Jekyll & Hyde Returns to Pittsburgh CLO

Audiences will be captivated by this heart-wrenching tale of good intentions gone awry in Pittsburgh CLO's production of Jekyll & Hyde, June 14-26 at the Benedum Center. This Broadway phenomenon is directed by the original Dr. Jekyll himself, Robert Cuccioli, and features an incredible cast of Pittsburgh CLO and Broadway veterans.

A musical of epic proportions, Jekyll & Hyde brings Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novella to life! Dr. Henry Jekyll is a kind and quiet gentleman set on finding an antidote for the evil that plagues the world. In an unfortunate turn of events, Jekyll instead finds himself fixed in a gruesome struggle with his own evil alter ego, Edward Hyde. The bone-chilling score by master composers Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse includes "This is the Moment," "In His Eyes," "Once Upon a Dream" and "Take Me As I Am."

ABOUT THE CAST
Kevin Gray (Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde) returns to Pittsburgh CLO to reprise the role he played in 2002. He also appeared in Pittsburgh CLO's productions of The King and I and Miss Saigon. His Broadway and National Tour credits include The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, A Little Night Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Showboat, Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, The King & I, Titanic, Chu Chem, Night of the Iguana and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Off-Broadway he has appeared in Pacific Overtures, The Baker's Wife, The Death of Garcia Lorca, The Knife and Lola. Television credits include "Law and Order SVU," "Criminal Intent," Linc's," "The Equalizer," "Miami Vice," "The Guiding Light," "One Life to Live" and "Ryan's Hope." A faculty member at Rollins College, Mr. Gray currently appears in the Symphony Concert Tour "Three Phantoms In Concert."

George Dvorsky (Utterson) has starred in numerous Pittsburgh CLO productions, including White Christmas, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, 42nd Street, She Loves Me, Brigadoon, Anything Goes, The Most Happy Fella and No, No Nannette. Mr. Dvorsky has appeared in the National Tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and on Broadway in shows such as The Scarlet Pimpernel, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Passion, Marilyn: An American Fable and The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas.

Tim Hartman (Sir Danvers) is a Pittsburgh CLO veteran, performing in over a dozen shows such as The Student Prince, Into the Woods and A Musical Christmas Carol. Mr. Hartman has also appeared on Broadway in A Tale of Two Cities and Finian's Rainbow. His film credits include "Silence of the Lambs," "The Piano Lesson," "The Mothman Prophecies" and "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh."

Suzanne Ishee (Lady Beaconsfield/Nellie) last graced the Pittsburgh CLO stage as Glinda/Auntie Em in the 2002 production of The Wizard of Oz. She appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera, La Cage Aux Folles, Showboat, Mame and the National Tours of Jerry's Girls and The Wizard of Oz (Glinda/Aunt Em). Regional credits include Lady Beaconsfield in Jekyll & Hyde. She is the founder and owner of Broadway Center Stage. Ms. Ishee also served as creator and producer of Broadway's Easter Bonnet Competition (Drama Desk Award) and the Emmy and Cine 'Golden Eagle' Award-winner Jessye Norman Sings For The Healing of AIDS (PBS).

Brynn O'Malley (Emma) performed the role of the Baker's Wife in Pittsburgh CLO's production of Into the Woods. Broadway credits include Wicked, Sunday in the Park with George, Hairspray, and Beauty and the Beast. Her other credits include: Oklahoma!, All Shook Up, Meet Me in St. Louis, She Loves Me (Helen Hayes Award Nomination), Arsenic and Lace, Follies in Concert, The Full Monty and Side by Side.

Elizabeth Stanley (Lucy) makes her Pittsburgh CLO debut. On Broadway she created the roles of Allison in Cry-Baby, and April in the Tony® Award-winning revival of Company. She also starred as Dyanne in the Broadway premiere of Million Dollar Quartet and as Kira on the first National Tour of Xanadu. Her television credits include: "Fringe," "The Chappelle Show" and "PBS Great Performances" (April in Company). Regionally, she has had numerous leading roles for Pioneer Theatre Company, O'Neill Festival, La Jolla Playhouse and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; most recently Constanze in Amadeus at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (Kevin Kline nomination).

