Pittsburgh CLO Announces Cast for A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING, 10/25-1/20

Pittsburgh CLO has announced the cast for the Rodgers & Hammerstein tribute, A Grand Night for Singing, which will run October 25 through January 20 at the CLO Cabaret. Tickets will go on sale Monday, August 13 and will be available at CLOCabaret.com, by calling 412-456-6666 or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

Paul-Jordan Jansenis making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. Mr. Jansen is originally from Berea, Ohio and has spent the past 4 years pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at The Pennsylvania State University. Regional credits include Kiss Me Kate, Five Guys Named Moe, RENT, Peter Pan and Smokey Joe’s Café. He has also performed in The National Theatre Festival of South Africa and for President Obama.

Kristiann Menotiades returns for her eighth show at the CLO Cabaret. Favorites include: Shear Madness, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, My Way: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra and Ruthless! The Musical. Other credits include Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Alice Miller in My Favorite Year, Yonah in Children of Eden and Madge in the new work play Enlightenment at The City Theater. Ms. Menotiades is also an instructor at the Pittsburgh CLO Academy and the director of Fox Chapel High School's fall play.

Caroline Nicolian has worked for numerous theater companies in the Pittsburgh area such as Pittsburgh Musical Theatre and Carrnivale Theatrics, and received her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Point Park University. Some of her past credits include Can-Can! (La Mome Pistache), Into the Woods (The Witch), Evita (Eva Peron) and the title role in Jane Eyre the Musical.

Katie Oxman is currently pursuing a BA in Musical Theatre at Point Park University. Previous credits include: the world premiere of M33 and A Chorus Line at Pittsburgh Playhouse, My Fair Lady and Carousel with The Summer Theatre of New Canaan. She received the Best Actress in Connecticut award in 2010 at the Connecticut High School Musical Theatre Awards for Madame Chairman in The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Breanna Pursell is a 2011 graduate from Point Park University making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. Recent credits include: Wendla in Spring Awakening (Mazeppa Productions), Amalia Balash in She Loves Me (Pittsburgh Conservatory Company), Bird Girl u/s Gertrude in Seussical (Pittsburgh Playhouse JR.), Olive Ostrovsky in Spelling Bee and as a Toreadorable in GYPSY (Bristol Riverside Theatre).

Quinn Patrick Shannon is making his Pittsburgh CLO debut. A graduate of Point Park University, Mr. Shannon has appeared in Assassins, The Rover, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland and Hair. His regional credits include roles with Theatreworks USA, West Virginia Public, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, Stage 62 and Little Lake.

John Wascavage returns to Pittsburgh CLO after appearing as the swing in 'S Wonderful: The New Gershwin Musical. NYC/ Off-Broadway: Rock Henderson in FABULOUS! (Richmond Shepard Theatre), Joe in Trouble: The Musical (June Havoc Theatre and SoHo Playhouse), Whiskers in Between the Bricks (June Havoc Theatre). Regional: Candide in Candide (Quantum Theatre), Posner in The History Boys (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre), Fred Beenstock in Hobson's Choice (PICT), H.G. Wells in Time After Time (World Premiere/ Pittsburgh Playhouse). Training: Point Park University.

Jack Allison (Director) takes the director’s chair at the CLO Cabaret for the first time, after directing over 20 Pittsburgh CLO productions during CLO’s time at Heinz Hall and most recently at the Benedum Center this summer for Pittsburgh CLO’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. Regional directing credits: Walnut Street Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Cincinnati Opera, North Shore Music Theatre, California Music Theatre, Kansas City Starlight, St. Louis MUNY, Casa Manana. New York: Manhattan Theatre Club and Circle Repertory Company. He staged Cabaret and A Funny Thing… at The National Theatre of Belgium and is the recipient of three Florida Carbonell Awards, three Boston Globe Awards and three KC Star Awards. He is a member of SDC and currently is on the musical theatre faculty at Point Park University.

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