Pittsburgh CLO has announced the stage-and-screen stars who will lead the 2024 summer season of musicals, including Tony-nominee Beth Malone, who originated the role of Alison Bechdel in Fun Home on Broadway, and will don the Cat in the Hat’s red-and-white striped cap in Seussical.
The Music Man will star Nikki Renée Daniels, who spent two seasons at PLCO and has 11 Broadway credits, and Pittsburgh native Charles Esten – Ward Cameron on Netflix’s Outer Banks and Deacon Claybourne in ABC/CMT’s Nashville – as Harold Hill.
PCLO’s first production of The Color Purple will star Tamyra Gray, the company’s Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, as Shug Avery. Gray, who placed fourth in American Idol’s first season, has Broadway credits including the acclaimed Once on This Island revival. As Celie, Kayla Davion played the title role for Broadway’s The Tina Turner Musical and was part of the original off-Broadway cast of Michael R. Jackson’s White Girl in Danger.
Young Frankenstein will feature Dan DeLuca as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein. DeLuca, who grew up in Peters Township, is a veteran of PCLO shows and best known for originating the role of Jack Kelly on the National Tour of Disney’s Newsies and the title role in Jerry Lewis and Marvin Hamlisch’s The Nutty Professor. He recently starred as the lead in the regional premiere of Tootsie and played opposite Sierra Boggess in the off-Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl.
Towering Pittsburgh actor, singer, storyteller and editorial cartoonist Tim Hartman portrays Frankenstein’s Monster, a role he played for Pittsburgh Musical Theater in 2015. Known primarily for his work in more than 300 professional stage productions, Hartman has appeared on Broadway in A Tale of Two Cities and the Tony-nominated Finian’s Rainbow, and boasts roles in 30 movies.
The summer season opens May 17, 2024, with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, featuring previously announced Gabrielle Lee as Billie Holiday, at the Greer Cabaret.
Sabina Collazo and Spencer LaRue.
Next up will be three straight productions at the Benedum Center, starting with West Side Story (June 11-16), and starring Puerto Rico native Sabina Collazo as Maria and Spencer LaRue as Tony, both making their Pittsburgh CLO debuts. Baayork Lee, an original member of The Chorus Line’s Broadway cast, returns to Pittsburgh CLO as West Side Story director and choreographer.
Also at the Benedum are The Color Purple (June 25-30) and The Music Man (July 9-14).
A new scaled-down version of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein hits the Greer Cabaret stage July 19-September 1, and the 2024 season concludes July 30-August 4 at the Byham Theater, with the Ahrens-Flaherty musical Seussical.
Star Beth Malone’s credits include Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and screen credits such as series regular Felicia on Apple TV’s City On Fire. Malone also is co-book writer of the musical Starstruck.
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