2011 First Summer Season Casting

Diana DeGarmo

Ms. DeGarmo makes her Benedum Center debut as Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical.  She was runner-up on the third season of “American Idol” at age 16 and has since topped the chart of Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles. Her theater credits include: Hairspray (Penny Pingleton) and HAIR the Musical (Sheila) on Broadway; the National Tour of Brooklyn: The Musical (Brooklyn); The Toxic Avenger Musical (Sarah) Off-Broadway; Joseph....(OKC), West Side Story (San Jose) and Back to Bacharach and David (Music Box, L.A.). Her television credits include: CMT’s “Gone Country” series, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and others.

Dee Hoty

Ms. Hoty returns to Pittsburgh CLO as Violet Newstead in 9 to 5: The Musical after appearances in A Little Night Music and Cats. She has earned three Tony® Award nominations for her starring roles in Footloose, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and The Will Rogers Follies. Ms. Hoty starred on Broadway and in eight major U.S. cities as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Performing on and off-Broadway, she toured the country and has been involved in many pre-Broadway workshops. She has also appeared in “Law & Order”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and numerous television and film appearances.

Mamie Parris

Ms. Parris makes her Benedum Center debut as Judy Bernley in 9 to 5: The Musical.  A native Texan, she attended the Paseo Academy of the Arts in Kansas City, Missouri, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Her Broadway credits include the recent Tony® Award-Nominated revival of Ragtime, where as an understudy she received the unique privilege of closing the show in the role of Mother. Other Broadway credits include: 5-Time Tony® Award-Winner The Drowsy Chaperone and Roundabout Theatre’s acclaimed revival of 110 In the Shade. Additional credits include: the First National Tour of Legally Blonde - the Musical, the acclaimed new musical See Rock City & Other Destinations, presented Off-Broadway by the Transport Group, Chicago at the Macau International Music Festival in Macau, China, two National Tours with country music icon Kenny Rogers, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Regional roles include: Millie, Rizzo, Audrey, and Grizabella.

Joseph Mahowald

Mr. Mahowald returns to Pittsburgh CLO as Franklin Hart, Jr. in 9 to 5: The Musical.  He appeared in Boublil & Schönberg’s The Pirate Queen on Broadway and previously starred on Broadway in the title roles of Jekyll and Hyde, Javert and Enjolras in Les Miserables, and he originated the role of Aaron James in Mike Reid’s opera, Different Fields, commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera Guild. He also created the roles of Ace Gruver in Tony® Award-winning William Luce’s Sayonara and Captain Phoebus in Dennis DeYoung’s (Styxx) adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Off-Broadway he appeared as Frank Ford in Lone Star Love, Hendon in the Prince and the Pauper, The Aviator in The Little Prince and Haemon in Antigone. On National Tours, Joe appeared as Javert in Les Miserables, Lancelot in Camelot with Stacy Keach and as featured soloist in A Grand Night for Singing. Joe has recorded 5 CD’s including "Wonderful Words of Life," his first solo cd, “Sondheim Tonight,” recorded with the City of London Philharmonic, benefitting the Alan Jay Lerner fund for research into Cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Scattered Thoughts benefitting The Lord’s Pantry in New York City, as well as the original cast recordings of Lone Star Love and The Pirate Queen. He’s also recorded dozens of “backers tapes” for new musicals and is currently working on a new original project. His voice can be heard in the Disney film, Mulan, he portrayed the role of Jason Gwynn on NBC’s “Another World,” Nails on ABC’s “Guiding Light,” Standish on ABC’s “All My Children” (recurring) and can be seen on PBS in “The Making of the Pirate Queen” and the series “Front Row Center - a musical theatre spotlight.”

Kevin Gray

Mr. Gray reprises the role of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde he performed for Pittsburgh CLO in 2002. Mr. Gray has also starred in Pittsburgh CLO’s productions of The King and I and Miss Saigon. His Broadway and National Tour credits include: The Lion King, The Phantom Of The Opera, Miss Saigon, A Little Night Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Showboat, Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, The King & I,Titanic, Chu Chem, Night Of The Iguana, and The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Off-Broadway he has appeared in Pacific Overtures, The Baker’s Wife, The Death Of Garcia Lorca, The Knife, and Lola. Mr. Gray’s television credits include: "Law and Order: SVU" and "Criminal Intent," "Linc’s," "The Equalizer," "Miami Vice," "The Guiding Light," "One Life To Live," and "Ryan’s Hope." A faculty member at Rollins College, Mr. Gray also appears in the Symphony Concert Tour Three Phantoms in Concert.

Elizabeth Stanley

Ms. Stanley makes her CLO debut as Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde. On Broadway she created the roles of Allison in the John Waters’ musical, Cry-Baby, and April in the Tony® Award-winning revival of Company. She also starred as Dyanne in the Broadway premiere of Million Dollar Quartet and as Kira on the first national tour of Xanadu. Her television credits include: “Fringe,” “The Chappelle Show” and “PBS Great Performances” (April in Company). Regionally, she has had numerous leading roles for Pioneer Theatre Company, O’Neill Festival, La Jolla Playhouse and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; most recently Constanze in Amadeus at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (Kevin Kline nomination).

Brynn O'Malley

Ms. O’Malley returns to Pittsburgh CLO as Emma in Jekyll & Hyde after her debut as the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods in 2009. Her Broadway credits include: Celeste #1/Elaine in Sunday in the Park with George, Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray, WICKED and Beauty and the Beast. Her other credits include: Oklahoma!, All Shook Up, Meet Me in St. Louis, She Loves Me (Helen Hayes Award Nomination), Arsenic and Lace, Follies In Concert, The Full Monty and Side by Side.

Robert Cuccioli

Mr. Cuccioli reprises the role of Captian von Trapp from Pittsburgh CLO’s 2005 production of The Sound of Music. He was nominated for a Tony® Award for his portrayal of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde on Broadway and also starred as Javert in the Broadway production of Les Misérables. Mr. Cuccioli’s other Pittsburgh CLO credits include: Les Misérables, Barry Manilow’s Copacabana, Funny Girl, Guys and Dolls, Bells are Ringing and The Pajama Game. He will also direct this year’s production of Jekyll & Hyde and appear in Jesus Christ Superstar as Pontius Pilate.

Doug Kreeger

Mr. Kreeger makes his Pittsburgh CLO debut as Jesus of Nazareth in Jesus Christ Superstar. He originated the role of Ian in Off- Broadway's Rooms: A Rock Romance and starred as Richard Loeb in Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story. His performances have been called "compelling" by both The New York Times & New York Post and "riveting" by Rex Reed in The New York Observer. He appeared on Broadway in Les Misérables and toured internationally as Danny in Grease and Berger in Hair. He also appeared as Chita Rivera's boy-toy in the sold-out production of Kander & Ebb's The Visit at the Signature Theatre. Regionally, he has appeared at Arkansas Rep, Barrington Stage, Bay Street Theatre, Metrostage, Geva Theatre, The Old Globe and Yale Rep. Mr. Kreeger studied at RADA and is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Jennifer Hope Wills

Ms. Wills returns to Pitttsburgh CLO after starring in Carousel in 2005 to play Maria in The Sound of Music. She starred as Christine in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera for nearly four years. Other Broadway credits include: starring as Eileen in the critically acclaimed revival of Wonderful Town opposite Brooke Shields (revamped New Broadway Cast recording), The Woman in White and Beauty and the Beast. She also appeared as Della in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn with City Center's, Encores! Her regional credits include: Sharon in Finian's Rainbow (Walnut Street Theatre), Sandy in Grease! (Paper Mill Playhouse), Lily in The Secret Garden (VMT) and Brooke/Vicki in Noises Off! (SART). Her voice can be heard as Liesel in the famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre’s version of The Sound of Music starring Christiane Noll. Ms. Wills has appeared in concert with the Asheville Symphony, at Merkin Concert Hall, Town Hall and at the Mar-a-Lago Club with Howard McGillin for Donald Trump and guests. She holds an MM degree from Indiana University where she appeared on the mainstage as Laurey in Oklahoma!, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore and Gossip I in The Ghosts of Versailles.