Pittsburgh CLO Announces Cast Of NUNSENSE

Pittsburgh CLO is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the premiere of Nunsense, which runs March 11 through June 6 at the CLO Cabaret. Celebrate the return of spring with this "habit"-forming musical comedy hit that has kept audiences laughing for nearly 30 years. Tickets are available at CLOCabaret.com or by calling 412-456-6666.

Cast (In Alphabetical Order)

Leah Hillgrove (Sister Mary Leo) is also making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. Among her numerous local credits, she has appeared in productions of Evita and Beauty and the Beast for Pittsburgh Musical Theater, A Chorus Line for Stage Right! and Company, The Fantasticks and Into the Woods for The Theatre Factory. She earned her BA in Theater from Gannon University and studied dance at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Pittsburgh Renaissance Youth Ballet, among others.

Kristiann Menotiades (Understudy) most recently worked with Pittsburgh CLO in the CLO Cabaret productions of 8-TRACK, The Sounds of the 70's, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and Shear Madness. Ms. Menotiades is a graduate of Point Park University and is currently an instructor at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy.

Lenora Nemetz (Sister Robert Anne) has been performing on stage for four decades now. A protégé of Bob Fosse, Ms. Nemetz first performed on Broadway in the original production of Cabaret. Also on Broadway, she replaced Chita Rivera in the original production of Chicago, earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for Working, played opposite Peter Allen in Up in One, was Liza Minnelli's standby in The Rink and also appeared in the 2008 Tony®-winning revival of Gypsy. Ms. Nemetz is a veteran of several National Tours and has appeared in nearly 20 Pittsburgh CLO Summer Season shows, as well as six productions of A Musical Christmas Carol.

Christy Rodibaugh (Sister Mary Hubert) is making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. She has performed with the Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Musical Theater and The Theatre Factory. Her favorite roles include Carousel (Julie), South Pacific (Nellie), Into the Woods (Cinderella), The Mikado (Yum Yum) and the title role in Agnes of God at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Ms. Rodibaugh earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College and an MFA in Acting from the University of Florida.

Brittany Ross (Sister Mary Amnesia) is a Connecticut native appearing in her first Pittsburgh CLO production. Her previous credits include the National Tour of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as well as regional New York area productions of The American Girl Revue, Babes in Toyland, Into the Woods and Parade. Ms. Ross is a recent graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Terry Wickline (Reverend Mother Mary Regina) returns to the CLO Cabaret after playing Louise Seger in Always . . . Patsy Cline. She has appeared as Mrs. Dilber/Mrs. Fezziwig in the past 10 productions of Pittsburgh CLO's A Musical Christmas Carol and performed in Pittsburgh CLO Summer Season productions of My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly!, Me and My Girl and The Sound of Music..Ms. Wickline's Pittsburgh Public Theater credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Man of La Mancha and Much Ado About Nothing. She has also appeared with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Andre Previn's direction in his Opera, A Streetcar Named Desire.

About the Creative Team

Dan Goggin (Writer/Director) has written the scores for the off-Broadway production of Hark! and the Broadway production of Legend. He received the 1986 Outer Critics Circle Awards given to Nunsense for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Music. Mr. Goggin has added to his franchise with Nunsense 2: The Second Coming, Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree, Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical, Meshuggah-Nuns!, Nunsensations: The Nunsense Vegas Revue and Nunsense A-Men, Nunset Boulevard and Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class. Nunsense and Nunsense II, both starring Rue McClanahan have been recorded for the A&E Television Network. Nunsense Jamboree starred Georgia Engel and has been recorded for television at the Grand Ole Opry with Vicki Lawrence. The all-star tour of Nunsense starring Kaye Ballard, Georgia Engel, Mimi Hines, Darlene Love and Lee Meriwether marked the 20th anniversary of the original show in 2003. In 2008, a 25th Anniversary tour starring Sally Struthers was launched. Last year saw the openings of Sister Robert Anne's Cabaret Class and Nunset Boulevard: The Nunsense Hollywood Bowl Show.

Teri Gibson (Choreographer) has directed, choreographed, stage-managed and appeared in Nunsense across the country with stars such as Sally Struthers, Rue McClanahan, Cindy Williams, Lee Merriwether and Georgia Engel. She choreographed the world premiere of Nunsensations! and partnered with Felton Smith on Meshuggah-Nuns!. Her other regional directing/choreography credits include Love Letters, A Delicate Balance, Never Too Late, Godspell, Stardust, American Beauty and Six Wives. She has performed in the original New York City companies of Nunsense and Nunsense II, in Marlowe on Broadway and with the National Tour of Annie, in addition to leading roles with several regional theaters nationwide.

Deana Muro (Music Director) marks her 10th production at the CLO Cabaret with Nunsense. She has been the resident music director since the theater's inception in 2004 and now has more than 1,300 performances to her credit at the theater. Ms. Muro recently conducted The Full Monty at the Paper Mill Playhouse in the summer of 2009 with Elaine Stritch. She has played the keyboard for the National Tours of Jesus Christ Superstar and Beauty and The Beast, as well as for Pittsburgh CLO productions of The Full Monty and Smokey Joe's Café. She has music directed/accompanied CLO Cabaret productions of Forever Plaid, Forbidden Broadway/SVU, Always . . . Patsy Cline, Plaid Tidings, The Big Bang, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, My Way and 8-TRACK, The Sounds of the 70's.

Tim Brady (Stage Manager) returns to the CLO Cabaret after working as stage manager for six other Cabaret productions and performing in Forbidden Broadway: SVU. He most recently served as stage manager for Forever Plaid and 8-TRACK, The Sounds of the 70's. As an actor, he has appeared in nearly two dozen productions of Pittsburgh CLO's A Musical Christmas Carol and numerous Pittsburgh CLO Summer Season shows, in addition to appearing in the CLO's Gallery of Heroes program for 10 years. Mr. Brady was also the managing director of the Conley Inn Dinner Theater in Irwin for 17 years.

Karen A. Glass (Scenic Designer) is an assistant professor of Theater at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where her duties include scenery and lighting design as well as teaching all aspects of technical theater. In addition, she is a freelance scene designer and properties artisan. Her recent credits have included The Big Bang for the CLO Cabaret, The Sailor-Boy and the Falcon for the Crane School of Music Opera Ensemble in Potsdam, New York, and both Nickel and Dimed and Mazel for the Seton Hill University Theater.

Andrew David Ostrowski (Lighting Designer) has designed the lighting for 10 CLO Cabaret productions, including Forever Plaid, 8-TRACK, The Sounds of the 70's, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. His other recent credits include Porgy and Bess for the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh and both Without You and Long Story Short for City Theatre. Mr. Ostrowski has been the Associate Lighting Designer on 50- plus Pittsburgh CLO shows and has designed for Pittsburgh Opera, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Quantum Theatre, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre and Pittsburgh Musical Theater.

Performance Schedule

Nunsense
March 11 through June 6

Performances
Wednesday - Saturday 7:30pm
Saturday & Sunday 2:00pm
Select Thursdays 1:00pm *

* Matinees with optional buffet - March 25, April 22, April 29 and May 27
* Student Matinee - May 13 at 10 a.m.
* Dark on April 4, April 14, May 5 and June 2

Tickets
Tickets start at $34.50 and are available online at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or at the Box Office at Theater Square. Groups of 10 or more can call the Group Sales Hotline at 412-325-1582 to learn more about special discounts, priority seating and corporate discounts.
Visit pittsburghCLO.org for more information.

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