Baayork Lee & More Join Pittsburgh CLO 2024 Summer of Musicals

Pittsburgh CLO has unveiled the Creative Teams for the 2024 Summer of Musicals. This esteemed group of creative visionaries will bring the magic of Broadway to life throughout the summer season, continuing Pittsburgh CLO's tradition of delivering top-tier musical theater experiences made by Pittsburgh, for Pittsburgh, and in partnership with Pittsburgh. The 2024 summer series will encompass 3 shows at the Benedum Center, 2 shows at the Greer Cabaret Theater as well as 1 show at the Byham Theater.

 The Pittsburgh CLO 2024 Summer of Musicals includes LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at the Greer Cabaret Theater, WEST SIDE STORY, THE COLOR PURPLE, and THE MUSIC MAN at the Benedum Center, and SEUSSICAL at the Byham Theater.

Mark Fleischer, Executive Producer at Pittsburgh CLO, expressed his excitement about the upcoming season, stating, "We're thrilled with this collection of outstanding talent making up our Creative Teams; each promises to elevate the theater experience and bring even more variety and excitement to every show, creating a summer of musical memories."
The Pittsburgh CLO 2024 Summer Creative Teams include:

LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL

May 17 - June 30 • Greer Cabaret Theater
Director: Tome' Cousin
Music Director: Kenney Green-Tilford

TOME' COUSIN (Director) is an internationally recognized director, choreographer, educator, performer, and creator of musical theater works, ballets, films, new opera, song cycles, art installations, and a published author, and a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab. PCLO, Lincoln Center Theater, North Shore, City Theatre, Pittsburgh Playhouse, Quantum Theatre, Shanghai International, Lodz Polish Theater, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, OD Musical Theater Seoul Korea, Madach Szinhaz Poland. BA: Dance History and Choreography from Point Park University, MFA: New Media Art and Performance from Long Island University. In high regard as an actor's educator, he is on faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in the School of Drama and has taught at the Alvin Ailey School, Point Park University, STEPS NYC, Broadway Dance Center, Ballett Centrum / Berlin, Korean Imperial School, Hungarian Arts Academy, New York University, and The Luigi School.He is the author of performance essays, articles, plays, and two theater study journals: The Total Theater Artist And New Media Performance, and The Franklin Project: Articles / Essays On Diversity And Non-Traditional Casting. He is a standing member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab and four professional unions - Actors Equity, SAG/AFTRA, SDC, and the Society of Dance History Scholars. He is the recipient of the N.E.A grant for the creation of his new media work Vanderzee (Picture Takin' Man), the Frankel Award, six Choreographer Continuum Fellowships, two Lambda Foundation Fellowships, the Vera Heinz Multicultural Arts Initiative Fellowship, a Family Pride Collation Commission, LIU International Research Travel Fellowship, the SDC Mike Ockrent Director Fellowship, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Point Park University.

Kenney Green-TILFORD (Music Director) is a multi-hyphenate performer just returning from performing with his husband, Adam Tilford to sold out Piano Bar shows in Sydney & Melbourne.  When home in New York, Kenney can be found playing at the world famous Marie's Crisis Cafe Piano Bar. FILM: Fire Island, Off-Broadway: Finks! (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Growing Up 70's starring Barry Williams (Luther). National/European Tours: Smokey Joe's Cafe starring Gladys Knight (Victor/Dance Capt.), Ain't Misbehavin', The Music of Andrew Llyod Webber (Ensemble). Regional: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Atkins), Avenue Q (Gary Coleman), Diva Diaries: The Musical (Young Randee Jean), Ain't Misbehavin' (Milwaukee Rep./Arkansas Rep), The Music Man, A Chorus Line, The Full Monty, Once on this Island, Working: The Musical, CHICAGO, Footloose, Around the World in 80 Days, Ruthless (Sylvia St. Croix). Member SDC, SAG-AFTRA & AEA.
 

