[NEohioPAL] Fwd: New Equity Musical Theatre Company Brings Tony Award Winners to Cleveland [CLEVELAND MUSICAL THEATRE]

[CMT Public Relations via NEohioPAL]

*NEWS RELEASE  *

Media contact: Lisa Craig, 216-832-0370, email *lmcraigoh at gmail.com
<lmcraigoh at gmail.com>*


*New Equity Musical Theatre Company Brings Tony Award Winners to Cleveland*

*November 11, 2015* (Cleveland, OH) - Professional musical theatre now has
a new stand-alone organization in Northeast Ohio. Cleveland Musical Theatre
(CMT) is a new non-profit theatre company dedicated to providing the region
with high quality, engaging, and locally produced musical theater. Founder
and Artistic Director Miles J. Sternfeld announced a partnership of CMT
with Cuyahoga Community College Eastern Campus (Tri-C East) for its
performance venue in the newly remodeled Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre, and
with Making It On Broadway (MIOB) for educational programming. In addition
to professional Equity performances at Tri-C East, CMT offers local
workshops, master classes and week-long intensives led by New York City’s
finest musical theatre professionals for students and rising professional
actors who want to “make it on Broadway.”

Sternfeld, along with Managing Director Sean Patrick, was inspired to
create a way to consistently support and spotlight musical theater in
northeast Ohio after seeing how many Clevelanders populate the theatre
community of his current city of residence, NYC. “I became dedicated to
create a home where aspiring professionals from Cleveland and around the
country can gain professional experience, work alongside performers with
substantial Broadway credits, and train under the best educators in the
country,” says Sternfeld. "A testament to the importance our community
places on the arts is seen by the vast amount of talent that Cleveland
attracts to some of the best musical theatre college-programs in the
country,” Sternfeld continues, “and so many of those students have moved on
to successful careers on Broadway.”

*THE MUSIC MAN: Inspiration and Act One*

Sternfeld, currently studying English at Fordham University in NYC, already
made an impression in the Cleveland area right after graduating from Orange
High School, producing and directing a benefit performance of “The Who’s
Tommy” for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, featuring Broadway performers
Nick Blaemire, Adrienne Warren and Jodie Langel.

While rehearsing for “The Who’s Tommy,” Sternfeld began to brainstorm with
Langel on future collaborations. She founded Making It on Broadway in 2005,
which has grown into a premier musical theatre training program in New
York. Given the bevy of talent in Cleveland, they decided to hold a
workshop over the summer. They hosted a one-week MT Intensive in July of
2015, and MIOB quickly sold out the program at 40 students, 15 of whom
resided out of state. Based on the overwhelming response, it became clear
that Making It On Broadway would be a welcome addition to Cleveland's
artistic landscape.

*THE SOUND OF MUSIC: Educational Programming*

CMT, in conjunction with Making It On Broadway, plans to offer a one-week
summer program, a one-week winter program, and various other options during
the year. Tony-winner *Patina Miller* will join the upcoming winter
training program as a master-class teacher. CMT's educational programming
is open to students of all ages, young and old alike, to provide them with
solid musical theatre training -- all taught by a staff with Broadway
credits. “We want to help people who are looking to make theater their
career,” says Patrick.

“I am so excited and thrilled to be the education director of Cleveland
Musical Theatre,” proclaims Langel. “We all have the same vision, to bring
the highest level of education and theater to Cleveland. Because there is
so much talent in Cleveland, we have the unique opportunity to combine
local talent with Broadway professionals.”

*APPLAUSE: Theatrical Programming*

In the summer of 2015, CMT made its first foray into producing with a
workshop-style production of the Elton John/Tim Rice rock-opera, “Aida.”
The cast of 24 included 12 local actors paired with 12 Broadway and
NY-based guest actors. The workshop was directed by Sternfeld, with Martin
Cespedes as choreographer and Patrick as musical director. It was presented
twice at Tri-C's Metro Campus to an invited audience of prospective donors
and interested parties. It featured a full 16-piece orchestra comprised of
Cleveland's renowned musicians.

“When the curtain came down, it was clear that ‘Aida’ was a smash hit. The
response was overwhelmingly positive, and not just from the audience. The
NY-based cast members had an exceptional experience and were really
overjoyed to be a part of such an exciting new initiative,” raves Sternfeld.

“Moving forward, it's our hope to go into full production of ‘Aida’ in the
Summer of 2016,” says Patrick. “This would be our first public production.
Beyond that, we would hope to expand to do multiple shows each summer.”

*COMPANY: Making Cuyahoga Community College a Home*

CMT needed to partner with a venue that would be able to house the quality
and size of productions that it hoped to mount. They approached Cuyahoga
Community College about their Eastern Campus performing arts center.
President of Tri-C's Eastern Campus, J. Michael Thomson, was enthusiastic
and agreed that a partnership could be beneficial to both CMT and Cuyahoga
Community College. The Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre is undergoing large
renovations, says Patrick, and CMT “is honored to be the first theater
company to utilize this gorgeous facility after its renovation. We are
happy to call Tri-C East our home base, and we look forward to a developing
partnership with such an amazing institution.”

*DREAM: The Inaugural Gala*

On January 11, 2016, CMT hosts its first fundraiser with dinner, drinks, a
feature performance by *Alice Ripley* and several other Cleveland-native
Broadway artists, and an auction. Individual tickets start at $95 and table
sponsorships are available for $6,000. This evening will be held at Tri-C
East in the Simon and Rose Mandel Theatre. “ It will be truly a beautiful
night of song, food, and great company,” proclaims Sternfeld.

*Full details are available at  www.clevelandmusicaltheatre.com
<http://www.clevelandmusicaltheatre.com>.*

*CMT Leadership*

Founding Artistic Director - Miles J. Sternfeld, Managing Director - Sean
Patrick, Director of Education – Jodie Langel. Board of Directors: Miles
Sternfeld, President; Sean Patrick, Vice President; Jeffrey Grover; Peter
Dougherty; Kyle Stefanski; Kelly Hoy; Cassandra Goldbach; Robert Sternfeld.
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