Pittsburgh CLO's THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE Opens August 7

Pittsburgh CLO is proud to produce THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE for the first time, August 7-12 at the Benedum Center. As an investor in the original Broadway production, Pittsburgh CLO premiered this Tony Award®-winning powerhouse on its First National Tour as part of the 2003 Summer Season. The show was met with great fervor from audiences and critics, and now, a new generation of audience members will have the opportunity to enjoy this energetic musical. This year's production stars a thoroughly modern cast of Pittsburgh CLO and Broadway veterans, including legend of stage and screen, Leslie Uggams, as Muzzy. Tickets are now available at pittsburghCLO.org, at the Theater Square Box Office or by calling 412-456-6666.

ABOUT THE SHOW
Based on the 1967 Academy Award-winning film, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE takes you back to the height of the New York City Jazz Age, when "moderns" were bobbing their hair, raising their hemlines, entering the workforce and rewriting the rules of love. Flapper Millie Dillmount is on the hunt for a rich husband, but falls for a penniless paperclip salesman instead. A mix of madcap mistaken identity, high-spirited show tunes and tap-happy production numbers with more kick than bootleg gin - THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE is truly the "bee's knees!"

ABOUT THE CAST
Jessica Fontana (Miss Dorothy Brown) was seen on Broadway in Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella (Cinderella alternate) and Baby It's You. Broadway/Tour: Once Upon A Mattress (Transport Group), Pipe Dream (Encores!) and Little House on the Prairie (National Tour). Her favorite regional credits include: Paper Mill Playhouse, Signature Theatre, The Smith Center, Denver Theatre and Pioneer Theatre Company, as well as revivals of The Most Happy Fella and 110 in the Shade at Palm Beach Dramaworks. Fontana's podcast, Support For This Podcast was recently featured in NY Magazine and listed on iTunes as "new and noteworthy."

Colin Miyamoto (Bun Foo) has toured with the national productions of Disney's Beauty and the Beastand How I Became a Pirate. His regional credits include Waterfall (The 5th Avenue Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse, world premiere), Pageant, M. Butterfly, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Seussical: the Musical, She Loves Me and A Christmas Carol. He received a B.A in drama from Ithaca College.

Lenora Nemetz (Mrs. Meers) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after 30+ production credits. Her five-decade career includes the original Broadway production of Cabaret, Bob Fosse's original Chicago (Velma), Working (Drama Desk nomination), Up In One (opposite Peter Allen), The Rink (Liza Minnelli's standby), Gypsy 2008 Broadway revival (Miss Mazeppa, Miss Crachitt and Madame Rose standby), NYCO'S Pajama Game (Gladys) and the world premiere of Half Time: The Musical. National Tours: Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Bye Bye Birdie and Some Like It Hot.

Paul Schaefer (Trevor Graydon) is a first-timer at Pittsburgh CLO. He is currently on leave from the Phantom of The Opera on Broadway where he has been working for more than 10 years. Off-Broadway credits include My Life with Albertine. Tours and regional credits include: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Company, Giant, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, High Society and The Fantasticks. He was seen in multiple soap operas and Law and Order episodes.

Sam Simahk (Ching Ho) is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. His credits include: The King and I (First National Tour; Lyric Opera of Chicago), A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre Company), Miss Saigon(Starlight Theatre; Ogunquit Playhouse), Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Sondheim on Sondheim, Spelling Bee (Lyric Stage Co. of Boston), She Loves Me (Greater Boston Stage) and Big Fish (Speakeasy Stage). He was born and raised in Ashburnham, MA and is a graduate of Emerson College.

Bobby Conte Thornton (Jimmy Smith) performed on Broadway in A Bronx Tale (directed by Robert De Niro and Jerry Zaks), and is now making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. Other New York theatre credits include My Fair Lady (Bay Street Theater) and Starting Here, Starting Now (York Theatre Company). Regional credits include: all-male A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum (Two River Theater), Ken Ludwig's A Comedy of Tenors (McCarter Theatre Center/Cleveland Play House, world premiere), Grease (Paper Mill Playhouse), Jersey Boys and Les Misérables (Muny). Film/TV: If Beale Street Could Talk, Madam Secretary and The Code (pilot). He received a BFA from the University of Michigan as well as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Leslie Uggams (Muzzy Van Hossmere) last appeared at Pittsburgh CLO as the Witch in the 1996 production of Into the Woods. She now returns as Muzzy and has amassed an impressive list of credits in between. She is a Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer whose career has brought her from Harlem (The Apollo Theater) to Broadway (Hallelujah, Baby!) and the big screen (Deadpool, Skyjacked) to television (Empire, The Leslie Uggams Show). Perhaps best known for her stirring portrayal of Kizzy in the landmark TV mini-series Alex Haley's Roots (Critics Choice Award, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), Leslie has performed to critical and popular acclaim ever since her first professional appearances at the age of nine at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City. There she opened for such musical legends as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. Now, after six decades on stage and screen, Leslie is a legend in her own right. She is on the Board of Directors of the Apollo Theater, and she was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut. She is also the recipient of an American Artist Award from Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Currently, Leslie can be seen as Leah Walker in the hit television series Empire. She also stars as Blind Al in the blockbuster 20th Century Fox film Deadpool series starring Ryan Reynolds, and co-starred in the HBO original movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks with Oprah Winfrey. Other recent television appearances include Nurse Jackie, The Good Wife, Memphis Beat and NYC 22.

Laurie Veldheer (Millie Dillmount) is making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. She was seen on Broadway in Mamma Mia! (Sophie Sheridan) and Disney's Newsies (Hannah/Smalls; u/s Katherine) OBC. Her tour credits include Fiasco Theater's Production of Into The Woods (Cinderella/Granny) and Hairspray(Brenda, u/s Penny and Tracy). A few of her favorite regional credits include: Thoroughly Modern Millie(Millie) at Paper Mill Playhouse and Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse, A Little Night Music (Anne Egerman) at ACT, Hero (Jane Foster) at the Asolo Rep and Next to Normal (Natalie) at the Milwaukee Rep. She received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Penn State University.

Kirsten Wyatt (Miss Flannery) has been seen on Broadway in: Annie (Lily St. Regis), A Christmas Story, The Musical (Crusty Elf/Mrs. Schwartz), Elf (Santa's Elf), Shrek the Musical (Shoemaker's Elf), Grease (Frenchy, 2007 revival), High Fidelity (Anna), The Pajama Game (Poopsie), Urinetown (Little Becky Two Shoes), ...Charlie Brown (Lucy/Sally standby). Other favorites: Born for This (Tammy Faye Bakker), ...Spelling Bee (Rona), Cabaret (Sally), Mame (Gooch), Sweet Charity (Charity), Guys and Dolls (Adelaide). TV: Blue Bloods, Naked Brothers Band, All My Children, ATWT. Proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE features a talented ensemble including: Katie Anderson, Ben Cullen, Alex Dorf, Tion Gaston, Jamary Gil, Jessica Ice, Caroline Kane, Chloe Rae Kehm, Hunter Mikles, Jessie Peltier, JP Qualters, Sarah Quinn Taylor, Davis Wayne and Andrew Wilson.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM
Charles Repole (Director) Pittsburgh CLO: Damn Yankees, Gypsy, Legally Blonde, 42nd Street, Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie Get Your Gun, Curtains, Annie and Copacabana. NYC/Broadway: Dubarry was a Lady, Call Me Madam, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Lauri Strauss Leukemia Foundation Benefit (Carnegie Hall) and Lyrics and Lyricists 25th Year Celebration (92nd Street "Y"). Kennedy Center: Where's Charley? Broadway performance credits include starring in: Doubles, Whoopee! (Drama Desk Award nomination) and Very Good Eddie (Tony Award® nomination, Theatre World Award). His Off-Broadway credits include starring in: Olympus on my Mind and Magdalena. Mr. Repole won the 2018 New York Bistro Award for Outstanding Achievement for directing Thank You For Your Love and just retired as Chairman of the Drama, Theatre and Dance Department at Queens College after 8 years.

Alex Sanchez (Choreographer) is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. New York credits: Roman Holiday, Pre-Broadway, GFI Productions; Giant, The Public Theater; Far From Heaven, Playwrights Horizon; Fiorello and Where's Charley?; New York City Center Encores; Red Eye of Love, co-choreographer, Amas Musical Theater/Dicapo Theater. His Directing credits include: Evita and Newsies for The Marriott Theater and the national tour musical revue In The Mood. Other regional credits: The Goodman Theater, Papermill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, Williamstown Theater Festival, Dallas Theater Center, The Guthrie Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, St. Louis Muny. Berkshire Theater Group. Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Glimmerglass Opera.

James Cunningham (Music Director) is back for his second season as music director for Pittsburgh CLO. His New York credits include: Avenue Q (conductor), music director for Bunnicula(TheaterworksUSA and original cast recording) and Happy Birthday (TACT). National Tours: Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Spamalot, Evita and Cats. Regionally, he has conducted productions for Arena Stage, Casa Mañana, North Carolina Theatre, Sharon Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Engeman Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse, The MUNY and Cape Fear Regional Theatre. He holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and New York University.

Photo By Diane Sobolewski

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