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Get. Ready. To. ROCK! Pittsburgh CLO's Production of Rolls Onto the Stage July 23! Starring American Idol's Ace Young

July 23 – 28 at the Benedum Center

Pittsburgh, PA ∙ July 11, 2019 – Pump up the volume and bust out your air guitar moves! For the first time ever, Pittsburgh CLO is going to shake the walls of the Benedum Center with ROCK OF AGES, July 23 – 28. This Pittsburgh CLO premiere is only running for one week - there are just 8 chances to get here for a raging good time! Tickets are now available by phone at 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

ABOUT THE SHOW A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MUSICAL ABOUT BIG DREAMS, BIG EGOS AND BIG ! Pittsburgh CLO is turning up the volume with the five time Tony Award®-nominated ROCK OF AGES. This rock ’n’ roll extravaganza features some of the 1980’s greatest hits including: “I Wanna Know What Love Is,” “Final Countdown,” “Sister Christian” and so many more! This is one for the ages that will have you singing “Just Like Paradise.” Set in the fictitious rock bar, The Bourbon Room, this rock ’n’ roll musical comedy is filled with loveable characters, hummable hits and the kinds of jokes you might not want your kids to hear. This show features adult content.

ABOUT THE CAST Ace Young of Broadway and American Idol fame is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut as the ultimate rock star, Stacee Jaxx. Joining Mr. Young in the role of rock star wannabe, Drew, is Justin Matthew Sargent whose credits include Broadway’s Rock of Ages and Bonnie and Clyde. Also starring in this exhilarating 80s experience is Pittsburgh CLO alum Tess Soltau who was last seen in our CLO Cabaret production of 8-Track. After appearing on Broadway in Wicked and The Addams Family, Ms. Soltau joins the cast as the bright-eyed, small town girl, Sherrie. Pittsburgh CLO also welcomes back director Scott Weinstein, who directed our world premiere Cabaret show, The Double-Threat Trio, and choreographer, Stephanie Klemons, who was last seen as Vanessa in our 2017 production of In The Heights.

ACE YOUNG (Stacee Jaxx) has been a fan of Rock of Ages since its Off-Broadway debut and can’t wait to rock out as Stacee Jaxx on the Pittsburgh CLO stage. Ace is a man of many talents and has the credits to back them up. Even before his multiple #1 hits as a songwriter, Ace was wowing millions on TV shows like American Idol and Half & Half. His Grammy- Nominated song “It’s Not Over” gave way to his own BMI Pop Award and many other songwriting acclaims. Ace has starred on Broadway in Hair and and toured the country in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

TESS SOLTAU (Sherrie) Broadway: Wicked (Glinda). Off-Broadway: Far From Heaven (Playwrights Horizons), Into the Woods (Shakespeare in the Park). Theater: Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (dir. Kristin Hanggi), Diner: the Musical (Barry Levinson and Sheryl Crow), Gypsy (dir. Michael Rader), Grease (dir. Daniel Goldstein), White Noise - a New (dir. Sergio Trujillo), 8-Track, the Sounds of the 70’s (Pittsburgh CLO). TV: True Detective, NCIS: New Orleans, The Good Fight, White Collar, Law and Order SVU. Film: Paterno (dir. Barry Levinson) and Love and Other Drugs (dir. Edward Zwick). Graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Acting and .

JUSTIN MATTHEW SARGENT (Drew) Broadway: Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark (Peter Parker), Rock of Ages (Drew) and Bonnie and Clyde. Select Regional credits include: , The Rocky Horror Show, , West Side Story and Forever Plaid. TV/FILM: Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert (u/s Jesus), Law & Order: SVU, Royal Pains, Mr. Robot, De-Located, Big Exit (film) and Storm Chaser (film). Justin has also performed across the country singing the music of QUEEN with a live symphony. A graduate from UCF with a BFA in Musical Theatre.

