Pirates' pitcher Steven Brault takes center stage with Pittsburgh Symphony

Which is more nerve-wracking: taking the mound at PNC Park or the stage in Heinz Hall?

For Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steven Brault, both are more exciting than anxiety-producing.

A vocal performance major in college, Brault will sing two numbers with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during “Blockbuster Broadway!” performances Feb. 7-9 in Heinz Hall.

“I’ve always liked being in the spotlight,” says the 27-year-old southpaw. “I use the pressure to challenge myself.”

Brault started playing organized baseball at age 6 in his native San Diego, Calif., where he still lives in the off-season. He started singing in fifth grade and first ventured into community theater in sixth grade.

He says he sees a similarity between music and baseball.

“Routine and rhythm are very important in both,” he says. “In music, you compete against yourself. In baseball, you’re competing against the other guy, especially as a pitcher.”

New album coming

With PSO, Brault will solo on “The Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera” and will be joined by the Hamlisch-Page Student Choir for “Seasons of Love” from “Rent.”

His two numbers are among 12 songs from Broadway musicals featured on his upcoming album, “A Pitch At Broadway,” to be released April 3 on his own label, Brault Productions.

Recorded over “two non-stop weeks,” Brault says the album includes “solos and guest singers and some of the best L.A. session musicians who’ve played with every band you’ve ever heard of.”

“Blockbuster Broadway!” performances also will feature vocalists Jessica Hendy, Kelli Rabke and Kerry O’Malley, along with guest conductor Stuart Chafetz.

Heinz Hall won’t be the largest stage on which Brault has performed, if you want to call PNC Park a stage. Brault sang the national anthem before a game in 2018 and another in 2019.

During off-seasons, Brault has been lead singer for a band called Street Gypsies that plays both classic rock covers and original songs.

“We’re not playing right now,” Brault says. “One guy is in L.A. acting and another one is playing with another band, and I’ve got baseball.”

‘Fire in our bellies’

Music has to take a back seat to his day job, anyway, when the season gets underway.

“I have to put it on pause and put my time into baseball,” he says. “But I’ll still sing in the car, play my guitar in my hotel room and at home. The off-season is more about music.”

Brault will have to hustle to get from Heinz Hall to spring training in Bradenton, Fla. Pirates pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb. 10, with their first workout two days later.

He says he hopes fans who have been disappointed and disillusioned lately will keep an open mind as the season gets underway.

“The way I look at it, we had a good first half (last season) and the worst second half that we could possibly have,” he says. “Now we have new coaches, a new GM, new faces. They’ve been able to re-spark and reignite a fire in our bellies.

“We have a young team. We don’t have a bad team, we just had a team that performed poorly in the second half,” he adds. “We’ll be right there with everyone else this year — I can promise you that.”