Anita Gilette, Leslie Uggams, and More Head to Pittsburgh CLO This Summer

Pittsburgh CLO has amassed an impressive lineup of Broadway stars and Pittsburgh CLO veterans to bring the 2018 Summer Season to life June-August.

The organization's core mission to produce shows locally helps to employ artists each year from Pittsburgh and across the country. Hundreds of hopefuls turned out for Pittsburgh CLO's Summer Season auditions held this past spring in Pittsburgh and New York.

Among these talented groups, the creative teams from each show worked diligently to assemble a cast for their respective productions specifically for Pittsburgh audiences to enjoy.

Amid this collection of remarkable performers, Pittsburgh CLO will present legends of stage and screen Anita Gillette as Jeanette in THE FULL MONTY, Lenny Wolpe as Mr. Lundie in BRIGADOON and Leslie Uggams as Muzzy in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.Tickets to all shows are now available online at pittsburghCLO.org, by calling 412-456-6666 or visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

TITANIC • June 22-July 1
Bradley Dean takes on the role of Thomas Andrews in his return to Pittsburgh CLO where he has performed in over a dozen shows including 1776 (John Dickinson), The Desert Song (Sid El Kar) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Peter). He is a Carnegie Mellon University graduate whose Broadway credits include: Dear Evan Hansen, A Little Night Music, Spamalot, Doctor Zhivago, Evita, The Last Ship, Company, Jane Eyre, The Story of My Life and Man of La Mancha. NYC: The Most Happy Fella, A New Brain (City Center Encores), Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic) and The Fantasticks.

Christopher Gurr joins the cast as Captain Edward J. Smith. He starred as Gus in last season's Trevor Nunn/Andy Blankenbuehler Broadway revival of Cats. Other Broadway credits: Tuck Everlasting, Kinky Boots, Amazing Grace and All The Way with Bryan Cranston. First National Tours: Memphis, Spamalot. Regional: The Sting (Paper Mill), Copenhagen, 1776, Twelve Angry Men (Geva), The Who's Tommy, Oklahoma! (Berkshire Theatre Festival), The Lion in Winter (Indiana Rep), The Drowsy Chaperone (Human Race). TV: Madam Secretary.

Chris Peluso has starred in productions all over the world and now returns to Pittsburgh CLO where he last appeared as Peter Cratchit in A Musical Christmas Carol fresh off his 2001 Gene Kelly Award win for Best Actor. He will play Frederick Barrett in the Pittsburgh CLO premiere of Titanic. His Broadway/NY credits include: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (original cast, Stephen Sondheim Theatre); Assassins; Sky in Mamma Mia!; Elton John's Lestat and The Glorious Ones. West End/UK credits: Gaylord Ravenal in Show Boat; Chris in Miss Saigon; Death in Death Takes a Holiday; Nick Arnstein in Funny Girl (U.K. Tour) and Sir Percival Glyde in The Woman in White. Other theatre credits: Fiyero in Wicked (US National Tour); Tony in West Side Story; Marius in Les Misérables; Ted Hinton in Frank Wildhorn's Bonnie and Clyde; Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard. BFA in Musical Theatre, University of Michigan.

THE FULL MONTY • July 6-15
Andy Kelso is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut as Jerry. His Broadway credits include: Kinky Boots(Charlie, Harry) and Mamma Mia! (Sky). National Tour: Wicked (Fiyero). Regional: Rent, Two Rooms, Jacques Brel..., The Drawer Boy and Fiddler on the Roof. Film/TV: Good Girls Revolt (Amazon Video), Mr. Robot (USA Network), The Producers and Thank You...Next. Mr. Kelso is originally from Denver and studied acting at the University of Northern Colorado.

John Hickok joins the cast as Harold. His Broadway credits include: Parade (originated the role of Governor Slaton), Professor Bhaer in Little Women, Zoser in Elton John's Aida (all three cast albums), played opposite Frank Langella in Roundabout's Man and Boy and in Our Country's Good. Regional favorites: Beauregard opposite Michelle Lee in Mame, Gerald in Me and My Girl (Pittsburgh CLO) and John Adams in 1776 (ACT). He has directed in London's West End, and taught at Queens and Bard Colleges, and Western Connecticut State University.

