After waiting more than 26 years, an estimated 250,000 members of the Steeler Nation poured into downtown Pittsburgh to celebrate the Steelers Super Bowl victory on Tuesday.

Michael Bartley followed the team to Detroit, and he followed them downtown this morning.

And we'll have his report coming up.

Also tonight, we'll show you why local young people are planting daffodil bulbs in the frozen ground this month, and we'll take you backstage to find out what makes Pittsburgh Public Theater so successful.

It's all coming up next, so stay connected.

Welcome to OnQ magazine.

I'm Stacey Smith, no one, not the Steelers, the city.

No one expected this large, large number of fans who came downtown this morning for the Super Bowl celebration parade and rally, 250,000 people came downtown.

And OnQ, managing editor Michael Bartley was there and brings you the sights and the sounds of this sweet victory party.

9:30 on a freezing February morning, when you see the Gateway Clipper pulling out, jammed with Steelers fans, you know it's no ordinary Tuesday.

Several hours before the parade even started, downtown streets and sidewalks became way too narrow for the size of this crowd as fans competed for space.

You're going to have to back up onto the sidewalks to clear the streets.

We somehow made it up to Fifth and Market streets.

Unbelievable.

The entire Fifth Avenue is so jammed.

20-30 people deep in most spots.

My home is Brownsville Man, these kids are excited.

Yes, they are cold.

Cold and excited Pittsburgh.

Lets go Steelers!

And as the parade inched toward us.

The crowd erupted.

And I love this Steelers.

About halfway through the parade.

This is the street.

Now.

Parade can hardly get through.

I hear at Fifth and Forbes they shows what they can do.

They do it right.

Great.

It's crazy banana.

Oh its great!

The parade moved carefully, ever so slowly, as the tens of thousands of fans ignored police requests to stay off the street.

Fans couldn't help it.

They swarmed the players who really didn't seem to mind.

I think this is unbelievable.

You know, when you when you come to a place you never expect to be as crazy.

Im from Florida, we have a lot of rabid Gator fans, but these Steeler fans definitely take the cake.

We just appreciate you showing the support.

Love throughout all the years, especially this year.

We can give them a gift.

So great.

Like bringing back The world championship back in Pittsburgh.

The cheering became deafening.

Just take a look and listen.

This is fabulous.

The spirit is great.

You can see the players are psyched up.

And what a great win and a great storybook finish.

Middle of the season people wrote the Steelers off.

They came back.

Just made the playoffs, won on the road three tough games.

And then what better ending than Jerome Bettis winning the Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit and retiring.

Mr.

Mrs.

Bettis, ladies and gentlemen.

Number One!

Number One!

Hes caught the most balls than any other wide receiver.

And he is now the newest MVP of the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl 40 give it up for Hines Ward!

I know the, the city of Pittsburgh.

We've been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Trust me.

Last year, coming a game short.

We want to bow to you guys because this is where a championship truly belongs.

In the city of Pittsburgh.

But for us to go out there and fight and have the black and gold with the terrible towel wave, it's truly, I got chills down my back right now looking at the sea of black and gold.

This is also yours.

Every one of you!

I'm just so thankful for everything that this city has been able to give me.

I'm just so happy to be able to give to this city the one for the thumb.

This has been a long time coming.

I want to say thank you.

No, thank all of you.

God bless you.

Thank you.

One-Two-Three Go Steelers!

Thank you all for coming here You rock baby!

What a sight.

Sea of black and gold that was ever put together.

You know, I ran into Guy Costa along the parade route, and I said, what's the estimate?

He said 250,000 because he was.

They count the way the count is that along the parade route.

But the buildings, every parking lot, they were hanging as well out of the window, fire escapes in the windows.

I mean, it could have been well beyond 250,000, no question.

I can't remember what the estimated crowd was when the Penguins won the Stanley.

That was a big time.

That was big.

They came back into town, they had a parade and they were at the, at the pavilion at Point State Park.

And in the park was was packed.

But I don't think it was as large as this was today.

A lot of the people were saying even, even back in the 70s, when when the Pirates won and the Steelers won, that they never saw a crowd like this.

And all's well that ends well.

