CAST AND ARTISTIC TEAM
+Alfred Walker: Josh Gibson
**Sean Panikkar: Wendell Smith
+Denyce Graves: Grace
+Kenneth Kellogg: Sam Bankhead
+Norman Shankle: Gus Greenlee/Elder Barber
**Phillip Gay: Cool Papa Bell/Younger Barber
+Jacqueline Echols: Helen Gibson
**Jasmine Muhammad: Hattie
Raymond Very: Branch Rickey, Clark Griffith, Radio Announcer
**Kyle Oliver: Dave Hoskins
+Robert Mack: Judy Johnson
+Terrence Chin-Loy: Double Duty Radcliffe
*Brian Vu: Calvin Griffith
*Eric Ferring: Senor Alcalde
Taylor Raven: Girlfriend
Martin Bakari: Trash Talking Player, Scribe
George Milosh: Mariachi Singer 1
Scott Cuva: Mariachi Singer 3
Mark Spondike: Mariachi Singer 2
The Artistic Team
Conductor - Antony Walker
Stage Director - Sam Helfrich
Set Designer - Andrew Lieberman
Costume Designer - Kaye Voyce
Lighting Designer - Robert Wierzel
Video Designer - Darrel Maloney
Wig & Make-up Designer - James Geier
Stage Manager - Cindy Knight
Asst. Conductor - Glenn Lewis
Chorus Master - Mark Trawka
Associate Coach/Pianist - James Lesniak
Asst Stage Director - Fraces Rabalais*
Asst Lighting Designer - Todd Nonn
Asst Stage Manager - Stephanie Boyd Canada
Asst Stage Manager - Attira Lelahuta
+ Pittsburgh Opera debut
* Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist
** Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist alumni
SPECIAL CELEBRITY APPEARANCES
Josh Gibson deserved to be as famous in his day as Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig. But he was overlooked by the mainstream white media because of the color of his skin.
These Pittsburgh sports legends are appearing as supernumeraries in The Summer King. Their participation symbolizes that while Josh's athletic greatness may have gone unnoticed by much of the general public, Pittsburgh's sports heroes recognize him as one of their own.
Pittsburgh Opera and the Josh Gibson Foundation are grateful to the following people for supporting The Summer King by appearing as supernumeraries in the Sunday, May 7th performance*:
*Celebrity appearances subject to change.
DETAILS & RESOURCES
We want you to have the best experience possible at our performances!
Here are some details and resources to help. Also visit our Opera FAQs or our Accessibility page.
- Approximate run time will be about 2 hours, 12 minutes with one intermission
- Understand Every Word: Sung in English with English supertitles projected above the stage at all performances
- Study Guide for The Summer King (PDF) created by our Education department
- Parking Downtown: get real-time parking availability
- Pre-Opera Talks before each performance
- Audio Description available at The Benedum Center
- Braille Programs available at The Benedum Center
- Large-Print Programs available at The Benedum Center
PREVIEWS AND REVIEWS
- Podcast: Tim Benz on DK Sports Radio: Dan Sonenberg interview 9.7.16
- Podcast, Sept. 9, 2016: WQED-FM's Jim Cunningham interviews director Sam Helfrich and composer Dan Sonenberg
- New Pittsburgh Courier, Oct. 25, 2016: Pittsburgh Opera Director Hahn promotes Josh Gibson Story
- Opera Now Magazine, May 2017: Forthcoming US World Premieres (page 25)
- Pittsburgh City Paper: Community events scheduled in advance of opera honoring Pittsburgh Negro League legend Josh Gibson
- Tribune-Review: Events planned leading up to Pittsburgh Opera's 'Josh Gibson Story' world premiere
- New Pittsburgh Courier, February 2017: Opera, Gibson Foundation promote ‘The Summer King’
- Pittsburgh Quarterly: Josh Gibson On Deck
- Don411: Pittsburgh Opera presents the world premiere of The Summer King – the Josh Gibson Story
- AP: Opera tells story of Negro Leagues baseball star Josh Gibson
- Entertainment Schedule Pittsburgh: April Theater Guide: History on Parade
- Pittsburgh Magazine: Stuff of Legends
- NewsOne: Pittsburgh Opera Debuts Story Of Negro Leagues Baseball Star Josh Gibson
- DownEast-The Magazine of Maine: BALL CANTO: an interview with Daniel Sonenberg
- The PittNews: Josh Gibson: Unsung, until now
- Pittsburgh Owl Scribe: "The Summer King" Pittsburgh Opera to Stage Work Focusing on Baseball Great Josh Gibson
- Did You See That?!: Pittsburgh Opera set to host The Summer King
- KDKA Pittsburgh Live Today: Pittsburgh Opera Presents ‘The Summer King: The Josh Gibson Story’
- KDKA Pittsburgh Live Today: Pittsburgh Opera Performs Song From ‘The Summer King: The Josh Gibson Story’
- WAMO Radio interviews with Sean Gibson, Kenneth Kellogg and Phillip Gay
- NEXT Pittsburgh: World premiere opera, The Summer King, depicts life of baseball legend Josh Gibson
- Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh Opera throws a curve: Its first-ever world premiere tells the story of famed Negro Leagues slugger Josh Gibson
- KDKA-AM: radio interview with Al Oliver
- Married 2 the Game Podcast: Fast & Furious
- KDKA-TV: The Lynne Hayes-Freeland Show: Opera like you've never heard it!!
- ‘Burgh Vivant: An Interview with CHRISTOPHER HAHN – General Director, Pittsburgh Opera
- WESA 90.5FM: From Mound To Mainstage: ‘Summer King’ Captures Life Of Pittsburgh Baseball Player Josh Gibson
- DK Sports Radio: Benz, Alfred Walker talk Josh Gibson
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Opera is ready for the premiere of 'The Summer King: The Josh Gibson Story'
- Portland Post Herald: Portland composer’s baseball opera, a tribute to Negro League star, set for world premiere
- New Pittsburgh Courier: ‘The Josh Gibson Story’—When baseball and opera converge in Pittsburgh
- MLB.com: God Bless America at PNC Park
- WTAE: A baseball opera: Josh Gibson's amazing story is being told on the stage
- Contemporary Opera World Archives and Research Center: World première of Daniel Sonenberg's 'The Summer King' in Pittsurgh
- Did You See That?!: Review: The Summer King hits a home run
- Portland Press Herald: Portland composer fulfills dream, hits home run with baseball opera
- Pittsburgh in the Round: The Summer King – The Josh Gibson Story Review
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Review: Pittsburgh Opera's new 'The Summer King' makes for thought-provoking performance
- KDKA: KDKA-AM Interview with Al "Scoop" Oliver
- WQED's Voice of the Arts; April 28, 2017:
- ROOT Sports Pitt: Inside Pirates Baseball Josh Gibson Summer King
- DK Pittsburgh Sports: Theater review: ‘Summer King’ best opera I’ve ever seen
- Opera Gene: THE SUMMER KING WILL ENTERTAIN YOU AND TOUCH YOUR HEART
- Pittsburgh Magazine: Josh Gibson is a Doomed Monarch in The Summer King
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Brian O'Neill: Josh Gibson's epic story takes center stage
- Married 2 the Game: Breaking the Mold, episode 15
- Empty Nest blog: Day 212- Summer King- Baseball and Opera
- Entertainment Central Pittsburgh: Cool Picks, May 3, 2017
- I Care If You Listen: The Summer King: Pittsburgh Opera’s First World Premiere
- Married 2 the Game: Breaking the Mold, episode 16
- WTAE-TV segment: Pittsburgh kids learn history through opera in 'The Summer King'
- City Paper review: Splendid world premiere depicts the life of Negro Leagues great Josh Gibson
- Portland Press-Herald: Letter to the editor: ‘The Summer King’ story hits it out of the park
- The Wall Street Journal: ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ and ‘The Summer King—The Josh Gibson Story’ Reviews
- Brashear Kids blog: Brashear Goes to the Opera: The Summer King
- The Northside Chronicle: Negro League players honored with student-restored murals
- The National Pastime Museum: JOSH GIBSON’S STORY GIVEN OPERATIC TREATMENT IN PITTSBURGH: “THE SUMMER KING,” AT THE INTERSECTION OF BASEBALL AND OPERA
- NEA Arts Magazine: Out of the Ballpark
RELATED VIDEOS
These videos help provide context about the life of Josh Gibson, his contemporaries, and The Summer King, and include excerpts from our Final Dress Rehearsal.
Legend Behind the Plate: The Josh Gibson Story
New Works Forum 2014: The Summer King - Interview with Daniel Sonenberg
God Bless America
On April 23, four members of The Summer King cast performed God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch of the Pirates/Yankees game. Singing were Kenneth Kellogg, Martin Bakari, Phillip Gay, and Terrence Chin-Loy.
Did you see Josh Gibson hit that ball?
Enjoy this excerpt from The Summer King as the crowd at Yankee Stadium reacts to Josh Gibon's towering home run off Broadway Connie Rector in 1930.
