One of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history is returning to Pittsburgh — and it’ll be roaring at the Benedum Center for an extended run. The 2026-27 PNC Broadway Series and Cultural Trust season, announced via a Monday-night livestream, contains a quartet of Pittsburgh premieres and several musical-theater classics.
The 2026-27 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series and Cultural Trust Season Offer Favorites and Local Premieres
Disney’s The Lion King
The 2026-27 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series will begin with a return engagement for Disney’s The Lion King. The top grossing show in the history of Broadway, The Lion King has played continuously in New York since 1997, winning six Tony awards after its debut. The show will on September 9 return to the Benedum Center after a 7-year absence. The Lion King will stick around longer than most touring productions, staying Downtown for an extended run through September 27.
Hadestown
After The Lion King, a more recent hit will make its second stop in the city. The national tour of Hadestown, the critically acclaimed take on Greek mythology by Anaïs Mitchell, opens on October 27.
The Notebook
It’ll be quickly followed by the season’s first regional premiere: The Notebook, adapted from the hit romcom, opens on November 10.
Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Thanksgiving weekend will quite firmly be given over to the yuletide — or Whoville, at least — at the Benedum, as Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical plays from November 24-29.
Maybe Happy Ending
The calendar year will end with another local premiere: Maybe Happy Ending, winner of the 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical, will play the Benedum from December 29-January 3, 2027, as part of its first national tour. The Korean musical follows two robots navigating artificial life and love; it debuted in Seoul in 2016 before a much-awarded 2024 Broadway bow.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music
A classic follows, as the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein masterpiece The Sound of Music opens January 19, 2027.
Beetlejuice The Musical
Next: Beetlejuice the Musical, in town for a three-day run from February 5-7, 2027.
Death Becomes Her
Broadway hit Death Becomes Her, adapted from the cult-classic film comedy, will make its Pittsburgh premiere beginning February 23, 2027.
The Phantom of the Opera
Two classics surround another premiere to round out the season. The Phantom of the Opera will open March 17, 2027.
The Outsiders A New Musical
A month later, another recent Best Musical winner, The Outsiders, makes its first local stop, beginning April 27.
The Who’s Tommy
The season concludes with The Who’s Tommy, running from May 18-23, 2027.
Cabaret, Dance and More Set for a Big Year Downtown
The livestream — which was accompanied by a raucous watch party at the Trust’s Greer Cabaret Theater — also previewed events in several other enduring series from the Trust.
“Last year alone, more than 600,000 people visited the Cultural District for events presented by the Cultural Trust,” said Kendra Whitlock Ingram, the Cultural Trust’s President and CEO, as part of the livestream. Citing the role of the Trust and arts activations in the ongoing redevelopment of several Downtown spaces, Whitlock Ingram added, “this kind of revitalization doesn’t happen without the arts.”
Five shows from the Pittsburgh Dance Council were also confirmed on Monday, including return engagements from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Pilobolus. The Trust Cabaret Subscription Series — perennially sold out, but with waitlist options available — will welcome five globally recognized vocalists for one-night performances: Jennifer Simard (September 28), Carnegie Mellon alum Christian Borle (November 16), Caissie Levy (February 8, 2027), Lorna Courtney (March 22, 2027), and Jeremy Jordan (May 10, 2027).
A full slate of performers at close-up magic venue Liberty Magic, beginning with hometown hero Lee Terbosic from July 10-August 1, was also announced.
And So Much More…
A dozen shows in the popular and wide-ranging Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents series were also announced. Wynton Marsalis will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to the Byham Theater on October 17. Shit-faced Shakespeare will return after this year’s engagement, defiling Macbeth at the Greer Cabaret Theater from February 24-March 7, 2027. Rhiannon Giddens will perform at the Byham on February 20, 2027. And — alert your children, if they can wait 14 months — a one-day stop from the touring production Clifford the Big Red Dog: The Musical is set for May 15, 2027. The diverse lineup includes music, theater, family entertainment, comedy and more.
The full lineup of 2026-27 shows — more than 50 total — can be found here.
Story by Sean Collier
Featured Photo Courtesy of Disney’s The Lion King
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