Pittsburgh CLO has finally announced casting for their summer season! The 6 show season is bookended by the "Come Fly Away" and "Addams Family" tours, but CLO will be producing "A Chorus Line", "Annie", "Fiddler on the Roof", and "Sunset Boulevard".
Liz Callaway in Sunset sounds wonderful, even though in my head, she's still too young for the part. Sally Struthers as Hannigan sounds less wonderful, but maybe it'll get butts in seats.
what a suprise, the entire A Chorus Line cast either appeared in the Broadway production or the national tour.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
Lewis J. Stadlen as Tevye in Fiddler sounds like a lot of fun! Huge fan of his. I'm sure he'll be great.
I just had a friend who was in a regional production of ANNIE with Struthers a few months ago in Georgia (pretty sure Atlanta), and he said she nailed the role and was the nicest, most professional person he's ever worked with. I saw some pictures, she looked great, and she certainly seems right for Hannigan. I really think that people here look at her as a joke, for whatever reason...
Well of course, because Baayork is directing. She doesn't have to work too hard if the cast already knows all the choreography cold. I've done a production with Jake Weinstein as Mark and he's great. Excited he's doing this production.
^^it's probably a good thing she's not doing the Papermill production. She would just have the Pittsburgh cast transfer over.
A Chorus Line revival played its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2008. The tour played its final performance on August 21, 2011. A new non-equity tour started in October 2012 played its final performance on March 23, 2013. Another non-equity tour launched on January 20, 2018. The tour ended its US run in Kansas City and then toured throughout Japan August & September 2018.
I understand that CLO puts their shows up with 8 days of rehearsal. With all of the dancing in "A Chorus Line", it's probably a good thing they cast people who've done the show before.
It's always fun seeing Tim Hartman perform! Glad he's in two shows this summer. He's one of Pittsburgh's finest actors.
Fiddler also managed to nab Lauren Woreham (who apparently gave a great performance in Encores! Where's Charley?) and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Henrik...Who is Henrik?).
The Pittsburgh CLO always does a good job whenever I happen to be in town and catch a show...and it's always interesting when you see a cast member who stood out on broadway/off-broadway/national tour a few years later!
It's always fun seeing Tim Hartman perform! Glad he's in two shows this summer. He's one of Pittsburgh's finest actors.
Fiddler also managed to nab Lauren Woreham (who apparently gave a great performance in Encores! Where's Charley?) and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Henrik...Who is Henrik?).
The Pittsburgh CLO always does a good job whenever I happen to be in town and catch a show...and it's always interesting when you see a cast member who stood out on broadway/off-broadway/national tour a few years later!
"I understand that CLO puts their shows up with 8 days of rehearsal. With all of the dancing in "A Chorus Line", it's probably a good thing they cast people who've done the show before."
That is correct. For shows such as A Chorus Line and West Side Story, where the original choreography is recreated in just about any production out there, you'll see in the audition notices where they are only looking for actors who have done the show before. Otherwise there would be no way to put these shows up on a typical summer stock rehearsal schedule without severely limiting the choreography.
Overkill, thanks for your post about Struthers. That gives me a bit more confidence in her. All I can ever remember of her theatre work is the female version of ODD COUPLE and a replacement role in the 90s revival of GREASE. But she may be great as Hannigan.
I saw Struthers play Carmen Bernstein in "Curtains" at CLO two years ago. She was wonderful, very very funny and electric on stage. Certainly one of the highlights of the production. I am excited to see her take on Hannigan.
Here is the Broadway World article for the casting:
"TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO SEE THE FACE OF GOD"- LES MISERABLES---
"THERE'S A SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE KNOWN AS SHOW PEOPLE... WE'RE BORN EVERY NIGHT AT HALF HOUR CALL!"--- CURTAINS
Sally Struthers ALWAYS DELIVERS. There is a reason the woman works non-stop and is in demand. She arrives, works her ass off, delivers the goods and is wonderful to the entire creative team. She treats everyone like they are the star, right down to the chorus kids. She gets the work done with very little rehearsal time and is a quick study.
Young people can learn alot from her. No ego-she is there for the work. I consider it a gift whenever I see her perform.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
I've never understood the backlash Sally Struthers seems to receive on almost everything she does. It seems that pretty much anytime her casting is announced there are people who crawl out of the woodwork to deride it, only for those who actually end up seeing her giving her a good amount of praise for it.
And, as Bettyboy pointed out, there is indeed a reason why she works so much. In addition to being pretty talented by all accounts she is a delight to work with. I do not know anybody who has worked with her who has had anything bad to say. One stage manager who I'm acquaintances with, and is the resident stage manager at a dinner theatre known for bringing in numerous TV personalities of "a certain age," has said that Sally is one of her favorites and she looks forward to anytime she is cast.