Beautiful Afternoon
Enjoy this excerpt from The Summer King as Josh Gibson (Alfred Walker) learns that his wife Helen (Jacqueline Echols) is pregnant as they enjoy a beautiful afternoon in Homestead, PA.
Lightning
Enjoy this excerpt from The Summer King as Pittsburgh Courier reporter Wendell Smith (Sean Panikkar) lobbies Josh Gibson (Alfred Walker) to try to break Major League Baseball's color barrier, recounting his own story of being passed over by a scout for an inferior white player.
The Summer King in Winter
Josh Gibson's friend Sam Bankhead (Kenneth Kellogg) mourns Josh's death, and reflects on his own future.
WTAE-TV segment: Pittsburgh kids learn history through opera in 'The Summer King'
WTAE-TV aired a segment about our Student Matinee performance, where over 2,600 school children and their teachers came to the Benedum to see a special performance.
THE JOSH GIBSON FOUNDATION
Pittsburgh Opera is proud to partner with The Josh Gibson Foundation on The Summer King.
The Josh Gibson Foundation believes in the endless possibilities for potential in today's youth. By providing academic and athletic programs that foster leadership and scholarship, the skills necessary for tomorrow's successes are created today.
Their goal is to carry on the legacy of greatness and accomplishment embodied by Josh Gibson, by developing programs that help children of every level of ability reach their potential, and to create opportunities that set The Josh Gibson Foundation apart from other organizations and provides value for our communities.
Learn more about The Josh Gibson Foundation.
Josh Gibson™ used with permission of Josh Gibson Enterprise, Inc., c/o Luminary Group LLC, www.JoshGibson.org.
SPONSORS
Lead Production Sponsor: PNC
Tuesday performance sponsor: Ambridge Regional Distribution and Manufacturing Center.
Production Sponsor: People’s Natural Gas
Sponsor: Highmark
Student Matinee sponsor: EQT Foundation. The EQT Foundation is the philanthropic arm of EQT Corporation, and is committed to the social and economic vitality of its operating regions. For more than a decade, the EQT Foundation has made a difference by supporting local programs and initiatives that involve education, community and economic development, diversity, the arts, and the environment. Together with a variety of non-profit organizations, the EQT Foundation develops strong partnerships that enrich our communities, sustain the principles of continuous learning and understanding, and focus on environmental protection efforts.
Select community events received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Fund
ADDITIONAL PARTNERS
The Summer King was commissioned by Portland Ovations, with development by American Opera Projects, and deeply appreciated continuing support for the Pittsburgh Opera world premiere from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Summer King has received major support from American Opera Projects, the National Endowment for the Arts, Bob Crewe Foundation, Maine Arts Commission and University of Southern Maine. The Summer King received its first public presentation as a concert performance on May 8, 2014 at Merrill Auditorium, Portland, Maine under the auspices of Portland Ovations in collaboration with the University of Southern Maine.
AOP’s mission is to identify, develop and present innovative works of opera and music theater by established and emerging American artists, and to engage our audiences in unique and transformative theatrical experiences.
Portland Ovations— a Maine based, not for profit performing arts organization— brings highly acclaimed, innovative and masterful artists from around the world, including Maine, representing classical music, jazz, dance, theater, and Broadway and connects them to our community through both live performances and season long educational and outreach programs, Ovations Offstage.
The Summer King composer Daniel Sonenberg is associate professor and resident composer at the University of Southern Maine School of Music. Located near the coastal and mountain regions of Maine in the heart of Maine's population center, the School is a vibrant hub of artistic and educational activity. They are the only School of Music in a public university in New England.
STUDENT MATINEE
Pittsburgh Opera is pleased to perform a Student Matinee of The Summer King - the Josh Gibson Story, for students in grades 3-12 on Thursday, May 4th at10:30 AM at the Benedum Center.
At least one teacher from each school must attend the prerequisite Workshop for Educators before tickets are issued.
Download or read our Student Matinee brochure. For more information about bringing your student group to the Student Matinee of The Summer King, please email Marilyn Egan, Director of Education, or call her at 412-281-0912, ext. 242.
The 2017 Pittsburgh Opera Student Matinee of The Summer King is generously sponsored by The EQT Foundation and Highmark.
WTAE-TV segment: Pittsburgh kids learn history through opera in 'The Summer King'
WTAE-TV aired a segment about our Student Matinee performance, where over 2,600 school children and their teachers came to the Benedum to see a special performance.
BENEDUM CENTER SAFETY & SECURITY STATEMENT AND BAG POLICY
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has implemented new security and bag policies, effective starting October 1, 2016, at the Benedum Center and their other venues.
You can read their Safety & Security statement, which includes an updated list of prohibited items, and read their Bag Policy, on their website.
