Michael McGurk and Gina Philistine to Teach Master Class at CLO Academy 11/2

Pittsburgh CLO Academy has announced that Broadway veterans Michael McGurk (pictured) and Gina Philistine will teach a master class for students at the Academy's annual Musical Theater Extravaganza from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 2.

Both McGurk and Philistine are natives of Pittsburgh who are graduates of Seton LaSalle High School and former students at CLO Academy. McGurk has starred on Broadway in The Wedding Singer and The Music Man, while Philistine appeared in Bombay Dreams and Saturday Night Fever. At Musical Theater Extravaganza (MTX) they will demonstrate Broadway choreography in two separate workshops and then host a Q & A session with the students after the lessons.

Prior to the workshop, casting agent Donna Belajac will walk the students through the in-depth process of auditioning for the camera. Belajac has been the head of Donna Belajac Casting for nearly 30 years, during which time she has done the principal location casting for locally-made movies such as "Flashdance," "Silence of the Lambs," "Wonder Boys" and "The Mothman Prophecies." She also has taught acting at Carnegie Mellon University.

The event is open to the public. Registration costs $100 for non-Academy students, $50 for current Academy students, $50 for Seton LaSalle students and $90 for students attending schools that participate in the Gene Kelly Awards.

For more information or to register, please visit pittsburghCLO.org or contact CLO Academy Principal Patty Maloney at (412) 281-2234 x104 or pmaloney@pittsburghclo.org.

Since 1946, the Pittsburgh CLO has been the driving force behind live musical theater in Pittsburgh and the entire Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Pittsburgh CLO is a not-for-profit arts organization that appreciates the support of nearly 200,000 patrons each year. Its dedication to the musical theater art form extends beyond the summer season, with such programs as the CLO Academy, the CLO Mini Stars, the Gene Kelly Awards, the Construction Center for the Arts and the CLO Cabaret.

For more information, visit www.pittsburghclo.org.

Photo courtesy Pittsburgh CLO