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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Aja Jones 412-281-3973 ext. 224 [email protected] Images: Press Room User: pressroom Pswd: pittstadium

CALLING ALL DANCING QUEENS Mega Hit MAMMA MIA! to make its CLO Premiere! Experience the ultimate feel-good musical of love, family and friendship at the Benedum Center July 28 – August 6

Pittsburgh, PA ∙ July 19, 2017 – Over 54 million people around the world have fallen in love with MAMMA MIA! since its Broadway debut in 2001, after which it ran for a staggering 5,758 performances. Now, Pittsburgh CLO will produce this international sensation for the first time, July 28 - August 6 at the Benedum Center. Tickets are now available by phone at 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. Starring as our super-sleuth Sophie is Broadway and Pittsburgh CLO alum ERIKA HENNINGSEN, who last charmed Pittsburgh CLO audiences as Nellie in . The possible papas to her Sophie are MATT BOGART as Sam (Broadway’s , and ), CHRISTIAN WHELAN as Bill (National Tours of , Mamma Mia! and Aida) and RICK NEGRON (Broadway’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood, , The Goodbye Girl) as Harry. There’s certainly no question who the Mom is…Donna – played by Pittsburgh CLO newcomer , who last appeared on Broadway in Finding Neverland, The Last Ship and Carrie. Watch this story unfold with the full complement of ABBA hits: “Dancing Queen,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Waterloo” and many more!

ABOUT THE CAST Matt Bogart (Sam Carmichael) returns to Pittsburgh CLO where he last played Curly in Oklahoma! alongside Shirley Jones. Mr. Bogart’s Broadway credits include Nick Massi in Jersey Boys, Radames in Aida, Chris in Miss Saigon, The Civil War, Smokey Joe’s Café (also filmed for television and DVD) and in (National Tour). Off-Broadway: James Joyce in Himself and Nora in Dublin, Ireland. He has premiered leading roles at La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe, Goodspeed and Cincinnati Playhouse. He is a proud Affiliated Artist with Arena Stage. His roles there include Val in Orpheus Descending, Lancelot in Camelot (© Award Nom.), Joe Hardy in and the upcoming new Georgia Stitt musical, Snow Child. Mr. Bogart has sung solo roles at , Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and with the , Philly Pops, Columbus, Wichita and Kentucky Symphony Orchestras. TV credits include HBO’s Vinyl as Robert Goulet, Smash as JFK and Law and Order: SVU. He earned his B.F.A. from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

Will Branner (Pepper) was recently seen in October Sky (The Old Globe), Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat (Adirondack Theatre Festival), Christ Superstar (MTW) and Dogfight (Farmers Alley). Along with acting, Will is an aspiring director. Recent directing credits include John Barrett Salon (Film), Gruesome Playground Injuries and Rock of Ages. B.F.A. University of Michigan.

Michelle Dawson (Tanya) will be returning to Pittsburgh CLO after previously being seen as Rizzo in , Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde and Petra in . Her Broadway credits include Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (Arachne/Emily/Aunt May s/b), Mamma Mia! (Donna & Rosie u/s), (Evelyn Nesbit), Showboat (Magnolia u/s) and Cyrano: The Musical. National Tours: Mamma Mia! (Donna & Tanya), Seven Brides... (Milly), The Secret Garden and The Music Of ALW. Pre-Broadway: First Wives Club (Elise & u/s). Regional Credits: (Eva) at Pioneer and Man of La Mancha (Aldonza) at WBT among others. TV: Law & Order, All My Children and ® 2009 (featured performer). Carnegie Mellon B.F.A.

Lori Hammel (Rosie) was featured in the Broadway production and on the National Tour of Mamma Mia!. Other National Tour credits include 9 to 5 and I Love Lucy Live (Ethel Mertz). Off-Broadway credits include: , I Love You, You’re Perfect…, Unbroken Circle and Bardy Bunch. Lori was the recipient of the NY Fringe Acting Award in 2015. Her Regional credits include The Bikinis (Goodspeed/Long Wharf), Happy Days, Forbidden Hollywood (Jeff/After Dark Award), (Jeff nomination) and Singin’ in the Rain (Jeff nomination/After Dark Award). TV: , Colbert Report, The Following and Master of None. Film: ’ Burn After Reading, She's Lost Control and Coney Island Queen (Cannes).

Erika Henningsen (Sophie Sheridan) was last seen at Pittsburgh CLO as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific. Broadway credits include Les Miserables (Fantine). New York: : PBS Live from Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic (Kim Ravenal) and (Nina) starring at the . She originated the role of Beth in the world premiere of Barry Levinson’s Diner at Signature Theater. Other regional credits include Found (Becka, Philadelphia Theater ) and (Penny, Woodminster Amphitheater). Recordings: The Theory Of Relativity. Concerts: 54 Below, Jazz at Lincoln Center. She is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan and recipient of the Alan Eisenberg Actors’ Equity Award.

Beth Stafford Laird (Ali) was last seen playing Katherine in Pittsburgh CLO's Newsies and is returning to the stage for Mamma Mia!. National Tour credits include Newsies (1st Nat’l), Belle u/s in Beauty and the Beast (Internat'l) and Molly U/S in Ghost the Musical (1st Nat'l). Regional Credits: Nikola Tesla Drops The Beat (Anna/White Pigeon), The Little Mermaid (Ariel), (Joanna) and NSMT's A Christmas Carol (Meg/Ensemble). Film: Disney’s Newsies Live! (Nun/Bowery Beauty).

Billy Mason (Eddie) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after recently being seen in , NEWSIES, THE TOXIC AVENGER, AIDA and SOUTH PACIFIC. Other favorite roles include Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas), Shrek the Musical (Shrek) and Seussical (Horton).

Rick Negron (Harry Bright) made his Pittsburgh CLO debut in IN THE HEIGHTS as Kevin Rosario. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico and received his BA from Sarah Lawrence . Broadway credits: Leader of the Pack, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Legs Diamond, Man of La Mancha, The Goodbye Girl, Ragtime (L.A.), Mamma Mia! (), Kevin Rosario in In the Heights. National Tours: (Action, Riff, Bernardo), Man of La Mancha. Danced in Michael Jackson’s Bad video and the movie.

Sally Ann Triplett (Donna Sheridan) is joining Pittsburgh CLO for the first time. Broadway: Finding Neverland (Mrs. Du Maurier), The Last Ship (Peggy White), Carrie (Sue Snell). West End: (Young Phyllis), Grease (Rizzo), (Ruby Keeler), (Reno Sweeney and winner of What’s On Stage), Chicago (Roxy), (Miss Adelaide), Mamma Mia! (Donna),Viva Forever (Lauren), (Grizabella). International: Life Of The Party with Andrew Lippa, (Diana Goodman with Pangdemonium in Singapore), My Judy Garland Life (nominated for Best Actress for regional UK awards), Damsel In Distress (Chichester Festival). TV: Eastenders, City, Doctors, Down To Earth.

Zurin Villanueva (Lisa) has been seen on Broadway in Shuffle Along and The . Her regional credits include Ruined (Everyman Theater), Josephine Tonight! (Metrostage), Good News (Goodspeed House), Ain’t Misbehavin' (Crossroads) and Crowns (Arena Stage). She received her B.F.A. from Howard University.

Ryan Vona (Sky) makes his Pittsburgh CLO debut with Mamma Mia! A native of Boston, MA, he has been seen on Broadway as Andrej in and this year creating the role of Joey Green for Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour.

Christian Whelan (Bill Austin) returns to Pittsburgh CLO for Mamma Mia! after previously appearing in Oliver! as Bill Sykes. His Broadway/National Tours credits include: Flashdance, Mamma Mia!, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Aida, Ragtime, Little House On The Prairie and Camelot. Off B'way: Ministry of Progress, Trolls and Emerald Man. Regional: The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors,110 In The Shade, Footloose, Johnny Guitar, Pollock, The Miracle Worker, Unsinkable Molly Brown and Working, Utah! Film/TV: Beach Ratz (Sundance Award winner), Nowhere Ever After, Celebrity, TomCats, Angel Town, Blacklist, , Guiding Light, All My Children and Delaventura. He received his B.F.A. from University of Southern .

MAMMA MIA! is completed with a talented ensemble including Sky Bennett, Kellyann Coyle, Lydia Ruth Dawson, Alex Dorf, Hailie Lucille, Cameron Anika Hill, Jessica Ice, Michael James, Cassie Levine, Carina-Kay Louchiey, Javier Manente, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, Kevin Paul, Isaac Cole Powell, Taylor Kellas Warren and Davis Wayne.

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM Barry Ivan (Director/Choreographer) has directed numerous productions for Pittsburgh CLO, including & ’s AIDA, The Wedding Singer, Sunset Boulevard, Company, A Little Night Music, Footloose, The Full Monty, Miss Saigon, West Side Story, Smokey Joe’s Cafe and Les Misérables. His national and international credits range from directing at the German State Opera to directing at Yale. Mr. Ivan’s productions of The Full Monty and Hairspray received IRNE awards for Best Musical and he received IRNE nominations as Best Director for and Les Misérables. Mr. Ivan directed the US premiere of Dracula, A Chamber Musical, and is slated to direct the world premiere of Jeff Stolzer’s comedy-drama POWER PLAYS. Mr. Ivan is currently producing and developing multiple projects for the stage and television.

