Pittsburgh CLO Announces Cast for A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING, 10/25-1/20

Pittsburgh CLO has announced the cast for the Rodgers & Hammerstein tribute, A Grand Night for Singing, which will run October 25 through January 20 at the CLO Cabaret. Tickets will go on sale Monday, August 13 and will be available at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

Paul-Jordan Jansenis making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. Mr. Jansen is originally from Berea, Ohio and has spent the past 4 years pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at The Pennsylvania State University. Regional credits include Kiss Me Kate, Five Guys Named Moe, RENT, Peter Pan and Smokey Joe’s Café. He has also performed in The National Theatre Festival of South Africa and for President Obama.

Kristiann Menotiades returns for her eighth show at the CLO Cabaret. Favorites include: Shear Madness, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, My Way: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra and Ruthless! The Musical. Other credits include Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Alice Miller in My Favorite Year, Yonah in Children of Eden and Madge in the new work play Enlightenment at The City Theater. Ms. Menotiades is also an instructor at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and the director of Fox Chapel High School's fall play.

Caroline Nicolian has worked for numerous theater companies in the Pittsburgh area such as Pittsburgh Musical Theatre and Carrnivale Theatrics, and received her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. Some of her past credits include Can-Can! (La Mome Pistache), Into the Woods (The Witch), Evita (Eva Peron) and the title role in Jane Eyre the Musical.

Katie Oxman is currently pursuing a BA in Musical Theatre at Point Park University. Previous credits include: the world premiere of M33 and A Chorus Line at Pittsburgh Playhouse, My Fair Lady and Carousel with The Summer Theatre of New Canaan. She received the Best Actress in Connecticut award in 2010 at the Connecticut High School Musical Theatre Awards for Madame Chairman in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Breanna Pursell is a 2011 graduate from Point Park University making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. Recent credits include: Wendla in Spring Awakening (Mazeppa Productions), Amalia Balash in She Loves Me (Pittsburgh Conservatory Company), Bird Girl u/s Gertrude in Seussical (Pittsburgh Playhouse JR.), Olive Ostrovsky in Spelling Bee and as a Toreadorable in GYPSY (Bristol Riverside Theatre).

Quinn Patrick Shannon is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. A graduate of Point Park University, Mr. Shannon has appeared in Assassins, The Rover, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland and Hair. His regional credits include roles with Theatreworks USA, West Virginia Public, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Stage 62 and Little Lake.

John Wascavage returns to Pittsburgh CLO after appearing as the swing in 'S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical. NYC/ Off-Broadway: Rock Henderson in FABULOUS! (Richmond Shepard Theatre), Joe in Trouble: The Musical (June Havoc Theatre and SoHo Playhouse), Whiskers in Between the Bricks (June Havoc Theatre). Regional: Candide in Candide (Quantum Theatre), Posner in The History Boys (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre), Fred Beenstock in Hobson's Choice (PICT), H.G. Wells in Time After Time (World Premiere/ Pittsburgh Playhouse). Training: Point Park University.

Jack Allison (Director) takes the director’s chair at the CLO Cabaret for the first time, after directing over 20 Pittsburgh CLO productions during CLO’s time at Heinz Hall and most recently at the Benedum Center this summer for Pittsburgh CLO’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. Regional directing credits: Walnut Street Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Cincinnati Opera, North Shore Music Theatre, California Music Theatre, Kansas City Starlight, St. Louis MUNY, Casa Manana. New York: Manhattan Theatre Club and Circle Repertory Company. He staged Cabaret and A Funny Thing… at The National Theatre of Belgium and is the recipient of three Florida Carbonell Awards, three Boston Globe Awards and three KC Star Awards. He is a member of SDC and currently is on the musical theatre faculty at Point Park University.

Kiesha Lalama (Choreographer) most recently choreographed All Shook Up at North Shore Music Theatre, Ruthless! The Musical at the CLO Cabaret, the film, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” TEDx Pittsburgh, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble and The National High School Musical Theater Awards. Lalama has choreographed a variety of projects. Highlights include The Bench, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Jazz Dance World Congress, Cabaret and On The Town for Point Park University, Jesus Christ Superstar for Kansas City Starlight Theatre and the film “Sorority Row.”

Brent Alexander (Musical Director) returns to the CLO Cabaret after serving as musical director for Ruthless! The Musical. Dr. Alexander has also worked with the CLO Academy, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, and many other Pittsburgh area Regional and Community Theaters over the past 14 years as a musical director, vocal coach, and accompanist/keyboardist. He currently serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Carlow University in Pittsburgh, and is on the music and musical theater faculties of Robert Morris University, and CCAC South; and at PMT's Richard Rauh Conservatory.

Tim Brady (Production Stage Manager) returns for his 8th season as PSM at the CLO Cabaret. As an actor, he has appeared in 11 productions of Pittsburgh CLO’s A Musical Christmas Carol and various summer season productions. Other local theaters that Mr. Brady has performed with include The Pittsburgh Pops, Starlight Productions, The New Pittsburgh Jewish Theatre, Stage Right and The Theater Factory. Mr. Brady was also the managing director of the Conley Inn Dinner Theater in Irwin for 17 years.

Andy Ostrowski (Lighting Designer) recently designed Girls Only – The Secret Comedy of Women and Gene Kelly Awards for Pittsburgh CLO, Bolero for PSO, PNME's summer season, "August Osage County" for The Rep at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, "Rigoletto" for Pittsburgh Opera and City Theatre’s POP. National credits include: The Asolo, Virginia Stage Company, North Shore Music Theatre, Merrimack Repertory, Arden Theatre, Spoleto Festival USA, Dallas Summer Musicals, Theater of the Stars, Madison Opera and others. International: productions in Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, France, and touring all of Western Europe.

Tony Ferrieri (Scenic Designer) returns to design for CLO Cabaret after designing Girls Only; The Secret Comedy of Women. Awards include “2008 New Works Festival Lifetime Achievement Award,” “Designer of the Year” by Pittsburgh City Paper, Post-Gazette and Tribune Review, “2005 Frankel Award,” “2004 Fred Kelly Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts,” “2001 Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts Award for Theater” from Pittsburgh Magazine and WQED, three time nominee for “Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Creative Achievement Award for EstablishEd Pittsburgh Artist.” Regional designs include: City Theatre, Quantum Theatre; Milieu Theatrics NY; Jewish Theatre of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre; Carrnivale Theatrics; Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre; The Emelin Theatre NY; Northlight Theatre in Chicago; barebones productions; Madison Repertory Theatre; TheatreWorks in Harford; 1812 Productions in Philadelphia ; Pittsburgh Playhouse Repertory Company; Pittsburgh Playhouse Conservatory Company; Tuesday Musical Club; Unseam’d Shakespeare Company; Theatre at Hartwood; Gargaro Productions; Physical Theatre Project; Spur of the Moment Theatre; Pittsburgh Opera, Chatham College, University of Pittsburgh, Development Dimensions International, and Saltworks Theatre.

The show features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, musical arrangements by Fred Wells and orchestration by Michael Gibson & Jonathan Tunick. It was conceived by Walter Bobbie and originally produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, in 1993.

Broadway's tribute to the genius of Rodgers & Hammerstein is truly A Grand Night for Singing. This Tony Award-nominated Best Musical showcases Richard Rodgers’ timeless music and the incomparable lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein. It will take you on a romantic musical journey from young infatuation to the touching and funny complexities of commitment and marriage, the joys of parenthood, and finally, the power of enduring love.

From “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” to “Some Enchanted Evening,” A Grand Night for Singing features over 30 of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatest hits from shows such as Carousel, Oklahoma!, The King and I, South Pacific and more —“something wonderful” indeed for all lovers of classic musical theater.

A Grand Night for Singing will play Wednesdays 7:30pm; Thursdays 1:00pm* & 7:30pm; *Thursday matinees – 11/29, 1/17 and select weekday holiday matinees; Fridays 7:30pm; Saturdays 2:00pm & 7:30pm; and Sundays 2:00pm.

Tickets range from $34.75-$44.75 and will be available online at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square starting August 13. Groups of 10 or more can call the Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 to learn more about special discounts, priority seating and corporate discounts. Visit pittsburghCLO.org for more information.

Since 1946, the Pittsburgh CLO has been the driving force behind live musical theater in Pittsburgh and the entire Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Under the direction of Van Kaplan since 1997, this not-for-profit arts organization appreciates the support of nearly 200,000 patrons each year and produces a subscription series, educational programs, national tours and develops and invests in new works, including 15 Broadway shows (13 Tony Awards) featuring the recent productions of Catch Me If You Can and Evita. Its dedication to the musical theater art form extends to include such programs as the CLO Academy, the CLO Mini Stars, the Gene Kelly Awards, the Richard Rodgers Award the National High School Musical Theater Awards, the Construction Center for the Arts and the CLO Cabaret.