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Who’s Who
PITTSBURGH CLO has been a driving force behind VAN KAPLAN (Executive Producer) joined
the preservation, creation and promotion of live Pittsburgh CLO in 1997.
musical theater since 1946. As one of the largest In addition to overseeing
regional musical theater organizations in the the organization’s year-
country, it is fortunate for the yearly support of round producing and
nearly 200,000 audience members. In addition programming efforts,
to producing fresh new productions of Broadway he has produced or co-
classics, the not-for-profit’s mission is to develop produced the Broadway
new works and showcase emerging talent, and productions of Evita,
has been credited with launching the careers of Catch Me If You Can, Come
numerous artists such as Rob Marshall, Kathleen Fly Away, The Addams Family and An American in
Marshall, Rob Ashford, Bernadette Peters, Shirley Paris. He has also produced touring productions
Jones and Susan Schulman. The organization’s of Camelot, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
dedication to musical theater extends beyond its Dreamcoat, Phantom, Singin’ in the Rain, Chess,
six-show summer season at the Benedum Center Grand Hotel , City of Angels , Evita, Brigadoon and
to year-round programming at its 250-seat CLO Nunsense II. His directorial credits include Guys
Cabaret Theater, which saw the world premiere of and Dolls with Victoria Clark, She Loves Me , West
Judge Jackie Justice, The Trials of Love in 2014. Side Story with Max Von Essen and Ali Ewoldt, Kopit
Its extensive education efforts include its CLO & Yeston’s Phantom, On the Town, Sweeney Todd
college intern program, New Horizons, and in- with Candy Buckley, South Pacific with Cathy Rigby,
school programs such as the Gallery of Heroes Nunsense , Shear Madness , Ruthless! , Guys and Dolls
and Creative Vision. Other ongoing initiatives with Georgia Engel and the regional premiere of
include the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Andrew Bovell’s Speaking in Tongues at Pittsburgh’s
Theater, CLO Mini Stars, the Construction Center Quantum Theater. Since 2009 he has directed
for the Arts, The Richard Rodgers Award, and the The Jimmy™ Awards at the Minskoff Theatre on
acclaimed Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in Broadway. He has also directed original shows for
High School Musical Theater. The organization also Caesars Entertainment at the Rio, Paris and Bally’s
founded the National High School Musical Theater Hotels in Las Vegas. He has consulted for the
Awards. To further its mission to grow the art National Endowment for the Arts, is a former Theatre
form, it has invested in and co-produced musicals Panel chair for the Texas Commission on the Arts,
currently on Broadway: On Your Feet , An American and has served as adjunct professor for Carnegie
in Paris, Matilda and Kinky Boots. Additionally: Mellon’s Masters of Arts Management Program. He
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Evita, The is on the Board of The Broadway League, serves
Addams Family , Come Fly Away, Catch Me If You on the Investment Committee of the Independent
Can, 9 to 5: The Musical , Legally Blonde The Musical , Presenters Network (IPN) and is past president of
Curtains , Monty Python’s SPAMALOT, Thoroughly The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT).
Modern Millie, Bombay Dreams, Oprah Winfrey’s He is the Co-founder of the National High School
The Color Purple, Flower Drum Song, Chita Rivera: Musical Theater Awards - also known as The Jimmy™
The Dancer’s Life and Deaf West’s production of Big Awards, the subject of a 3-part documentary series
River. Pittsburgh CLO is a founding partner of 5 Cent that aired nationally on PBS. He has been a Tony
Productions/Elephant Eye Theatricals, a producing Awards® voter for more than 20 years.
consortium devoted to new musicals such as The
Addams Family and An American in Paris. In 2007, the
organization assisted Disney Theatrical Productions
in launching the National Tour of Disney’s High School
Musical . Pittsburgh CLO is the subject of a 2007
film starring Jeff Goldblum titled “PITTSBURGH.”
www.pittsburghCLO.org.