James Cunningham (Music Director) joins Pittsburgh CLO for the first time this summer and served as Music Director for IN THE HEIGHTS and Disney’s NEWSIES. Mr. Cunningham’s New York credits include , music director for Bunnicula (TheaterworksUSA and original ), Hot Mess In Manhattan (The Araca Project) and Happy Birthday (TACT) for which he also provided original music. His National Tour credits as pianist/conductor include Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, , Evita and Cats. For the past three seasons he has been a frequent music director for Casa Mañana where his credits include Million Dollar Quartet, Spamalot, , , Les Misérables, Buddy…The Buddy Holly Story, Always… Cline and Cats. Regionally, he has also conducted productions for 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.

HISTORY OF THE SHOW Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical containing some of ABBA’s greatest hits including “Dancing Queen” and “.” Worlds collided when Judy Craymer, who would become Mamma Mia!’s creative producer, was working with Sir Tim Rice and met Björn Ulvaeus and who were collaborating with Rice on their first musical, . Craymer had an idea for a new musical containing ABBA music, but when she pitched it to Ulvaeus and Andersson, they were initially hesitant about the new project. When the duo finally agreed, Mamma Mia! began to pick up speed. Craymer enlisted the help of Catherine Johnson to write the book for the show and requested that Phyllida Llyod join the team as director for their production. Mamma Mia! was on the fast track to becoming a smash hit.

Mamma Mia! opened at the in ’s West End on April 6th 1999, which happened to be the be the same day that ABBA had won the with “Waterloo” 25 years before. After an incredibly successful five year run in London, Mamma Mia! hit the road and travelled to New York where it played for 12 years and 5,000 performances. Mamma Mia! ended its Broadway run in September of 2015, but not until after being named the 8th longest running show in Broadway history.

The female trifecta did not stop here. In June of 2008, Craymer, Llyod and Johnson teamed up with to bring Mamma Mia! to the big screen. Starring , , and Amanda Seyfried, Mamma Mia! quickly made history as of the highest grossing films of the year.

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL CREATIVE TEAM Catherine Johnson (Book) is an award-winning writer best known for writing the book and screenplay for Mamma Mia! on stage and screen. Her additional playwriting credits include Rag Doll for Bristol Old Vic Studio, Dead Sheep for Bush Theatre and Suspension for Bristol Old Vic, among many others. Her film and television credits consist of , Bryker Grove (BBC) and Just Like Eddie (HTV), to name a few. Ms. Johnson’s playwriting has earned her many awards including the Bristol Old Vic/HTV Playwriting Award and the Thames Television Writer-in-Residence and Best Play awards. Her book for Mamma Mia! was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Musical and a Tony Award ® for Best Book of a Musical.

Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus (Lyrics & Music) are best known for being part of the pop group ABBA along with their then-wives Anni-Frid Lyngstad and Agnetha Fältskog. Mr. Ulvaeus and Mr. Andersson collaborated not only on their extremely successful pop group, but also on award-winning musicals such as Broadway’s Mamma Mia! and Chess and the Swedish musical Kristina från Duvemåla. Together, they were nominated for and won numerous awards including a Drama Desk ™ Award for Outstanding Music for the musical Chess, a Tony Award ® for Best Orchestrations for Mamma Mia! and the Broadway League’s Touring Broadway Award for Mamma Mia! for Best Score. The Original Cast Recordings of both Broadway musicals were also nominated for a Grammy Award ®.

Phyllida Lloyd (Director) was the director for both the stage and film production of Mamma Mia! which landed her nominations for Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards. Her London theatre credits include Pericles, The Way of the World, What the Butler Saw, The Prime of Miss Jean and The Threepenny Opera, among others. Ms. Llyod is also well known for her work in directing multiple including La Bohème, L’Etoile, Gloriana, Carmen, Albert Herring, Peter Grimes, The Verdi and Valkyrie. Her additional film credits include Gloriana, for which she received an International Emmy Award ®.

Anthony Van Laast (Choreographer) was the choreographer for the original production of Mamma Mia! on stage and for the film. Mr. Van Laast trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and later in his career joined the company as a dancer and choreographer. He has worldwide choreography credits including , Side Show, Bombay Dreams, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and , among others. His film credits include Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Performance Schedule for Mamma Mia! Friday July 28 8p.m. Saturday July 29 2p.m. & 8p.m. Sunday July 30 2p.m. & 7p.m. Tuesday August 1 8p.m. Wednesday August 2 8p.m. Thursday August 3 8p.m. Friday August 4 8p.m. Saturday August 5 2p.m. & 8p.m. Sunday August 6 2p.m.

TICKETS Tickets are available online at pittsburghCLO.org, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Tickets start at $25. Groups of 10 or more enjoy exclusive discounts and specialty packages. Call our Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 for more information. Visit pittsburghCLO.org for further information.

Pittsburgh CLO gratefully acknowledges the generosity of PNC for its sponsorship of the PNC Spotlight Series and 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 . 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 Award and The National High School Theatre Awards. As part of its new works development, the organization has been involved with 22 Broadway shows (29 Tony Awards®), and in 2014 produced the world premiere of An American in , on Broadway (4 Tony Awards®) and in London’s West End. For more information please visit pittsburghCLO.org.