Point Park University celebrates dance professor Ron Tassone’s life and career with a memorial service at — where else? — the Pittsburgh Playhouse, where so much of his work ended up on stage.
click to enlarge Photo courtesy of Point Park University
Ron Tassone
Tassone, who
died in February at age 76, was a Fayette County native who started teaching at the school in 1974. According to a press release, “He established the jazz major within the Point Park dance program and assumed the role of director of dance for 10 years. He choreographed more than 25 jazz dance works at Point Park University's Pittsburgh Playhouse.”
His accomplishments were not limited to Point Park: “He also choreographed and/or directed many musicals at theaters such as the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Kenley Players, Phoenix Star Theatre, Music Fairs, Inc., and West Virginia Public Theatre. He was the co-choreographer of the American College Theatre Festival's award-winning
Grand Hotel, performed at the Kennedy Center in April 2002.”
Tassone also performed on Broadway, in shows including
Gypsy,
Funny Girl and
George M, and appeared on television and in films.
Here’s
more on his career, and the dancers he influenced, from Point Park’s student paper,
The Globe.
The commemoration service will be held at 3 p.m. this Sun., May 31, in the Playhouse’s Rockwell Theatre. The Playhouse is located at 222 Craft Ave., in Oakland.
A reception follows the service. Guests are asked to RSVP at 412-392-6102.