Tag Archives: Duke Ellington

Celebrate Gene Kelly's Birthday!

Cropped screenshot of Gene Kelly from the trai...
Image via Wikipedia

Another fun Pittsburgh trivia fact is that Gene Kelly – the iconic American actor, dancer and singer in the rain – was born in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh.  The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty is named after Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn (another Pittsburgher who is best known for collaborating with Duke Ellington).

The Kelly-Strayhorn Theater opened in East Liberty in 1914 as the Regent Theater and has had many different roles through out the years.  11 years ago the theater was reopened with the new name of the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater.  You can read more about the history of the theater here. Continue reading