devices are available at our Benedum Center performances. Channel 1 on the Infrared Hearing Devices is for audio amplification.
Sign Language Interpretation
Sign language interpretation can usually be arranged upon request. Please see our accessibility webpage for details.
Opera Study Guides
The Study Guides for each opera are posted in PDF format on the Pittsburgh Opera website in advance of the opera's opening, and are available in paper form at all performances, in the lobby area.
For more information about Pittsburgh Opera programs for Adults, please email Marilyn Michalka Egan, Ph.D., Director of Education, or call her at 412-281-0912, ext. 242.
