Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera
Not to be confused with Pittsburgh Opera. Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera ( Pittsburgh CLO ) is a nonprofit professional theater company based in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Despite its name, the organization presents musical theatre classics rather than opera. Its productions draw more than 200,000 patrons each year and its annual budget is nearly $10 million. Established on 20 February 1946, it premiered at Pitt Stadium on 3 June 1946, where it offered outdoor performances until 1958. In 1961, the Civic Arena, was built to house the CLO. The arena, former home of the Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL, 1961-67) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL, 1967-2010) hockey franchises, is covered by the world's first retractable roof, designed so that audiences might enjoy theater under the stars.In 1973 the company moved to the newly renovated former Penn Theatre that was now called Heinz Hall. The company moved to the Benedum Center in 1988. CLO opened its n...