The Pittsburgh CLO small musicals festival that will debut in March has a name that the 72-year-old institution hopes will have the the city humming anew — Spark.
The website www.pittsburghCLO.org/SPARK is open for business, and will be unleashing incremental announcements about the 10 shows, venues and the more than 100 artists and creators who will present readings and productions March 26-April 8, to coincide with the arrival of the National Musical Theatre Alliance’s spring conference here.
Pittsburgh CLO worked with board member Michael Brunner of advertising agency Brunner Inc. to come up with a brand for the festival, made possible by the more than $10 million raised through the group’s Next Generation Capital Campaign.
Until today, the festival was without an official name.
“We wanted to brand it, and it came from the idea of that initial spark that ignites the future of small musicals,” said Mark Fleischer, Pittsburgh CLO’s producing director. “This little reading or that dialogue at a festival set up for the community and artists to see each other works — who knows what can happen next?”
The name also is meant to evoke Pittsburgh as an innovative leader in technology and the arts.
The Spark Festival is dedicated to advancing small-cast musicals — up to five actors — for venues such as the CLO Cabaret’s 250-seat Cabaret at Theatre Square. Mr. Fleischer noted that venues throughout the country are hungry for more small-cast shows to fit such venues, beyond longtime stalwarts such as “Forever Plaid.” Festival shows will be seen as readings and more advanced presentations, with the feature presentation “Up and Away” by Kevin Hammonds and Kristin Bair, which is receiving its world premiere this month at the CLO Cabaret.
Different levels of ticketing and passes will allow patrons to go behind the scenes of some productions, and the festival will include a New Musicals Boot Camp, master classes and social events such as a Songwriters’ Cabaret Night, with details to come. Tickets will be available in March at www.pittsburghCLO.org/SPARK
Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter: @SEberson_pg.
First Published: January 18, 2018, 3:00 p.m.
