Pittsburgh CLO Celebrates the History of George Washington

Young Washington, a Pittsburgh CLO Gallery of Heroes production, kicked off its spring tour January 10, 2011, at Cornell Middle School in Coraopolis, PA. This educational and entertaining production travels to local schools, teaching students about George Washington and the mark he made on history. The spring tour will run through May 6, 2011, at schools in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Green, Mercer, Washington and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania. The production is presented in partnership with the Senator John Heinz History Center.

About the Show
Book by Jason Coll and Andrew Masich
Music and Lyrics by Jason Coll

Young Washington lets students explore the early life and surprising rise to power of George Washington. They will journey with him through the dangerous uncharted territory of early America as he faces hostile Native American tribes and French forces; watching as this young man overcomes insurmountable obstacles to fulfill his destiny as one of young America's greatest leaders. From the harshness of battle to the lush green splendor of Mount Vernon, this musical history lesson will introduce students to the man behind the legend.

Young Washington was written by Jason Coll (Book, Music and Lyrics) and Andrew Masich (Book), President and CEO of the Senator John Heinz Regional History Center.

About The Cast
(In Alphabetical order)
Alyssa Bruno (Female Swing/Stage Manager) is a graduate of Point Park University and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre. Most recently, Alyssa was seen as Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Her favorite roles include Tintinabula in Forum, Winnie Tate in Annie Get Your Gun, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Alyssa has over a decade of experience acting, singing, and directing children's theatre, and is a resident of Apollo, PA.

Kristin S. Buccilli (Anne Washington/French Soldier) is performing in her first Pittsburgh CLO production. Ms. Buccilli was most recently seen as Linoleum in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Dolores Dante in Working, and Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Kristin is a resident of Verona, PA

Billy Hepfinger (George Washington) is a recent graduate of Princeton University, where he studied literature and theater, acted in his spare time, and sang with the Princeton Nassoons, one of the country's oldest a cappella groups. He is also a graduate of North Allegheny High School, a Gene Kelly Award winner, and a former Pittsburgh CLO intern. Billy is a resident of Allison Park, PA.

Matt Lamb (Jacob Van Braam/Fairfax) returns to the Pittsburgh CLO Gallery of Heroes tour. Matt is playing the part of George William Fairfax, Christopher Gist, and Jacob Van Braam. Matt was a part of the original cast of Young Washington playing the part of George Washington. Matt also appeared in Arriba Arriba and Steel for Gallery of Heroes. Matt attended Point Park College for musical theatre. He has appeared in numerous shows at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and around Pittsburgh. Some of Matt's favorite roles include, (Peter) Stop Kiss, (Stine) City of Angels, (Jesus) Jesus Christ Superstar, (Chip) 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and (Starbuck) 110 In the Shade. Matt is a resident of McKeesport, PA.

Jim McCaffrey (Lawrence Washington/French Soldier) just completed the national tour of A Christmas Carol (Topper), with NTC Productions. Regional credits include The Tavern (Zach) with The Great American Melodrama, Hello, Dolly! (Ambrose), The Adv. of Tom Sawyer with Ocean City Theatre Company, and A Streetcar Named Desire (Young Man), West Side Story (Glad Hand), Evita, Aida, The Full Monty, and Sweet Charity with West Virginia Public Theatre. BA Theatre, Temple University. Jim is a resident of Washington, PA.

Jim Scriven (Half King/Governor/Braddock) returns to the Pittsburgh CLO Gallery of Heroes production of Young Washington. This is Jim's seventh tour with the Pittsburgh CLO having started with this same show six years ago. He has performed with other local companies including City Theater, Empty Jug Productions, Front Door Theatrics, Apple Hill Playhouse and New Kensington Civic Theater. Jim is a resident of Monroeville, PA.

Jason A. Shavers (Male Swing/Stage Manager) returns to Gallery of Heroes for a sixth time. He has also been seen in many shows around Pittsburgh, such as Porgy & Bess (Robbins) and Lost In The Stars (Matthew Kumalo) with Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Miss Saigon and The Wizard of Oz with Pittsburgh Musical Theater and Aida with Pittsburgh Opera. Jason also works as an instructor at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Theater and as Props Master at the CLO Cabaret (I Love You, You're Perfect... and Nunsense). He is a graduate of Point Park University, where he earned a B.A. in Musical Theater. Jason resides in Wilkinsburg, PA.

Jocelyn Snyder (Sally Fairfax) is an actor, singer, and improviser in the Pittsburgh area. Most recently, she appeared in Groucho, A Life in Revue at the New Hazlett Theater. Before that, she appeared in the staged reading of the new musical, Dear Boy, at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. Some of her favorite roles include Sara Jane Moore in Assassins and Hermia in A Midsummer Nights Dream. Jocelyn is an alumna of both Point Park University and the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School, where she studied the art of musical theater. Jocelyn resides in Squirrel Hill, PA.