WEST SIDE STORY

June 11-16 • Benedum Center
Director/Choreographer: Baayork Lee
Associate Director/Choreographer: Jacob Brent
Music Director: Anthony T. Edwards

Baayork Lee (Director/Choreographer) has performed in a dozen original Broadway shows. She created the role of Connie in A Chorus Line while continuing the legacy of Michael Bennett directing companies around the world, most recently Antonio Banderas company in Spain. She has directed The King and I, South Pacific, Cinderella (R&H), Porgy and Bess, Carmen Jones, Jesus Christ Superstar, Barnum, Gypsy, and others. She also directed the 2021 Wicked in Concert for PBS. Her choreography credits include: Miss Saigon, Mack and Mabel, and for Arena Stage in Washington, DC, Animal Crackers, South Pacific (Helen Hayes nom2021), Wicked in Concert 2021 for PBS, Coconuts, and Camelot. Lee founded National Asian Artists Project (NAAP) a 501(c)3 Nonprofit. Her vision includes educating, cultivating, and stimulating audiences and artists of Asian descent through the many outreach programs the company offers. She has been the recipient of numerous awards for her work, including the Isabelle Stevens Tony Award, Paul Robeson Award from Actors Equity Association, the Asian Woman Warrior Award for Lifetime Achievement from Columbia College, Asian Pacific American Heritage Association Achievement In Arts Award, the Dynamic Achiever Award from OCA Westchester,  Chen Dance Center Artist Award, Arena Stage American Artist Award, and Actors Fund for Outstanding Contribution to the World of Dance.

Jacob Brent (Associate Director/Choreographer) is a performer, director/choreographer, and a professor of musical theater. Jacob is best known for his portrayal of Mr. Mistoffelees in the Broadway, London and Video productions of CATS. He is the only performer to have appeared in all three and the only actor to perform in both of the record-breaking performances of the longest running Broadway and West End show. He also had the privilege of working with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber while in the original cast of Starlight Express in Las Vegas. As a director and choreographer, his work can be seen Off-Broadway, regionally, and in summer stocks across the country. He choreographed the premiere production of We Are The Tigers (LA Production). Other credits include CATS (The Rev, Gateway Playhouse, City Springs Theater Company), Disney's Newsies (Forestburgh Playhouse), Disney's The Little Mermaid, Footloose (Clinton Area Showboat Theater), West Side Story, The Sound of Music (SSMT), Xanadu (Watertower Theater), Lysistrada Jones (PACE University), Fiddler On The Roof, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and Avenue Q (Weston Playhouse), and Guys and Dolls and Hello, Dolly! (Indianapolis Symphony). He adapted the high school editions of CHICAGO and A Chorus Line and has directed the premiere productions of Legally Blonde Jr., RENT School Edition and Avenue Q School Edition. Jacob holds a BA in Theatre Arts and Dance and a MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University. Jacob currently serves as the Program Director for Musical Theater at the University of the Arts and this fall he will be joining the musical theater faculty at Elon University.

ANTHONY T. EDWARDS (Music Director) Pittsburgh debut. Regional: Kansas City: Resident Musical Director for Starlight Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, and Eventology. In addition, Mr. Edwards has appeared as Music Director with New Theatre, Quality Hill Playhouse, The Heartland Men's Chorus, Epic Entertainment, Bar Natasha, Theatre in the Park, Late Night Theatre, and Musical Theatre Heritage. Additional Regional: Denver Center for the Performing Arts (Denver, CO), Virginia Stage Company (Norfolk, VA), American Theatre (Rockford, IL) Red Barn Theatre, (Key West, FL), and Waterfront Playhouse (Key West, FL). New York: New Victory Theatre. Education: BM, Belmont University; Graduate Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City. Mr. Edwards is Adjunct Faculty for University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and is a Kurzweil-endorsed artist. He is a Board Member and Secretary for the AIDS Service Foundation of Kansas City.
 

THE COLOR PURPLE

June 25-30 • Benedum Center
Director: Christopher D. Betts
Choreographer: Tislarm Bouie
Music Director: Ilana Atkins

CHRISTOPHER D. BETTS (Director) recently directed The Color Purple (North Carolina Theatre), The Hot Wing King, and Trouble in Mind (Hartford Stage), Dreamgirls (Paramount and North Carolina Theatre), Choir Boy (Yale Rep), Legally Blonde (NYU Tisch), In the Southern Breeze (Off-Broadway), and Dutch Kings (Off-Off-Broadway). Other collaborations include Spring Awakening (NYU Tisch); Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors (PopArt Johannesburg/Market Theatre Lab); Carrie (2015 Broadway World Best Musical nomination); and Barbecue (movement director, The Public Theater). Betts is a recipient of the Julie Taymor World Theater Fellowship. Received his BFA with triple honors from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts (Bachelor's Representative) and his MFA in Directing from Yale School of Drama.

