FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Becca Ackner 412-281-3973 x224 [email protected] IMAGES User: pressroom Password: pittstadium Director J. Michael Zygo and Tony-nominated Choreographer Camille A. Brown Bring the Premiere of ONCE to Pittsburgh CLO July 30 – August 4 at the Benedum Center Pittsburgh, PA ∙ July 26, 2019 – Pittsburgh CLO audiences are in for a unique and unparalleled musical theater experience with eight-time Tony Award-winning ONCE. For the first time, Pittsburgh CLO brings this beautiful love story - where the actors are also the musicians - to the Benedum Center July 30 – August 4. This Pittsburgh CLO premiere is only running for one week. Tickets are now available by phone at 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square. Some Adult Content. ABOUT THE SHOW TONY AWARD® WINNER FOR BEST MUSICAL! On the streets of Dublin, a woeful Irish musician and a captivating young Czech woman are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolve into a powerful but complicated romance, underscored by emotionally-charged music, played by the very actors themselves! Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, ONCE is a truly original theatrical experience. The music of ONCE has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Olivier Award and a Tony Award®. Featuring all of the breathtaking music from the critically-acclaimed film, including the Oscar-winning “Falling Slowly,” this achingly- beautiful, joyously-uplifting show strikes an unforgettable chord in audiences and speaks to the power of music to connect us all. A show like that only comes around ONCE. ABOUT THE TEAM At the helm of this production are Director J. Michael Zygo and Choreographer Camille A. Brown, both of whom come to us from Broadway. Ms. Brown recently choreographed Choir Boy and Once on This Island and Mr. Zygo has led numerous tours of ONCE and is himself an original cast member/musician of Tony Award-winning ONCE on Broadway. Leading this unique production are the talented actor/musicians, Stuart Ward and Esther Stillwell. Mr. Ward is no stranger to ONCE, having performed in the show on its National Tour and West End production. Starring as his captivating love interest is Ms. Stillwell whose Broadway and National Tour credits include Pricilla Queen of the Desert, Spamalot and the 25th Anniversary tour of Cats. Also appearing in this production is Pittsburgh CLO Academy student Lauren Ivory Vail. Miss Vail was recently featured in our 2018 Summer Season productions of Brigadoon and Titanic. STUART WARD (Guy) is from Liverpool, England but now lives in California. Stuart is a successful singer songwriter and will be signing copies of his album in the theatre lobby after the show. He's also the lead singer and guitarist for Foot Stomping Bluegrass Band and The Typsy Spyres. Theatre includes: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Time and the Conways (Broadway) Once (US Tour) The Go Between, Once, The Recruiting Officer, Dreamboats and Petticoats (West End), The Hired Man (Off-Broadway), The Mayor of Zalamea (Liverpool Everyman). Television includes: Downton Abbey (ITV), Our Girl, Holby City and Anthem for Doomed Youth (BBC). ESTHER STILWELL (Girl) last performed here with the 1st National Tour of Spamalot, in which she played Lady. On Broadway she covered six female roles in the cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, with whom she performed on the 65th Tony Awards®. ANDY CHRISTOPHER (Anrej) National Tour: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Buddy Holly). Regional: The Muny, Pittsburgh CLO, Ogunquit Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse, Fulton Theatre, MSMT, Casa Mañana, Theater Works Hartford, Flat Rock Playhouse, Ivoryton Playhouse and more. Concert: Muny Magic at the Sheldon. TV: Bands. MAGGIE HOLLINBECK (Baruška) has recently performed in National Tours of Once (Baruška standby) and Annie (Connie Boylan). Off-Broadway debut in Red Roses, Green Gold (Miss Glendine) and NYMF debut in ‘68 (Sandy). Favorite Regional credits include: The People vs. Mona, Little Fish, See What I Wanna See and Finian’s Rainbow at Goodspeed Opera House. Maggie is also a recording artist and just released her third album, Jane Kenyon Sessions Volume One. CRAIG MACDONALD (Da) is very excited to be a part of this production of ONCE at Pittsburgh CLO. Recent roles: Regional theater: King Henry VIII (Cardinal Wolsey) at Valley Shakespeare, All the Way (Senator Richard Russel) at Theatre Squared, The Game’s Afoot (William Gillette) at Ivoryton Playhouse, Once (Da) Olney Theatre Center; Dracula (Van Helsing) at Syracuse Stage, Peter and the Starcatcher (Lord Aster) at The Kitchen Theater, The Nether (Sims) at Centenary Stage Co, Little Women (Mr. Lawrence) at New London Playhouse and The Crucible (Giles Corey) at Olney Theatre Center. As a lifelong musician, he and his band Old Scots have released four albums of original music. LUCAS PAPAELIAS (Švec) was an original cast member of the Tony Award®-winning musical Once on Broadway and a regular on the Cinemax medical drama The Knick. He also appeared onscreen in School of