CLOcabaret.com - 21
PITTSBURGH CLO has been a driving force behind VAN KAPLAN (Executive Producer) joined
the preservation, creation and promotion of live Pittsburgh CLO in 1997.
musical theater since 1946. As one of the largest In addition to overseeing
regional musical theater organizations in the the organization’s year-
country, it is fortunate for the yearly support of round producing and
nearly 200,000 audience members. In addition programming efforts,
to producing fresh new productions of Broadway he has produced or co-
classics, the not-for-profit’s mission is to develop produced the Broadway
new works and showcase emerging talent, and productions of Evita,
has been credited with launching the careers of Catch Me If You Can, Come
numerous artists such as Rob Marshall, Kathleen Fly Away, The Addams Family and An American in
Marshall, Rob Ashford, Bernadette Peters, Shirley Paris. He has also produced touring productions
Jones and Susan Schulman. The organization’s of Camelot, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
dedication to musical theater extends beyond its Dreamcoat, Phantom, Singin’ in the Rain, Chess,
six-show summer season at the Benedum Center Grand Hotel , City of Angels , Evita, Brigadoon and
to year-round programming at its 250-seat CLO Nunsense II. His directorial credits include Guys
Cabaret Theater, which saw the world premiere of and Dolls with Victoria Clark, She Loves Me , West
Judge Jackie Justice, The Trials of Love in 2014. Side Story with Max Von Essen and Ali Ewoldt, Kopit
Its extensive education efforts include its CLO & Yeston’s Phantom, On the Town, Sweeney Todd
college intern program, New Horizons, and in- with Candy Buckley, South Pacific with Cathy Rigby,
school programs such as the Gallery of Heroes Nunsense , Shear Madness , Ruthless! , Guys and Dolls
and Creative Vision. Other ongoing initiatives with Georgia Engel and the regional premiere of
include the Pittsburgh CLO Academy of Musical Andrew Bovell’s Speaking in Tongues at Pittsburgh’s
Theater, CLO Mini Stars, the Construction Center Quantum Theater. Since 2009 he has directed
for the Arts, The Richard Rodgers Award, and the The Jimmy™ Awards at the Minskoff Theatre on
acclaimed Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in Broadway. He has also directed original shows for
High School Musical Theater. The organization also Caesars Entertainment at the Rio, Paris and Bally’s
founded the National High School Musical Theater Hotels in Las Vegas. He has consulted for the
Awards. To further its mission to grow the art National Endowment for the Arts, is a former Theatre
form, it has invested in and co-produced musicals Panel chair for the Texas Commission on the Arts,
currently on Broadway: On Your Feet , An American and has served as adjunct professor for Carnegie
in Paris, Matilda and Kinky Boots. Additionally: Mellon’s Masters of Arts Management Program. He
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Evita, The is on the Board of The Broadway League, serves
Addams Family , Come Fly Away, Catch Me If You on the Investment Committee of the Independent
Can, 9 to 5: The Musical , Legally Blonde The Musical , Presenters Network (IPN) and is past president of
Curtains , Monty Python’s SPAMALOT, Thoroughly The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT).
Modern Millie, Bombay Dreams, Oprah Winfrey’s He is the Co-founder of the National High School
The Color Purple, Flower Drum Song, Chita Rivera: Musical Theater Awards - also known as The Jimmy™
The Dancer’s Life and Deaf West’s production of Big Awards, the subject of a 3-part documentary series
River. Pittsburgh CLO is a founding partner of 5 Cent that aired nationally on PBS. He has been a Tony
Productions/Elephant Eye Theatricals, a producing Awards® voter for more than 20 years.
consortium devoted to new musicals such as The
Addams Family and An American in Paris. In 2007, the
organization assisted Disney Theatrical Productions
in launching the National Tour of Disney’s High School
Musical . Pittsburgh CLO is the subject of a 2007
film starring Jeff Goldblum titled “PITTSBURGH.”
www.pittsburghCLO.org.
CLOcabaret.com - 21
