“A PITCH FROM SATCHEL PAIGE” LEADS OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT ZANKEL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL; PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE
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Rick Miramontez / Sam Corbett / David Estabrooks
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
IT’S A HOME RUN!
“A PITCH FROM SATCHEL PAIGE”
LEADS OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
TO STANDING OVATION AT CARNEGIE HALL
CHEERED ON BY AUDIENCE MEMBERS
INCLUDING BRONX STUDENT GROUPS
AND THE BROADWAY COMMUNITY
PHOTOS NOW AVAILABLE HERE
New York, NY (Wednesday, February 4, 2026) – A Pitch From Satchel Paige, the solo play about the life of one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time, made its New York City debut Monday night to a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall.
The one-night-only special performance celebrating the legend’s story and starring Russell C. Holt as the legendary Paige was produced by arts education advocate Gene Fisch Jr., leading off Black History Month at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on Monday, February 2.
In the spirit of accessibility to the arts and bringing people from all backgrounds together to share inspiring stories, tickets to the performance were provided to students from the South Bronx at Bronx Prep High School, as well as several foster children from the city.
“More than ever, we need to come together as one and find common ideologies; this story has the power to inspire and connect us all,” said Gene Fisch Jr. “This show, this message grants the audience an opportunity to rally around a superhero whose journey resonates with all who love sports and all who can appreciate greatness in the face of adversity.”
Photos from the evening’s festivities and behind-the-scenes rehearsal shots are now available for download here.
Before there was a hit by Jackie Robinson, there was a pitch from Satchel Paige. A Pitch From Satchel Paige is a solo play by father-son duo Loren and Jim Keller that brings the audience face-to-face with one of the greatest baseball pitchers of all time – and certainly one of the best storytellers. Paige’s story is one of overcoming the hardships of poverty and bigotry through talent, humor, and determination. “Satch” weaves a tale of challenge, inequality, accomplishment, and change, using exciting baseball moments and historical events to tell his story.
A Pitch From Satchel Paige is directed by Verneice Turner. The play previously made its world premiere for a limited engagement in April 2024 at the Paul Robeson Theatre in Buffalo, New York, after garnering attention with a 2018 launch at the New York New Works Theatre Festival.
B I O G R A P H I E S
Russell C. Holt (Satchel Paige) is an actor from Lackawanna, NY and an MFA Acting graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2022). He holds a BA in Media Studies (Video Production) with a Theatre minor from the University at Buffalo (2014). Since beginning his career in 2016, Russell has performed in Black Bear Island (Warren, Alleyway Theatre, 2025), A Pitch from Satchel Paige (Satchel Paige, Paul Robeson Theatre, 2024), and The Homecoming (Lenny, Torn Space Theater, 2023). He appears on screen in the Amazon Prime film Family Before Everything (Big Rick).
Verneice Turner (Director) Artie Awards (3) & Buffalo Spree Best Actress Award winner, started out at the African American Cultural Center of Buffalo NY, and she continued her study of the performing arts at SUNYAB. She has performed in productions in WNY & beyond, including Off-Broadway (NFT & NEC) as well as directed. She was the Artistic Director of The AACC ‘s Paul Robeson Theatre, from May 2023 to June 2024, mounting several productions, including A Pitch From Satchel Paige.
Jim Keller (Playwright) is a professional communicator with a varied background. He started as a city reporter in Upstate New York, then transitioned to sports marketing in NYC where he worked with and wrote about some of the greatest athletes and sporting events of recent generations. After serving as a spokesperson in Westchester County government, he spent the bulk of his career with IBM communications. He has taught writing courses at Marist College and Western Connecticut State University.
A Pitch from Satchel Paige was Jim’s first play and he also collaborated with his father, Loren Keller, on a two-person drama, Whitman/Wilde. Jim is writing two musical adaptations from film to the stage and working on an original comedic musical, tentatively called That Senior Moment.
Gene Fisch Jr (Producer) has spent two decades advocating for underrepresented voices to reach the stage and to provide exposure to the arts for those not typically given such opportunities. He regularly takes students from the South Bronx to the MET, to NYC theatre, and now to Carnegie Hall. He is a facilitator for LGBTQ shows reaching the stage, has invested and helped bring dozens of shows written by women, people of color, and those who could not afford to produce their work in an effort to literally change the landscape of theater. CFO of Alpha Innovations, adjunct prof “Best Instructor” award at Steven’s Institute of Technology, Flotilla Commander U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, certified rescue diver, two-time Ironman, lectures at MIT on occasion, co-authored thesis producing an automobile in India that gets 173mpg (out of MIT)— rounds out a wonderful set of resources to better the arts community.
A B O U T C A R N E G I E H A L L
Since 1891, New York City’s Carnegie Hall has set the international standard for excellence in performance. From Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Mahler, and Bartók to George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Judy Garland, and The Beatles, music-making by a long list of artists representing the best of every genre has filled Carnegie Hall over the years.
Today, the venue remains one of the world’s greatest concert halls and an active cultural destination for artists and audiences with offerings including series curated by acclaimed artists and composers, citywide festivals featuring collaborations with leading cultural institutions, orchestral performances, chamber music, new music concerts, and recitals; and the best in jazz, global, and popular music. Complementing hundreds of performances on its stages each season, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute creates extensive music education and social impact programs that serve hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, playing a central role in Carnegie Hall’s commitment to making great music accessible to as many people as possible. For more information, please visit carnegiehall.org.
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