Pittsburgh CLO will reduce programming from 6 shows to 3 (including one tour), due to financial constraints

This feels notable for one of the preeminent summer theatres in America operating in the old stock tradition. Based responses from some other theaters who have tried this, cutting the season in half usually offers no better financial upside.

The 2025 season will be CAMELOT, the tour of BACK TO THE FUTURE, and FROZEN.

By contrast, its 2024 season was Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, West Side Story, The Color Purple, The Music Man, Young Frankenstein, and Seussical, split between a 2800-seat space and a 250-seat space. They've done away with the 250-seat space programming.



"The 2025 PNC Summer of Musicals marks a strategic shift for Pittsburgh CLO, with a move from a six-show to a three-show summer lineup with all shows at the Benedum Center. Theater organizations, like Pittsburgh CLO, are grappling with increasing production costs, fluctuating audience attendance, and the lingering impact of the pandemic on the arts. The 2025 Summer of Musicals has been carefully curated to strike a balance between fiscal sustainability and delivering Broadway-caliber entertainment that Pittsburgh audiences have come to expect from the Pittsburgh CLO."

https://www.pittsburghclo.org//buy-tickets/clo-subscriptions

I'm honestly surprised this didn't happen years ago. Depending on the casts, I've attended one or two of their shows each season for the past 15 years. These productions have been undersold in the Benedum Center for a long time, even during weekend performances. The creative venue shifting this year was a good attempt, but obviously didn't prove to be sustainable.

"Back To The Future" and "Frozen" will be very safe sells next year, but I'm not sure I would have chosen "Camelot" as the third production. Hopefully they have a recognizable "name" lined up to help boost sales for that one.

Updated On: 9/13/24 at 01:06 PM

It's unfortunate that this has to happen. And very good of them to be able to readjust in order to keep in business. In summer 2008, I saw both "Mame" and "West Side Story" there. Fantastic productions!!

Is Broadway in Pittsburgh co-presenting BTTF with CLO?

darquegk said: "They were investors in BTTF to begin with."

and that’s probably why they’re running out of money.

Coincidentally, I saw a small professional production of Addams Family today. The producer list credited from the original production was a mile long, and included CLO.

That's what confuses me, why not lean more into the cabaret stuff and cut one of the larger shows? And CAMALOT?!?!?