Pittsburgh CLO Presents A Musical Christmas Carol

For Immediate Release Contact:

Aja Jones 412-281-3973

ajones@pittsburghCLO.org

Cast Announced for Pittsburgh CLO’s A Musical Christmas Carol

One of Pittsburgh’s Greatest Holiday Traditions Returns!

Pittsburgh, November 15, 2010 – The talented cast includes exciting new faces and a host of returning favorites, led by Pittsburgh’s own Tom Atkins as Ebenezer Scrooge. A Musical Christmas Carol – celebrating 19 years as a true Pittsburgh holiday tradition, December 9-23. Tickets are now available by calling 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or at the Theater Square Box Office

About the Cast

(Listed in alphabetical order) Tom Atkins (Ebenezer Scrooge) returns for a third consecutive appearance in A Musical Christmas Carol. Mr. Atkins is perhaps best known for his numerous film and television credits, including “Escape from New York,” “The Fog,” “Creepshow,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Bob Roberts,” “Striking Distance” and “My Bloody Valentine 3D,” as well as “M*A*S*H,” “The Rockford Files,” “Homicide” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” A Pittsburgh native, he has performed in numerous Pittsburgh Public Theater productions, most notably starring as Art Rooney Sr. in The Chief. He recently reprised his role in the film version of The Chief. On Broadway, he appeared in The Changing Room and The Front Page.

Paul Domencic (Young Scrooge/Ghost of Christmas Future) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol. A graduate of The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, he has appeared regionally with Colonial Theatre, St. Michael's Playhouse, The Depot Theatre, St. Vincent Summer Theatre and most recently as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night at Mountain Playhouse. He has also appeared on several daytime soaps.

Wesley Edwards (Wilkins/Watkins) returns to the Byham after making his Pittsburgh CLO debut in 2009 in A Musical Christmas Carol. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Mr. Edwards is a graduate of Point Park University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in musical theater. He has performed at The Mountain Playhouse and the Pittsburgh Opera.

Tim Hartman (Mr. Fezziwig/Ghost of Christmas Present) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for the 12th time. Broadway credits include A Tale of Two Cities and Finian’s Rainbow. Pittsburgh roles include Don Quixote in The Man of La Mancha, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, El Gallo in The Fantastiks, and Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Other theater credits include Miles Gloriosus in …Forum, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Falstaff in Henry IV, C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands and The Big Bang at the CLO Cabaret. Tim has also appeared as Merlin in Camelot, Ziegfeld in Funny Girl with Anna Gasteyer, FDR in Annie and 24 characters in the one man show The Cotton Patch Gospel. Film credits include “Silence of the Lambs,” “The Piano Lesson,” “The Mothman Prophecies” and “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.”

Jeff Howell (Bob Cratchit) is a veteran of numerous productions of A Musical Christmas Carol. He was most recently seen as Mr. Brownlow in Pittsburgh CLO’s 2010 production of Oliver! His other Pittsburgh CLO credits include Beauty and the Beast, Bells Are Ringing, Chess, Singing In the Rain and The Most Happy Fella. Local credits include Candide for Quantum Theatre and Show Boat with Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Joe Jackson (Topper) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after his debut this past Summer Season in Oliver!, The Producers, Hairspray and The Student Prince. Regional credits in include several roles for Walnut Street Theatre and Arena Stage.

Allison Scarlet Jaye (Mrs. Cratchit) makes her Pittsburgh CLO debut. A University of Pittsburgh alum, Allison has been in productions coast to coast. Pittsburgh credits include leading roles in Lion In The Streets, Proof, Fairest and festivals of new plays and musicals.

Rebecca Knowles (Fan/Alice) is also making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. She currently attends Point Park University. Theater credits include Mary Turner (Of Thee I Sing) with Boston’s Lyric First Stage Company and Minnie Fay (Hello, Dolly).

Daniel Krell (Marley) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for the ninth time. He is a veteran of over 20 Pittsburgh CLO productions, including Curtains, Oliver!, Les Misérables, The Full Monty, 1776, Jekyll & Hyde, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific and Anything Goes. Mr. Krell starred in Quantum Theatre’s production of When the Rain Stops Falling this year and has also appeared in productions for City Theatre and Pittsburgh Public Theater, among others.