Tislarm Bouie (Choreographer) a Brooklyn native and alumnus of the Professional Performing Arts School and University of the Arts, has been honored with the Princess Grace Award in Theater and received a Drama Desk nomination for his choreography in Roundabout Theatre's production of The Bandaged Place. Additional choreographic work includes The Salvagers at Yale Repertory Theater. Performance credits include the film adaptation of In the Heights, Saturday Night Live, Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus on Broadway, and Carmen at Houston Grand Opera. He's danced for artists such as Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jon Batiste, and Bebe Rexha, and appeared in campaigns for Vogue Magazine, Estée Lauder, Cadillac, Samsung, and Toyota.

ILANA ATKINS (Music Director) is a conductor/pianist currently working on Jersey Boys - back in Vegas to stay! Other credits include: Bat of out Hell: The Meatloaf Musical (regional), Mrs. Doubtfire the Musical (Broadway), Dreamgirls (Regional), and Once on this Island (1st National Tour).

THE MUSIC MAN

July 9-14 • Benedum Center
Director: Sara Edwards
Choreographer: Mara Newberry Greer
Season Music Supervisor / Music Director: Robert Neumeyer

Sara Edwards (Director) has performed and created for many Broadway productions: Harmony, The Music Man with Hugh Jackman, Hello, Dolly! with Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Donna Murphy, and Betty Buckley, After Midnight (Tony Award winner: Best Choreography), Follies, Chaplin and White Christmas. Regional as director and choreographer: Let The Good Times Roll, Anything Goes, White Christmas, Medora Musical, Grease, tick, tick...BOOM! and is Bette Midler's choreographer for her annual fundraiser Hulaween.

Mara Newbery Greer (Choreographer) returns to PCLO after choreographing Anything Goes last season. Directing and/or choreography credits include Tuacahn, North Shore Music Theatre, Broadway at Music Circus, The Fulton Theatre, Front Porch Theatricals, Seattle 5th Avenue, The John Engeman Theatre, Gateway Playhouse, Lexington Theatre Company, Music Theatre Wichita, and Paper Mill Playhouse. As a performer, Mara has worked on Broadway, National Tours, and London's West End. University of Michigan BFA Musical Theatre. Upcoming: Little Shop of Horrors (Ogunquit Playhouse), A Christmas Story (Goodspeed Opera House), A Christmas Carol (Tuacahn).

ROBERT NEUMEYER (Season Music Supervisor / Music Director) balances duties as a music director, conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and composer. At Pittsburgh CLO, Robert has served as conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and pianist for over 35 productions at the Benedum Center and Greer Cabaret Theater. Robert serves as a resident teaching artist and music director at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, PA. He is the conductor and arranger of the Gene Kelly Awards, the Henry Mancini Awards, and serves as an associate music director and arranger for the Jimmy Awards at the Minskoff Theater on Broadway. Regionally, Robert has music directed and arranged for productions and special events at Carnegie Mellon, Point Park, Robert Morris, and Duquesne Universities and has appeared with the national touring company of Jersey Boys. Robert has created arrangements and special material for Stephen Schwartz, David Yazbek, Titus Burgess, Clay Aiken, Norm Lewis, Ariel Jacobs, and Jenn Colella. Robert is a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians and ASCAP.
 

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

July 19-September 1 • Greer Cabaret Theater
Director: Joel Ferrell
Season Music Supervisor / Music Director: Robert Neumeyer

JOEL FERRELL (Director) is a seasoned director, producer, educator, and consultant based in Dallas, Texas. He has directed and choreographed extensively around the country for Dallas Theater Center, Denver

Tickets for all shows May 17 - September 1 are now on sale at PITTSBURGHCLO.ORG or by calling 412-456-6666.