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION STAFF
Robert Cuccioli (Director) returns to the director's chair after directing the critically-acclaimed 2002 Pittsburgh CLO production of Jekyll & Hyde. He received a Tony AwardÒ nomination for originating the role of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde on Broadway, where he also appeared as Javert in Les Misérables. Past Pittsburgh CLO credits include The Sound of Music, Funny Girl, Guys and Dolls, Bells are Ringing and The Pajama Game. Mr. Cucciloi will also appear in this year's productions of The Sound of Music as Captain von Trapp and Jesus Christ Superstar as Pontius Pilate.

Tony Stevens (Choreographer) made his Pittsburgh CLO debut in the ensemble of Bye, Bye Birdie in 1967. Since then he has choreographed the Pittsburgh CLO productions of Bye, Bye Birdie (1999), Jekyll & Hyde (2002), Annie (2003) and The Who's Tommy (2005). His Broadway credits include Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life and Perfectly Frank, as well as serving as Assistant Choreographer on the original Broadway production of Chicago.

HISTORY OF THE SHOW
Jekyll & Hyde, with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and music by Frank Wildhorn, is based on the classic novella "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde," written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886.

The original production of Jekyll & Hyde premiered in 1990 at the Alley Theatre in Houston. The show later opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre in 1997 and closed in 2001 after 44 previews and 1,543 performances. A musical theater sensation, Jekyll & Hyde earned four Tony AwardÒ nominations and holds the record for being the longest-running show in the history of the Plymouth Theatre.

Robert Cuccioli starred in the original Broadway cast as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, a role later taken on by David Hasselhoff. Mr. Cuccioli received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Leading Actor and a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Leading Actor in a Touring Musical. He was also nominated for a Tony AwardÒ for Best Actor in a Musical.

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL CREATIVE TEAM
Leslie Bricusse (Book and Lyrics) is an English writer-composer-lyricist who has written more than forty musicals and films. His stage musical credits include Stop The World - I Want To Get Off, The Roar Of The Greasepaint - The Smell Of The Crowd, Pickwick, Harvey and Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Bricusse has also written songs and/or screenplays for such films as Superman, Santa Claus - The Movie, Home Alone (I & II), Hook, Tom & Jerry - The Movie and various Pink Panthers. His projects that have been seen on both stage and screen include Doctor Dolittle, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Scrooge, Goodbye Mr. Chips and Victor/Victoria. Mr. Bricusse has been nominated for ten Academy Awards, nine Grammys and four Tonys, and he has won two Oscars, a Grammy and eight Ivor Novello Awards, the premiere British Music Award. He also received the Kennedy Award for consistent excellence in British songwriting in 1989 and is one of only four Englishmen to be inducted into the American Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

Frank Wildhorn (Music) is an American composer, lyricist and producer. In 1999 he became the first American composer in over twenty years with three shows (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War) running simultaneously on Broadway. He also contributed to the Broadway score of Victor/Victoria and is helping to develop musicals such as Camille Claudel, Dracula, Cyrano de Bergerac, Bonnie & Clyde, Svengali, Havana and a recording project titled "The Romantics." Mr. Wildhorn's work can also be heard on the albums of Linda Eder, who originated the role of Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde. He serves as the Creative Director of Atlantic Theatre, a division of Atlantic Records, and is the composer behind Whitney Houston's international number one hit, "Where Do Broken Hearts Go?"

TICKETS FOR 2011 SUMMER SEASON

Tickets for Jekyll & Hyde start at $26.75 and are available online at pittsburghCLO.org, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Special discounts and packages are available for groups. Groups of 10 or more may call 412-325-1582.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE FOR JEKYLL & HYDE

June 14
Tuesday
8pm
June 21
Tuesday
8pm
June 15
Wednesday
8pm
June 22
Wednesday
8pm
June 16
Thursday
8pm
June 23
Thursday
8pm
June 17
Friday
8pm
June 24
Friday
8pm
June 18
Saturday
2pm & 8pm
June 25
Saturday
2pm & 8pm
June 19
Sunday
2pm & 7:30pm
June 26
Sunday
2pm

Pittsburgh CLO gratefully acknowledges the generosity of PNC for its sponsorship of Jekyll & Hyde. Pittsburgh CLO is also proud to recognize our Season Sponsors: American Airlines, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and WTAE-TV.

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