FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pittsburgh CLO Contact: Becca Ackner WQED Contact: George Hazimanolis IMAGES: User: pressroom Password: pittstadium THE SHOW WILL GO ON! Pittsburgh CLO's A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL Starring Richard Thomas to Air on WQED Pittsburgh, PA ∙ November 16, 2020 – Pittsburgh CLO is pleased to announce that the public will be able to enjoy the magic of A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL for the 29th consecutive year! Recorded live at Pittsburgh’s Byham Theater in 2018, this special production will be broadcast on WQED as a holiday gift to the community, so that families can once again experience this cherished tradition together. Starring Broadway and Television's Richard Thomas in the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge and a cast of Pittsburgh's favorite performers, A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL will have four separate airings: December 10 at 7:30pm; December 18 at 9pm; Christmas Eve - December 24 at 9pm and December 27 at 1pm. "We are so happy to be able to share this show starring the one and only Richard Thomas and terrific cast of local actors known and loved in our community," said Van Kaplan, CEO. "Despite our inability to produce this show live this year due to current health guidelines, with the help of our friends at WQED, we found a way to bring it to life. Each year this beloved Pittsburgh tradition reaches more than 25,000 audience members, including more than 7,000 school students. It is a theatrical experience special to so many, and a season without it seemed unfathomable, especially when we need it most. So, let’s toast each other in this new way by tuning in for this uplifting story.” “The holiday season would not be the same without the Pittsburgh CLO’s A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL,” said Deborah L. Acklin, President and CEO of WQED. “It’s especially important that after a very difficult year for everybody, we can all spend some time with loved ones to watch this enchanting production. WQED is pleased to partner with Pittsburgh CLO to be able to offer this production to our audiences.” In more good news, viewers are also invited to partake in special experiences with a Virtual Pre-Show Event and Virtual Post-Show Cast Party before and after the first airing on December 10th. The party will be hosted by Pittsburgh CLO's Mark Fleischer and Ebenezer Scrooge himself, actor Richard Thomas. Participants can join in the fun with cast members and get a glimpse behind the curtain. More information on how to purchase a ticket to this VIP event, complete with a holiday gift box delivered to your home, can be found here. Perhaps best known for his appearances on television, including his Emmy-winning work as John-Boy on TV's The Waltons and most recently as Agent Frank Gaad in FX’s The Americans, Richard Thomas has had an accomplished career on Broadway. His stage resume includes a string of hit new plays and revivals including The Fifth of July, Race and his 2017 Tony-nominated performance in The Little Foxes. “Richard Thomas’s performance as Scrooge is revelatory, and this production, filmed in 2018, was one of the most attended in the show’s long history in Pittsburgh," added Van Kaplan. This first-ever televised version of Pittsburgh CLO’s A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL has been made possible by major funding by KeyBank, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and Highmark. Additional funding was provided by PNC, Giant Eagle and Pittsburgh CLO. Pittsburgh CLO also thanks Actors’ Equity Association for its support in making this broadcast possible. IMPORTANT INFORMATION WQED viewers will have four opportunities to see this special production. It will be broadcast on December 10 at 7:30pm; December 18 at 9pm; Christmas Eve - December 24 at 9pm and December 27 at 1pm. A full cast and creative team listing can be found here. PITTSBURGH CLO 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 Gene Kelly Awards, the Richard Rodgers Award and The National High School Musical Theatre Awards/Jimmy Awards. As part of its new works development, the organization has been involved with 27 Broadway shows (31 Tony Awards®), 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. ABOUT WQED WQED was an experiment in educational community-supported television that was the forerunner to PBS. Today, WQED is a multimedia powerhouse that is as much a part of Pittsburgh as the three rivers. WQED is WQED-TV (PBS); WQED World; WQED Create; WQED Showcase; WQED PBS KIDS Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel at WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM) and online at www.wqed.org/fm; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and WQED Education (www.wqed.org/edu). PITTSBURGH CLO The Benedum Center ■ 719 Liberty Avenue ■ Pittsburgh, PA 15222 ■ 412-281-3973 ■ Fax 412-281-5339 CLO Cabaret Theater ■ 655 Penn Avenue ■ 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] This message was sent to [email protected] Pittsburgh CLO 719 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222 United States Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences .