CLO Announces Casts for Summer Musicals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aja Jones
412-281-3973 ext. 224
ajones@pittsburghCLO.org
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Pittsburgh CLO’s 2014 Summer Season is 

Purring with Broadway’s Best and Brightest Stars!

First casting announcement for summer festival of musicals

Pittsburgh, PA • May 5, 2014 - Pittsburgh CLO’s 2014 Summer Season will be highlighted by incredible performances courtesy of Broadway stars, veterans of the stage and screen and Pittsburgh’s finest local performers!

Singin’ in the Rain, May 30 – June 8

David Elder returns to Pittsburgh CLO as Don Lockwood after charming audiences with his portrayal of Bobby Pepper in the 2010 production of Curtains, a role he also enjoyed in the Broadway production.  Mr. Elder previously appeared in the Broadway productions of 42nd Street; Kiss Me, Kate; Titanic; Once Upon a Mattress; Beauty and the Beast; Damn Yankees and Guys and Dolls.

Mary Michael Patterson will be taking a brief hiatus as Christine Daaé in Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera to join the cast as Kathy Selden. She made her Broadway debut with the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Anything Goes. During the run she had the good fortune of performing the role of Hope Harcourt numerous times. Ms. Patterson also played Liesl in The Sound of Music benefit concert at Carnegie Hall.

Cary Tedder returns to Pittsburgh as our favorite sidekick, Cosmo Brown, after appearing in the Broadway premiere of Big Fish last year.  He also counts the Broadway productions of Memphis and The Times They are A-Changin’ among his many credits.  

Legally Blonde The Musical, June 13 - 22

Kathleen Monteleone joins Pittsburgh CLO for the first time as Elle Woods, fresh off her Broadway debut role as Heather Stovall in the world premiere of Hands on a Hardbody.  She previously appeared as Elle in the National Tour of Legally Blonde The Musical, and was a finalist on NBC’s "GREASE: You’re the One That I Want."

Matthew Scott returns to Pittsburgh CLO as Emmett after starring as Joe Gillis in the critically-acclaimed production of Sunset Boulevard.  His Broadway credits include Sondheim on Sondheim, A Catered Affair, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Jersey Boys.  He recently appeared in the world premiere production of Beaches at Signature Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Sarrah Strimel began her training as a student at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy before continuing on to great success in the Broadway productions of The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Rock of Ages, Big Fish and Catch Me If You Can.  She now returns to her hometown as fitness guru Brooke Taylor-Windham.

Footloose, June 24 - 29

Patrick Cassidy has amassed countless television, film and stage credits throughout his distinguished career. This season he’ll join Pittsburgh CLO as Reverend Shaw Moore.

Dee Hoty starred on Broadway as Vi Moore and returns to Pittsburgh CLO to appear in the role which earned her a Tony Award® nomination.  She also received Tony Award® nominations for her starring roles in The Will Rogers Follies and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public.  Among her countless credits, she has starred on Broadway as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! and as Mrs. MacAfee in Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Bye Bye Birdie.

Billy Hartung is a Pittsburgh native joining the cast of Footloose as Cowboy Bob.  He starred as Chuck Cranston in the Broadway production, during which time his wife was expecting the birth of their daughter Elizabeth, who will also appear in this Pittsburgh CLO premiere!

Twelve Pittsburgh CLO Academy students and a host of Pittsburgh CLO alumni will round out this impressive cast!

Evita, July 8 – 13

Caroline Bowman leads the cast in this Broadway National Tour as Eva Perón after appearing in the Tony Award®-winning Broadway premiere of Kinky Boots.  Her credits also include Broadway’s Wickedand the tours of Monty Python’s Spamalot, Fame: The Musical and Grease.

Josh Young joins the cast of Evita as Che.  He received a 2012 Tony Award® nomination and Theatre World Award for his critically-acclaimed Broadway debut as Judas in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Des McAnuff. He appeared in two seasons at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival where his credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Grapes of Wrath and Evita, directed by Gary Griffin, earning Broadway World Awards for each.  Mr. Young also appeared as Marius in the US National Tour of Les Misérables and Tony in the International Tour of West Side Story.