But but, you know, I got to tell you, there were some parents there that were quite nervous, particularly, you know, where they made the speech, where they had the rally.

They were the crowd was sort of fenced in on three sides, and, and I talked to some parents who had kids in strollers.

And when the Steelers came, the crowds sort of, you know, how they had big crowds.

Do you want to be closer up and stuff?

I also had reports of, it's, sort of fifth and Smithfield.

Some people may have hurt their ankles, that kind of thing, but, you know, all in all, when I got there, the the police were a touch nervous.

I don't think the city, the Steelers, anybody any better than this to be this anticipated this two on a Tuesday morning.

But, all's well that ends well.

The players particularly just had a ball.

They ate it up.

Yeah.

I was just going to ask you about the players.

Their looks had unbelievable in their eyes.

They were just they were so happy going down the.

My main vantage point was at Fifth Avenue and it didn't even matter.

You know, you'd think that they would be concerned about the crowd too.

When they swarm the cars they see, the players started dancing and high fiving everybody and doing interviews and and they were just they were just stood there with body surfing, the body surfing down Fifth Avenue.

And so, I mean, it was a major celebration.

You've had a great week and all of this.

I just think next year, oh yeah, we'll be in Miami next year.

Like a little different than another parade.

That's right Michael.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

And still to come, the promise of spring and a symbol of hope for women who have breast cancer.

We will tell you about a local daffodil planting effort that will take place this month.

And then after that, Pittsburgh's public theater.

See why it is so important to local theater goers of Pittsburgh's cultural district.

That's when OnQ continues to stay connected.

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For many people, daffodils are a sure sign of spring.

But for women with breast cancer, the flowers are a symbol of hope and this month, even though the air is cold and the ground is frozen, a group of young local women are planting bulbs that in the spring will turn into bright yellow blooms known as daffodils.

OnQ contributor and Post-Gazette columnist Doug Oster reports.

Here.

I just want them to know that someone cares, and I'm thinking about them.

And I look at their flowers like it will be a reminder of that for them.

How's the ground, Sally?

It's pretty hard, but 13 year old Sammy Sweeney of Franklin Park and her friends are volunteering to plant bulbs on one of the coldest days of the year.

They're from the Ingomar United Methodist Church in the North Hills.

At this stop, they're working at Kathy Gigliottis Aspinwall home.

She is battling breast cancer and looking forward to seeing the flowers bloom.

Daffodils happen to be my favorite flower, so when I see them, I'll think of them.

I'll think of their kindness, their generosity and just the support that they're giving many, many people with doing this.

And I hope that they can know that they're doing something that really is meaningful to someone else.

I think it may be too hard.

Sammy also receives something special from planting the reward of knowing that I did something for someone else.

It just feels good, you know?

You don't get a prize or anything for planting flowers for someone, except that it makes you feel good.

The Daffodil Project is one of the many things radio personality Bonny Diver does to help women with breast cancer.

She organized the girls and asked Hahn Nursery to donate the bulbs.

Bonny sees the daffodils is something that provides hope in the springtime, when all this cold and deadness that's all around us and in the ground and everything in the trees are all brown.

Everything.

When that all starts to come back to life, the flowers are going to come back up and it's going to be a reminder to these women that we're, you know, still with them.

You guys have the bulbs?

Bonnie started helping women after her own experience with cancer.

Yeah, it's very hard to maintain who you are and to maintain your sense of independence.

When you're going through an illness and you don't feel well.

The project started actually from my illness two and a half years ago.

I had breast cancer.

I'm doing very well now, and I'm because I've been in radio, I wanted to be able to give back, in whatever way that my talent had for me.

But Bonnie's commitment goes beyond planting flowers.

And women need help with money for chemotherapy for their wigs, because four out of five insurance companies will not pay for the wig.

At first, she gave vouchers to help pay for the wigs, but after meeting some of the women, she realized they needed more.

So she organized volunteers to rake leaves, make meals and just about anything else to help.

The group is called Hairpeace That's P-E-A-C-E because of the peace that you get that we are hoping to give you through your treatment and and just to be there and support women.

Another important part of Bonnie's program is the gift of something called a prayer quilt.

Each woman she visits gets one.

The quilt is something that covers them up.

We have knots that are put in them that are made by these women that I know.

And throughout their treatment, throughout a week or two, as they're going work to start the prayer quilt, we'll tie a knot at different times of the day or any other day or whatever, and say a prayer for that person.

So it's a great way to cover them with prayers, to uplift them, to have that carried on with them.

Shannon Riley of Baldwin feels a special connection to her prayer quilt.

It's a tough fight, and it gives you something to hold on to on the inside, it says Gently sewn for Shannon Riley.

Shannon has had a particularly rough time first brain cancer and now breast cancer.

She's been undergoing chemotherapy for a year, and the prayer quilt has helped her through the ordeal.

It's been quite a comfort.

It's it's it's more than a gift.

It's something I'll treasure.

So lots of emotion, lots of warm feeling trickled over me.

On the outside.

Shannon's new friends are planting those daffodils to come up in the spring.

Inside, she has the support of old friends.

I think it's awesome.

I think it's wonderful.

We've watched her and watched her fall and pick herself back up and found herself back up again.

And every time we see her come in, she comes in with a bright face and bright smile and she's never, ever once let her down.

Its It's a really cold morning to be doing this.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

That's one of the reasons this program was such a success Group hug, group hug.

Even though these volunteers bring happiness and hope, they also learn a valuable lesson about life.

This is just.

It gives them a little bit more deeper meaning and to the importance of of friends and help.

And we are told that Hairpeace will hold a fundraiser on Saturday, February the 18th from seven until ten.

That fundraiser will take place at the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, located at 200 Broad Street in Sewickley.

Doug Oster will be there along with some other local celebrities.

And there will also be a silent auction, some wine tasting and live entertainment.

It should be a very great event.

For more information, log on to our website wqed.org and Click the OnQ logo on the first page.

Now still to come, a true behind the scenes look at one of the cultural district's crown jewels, the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

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When Pittsburgh lost both the old and the new Nixon theaters, the city was saddled with a reputation of being unfriendly to national touring theater productions.

But all of that changed in 1975 when the Pittsburgh Public Theater opened its doors, and today the Pittsburgh public is host to productions such as the Importance of Being Earnest and The Piano Lesson, plays that are widely loved by people who love theater.

And tonight, OnQ contributor Minette Seate goes backstage to find out what really goes into making it public.

In case you'd forgotten, downtown Pittsburgh can be a sparkling, vibrant, and even funky place.

And if you're looking for jewels in the cultural district's crown, you've got to love the O'Riley.

Home to the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

The public joined the city's theater scene in 1975, and has been going and growing stronger ever since.

And the building is always being used.

I mean, for an inside look at what goes on at the PPT I sat down with artistic and executive Director Ted Pappas and asked him exactly what his job means.

Well, it means a lot of work.

It means a lot of fun.

It means, a lot of responsibility.

And it's a privilege.

It's, two different jobs.

One is making sure that, the right plays are chosen.

The right artists are invited to participate in the family of artists here.

The other part is to make sure that the theater is, solvent, paying its bills and making sure that we're, creating income for the company, participating in the community.

And, making sure that we're, a part of the community, that we're good citizens.

It's a big, operation here at the Public Theater.

We are not just a company.

We are a part of the cultural scene of Pittsburgh and of the state of Pennsylvania.

And we are, a partner with the schools and, with the city of Pittsburgh and making sure that, students are brought in.

That's all part of my job, you know?

Plus, I direct shows, I put on plays and so.

Youre pretty much the prince of multitasking that you've been a director, a choreographer, a producer.

You've done everything in the theater.

Well, I always did, even before I came here, to Pittsburgh.

My career has always been unique in that it has, tremendous variety.

I've worked in opera.

I've worked on television for many years.

I've worked in Las Vegas and, I've worked on Broadway and off Broadway and all around the country.

So when this wonderful opportunity came up to come to Pittsburgh and run the Pittsburgh Public Theater, it seemed like a perfect fit.

I can bring all the various experiences, to play here.

And if, as they say, the play is the thing, the Publics put on quite a few and they've added to the city's cultural profile.

When you choose your roster for the season, I noticed you guys do not tend to shy away from difficult work or something that might be, well, yeah.

I think it depends who you speak to.

I mean, I think, the seasons reflect as much my taste personally as anything else.

I think that's one of the prerogatives of being artistic director is, I get to pick the plays, and I tend to pick plays that I'm really anxious to direct or just dying to see.

And it sort of is a good match between me and the city of Pittsburgh.

We seem to have the same kind of curiosity, and I know that in a season I can do a big Shakespeare or a big Greek tragedy and a musical comedy and, a more poetic work and something very cutting edge and take a chance on a premiere or two.

And every now and then there's a big hit show like, By Jeeves or the Chief or Man of La Mancha, or The Piano Lesson.

It's all part of the mix, and I like that.

It's diverse and, both modern and classic and, we stick to that.

That's part of our mission is, variety and quality.

And that's the theater really trying things out there and so.

Sure.

Yeah.

Going to plays is fun.

Going to plays is fun.

I mean, first of all, you're in a room alive with the artists.

They're doing their art in front of you.

And the fact that they would have opinions about something as simple as fundraising.

As you're sitting there.

It's not a movie.

It's not television, which I love.

I love all of that, I love radio But in the theater, the artist is right in front of you doing their great work, and you're sitting with all of these people and you're part of a community.

And when you grow up, make sure you marry a man just like the Gaines boy.

The theater is spectacular.

Located on Penn Avenue in the heart of the cultural district, it's the biggest star as any person on its stage.

Tell me about this amazing building.

The O'Reilly theater is the home of Pittsburgh Public Theater, and it opened in 1999.

And the first show in it was King Hedley, The Second.

The world premiere of a play by August Wilson.

And it is a beautiful building designed by Michael Graves, who is a tremendous contemporary architect and designer.

And it's unique.

We have a beautiful rehearsal hall that we use for parties and for board meetings and of course, for rehearsals.

We have an auditorium that seats about 600 to 650, that has no pillars.

And, every seat is a great seat.

You're never too far from the action.

Oh, this is pretty.

This is our pub on the second floor of the O'Reilly theater.

I love to look out at the city and, at night, it's all lit up.

And I'm just glad that the building has a lot of windows.

You always feel like you're part of the city here at the Public Theater.

It's great.

It's a really cool spot.

Yeah, it's a beautiful space.

And then there's August Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright who shared a special relationship with the Public Theater.

August Wilson is a miracle in the American theater.

An absolute miracle.

I think he single handedly brought the great dramatic American play back to Broadway.

Along the way, however, Pittsburgh Public Theater was one of his main stops.

Sometimes it was the beginning of the plays.

The debuts of the plays, and often we were one of the first companies to get the plays after they left Broadway, and it's just been a tremendous relationship.

We're very saddened by his passing because we love him so much as a friend and as an inspiration the whole city does.

But our relationship with the Public Theater was very intimate and very special, and we're very grateful to be continuing the production of his plays and the legacy of his work.

There are all sorts of fabulous people here.

There's the gorgeous Dianne Carroll.

After talking with him, I understood a little bit more how people get hooked on a life in the theater.

It's like Ted says, you plan and you plan and you plan and you write and you rewrite and you cast and you direct and you stage and you put costumes on it.

But it's not a play until it's in front of an audience.

And that's the miracle that happens every night at the Pittsburgh Public Theater And for more information about performances at the O'Reilly, you can log on to our website wqed.org.

Click the OnQ logo on the first page, and then we will be able to link you to the Pittsburgh Public Theater website.

And before we go, here is a look at some of the other stories that are coming up this week.

Tomorrow night, Pittsburgh's Hill District.

It's an area full of history, a piece of Pittsburgh that has seen better days and recent hard times.

Well look back on the hill district in its heyday.

And today, we'll also look at how a new arena and possible casino could affect the future of this local community.

Thursday night, our region's next renaissance.

That's the name of a special OnQ series of town hall meetings focused on improving southwestern Pennsylvania.

This time, we'll look at civic engagement, getting residents directly involved in the planning and revitalization of their neighborhoods.

Stay connected.

All this week OnQ And thank you for watching.

We will see you live at 7:30 tomorrow night.

Stay connected and have a good night.