Lovers of musicals can start 2026 with “Wicked.” The popular show takes center stage from Jan. 14 to Feb. 15 at the Benedum Center, as part of the 2025-26 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season announced Monday by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Presented in partnership with Broadway Across America, the series is a mix of newer selections and tried-and-true favorites. “Wicked” joins “A Beautiful Noise,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Clue,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Water for Elephants,” “Shucked” and “The Great Gatsby,” with three season options — “Six,” “Les Misérables” and “Chicago.”
Kendra Whitlock Ingram, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, called this series “another remarkable lineup.” The season begins Sept. 9 and runs through May 31. All shows are at the Benedum Center.
“Wicked,” a popular musical since its debut in 2003, has received renewed attention thanks to a film version released last year. The movie, which has grossed $747 million worldwide to date, won Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
Ingram said the movie has given “Wicked” a resurgence and a new audience, which is why it is getting a longer run than other shows — a full month, while most others are under a week. When announced, “Wicked” drew the biggest applause from the large crowd.
“People who have seen the movie may be inspired to see the live show,” she said. “Even before the film, it was an iconic musical and one that generations have come to see. It is such a timeless show.”
In the version coming to Pittsburgh, Austen Danielle Bohmer plays the role of Glinda and Lauren Samuels is Elphaba.
Another female-inspired show gaining popularity is “Six,” about the six wives of Henry VIII. It will be on stage Oct. 7 to 12.
“We like to bring in shows that have just come from Broadway,” Ingram said.
She said “Shucked” (April 14-19, 2026) is one of the stars of the season and will “have you laughing as you leave the theater.” “Water for Elephants” (March 31 to April 5, 2026) is a combination of puppetry and acrobatics and “has one of the best original scores.”
The Cultural Trust unveiled its upcoming Broadway shows with select highlights from the Pittsburgh Dance Council, Trust Cabaret and other Pittsburgh Cultural Trust series. The Pittsburgh Dance Council shows will be detailed April 19 when subscriptions go on sale for dates from September to May 2026.
Trust Cabaret shows will include performances by Eva Noblezada, Jeremy Jordan and others. These shows will be detailed early this summer when subscriptions go on sale for dates from October 2025 through May 2026.
Trust Family shows such as “Dog Man: The Musical” and “Dinosaur World LIVE” will be detailed in mid-May when single tickets and multi-show discounts go on sale for performances between September 2025 and April 2026. The Cultural Trust announced Liberty Magic shows in March such as Lucy Darling in “Indulgence” June 5 to 22; Michael Misko in “I Laugh in the Face of Magic” Aug. 15, Aug. 16, Oct. 3, Oct. 24, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1; and Mr. Messado in “School of Magic” April 6 to June 22.
“We’re thrilled to highlight dozens of sensational dance, cabaret, magic, live music and family-friendly events so audiences can mark their calendars now for can’t-miss attractions this fall and spring,” Brooke Horejsi, the Cultural Trust’s chief programming and engagement officer, said in a statement. “These cherished series will bring back returning audiences and hopefully welcome first-time visitors to our iconic theaters in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District.”
Horejsi said the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is about so much more than Broadway. That is why they discussed the new space to be ready for the 2026 National Football League draft coming to Pittsburgh called Arts Landing. It will be four acres of space in the Cultural District with a lawn area, a stage and the permanent home for the Three Rivers Arts Festival, starting in June 2026.
There will be room for public art installations and Downtown’s first playground in that area.
“We spend a lot of time looking at the calendar to schedule dates and also look to have something for everyone,” Horejsi said. “We were looking for the right artistic balance. Being in the same space for live theater, you can just feel the energy.”
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At the Monday night announcement, Alec Michael Ryan played songs from “A Beautiful Noise,” the musical about singer Neil Diamond. Ryan said the show delves in parts of Diamond’s story that some people might not know.
“He is such a part of pop culture,” Ryan said. “Some of his songs I have listened to my entire life.”
Another performance was from Natalia Vivino, who played the role of Elphaba in the national tour of “Wicked.” She emphasized that the movie and the show “give two different experiences.”
The Cultural Trust also teased a one-night-only performance by three-time Tony Award- winning star Patti LuPone, with the date not yet announced.
Details:TrustArts.org
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh season
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh 2025-26 season in conjunction with Broadway Across America. All shows will be at the Benedum Center.
”Wicked” — Jan. 14 to Feb. 15. “Wicked” looks at what happened in the Land of Oz but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald- green skin — smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships … until the world decides to call one “good” and the other one “wicked.”
”A Beautiful Noise” — Sept. 9-14. Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond, “A Beautiful Noise” is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-stopping American rock icon.
“Six” — Oct. 7-12. From Tudor queens to pop icons, the six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power.
“Hell’sKitchen” — Nov. 4-9. Ali is a 17-year-old girl full of fire — searching for freedom, passion and her place in the world. Music by Grammy Award-winner Alicia Keys.
“LesMisérables” — Nov. 25-30. Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, “Les Misérables” makes a triumphant return to Pittsburgh. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, “Les Misérables” is a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.
”Clue” — Dec. 30 to Jan. 4, 2026. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game.
”Beauty and the Beast” — Feb. 24 to March 1. Disney’s first North American production of the beloved musical in over 25 years. Members of the original creative team have reunited to bring this enchanting and timeless tale to life in a breathtaking musical filled with the romance and spectacle audiences know and love.
”Chicago” — March 10-15. “Chicago” is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.
”Water for Elephants” — March 31- April 5, 2026. The critically acclaimed bestselling novel is about a young man who jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life — and love — beyond his wildest dreams.
”Shucked” — April 14-19, 2026. “Shucked” is the Tony Award-winning musical comedy that is a corn-fed, corn-bred American musical sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.
”The Great Gatsby” — May 26-31, 2026. The Tony Award-winning new musical is based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Details: TrustArts.org