IMAGE COURTESY PITTSBURGH CLO

How do you warm up for a season of musical theater?

If you’re the Pittsburgh CLO: With even more musical theater, of course. And why not make it a world premiere?

The storied organization has for 79 years staged musicals in Pittsburgh, introducing local audiences to iconic Broadway hits and lesser-known gems. Next month, they’ll launch their summer season; before that, however, they’ll roll out the world premiere of “Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical,” set to run from May 29-June 8 at the Byham Theater.

The show “at its heart [is] about this woman who really defied the odds, defied what was expected of women in her time,” says CLO Executive Producer Mark Fleischer. “Madame Clicquot” tells the life story of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, who grew up amid the French Revolution and ended up in an arranged marriage — that led to the establishment of the Clicquot champagne brand, still a force today.

It’s a “sweeping, epic love story,” Fleischer says, that “centers on this amazing woman.” He says that “Madame Clicquot” creators Lisette Glodwski and Richard C. Walter grabbed his attention with a show that melds contemporary sounds with classical Broadway style.

“You can hear influences on these writers from the Disney world and the Broadway world — it has a very contemporary sound. But it roots itself in the period it’s in; there’s an underdog fighting for what they want, a love story, the world against them — all the things we root for.”

After “Madame Clicquot” takes her bow at the Byham, the CLO will swiftly turn its attention to the Benedum Center, where this season’s three-show series will take the stage beginning June 17. The theme, “From the Silver Screen to the Stage,” encompasses a trio of musicals with big-screen bona fides; “Camelot,” which was adapted into a legendary film; “Back to the Future,” the hit musical adaptation of the ’80s favorite; and “Frozen,” the Disney juggernaut that began life on the screen before making the leap to the stage.

“Back to the Future,” which was lauded for its impressive effects and scenic design as well as its original music, will bring spectacle to the season, Fleischer says. “There is a [DeLorean on stage], there are effects, there is the magic. You can expect a Broadway-feeling show.”

“Frozen,” meanwhile, will likely draw not only younger audiences but young adults who grew up with the film; believe it or not, the Disney flick is now 12 years old.

“No one knows how to tell a story like Disney,” Fleischer says, “and Disney transcends generations.”

Individual tickets for “Madame Clicquot” and the summer season, as well as season tickets (which do not include “Madame Clicquot”), are available now.