Anita Gillette is a long-time Pittsburgh CLO alum now appearing in The Full Monty as Jeanette. She may best be known as Tina Fey's mom on 30 Rock, Miss Mona in Moonstruck, Miss Mitzi in Shall We Dance, as Jack Klugman's wife on Quincy or many game shows such as Pyramid and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She has appeared in 14 Broadway shows and received a Tony Award® nomination for Chapter Two. Regional and Off-Broadway shows include: A Confederacy Of Dunces, The Big Meal (Lortel nomination), Shirley Valentine, My Fair Lady, The Seagull, Skin Of Our Teeth and The Great Waltz (recorded for Capitol). She recently began performing her one-woman shows at Birdland and 54 Below, for which she has won both a MAC and Bistro Award.

BRIGADOON • July 17-22
Jeff Kready will be playing the role of Tommy Albright in his Pittsburgh CLO debut. Broadway: Monty Navarro in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Tony in Billy Elliot, Sunday in the Park with Georgeand Les Misérables (Jean Valjean u/s). Regional: Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Paper Mill Playhouse), Mr. Snow in Carousel (Connecticut Critics Circle award nomination, Goodspeed Opera House) and David Sedaris's one-man-show Santaland Diaries (Hartford TheaterWorks). TV: The Good Fight (CBS), Elementary recurring (CBS), Boardwalk Empire (HBO).

Jason Babinsky last appeared at Pittsburgh CLO in the world premiere of Doctor Dolittle. He now returns to the Benedum Center as Jeff Douglas in Brigadoon. His Broadway credits include: Billy Elliot(also First National Tour) and Ghost. Off-Broadway: Caucasian Chalk Circle (Classic Stage Company) and A Man's a Man (Classic Stage Company). Select Regional: Contemporary American Theater Festival, Alley Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, McCarter Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Huntington Theater, Stageworks Hudson, Syracuse Stage, North Shore Music Theater, Theatre Under the Stars, Utah Shakespeare Festival and Paper Mill Playhouse. Film: You Were Never Really Here, A Cure for Wellness, The Wizard of Lies (HBO), Contagion, You Don't Know Jack (HBO) and Law Abiding Citizen. Television: The Good Wife, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, Billions, Law & Order SVU, Madam Secretary, Shades of Blue, Blue Bloods, The Knick, Person of Interest, Unforgettable, American Odyssey and Forever.

Lenny Wolpe returns to Pittsburgh CLO for his 18th production with the organization to play Mr. Lundie. Broadway: Bullets Over Broadway, Wicked, Drowsy Chaperone, Sound Of Music, Mayor, Into The Light, Copperfield, Onward Victoria. Off-Broadway: Old Jews Telling Jokes, Marry Harry, Radio City Spring Spectacular. National Tours: Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, Forum. Regional: Paper Mill, Goodspeed, St Louis Rep, McCarter, Muny, Denver Center, Pasadena Playhouse, Barrington, Coconut Grove, TUTS, Hollywood Bowl, Sacramento, Westport, Cape Playhouse, Dtc, Bucks County, KC Rep. Nearly 100 TV guest spots ranging from ER, LA Law and The Band Played On to Roseanne, The Golden Girls and Chapelle's Show.

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST • July 27-August 5
JESSICA GROVÉ was last seen at Pittsburgh CLO as Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid and now returns as Belle. Her Broadway credits include: Les Misérables (Eponine), Thoroughly Modern Millie(Miss Dorothy) and the recent revivals of Sunday in the Park With George and A Little Night Music. She starred as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (Madison Square Garden/National Tour with Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt) and as Polly in The Boy Friend (National Tour, directed by Julie Andrews). Favorite Regional: Into the Woods (The Witch), My Fair Lady (Eliza), The Sound of Music (Maria), Guys and Dolls (Sarah) and She Loves Me (Amalia).

James Snyder has cultivated a following at Pittsburgh CLO after star turns as Elvis in Million Dollar Quartet and Lt. Cable in South Pacific. He returns to Pittsburgh in the role of Beast. Mr. Snyder is best known for his roles in Broadway's If/Then and Cry-Baby for which he received a Drama League Nomination. He has been seen in regional productions of Casa Valentina, Rock of Ages, Ever After, Carousel, Fanny and Johnny Baseball. Mr. Snyder has sung at Carnegie Hall with the NY Pops and with the Hartford Symphony. He has appeared on TV and the big screen in The Good Wife, Gilmore Girls, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and She's The Man, among many others.

Jennifer Hope Wills first delighted Pittsburgh CLO audiences as Julie in Carousel and Maria in The Sound of Music. She now returns as Mrs. Potts. Her Broadway credits include: Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Eileen opposite Brooke Shields in Wonderful Town, The Woman in White and Belle in Disney's Beauty & the Beast. In addition, she has appeared in numerous leading roles in top regional theaters across the country and is a frequent symphony concert soloist.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE • August 7-12
Laurie Veldheer is making her Pittsburgh CLO debut as Millie. Her Broadway credits feature: Mamma Mia! (Sophie Sheridan) and Newsies (Hannah/Smalls; u/s Katherine). Tours: Fiasco Theater's Production of Into The Woods (Cinderella/Granny); Hairspray (Brenda, u/s Penny and Tracy). Select Regional: Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Paper Mill Playhouse and Maltz Jupiter Theatre; Newsies at the Paper Mill Playhouse; A Little Night Music at ACT (Anne Egerman); Hero at the Asolo Rep (Jane Foster); Next to Normal at the Milwaukee Rep (Natalie). BFA in Musical Theatre from Penn State University.

Bobby Conte Thornton is also joining Pittsburgh CLO for the first time as Jimmy Smith. Broadway credits: A Bronx Tale (directors Robert De Niro and Jerry Zaks). Other New York Theater: My Fair Lady(Bay Street Theater) and Starting Here, Starting Now (York Theatre Company). Regional: all-male A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Two River Theater); Ken Ludwig's A Comedy Of Tenors (McCarter Theatre Center/Cleveland Play House, world premiere); Grease (Paper Mill Playhouse); Jersey Boys, Les Misérables (Muny). Film/TV: If Beale Street Could Talk, Madam Secretary, The Code(pilot). Training: BFA, University of Michigan; Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Leslie Uggams last appeared at Pittsburgh CLO as the Witch in the 1996 production of Into the Woods. She now returns as Muzzy and has amassed an impressive list of credits in between. She is a Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress and singer whose career has brought her from Harlem (The Apollo Theater) to Broadway (Hallelujah, Baby!), the big screen (Deadpool, Skyjacked) to television (Empire, The Leslie Uggams Show). Perhaps best known for her stirring portrayal of Kizzy in the landmark TV mini-series Alex Haley's Roots (Critics Choice Award, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations), Leslie has performed to critical and popular acclaim ever since her first professional appearances at the age of nine at the famed Apollo Theater in New York City. There she opened for such musical legends as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. Now, after six decades on stage and screen, Leslie is a legend in her own right. She is on the Board of Directors of the Apollo Theater, and she was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut. She is also the recipient of an American Artist Award from Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Currently Leslie can be seen as Leah Walker in the hit television series Empire. She also stars as Blind Al in the blockbuster 20th Century Fox film Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds and co-starred in the HBO original movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks with Oprah Winfrey. Other recent television appearances include Nurse Jackie; The Good Wife; Memphis Beat and NYC 22.

Tickets for Pittsburgh CLO's 2018 Summer Season
Tickets are on sale now at pittsburghCLO.org, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Groups of 10 or more enjoy exclusive discounts and specialty packages. Call our Group SalesHotline at 412-325-1582 for more information. Visit pittsburghCLO.org for further information.

Pittsburgh CLO offers family-affordable and flexible Season Ticket packages to fit even the busiest summer schedule. See three shows for under $60 when you buy Season Tickets. A complete list of options is available at pittsburghCLO.org. Season Ticket packages may be ordered online or by calling 412-281-2822.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos