Scott N Andrew

Suite Life

2022-2023

opening%20credits%20copy-5228 Building on John Shannon’s 2021 reinvention of Suite Life, Kelly Strayhorn Theater invited audiences to experience the music of composer Billy Strayhorn and the imagery of performer Gene Kelly in an unforgettable theatrical jazz benefit concert. Under the stage direction of Monteze Freeland (Co-Artistic Director of City Theatre) and musical direction of Akron-based Theron Brown, vocalists Anita Levels (a Pittsburgh favorite) with Kelsey Robinson and Treasure Treasure (Dance & vocals), James Johnson III (Drums), Jordan McBride (Bass), Reggie Watkins (Trombone), and John Shannon (Guitar) himself, the audiences swooned through an unmissable evening, with media design by artist Scott Andrew, and lighting design by Madeleine Steineck.

2023's iteration featured music director and pianist Dr. Alton Merrell, as well as band members: Dwayne Dolphin (bass), James Johnson III (drum), and Colter Harper (guitar). The concert also featured jazz singer and Billy Strayhorn aficionado Joshua Banbury, along with Suite Life veterans kelsey jumper and Treasure Treasure. Media design by artist Scott Andrew, and lighting design by Madeleine Steineck created a dazzling visual experience immersed in the shower of rich and lush harmonies.

For this production Scott worked closely with executive director Joseph Hall and Artistic Director Ben Pryor.

Suite Life

  • Stage Director (2022): Monteze Freeland
  • Musical Director (2022): Theron Brown
  • Vocalist (2022): Anita Levels
  • Dancer and Vocalist (2022, 2023): Kelsey Robinson
  • Dancer and Vocalist (2022, 2023): Treasure Treasure
  • Drums (2022, 2023): James Johnson III
  • Bass (2022): Jordan McBride
  • Guitar (2022): John Shannon
  • Media Designer (2022, 2023): Scott Andrew
  • Lighting Designer (2022, 2023): Madeleine Steineck
  • Music Director and Pianist (2023): Dr. Alton Merrell
  • Bass (2023): Dwayne Dolphin
  • Guitar: Colter Harper
  • Featured Jazz Vocalist (2023): Joshua Banbury
  • Executive Director : Joseph Hall
  • Artistic Director: Ben Pryor

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Gallery

Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn in a vibrant pink and orange gradient, with "SUITE LIFE" in white text at the top. Dark auditorium with a stage featuring musical instruments, bathed in pink and orange light, with two screens displaying collages. Bald man in yellow jacket and brown pants speaks at a podium on a dark stage, lit by a warm spotlight. Man in dark suit playing guitar, side profile, with drummer blurred in background, stage lighting. Man playing upright bass on stage with music stand, guitar, and amp; abstract background with car image. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023) shows a live band on stage with a large projection of a man's face behind them. Man in suit and glasses at a Yamaha grand piano, holding up two fingers, with a green and orange blurred background. A band performs on a stage with a large screen displaying abstract purple and white shapes, under purple lighting. Jazz band on stage with piano, bass, and drums, performing in front of a large screen displaying purple and white abstract shapes. Man in pinstripe suit singing into a microphone on a dark stage, illuminated by purple light from the left. Two singers, one bald with a dark patterned dress, the other with hair in a bun and a black outfit, singing into microphones on a blue stage. Two dancers in yellow coats, one in black, one in red, perform on a dark stage with musicians and a green-blue backdrop. A woman speaks at a podium on a stage with a man, piano, and instruments, in front of a screen displaying "SUITE LIFE. A man in a striped suit sings into a microphone on stage, with a large projected image of two men in uniform behind him. Two singers on a dark stage with musicians, illuminated by a spotlight, with green digital lines projected on the back wall. A pink and orange "Suite Life" QR code display on a table, surrounded by brochures, with blurred neon lights in the background. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023): A man plays a grand piano on stage, illuminated by a purple-hued projection. Man in dark suit playing a grand piano on stage, with a bassist to his right, against a vibrant yellow and purple abstract projection. A jazz trio performs on a dark stage before a large screen displaying abstract green shapes. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023) shows four musicians on stage, with a large screen displaying abstract purple and white shapes. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023) features a pianist and cellist on a dark stage, with abstract purple and white projections. Dark stage with musicians, a pianist, and a bassist, under purple and blue lights, with abstract purple and green projections. Two women in jumpsuits dance on a dark stage with a green screen, a pianist, and a bassist. Bald dancer in gray suit mid-leap on a dark stage, with a pianist in the blurred background. A bald person in a grey suit dances on stage, arms bent, hands open, with another dancer blurred in the background. A male singer in a pinstripe suit and loafers performs on stage, holding a microphone under purple lights, with a pianist in the background. A man in a pinstripe suit sings into a microphone on a stage bathed in purple and blue spotlights. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023) shows a musician in a dark suit playing an instrument on a stage, illuminated by orange and blue spotlights. Two women singing on a dark stage, illuminated by spotlights. One wears a long, dark gown, the other a dark dress and boots. Woman with hair in a bun singing into a microphone on stage, illuminated by purple and blue lights. A man in a dark suit sits on a stool, playing an acoustic guitar under purple and blue stage lights, with sheet music on a stand. Two people in yellow raincoats dance on stage with a band, against a green and blue lit backdrop. A performer in a patterned outfit stands on a stage with a large screen displaying "SUITE LIFE" in gradient colors. Three musicians on a dark stage, illuminated by spotlights, perform in front of a large screen displaying a projected image of dancers. Two dancers in dark suits perform on a stage with a band, bathed in red and purple stage lights. A singer in a striped suit performs on stage with a drummer and guitarist under purple and red lights. Dark stage with two singers in spotlights, band members, and a starry blue projection on a screen behind them. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023) features a musician playing guitar on a stool, with a drummer in the background, against a dark stage with projected abstract lights. Suite Life" title in white on a bright magenta screen, with a grand piano and music stand silhouetted below. Bald man in leather jacket and plaid pants speaks into a microphone, hands gesturing, on a dark stage with warm spotlights. A person in a red hat and black clothing stands on a stage, speaking into a microphone, with a purple "Suite Life" screen behind them. A man reads from a podium on a stage with a grand piano, drums, and a large purple screen displaying "SUITE LIFE" and two men's faces. A musician with curly hair plays a cello on stage, a grand piano to his left, and a large purple projection of a man's face behind him. Bald man in a patterned suit jacket playing a trombone on a stage, with black and white projections of men in suits behind him. A jazz band performs on stage with a large blue screen displaying "SUITE LIFE" and portraits of musicians. A man in a suit with glasses and curly hair smiles, holding a microphone, next to a grand piano on a stage with a blue background. A man in a suit plays a grand piano on a stage bathed in warm, orange light, with a bassist in the background. A man with glasses and curly hair plays a grand piano on a dark stage, illuminated by warm spotlights. A male guitarist in a hat plays an orange electric guitar on a stage with a red backdrop and drummer. A man in a fedora plays a red electric guitar while seated on a stool, with a drummer in the background. Two musicians, one at a grand piano and one with a double bass, silhouetted against a vibrant red background. Jazz quartet performs on a dark stage with a large screen displaying abstract blue and purple patterns behind them. A jazz band performs on a dark stage with a large screen displaying abstract white and purple tree-like patterns behind them. Jazz quartet on a dark stage, large screen behind them displaying a purple-hued abstract image. A Black woman with an afro, wearing a sequined dress and long black gloves, sings into a microphone against a blue background. A Black woman sings on stage in a sequined dress and silver boots, a man plays piano behind her. Singer with curly brown hair, in a shimmering dress and long gloves, holding a microphone on a dark stage with red lights. Bald man in a dark suit playing a trombone on stage, with a microphone in front and a blurry, colorful projection behind him. Performer in a dark vest and white shirt holds a microphone, looking right, with another performer's back visible in the foreground. Two musicians, one at a grand piano and another with a double bass, perform on a stage with a purple and red abstract light projection. Two musicians, one on grand piano and one on upright bass, perform on a stage with a mottled green and purple backdrop. Two musicians, one on grand piano and one on upright bass, perform on stage with a yellow and purple patterned backdrop. Two women in suits dance on a stage with dark background, one smiling broadly, the other looking left. Scott N Andrew's "Suite Life" (2022-2023) shows a band performing on a stage with a large screen displaying a black and white image of a man playing a saxophone, surrounded by purp A singer in a sparkly dress performs on stage with a pianist, bassist, drummer, and trombonist, against a projected blue image of a man's face. Night shot of an ornate building with "Gone Really Billy Strayhorn" in blue neon, pink light from inside, and a person on the sidewalk.