Sean MacLaughlin was last seen on Broadway, US and Canada as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. Other Broadway Credits include Bombay Dreams, the original casts of The Woman in White and Elton John’s Lestat.  Mr. MacLaughlin has also appeared off-Broadway in Tut, Requiem for William, The Audience and Baby: In Concert.  He stars as Juan Perón in the National Tour of Evita.

CATS, July 18 – 27

Elizabeth Stanley stars as Grizabella, after she last left Pittsburgh audiences breathless with her heartbreaking portrayal as Lucy in Pittsburgh CLO’s Jekyll & Hyde.  Hailed as “absolutely delicious” byThe New York Times, Ms. Stanley previously appeared in the Broadway productions of Million Dollar Quartet, Xanadu, Cry Baby and Company.  She will also star as the Lady of the Lake in Pittsburgh CLO’s production of Monty Python’s Spamalot this summer.

Ken Prymus will take his seat this season as leader of the Jellicles, Old Deuteronomy.  Mr. Prymus pawed his way to critical acclaim through 2,672 performances of CATS in the original Broadway production and returns to Pittsburgh CLO to reprise the role he made famous.

Monty Python’s Spamalot, July 29 – August 3

Tom Hewitt is a Tony Award®-nominee Pittsburgh CLO audiences may recognize as the title character in the Pittsburgh premiere production of Doctor Dolittle and as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.  He now returns to Pittsburgh CLO to play King Arthur after starring as Pontius Pilate in the Broadway revival ofJesus Christ Superstar.  In addition, he has starred in the Broadway productions of Dracula, The Lion King and Chicago among his many credits.

Robert Creighton makes his Pittsburgh CLO debut as trusty servant Patsy after appearing in such Broadway hits as The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes, The Lion King and more.

Tickets for Pittsburgh CLO’s 2014 Summer Season

Tickets start at $35 and are on sale now at pittsburghCLO.org, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Groups of 10 or more enjoy exclusive discounts and specialty packages. Call our Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 for more information. Visit pittsburghCLO.org for further information.
Pittsburgh CLO offers family-affordable and flexible Season Ticket packages to fit even the busiest summer schedule.  See three shows for under $100 when you buy Season Tickets today!

Full and partial packages are now available.  The 6-Show Premium Series allows season ticket buyers to see six award-winning summer musicals.  Flexible packages allow buyers to design their own season.  Season Ticket Buyers can choose a 3-Show Series or the Pick-3 Series.  A complete list of options is available at pittsburghCLO.org.  Season Ticket packages may be ordered online or by calling 412-281-2822.

Pittsburgh CLO’s 2014 Season is the perfect outing for any social group. Groups of 10 or more should call the Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 to learn more about exclusive discounts, special events and priority seating.

Pittsburgh CLO gratefully acknowledges the generosity of PNC for its sponsorship of the PNC Spotlight Series, our Season Sponsors: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and WTAE-TV, and Giant Eagle for its sponsorship of select half-price children’s tickets for CATS.

Media members may access photos and other show materials by visiting the Press Room atpittsburghCLO.org. When prompted, simply enter “pressroom” as the username and “pittstadium” as the password.

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Les Miz Casting Announcement

Cameron Mackintosh’s New 25th Anniversary Production of the World’s Longest-Running Musical

BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S

LES MISÉRABLES

CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT

Pittsburgh Premiere Engagement at Benedum Center
Tuesday, January 15 – Sunday, January 27, 2013

PITTSBURGH, PA:  Casting for Cameron Mackintosh’s new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables has been announced for the premiere Pittsburgh engagement at the Benedum Center, Tuesday, January 15 through Sunday, January 27, 2013. The all new production of Les Misérables features glorious new staging and spectacular reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

The performance schedule is Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00  p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m.

Tickets ($26-$79) are on sale at www.TrustArts.org, in person at the Box Office at Theater Square (655 Penn Avenue) and by calling 412-456-4800.  Groups 10+ are available by calling 412-471-6930.  Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice.

Les Misérables is part of the PNC Broadway Across America – Pittsburgh series presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony and Broadway Across America.