Caitlin Elizabeth Reilly (Miss Watkins/Martha Cratchit) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after six previous appearances in A Musical Christmas Carol and as the understudy CLO Cabaret’s productions of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and My Way. Her previous regional credits include Oklahoma!, Picnic, Grease!, The House of Yes, High School Musical and Annie Get Your Gun.

Connor Russell (Peter Cratchit) is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. His credits include: 42nd Street, The Who’s Tommy, Bye Bye Birdie (Village Theatre), Disney’s High School Musical (Seattle Children’s Theatre), Zanna Don’t! (Contemporary Classics), Thoroughly Modern Millie and Carousel (Pittsburgh Playhouse Conservatory). Mr. Russell is currently a junior musical theatre major, dance minor, at Point Park University.

Peter Matthew Smith (Fred) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after appearances in The Student Prince and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. His Broadway credits include RENT, Mamma Mia, Hairspray, Fiddler on the Roof (Motel) and Cry Baby.

Amanda Serra (Ghost of Christmas Past) returns to the cast of A Musical Christmas Carol for a 10th time. Her other Pittsburgh CLO credits include The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!, Me and My Girl and The Sound of Music. In New York, she has appeared in Disembodied Heads, Dialing For Donna, Amahl and the Night Visitors and Ripper – the Musical.

Amanda Slaughter (Bess/Belle) is also returning to the cast of A Musical Christmas Carol. She is a graduate of Point Park University with a degree in musical theater. Ms. Slaughter has performed in CLO’s Gallery of Heroes productions of First Lady and Pioneers of Flight. Her other credits include the National Tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Brigadoon, Into the Woods, Quilters and Oklahoma!

Eli Tokash (Tiny Tim) returns for his second season as Tiny Tim. He is a 7 year old, second grade student at St. Joseph the Worker School in Weirton, WV. He attends the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and last performed for Pittsburgh CLO in Oliver! this past summer. Other credits include the short film "Anywhere But Here" which premiered at the Three Rivers Film Festival and the upcoming feature film "Super 8," directed by JJ Abrams. Eli can also be seen as a face/voice for the American Diabetes Association in their public service announcements.

Terry Wickline (Mrs. Dilber/Mrs. Fezziwig) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for the 11th year. Her Pittsburgh CLO credits include The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!, Me and My Girl, My Fair Lady, Funny Girl, Crazy For You and Bye Bye Birdie, as well as Always...Patsy Cline and Nunsense at Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret. She has also appeared in Pittsburgh Public Theater’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Man of La Mancha and Much Ado About Nothing.

The cast is rounded out by a host of carolers and party guests.

Greggory Brandt is a veteran of several productions of A Musical Christmas Carol. He most recently performed in the 2009 Pittsburgh CLO productions of Les Misérables and Into the Woods. Prior to that, Mr. Brandt appeared on Broadway in A Tale of Two Cities and in both the Broadway and National Tours of Les Misérables.

Jodi Gage returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for her third year. Her other credits include Orpheus and the Underworld (Diana) at Oberlin Conservatory; Working (Housewife) in Hamilton, Scotland; Lion in Winter (Alice) at Hamilton Civic Theater. Ms. Gage is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory.

Christina McCann returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for a fifth time. Previously, she toured for Pittsburgh CLO in numerous productions of its Gallery of Heroes program. She has also performed in the Pittsburgh Opera productions of The Marriage of Figaro, Eugene Onegin and La Boheme. Her other credits include: Gypsy (Louise), Chicago (Velma) and Brigadoon (Fiona) and will next appear in Camelot for Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Scott P. Sambuco is a Pittsburgh CLO veteran making his 11th appearance in A Musical Christmas Carol. He has appeared in Pittsburgh CLO productions of The Pirates of Penzance, Annie, My Fair Lady, Funny Girl, She Loves Me, Guys and Dolls, Crazy For You, Grand Hotel and Bye, Bye, Birdie.

Several Pittsburgh CLO Academy students will also take part in the holiday production. Kylie Byers (Belinda) join the cast of A Musical Christmas Carol for the first time. She is a seventh grader at Shaler Area Middle School, a fourth year CLO Academy student, and a Pittsburgh CLO Mini Star. Her most recent appearance was in Pittsburgh CLO's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and her school’s production of Willy Wonka.

William Davis (Cratchit Child) performed in last year’s Avonworth High School musical Mame as Patrick; a role for which he won a Gene Kelly Award. He is currently performing with the Pittsburgh CLO Mini Stars.

Allison Joyce (Cratchit Child) is a fourth grader from the Avonworth School District who loves to sing, dance and act. She was a member of the Children's Choir in Pittsburgh CLO’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Trent Soyster (Turkey Boy) comes from the North Allegheny School District to make his Pittsburgh CLO debut. He is a first year student at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and a seventh year student at Act One Theater School.

About the Creative Team Tim Gregory (Director) is back for a third year directing A Musical Christmas Carol. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Provision Theater Company in Chicago, where some of his directing credits include Provision Theater’s Jefferson Award–Nominated productions of A Christmas Carol, The Hiding Place and the critically-acclaimed production CS Lewis On Stage.

Bruce Barnes (Musical Director) returns for a fourth season as musical director for A Musical Christmas Carol. His National Tour credits include Happy Days, Kiss Me, Kate, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Camelot and Peter Pan. He made his Broadway debut conducting Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby, and regularly substituted as associate conductor of the Sam Mendes production of Cabaret at Studio 54. As a pianist, Mr. Barnes has accompanied a range of artists, including Patti LuPone, Penny Fuller, Ruthie Henshall, Beverly Sills, Billy Porter and Eartha Kitt.

The stage manager for this production will be Fredric H. Orner. This production features original scenery by D Martyn Bookwalter and lighting by Andrew David Ostrowski.

More Merry Musical Information

In what has become A Musical Christmas Carol tradition, local choirs will perform prior to each performance. Musical groups from all over the Tri-state area have the opportunity to perform on the Byham Theater stage and take part in this special holiday celebration. The list to date includes:

McKeesport High School Thursday, December 9, 7:00 pm

Harrison Middle School Friday, December 10, 7:00 pm

Howe and Hoover Thursday, December 16, 7:00 pm

Karns City Choir Friday, December 17, 7:00 pm

The Coraleers -Tri County Institute Saturday, December 18, 11:30 am

Whitehall Elementry School Saturday, December 18, 3:30 pm

West Allegheny High School Choir Saturday, December 18, 7:30 pm

Pittsburgh CLO Mini Stars & CLO Academy Students Sunday, December 19, 1:30 pm

A Musical Christmas Carol will be presented at the Byham Theater (6th & Fort Duquesne Boulevard) December 9-23. Tickets range from $26.75 - $46.75 with half-price tickets for children 3-14 and are now available by calling 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or at the Theater Square Box Office.

Special events available for groups include School Matinees Dec. 8-10, 16-17 and 21-23, Girls’ Night Out on Dec. 9 with Lidia’s Italy and Holidays with Habitat on Dec. 22. You can also pair a meal at your favorite restaurant with a performance of A Musical Christmas Carol. Let our holiday party planners do the work for you. For more information on these and other group events and discounts, please call Group Sales at 412- 325-1582.

Pittsburgh CLO gratefully acknowledges the support of our production sponsor First Niagara and Macy’s for sponsoring Half-priced Tickets for Kids.

A Musical Christmas Carol Public Performance Schedule



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

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Since 1946, the Pittsburgh CLO has been the driving force behind live musical theater in Pittsburgh and the entire Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Pittsburgh CLO is a not-for-profit arts organization that appreciates the support of nearly 200,000 patrons each year. Its dedication to the musical theater art form extends beyond the summer season with such programs as the CLO Academy, the CLO Mini Stars, the Gene Kelly Awards, the National High School Musical Theater Awards, the Construction Center for the Arts and the CLO Cabaret.

First Night® Features Events, Tower of Power

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 7, 2010


Contact:
Veronica Corpuz
412-471-6082
corpuz@pgharts.org

Lauren Bracey
412-471-3591
bracey@pgharts.org

Electronic art is available for download at pressroom.pgharts.org

FIRST NIGHT® PITTSBURGH 2011

is entertainment hub during historic weekend

First Night® features more than 100 events including headliner Tower of Power

Friday, December 31, 2010, 6 pm – Midnight

In the heart of the Cultural District

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District with The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s First Night® Pittsburgh 2011. This family-friendly community event is presented by The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, with generous support from lead sponsor Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. During this momentous weekend of entertainment, the city will revel in a joyous celebration of the arts: dance, music, theater, comedy, magic, visual art and film, plus hands-on activities for children and adults.

“During this exciting weekend for Pittsburgh, First Night will serve as a gateway of fun and entertainment offering an incredibly diverse selection of programming on New Year’s Eve,” said David O’Brien, Executive Vice President, Government Services and External Affairs for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. “First Night presents a creative, affordable, and healthy New Year’s Eve celebration that makes the most of our city’s wealth of artistic talent. Highmark is proud to mark its fifth year as the lead sponsor of First Night.”

Adds Kathryn Heidemann, Director of First Night Pittsburgh: “We’re thrilled to welcome tens of thousands of First Night visitors, including the many Winter Classic patrons, to the heart of the Cultural District. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to host this community event and to introduce Pittsburgh to premiere artists such as the Neo-Futurists, a Chicago-based theater company, and acclaimed saxophonist Tia Fuller, among many others.”

First Night® Pittsburgh begins at 6 pm with the Dollar Bank Children’s Fireworks Display and performances by One World Tribe on the Dollar Bank Stage, followed by the First Niagara First Night® Parade at 8 pm. This year’s parade will have a “Winter Wonderland” theme with penguin puppets and Iceburgh as a programming thread to the Winter Classic. The evening concludes with a performance by Tower of Power and the First Night® tradition, The Countdown to Midnight and Future of Pittsburgh Grand Finale atop Penn Avenue Place. The Highmark Stage, where all the First Night® revelry concludes, is located on Penn Avenue next to Fifth Avenue Place. The newest venue is the former Bally’s Building, which will have half a dozen workshops and activities.

Among the 125 events and activities held in 50 venues throughout the Cultural District, other special First Night® Pittsburgh attractions include the First National Bank Family Tent; Equitable Gas marquee performances featuring Squonk Opera at the Byham Theater and the Neo-Futurists at the O’Reilly Theater; Tia Fuller (who has performed with Beyoncé) at the Trust Arts Education Center; First Night Around the World international performances at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture and other venues. For a complete listing of events, visit firstnightpgh.org or call 412-456-6666.

FIRST NIGHT® BUTTONS

To join the celebration, simply purchase an all-access First Night® Pittsburgh 2011 Button. A First Night® button costs only $8 in advance, $10 at the door; children age 5 and under are admitted for free. First Night® buttons are available at participating Giant Eagle stores, at The Box Office at Theater Square, online at www.firstnightpgh.org, and by calling 412-456-6666.

Due to their overwhelming popularity and limited seating in Cultural District theaters, a free General Admission Seating Voucher is necessary to see the performances of Squonk Opera, the Neo-Futurists, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Attack Theatre, Dan Kamin, Pittsburgh Gospel All City Choir and Jason Hudy’s Magic Show. Vouchers are available at The Box Office at Theater Square beginning Wednesday, December 7, 2010. Simply show a First Night® button to obtain one seating voucher per production. The Box Office at Theater Square is located at 655 Penn Avenue between the O’Reilly Theater and Katz Plaza.

There will be general admission waiting lines for performances at all “vouchered” venues. Patrons will be seated on a space-available and first-come, first-served basis once voucher holders have been accommodated. Box Office hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm and Sunday, noon to 6 pm.

VOLUNTEERS

First Night needs volunteers for numerous jobs–from button checkers to activity helpers to parade assistants. Families, co-workers, school groups and individuals of all ages are needed to help us ring in 2011 in a fun, alcohol-free, family-friendly way. To volunteer with First Night, sign up at www.firstnightpgh.org.

SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNERS

First Night® Pittsburgh 2011 Sponsors as of release date include: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield as the lead sponsor, Dollar Bank, Equitable Gas, First National Bank, First Niagara Bank, Giant Eagle, and PNC.

First Night® Pittsburgh 2011 Community Supporters include County of Allegheny, The Buhl Foundation, The Grable Foundation, and Richard King Mellon Foundation.

First Night® Pittsburgh 2011 Media Partners include Trib Total Media, KDKA TV, BOB 96.9 FM, Q 92.9 FM, Radio Disney, STAR 100.7, WDUQ 90.5 FM, 91.3fm WYEP and Y108.

ABOUT FIRST NIGHT PITTSBURGH

First Night® is the largest one-day outreach event of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Founded in 1984, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust has led the way for the creation and ongoing development of Pittsburgh’s award-winning Cultural District. Utilizing the arts as a means for transforming a formerly blighted downtown, the Cultural Trust today welcomes over a million visitors annually to thousands of performances, gallery exhibitions and community events.

Jason Hall's The Tulip Brothers Reading Announced

Media Contacts:


Melissa Hill Grande – 412.561.6000 x203 or mgrande@picttheatre.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

________________________________________________________________

New Classics announces new date for first reading

The Tulip Brothers by Jason Hall on Sunday, December 12th


Pittsburgh, PA -- November 22, 2010. The New Classics series begins its second season on Sunday, December 12th at 7:30 p.m. with Jason Hall’s play The Tulip Brothers, directed by Melissa Hill Grande. New Classics is a cooperative program presented by the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Theatre Arts and Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre. The series is intended to highlight new works and showcase up-and-coming early-career playwrights.

The reading is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a talk-back with the cast and audience. The moderators will be series coordinators Grande and David Peterson, a graduate student in the Ph.D. program of the Department of Theatre Arts.  Please note that the New Classics reading of "The Tulip Brothers" will be in the Henry Heymann Theatre, located in the Stephen Foster Memorial in Oakland.


The reading will feature actors from the University of Pittsburgh Department of Theatre Arts, including Aric Hudson, Brendan Schatzki, Andrew Sours, Joanna Getting, Erin Collopy and John Michnya.

The Tulip Brothers is about a family in conflict in 17th century Holland. The tulip bulb market is on the rise, and Nils DeGroot believes this is his opportunity to make his fortune and gain independence from the stench of the bleaching mill. He needs help, but brother Pieter knows that life offers up no assurances beyond the sin of mankind. With one brother betting on the future and another cynical of the past, Nils wagers more than he can afford while Pieter must pay a price he did not expect.

Jason Hall is a third-year M.F.A. student in Ohio University's playwriting program and the recipient of the 2010 Scott McPherson Playwriting Award. He has recently received the Anthony Trisolini Fellowship to write a play about active mountain-top removal coal mining occurring near a West Virginia elementary school. A Student Enhancement Award (SEA) will fund a second public reading of The Tulip Brothers at Chicago's Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater this spring. Jason's short plays have been performed at the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Chicago's n.u.f.a.n Ensemble, and presented at the Mid-America Theater Conference. In 2009 a feature film Jason wrote and directed, The Ballad of Faith Divine, won the Best Feature award at Ohio's Colony Film Festival. He is preparing Kate and Comet, a darkly comic play about women fighting to hold their own in the workplace of 1950s live television, for production in this spring's Seabury Quinn, Jr., Playwrights Festival.

Melissa Hill Grande is the associate artistic director and director of marketing for Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre. A three-time graduate of Ohio University, she holds a BFA in Production Design and Technology with an emphasis on Costume Design, an MA in Theater History and Criticism, and an MFA in Directing. Local directing credits include productions for PICT, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, Phase 3 Productions, Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks, No Name Players’ SWAN Day, and Pittsburgh Pride Theatre Festival.

Persons who are unable to attend the reading in person will be able to view it online via LIPLO™ (Live and in Person, Live and Online), a new internet technology pioneered by PICT Operations Director Stephanie Riso and Alex Geis. Geis of 21 Productions and videographer Randy Griffith of RLG Creations will live-broadcast the readings, and viewers will be able to respond via live chat as they watch the performances on the LIPLO™ website, www.liplo.com.

For more information about “New Classics,” contact Melissa Grande at 412.561.6000 x203 or mgrande@picttheatre.org.
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The University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Theatre Arts (founded in 1982) offers the BA, MA, MFA and PhD degrees in Theatre Arts. All faculty members are active in both teaching and artistic / research activities. The department shares a philosophy of theatre education, the chief feature of which is the firm conviction that theory and practice, academic and creative work, and educational and professional theatre must be integrated for a successful program of theatre education. The University of Pittsburgh Repertory Theatre is the department’s flagship theatre company with performance spaces in the landmark Stephen Foster Memorial and the Cathedral of Learning. www.play.pitt.edu.

Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre was founded in 1996 to diversify the region’s theatrical offerings by providing Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania audiences with high-quality, text-driven, affordable productions of classical theatre and the works of classical and contemporary Irish playwrights and to significantly improve employment opportunities for local talent in all facets of theatrical presentation and production. PICT is a Small Professional Theatre (SPT) affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, and a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. PICT is the Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Pittsburgh and PICT productions at the Charity Randall and Henry Heymann Theatres are presented in cooperation with the University of Pittsburgh – Department of Theatre Arts.