Tom Atkins Leads Pittsburgh CLO’s A Musical Christmas Carol 12/8-23

The 20th annual production of Pittsburgh CLO's A Musical Christmas Carol will feature an exceptional cast of exciting new faces and returning favorites, led by Pittsburgh's own Tom Atkins as Ebenezer Scrooge. A Musical Christmas Carol - celebrating 20 years as a true Pittsburgh holiday tradition, December 8-23. Tickets are now available by calling 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or at the Theater Square Box Office.

About the Cast

(Listed in alphabetical order)

Tom Atkins (Ebenezer Scrooge) returns for a fourth consecutive appearance in A Musical Christmas Carol. Mr. Atkins is perhaps best known for his numerous film and television credits, including "Escape from New York," "The Fog," "Creepshow," "Lethal Weapon," "Bob Roberts," "Striking Distance" and "My Bloody Valentine 3D," as well as "M*A*S*H," "The Rockford Files," "Homicide" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." A Pittsburgh native, he has performed in numerous Pittsburgh Public Theater Productions, most notably starring as Art Rooney Sr. in The Chief. On Broadway, he appeared in The Changing Room and The Front Page.

Paul Domencic (Young Scrooge/Ghost of Christmas Future) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol. A graduate of The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, he has appeared regionally with Colonial Theatre, St. Michael's Playhouse, The Depot Theatre, St. Vincent Summer Theatre and as Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night at Mountain Playhouse. He has also appeared on several daytime soaps.

Justin Fortunato (Wilkins/Watkins) is making his CLO debut with A Musical Christmas Carol. Justin recently graduated from Point Park University with his BFA in Musical Theatre. He is a two-time Gene Kelly Award Winner (2004/2006) and has worked with The Playhouse Jr, Primestage, The REP, and St. Vincent REP.

Lisa Ann Goldsmith (Mrs. Cratchit) has performed with many notable companies regionally and Off-Broadway, and has appeared locally with Pittsburgh Public Theater, The REP, Quantum Theatre, and Unseam'd Shakespeare. She has directed for Tulsa Shakespeare in the Park, Protean Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and The Microscopic Opera Company, and has numerous film and television credits.

Tim Hartman (Mr. Fezziwig/Ghost of Christmas Present) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for the 14th time. Broadway credits include A Tale of Two Cities and Finian's Rainbow. Pittsburgh roles include Don Quixote in The Man of La Mancha, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, El Gallo in The Fantastiks, and Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Other theater credits include Miles Gloriosus in ...Forum, Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, Falstaff in Henry IV, C.S. Lewis in Shadowlands and The Big Bang at the CLO Cabaret. Tim has also appeared as Merlin in Camelot, Ziegfeld in Funny Girl with Anna Gasteyer, FDR in Annie and 24 characters in the one man show The Cotton Patch Gospel. Film credits include "Silence of the Lambs," "The Piano Lesson," "The Mothman Prophecies" and "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh."

Billy Hepfinger (Topper) recently starred in Pittsburgh CLO's Gallery of Heroes production of Young Washington as George Washington. He is a 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, a former Pittsburgh CLO intern and is a resident of Allison Park, PA.

 

Jeff Howell (Bob Cratchit) is a veteran of numerous productions of A Musical Christmas Carol. He was most recently seen in the 2011 Pittsburgh CLO Summer Season productions of Jekyll & Hyde, The Sound of Music and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Benedum Center. His other Pittsburgh CLO credits include Oliver!, Beauty and the Beast, Bells Are Ringing, Chess, Singing In the Rain and The Most Happy Fella. Local credits include Candide for Quantum Theatre and Show Boat with Marvin Hamlisch and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Daniel Krell (Marley) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for the tenth time. He is a veteran of over 20 Pittsburgh CLO productions, including Jekyll & Hyde, Curtains, Oliver!, Les Misérables, The Full Monty, 1776, Jekyll & Hyde, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific and Anything Goes. Mr. Krell starred in Quantum Theatre's production of When the Rain Stops Falling this year and has also appeared in productions for City Theatre and Pittsburgh Public Theater, among others.

Mary Lamb (Fan/Alice) Ms. Lamb is making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. Credits include Hairspray (Amber VonTussle), Annie Get Your Gun (Winnie Tate), Cabaret (Kit Kat Girl), Fame (Serena), and Footloose (Ariel). She will be playing Nellie Bly in Pittsburgh CLO's 2012 Gallery of Heroes tour. Look for Ms. Lamb this spring in the feature film The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Caitlin Elizabeth Reilly (Miss Watkins/Martha Cratchit) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after seven previous appearances in A Musical Christmas Carol and as the understudy CLO Cabaret's productions of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and My Way. Her previous regional credits include Oklahoma!, Picnic, Grease!, The House of Yes, High School Musical and Annie Get Your Gun.

Connor Russell (Peter Cratchit) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for his second year as Peter Cratchit. His credits include: 42nd Street, The Who's Tommy, Bye Bye Birdie (Village Theatre), Disney's High School Musical (Seattle Children's Theatre), Zanna Don't! (Contemporary Classics), Thoroughly Modern Millie and Carousel (Pittsburgh Playhouse Conservatory). Mr. Russell is currently a senior musical theatre major, dance minor, at Point Park University.

Amanda Serra (Ghost of Christmas Past) returns to the cast of A Musical Christmas Carol for an 11th time. Her other Pittsburgh CLO credits include The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Hello, Dolly! and Me and My Girl. In New York, she has appeared in Disembodied Heads, Dialing For Donna, Amahl and the Night Visitors and Ripper - the Musical.

Amanda Slaughter (Bess/Belle) is also returning to the cast of A Musical Christmas Carol. She is a graduate of Point Park University with a degree in musical theater. Ms. Slaughter has performed in CLO's Gallery of Heroes productions of First Lady and Pioneers of Flight. Her other credits include the National Tour of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Brigadoon, Into the Woods, Quilters and Oklahoma!

Mark Tinkey (Fred) returns for his fourth production of A Musical Christmas Carol and his first time appearing as Fred. Past credits for CLO include Mikey, Tony, and Eddie in Shear Madness, Forbidden Broadway and I Love you, You're Perfect, Now Change.

Eli Tokash (Tiny Tim) returns for his third season as Tiny Tim. He is an 8 year-old, third grade student at St. Joseph the Worker School in Weirton, WV. He attends the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and last performed for Pittsburgh CLO in Jesus Christ Superstar this past summer. Other credits include the short film "Anywhere But Here" which premiered at the Three Rivers Film Festival and the feature film "Super 8," directed by JJ Abrams. Eli can also be seen as a face/voice for the American Diabetes Association in their public service announcements.

Terry Wickline (Mrs. Dilber/Mrs. Fezziwig) returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for the 12th year. Her Pittsburgh CLO credits include The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Hello, Dolly!, Me and My Girl, My Fair Lady, Funny Girl, Crazy For You and Bye Bye, Birdie, as well as Always...Patsy Cline and Nunsense at Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret. She has also appeared in Pittsburgh Public Theater's The Importance of Being Earnest, Man of La Mancha and Much Ado About Nothing.

The cast is rounded out by a host of carolers and party guests.

John Dooley Credits include: Bruce Granit (On the Twentieth Century), Riff (West Side Story), Rolf Gruber and Captain Von Trapp (The Sound of Music), Olin Britt (The Music Man), Lieutenant Wright (The Secret Garden) and Marcel (The Boyfriend). Companies include; Theater at Monmouth, Playhouse on the Square, Tulsa Opera, Ash Lawn Opera Festival, Portland Opera, Utah Symphony and Opera Memphis.

Jodi Gage returns to A Musical Christmas Carol for her fourth year. Her other credits include Orpheus and the Underworld (Diana) at Oberlin Conservatory; Working (Housewife) in Hamilton, Scotland; Lion in Winter (Alice) at Hamilton Civic Theater. Ms. Gage is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory.

Brittany Graham returns to A Musical Christmas Carol after appearances as a caroler in 2008 and 2009. Her credits include: Sessions: A New Musical (Off-Broadway), A New Operetta: Mary Shelley and Her Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), Zombies from the Beyond (Mary Malone), Ragtime directed by Tony AwardŽ-winner Michael Rupert (Ensemble) and others. She has also done background work on "Law & Order: SVU." Brittany holds a Bachelor of Arts from Point Park University.