NICK DRUZBANSKI (Lonny) is a resident where he can currently be seen boozing it up with the cast of Drunk Shakespeare. Nick has performed all over the city, including theaters like Drury Lane, Chicago Shakespeare, Theo Ubique, Griffin Theatre, Refuge Theatre Project and Lifeline Theatre. He has also performed around the globe with the world famous Baby Wants Candy and their hit show; Thrones! The Musical Parody.

JEFFREY HOWELL (Hertz) has been seen at Pittsburgh CLO in numerous shows including: Titanic, Brigadoon, Damn Yankees, , , Singin’ in the Rain, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jekyll and Hyde, A Musical Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchit), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Bells are Ringing, Pajama Game and The Most Happy Fella. At Pittsburgh Public: Forum. City Theatre: Citizens Market. The Rep: Souvenir and Choir Boy. The Pittsburgh Symphony: Tribute to Lerner and Loewe with Marvin Hamlisch.

NATHAN SALSTONE (Franz) most recently made his Broadway Debut in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Regional theaters include: The Goodspeed House, Texas Shakespeare Festival and one of Pittsburgh’s finest, Front Porch Theatricals. Graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, 2017.

TIFFANY TATREAU (Regina) Favorite Credits: Ocean in Ride the Cyclone (Off- Broadway with MCC Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, and Seattle’s 5th Avenue/ACT), Regina in Rock of Ages (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Sophie in Mamma Mia! and Mary Robert in Sister Act (Marriott Theatre) and more. BFA in Musical Theatre from Roosevelt University and member of AEA.

GENE WEYGANDT (Dennis) Broadway: Big: The Musical and Wicked. Regional: A Day In Hollywood/A Night In The Ukraine, Me And My Girl, Little Shop of Horrors, 42nd Street, Annie, Showboat, Old Jews Telling Jokes, Little Me, Inspecting Carol, The Music Man, Xanadu, Working and The Taming of The Shrew. National Tours: Wicked and A Christmas Story. Television: Home Improvement, Murphy Brown, Coach, Ellen, Drew Carey, Chicago Fire, Betrayal, Boss, The Beast and USA High. Film: The Birdcage, The Babe and Game Day. Mr. Weygandt is also a well-known voice-over artist.

AURELIA WILLIAMS (Justice) Past credits include: Broadway: Once on This Island (u/s Asaka, Mama Euralie) and In Transit (us. Althea, Nina). Off-Broadway: Sistas the Musical, Menopause the Musical and Pirates of Penzance. Pittsburgh: Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. National Tour: All Shook Up. Regional: Hairspray (Motormouth Maybelle), (Effie White), Caroline or Change (The Radio), The Hot Mikado(Katisha) and Kiss Me Kate (Hattie). TV and Film: Fosse/Verdon (FX). Upcoming: Holiday For Heroes (Lifetime).

DAN PETERS (Lead Guitarist) A Chicago native, Dan's acclaimed band The West Side Winders have two albums and have toured the U.S. & Europe. Recent credits: ’s RockNRoll Xmas Tale and Rock of Ages (Johnny). Broadway: Mamma Mia! (Gtr 1), ’s "Emo" Project (Gtr 1), and PBS touring act Under The Streetlamp (Axon). Other performance credits: Kristin Chenoweth, Joe Piscopo, Jools Holland & Otis Rush.

ROCK OF AGES is completed with a talented ensemble including J. Cameron Barnett, Kahlil Cabble, Melessie Clark, Madison Deadman, Taylor DeNapoli, Nick Drake, Michael Greer, Jeffrey Koch, Terk Lewis, Georgia Monroe, Julio Rey, Kyra Smith and Tracy Sokat.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM SCOTT WEINSTEIN (Director) is an award-winning director based in and Chicago. He recently won the Joseph Jefferson Award for his new chamber version of Ragtime with Griffin Theatre. Favorite credits: Rock of Ages (Drury Lane Theatre); Murder For Two (Marriott Theatre); (Theo Ubique - Jeff Award: Best Director, Best Musical); She Kills Monsters (Steppenwolf Theatre Garage Rep); Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare Theater) and Million Dollar Quartet (Resident/Associate Director: Broadway National Tour, Las Vegas, Chicago). Proud graduate of Northwestern University and member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

