3 ways the Pittsburgh CLO is making it easier for families to come downtown for a show

Pittsburgh CLO photo by credit KG Tunney Photography.

The Pittsburgh CLO is going above and beyond to make it easier for families to come to their musicals in downtown Pittsburgh this summer. This week, they announced three major initiatives to remove barriers that might prevent people, especially those with kids, from coming to their shows.

First, they have Molly’s Trolleys picking up people from four suburban locations to take them directly to the show and back for $10 a person, so people don’t have to deal with driving and parking in downtown Pittsburgh.

The second initiative is free childcare at the theater, where kids three and older will spend time learning from CLO teachers. They’re calling the program Show Care.

CLO Executive Producer Mark Fleisher says Show Care offers benefits beyond just saving money on child care.

“If you’re bringing your kids downtown and they’re not going to see the show with you, we still want it to be a shared experience that the family can talk about on the ride home,” Fleisher says.

“So, for example, the parents may be seeing ‘The Music Man.’ But in the Show Care room, the kids may be learning a song from ‘The Music Man’ or a dance step from the (show) or doing a craft that ties in. So when they both meet up after the show and they’re driving home, they have something in common to talk about.”

The third initiative is what they call the Family Pass, where an adult can purchase a ticket and get up to four child tickets for $10 each. The children will be seated next to the adult, no matter where the seats are in the theater.

Some of the shows this summer include ‘West Side Story,’ ‘The Music Man’ and ‘Seussical,’ which will be performed at various theaters throughout the Cultural District.

Click here for more on all of these new programs to encourage families to enjoy CLO musicals this summer.