Come give your happy feet a chance and jump, jive and wail at Pittsburgh CLO's production of Swing!, playing June 20 through 26 at the Benedum Center in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh's Cultural District.
Featuring the unforgettable sounds of the 1930s and 40s, including The Glenn Miller Band, the Andrew Sisters and Duke Ellington, Swing! is a feel-good celebration of the best of the Big Bands! Mix a little Lindy Hop with a bit of the jitterbug and a whole lot of swing and one thing becomes perfectly clear - swing was never a time or place; it was always a state of mind! The show's infectious score features more than 30 dance hall hits including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "I'll Be Seeing You," "In the Mood" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)."
Alan H. Green (Male Diva #1) last appeared on the Pittsburgh CLO stage in Miss Saigon. He has guest starred in "30 Rock," "Law & Order: SVU" and held a recurring role on "The Guiding Light." He has performed on Broadway in Play On! and in the National Tours of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Swing! and Smokey Joe's Café.
Kate Loprest (Female Diva #2) is making her Pittsburgh CLO debut. Her Broadway credits include Hairspray, Xanadu and The Drowsy Chaperone. Ms. Loprest has performed in the National Tour of Wicked and Happy Days: A New Musical for Paper Mill Playhouse.
Deb Lyons (Female Diva #1) also returns to Pittsburgh CLO after previously appearing in last season's Smokey Joe's Café. Ms. Lyons has performed in Smokey Joe's Café on Broadway and in the original London cast. She also played Lucy on the National Tour of Jekyll & Hyde. Her regional credits include Hairspray, Side By Side By Sondheim, Ring of Fire and Pumpboys & Dinettes. Ms. Lyons toured the world in the mid '90s with "The Mamas & The Papas."
Matthew Scott (Male Diva #2) returns to Pittsburgh CLO after previously appearing in 1776 and the National Tour of Dr. Dolittle. A Carnegie Mellon alumnus, he has also starred in Jersey Boys on Broadway and several Off-Broadway productions, including West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, A Catered Affair, Ragtime, South Pacific and Tick, Tick...BOOM!.
Dana Solimando (Director/Choreographer) performed the role of Tiger Lily with Cathy Rigby on the Broadway and National Tours of Peter Pan as well as in the A&E video. She has choreographed and directed several productions of Swing! (2004 and 2006 Ovation awards - Best Choreography). She also choreographed Peter Pan in 2008 for Pittsburgh CLO and was a cast member in the original Broadway production of Swing!.
Craig Barna (Music Director) has conducted on Broadway, in Los Angeles and for prominent regional theaters across the country. Mr. Barna was musical director for Pittsburgh CLO's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this season and for Peter Pan and Smokey Joe's Café in 2008. He conducted the National Tours of Grease, Singin' in the Rain and Cats, and the touring and Broadway companies of Jesus Christ Superstar and Peter Pan. Other career highlights include TV appearances on the "Today Show", "CBS This Morning" and the 1999 Tony® Awards.
Swing! was first produced on Broadway at the ST. James Theatre on December 9, 1999, receiving critical acclaim for its music, dance and style. It was conceived by Paul Kelly, who pitched the idea of a Broadway show that would focus on swing dance and music to producer Marc Routh. The production, which doesn't have dialogue, is a true musical with only song lyrics and dance steps to move the story forward. The musicians are no ordinary pit band, but a central part of the show. The band is centered on stage and performs in dance numbers.