One Day More (Photo Credit: Deen Van Meer)

Peter Lockyer portrays the fugitive Jean Valjean. He is joined by Andrew Varela as Javert, Timothy Gulan as Thénardier, Shawna M. Hamic as Madame Thénardier, Genevieve Leclerc as Fantine,Jason Forbach as Enjolras, Briana Carlson-Goodman as Éponine, Devin Ilaw as Marius and Lauren Wiley as Cosette.  Erin Cearlock and Ava Della Pietra alternate in the role of Little Cosette/Young Éponine.  Joshua Colley and Hayden Wall alternate in the role of Gavroche.

The ensemble includes Richard Todd Adams, Richard Barth, Natalie Beck, John Brink, Erin Clemons, Ian Patrick Gibb, Ben Gunderson, Nathaniel Hackmann, Siri Howard, Mia Sinclair Jenness, Brittney Johnson, Beth Kirkpatrick, Cornelia Luna, Alexandra Melrose, Jordan Nichols, Weston Wells Olson, Jason Ostrowski, Rachel Rincione, Alan Shaw, Joseph Spieldenner, Eric Van Tielen, Natalie Weiss, Jessica Keenan Wynn, James Zannelli and Lee Zarrett.
                                             
The New York Times calls Les Misérables  “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hails the new show “a five star hit, astonishingly powerful and as good as the original.”  The Star-Ledger says "a dynamically re-imagined hit.  This Les Misérables has improved with age” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theatre fans can rejoice: Les Miz is born again.”

The Barricade (Photo Credit:  Deen Van Meer)

“I’m delighted that 25 years after Les Miz originally opened in London the audience for this marvelous show is bigger and younger than ever before,” said producer Cameron Mackintosh. “Over the years I have seen many successful but visually different productions, so it has been exciting to draw inspiration from the brilliant drawings and paintings of Victor Hugo himself, integrated with spectacular projections.  The new Les Miz is a magnificent mix of dazzling images and epic staging, driving one of the greatest musical stories ever told.”

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit.  The magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master Of The House” and many more.

Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer from the original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and original adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. The original Les Misérables orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker.  The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and additional costumes by Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, musical staging by Michael Ashcroft and projections by Fifty-Nine Productions.

Les Misérables originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on October 8, 1985, transferred to the Palace Theatre on December 4, 1985 and moved to its current home at the Queen’s Theatre on April 3, 2004 where it continues to play to packed houses. When Les Misérables celebrated its 21stLondon birthday on October 8, 2006, it became the World’s Longest-Running Musical, surpassing the record previously held by Cats in London’s West End.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the legendary musical Les Misérables made theatrical history with an international first - three different productions in London at the same time. The Original Production (still playing to packed houses at the Queen’s Theatre), the acclaimed New 25th Anniversary Production at the Barbican (where the show originally premiered) and a celebratory concert at The O2 Arena.  The O2 Concert was presented in over 500 cinemas throughout the United States on November 17, 2010 and is now available on Blu-ray DVD through Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The Broadway production of Les Misérables originally opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987 and transferred to the Imperial Theatre on October 17, 1990 running for 6,680 performances.  The US National Tour began in November 1987 and visited over 150 cities before closing in St. Louis, MO in 2006.  Broadway audiences welcomed Les Miz back to New York on November 9, 2006 where the show played the Broadhurst Theatre until its final performance on January 6, 2008. To date, Les Misérables remains the 3rd longest-running Broadway production of all time.

Seen by nearly 60 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages, Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals ever written, with new productions continually opening around the globe, with seven more currently scheduled. There have been 36 cast recordings of Les Misérables, including the multi-platinum London cast recording, the Grammy Award-winning Broadway cast and complete symphonic albums and the soon to be released live recording of the New 25th Anniversary Production. The video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall Gala Concert has sold millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling musical videos ever in the UK. There are over 2,500 productions of the Les Misérables School’s Edition scheduled or being performed by over 125,000 school children in the UK, US and Australia, making it the most successful musical ever produced in schools.

For more information on the production, engagement dates, and locations please visitwww.LesMis.com.

For a video sneak peek of the New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, please visitwww.LesMis.com/watch.

Cameron Mackintosh film of Les Misérables with Working Title and Universal will be released Christmas 2012 nationwide.

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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh