listing/roster of Charleroi, Pennsylvania High School Graduates/Alumni


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    THE 50's
      Geraldine Marr, '56
      Kaye Eisenhower, '52
      Joseph Kormuth, '57
      Neil Lucas, '51
      Joseph Miller, '56
      David W. Jones, Sr., '57
      John (Jack) Stech, '51
      Bill & Joann Hagerty, '51
      Jack Fegela, '58
      Art Strelick, '59
      Roger Hough, '56
      Jack Young, '52

Valley native finds fame off- Broadway... By Jeff Pikulsky, The Valley Independent, April 9, 2005
Behind many theater and drama productions are scores of people absent from the stage during that final bow.

Charleroi native Joseph Miller may be one of those "behind the scenes" people, but the mark he has left on the entertainment industry as a costume designer has certainly not gone unnoticed.

Miller, 65, grew up in Charleroi, "The Magic City."

The magic he found there as a boy appeared on screen in the four movie theaters the borough used to have half a century ago.

The movies became Miller's source of escape and entertainment, and a place that helped him develop his creative nature.

That and many trips with his father as a toddler to see the circus in Pittsburgh inspired Miller to help craft the captivating look of such productions.

After graduating from Charleroi Area High School in 1956, he headed to Carnegie Tech - now known as Carnegie Mellon - to study costume design and theater production.

After graduating, Miller was forced to choose between coasts in finding a job market.

"The only two choices I had were New York or California," he said. "I chose New York mainly for the sake of Broadway theater."

Understanding that he was entering an unpredictable career, he decided to become a freelance costume designer to keep his options open.

In what he calls a fluke, Miller ended up in league with one of his idols, Oscar-winning costume designer Irene Sharaff.

"I happened to be at the costume company that made the clothes for Ms. Sheriff. She was so impressed with the work I did for her that she gave me an assistant credit," Miller said.

From there, Miller's name became recognized.

"When you are chosen by someone of that magnitude, you are suddenly pulled up out of the masses, so to speak. She was by far regarded as the unequivocal top in her field. By association, you get recognition," he said. "It was that first credit that gave me a certain prominence and brought my name into the fore."

Miller went on to work as Sharaff's assistant in 30-plus shows, honing his skills under her guidance for more than a decade.

All the while, Miller was afforded creative freedom and was able to have more of a leading role in designing for off-Broadway productions.

Miller said he was fortunate to be thrust into an experienced talent pool throughout his career.

"I worked with some of the greatest people of that period in the theater," he said.

But, for even the best, there are hard times, especially in the demanding Broadway circuit, Miller attested.

"I turned down an opportunity to do another off-Broadway show in order to stay on her team," he said of Sharaff. "The show off Broadway was a flop and the last show I did with her didn't work out."

The show was called "Mata Hari."

"It was the largest flop in Broadway history," Miller said. "It was closed in Washington D.C. It never came to New York."

Miller decided to roll with the punches.

"Strangely enough, you get thick-skinned after working so long in the theater. I was used to - and accustomed to - flops," he said. "To be directly involved with a flop is still painful. But, I have to say I didn't end on a bad note."

The two co-workers and friends parted ways professionally.

The "break-up" served as a transition to greater things for Miller.

Sharaff headed off to work in the movie industry and Miller went to work on a show called "Company," which became a monumental production in Miller's career and in the world of theater.

"It was considered the 'Oklahoma' of its time. It had that much of an impact in the theater," Miller said. "Personally, it was the first time I think I felt like I'd been involved with a success. I was lucky enough to continue through with that production."

After a few more years, Miller switched gears again, this time with finances in mind.

"I did decide I needed some financial security, so I went in to daytime television," he said.

In the early 1970s, Miller joined the thriving world of soap operas, and his established theater resume yielded work opportunities on a few of the market's top shows.

He designed costumes for the show "One Life to Live," and eventually received a day-time television Emmy nomination for his work.

A few years later, he worked on the set of "As the World Turns."

But the need for creativity was lacking in that work, so Miller sought a new angle.

With help from a mutual friend, he began doing architectural presentation renderings and research for Peter Marino Architects in New York.

He maintained that job for 13 years and then decided it was time to relocate.

Miller moved to Orlando, Fla. in 1997, in search of warmer climates.

There, he found work designing for Walt Disney World.

"Disney was never an ambition, but it was an enticement. It was always a temptation to give it a whirl," he said.

Miller found a college friend in Florida and worked for his small-scale theater company for a short while.

Looking back on his career, Miller called his life's work a "roller coaster ride," and said he views the opportunities he has had to work with some of his idols as irreplaceable experiences.

He said success stories spawned in the Mon Valley were a driving force in his career decisions.

"The fact that there had been other people from the Valley in the past that made successful careers, like Shirley Jones, it proved to me that it could be done," he said.

Miller said life in the Valley taught him important values.

"I wasn't the son of a coal miner exactly but I knew what hard work meant," he said. "It certainly gave me determination and perseverance and the toughness to face some of the perils of the business."

The artist remains confident that his creative well is far from drying up.

"I'm somewhat semi-retired, but I don't feel like I've run out of ideas," he said. "I'm becoming more of a frustrated artist. I feel myself getting old, but I don't feel myself getting rusty. It's the market that's dictating it. There's a lot of supply but not too much demand.

"I still have my paints and brushes and pencils, so I'm ready to go if someone says let's go."

Jeff Pikulsky can be reached at jpikulsky@tribweb.com