Broadway’s Elizabeth Stanley, Lesli Margherita Join Hometown Stars
Names familiar from the Golden Triangle to Broadway to Disney+ and beyond are aglow in Pittsburgh CLO’s 2023 summer season lineup.
A second casting announcement on Wednesday follows a partial lineup named in March, and includes some of musical theater’s marquee names. Those include 2021 Tony Award nominee Elizabeth Stanley (Best Actress in a Musical, Jagged Little Pill) as the Witch in Into the Woods and Olivier Award-winner Lesli Margherita as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls.
Many of the names will be familiar to long-time CLO patrons – Stanley, for example, starred with the late
Kevin Gray and Brynn O’Malley in the company’s 2011 production of Jekyll & Hyde. Stanley’s co-stars in Into the Woods include Patti Murin (Broadway’s Frozen) as The Baker’s Wife, along with Pittsburgh natives and CLO alums Manu Narayan as The Baker and Disney+ star Joe Serafini as Jack.
You may remember John Treacy Egan from CLO’s 2010 season, starring in The Producers and Oliver! He’ll join Margherita in Guys & Dolls as Nicely-Nicely Johnson.
Pittsburgh-based performers such as Jeff Howell, Christine Laitta and Melessie Clark also have roles in the lineup of Pittsburgh CLO’s 77th season. (Local alumni listed below indicated by *)
Here are the comprehensive casts and creative teams announced Wednesday, April 18, who will be at the Benedum Center for summer 2023:
June 13-18: ANYTHING GOES – Directed by Ameenah Kaplan, choreographed by Mara Newbery Greer, musical director, James Cunningham. Cast: Liz Leclerc as Hope Harcourt, Jeff Howell* as Moonface Martin, Geoff Packard as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh,
Rashidra Scott As Reno Sweeney, A.J. Shively as Billy Crocker and Andrea Weinzierl* as Erma.
June 27-July 2: INTO THE WOODS – Directed by Scott Weinstein choreographed by William Carlos Angulo, musical director, James Cunningham. Patti Murin as The Baker’s Wife, Manu Narayan* as The Baker, Joe Serafini* as Jack, Elizabeth Stanley* as The Witch, Kyla Jordan Stone as Cinderella, Jordan Tyson as Little Red Riding Hood.
July 11-16: THE SOUND OF MUSIC – Directed and choreographed by Marc Robin, music director, Thom Culcasi. Cast: Daniella Dalli as Mother Abbess, Maddie Dick* as Liesl Von Trapp, Blake Hammond* as Max Detweiler, Will Ray as Captain Von Trapp, Katie Sina as Elsa Schraeder, Hanley Smith as Maria. Von Trapp Children (all students of the Pittsburgh CLO Academy): Carlianna Connors as Brigitta, Emily Harajda as Louisa, Emmett Kent as Kurt U/S, Charlotte Kinslow as Louisa U/S, Aubree Liscotti as Gretl, Delaney Nagle as Gretl U/S, Sloane Masula as Marta, Max Peluso as Fredrick, Henry Thomas as Kurt, Cameron Tino as Fredrick U/S, Savannah Wiles as Marta U/S.
July 25-30, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (Pittsburgh CLO premiere) – Directed and choreographed by Gerry McIntyre, music director James Cunningham. Cast: Melessie Clark* as Mama Euralie, Zephaniah Divine as Agwe, Darius Harper* as Papa Ge, Najah Hetsberger as Ti Moune. Mason Reeves as Daniel Beauxhomme, Hailey Thomas as Erzulie.
August 8-13: GUYS & DOLLS – Directed by Darren Lee, choreographed by Mark Esposito, music director James Cunningham. Nikki Renée Daniels as Sarah Brown, John Treacy Egan* as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Jeff Kready* as Sky Masterson, Christine Laitta* as General Cartwright, Lesli Margherita as Miss Adelaide, Matt Saldivar as Nathan Detroit.
August 22-27: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Pittsburgh CLO premiere) – Directed by Dontee Kiehn, choreographed by Charlie Sutton, music director, James Cunningham. Cast: Kennedy Caughell as Sonya, Natascia Diaz* as Marya, Jason Gotay as Anatole Kuragin, Sandra Okuboyejo as Natasha Rostova, Nick Rehberger as Pierre Bezukhov, Lili Thomas as Hélène Bezukhov.
Full casting is still to come. Individual tickets start at $29 and can be purchased at pittsburghclo.org or by calling 412-456-6666.
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