Pittsburgh CLO marks 76th season with diverse summer lineup
Pittsburgh CLO will celebrate its 76th season with six award-winning musicals and added opportunities for fun, starting June 7 with the national tour of “Jersey Boys.”
The 2022 Summer of Musicals promises a showcase of national, regional and local performers. Productions will feature enhancements like a new video wall, along with immersive experiences for patrons, including entertainment in the Benedum Center lobby and dance parties in the street.
The season also will feature Pittsburgh CLO premieres of “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Sister Act,” in addition to “Kinky Boots,” “Godspell” and A Chorus Line.”
“We wanted a lineup of shows that were celebratory, fun and encapsulating the energy of summer; and I think you’ll see that as you go through the shows,” said executive producer Mark Fleischer. “We’re excited to be back creating musicals made in Pittsburgh for Pittsburgh.”
The return to CLO’s home stage in the Benedum Center follows last summer’s 75th-anniversary season of outdoor productions at Heinz Field.
“Last year was so magical on the Heinz Field stage, but to come back to our home for a whole summer is going to be great,” Fleischer said. “We’re planning some surprises in the lobby, some photo opportunities. I’m planning to be in the lobby for most of the performances, so I’m hoping people will come and meet me.”
The summer schedule includes:
• “Jersey Boys,” June 7-12 — The Tony Award-winner tells the off-stage story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, featuring hits like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night).” Salted with “profane Jersey language,” the musical is recommended for ages 12 and older.
• “The Drowsy Chaperone,” June 21-26 — The Pittsburgh CLO premiere production stars Broadway veterans Clay Aiken and Paige Davis in a send-up of the Jazz Age. The meta-musical pokes fun at all the tropes that characterize the musical theater genre.
Aiken, a veteran of previous CLO productions, approached Fleischer about being part of the cast.
“He had done ‘Drowsy Chaperone’ before as the Man in the Chair and said he’d love to do the role again,” Fleischer said.
• “Kinky Boots,” July 5-10 — The true story about a struggling shoe factory is the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It features a Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper and book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein.
• “Godspell,” July 12-17 — Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, “Godspell” features music by three-time Grammy and Academy Award-winner Stephen Schwartz, book by John-Michael Tebelak and familiar songs like “Day by Day.”
Tebelak produced “Godspell” as his master’s thesis at Carnegie Mellon University in 1970. The new CLO production looks at what “Godspell” means after more than 50 years and how Pittsburgh influences it, Fleischer said.
• “A Chorus Line,” July 26-31 — The backstage story of 17 aspiring dancers has heart-stopping, toe-tapping performances and soaring ballads, set against the ups and downs of life in show business. This powerful, emotion-filled musical contains adult language and content.
• “Sister Act,” Aug. 9-14 — The Pittsburgh CLO premiere finds a disco diva in protective custody in a convent after she witnesses a murder. Filled with powerful gospel and R&B music, outrageous dancing and a moving story, it’s a tribute to the universal power of friendship and song.
“We’re looking forward to bringing the community back together to enjoy musical theater and be a part of what CLO has done as we enter our 76th summer,” Fleischer said. “Our mission is celebrating musical theater — all types, all genres — so we try to do a mix of shows.
“We spend a lot of time making sure it’s a curated mix, so when you come, you’re seeing something different every time, whether it’s different styles, different performers, different scenery,” he said. “It’s about what makes us excited as a company and also what the community will want to see, to tap toes and sing along and try something new.”
Individual tickets start at $29. Flexible three- and six-show season ticket packages are available.
For information, call 412-281-2822. or visit pittsburghclo.org.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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