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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Becca Ackner 412-281-3973 x 224 [email protected] IMAGES: User: pressroom Password: pittstadium

MEET THE CAST & CREATIVE TEAM OF THE WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL COMEDY, UNTITLED!

Pittsburgh, PA ∙ February 26, 2020 – Casting has been announced for CLO's World Premiere of the award-winning musical comedy UNTITLED: A New Musical Comedy About Serious Drama at the Greer Theater April 3 – May 3, 2020. Originally developed during Pittsburgh CLO's SPARK Festival, UNTITLED has since gained wide acclaim, including earning writer Matt Schatz the ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Award. Don’t miss this edgy new musical satire about showbiz, stardom and self- reflection.

ABOUT THE SHOW The set up: Is it ever easy in the theater biz? Meet Beth, an idealistic literary manager at a non-profit theater who wants to change the world by discovering unsung writers and plays that matter. Meteors collide when her tone-deaf boss instead chooses a "pop superstar" to write the "hit" that will keep the theater from going out of business. In the battle of art versus commerce and heroine versus history, who will get the final word? Please join us for this original new show. You will be its first live audience and can say you saw it when! Adult Situations & Very Strong Language

THE CAST JULIANNE AVOLIO (Beth) is returning to Pittsburgh CLO after recently appearing at the CLO Cabaret in Perfect Wedding and Up and Away. Other credits include: Cry It Out (City Theatre), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Bricolage Production Co.), The Liar (Kinetic Theatre) and others.

MELESSIE CLARK (Liz Cohen) was recently seen as Ronette in Little Shop of Horrors and School Girls; Or, the African Play at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Other credits: Grease, Rock of Ages, Gypsy, The Wedding Singer, A Sign of the Times, , After Midnight, Dulcy, The Old Settler and An Octoroon.

LARA HAYHURST (El/Justin) Broadway: Lady Day… starring Audra McDonald. Off-Broadway: . National Tour: Bye Bye Birdie (Kim). Previously with Pittsburgh CLO: Xanadu, the Musical and A Musical Christmas Carol. Regional: Casa Mañana, Flat Rock, Sacramento Music Circus, Pittsburgh Public, Maine State, Fulton, Engeman, Paramount. BFA Pace University.

CRAIG MACDONALD (Todd-Michael Smyth) is returning to Pittsburgh CLO after last appearing as Da in . Other recent work: Count Dracula at Syracuse Stage; All the Way at Theatre Squared; The Game’s Afoot at Ivoryton Playhouse; The Crucible at Olney Theatre Center. He has recorded and released four albums of original music with his band Old Scots.

THE CREATIVE TEAM MATT SCHATZ (Book, Music, Lyrics) won the ASCAP Foundation Harold Arlen Award for Untitled, the Kleban Prize in for Love Trapezoid, the NYMF Outstanding Lyrics Award for Georama, and The Reva Shiner Comedy Award for The Burdens. Matt has received six commissions from the EST/Sloan Project as well as from Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Jill Furman Productions. Others include A Soul in Cherry Hill, Where Ever It May Be, Dunkfest ’88, I Battled Lenny Ross (with Anna Ziegler) and The Tallest Building in the World. Matt's work has been produced and/or developed all over the country, including City Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, The O’Neill, EST, Ars Nova, Page73, St. Louis Rep, Luna Stage and many others. Upcoming productions: Bloomington Playwrights Project, the Cave Theatre (NYC), and the Geffen Playhouse. MFA: Carnegie Mellon. Matt lives in , where he is currently a writer for Netflix Animation.

REGINALD L. DOUGLAS (Director) is the Associate Artistic Director at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC and a director and producer dedicated to creating new work and supporting new voices. His and acumen for new play development and re-investigating the classics has led him to theaters across the country, including work at Eugene O’Neill Center, TheaterWorks Hartford, CATF, Weston Playhouse, Theatre Squared, Playwrights Center, Kennedy Center, NNPN, McCarter, Florida Rep, Luna Stage, Harlem Stage, Wild Project, Signature Center, Drama League, The Lark, New York Theatre Workshop, and Pittsburgh’s City Theatre, where he served as Artistic Producer from 2015-2020.

KIESHA LALAMA (Choreographer) is an International Choreographer of Stage, Film and Television. Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sorority Row (Film), Outsiders (TV), Jimmy Awards (Broadway) Jesus Christ Superstar (Kansas City Starlight), All Shook Up (North Shore Music Theatre), First Date, Judge Jackie Justice, Grand Night for Singing, Pump Boys & Dinettes (Pittsburgh CLO), Concert Dance works for DCDC, Giordano Dance , Met and Dance Kaleidoscope. Current positions - Pittsburgh CLO Director of Community Engagement, Point Park University Dance Professor.

DOUGLAS LEVINE (Music Director) returns to the CLO Cabaret having previously music directed First Date and Up and Away. Also a music educator and composer, he has written music for companies including: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, City Theatre, Microscopic Opera , The Warhol, Playhouse REP, Conservatory and Junior Companies, Attack Theatre, Dance Theatre, Pittsburgh Classical Theatre, Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater Festival, Dreams of Hope, Gateway to the Arts, Renaissance City Women’s Choir, Junior Mendelssohn Choir, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh and WQED FM. Honors include the City Theater Frankel Award and the Prague Quadrennial International Theatre Sound Score and Music Composition Exhibition.

Ticket Information Tickets start at $31.25 and are available online at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Groups of 8 or more can call the Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 to learn more about special discounts and priority seating.

Performance Schedule Wednesdays: 7:30pm Thursdays: 1:00pm* & 7:30pm Fridays: 7:30pm Saturdays: 2:00pm & 7:30pm Sundays: 2:00pm

*Select Thursdays with a buffet lunch. Contact Group Sales for more information.

Pittsburgh CLO graciously acknowledges the generosity of Dolores and Michael Kara for their series support. UNTITLED was developed as part of the 2018 SPARK Festival in collaboration with City Theatre Company.

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 , A Musical Christmas Carol at the 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 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 27 Broadway shows (31 ®), and in 2014 produced the world premiere of An American in Paris, on Broadway (4 Tony Awards®) and in London’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.

PITTSBURGH CLO The Benedum Center ■ 719 Liberty Avenue ■ Pittsburgh, PA 15222 ■ 412-281-3973 ■ Fax 412-281-5339 CLO Cabaret Theater ■ 655 ■ Pittsburgh, PA 15222 ■ CLOCabaret.com Academy of Musical Theater ■ Penn Avenue Place ■ 130 CLO Academy Way ■ Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412-281-2234 ■ Fax 412-281-5339 The Construction Center for the Arts ■ 997 Sherosky Way ■ Springdale, PA 15144 ■ 724-558-1016 ■ Fax 724-558-1022 pittsburghCLO.org ■ [email protected]

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