About The Production Team
Jason Coll (Director) is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama. Jason served as the Creative Director and Associate Artistic Director of Pittsburgh CLO until 2008 and was a member of the prestigious BMI Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop in New York City. He has directed and music directed numerous productions for the Pittsburgh CLO including, A Musical Christmas Carol, The Big Bang, five Richard Rodgers Awards shows and several Gallery of Heroes musicals for young audiences including Young Mark Twain, Footprints on the Moon and Olympic Spirit. He is the author of eleven original musicals, six of which have been produced by Pittsburgh CLO's Gallery of Heroes Program: Above the Clouds: Pioneers of Flight, Arriba! Arriba! The Roberto Clemente Story, Steel, The Amazingly True Adventures of Nellie Bly, Young Washington, and The Incredibly Innovative Innovators of Pittsburgh. He recently co-wrote the musical I Love Gas! with TEd Watts, Jr. for Columbia Gas to promote gas safety. Jason also composed the music to the original ballet, Who Owns the Sun? for The Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, which was narrated by James Earl Jones and for Kiesha Lalama-White's Let's Play for the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Company in Chicago. In addition to his theatrical work, he has recently written and produced A New Television pilot, Munhall, starring George Wendt and Tom Atkins.

Kiesha Lalama-White (Choreographer). Most recently, Kiesha's conceived and choreographed full length production The Bench, received rave reviews being named Top Ten of 2009 and to the list of Best of Arts. Honored to be named in Dance Magazine as one of the top 25 to watch in 2009, Kiesha's choreography projects include: a dance scene for the film Sorority Row, the National High School Musical Theater Awards in NYC, Patterns for the Youth America Grand Prix which earned her an Outstanding Choreography Award, Let's Play for Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Going, Going, Gone, which was awarded a Leo's Award for choreography at the Jazz Dance World Congress, Vicious Cycle for the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, JOLT for the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Pressing On for Ballet Arkansas, and Wonderfunk for Wright State University. Kiesha's teaching credits include master classes and workshops for the following organizations: Cirque du Soleil, Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Oakland University, Carnegie Mellon University, Wright State University, Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet, Booker T. Washington H.S. for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Dance Educators of America. Kiesha is a full time Instructor with the Point Park University Dance Department and also serves as the Pittsburgh CLO Education Director.

Melissa Yanchak (Music Director) is currently on staff in the Voice and Musical Theatre departments of the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University. Melissa teaches voice for the Summer Dance Intensive and also accompanies private voice lessons and musical theatre classes at PPU. She also serves Point Park on the production staff and as a rehearsal accompanist at The Playhouse (Ragtime, Hans Brinker, Thou Shalt Not, Streets of America, Can-Can, Parade, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Time After Time, Thoroughly Modern Millie, She Loves Me among others), and she music directed the Pittsburgh premiere of Wilde Tales for Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre. Melissa tours with ETC Entertainment out of Woodlands Hills, CA, on many of their East Coast show dates. She also serves on staff for the Pittsburgh CLO Gene Kelly awards, and accompanies many of PCLO mainstage and Cabaret rehearsals and auditions. Melissa was vocal coach for the children's choruses of the PCLO productions of Joseph... in 2009 and Oliver! in 2010, played keyboard for the 2009 Broadway tour of Legally Blonde, and will be playing keyboard for the upcoming production of Nunsense at the CLO Cabaret.

About Gallery of Heroes
Pittsburgh CLO's Gallery of Heroes is an educational program utilizing Pittsburgh's finest professional actors. Through dramatic sketches and vignettes, this talented ensemble take their 50-minute mini-musicals to area schools to educate and enlighten students about great historical figures such as Nellie Bly, George Washington, Roberto Clemente, the Wright Brothers and
Jesse Owens. Highlighting the lives and accomplishments of significant historical figures, the Gallery of Heroes program offers an entertaining alternative to traditional lectures and books.

For over 20 years, Pittsburgh CLO has been a leader in local arts education with a variety of programs designed to bring musical theater into classrooms throughout the city and Tri-state area. Student and Teacher Guides were developed in conjunction with the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Booking the Show
Limited space is still available for booking in-school performances of Young Washington for the spring semester. All schools booking a performance will receive a valuable Teacher's Guide to help integrate the show's important history lessons into their classroom activities, as well as a handout for each student.

2011 Touring Schedule

The 2011 Touring Schedule is available online at http://www.pittsburghclo.org/pages/goh.

To post a comment, you must register and login.