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WHEREAS, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, known as CLO, is a nonprofit professional theater company dedicated to the preservation, creation and promotion of live musical theater. Its storied history includes its inception in 1946 at Pitt Stadium, its outdoor performances, the construction of the Civic Area specifically to house the CLO, the Main Stage Season, A Musical Christmas Carol and the CLO Cabaret as well as its incredible productions and celebrated stars and alumni; and,
WHEREAS, much of the CLO success lies with its Executive Producer and this year, Van Kaplan celebrates his 20th Anniversary with the Pittsburgh CLO; and,
WHEREAS, Van Kaplan oversees the organization’s year round producing and programming efforts. In addition, he has produced or co-produced Broadway productions, 10 national touring productions and has directorial achievements such as the Jimmy Awards and original shows in Las Vegas. Van Kaplan has consulted for the National Endowment for the Arts, is an adjunct professor for Carnegie Mellon’s Masters of Arts Management Program, is on the Board of the Broadway League, is Past President of the National Alliance for Musical Theater and has been a Tony Awards voter for more than 20 years; and,
WHEREAS, under Van Kaplan’s leadership over the last 20 years, the Pittsburgh CLO has grown to include the opening of the Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret, a unique venue that hosts extended runs of small-scale musicals and plays, allowing Pittsburgh CLO to produce year round entertainment. He brought Pittsburgh into the national spotlight in 2006 while hosting Hollywood’s Jeff Goldblum in CLO’s production of The Music Man which became the centerpiece of the documentary, Pittsburgh, and similarly let the CLO into a new era as a lead producer of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS; and,
WHEREAS, Van Kaplan produced the Gene Kelly Awards for Excellence in High School Musical Theater for 12 years and then later commissioned and produced the National High School Musical Theater Awards in 2009. Today, over 30 national programs are modeled after Pittsburgh CLO’s own Gene Kelly Awards; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby recognize and commend Van Kaplan for his vision, skill and artistry in musical theater and congratulates Van Kaplan for 20 years as Executive Producer of the Pittsburgh CLO; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Tuesday, July 11, 2017, to be “VAN KAPLAN DAY” in the City of Pittsburgh.