STEPHANIE KLEMONS (Choreographer) work can be seen on Broadway and globally as Associate and Supervising Choreographer of the smash hit . Stephanie, a Drama Desk Award winner, also worked on the pre-Broadway/Broadway productions of Bring It On, In the Heights and If/Then. She directed and choreographed In the Heights (Kennedy Center) to critical acclaim. Other choreography credits: This is Sadie (NYCCT), Rock of Ages (Drury Lane), Frank Wildhorn’s Zelda (Flatrock Playhouse). Commercially she created content for Victoria’s Secret, Vogue, Sesame Street and was the choreographer behind the viral “Time of Our Lives” Super Bowl commercial ft. Eli Manning & Odell Beckham.

JAMES CUNNINGHAM (Musical Director) returns for his third season as music director for the Pittsburgh CLO Summer Season. New York credits include Avenue Q (conductor), music director for Bunnicula (TheaterworksUSA and original cast recording), Hot Mess In Manhattan (Araca Project), and Happy Birthday (TACT) for which he also provided original music. National Tour credits as pianist and/or conductor include: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Spamalot, and Cats. Other regional credits include productions for , Casa Mañana, North Carolina Theatre, Sharon Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Engeman Theater, , The Muny and Cape Fear Regional Theatre. He holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and New York University.

GEOFF JOSSELSON, CSA (Casting Director) is a New York-based casting director whose work includes productions for Broadway, Off-Broadway and major New York and regional theatre companies, including the Arena Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Bay Street Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Bucks County Playhouse, Cape Playhouse, Cleveland Play House, Center, Marriott Theatre, The Old Globe, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Public Theatre, Round House Theatre, San Francisco Symphony and the York Theatre Company. He is responsible for casting the Broadway production of The Velocity of Autumn, starring Estelle Parsons and many other acclaimed New York productions, including Southern Comfort, Yank!, Enter Laughing, Pretty Filthy, John and Jen, Himself and Nora, Altar Boyz and Septimus and Clarissa.

HISTORY OF THE SHOW The original Broadway production of ROCK OF AGES ran for 2,328 performances, closing on January 18, 2015, and tied as the 29th-longest running show in Broadway history. The show was nominated for five ®, including Best Musical. Since debuting on Broadway in 2009, it has spawned replica productions worldwide in Japan, and the among others, as well as several touring productions.

Performance Schedule for ROCK OF AGES

Tuesday July 23 7:30pm Wednesday July 24 7:30pm Thursday July 25 7:30pm Friday July 26 8pm Saturday July 27 2pm & 8pm Sunday July 28 2pm & 7pm

TICKETS Individual tickets start at $27, and groups of 10 or more enjoy exclusive discounts and specialty packages. Call our Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 for more information. Student tickets are also available. Visit pittsburghCLO.org for further information.

Pittsburgh CLO gratefully acknowledges the generosity of our Season Sponsors: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and WTAE-TV.

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Since 1946, 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 yearly who attend its performances at three venues in the Cultural District: a seasonal subscription series at the Benedum Center, A Musical Christmas Carol at the Byham Theater and year- round shows at the CLO Cabaret. Its dedication to the musical theater art form includes educational programs such as the CLO Academy for Performance and Art, the CLO Mini Stars, the Gene Kelly Awards, the Richard Rodgers Award and The National High School Theatre Awards. As part of its new works development, the organization has been involved with 22 Broadway shows (30 Tony Awards®), and in 2014 produced the world premiere of An American in Paris, on Broadway (4 Tony Awards®) and in ’s West End. In addition, Pittsburgh CLO launched the SPARK festival for new small-cast musicals in 2018. For more information, please visit pittsburghCLO.org.