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The Piano Lesson Show Poster

The Piano Lesson Tickets

Set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1936, The Piano Lesson is the story of the Charles family as they battle their surroundings and each other over their shared legacy—an antique piano. The drama is the fourth play in August Wilson's epic Century Cycle.

This show is closed.

Performances ended on Jan. 20, 2013.

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About The Piano Lesson

Everything you need to know about the show.

The Story

What Is the Story of The Piano Lesson?
Set in 1936 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, The Piano Lesson centers around the Charles family, who must decide what to do with an heirloom piano that has been in the family for generations. When Boy Willie returns home from a Mississippi prison with his friend Lymon and a truck full of watermelons, he’s ready to purchase the land where his ancestors worked as slaves—if only he can find the money to buy it. He has his eyes on selling that intricately carved piano, but his sister Berniece demands that it stay in the family, even though she doesn’t play it. As tension mounts, the ghost of Sutter, the man who once owned the Charles family as slaves, comes back to haunt them.

Details

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Show Dates

Previews: Oct 31, 2012 • Opening: Nov 18, 2012 • Closing: Jan 20, 2013
Off-Broadway Plays Drama Award Winning

Official Tickets

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Video & Photos

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Theater

Learn more about the theater.

Irene Diamond Stage at The Signature Center

Hearing Assistance

Assisted listening devices for each theater per ADA requirements. Devices can be found in the central lobby prior to every performance.

Wheelchair Access

Fully wheelchair accessible.

Restrooms

Restrooms are located in accessible areas.

Accessible Seating

Accessible seats are available for each performance.
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480 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10019
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The Piano Lesson Reviews

Reviews from both critics and verified customers.

Critics’ Reviews (5)

A collection of our favorite reviews from professional news sources.

"[Brandon J.] Dirden, blunt, brusque, fast-talking, makes Boy Willie's verbal effusions a scrambling nonstop ride, perfectly balanced by [Roslyn] Ruff's steely, slow-burning determination."

The Village Voice

Michael Feingold

Newsday

"The first-rate production has been directed with meticulous care and a fantastically musical ear by Ruben Santiago-Hudson."

Newsday

Linda Winer

The New York Post

"22 years after its Broadway debut, this deeply moving work about the lingering scars of slavery on a 1930s Pittsburgh family is getting a sterling revival."

The New York Post

Frank Scheck

Entertainment Weekly

"And perhaps best of all is Tony winner Chuck Cooper ('The Life') as Doaker's 'big recording star' brother Wining Boy. His bluesy drunken ode to his recently departed wife, Cleotha, is heartbreaking."

Entertainment Weekly

Melissa Rose Bernardo

The New York Times

"This immensely satisfying show, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, an actor who has become an expert interpreter of Wilson’s work, brings a timely reminder of how consoling, how restorative, how emotionally sustaining great theater can be."

The New York Times

Charles Isherwood

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Cast & Creative

The current cast and creative team of the show.

Cast

Wining Boy
Eric Lenox Abrams
Avery
Jason Dirden
Lymon
Alexis Holt
Maretha
Mandi Masden
Grace
Berniece
James A. Williams
Doaker

Creative

Written by
August Wilson
Set Designer
Michael Carnahan
Costume Designer
Karen Perry
Lighting Designer
Rui Rita
Sound Designer
David Van Tieghem
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