Rock, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and a slew of Law & Orders. Off-Broadway credits include: Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic, 2econd Stage, the Public, P73, and New York Theater Workshop. Regional: ATL, ART, Geffen, Geva and Huntington LP. He also composed original music for Cyrano on Broadway (w/ Kevin Kline) and Adam Rapp's Essential Self-Defense (Drama Desk nomination). SCOTT STANGLAND (Eamon) is a New York-based actor and musician. Broadway: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (standby for Pierre) and Once (Eamon). Regional: SOUL the Stax Musical (Baltimore Center Stage), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (A.R.T.) and The Wheel (Steppenwolf Theatre). Select TV: The Deuce, Vinyl (HBO), New Amsterdam, Crisis, Chicago Fire (NBC) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (TNT). Film: Contagion and End of the Tour. Scott received his MFA from The Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University. Scott also plays in the band Youth in a Roman Field. CASSIDY STIRTZ (Réza) has performed in Once worldwide. She was on the first National Tour and subsequently played Réza at South Coast Repertory, Paramount Theatre and Theatre Squared. She is thrilled to join some of her favorite collaborators here at Pittsburgh CLO. Cassidy performs with the Typsy Spyres, Youth in a Roman Field and in a folk music revue featuring Peter Yarrow. BFA: Millikin University. ANDY TAYLOR (Bank Manager) Broadway and National tours: Once, Sunset Boulevard, Titanic, On the 20th Century, Moon Over Buffalo, Cabaret, The Producers, Mamma Mia! and One Touch of Venus. Television and film: The Americans, The Good Cop, Elementary, CSI, Law and Order, As the World Turns, High Maintenance, Collateral Beauty, The Week of… and Dream. Regional Theaters: The Goodman, Guthrie, Globe, Geffen, Mark Taper Forum, ACT and South Coast Repertory. Carnegie Hall: Gershwin’s Tiptoes and a cello recital with Jamie Keating. Double degree graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. DAVID TOOLE (Emcee) recent professional credits include: Theatre Raleigh: Once (Guy) and Rock of Ages (Drew). PMT: Disney’s Newsies (Jack Kelly), Tarzan (Tarzan), Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas) and We Will Rock You (Galileo Figaro). Pittsburgh CLO: Pump- Boys (Jim) and First Date (Reggie & Gabe). Carnival Theatrics: Bridges of Madison County (Robert). Front Porch Theatricals: The Last 5 Years (Jamie). David is an anthem singer for the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) and recent featured vocalist performing with Jason Robert Brown in concert. ERIKKA WALSH (Ex-Girlfriend) Broadway: Once (Original Broadway Cast). Select Off- Broadway: Once (NYTW) and Red Roses Green Gold (featuring the music of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter). Select Regional Theatre: Indecent (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Ring of Fire (Capital Repertory Theatre), Striking 12 (SpeakEasy Stage Company), Romeo and Juliet and Pericles (Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre). Film/TV: “The Deuce”, Rosie Rose and “Miss Teri ” (co-creator). Founding member of the indie rock band Bonfire Falls. MFA: ART/MXAT Institute at Harvard University. PAUL WHITTY (Billy) originated the role of Billy in Once with over 1,000 performances on Broadway, New York Theatre Workshop, ART and Japan. Broadway: Gettin’ the Band Back Together, Amelie and Full Monty. NYC: Violet (Encores) and Twelfth Night (Sonnet). Regional: Kinky Boots (MUNY) Baby Doll, Streetcar (Le Petit), Robin Hood (Old Globe), Starcatcher (Actors Theatre), Judge Jackie (Sharon Playhouse) and Be More Chill (Two River). Film/TV: Song One, Law & Order SVU and Guiding Light. BFA Acting, UNCSA. LAUREN IVORY VAIL (Ivanka) is a 6th grader this fall at Eden Christian Academy and is an active Pittsburgh CLO Academy student. LIV also trains with Miss Amy Stabanau, Wexford Acting Studio and Wexford Dance Academy. Credits: Pittsburgh CLO’s Titanic, Brigadoon, Seussical (JoJo), Annie (Molly), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Chip), Les Misérables (Young Cosette) and Willie Wonka (Charlie). ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM J. MICHAEL ZYGO (Director) recent credits include Music Director / Associate Choreographer of Once at The Fulton Theatre and Virginia Repertory Theatre. Director / Music Director national tour of Once 2019-2020. Original cast member/musician of Tony Award®-winning Once on Broadway and featured on the Grammy® Award winning Cast Album. Broadway: School Of Rock. Off-Broadway: Once (NYTW) and Man of Rock (NYMF). Tours: Rock Of Ages – 1st Nat., The Wedding Singer, Bridges of Madison County – 1st Nat., Annie and Oklahoma! – 1st Nat. Film/TV: Rock Of Ages, Unforgettable and the Tony Awards® 2012, 2013. CAMILLE A. BROWN (Choreographer) Broadway: Choir Boy, Once on This Island (Nominee: Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, & Chita Rivera Awards) and A Streetcar Named Desire. Off-Broadway: Toni Stone, This Ain’t Not Disco, Bella and (Lucille Lortel Nominee) Fortress of Solitude (Lucille Lortel Nominee; Audelco Award).