Pittsburgh CLO Surpasses Fundraising Goal

Earlier this evening, Pittsburgh CLO Guild President Anne Liparulo announced the Guild's pledge of $500,000 to Pittsburgh CLO's Next Generation Campaign at the 62ndAnnual Pittsburgh CLO Guild Gala, "An Evening in Paris." This special gift was presented as a surprise to Van Kaplan, accompanied by the 2017 CLOE Award, in honor of his 20th Anniversary as Executive Producer of the organization. The gift ensures Pittsburgh CLO will surpass its $10 million Next Generation Campaign goal.

The Next Generation Campaign is the largest fundraising campaign in Pittsburgh CLO's 71-year history and, together with the Guild's generous gift, will support new work development through the following initiatives:

A Festival for New Small Musicals for the CLO Cabaret

Education programs support to cultivate and train tomorrow's musical theater artists

Production support for A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL and new production technology

New audience engagement programs and new works that deepen the potential for audience involvement

Capital Campaign co-chairs Dan Booker and Bill Lambert applauded the Guild's gift, saying, "Our beloved and time-honored Guild, whose leadership has always been 100% women, has played a pivotal role in bringing the joy of musical theater to generations of Pittsburghers. This is the largest gift in the Guild's history, adding to an astounding $6 million donated over time to Pittsburgh CLO. Their legacy of fundraising and service is the gold standard in our community."

In announcing this generous gift in honor of Mr. Kaplan, the Guild celebrates his 20-year tenure with Pittsburgh CLO. He is only the 4th Executive Producer in the organization's 71-year history, which under his leadership produces a six-musical subscription season in the summer, year-round shows at the CLO Cabaret theater, National Tours, Broadway shows and recently lead-produced AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, based on the 1951 Hollywood 'Golden Age' movie. It was the most awarded new musical of Broadway's 2015 season.

Guild Chairman, Patti Matty Blenko, presented Mr. Kaplan with a special CLOE Award from the Guild in recognition of his impact on musical theater locally and on the world's stages.

"An Evening in Paris," under the leadership of Event Chair, Helen Wylie, celebrated Pittsburgh CLO's role in the creation of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS and its homecoming to Pittsburgh. Guests were treated to a pre-show reception at the Duquesne Club, followed by a performance of the musical, and a special champagne toast and a post-show party with the cast at the Benedum Center.

During his tenure, Kaplan, with Pittsburgh CLO, has participated in 22 Broadway shows, including THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, FLOWER DRUM SONG, BOMBAY DREAMS, MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, Oprah Winfrey's THE COLOR PURPLE, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, Twyla Tharp's COME FLY AWAY, MATILDA and ON YOUR FEET: The Gloria & Emilio Estefan Musical.

He has awarded Pittsburgh CLO's Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theater for lifetime contributions of outstanding talents in musical theater to: Gwen Verdon (2000), Bernadette Peters (2002), Shirley Jones (2007), Kathleen Marshall (2008), Rob Marshall (2008) and Stephen Schwartz (2009).

Kaplan is a current Board Member for The Broadway League; on the Investment Committee of the Independent Presenters Network; and is past President and current Board Member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. He has been a Tony Awards® voter for more than 25 years.

His legacy on behalf of the not-for-profit organization includes the following highlights:

In 2004, opening the CLO Cabaret 250-seat theater, allowing Pittsburgh CLO to produce year-round entertainment and introducing hundreds of thousands of new theatergoers to the Cultural District

In 2006, bringing Pittsburgh native and Hollywood film star Jeff Goldblum, along with Ed Begley Jr. and Iliana Douglas, to star in Pittsburgh CLO's production of THE MUSIC MAN. A film crew accompanied Goldblum, and a year later, Pittsburgh debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, chronicling the actor's star turn as Harold Hill

In 2009, bringing the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater into the national spotlight by creating the National High School Musical Theatre Awards with the Nederlander Organization in New York City. Now in its 9th year, the "Jimmy™ Awards" on Broadway continues to inspire theater organizations across the country to create and invest in high school musical award programs of their own. The national program has awarded more than $1 million in educational scholarships. Gene Kelly Award-winners KIan McCollum (2009), Alex Field (2010), Kirsten Hoover (2011), Marnie Quick (2015, 2016) and Devon Moore (2016) have been JimmyÔ Award finalists in New York, collectively bringing home $10,000 in scholarship money. This year, more than 37 regional awards programs will participate in the national program, and its first alumna got a 2017 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress: Eva Noblezada (2013) - currently starring in MISS SAIGON. Hosts of the Jimmy™ Awards include Kathie Lee Gifford, Gregory Jbara, Debora Cox and Constantine Mauroulis, Santino Fontana and Laura Osnes, Ryan McCartan, Michael Cerveris and Zachary Levi

In 2012, co-producing a 3-part documentary series about the Jimmy™ Awards titled Broadway or Bust, which aired nationally on PBS. Featured in the series is 2012 Jimmy™ Award-winner for Best Actor and graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Joshua Grosso - starring in CLO's upcoming IN THE HEIGHTS

In 2014, again leading his regional theater into the national spotlight as a lead producer of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS - the first time Pittsburgh CLO originated a new musical for Broadway. It premiered at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France in 2014, on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in New York in the spring of 2015, and at the Dominion Theatre in London's West End in spring of 2017. In New York, half of the cast saw their Broadway debuts, as did Christopher Wheeldon as director. The musical won four Tony Awards®

In 2016, launching The National Tour of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS in Boston, beginning a two-year, 84-week tour

In 2017, launching Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, co-produced with Kansas City Starlight Theatre, beginning a 21-week National Tour

Kaplan has brought to Pittsburgh to work at Pittsburgh CLO:

Tony Winners:

Rob Ashford, Andy Blankenbuehler, Ken Billington, Wayne Cilento, Victoria Clark, 59 Productions, Sutton Foster, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Donald Holder, Beth Leavel, Baayork Lee, Billy Porter and Chita Rivera

Tony Nominees:

Denée Benton, Stephanie Block, Liz Callaway, Jenn Colella, Gavin Creel, Robert Cuccioli, Erin Dilly, Malcolm Gets, Montego Glover, Hunter Foster, Michelle Lee, Norm Lewis, Loretta Ables Sayre, Louis Stadlen, Max von Essen, Tom Wopat

Tony and Emmy Winner: Nell Carter

Academy Award Winner: Shirley Jones

Emmy Winners: Morgan Fairchild, Rue McClanahan, Charles Shaughnessy, Sally Struthers and Kim Zimmer

Academy Award and Emmy Nominee: Jeff Goldblum

Songwriters Hall of Famers: Leslie Bricusse and Barry Manilow

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend stars Donna Lynne Champlin and Gabrielle Ruiz

As well as: Shoshana Bean, Charles Durning, Joey Fatone, Ana Gasteyer, Noel Harrison, Telly Leung, Gavin McLeod, Robert Newman, John O'Hurley, Ron Raines, Kate Shindle and Jenna Ushkowitz

And, the following movers and shakers have studied at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy for Musical Theater: Tim Federle, Chris Jamison, Courtney Lopez, Lauren Morelli, Chris Peluso, Sarrah Strimel and Eli Tokash

Proceeds from the Gala support Pittsburgh CLO's arts education programs such as the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theater, CLO Summer Internship Program and the CLO Mini-Stars. The Guild also offers college scholarship assistance to deserving students pursuing the performing arts. For additional information, please contact Andrew Frey at 412-281-3973x234 or afrey@pittsburghclo.org.