 

Scott P. Sambuco is a Pittsburgh CLO veteran making his 12th appearance in A Musical Christmas Carol. He has appeared in Pittsburgh CLO productions of The Pirates of Penzance, Annie, My Fair Lady, Funny Girl, She Loves Me, Guys and Dolls, Crazy For You, Grand Hotel and Bye, Bye, Birdie.

Several Pittsburgh CLO Academy students will also take part in the holiday production.
Jake Curtis (Turkey Boy) is a sixth grader at Weir Middle School and is in his first year at the CLO Academy. He is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut and has appeared in productions for Weirton Community Players and Brooke Hills Playhouse.

Mathew Fedorek (Cratchit Child) currently studies dance and musical theater at the CLO Academy and Estill Voice at Mon Valley Performing Arts, as well as attending Ringgold Elementary. Credits include: Oliver! (Oliver), A Christmas Carol, the Musical (Tiny Tim), Evita (Children's Choir) and Anne of Green Gables (Charlie Sloane).

Allison Joyce (Cratchit Child) is a fifth grader from the Avonworth School District who loves to sing, dance and act. She was a member of the Children's Choir in Pittsburgh CLO's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and is returning to A Musical Christmas Carol for a second time.

Delaney Schmidt (Belinda) is a seventh grader at Carson Middle School, a Pittsburgh CLO Academy student and Mini Star. She previously appeared in CLO's Oliver!

About the Creative Team

Tim Gregory (Director) is back for a fourth year directing A Musical Christmas Carol. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Provision Theater Company in Chicago, where some of his directing credits include Provision Theater's Jefferson Award-Nominated productions of A Christmas Carol, The Hiding Place and the critically-acclaimed production CS Lewis On Stage.

Bruce Barnes (Musical Director) returns for a fifth season as musical director for A Musical Christmas Carol. His National Tour credits include Happy Days, Kiss Me, Kate, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Camelot and Peter Pan. He made his Broadway debut conducting Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby, and regularly substituted as associate conductor of the Sam Mendes production of Cabaret at Studio 54. As a pianist, Mr. Barnes has accompanied a range of artists, including Patti LuPone, Penny Fuller, Ruthie Henshall, Beverly Sills, Billy Porter and Eartha Kitt.

The stage manager for this production will be Fredric H. Orner. This production features original scenery by D Martyn Bookwalter and lighting by Andrew David Ostrowski.

More Merry Musical Information

In what has become A Musical Christmas Carol tradition, local choirs will perform prior to select performances. Musical groups from all over the Tri-state area have the opportunity to perform on the Byham Theater stage and take part in this special holiday celebration. The list to date includes:

The Coraleers -Tri County Institute
Saturday, December 17, 11:30 am
West Allegheny High School Choir
Saturday, December 17, 7:30 pm
Pittsburgh CLO Mini Stars & CLO Academy Students
Sunday, December 18, 1:30 pm

A Musical Christmas Carol will be presented at the Byham Theater (6th & Fort Duquesne Boulevard) December 8-23. Tickets range from $26.75 - $46.75 with half-price tickets for children 3-14 and are now available by calling 412-456-6666, online at pittsburghCLO.org or at the Theater Square Box Office.

Special events available for groups include School Matinees Dec. 8-9, 14-16 and 20-22, Holiday Tea on Dec. 10 at the Renaissance Hotel and A Very Merry Meal on Dec. 17 at Braddock's American Brasserie. You can also pair a meal at your favorite restaurant with a performance of A Musical Christmas Carol. Let our holiday party planners do the work for you. For more information on these and other group events and discounts, please call Group Sales at 412-325-1582.

Pittsburgh CLO is also pleased to announce that together, with North Hills Community Outreach, Pittsburgh CLO will conduct a food drive during all performances of A Musical Christmas Carol. Audience members are invited to help fellow Pittsburgh residents by dropping non-perishable food items in barrels stationed in the Byham Theater lobby this December.

Pittsburgh CLO gratefully acknowledges the support of our production sponsor First Niagara and Macy's for sponsoring Half-priced Tickets for Kids.

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