Bowman Guest Artist Series

Philip Adelman has been a talent agent since 1979, co-managing the New York Office of The Gage Group since 1980, where he has represented Oscar, Tony and Emmy winners. He played a part in discovering and helping develop the early careers of Halle Berry, Woody Harrelson, Bill Pullman, Liev Schreiber, Bebe Neuwirth, Adam Sandler, among many others. Current clients include Sutton Foster, Gary Beach, Shirley Knight, Debra Monk, Walter Bobbie and Tovah Feldshuh. In prior varied lives as a director/composer/lyricist/writer, Mr. Adelman directed theater (including Raffi: A Family Concert on Broadway, on national tour, and for The Disney Channel), composed scores for theater and television, wrote, composed and directed extensively in cabaret, was a member of the Lehman Engel BMI workshop, developed and wrote for sitcoms, participated in the Warner Bros.Television Writer's Workshop, and served as writer/head writer for many network game shows, including The $25,000 Pyramid (for which he is most fondly remembered for having written "things that are purple."). Mr. Adelman served as president of The National Association Of Talent Agents from 1994-2005.

John Augustine's plays have been produced in New York City at The Zipper, HERE, Naked Angels, All Season's Theatre Group, Expanded Arts, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Miranda Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and 59E59 Theaters.

His anthology of 20 short plays, Augustine’s Confessions, is published by Playscripts.com He is also published in the short play anthologies Take Ten and The Best American Short Plays of 1993-94. His play PeopleSpeak is published in Shorter, Faster, Funnier. The New York Times wrote of this play, “PeopleSpeak” (is) a witty and acerbic play that is the best of the Summer Shorts festival.” He and playwright, Willy Conley were commissioned by the National Theatre of the Deaf, to write OH! FIGARO! which toured the United States. For television, Mr. Augustine wrote for the Fox TV show Titus and for Encore! Encore! with Nathan Lane and Joan Plowright. He has taught playwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, New York University, The 42nd Street Collective, and Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. He is a Revson Fellow in Playwriting, and a member of The Writers Guild of America, The Dramatists Guild, SAG and AEA.

Some acting credits include the Young Playwrights Festival at Playwrights Horizons, Mac Wellman’s satire on government censorship, “SEVEN BLOWJOBS” at Soho Rep, Heather McKutcheon’s WALK ON LAKE ERIE at HOME; and the original productions of Christopher Durang’s NAOMI IN THE LIVING ROOM at Home for Contemporary Theatre, and Bill Russell’s ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS & RAGING QUEENS. He is half of “Dawne” in the satiric nightclub act CHRIS DURANG AND DAWNE, which has played at the Criterion Center, Caroline’s Comedy Club, Williamstown Summer Cabaret, and the Triad, winning a 1996 Bistro Award.
He is also a classical pianist www.JohnAugustine.net

"John Augustine's characters cling to language like alcoholics to a martini glass. Insecure, endless verbalizing and very funny, they hope to assuage ambivalence with words; their dialogue tends less to the absurd than to a brittle epigrammatic gleam."

--The Village Voice

Michael Balderrama  currently Resident Choreographer for the ground breaking musical Hamilton, Balderrama is an American Director/Choreographer, Dancer and Producer, who has taught and choreographed for more than twenty years, in over thirty states, and around the world. Michael’s notable Broadway credits include Ghost, In the Heights, Hot Feet, Movin’ Out, Urban Cowboy, and Saturday Night Fever. Michael can also be see on film in Rock of Ages, Across the Universe, and Michael Jackson’s Ghost. Michael has had the privilege of choreographing for and/or performing with Gloria Estefan, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, Sutton Foster, Vanessa Williams, Brian Adams, Mariah Carey, and Jay Sean.  Additionally, Michael served as the Resident Director/Choreographer of the 2nd national tour of In the Heights, Associate Director and Movement Consultant for Zorro, and Associate Choreographer and Creative Consultant over the 2013 Broadway musical, Soul Doctor. Michael’s areas of teaching interest and masterclasses include: musical theatre, jazz, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, latin/ salsa, adagio/ partnering, stage combat, and musical staging.  Michael has participated in developmental and workshop productions of several musicals over the years, and is currently producing the upcoming new musicals Whiskeyland and Boy vs. Girls through his companies, Silver Towers Productions, LLC and Last Call Theatricals, LLC. silvertowersproductions.com.

JONATHAN BERNSTEIN’s plays and musicals have been produced all over the country, and he is currently at work developing a dance play entitled The Shape She Makes (with actor/choreographer Susan Misner) for the A.R.T. in Cambridge.

Directing credits include work at the Atlantic Theater Company, Naked Angels, Williamstown Theater Festival, New York Stage & Film, Signature Theater, Joe’s Pub, Ensemble Studio Theater and many others. He has worked in various capacities at New York’s City Center, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage Theater, Roundabout Theatre, Public Theater, and 52nd Street Project, where he writes, directs and teaches.

He recently participated in NYC’s 24 Hour Musicals Benefit, writing an original musical with composer Jeanine Tesori between the hours of 11:00pm and 5:45am. This was his second time writing a musical for the charity; the first time he was paired with composer David Yazbek.

Additionally, Broadway/London supervising director credits include Private Lives starring Alan Rickman and Lindsay Duncan, The Iceman Cometh starring Kevin Spacey and Paul Giamatti; Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? starring Dame Diana Rigg and David Suchet; and the musical Chicago, in charge of overseeing both the (still running) 1996 Broadway revival, and the many national/international companies it has spawned.

He is the Artistic Director of The Performing Arts Project (an international arts training program for ages 16-24), serves on the faculty at the Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute, and is a professor of Playwriting and Script Analysis in the MFA Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU.

Plus, he is a great admirer of the ceaselessly enjoyable San Marcos Breakfast Taco.

Steve is from Maryland and attended the University of Maryland. After college, he spent a couple of years performing in local dinner theatre before a friend, Wayne Duvall, told him they were searching for a Hans Christian Andersen in New York. In 1981 after booking the gig, Steve began the typical actor’s journey. Regional theatre stops in Boston at the Charles Playhouse, Baltimore’s Center stage, and the Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC. During a run of The Robber Bridegroom at the West End in Virginia, once again Wayne Duvall called to let him know of an audition for a revival of The Three Musketeers on Broadway. After driving all night and waiting on an open call, Steve had five call-backs in six months, finally getting an understudy to Brent Spiner’s "Arimus." The show closed after one week. Back to the road.

More stops followed in DC’s Ford’s Theatre in Hot Mikado, a Jesus Christ Superstar at Candlewood, and in 1987, a national tour of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Mickey Rooney understudying "Miles Gloriosus." As luck would have it, Steve went on during the opening night performance in Los Angeles. His reviews garnered an agent or two and he began to focus on the small and large screen. In 1989, Steve signed on to Ken Hill’s original Phantom of the Opera for almost three years. In 1992, while performing Chess at the Paper Mill Playhouse, he was chosen as "Lancelot" opposite Robert Goulet’s "Arthur" in the national tour of Camelot. After two years of Camelot, Steve was once again making stops in St. Louis’s Rep’s Esmeralda, Westbury’s Annie Get Your Gun with Andrea McArdle, and Atlanta’s South Pacific with Mr. Goulet. In 1995, Steve performed the role of "Fred" and the "Headless Ghost" in Alan Menken’s A Christmas Carol at the Madison Square Garden.

Originally, Steve was seen for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 1993 while on tour with Camelot. Finally, in late 1995, he was asked to standby for both "the Beast" and "Gaston." In 1997, he took over "the Beast" in the Toronto company and was then asked to come back to Broadway to become "Gaston." And in 1999, Steve was chosen to play "the Beast" yet again at the Lunt-Fontanne in the re-opening of the production. On July 29, 2007, Steve completed an 8 year run as "the Beast" in Beauty and the Beast when the long-running show played its final Broadway performance. He has the distinction of being the actor with the longest run on Broadway in the role of the Beast.

Steve has had numerous opportunities to originate roles in new works. He originated the title role in the new Off-Broadway musical, Johnny Guitar, which played at the Century Center Theatre in the spring of 2004. He can be heard on the original cast recording of the production. Later that year, Steve starred as Doc Holliday in the original recording of the new musical, Sundown, based on the Legend of Doc Holliday. Sundown was named one of the top 10 best theatrical albums of 2004 by Jonathan Frank of Talkin' Broadway. In May of 2006, Steve starred in the role of Maximus in a workshop of Gladiator, a new musical based on the Dreamworks/Universal film. In autumn of 2007, Steve originated the role of The Creature in the Off-Broadway musical, Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley's book by the same name. The world premiere was held at the 37 Arts Theatre. He can also be heard on the cast recording of that production. From one icon to another, Steve was tapped to originate the role of Charles Ingalls (Pa) opposite Melissa Gilbert as Caroline Ingalls (Ma) in The Little House on the Prairie, which premiered at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. He continued in the role during the 10 month national tour in 2009-2010.

On television he has been seen in Ed, Third Watch, Law and Order, Sunset Beat, Police Story, Another World, One Life to Live, Guiding Light, and Rapmaster Ronnie for HBO.  

Mr. Blankenbuehler is a proud recipient of the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors for his work on the musical Hamilton. He is a three-time Tony Award winner for his choreography in the Broadway productions of Bandstand, In The Heights, and Hamilton for which he also received London’s Olivier Award. The recent production of Bandstand (director/choreographer) also received the Drama Desk and Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography. Other Broadway credits include Bring It On (Tony nomination), 9 To 5 (Tony nomination), The People In The Picture, The Apple Tree, Annie, and the revival of CATS. Other theatrical work includes Desperately Seeking Susan (West End), the world premiere of the new musical FLY (La Jolla Playhouse), The Wiz (City Center Encores), A Little Princess (Andrew Lippa), and the international tour of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Upcoming projects include the new musical Only Gold with British singer/songwriter Kate Nash.

Mr. Blankenbuehler served as choreographer for the Universal/Working Title feature film of Cats, starring Taylor Swift and Judy Dench among others. On television, Mr. Blankenbuehler co-produced and choreographed the Emmy winning limited series Fosse/Verdon (FX), starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. Other work includes the Lionsgate/ABC remake of Dirty Dancing, America’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance, the Sopranos, MTV, Sesame Street featuring Janelle Monae, as well as many commercials. He has staged concert work for both Elton John and Bette Midler, and he conceived, directed and choreographed the hit Caesars Palace production Nights On Broadway.

Mr. Blankenbuehler is very proud to have recently premiered his first ballet entitled Remember Our Song, for the Tulsa Ballet company. As a performer, Mr. Blankenbuehler has danced on Broadway in Fosse, Contact, Man of La Mancha, Saturday Night Fever, Steel Pier, Big, and Guys and Dolls. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Blankenbuehler resides in New York City, with his wife Elly and two children, Luca and Sofia. Mr. Blankenbuehler is a recipient of a special 2015 Drama Desk Award for his achievement in the theatre.

For more than two decades Jonatha Brooke has created shining musical gems - brilliant combinations of poetic lyrics, complex harmonies and memorable melodies - that have earned her legions of devoted fans and journalistic raves as a highly respected artist. 

With ten solo releases (and two from her duo The Story) to her credit, her most recent endeavor was writing and performing the one-woman musical My Mother Has 4 Noses. The critically acclaimed project - which ran in NYC at The Duke on 42nd Street - documents the poignant journey of caring for her mother, who was in the advanced stages of Altzheimer's-induced dementia, during the last two years of her life.

Another notable project was 2008's The Works, a collection of songs written after being invited into Woody Guthrie's archives by his daughter. Jonatha combed through previously unseen lyrics of Woody's, edited, pared, and set them to her own new music, creating a stunning collection of songs.

Currently Jonatha, who lives in Minneapolis, is touring her recently released CD Midnight. Hallelujah., working on three new musicals, and plans on performing more dates of 4 Noses in various cities.

Camille A. Brown is a 2020 Obie Award winner for Sustained Excellence in Choreography. She is a prolific Black female choreographer, who is reclaiming the cultural narratives of African American identity. Her bold work taps into both ancestral stories and contemporary culture to capture a range of deeply personal experiences.

She is a Tony Award nominee, Drama Desk nominee, Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellow, Audelco Award recipient, five-time Princess Grace Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award recipient, New York City Center Award recipient, USA Jay Franke & David Herro Fellow, TED Fellow, and Doris Duke Artist Award recipient.

Her Bessie award-winning company, Camille A. Brown & Dancers (CABD), tours nationally and internationally. CABD is now featured on Google Arts & Culture.

As Artistic Director of CABD, Ms. Brown strives to instill curiosity and reflection in diverse audiences through her emotionally raw and thought-provoking work. Her driving passion is to empower Black bodies to tell their story using their own language through movement and dialogue. Through the company's initiative Every Body Move, Ms. Brown provides outreach activities to students, young adults, and men and women across the country.

Broadway and Off-Broadway theater & television credits include: Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Tony Award-Winning Broadway revival, Once On This Island (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Chita Rivera Nominations), Toni Stone (Drama Desk, Audelco, Lortel nominee), Emmy Award-Winning "Jesus Christ Superstar Live on NBC", Broadway’s A Streetcar Named Desire, The Fortress of Solitude (Lortel Nomination), BELLA: An American Tall Tale (Lortel, Audelco winner), Much Ado About Nothing (Audelco winner, SDCF finalist) for Shakespeare in the Park, among others.

Ms. Brown’s TED-Ed talk, “A Visual History of Social Dance in 25 Moves” was chosen as one of the most notable talks of 2016 by TED Curator, Chris Anderson.

Ms. Brown is the choreographer of The Metropolitan Opera’s Porgy & Bess which aired on PBS in July. She will make her feature film debut in the soon-to-be-released Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom- directed by George C. Wolfe (Netflix). Brown will make her directorial debut with Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Westport Country Playhouse in July 2021.

Michael Callahan is a Performer/Choreographer based out of New York City. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Michael studied at The Youth Performing Arts School, Broadway Theatre Project, and Interlochen Arts Academy. He went on to earn his B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Elon University. Michael debuted on Broadway with Cinderella the Musical (Raccoon/Ensemble/u/s Jean Michel) and went on to join the national tour. Regionally, he has worked with Musical Theatre Louisville, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, Goodspeed Opera House, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, TUTS, Hangar Theatre and Derby Dinner Playhouse. Michael choreographed the Off-Broadway production of Fiorello earning rave reviews from the New York Times. Currently, you can find him on the First National Tour of Aladdin the Musical as the Dance Captain/Fight Captain/Swing/u/s Iago/u/s Aladdin. www.michaelcallahan.me

Joel is a partner at Carlton, Goddard and Freer Talent (CGF) after having previously worked as an agent at both DGRW and Nicolosi & Co. Currently he has clients working on Broadway (MEAN GIRLS, FROZEN, THE BANDS VISIT, CAROUSEL, MY FAIR LADY, SPONGEBOB…, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE, SUMMER, HAMILTON, WAITRESS, , SCHOOL OF ROCK, KINKY BOOTS, ALADDIN, BEAUTIFUL, WICKED, THE BOOK OF MORMON, THE LION KING , ANASTASIA THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, COME FROM AWAY, HELLO DOLLY and the upcoming GETTIN’ THE BAND BACK TOGETHER, MOULIN ROUGE, JAGGED LITTLE PILL, AIN’T TOO PROUD and THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL) in National Tours (HAMILTON, WAITRESS, THE COLOR PURPLE, LOVE NEVER DIES, THE KING AND I, WICKED, BEAUTIFUL, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE BOOK OF MORMON, ALADDIN) and on television (LA to Vegas, The Blacklist, Blindspot, Younger, Billions, Deadbeat, The Path, The O/A, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Difficult People, The Detour, Gotham, Chicago Med, Shades of Blue, Broad City, High Maintenance, The Americans, Power, Madam Secretary, The Strain, House of Cards, VEEP, The Good Fight, Elementary, Girls, Orange Is The New Black, Mozart in the Jungle, Quantico, Blue Bloods, L&O: SVU, Homeland and Master of None). He has had clients work at most every major regional and Off-Broadway theater including The Guthrie, Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Goodman Theatre, Hartford Stage, Roundabout Theatre Co, Lincoln Center Theatre, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Primary Stages, Signature Theater, Classic Stage Company and Goodspeed Musicals. A former actor, Joel started his industry business career as a casting director followed by a position as a Business Representative at AEA. He holds a BFA from the Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Art.

Whether on stage, back stage, as part of the creative staff or as an instructor and lecturer, Caitlin Carter is known for her committment to excellence and her dedication to the final product - a memorable performance.
In San Francisco at the age of eight, she began her training in acting, voice and dance. Following her love of ballet, she trained at the San Francisco Ballet, The School of American Ballet and, in her high school years, at the North Carolina School of the Arts. It was at SAB, at the age of fourteen, where Caitlin had a chance meeting with Bob Fosse. When she introduced herself, he replied "Caitlin Carter...that name would look good in lights." The seed had been planted.

After performing with San Antonio Ballet, she moved to Houston, Texas where, while simultaneously acquiring double-major degrees at prestigious Rice University, Caitlin was active in film, print, commercials, television and theatre. These theatrical endeavors allowed her to work with ascending directors, Rob Marshall and Susan Stroman. Upon the suggestion of Mr. Marshall, Caitlin boarded a plane and set off for a Long Beach production of CHICAGO, choreographed by Ann Reinking. Time and again, these, and other, pillars of the industry encouraged Caitlin to bring her talents to New York City.

Once in New York, Caitlin quickly established a career, exceptional for its continuous performing and longevity. Her first of five Broadway shows, Ain't Broadway Grand, came only two months after her move. The following productions - Victor/Victoria, CHICAGO, Swing!, Bells Are Ringing - range almost 10 years. Other endeavors in commercials, television and film occured throughout.

Well-known for her keen intellect and uncomprimising work ethic, Caitlin has extended her talents into choreography, directing, stage managing and producing. Her voluntary activities as board member of the non-profit organization, Career Transition for Dancers provides a rewarding service to her peers. However, Caitlin's lectures and Master Classes provide a special satisfaction - encouraging young performers and, hopefully, planting seeds for the future.

Caitlin continues her work in all areas of the entertainment business as a performer, director, choreographer, instructor and consultant.

ADAM CATES has worked across the globe as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher on Broadway, national tours, television, opera, cruise ships, casinos, and regional theatre.  Adam is the associate choreographer for the new Broadway musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, at the Walter Kerr Theater.  Credits include Anything Goes (Broadway; assistant to Tony winner Kathleen Marshall), Tommy Tune’s Doctor Dolittle (National Tour; Asst. Choreographer/Dance Captain), 90210 (CW Network; Assoc. Choreographer), Live from Lincoln Center (PBS; Assoc. Choreographer/Dance Captain), The Wizard of Oz(National Tour; Assoc. Choreographer), Babes In Toyland (Lincoln Center; Assoc. Choreographer/Dance Captain), The Brain From Planet X (New York Musical Festival; Choreographer), The Music Man 50th Anniversary (Assoc. Choreographer/Dance Captain), The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (Santa Fe Opera; Assoc. Choreographer/Dance Captain), and productions for Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Seattle Opera, Stephen Sondheim Center, Gulfshore Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Arizona Opera, Nevada Repertory Company, Holland America Cruise Line and casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Reno. He has worked with such stars as Sutton Foster, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joel Grey, Patti LuPone, Shirley Jones, Susan Graham, Shenae Grimes, Richard Kind, Matthew Broderick, and more.  Adam tours the country as a faculty member and director for Dancers Inc. national conventions and is on the faculty of Rosie O’Donnell’s Maravel Arts Center in New York City. He has been a guest/master teacher for Broadway Dance Center, Synthesis Dance Project, Metro Movement (Toronto), Dance Masters of America, The Rock School Jazz Intensive, and universities, intensives, and dance studios across the US and Canada. Visit www.adamcates.com for more.

Dave Clemmons is currently the Director of Education and the Dean of the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre and TUTS. As a Casting Director, Clemmons Broadway credits include: Ring of Fire, In My Life, The Boy From Oz, Dracula, The Civil War  and Cinderella; Off-Broadway includes Bare, Bat Boy, Altar Boyz, and the 2000 revival of Godspell, National Tours include: Cinderella, Evita, Millie, Cats, Fosse, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof and Movin' Out. As a performer, credits include Broadway: Les Miserables (Valjean), The Civil War, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Jekyll and Hyde.

Broadway: An American In Paris, A Free Man of Color, La Cage Aux Folles, Caroline or Change, The Dinner Party, Company (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations), Smile. Off-Broadway: The Old Friends and The Most Deserving (2014 Special Drama Desk Award for Excellence), Paradise Park and Spain (Obie Award for Sustained Excellence), Last Easter (Drama Desk nom), Damn Yankees, Blind, The Altruists, The Waiting Room, The Batting Cage, Freedomland, House and Garden, Labor Day, Paradise Park,Flora the Red Menace. Regional: McCarter. 'Murder on the Orient Express'. Shakespeare Theatre Company: 'Twelfth Night', 'The Way of the World', 'The Beaux Stratagem' (Helen Hayes Nom), 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'. Two River; 'Present Laughter'. The Guthrie; 'Private Lives'. Bay Street; 'Betty's Summer Vacation'. Berkshire Theatre Festival; 'Prisoner of Second Avenue'. La Jolla; 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. Film/ TV: Erin Brockovich, You've Got Mail, Marci X, Big Eden, Beethoven's 4th. Incorporated, Odd Mom Out, Smash, Pan Am, Louie, Two Broke Girls, Royal Pains, Joan of Arcadia, Law and Order's, Seinfeld, Cinderella.

Dylis Croman started her professional career in New York City dancing with The Feld Ballets/NY at the age of seventeen. She has been working professionally in the business for 23 years. Croman’s credits include Chicago, A Chorus Line, Sweet Charity, Oklahoma, Thou Shalt Not, Fosse, Movin' Out, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. On television, she appeared as Andrew Daniels on "Guiding Light", "Smash" on NBC, Fosse (trumpet solo, filmed for PBS “Great Performances”), as well as many national commercials. She was introduced to the Fosse style at an early age by her mentor, Ann Reinking. Croman was deeply inspired by her teaching of this unique, stylized form of dance that powerfully resonates to this day. She now stars in her dream role of Roxie Hart on the national tour and Broadway productions of Chicago the musical. Dylis is proud and honored to pass down the legacy and brilliance of Mr. Fosse's work to the next generation of young dancers. 

Born into a family of dancers, Christopher has had many careers: dancer, director, choreographer, playwright, teacher and educator. His work explores the integration of text, dance, music and drama and seeks to reinforce a positive perspective of humanity.

As a Principal dancer with New York City Ballet, Christopher worked closely with both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, originating works as well as performing major repertoire. On Broadway he co-stared with Bernadette Peters in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance, for which he earned a Tony nomination.

As a Choreographer, Christopher works both in theater and ballet. He has created over 80 works seen worldwide in cities including London, Prague, Paris, Copenhagen, New York, Lisbon, and Istanbul. His ballets have been presented in over 30 companies including the New York City Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Pennsylvania Ballet, National Ballet of Amsterdam, and the San Francisco Ballet.   His latest work, Tribute, premiered with NYCB at Lincoln Center in 2007.

As a Director and Choreographer for theater, Christopher’s vision is cinematic in style integrating music and dance with text, and visual storytelling. Mr. d’Amboise has also adapted and written original works for the stage. His new adaptation of Can-Can, the classic Cole Porter musical, is currently under option. The Studio is an original “play-with-dance” written, directed and choreographed by Mr. d’Amboise premiering in 2006 at South Coast Repertory, and having for its east coast premiere at the Signature Theatre in Washington D.C., in November of 2007. The Studio was also selected as a featured play at the Pacific Playwrights Festival in 2006. Voice of the City, an original musical about Vaudeville written, directed and choreographed by Mr. d’Amboise had its New York workshop at Musical Theatre Works.

His other theatrical credits as a choreographer include You Never Know, a world premiere new musical by Charles Strouse at Trinity Rep.; the pre-Broadway production of High Society at ACT in San Francisco; and Romeo & Juliet: The Musical at the Ordway Theatre and the Goodspeed Opera House. Christopher directed and choreographed Up The Avenue, an original comic act starring Bill Irwin and Charlotte d’Amboise at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Mr. d’Amboise has also collaborated with singer/songwriter Cat Stevens on The Road To Find Out, a new musical about the life and music of the artist. Christopher is Hang Onto Me - an original musical about Fred and Adele Astaire.

As artistic director and president/CEO of The Pennsylvania Ballet Christopher pulled the company out of bankruptcy with the unprecedented “Save the Ballet Campaign” raising 2.5 million from 10,000 Philadelphia residents in two weeks. He lead the company through 4 successful seasons, supervising production of 72 performances annually at the Academy of Music and the Shubert theater.

As an educator Christopher has initiated outreach programs, community development initiatives and taught master classes and workshops at schools and universities world wide. He also developed MOVING STORY, a unique visual storytelling curriculum specially designed to integrate image based drama into contemporary theatre. Taught in universities as well as professional productions of theater and dance. 

Mr. de Lancie has an eclectic career:  His film credits include, “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle”, “The Fisher King”, “Bad Influence”, The Onion Field”, “Taking Care of Business”, “Fearless”, “Multiplicity”, "Women on Top", "Nicholas", "Good Advise", “Patient 14”, “The Big Time”, “Reign on Me” and soon to be released “Pathology”, “Games”, “Teenius” and “Crank2.”

Mr. de Lancie has appeared in numerous television shows including; “Breaking Bad”, “Hill Street Blues”, "West Wing", “Shark”, “Without a Trace”, "Sports Night", “Judging Amy”, "The Closer"; “Star Trek”, “Legend”, “LA Law”, “Picket Fences”, “Civil Wars”, “The Practice”, and “Touched by an Angel”.

He has been a member of The American Shakespeare Festival, The Seattle Repertory Company, The South Coast Repertory, The Mark Taper Forum and the Old Globe where he recently performed Arthur Miller’s “Resurrection Blues”. His favorite performances include: “Man and Superman”, “The Common Pursuit”, “Childe Byron”, “Art”, and the recent world premiere of Richard Greenburg’s “The Naked Lady on the Appian Way”.

In the world of music, Mr. de Lancie has performed with a number of orchestras including: Kurt Masur, Sir Colin Davis and the New York Philharmonic; Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Cleveland Orchestra and National Orchestra; Esa Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra and The Montreal Symphony. His repertoire includes: "Peer Gynt", "King David", "The Bourgeois Gentleman", "The Lincoln Portrait", "St. Joan", "Midsummer Night's Dream", "Oedipus Rex", "Young People's Guide to the Orchestra", “The Nightingale”, “Egmont” and, of course, "Peter and the Wolf."

Mr. de Lancie was the host of the L.A. Philharmonic "Symphonies for Youth" for four years. In addition, he’s written and directed ten Symphonic Plays: these ninety-minute programs are fully staged productions with orchestra; titles include “Romeo and Juliet”, “Midsummer Night’s Dream (Korngold/Mendelssohn score), “Bourgeois Gentleman”, “The Abduction from the Seraglio”, and a vaudeville, “Carnival of the Animals”. They were produced with the Milwaukee, St. Paul Chamber, Ravinia, Los Angeles, and Pasadena Orchestras.

Mr. de Lancie was also the writer/director/host of "First Nights", an adult concert series at Disney Hall with the LA Philharmonic that explored the life and music of Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mahler, Schumann, and Prokofiev. These were fully integrated, fully staged productions with orchestra.

Mr. de Lancie has performed or directed numerous plays for L.A. Theater Works, the producing arm of KCRW, KPCC and National Public Radio where the series, "The Plays the Thing", originates. He recently returned from a national tour of the “Scopes Monkey Trial” with Ed Asner where he played Clarence Darrow. Currently, a nation tour of “The Lost World”, written and directed by Mr. de Lancie is touring the country. 

Mr. de Lancie was co-owner, with Leonard Nimoy, of Alien Voices; a production company devoted to the dramatization of classic science fiction. Mr. de Lancie produced, co-wrote and directed dramatizations of: “The Time Machine”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “The Lost World”, “The Invisible Man”, and "First Men in the Moon”; as well as three television specials for the Sci-Fi Channel.

Mr. de Lancie directs operas. His latest was “Tosca” and “Cold Sassy Tree” with The Atlanta Opera Company.

Mr. de Lancie is a graduate of Kent State University and The Juilliard School and when all is said and done would rather be sailing.

2 Ring Circus: Based in New York City, 2 Ring Circus is a theatrical company specializing in creating and utilizing aerial and ground circus for all manner of requests. They have created 3 original shows that have toured the United States and China, and they also collaborate with other top companies and directors to interject their particular brand of storytelling circus into productions. They are under the leadership of Artistic Director/Choreographer Joshua Dean. A few collaborations: The Wizard Of Oz - Syracuse Stage, Godspell - Arkansas Rep, Forum - Geva Theatre, The Ghosts of Versailles - LA Opera, The Little Mermaid - Arkansas Rep/Cape Fear Regional Theatre, The Tempest -  Hartford Stage, Carnival! - Goodspeed Opera House, Annie Get Your Gun - Fulton Theatre & The Wizard Of Oz - Fulton Theatre. To see more and learn about us, please visit www.2ringcircus.com. Follow us: @2ringcircus (Instagram & Facebook) and @2ringcircus1 (Twitter)

Christopher Durang won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play for his Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.  This play also won Best Play from the New York Drama Critics Circle, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League Award, and the Off-Broadway Alliance Award.

Durang has a B.A. from Harvard College, and an M.F.A. in playwriting from Yale School of Drama, where he worked with some wonderfully talented fellow students like Sigourney Weaver, Albert Innaurato, Meryl Streep and Wendy Wasserstein.  His  plays include A History of the American Film (Tony nomination, Best Book of a Musical, 1978), The Actor’s Nightmare, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You (Obie award; off-Bway run 1981-83), Beyond Therapy (on Broadway in 1982, with Dianne Wiest and John Lithgow), Baby with the Bathwater (Playwrights Horizons, 1983), The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Public Theatre, 1985; Obie award, Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award), Laughing Wild (Playwrights Horizons, 1987), Durang/Durang (an evening of six plays at Manhattan Theatre Club, 1994, including the Tennessee Williams’ parody, For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls), Sex and Longing (Lincoln Center Theatre production at the Cort Theatre, 1996, starring Sigourney Weaver and Dana Ivey), Betty’s Summer Vacation (Playwrights Horizons, 1999, Obie award), Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge (City Theatre in Pittsburgh in 2002) starring Kristine Nielsen, Adrift in Macao, a musical written with composer Peter Melncick, at Philadelphia Stage Company in 2005 and at Primary Stages in 2006; Miss Witherspoon (2005), which had a double premiere at McCarter Theatre and Playwrights Horizons, featured Ms. Nielsen again, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; and Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Loved Them (Public Theater, 2009), starring Laura Benanti and Ms Nielsen (again!).  

He’s written and performed in cabaret: at Yale he and Wendy Wasserstein co-authored When Dinah Shore Ruled the Earth; Sigourney Weaver and he wrote and performed in their loony Brecht-Weill parody, Das Lusitania Songspiel (1980), and were both nominated for Best Performers in a Musical; and he performed his crackpot act Chris Durang and Dawne (with John Augustine and Sherry Anderson as his back-up group “Dawne”) multiple times from 1988 until 1996 when all three won a cabaret Bistro Award.  He’s acted in some of his plays, he’s played ministers and priests and YMCA clerks in movies.  He’s won various grants and honors including a Rockefeller, a Guggenheim, a Lila Wallace Playwriting award, the Sidney Kingsley playwriting award, the Harvard Arts Medal, and the 2008 William Inge Distinguished Achievement Award.  Since 1994 he and Marsha Norman have been co-chairs of the Playwriting Program at the Juilliard School.  He is a member of the Dramatists Guild’s council.  He lives in Pennsylvania.  

Nick Eibler is a multi-disciplinary Queer artist. Nick started their producing journey by launching the annual “Broadway Backwards Cabaret” at their alma mater, Texas State University, which benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. At present, Nick does most of their producing work through their production company, Lavender Public: a creative collective that aims to empower LGBTQIA+ artists to explore the reaches of their voice through the means of storytelling.

In addition, in the summer of 2020, he launched the podcast Queer Queeries: a conversational style podcast that celebrates all things Queer identity and educates everyone on the complexities of queer identity, experience, and history, which has amassed over 7k downloads and hosted guests such as Congressman Sam Park, The Queen’s English author Chloe Davis, Drag Artist and Activist Marti Allen Cummings, Recording Artist Katie Pruitt, and many more.

At the end of 2020, Nick co-founded Creatives 4 Change: a collective of artists that worked to create initiatives, provide resources, and empower voters to use their voice in the 2021 Georgia senate runoff. She hosted speaking events and voter registration drives with various Atlanta Public schools as well as Zoom webinars open to the public.

As an actor and co-collaborator, Nick has worked on a variety of new and adapted musicals both on and off Broadway: The Prom, How to Repair a Mechanical Heart (based on the YA novel), Fly (a new take on the Peter Pan story), Pop Goes the World (jukebox musical using New Wave era hits), Twist (an adaption of the Oliver Twist story set in 1920’s New Orleans), and The World According to Snoopy (based on the Peanuts comics). He has worked with legendary director/choreographer/actor Debbie Allen, Jeffrey Seller (producer of Rent and Hamilton), Sammi Cannold (Evita at CityCenter, Endlings at New York Theatre Workshop, Ragtime at Ellis Island), Casey Nicholaw (The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone, Mean Girls), the Alliance Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, and Theatre Under the Stars.

CARSON ELROD: BROADWAY: Peter And The Starcatcher, Reckless, Noises Off. LINCOLN CENTER: The Merry Widow (The Met) CLASSICAL: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Soldier’s Tale (Boston Symphony Orchestra) OFF-BROADWAY: Important Hats of the 20th Century, The Explorer’s Club (Lortel Nomination), Comic Potential, House/Garden, Based On A Totally True Story, (Manhattan Theatre Club-Drama League Nomination) Lives Of The Saints, All In The Timing (Primary Stages) The Liar, The Heir Apparent (Classic Stage Company-Drama League Nomination), Peter And The Starcatcher, Cavedweller (New York Theatre Workshop), The Tempest, Measure For Measure, All’s Well That Ends Well (New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre Central Park), Waiting For Godot (NY Fringe). REGIONAL: Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Shakespeare Theatre D.C., Barrington Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, A.R.T., LaJolla Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, Center Theatre Group, Yale Repertory Theatre. TV: High Maintenance, Deadbeats, 30 Rock, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Person of Interest. FILM: The Weekend, Kissing Jessica Stein, Wedding Crashers. AEA since 2000. BA: University of Kansas MFA: NYU Grad Acting. All levels at Upright Citizens Brigade, Peoples Improv Theatre, and IOWest. FULL BIO @ www.carsonelrod.com       

Michael Emerson (born September 7, 1954) is best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost and fictional serial killer William Hinks in The Practice. In 2011 he began starring in the CBS series Person of Interest as Harold Finch. Michael has been nominated for 5 Emmy's and 1 Golden Globe and has won 3 Emmy's.

Emerson considered forgoing a career in acting in favor of a more stable vocation in teaching. He decided instead to further his studies with a Master of Fine Arts that might also introduce him to theatre professionals and directors in his chosen trade. In 1993, he enrolled in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's University of Alabama-sponsored Master of Fine Arts/Professional Actor Training program; and, upon graduating in 1995, he returned to New York where he appeared in the annual Alabama Shakespeare Festival showcase.

Emerson got a starring role in 1997 as Oscar Wilde in Moises Kaufman's critically acclaimed off-Broadway play, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and then followed up with several other notable stage performances. In 1998, he performed opposite Uma Thurman in the off-Broadway production of Le Misanthrope. In 1999, he played the part of Willie Oban in The Iceman Cometh with Kevin Spacey. He co-starred with Kate Burton in both Give Me Your Answer, Do! and Hedda Gabler.

In September 2001, Emerson won an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series", for playing the (fictional) confessed serial killer William Hinks in several episodes of The Practice.

In 2006, Emerson began a guest-star role as Benjamin Linus on the serial drama television series Lost. This casting was a result of his work on The Practice because the Lost producers liked his work there and thought he was a good fit for the character they were developing.[4] Emerson was originally set to appear in a small number of episodes, then returned for Season 3 as a main cast member and eventually became a main antagonist of the program. He received an Emmy nomination in the "Outstanding Supporting Actor" category in 2007 for his work in the third season and was nominated again in 2008 for his role in the fourth season. He won the award in 2009 after being nominated for his role in the fifth season.[5] Emerson was nominated in 2009 for a Golden Globe in the "Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role" category. He was nominated for an Emmy for each season in which he was listed in the main cast.[6]

Emerson met actress Carrie Preston (graduate of the prestigious drama programs from The University of Evansville and Juilliard), while he was performing in a stage production of Hamlet in Alabama.[3] They married in September 1998, and both Emerson and his wife starred in Straight-Jacket (2004). On Lost, Preston portrayed Emily Linus, Emerson's character's mother, in the flashback sequences of the episode "The Man Behind the Curtain".[4] The two teamed up again, with Emerson portraying Preston's gay next-door neighbor, in the film Ready? OK! (2008). According to a recent interview, Emerson is also interested in making a guest appearance with Preston on the TV series True Blood, where she plays waitress Arlene.[7]

On July 31, 2010, Emerson and Preston read A. R. Gurney's Love Letters, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, at the Charleston Stage. They performed it as a fundraiser for the Stage, a South Carolina theatre. The reading was followed by a brief and intimate Question and Answer session.[8]

JOEL FERRELL is Associate Artistic Director at Dallas Theater Center, where his directing credits include: Romeo and Juliet, Clybourne Park, Red, God of Carnage, Dividing the Estate, reasons to be pretty, The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later; Cotton Patch Gospel, The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, Hairspray, Frankenstein, The Christians, Dreamgirls, and A Christmas Carol. Other Dallas area credits include: Gruesome Playground Injuries, Othello, The Necessities (Second Thought Theatre); Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Baltimore Waltz (Stage West); Love’s Labor’s Lost, Comedy Of Errors (Trinity Shakespeare Festival. Denver Area credits include choreographing Sweeney Todd and directing DragOn for Denver Center Theater, and directing Evita and Oklahoma! for Country Dinner Playhouse. Mr. Ferrell is a former Artistic Director of Casa Mañana Musicals Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, and has worked extensively around the country for Portland Center Stage, Papermill Playhouse, Ford’s Theatre, Lyric Theater of Oklahoma and North Shore Music Theatre, among others.

MICHAEL GODDARD:  After working 16 years as an actor, Michael took the leap to the other side of the table and became a talent agent. Seven and a half years ago, along with Joel Carlton and Christopher Freer, they opened CGF Talent, a boutique legit agency in New York.  CGF has a roster of 185 actors working in television, theatre and film.  

Jared Goldsmith is a singer/actor/dancer/writer who has been working professionally for many years. As a child Jared began acting in commercials and provided voiceovers in the TV series “Blues Clues” the feature film “The Ant Bully”, and the narration of dozens of children’s audiobooks. 

Jared attended Elon University in North Carolina where he received a BFA in Music Theatre, cum laude. 

Jared can now be found playing Jared Kleinman on the First National Tour of the Tony-Winning Best Musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.” He will be reprising his role on Broadway, starting in October 2019. 

Jared writes with his best friend and collaborator Adam Quinn, whom he met at Stagedoor Manor. Their musical, “Mazkapan” had its first concert last year at the Green Room 42 in NYC. 

Kimberly Grigsby’s music directing/conducting credits include, on Broadway: Amélie (music by Daniel Messé); Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge); Spring Awakening (music by Duncan Sheik); The Light in the Piazza (lyrics & music by Adam Guettel); Caroline, or Change (music by Jeanine Tesori); The Full Monty (lyrics & music by David Yazbek); You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; and Twelfth Night (music by Jeanine Tesori); and Off-Broadway: The Fortress of Solitude (music and lyrics by Michael Friedman); Here Lies Love (music & lyrics by David Byrne); Coraline (music & lyrics by Stephin Merritt); Mother Courage and Her Children (music by Jeanine Tesori); Two Gentlemen of Verona; Songs From an Unmade Bed (various composers, lyrics by Mark Campbell); The Immigrant (music by Steven Alper); Radiant Baby (music by Debra Barsha); and Twelfth Night (music by Duncan Sheik). Other collaborations include My Life Is A Fairy Tale and Orphan of Zhao, both with music & lyrics by Stephin Merritt for Lincoln Center Festival; Telaio: Desdemona (by Susan Botti); and the premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s The Lion, The Unicorn and Me for Washington National Opera. As a pianist, Kimberly has appeared in concert with Adam Guettel, Michael Winther, Duncan Sheik, Michael Friedman, Tonya Pinkins, Capathia Jenkins, Jose Llana, Jay Hunter Morris, and Maria Friedman. Ms. Grigsby holds degrees from Southern Methodist University and Manhattan School of Music.

LARRY GROSSMAN is an award-winning composer, having written for Broadway, television, film, concerts and cabaret. His Broadway credits include: MINNIE'S BOYS (The Marx Brothers Musical), GOODTIME CHARLEY, A DOLL'S LIFE (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, written with Betty Comden and Adoph Green and directed by Harold Prince), GRIND (Tony and Drama Desk nominations, also directed by Harold Prince) and SNOOPY,(The Musical), which is performed in six languages and received an Olivier Award nomination for its London production.

On Broadway, he composed the incidental music for PLAY MEMORY and Arthur Kopit's END OF THE WORLD (both directed by Mr.Prince). Off-Broadway and Regional credits include DIAMONDS and the musical version of PAPER MOON. He served as Creative Consultant for the Tony -Winning ELAINE STRITCH: AT LIBERTY.

His latest show, A CHRISTMAS MEMORY, a musical dramatization of Truman Capote’s beloved short story, was developed and premiered at Theatreworks in Palo Alto.., Subsequent productions have been staged by the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Laguna Playhouse and most recently in New York by the Irish Repertory Company. He is currently at work on a new musical: “Scrooge in Love!” with book by Duane Poole and lyrics by Kellen Blair. A workshop was recently staged by Northwestern University’s American Musical Theater Project and the show is now scheduled to have its premiere this November at the 42StreetMoonCo. in San Francisco.

For his work in television, he has received 6 Emmys,  with a total of 17 nominations.In addition, he received a Peabody Award for his contributions to THE MUPPET SHOW. He has written special Musical material for over 100 network specials, including four Oscar telecasts,  the Emmys and the Tonys.

He has written concert and cabaret material for numerous artists. Among them are Julie Andrews, Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera and Joel Grey.

His film credits include: Disney's POCAHONTAS 2:JOURNEY TO A NEW WORLD and THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, PRINCESS DIARIES 2 and MGM's THAT'S DANCING. (song scores) He composed the dramatic scores for the remake of "SUSPICION" and Emmy-award winning film, 'DISPLACED PERSON'.  His songs have been recorded by artists ranging from Tony Bennett to David Bowie and Michael Jackson. His song, GONE TOO SOON', written with Buz Kohan, was recorded by Jackson for his 'Dangerous' album, which had sales of over 23,000,000 copies.

He serves as Musical Consultant for the annual Capitol Concerts (Memorial Day and the Fourth of July) in Washington. 

He is a graduate of Northwestern University (School of Communication), where he remains active in the school's acclaimed theatre department.

Tyler Hanes is an actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer best known for his work in Broadway musicals. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, but raised in Marietta, Georgia, Tyler was only 17 when he was discovered by Ann Reinking while attending Broadway Theater Project in Tampa, Florida. She cast him in the first national tour of the Tony Award winning musical, Fosse. Following the tour, he attended Carnegie Mellon University, leaving after a year to make his Broadway debut in the 2002 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! Soon after, he appeared in the original Broadway companies of Urban Cowboy, The Boy From Oz, The Frogs, the 2005 revival of Sweet Charity, and as Larry in the original revival company of A Chorus Line. Tyler also appeared in the Broadway companies of Hairspray and the 2014 revival of On The Town. Off-Broadway, he starred in the musical Juno, opposite Victoria Clark, Stephen Sondheim's A Bed And A Chair: A NY Love Affair, opposite Bernadette Peters, and American Dance Machine for the 21st Century. Most recently, Tyler starred as Rum Tum Tugger in the highly anticipated Broadway revival of Cats. In Chicago, Tyler starred as Chad in All Shook Up, Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street, Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone, and Ren McCormick in Footloose (Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.) Other regional theatrical roles include Bert in Mary Poppins, Enjolras in Les Miserables, Sir Galahad in Spamalot, Cliff Bradshaw in Cabaret, Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me Kate, and Jackie in The Studio. As a choreographer, his work was featured in a Broadway medley starring Kristin Chenoweth on Dancing With The Stars. His other choreography credits include Kristin Chenoweth’s Some Lessons Learned World Tour, Kristin Chenoweth Coming Home for PBS, The American Country Awards, and the Latin American premiere of El Chico De Oz in Lima, Peru. He is currently producing and starring in the upcoming dark comedy Ms. Guidance. When not onstage, Tyler is also very passionate about arts education and is a devoted teacher. He is a core faculty member with The Broadway Dreams Foundation and is one of the founding faculty members of The Performing Arts Project.

Christopher is an American actor, director, and all around theater nerd. This fall, he is directing a mainstage production of Snakebit for Pace University. Christopher also creates and directs many different devised theater pieces for Broadway Dreams Foundation in multiple cities across the country. This summer, he directed It Is What It Is at The One Festival in NYC, where it won the top prize, and is slated for an Off-Broadway run this fall.

As an actor, Christopher most recently starred in the hit one-man comedy, Buyer & Cellar, in New York and Toronto, to rave reviews and Topher Payne’s newest play, Perfect Arrangement, at Primary Stages in NYC. Before that he ate the scenery as Bud Frump in the Broadway revival of How to Succeed… Other Broadway credits include: Rent (Mark), Cry-Baby (Baldwin) and In My Life (JT). Additionally, Hanke played Tommy Boatwright in director George C. Wolfe’s Tony® Award-winning production of The Normal Heart at Arena Stage in DC and starred as Claude in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair in NYC. On the road, he is starred in the national tours of The Fully Monty (Ethan Girard), Fame (Nick Piazza), and the Deaf West/Roundabout production of Big River (Tom Sawyer).

Christopher plays Devon on the hit comedy series Odd Mom Out on BRAVO now in it’s third season. He also has a recurring role on the sitcom Kevin Can Wait on CBS starring Kevin James. He played Fabian in the last season of Devious Maids; was series regular Ryan Abbot on the CBS medical drama Three Rivers; had a recurring role of Stuart on HBOs Big Love; and has guest starred on Nashville, Major Crimes, The Client List, Brothers & Sisters, and recently on Younger. Hanke is a graduate of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade comedy school and performs improv in LA and NYC in hopes to make people laugh.

He has a dog named Grover. Not after the muppet. Or the President.

Hunter is best known for his nearly two years starring on Broadway as Henrik in the Tony Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, followed by Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. Other New York credits include the recent revival of Once Upon a Mattress, as the Minstrel, starring Jackie Hoffman and Jerry Herman’s Dear World, starring opposite Tyne Daly. In 2013, Hunter appeared as Ariel in The Tempest at the Dallas Theater Center, and has since appeared in around 20 regional productions including Candide(Maximillian) at the Alliance Theatre with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Ragtime (Younger Brother) at Barrington Stage, The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic) at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle and at the Ordway Center in St. Paul, Cabaret (Cliff) at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Sacramento Music Circus, Fiddler on the Roof (Fyedka) and Titanic (Charles) both with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Othello (Clown) at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, Something's Afoot (Geoffrey) at the Goodspeed Opera House, 3 seasons with the West Virginia Public Theatre, as well as countless workshops, readings, and concerts in New York working and singing alongside Liza Minnelli, Hugh Jackman, Michael Feinstein, David Hyde Pierce, Linda Lavin, Nathan Lane, Michael C. Hall, amongst others. A close friend of legendary actress Elaine Stritch, Hunter appeared in and helped produce the award-winning documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me. Hunter has enjoyed two sold-out runs at New York's famed nightclub Feinstein's, appeared at the Café Carlyle, Birdland Jazz Club, and debuted his new show with a sold out appearance at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

Follow: @HRHerdlicka

An actor and playwright, his plays and musicals have received three Drama Desk and one Outer Critic Award nominations. He was also a Terrence McNally Award finalist. His newest plays; POPCORN FALLS, will open Off Broadway this fall directed by Tony Award winner, Christian Borle, and FOR THE LOVE OF GEORGE is currently in workshop at The Denver Theatre Center. His plays have been developed at Second Stage, Vineyard Theatre, Transport Group, The Lark, Goodspeed Musicals, Denver Theatre Center, Long Wharf Theatre and New Jersey Rep.

His works include PETE 'N' KEELY, MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING, THE GORGES MOTEL (NYFringe Festival 2016), THE AUDIENCE (Transport Group), THE BIKINIS, BEING AUDREY, THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT, A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE, HEAVEN HELP US (Carbonell Award nom.). His plays are published by Samuel French, Dramatist Play Service and Dramatic Publishing Company. Member: Dramatist Guild of America.

As a performer - B’way and tours: MARY POPPINS, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, 1776, CITY OF ANGELS, A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, FALSETTOS, DANCING AT LUGHNASA. Television and Film: “Oceans 8”, “Iron Fist”, recurring role on Steven Spielberg’s “Public Morals”, “Madam Secretary” “Person of Interest”, “Hostages”, “House Of Cards”, “Henry’s Crime”, “The Sopranos”, "Law and Order, SVU, CI”, “Rescue Me” and “The Blacklist”, “The Americans”.

He is also a co-founder of Miracle Or 2 Licensing, acompany that fosters works by established and upcoming artists.

Rachel Hoffman, CSA, has worked in casting since 1999. She is currently a Casting Director at Telsey + Company, where she has been involved in the casting of Memphis, The Addams Family, Wicked, Rent, In The Heights, Million Dollar Quartet, Hairspray, You’re Welcome America, Nine To Five, Next To Normal, Blithe Spirit, Legally Blonde, Equus, South Pacific, Catch Me if You Can, Rock Of Ages, Reasons To Be Pretty, The Color Purple, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Next To Normal, Speed-The-Plow, Company, Tarzan, Boys’ Life, Grey Gardens, The Fantasticks, Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On, Cinderella, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sweeney Todd, The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown, Nerds (at Philadelphia Theatre Company), Sex An The City  (films), Rachel Getting Married (film), Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s 2009 & 2010 summer seasons, Peep Show (Las Vegas) and upcoming companies of Bring It On, Spiderman, Love Never Dies, My Man Godfrey, Minsky’s, Elf as well as numerous readings and commercials.  Some of the other shows she has worked on include The Boy from Oz, Brooklyn, Bat Boy: the Musical, Altar Boyz, Children of Eden (at The Ford’s Theatre), The Full Monty (at North Shore Music Theatre) and Godspell (2000 Off-Broadway Revival at the York Theatre).  She lectures and teaches audition workshops on musical theatre performing/auditioning at many colleges and universities around the US and produces senior showcases in NYC for graduating classes of some of the top musical theatre departments.  Prior to casting, she worked as a performer in NYC, and received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan.

Mark Hollmann received the Tony Award, the National Broadway Theatre Award, and the Obie Award for his score to Urinetown the Musical, which itself won Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Lucille Lortel Awards for best musical. Other shows as composer/lyricist: Yeast Nation (New York International Fringe Festival, Perseverance Theatre, and American Theatre Company), The Man in the White Suit (New York Stage and Film), The Girl, the Grouch, and the Goat (University Theatre, U. of Kansas), Alchemist the Musical (Seattle Fringe Festival), Jack the Chipper (Greenview Arts Center, Chicago), Kabooooom! (University Theater, U. of Chicago), I Think I Can and Deal with It! (Berkshire Theatre Festival), and Fare for All (Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Gardens, NYC). Actor/co-writer for The Rack, Theater of Funny, The Mercy Ripper, LBJFKKK, Love Me, All Eight Die, and After Taste (Cardiff Giant Theater, Chicago). TV: songs for Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites. Education: B.A. in music, U. of Chicago.

Broadway/Pre-Broadway: Moulin Rouge! The Musical (Nini), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Jeannie Muldoon), GREASE  (Marty), Chicago (Mona, Roxie u/s), Wedding Singer (Holly u/s), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Violet). NYCC Encores: A Chorus Line (Cassie), The New Yorkers (Lola McGee), Paint Your Wagon (Cherry Jourdell). NATIONAL TOURS: A Chorus Line (Cassie), Spamalot, Starlight Express (Pearl). REGIONAL: 5th Avenue Theatre: Kiss Me Kate (Lois Lane/Bianca) *Gregory Award Nominee, Drury Lane: Crazy For You (Polly Baker), Shakespeare Theatre Company: Kiss Me Kate (Lois Lane) *2016 Helen Hayes Award Recipient *2016 Emery Battis Award for Excellence in Acting Recipient. FILM/TV: Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Meredith Inglesby made her professional debut as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Broadway: Beauty and the Beast (Babette), The Little Mermaid (original cast). National Tours: On the Record (cast recording), Little House On The Prairie the musical (Eliza Wilder). AEA Regional Theater: Little House on the Prairie the musical; Paper Mill Playhouse, How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Old Globe Theatre, My Fair Lady (Eliza), Chicago (Roxie Hart), Crazy For You (Polly Baker), A Chorus Line (Diana Morales), Camelot (Guenevere). NYC Theater: Helen On 86th Street (Victoria); American Theatre of Actors, Beautiful Noises (Rachael) John Houseman Theatre. TV/Commercials: Law and Order, Dove Chocolates.

Jane Jourdan is the founder of Fit for Broadway, a lifestyle blog which focuses on the unique combination of fitness, health & Broadway. Fit for Broadway has expanded from online content to Fit for Broadway Apparel, Events & Workshops, and a growing community online and in New York City. Fit for Broadway has featured over one hundred and fifty Broadway performers who each endorse the Fit for Broadway lifestyle in unique ways, offering inspiration for positive and healthy living. Jane loves being a catalyst for meaningful conversations inspiring the next generation of performers and artists. Bridging the gap between the industry’s top professionals and aspiring performers as well as creating space for personal discovery is Jane’s greatest mission through Fit for Broadway.

Recent projects include: OUR TOWN at the Pasadena Playhouse, SACRED VALLEY by Josh Radnor,  FROZEN for Disney Creative/Disney Cruise Lines, DO THIS by Karen Siff Exhorn, THE WHITE CHIP by Sean Daniels, and CHOICE by Winnie Holzman. She also recently directed  the world premiere's of Billy Porter’s play WHILE I YET LIVE at Primary Stages, Nick Blaemire’s new musical A LITTLE MORE ALIVE (Barrington Stage, Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Roundabout Theatre Company’s Underground production of TOO MUCH TOO MUCH TOO MANY by Meghan Kennedy, and the LCT3 production of MR. JOY by Daniel Beaty. Sheryl directed Terence McNally’s Tony nominated play on Broadway, MOTHERS AND SONS with Tyne Daly. Ms. Kaller received a Tony Nomination for Best Director for the Broadway production of NEXT FALL by Geoffrey Nauffts. She has directed at many theaters including The New Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theatre Festival, A.C.T., New York Stage and Film, The Geffen, Philadelphia Theater Company, The Huntington, Bucks County Playhouse, the York, EST, National Theater of the Deaf and Naked Angels. She is currently in development with Billy Porter, Ryan Spahn,  Dan Fogler, Harrison David Rivers, Alex Lubischer,  Annmarie Milazzo, Jonatha Brooke, and Geoffrey Nauffts, among others. Upcoming: A WALK ON THE MOON by Paul Scott Goodman and Pamela Grey at A.C.T.

Currently serves as Dance Supervisor for Hamilton (And Peggy Company). Ryan received a Chita Rivera Award nomination for his Broadway debut in Bandstand under the direction of two-time Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler. National Tours: Billy Elliot (Associate Resident Choreographer / Dance Captain), Fosse (Dance Captain). TV: Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance. Choreography credits include Southern Comfort (Public Theater), NBC’s Smash (Asst. Choreographer), David Blaine’s Real or Magic, Brave New World (NC Stage), Mary Poppins (NCT). NYMF award winners Academia Nuts, Cloned, Volleygirls. Creator with multi Drama Desk Award nominated Parallel Exit: Physical Comedy Theater. BFA Acting from Marymount Manhattan College, MFA Choreography from Wilson College.

A native Texan, began his career as a dancer at the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, TX and continued his education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX where he graduated Cum Laude receiving a BFA in Dance Performance. The summer after graduation he flew to Edinburgh, Scotland to perform in the International Fringe Festival before starting his job as a principal dancer with The Dayton Ballet. He has since performed both on Broadway and the 1^st National Tour of Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out, played Ephraim in Seven Brides for Seven Brother’s, and performed featured roles at the Kennedy Center Honors, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and many other renowned stages in various productions. His performing career has afforded him the great fortune of seeing the world and enjoying some amazing experiences, but it wasn’t until 2007 that he picked up his first camera. Travis’ passion for photography had been growing for several years before he finally dove into the professional realm in 2009 after completing the North American Tour of Dirty Dancing. Since then, he has been lucky enough to work with several established commercial photographers learning the tricks of the trade. In 2011 he had his debut gallery exhibition in Manhattan where multiple pieces saw their world premiere. Travis has shot major advertisements in national publications like Cosmopolitan Magazine, ad campaigns for multiple fitness companies, and headshots for the stage and screen’s finest performers.

Shirley Knight is an award-winning actress who has starred in film, television, theater, and radio for over 50 years. Her film credits include Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, As Good As It Gets and such classics as Dutchman for which she received Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival, The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs(Oscar nomination) and Sweet Bird Of Youth(Oscar nomination). After studying at the Pasadena Playhouse Theatre School she began her film career in 1959. She then went to New York and began her theatre career. She studied acting with Lee Strasberg and played Irina in his legendary production of The Three Sisters with Geraldine Page and Kim Stanley. She is also a longtime member of The Actors Studio. Her acting awards are numerous and include Two Oscar nominations, Two Tony Award nominations (one win), Two Drama Desk nominations, Ten Emmy nominations (three wins), Three Golden Globe' nominations (two wins), Cannes Film Festival Critics Prize and the Joseph Jefferson Award. She has appeared in hundreds of television shows including Desperate Housewives(Emmy nomination), House and Law and Order(Emmy nomination). She has appeared on Broadway and in theatres around the country including receiving a Tony award for her performance in Kennedy's Children, and a Tony nomination for Horton Foote’s The Young Man From Atlanta.

Michael Kostroff is an established stage and television actor best known for his five seasons on HBO’s The Wire, and for his appearances on The Good Wife, Law & Order: SVU, The Deuce, Billions, The Blacklist, etc. He’s toured as Thérnardier in Les Miserables and in The Producers, covering Max Bialystock, a role he’s since played in seven productions. Michael is the creator of Audition Psych 101—a workshop on the psychology of the audition process—which is now available in book form. He’s a director, writer, coach, teacher, and former advice columnist for Backstage. He’s currently filming The Plot Against America for HBO.

Bob Krakower is recognized as one of the top acting teachers and coaches in the business. Sought after by studios, networks, theatre companies and actors, he works out of home bases in New York and Los Angeles, while maintaining a busy schedule of coaching on set for film and television around the country. His clients have been nominated for many prestigious awards including The Golden Globes, The Emmys, and The Tony Awards.

A graduate of Tufts University and the American Conservatory Theatre, he also served as Guest Director/Teacher for David Mamet and William H. Macy at the Atlantic Theatre Company, eventually taking over as Director of the Atlantic Theatre Company Acting School, running both the Professional and NYU Undergraduate Divisions. He has been on staff and guest-taught for (among many others), NYU, the Stella Adler Conservatory, The Howard Fine Studio, and The Actor’s Center in New York, where he joined Earl Gister (Yale), Lloyd Richards (Broadway), and J. Michael Miller (NYU) as a Founding Faculty Member.

At Actors Theatre of Louisville, he was the Director of Actor Training and Master Acting Teacher, shepherding the school into the national spotlight. In a 1988 he taught at the theatre with the Moscow Art Theatre’s famed Studio Chelovek. He was a creative force behind the bi-yearly Shorts Festivals of New American Plays, producing and/or directing over 100 plays, working with such writers as Howard Korder, Lanford Wilson, Jane Anderson, and Jane Martin, among many others. As a Resident Director, he helmed several productions, including the first regional productions of David Mamet’s “Speed-The-Plow” and Craig Lucas’ “Prelude To A Kiss.”

Over the years , he has written several plays that have been published and performed around the country. These include "Mixed Emotions", "No-Win Situation", and the very popular "4a.m. (Open All Night)", which was made into a film starring Tate Donovan and Wendy Makkena, directed by J. Miller Tobin. His script "Bobby Z" (written with partner Allen Lawrence) was directed by John Herzfeld, and starred PaulWalker, Laurence Fishburne, and Olivia Wilde. Currently in development (also with Mr. Lawrence) are "Ramblin Man: Woody Guthrie" and "Any Rough Times".

After years of teaching acting and directing for the stage, ABC -- noting his eye for young talent -- offered Mr. Krakower a job in casting. Over the next three years -- at ABC, MTV, Paramount, and Tollin-Robbins Productions -- he worked as a casting director on over 50 projects, including "NYPD Blue," "My So-Called Life," "Arliss," "All That," and "Varsity Blues." Noting Bob's teaching background, director Brian Robbins also employed him as an acting coach on many projects, culminating in their work together on "The Perfect Score" (starring Scarlett Johansson, Erika Christensen, Chris Evans, Bryan Greenberg, and Darius Miles), and "Hardball" (starring Keanu Reeves). His coaching work evolved into directing assignments, including stints on "What I Like About You", (starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth), "Reba", (starring Reba McEntire).

On set and off, whether he is working with actors (Rooney Mara, Josh Duhamel, John Slattery, Reba McEntire, Brooke Elliott, Jessica Hecht, Laurie Metalf, Wendy Makkena, Antonique Smith, and many more) , Stand-up Comics (Louis C.K., Lewis Black, John Pinette, Jimmy Fallon, Greg Geraldo, Jim Norton, and many others) or kids (“Hardball,” “All That”), he does so with what Emmy Award Winning director Michael Lembeck has called “the most passionate, kindest, and brightest approach I’ve ever seen.” His studio in New York, housed at One-On-One Productions, is one of the most successful long running acting classes in New York.

Stephanie Kurtzuba is an actor/producer and mom based in NYC. As an actress, she has been directed by Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, Stephen Daldry, Sir Richard Eyre, and Phylicia Rashad. She has shared the screen with the legendary talents of Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino, and Hugh Jackman. Stephanie played the role of Kimmie Blelzer in The Wolf of Wall Street and Irene Sheeran in the upcoming Netflix film, The Irishman. For Stephen Daldry, she appeared in on film in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and on Broadway in Billy Elliot. Other film credits include Annie and Away We Go. On television, she recurred in the mini-series Waco, The Good Wife, and The Leftovers. Her many guest appearances include The Good Cop, Bull, Chicago PD, Law & Order SVU and Elementary. In addition to Billy Elliot, Stephanie appeared on Broadway in Mary Poppins and The Boy From Oz, and off-Broadway in Bat Boy and A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun opposite Olympia Dukakis.

Stephanie co-created and Executive Produced the original series Mother Judger for ScaryMommy.com, which reaches an audience of over 20 million people a month. Stephanie is also producing and starring in the comedic drama series, Blunt.

Megan Larche Dominick, CSA (Casting Director) Having worked on over 25 Muny productions, she is entering her fourth season as a producing associate and sixth as casting director for The Muny, America’s premiere outdoor musical theater (Three time 2016 Artios Award nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Casting). She has also cast for an extensive catalogue of Broadway shows including the revivals of A Chorus Line and Grease, and served as the children’s casting director for the Broadway and all touring companies of Disney’s The Lion King. Film: “True Grit,” “It’s Complicated,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and “Hairspray.” Favorite associate producing credits include Bring It On: The Musical (B’way & Nat’l Tour), Grace staring Paul Rudd (B’way), TRACES (New York and Nat’l Tour) and Legally Blonde the Musical (B’way & Nat’l Tour). She has also produced The Two Lives of Napoleon Beasley and Pvt. Wars while serving as the artistic director of the Incumbo Theater Company. She can be seen at work in the documentary “Every Little Step.”

Lindsay Levine is a Casting Director and Educator. While at Tara Rubin Casting she was the Casting Director for the original Broadway companies of Dear Evan Hansen, Bandstand, and the revival of Cats as well as the International Tour of Phantom of the Opera and the current National Tours of Cats and Jersey Boys. As a casting associate: Aladdin, Bullets Over Broadway, Scandalous, The Heiress, One Man Two Guvnors (US Casting), Ghost, Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia, American Repertory Theatre: The Shape She Makes; Philadelphia Theatre Company: Stars of David, Yale Repertory Theatre, Public Theatre/London, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Alice By Heart at Theatre Aspen with Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. As an educator, she has been teaching audition technique and preparation classes and workshops at universities around the country including University of Michigan, NYU, Baldwin Wallace, Montclair State, Rider University, Marymount Manhattan, Long Island University- Post. She is currently pursuing her MFA in Theatre Pedagogy remotely from the University of Idaho.

Robin Lewis designed the Musical Theatre Dance Program for Texas State University. Robin currently serves as a Creative Consultant and Guest Choreographer for the Musical Theatre Department. Robin is a twelve year Broadway and national Broadway touring veteran. Credits include: Fosse, Dance Captain of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Dance Captain of A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Gardens. He toured with the first national tour of The Producers and performed that show with Jason Alexander and Martin Short in Hollywood. He has toured in A Chorus Line (Don), Hello Dolly with Michelle Lee, Beauty and the Beast, as well as performances at The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Robin was also the Dance Captain for Charles Busch’s musical The Green Heart for the Manhattan Theatre Club. Robin can also be seen on the PBS Dance in America movie Fosse: A Celebration in Dance.

Erik Liberman can currently be seen in the Transparent series finale on Amazon. He is recognized for originating roles in several productions on Broadway and off, including War Paint with Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole; The Band's Visit with Tony Shalhoub and Katrina Lenk; Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and Harold Prince's LoveMusik with Donna Murphy and Michael Cerveris. Television work includes roles on Modern Family, Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl, and A & E’s Unforgettable. Liberman has also performed in Carol Burnett's Hollywood Arms, portrayed Groucho Marx at the Obama White House, appeared in acclaimed revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Merrily We Roll Along, as well as opposite Topol, Harvey Fierstein, and Theodore Bikel in Fiddler on the Roof, later leading the show's all-star 50th anniversary celebrations at New York City's Town Hall and Symphony Space.

Born in Coconut Grove, Florida, he made his television debut at age six. Liberman was mentored by Maureen Stapleton and became a YoungArts winner while a senior at New World School of the Arts. After high school, he trained at London's Complicité and Royal National Theatre, received a grant to study physical theatre with master clown teacher Philippe Gaulier in Paris, and in Los Angeles, was the face of noted improv-and-sketch-comedy school The Groundlings. 

Liberman has received accolades including Helen Hayes, Ovation, and Garland Awards, in addition to winning the Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers. He has contributed to numerous books including the Actors’ Equity Association’s centennial celebration,  Performance of the Century and, with his father,  Wisdom From an Empty Mind and  Luminous Life: How the Science of Light Unlocks the Art of Living. He is the author of a forthcoming biography about Jayne Mansfield.

Andrew Lippa wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical The Addams Family, currently starring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys). Mr. Lippa wrote the music for the Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin’s (The West Wing, A Few Good Men) new play The Farnsworth Invention directed by Des McAnuff. Asphalt Beach (music and lyrics) was premiered at Northwestern University by the American Music Theatre Project in October, 2006. The Wild Party (book/music/lyrics) was given its world premiere in 2000 at the Manhattan Theater Club in New York City. The Wild Party won the Outer Critics Circle Award for best Off-Broadway musical of the season and Mr. Lippa won the 2000 Drama Desk Award for best music. 2004 saw the premiere of A Little Princess (book and lyrics by Brian Crawley) at Theatreworks in Palo Alto, CA (recording released in 2010). In 1999 he contributed three new songs to the Broadway version of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (including “My New Philosophy” for Tony-Award Winner Kristin Chenoweth) and created all new arrangements. He wrote the music and co-wrote the book (with Tom Greenwald) for john & jen, which premiered in New York City in 1995 at The Lamb’s Theater. Next up: A musical adaptation of Jules Feiffer’s book The Man In The Ceiling.
 

Mr. Lippa is proud to have been music director for Kristin Chenoweth since 1999 for many of her concerts. He conducted/played her sold-out shows at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC in 2007, at Carnegie Hall in 2004, and at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2002. He has conducted the San Francisco, Chicago, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras for Ms. Chenoweth, among others. Additionally, he is an accomplished singer having been heard in many venues in New York and, in 2005, as a guest artist at the Adelaide Cabaret Convention in Adelaide, Australia.
 

Recordings include Julia Murney’s CD I’m Not Waiting (producer, 3 songs), The Wild Party (RCA Victor) which he also produced, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (RCA Victor) which earned him a Grammy Award nomination, The Addams Family (released June 8, 2010) and john & jen (Fynsworth Alley) which he associate produced. Jazz phenom Peter Cincotti recorded the song Raise The Roof on his CD titled On The Moon (Phil Ramone, producer). In addition, Mr. Lippa produced the original cast recording of Bat Boy for RCA Victor and his singing voice can be heard on The Sondheim Album on Fynsworth Alley and If I Sing on PS Classics. Vocal selections from The Wild Party and john & jen are published by Hal Leonard and licensed by MTI.
 

Awards include a Grammy nomination, the Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation Award, ASCAP’s Richard Rodgers/New Horizons Award, The Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle and second place for the Alice B. Deucey Award for allaround outstanding fifth-grader (lost to Cynthia Fink). Memberships include ASCAP, Actor’s Equity, the AF of M and The Dramatists Guild.
 

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Mr. Lippa serves on the council of The Dramatists Guild and was the High Holiday cantor at Congregation Beth Tikvah in Richmond, British Columbia for 10 years from 1998-2007. He was born in Leeds, England but grew up in suburban Detroit.

Patrick Lundquist spent his 20s traveling the world with jazz legend Al Jarreau. As a professional singer with a background in contemporary a cappella, his early career also included running the GRAMMY Foundation's national education programs for the best music students in the country. Helping the nation’s emerging high school musicians find their path in the music industry formed his passion for supporting music education and fostering the growth and long-term health of vocalists. In addition to his creative work, Patrick is also co-founder of OOVO and inventor of the OOVO Straw necklace and Sing Ring vocal tool. His commissioned musicals have been performed in California, London, and Italy; and his partnership with Pete Seibert has brought about numerous accolades and participation in such programs as the Johnny Mercer Songwriter's Workshop at Northwestern, and the Writers' Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. Their work Swan Lake the Musical, developed during these programs, was produced in concert at The Montalban Theater in Hollywood.

Tuan Malinowski (they/them) is a choreographer/creative/actor, redefining & reclaiming the landscape of American musical theatre. As a creative, Tuan was the choreographer for New York Theatre Barn’s Choreography Lab, where they were mentored by Emmy-winning, Tony-nominated choreographer Joshua Bergasse (NBC’s Smash, On The Town). Most recently, Tuan choreographed a re-imagined Pippin at Weathervane Theatre. Their choreography has also been seen at universities across the country, such as The Spongebob Musical at University of Alabama at Birmingham and Footloose at Viterbo University.

As an actor, Tuan was in the most recent developmental reading of Luna and the Gold River Docs, directed by Chase Brock (Be More Chill, Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame) with music supervision by Rob Berman (City Center Encores!, Bright Star). In addition to their passion for new work, Tuan has performed at regional theatres across the country, notably: Peter Pan (Pittsburgh CLO), Disney’s Newsies (Casa Mañana), The Wizard of Oz (Kansas City Starlight Theatre) and Mamma Mia! (Flat Rock Playhouse). Other creative credits: Game On (Assistant Director/Choreographer; Pittsburgh CLO), Last Stop On Market Street (Assistant Director; Atlantic Theater Company), Dog Man: The Musical (Assistant Director/Choreographer; TheaterWorks USA). Other actor credits (select): Joseph and the Amazing…, Disney's The Little Mermaid (Flat Rock Playhouse), Peter Pan (Artpark), Ragtime (Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Cider Mill Playhouse). BFA, Ithaca College. Represented by DGRW, Inc. @tuanmalinowski // tuanmalinowski.com

Leora Malka is a Los Angeles based Composer, Producer, and Multi-Instrumentalist. A distinguished graduate from USC’s Thornton School of Music, Leora writes, records, and edits music for the TV/Film and Music industries. Most recently, she had the pleasure of serving as Music Producer/Arranger and Script Consultant on APPLE TV’s upcoming limited series adaptation of the podcast sensation, THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR (November 2021). Directed by Michael Showalter (WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER) and overseen by Showrunner Georgia Pritchett (VEEP), Leora worked hands on with actors Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn and more, on set and in LA’s historic recording studios (HENSON, EAST WEST).

Leora began her career learning under Bernie Grundman (MICHAEL JACKSON, PRINCE, JACOB COLLIER) and Mike Bozzi (KENDRICK LAMAR, POST MALONE) at the legendary Bernie Grundman Mastering Studio in Hollywood. With some extraordinary mentorship in the books, she left her position at Bernie’s to pursue an opportunity in live music, subsequently working in touring with Madeleine Peyroux, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Dream Theater, Culture Club and many more.

Currently, Leora freelances as a Composer/Producer. She writes regularly for producers such as Ali Stone (CAMI), Daniel Galindo (ELVIS COSTELLO), as well as established and rising artists such as Bebe Rexha, MIshcatt, and Sarah Darling. In 2021, She is thrilled to embark on new projects with MixOne Studios and Weed Road Pictures. Leora is an active member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists, as well as Women in Music, a nonprofit organization working to educate and advance women in the music industry. A lifelong learner, she holds certificates from Berklee College of Music (Guitar) and Universidad de Deusto (Spanish Language).

The NEW YORK TIMES calls her a “singer of incandescent ebullience, deliciously saucy.” PEOPLE Magazine describes her as “the kind of rich theatrical voice that elevates a show tune.” And TIME Magazine says “Sally Mayes renders songs as richly nuanced as one-act plays.”

Sally Mayes made her Broadway debut in Cy Coleman’s WELCOME TO THE CLUB. Her performance won critical praise along with a Theater World Award and Outer Critics Circle nomination as one of Broadway's Outstanding Newcomers. On Broadway, Sally is perhaps best known for her performance in the Roundabout Theater revival of SHE LOVES ME for which she won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations. Sally’s appeared as Aunt Corene in URBAN COWBOY (Drama Desk nomination). She recently drew raves as Mae West in the National Tour of DIRTY BLONDE, and also appeared in the Broadway revival of STEEL MAGNOLIAS. She has also starred in several Off-Broadway productions including CLOSER THAN EVER (Outer Critics Circle nomination),DAS BARBECUE, and PETE N’ KEELY (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical), PLAY IT COOL, GOOD OL’ GIRLS, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME. Film and television credits include CITY HALL and BYE BYE BIRDIE, LAW AND ORDER, CRIMINAL INTENT, SEX AND THE CITY, and THE JOB. Sally also appears on countless cast recordings including, CLOSER THAN EVER, SHE LOVES ME, DAS BARBECUE, BYE BYE BIRDIE, LOST IN BOSTON, UNSUNG MUSICALS, UNSUNG SONDHEIM, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, to mention a few. Sally has five solo albums, THE DOROTHY FIELDS SONGBOOK, OUR PRIVATE WORLD, THE COMDEN AND GREEN SONGBOOK, THE STORY HOUR, BOYS AND GIRLS LIKE YOU AND ME, and VALENTINE . Her rare and much anticipated nightclub appearances have garnered her rave reviews from coast to coast, and she has been nominated for twelve Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) awards, and has won two Back Stage BISTRO awards for excellence in cabaret and recording.

When thinking about composing a new bio I am often reminded of something an old friend, the, now famous actor Sam Jackson often told me:”donʼt nobody care.” Dis-irregardless, the soon to be legendary JulieAnn Emery has persisted, so here goes. I will henceforth speak of myself in the third person,as is the wont of many highly paid athletes.

Sam McMurray was born,will live for a while, and probably die before he expects to. He has been an actor for over thiirty-five years. His parents and stepmother were actors, the mother of
his children was an actress, and his oldest daughter is an actress. Guess it couldnʼt be helped. Like any “ism”, itʼs a family disease.

A Greenwich Village Idiot, he grew up in the theatre world and after college entered that world as a dues paying Equity member. He cobbled a living together from appearances on the New York stage,as well as regional theatre, the occasional commercial and TV and film roles. He is particularly fond of “Translations,” “A Soldierʼs Play,” “Savage in Limbo,”ʼ “The Taking of Miss Janie,” “KId Purple,” “Comedians,” and “Gray Spades,” to name a few. He is a long time member of Ensemble Studio Theater and a veteran of many summers at the Eugene OʼNeill Playwrights conference, where he debuted works by John Patrick Shanley, James Yoshimura and Adam Rapp, among others,as well as a regular contributor to the Seven Devils in McCall, Idaho.

The prospect of making a living wage appealed to him,so he relocated to Los Angeles in 1986. The timing was right, and he soon found work in features and on television,notably in “Raising Arizona,” “L.A. Story,” “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” “Stone Cold,” “Mod Squad” and “Dear God.” Not to mention “Slappy and the Stinkers.” He did the usual raft of guest shots on TV and appeared as a regular on “The Tracey Ullman Show,” “Likely Suspects,” “A League of their Own,” “Matt Waters,” “Medicine Ball,” “Stand by your Man,” and his favorite, “Dinosaurs.” More recently, he recurred on “King of Queens,”“Friends,”
“Freaks and Geeks,” and “Breaking Bad.”

Although technically declined, Mr. McMurray does have a computer, and is aware of online technology and the “next thing,” known as non-paying webisodes. The upside to this new venue is that he gets to do something he digs very much, with folks of voracious talent and appetite to wit, “Then We Got HELP!” This past Christmas he returned to New York in order to shoot two webisodes of the aforementioned, and had more fun doing them than anything in recent memory. Come March, Mr. McMurray will proudly link this show to anyone who wants to see something of his “work.” Itʼs a brave new world and Iʼm in it, goddammit.

Composer Peter Melnick was Drama Desk-nominated for the music for Adrift in Macao, (book & lyrics by Christopher Durang). In collaboration with librettist Bill Russell, he wrote The Last Smoker in America, and musical one-acts Patter for the Floating Lady, based on Steve Martin's eponymous play, and A Bad Spell, adapted from Virginia Morricone’s short story, "Simple Arithmatic." His music for dance includes the scores to Twyla Tharp's “Sextet” and Rudy Perez’s “Agenda.”

Melnick is currently adapting Pete Hamill's Snow in August for Broadway, collaborating with lyricist Mindi Dickstein (Little Women) and book-writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, the TV series Glee, and the upcoming musical adaptation of American Psycho).
Melnick has contributed scores to over thirty films, television shows and documentaries. His scoring credits include the Steve Martin comedy L.A. Story; The Only Thrill, with Diane Keaton and Sam Shepard; Horton Foote's Convicts, with Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones; and Bob Saget's truly obscene Farce of the Penguins, with... penguins. His television credits include PBS feature-length documentary, Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood; Indictment: The McMartin Trial; Grand Avenue; and Lily Dale, also by Horton Foote.

Melnick attended Harvard College, Berklee College of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He also studied privately with jazz pianist Jaki Byard. (Disclosure: he dropped out of Harvard one year shy of a degree in order to study music at Berklee, which he similarly abandoned seven semesters later when offered his first film scoring assignment. He does, however, have a perfectly nice high school diploma, of which he is inordinately proud.) Melnick grew up in New York, the product of an extraordinary entertainment family. His father was the late film producer Daniel Melnick (All That Jazz, Straw Dogs, Altered States, Footloose, Roxanne, That's Entertainment, and the seminal television comedy Get Smart). His mother is Linda Rodgers (composer of "Three to Make Music," "A Child's Introduction to Jazz" and numerous popular children’s songs) and his grandfather was legendary composer Richard Rodgers.

Melnick now makes his home in New York, although he continues to have strong ties to his West Coast community in Santa Barbara, California. Raised in the New York tradition of bagels-and-lox secular Judaism, Melnick has since connected with the Jewish world in a more active way. He became an adult bar-mitzvah in his thirties, and subsequently had the joy of teaching his own son how to chant Torah. He co-founded the Israel Committee of Santa Barbara, a group that fosters support for Israel through nuanced educational programs rather than propaganda, and he serves as president of the Community Shul of Montecito and Santa Barbara. Israel and its complexities are his third great passion, after family and musical theater.

Michael is a New York City-based choreographer, director, instructor, and performer.  His choreography has been featured in productions of Gypsy (North Carolina Theatre), Xanadu (ReVision Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (Northern Stage), Awesomer and Awesomer (The Triad Theatre), All Hail The Queen (The Cutting Room) as well as several BC/EFA benefit concerts.  Michael has had the pleasure of working with numerous renowned Broadway directors and choreographers including Andy Blankenbuehler, Casey Nicholaw, Joe Mantello, Thomas Kail, Joshua Bergasse, Gillian Lynne, and John Rando.  As a performer, Michael appeared on Broadway in Aladdin (Dance Supervisor), Bring It On, Mamma Mia, 9 to 5, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Additional performance credits include: Camelot (Lincoln Center/PBS Broadcast), It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman (City Center Encores!), and the Radio City Music Spectacular Starring the Rockettes.  Michael is on faculty at Broadway Dance Center and STEPS and is currently the Dance Supervisor for Hamilton.

Brandon Michael Nase (he/him) is a multi-hyphenate currently based in New York City. Brandon is celebrated for the versatility of his instrument, his powerful vision as an artist/producer and his work towards the radical transformation of the theatrical industry.

As a performer, Brandon has been seen across the United States in musical theater, pop, R&B, jazz, and classical music venues. His recent credits include Cats (First National Tour; Old Deuteronomy), Show Boat (Bucks County Playhouse; dir. Josh Rhodes), Evita (Asolo Repertory Theatre; dir. Josh Rhodes), and Les Misérables (Dallas Theatre Center; dir. Liesl Tommy; Feuilly). He has also originated roles in new works such as ExtraOrdinary! (American Repertory Theater; dir. Diane Paulus), The Black Clown (American Repertory Theatre; Lincoln Center), and Frozen Live at the Hyperion (dir. Liesl Tommy; Olaf). Brandon has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, DSO, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in December of 2021, performing alongside Kelli O’Hara with the NY POPS!

Brandon united his love of black musical stylings and musical theater as the executive producer and creator of The Gospel According to Broadway, a musical web-series which reimagines musical theater songs in gospel, jazz, and R&B styles. In collaboration with pianist Sujin Kim-Ramsey, Brandon arranged eight different songs from the musical theater canon ranging from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Jason Robert Brown. The Gospel According to Broadway filmed eight episodes and premiered with a live concert at The Green Room 42 in New York City in 2018. Brandon, with an expanded GATB team including Ramsey, Malachi Mabson, Paul Johnson, and executive producer Sharrod Williams, debuted a second season of GATB in the Fall of 2021. You can stream episodes now on Broadstream!

A proudly Black queer artist and performer, in 2020 Brandon founded Broadway for Racial Justice, a non-profit organization which fights for racial justice and equity in the Broadway and theatrical community at large. As the founder of BFRJ, Brandon has spearheaded crucial initiatives for artists of color in the theatre industry at large.

Brandon currently works as an an educator, consultant, producer, and director under the banner of his production company, Nase Productions. He can also still be seen performing across the country! Before pursuing a career as a performer, Brandon worked in public schools as a choral music teacher in his native Texas. He proudly serves on the Advisory Council for Groundwater Arts, an organization that seeds a just future through creative practice, consultation, and community building. Brandon is currently in the midst of a two year long artistic residency with the NYCLU through Creatives Rebuild NYC. He holds a Bachelor of Music in choral music education from the renowned University of North Texas College of Music and received his Master of Music in Performance (Music Theatre) from NYU Steinhardt. Brandon has studied voice with Michael Ricciardone, Dr. Jeffrey Snider, and Dr. Linda DiFiore and conducting with Dr. Alan McClung and Dr. Amanda Quist.

Anne has performed on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, playing Nurse, Mrs. and Harriet, Matron "Mama" Morton in CHICAGO,  Emma Goldman in ASSASSINS, and the original companies of THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Miss Flannery) and RAGTIME.  Off Broadway: WINGS (2nd Stage), Encores! MUSIC IN THE AIR,  Stephen Sondheims' ROAD SHOW (The Public Theatre), THE PIVENS MONOLOGUES  (Joe's Pub), and SWINGTIME CANTEEN.  She has toured with the national companies of CHICAGO (Carbonell Award), LES MISERABLES and ASPECTS OF LOVE.  Anne's recent regional credits include Mother in the world premiere musical A CHRISTMAS STORY and Lucienne in A FLEA IN HER EAR, both at the Kansas City Reperatory Theatre.  She played Charlotte in FALSETTOS at both George Street Playhouse and The Huntington Theatre Company.  Other regional credits include productions at La Jolla Playhouse, Barrington Stage Company and Asolo Theatre Company.  Recordings: RAGTIME, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, ASSASSINS, ROAD SHOW.

Her film and television credits include BABY MAMA, KING OF CALIFORNIA, THE GOOD WIFE, DIRT, LAW & ORDER (TRIAL BY JURY, SPECIAL VICTIMS UNTIL and CRIMINAL INTENT), VERONICA MARS, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU, and BULL.  She has also been on two TONY AWARD telecasts, THE ROSIE O'DONNELL SHOW and THE TODAY SHOW.  She can also been seen in a new web series SUBMISSIONS ONLY. Anne is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory.

Geoffrey Nauffts has worked as an actor on and off Broadway, regionally, and extensively in film and television. He’s directed plays by Kenneth Lonergan, Frank Pugliese, Theresa Rebeck, and Suzan-Lori Parks, as well as Naked Angels’ critically acclaimed production of Steven Belber’s Tape in New York, LA, and London. As a writer, his credits include: Baby Steps, an award-winning short film starring Kathy Bates; Jennifer, a CBS movie of the week, two seasons on ABC’s Brothers and Sisters, the Emmy-nominated mini-series Political Animals, and three seasons on ABC’s Nashville. As a lyricist, he has collaborated with Elton John on a score for Showstopper, a movie musical he co-wrote for Ben Stiller’s company Red Hour. His critically acclaimed play Next Fall received the Outer Critics Circle’s John Gassner Award for Best New American Play in 2010, and was nominated for a Drama League, Drama Desk, and Tony Award.

Steve Ochoa has been back in his home state for 7 years now after spending 18 years in Manhattan. He was trained in dance and music at West Texas State University for 3 years and spent 2 summers training at the School of American Ballet, (the school for the New York City Ballet). He danced with a few ballet companies in the New York City area and Ballet Du Nord in northern France before getting his first Broadway show.

His Broadway credits include Jerome Robbins' Broadway (Original Cast), Cats (Mistoffelees), Carousel (Lincoln Center), Twelfth Night (Lincoln Center), and Sweet Smell of Success (Original Cast). Off-Broadway: The Wild Party (Manhattan Theater Club). Broadway Tours: Fosse, Chess and JRB. Featured with: Dendy Dance and Theater, Feld Ballet, Nixon in China (Emmy Honoree) and with Zvi Gothiener Dance. Film: Object of My Affection, The Crucible. Since in Austin Steve has worked with Ariel Dance Theater and Ballet East and has taught jazz and theater classes at Ballet Austin, Tapestry and Ballet East.

Erin grew up in the mountains of Montana and now makes her home in New York City.

She moved to NYC after receiving a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music. She spent her early years in New York teaching acting and serving as an intern at The Ensemble Studio Theatre. She remained at EST through 2005, directing and developing new plays as a member of Wet Lab.

She continued to teach and direct, eventually winning a position on the Acting Faculty at New York University, where she remained for five years as a core member of the acting faculty, directing multiple productions and industry showcases. Erin then received her MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College, where she focused on directing and devising new work. She is a member of The Lincoln Center Director’s Lab and The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation.

Erin currently serves as The Curator of Theatrical Work at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture, she teaches on the faculties at New York University and The National Theatre Institute at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, and works steadily as a freelance director in New York City and around the country.

Directing and new play development credits include: LAByrinth Theatre Company, Ars Nova, New Georges, Prospect Theater Company, The Pittsburgh Foundation, The Roundabout Underground, NTI at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, The Sheen Center for Thought at Culture, Pipeline Theatre Company, The Epstein Fellowship at New York Stage and Film, Pan Asian Rep, Dixon Place, The Weston Playhouse, The York Theatre, The Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, The Theatre Company at CAP21, New York University, Texas State University, CAP21 Conservatory and Sarah Lawrence College.

Teaching credits include New York University, The National Musical Theatre Institute at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Point Park University, The Powerhouse Theatre at Vassar College, The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, The Performing Arts Project, Broadway Classroom, Next Step Preparatory School, The Senior Conservatory at The Paper Mill Playhouse, Steps on Broadway, Grandstreet Theatre School Teen Conservatory, Education Director for The Play Group Theatre, and Co-Founder of The Wide Awake Theatre Project. She is a proud member of The Drama Club, a non-profit organization which provides theatre programming to incarcerated youths throughout the New York City area.

Peter Parnell’s most recent play, Dada Woof Papa Hot, was commissioned and premiered by Lincoln Center Theater Company. His play Trumpery premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company. His play QED, starring Alan Alda as physicist Richard Feynman, premiered at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and was presented on Broadway at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Lincoln Center Theater Company). His two-part stage adaptation of John Irving’s The Cider House Rules was produced by Seattle Rep, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Atlantic Theater Company, and won the American Theatre Critics Association Award. Parnell wrote the new book for the Broadway revival of Lerner and Lane’s On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring Harry Connick Jr. and Jessie Mueller. His other plays were first produced by the Public Theater and at Playwrights Horizons in New York. For television, Parnell was a co-producer for The West Wing (two EMMY citations), and a producer or supervising producer for a number of other shows, most recently The Last Tycoon for Amazon. Parnell is the co-author, with Justin Richardson, of the award-winning And Tango Makes Three, which was an American Library Association Notable Book, a Henry Bergh Award winner, and has been on the ALA’S annual Top Ten List of Most Banned (Challenged) Books for many of the years since its initial publication in 2005. Parnell is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and one of its former Vice Presidents.

Austin has appeared on, off and off-off Broadway, in such productions as The Diary of Anne Frank (with Natalie Portman), Fiddler on the Roof (the original cast, with Zero Mostel), Doubles (with Ron Leibman), Educating Rita (with Laurie Metcalf), Mother Courage (with Meryl Streep), Romeo and Juliet (with Lauren Ambrose), The Last Sweet Days of Isaac (for which he won an Obie and a Drama Desk Award), Hail Scrawdyke (for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award, a production directed by Alan Arkin), and in such roles as Richard III, Richard II, Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, Shylock and many others. He is also an Ensemble member at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago and has acted and directed there and in many other regional theatres. He has acted in over 100 film and television shows. Film credits include My Cousin Vinny, A Beautiful Mind, 2 Days in the Valley, Finding Nemo, Searching for Bobby Fisher, Catch-22, The Muppet Movie, and many more. Television credits include Homicide, Oz, Law and Order, Life on Mars, Miami Vice and many other shows. His Broadway directing credits include Spoils of War, The Runner Stumbles, and a Tony nomination for directing Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in The Little Foxes. His three plays (all published and all widely produced) are Orson's Shadow, Uncle Bob, and Booth; he has also written the book for a new musical called A Minister's Wife, in 2009 at Writers' Theatre in Glencoe, Illinois, and scheduled for production next spring at Lincoln Center in NY. He teaches acting at HB Studio in New York.

Hayley Podschun has been a Broadway veteran since the age of 12 when she made her debut in The Sound of Music. Only a short time later, she began her long association with the musical Hairspray. Starting with the First National Tour, playing Penny Pingleton and Tammy, followed by New Line Cinema’s 2007 film, the Broadway company (both playing Tammy) and finally finished it off at Sacramento Music Circus; once again, playing Penny. Other Broadway credits include Roundabout Theatre Company’s Sunday in the Park with George, Pal Joey and Anything Goes. Previously, she was in the new Broadway musical Chaplin where she played Charlie's first wife, Mildred Harris. Hayley also starred off-Broadway, in the title role, of Freckleface Strawberry; based on the children’s book by author and Oscar nominated actress, Julianne Moore.

Hayley has been dancing since the age of five, immersing herself in jazz, tap, ballet, partnering, and competitive dance. In 2007, Hayley was Dance Spirit Magazines #1 choice to be their cover girl for the Broadway Issue. Her dance captain work, in Sunday in the Park with George, was highly noticed by the shows choreographer, Christopher Gattelli, that he offered her as assisting position for the musical 13. She has since helped Chris on a few other projects. 

Currently, Hayley is touring the country by bubble playing her dream role of Glinda in Wicked. She will be out with the Second National Tour thru March of 2014.

With her bubbly persona and drive to perform, CARRIE PRESTON has landed roles in everything from stage to the big screen to a starring role as Arlene Fowler, the red-headed sassy waitress in the Golden Globe nominated HBO series TRUE BLOOD. Preston’s breakout Outer Critics Award nominated turn as “Miranda” in George C. Woolf’s Broadway production of Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST with Patrick Stewart, led to roles in major television series such as LOST and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES along with scene-stealing turns in DUPLICITY with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen; Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; the Oscar nominated TRANSAMERICA, playing Felicity Huffman’s sister; Alan Ball’s TOWELHEAD opposite Aaron Eckhart, the Daisy 3 Pictures’ (her production company) film READY? OK!, and the critically acclaimed independent film, THAT EVENING SUN, with Hal Holbrook, which just completed its theatrical run.

Born and raised in Macon, Georgia, where her mother was an artist and art therapist while her dad was a geo-technical engineer, a young Carrie Preston discovered her true calling in life lay in performing arts. At the age of 12, she became the impresario of her own front-yard theater company as producer, writer, casting director, costumer, director – and of course, actress. Preston later obtained a BFA from the University of Evansville followed with an acting diploma from the prestigious Juilliard School.

Carrie made an auspicious big screen debut as one of the two sexy, Southern bridesmaid sisters in the Julia Robert’s blockbuster MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING.

Some other film credits include playing the 50’s housewife Sally, struggling with her Rock Hudson-esque husband in STRAIGHT-JACKET; playing the lead in the indie festival hit LOVELY BY SURPRISE; MERCURY RISING with Bruce Willis ; FOR RICHER OR POORER with Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley; GUINEVERE with Stephen Rea and Sarah Polley; WOMAN WANTED with Holly Hunter and Keifer Sutherland; STEPFORD WIVES with Nicole Kidman; and Robert Redford’s THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE.

On television, she was a series regular on the sitcom EMERIL, starring the chef Emeril Lagasse. Guest appearances include Felicity Huffman’s sister (again) on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES; PRIVATE PRACTICE; LOST; NUMBERS; THE INSIDE; the series finale of ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT; WONDER FALLS; playing two killers and one victim on LAW AND ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT; SEX AND THE CITY with Sarah Jessica Parker; SPIN CITY, with Michael J. Fox; UNION SQUARE; SIGNIFICANT OTHERS; and TRINITY.

A crucial role playing “Ophelia” in HAMLET 15 years ago at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is where Carrie met her husband, Emmy Award winning Michael Emerson, who was playing Guildenstern in the production. Since then, the two have both starred in the movies STRAIGHT JACKET, GRACE & GLORIE, and THE JOURNEY. Keeping it in the family, Carrie played Michael’s mother in a flashback on his hit series LOST. Michael also had a role in the film 29TH AND GAY, which Preston produced and directed.

Other theater:

Broadway: FESTEN with Jeremy Sisto and Julianna Margulies and THE RIVALS with Brian Murray and Emily Bergl.

Off-Broadway: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA at the Public Theater (cross dressing as Octavius Caesar to Vanessa Redgrave’s Cleopatra) CYCLING PAST THE MATTERHORN with Shirley Knight ; John Guare’s CHAUCER IN ROME, with Jon Tenney (Lincoln Center) BOYS AND GIRLS with Malcolm Gets and FREEDOMLAND (Playwrights Horizons); the stage version of STRAIGHT-JACKET (Playhouse 91); THE LIBERTINE (Theatre Row).

She has performed regionally at theaters such as The Guthrie, where she played “Honey” opposite Patrick Stewart and Mercedes Ruehl in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINA WOOLF?; Williamstown, where she played opposite Bebe Neuwirth and Roger Rees in TAMING OF THE SHREW; Baltimore Center Stage, where she originated the lead role in Warren Leight’s NO FOREIGNERS BEYOND THIS POINT; The Long Wharf, where she played Mia Farrow’s daughter in James Lapine’s FRAN’S BED; and the McCarter theater’s acclaimed production of HAMLET, acting with her husband Michael Emerson. She has also performed in countless Shakespeare plays in festivals in Georgia, Alabama, Utah and California.

Carrie is also a director and producer with her production company, Daisy 3 Pictures. Her directorial debut was the feature film 29th AND GAY, written by and starring James Vasquez, which was released on DVD by TLA Releasing. She also directed the short film FEET OF CLAY by David Caudle, which made the festival rounds. James Vasquez’s READY? OK!, which she starred in and executive produced, played more than 50 festivals, both domestic and international. Carrie won Best Actress at Film Out San Diego, where the film had its world premiere. READY? OK! was released on DVD by Wolfe video and recently made its cable TV debut on Logo. Both feature films are available at Netflix, on iTunes, on Amazon and at local video stores.

Always up for the next challenge, Preston is still going strong as Arlene Fowler in the highly rated TRUE BLOOD, the HBO series from creator Alan Ball (mastermind of “Six Feet Under”), alongside an international muli/culti ensemble of actors, including Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin. She also has a recurring role on THE GOOD WIFE, playing the scatterbrained genius lawyer, Elsbeth Tascioni. Preston can be next seen on the big screen starring opposite Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris in Dustin Lance Black’s WHAT’S WRONG WITH VIRGINIA? Also on the horizon is her harrowing turn as a struggling single Mom in A BAG OF HAMMERS, with Rebecca Hall and Jason Ritter. Also in the can is the dark comedy indie film, VINO VERITAS. Carrie directed her second feature film, THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID, written by Kellie Overbey and starring Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis and Alia Shawkat.

Carrie and Michael travel back and forth between Los Angeles and New York with their dog Chumley.

MARK PRICE has appeared in ten Broadway shows including the original companies of Mary Poppins (Robertson Aye), Wonderful Town (Ensemble), All Shook Up (Dennis), Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff), Mamma Mia! (Pepper), Dance of the Vampires (Boris), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Snoopy u/s), and Paul Simon’s The Capeman (Anthony Krzesinski), and as a replacement in Chicago and Beauty and The Beast (Lefou). His other credits include the Sondheim Celebration at Lincoln Center, Sweeney Todd at the Kennedy Center, for which he received a Helen Hayes Award nomination, and 70, Girls, 70 for City Center Encores! Mark’s film and television credits include Law & Order, Broadway’s Finest, The Tony Awards, and The Rosie O’Donnell Show. He has also taught workshops and classes at The Performing Arts Project, The Broadway Project, American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Ithaca College, and other colleges and training programs around the country. 

Theresa Rebeck is a widely produced playwright throughout the United States and abroad. In television, Ms. Rebeck has written for Dream On, Brooklyn Bridge, L.A. Law, American Dreamer, Maximum Bob, First Wave, and Third Watch; she was also the creator of the NBC drama, Smash. Her produced feature films include Harriet the Spy, Gossip, and the independent features Sunday on the Rocks and Seducing Charlie Barker, an adaptation of her play, The Scene. Ms. Rebeck’s first novel, Three Girls and Their Brother, was published by Random House/Shaye Areheart Books in April 2008. Her second novel, Twelve Rooms With A View, was published by Random House/Shaye Areheart Books in May of 2010. Her third and most recent novel, I’m Glad About You, was published by Putnam in February of 2016. Ms. Rebeck is originally from Cincinnati and holds an MFA in Playwrighting and a PhD. in Victorian Melodrama, both from Brandeis University.

Kate Reinders was last seen on Broadway in Meteor Shower (standby for Amy Schumer). She created the role of Portia in Something Rotten! (Original Cast recording). Other Broadway: Glinda in Wicked (Broadway and Original Chicago company; Jefferson Award nomination), June in Sam Mendes' revival of Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters, Caroline in the Beach Boys musical Good Vibrations, 2002 revival of Into the Woods and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Other theatre: A Year With Frog and Toad (New Victory Theater; Original Cast recording), Nerds (New York Stage and Film), and Party Come Here (Williamstown Theatre Festival). On television, Kate was a series regular on ABC’s Work It and Lifetime’s Sherri, and has guest-starred on Anger Management, Modern Family, and Ugly Betty. Film: Russell Madness, Grudge Match, Such Good People, Certainty, and Kinsey. As half of the singing/songwriting comedy duo "Tastiskank", she has performed at New York’s 54 Below, the TBS Comedy Festival in Las Vegas and the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, where they received the 2007 Breakout Award.

Recently portraying Charles Lee & Featured Ensemble in Hamilton on Disney Plus, Jon Rua’s acting career crosses the stage & screen.  With four Tony Nominated Broadway shows under his belt, originating roles such as “Patchy the Pirate” in Spongebob Squarepants, “Charles Lee” in the Tony & Grammy Award Winning hit musical Hamilton, where he also served as the “Hamilton” Standby, and ‘Jesus Pena’ in the docu-based musical Hands on a Hardbody.  Other theater credits include “Sonny” & Graffiti Pete” in Broadway’s In the Heights, “Rooster” in The Muny’s Annie; Somewhere at the Old Globe, nominated for a Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play; Kung Fu at the Signature Theater; Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Second Stage Theater, and The Hombres at Two River Theater in 2021.

On the screen, Rua has guest-starred on Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Law & Order, and in films such as Fall to Rise, First Reformed, and Isn’t It Romantic.

The Co-Creative Director/Choreographer of the sold out 2019 Madison Square Garden NYE PHISH concert, Jon continues to innovate movement on stage & screen.  With suck work as Coheed & Cambria (“Old Flames”), West Side Story at Milwaukee Rep, The Muny’s Aida & Jesus Christ Superstar, Isn’t It Romantic, Travelers Insurance, ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap, NBA, NYMF, Broadway Bares.  In 2021, keep an eye out for two productions, The Hombres at Two River Theater and On Your Feet at the Muny.  Jon is the Co-Choreographer for individual production numbers in Broadway’s The Cher Show, SpongeBob Squarepants, "SpongeBob Musical Live" on Nick, and has been influential to Broadway’s Hamilton, Bring It On The Musical, Hands on a Hardbody, On Your Feet, & Flashdance. Jon has also danced for Mariah Carey, Phish, Don Omar, Soulja Boy, Target, Billboard, Puma, Reebok, IBM, and Panasonic.

Rua, originally hailing from New Jersey, graduated Rutgers University with a B.A. in Communication + Public Relations before heading to New York, where he now resides and creates.

Xavier Rubiano joined Tara Rubin Casting in August 2016. Xavier hails from the far away land of Queens, New York where he grew up dancing. Xavier attended Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, founded by Tony Bennett, in Astoria, Queens with a major in Dance and a minor in Musical Theater. He went on to get his BFA in Musical Theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC & LA.

Xavier started his casting career in 2011 where he had his first internship at Clemmons/Dewing Casting. He continued to assist Joy Dewing when she started her new business, Joy Dewing Casting, as a monitor at her open calls and she brought him on as an apprentice in 2013. He became her Casting Assistant in 2014. Xavier has also interned at Stewart/Whitley and apprenticed at their office in May of 2016.

Working at TRC is a culmination of all his past experiences and feels truly #blessed to be a part of this team.

Luis Salgado [Director / Choreographer ] is an international director, choreographer and educator from Puerto Rico based in New York City. He was the Assistant Latin Choreographer of In the Heights on Broadway, which won four Tony Awards. Luis worked as the associate director/choreographer of Cirque de Soliel's Paramour in Hamburg Germany. 

Shows he has directed/choreographed in the United States and abroad are the fantasy musical Ella Es Colombia in Bogota, the Holland Production of On Your Feet, Ragtime, Aida,  Song of Solomon, Speed the Plow, The Tempest and Candela Fuerza y Pasión in Lima Peru.

He has appeared on Broadway in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, ROCKY, In The Heights, On Your Feet, as well as Off-Broadway shows and Broadway tryouts The Mambo Kings (Frankie Suarez), Fame on 42nd Street (Joe Vegas, understudy) and Aida, among others. 

Film credits include: American Gangster, Dirty Dancing 2, Havana Nights, the television remake of Dirty Dancing, Enchanted and Step Up 2, The Streets (Alejandro), for which he also was the assistant choreographer.

Luis is the founder/director of R.Evolución Latina, an affiliate of the non-profit organization Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Andrew Samonsky most recently appeared as Benny in the world premier production of Benny & Joon at the Old Globe Theater. He has appeared on Broadway as Neville Landless in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Kenneth Ormisten in Scandalous, and Lt. Cable in the Tony award winning revival of South Pacific, where he was also seen in the Live From Lincoln Center PBS broadcast. He played Robert Kincaid in the national tour of The Bridges of Madison County. He originated the role of Captain Phoebus in the American premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Paper Mill Playhouse and La Jolla Playhouse. Andrew was nominated for a Drama Desk award for his portrayal of Frank Russell in the Off-Broadway production of Michael John LaChuisa's Queen of the Mist and appeared in the New York City Center Encores! productions of Fiorello! and Merrily We Roll Along. He has originated roles in Somewhere in Time (Richard, Portland Center Stage), Tales of the City (Beauchamp, ACT), Little Miss Sunshine (Joshua, La Jolla Playhouse), and Disney's On the Record (Nick, First National Tour). Cast recordings include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Scandalous, Queen of the Mist, On the Record, and Merrily We Roll Along. He's been a soloist with symphonies across the country, including the New York Philharmonic and Boston Pops. His TV and film credits include Madame Secretary, Elementary, Guiding Light, The Ceiling Fan, and The Secret Song.

As a musical theatre actress insisting on her own diversity, and pliability, Sheri has had profound success performing roles from channelling the late Kitty Genovese in The Screams Of Kitty Genovese (NYMF), to playing Little Becky Two Shoes on the National Tour of Urinetown to everything in between (see her resume!). Never abandoning her love for the radio, Sheri tapped into the ever changing state of Musical Theatre, realized that her greatest love was finding its way onto the Broadway stage, film and television, and now pioneers as the only person to bridge those gaps. Sheri piloted her masterclass, ROCK THE AUDITION, at Pace University, and since then has taught with The Tepper Semester at Syracuse University,The Conservatory at Papermill Playhouse, Oklahoma City University, University of Oklahoma, San Diego State University, Millikin University, Jersey City University, Rider College, Penn State, Steinhardt, Boston Conservatory, Emerson, Berklee School Of Music, New York Film Academy, with Making It On Broadway, Capes Coaching, Actors Connection, TVI, School Of Rock, Perry-Mansfield, and is a Rock Musical Repertoire Coach and private audition coach in NYC. Backstage paid a visit to her rock class, wrote an article about her leading a revolution, and the next thing you know, Sheri was asked to create the pilot episode of the reality television show MY TIME on The Oprah Winfrey Network(OWN). Sheri was then immediately invited by Hal Leonard books to be the first person to ever write a book on auditioning for rock musicals. In the history of the world. Sheri's students have been found in The Broadway, touring companies, and regional productions of Rock Of Ages, Wonderland, Sister Act, Mamma Mia!, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, American Idiot, Spring Awakening, Wicked, The Wedding Singer, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Rent, Shout, Fat Camp, Cyndi Lauper's Kinki Boots, Sting's The Last Ship, and Regina Spektor's Beauty. When Sheri is not on her worldwide tour to promote her book, and teach teachers and their students how to holistically embody the essence of the rock musical they are auditioning for, she's back home in NYC acting.

Vincent Sandoval is originally from Houston, Tx. Vincent graduated from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and was awarded Most Outstanding Graduating Senior . He was also Honorable Mentioned for the Arts Recognition & Talent Search Dance Presidential Scholars. He also earned his Bachelor of Performing Arts Degree from Oklahoma City University and was also awarded Most Outstanding Graduating Senior. Vincent went on to pursue his professional career in New York City. Performing Credits: Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Radio City Easter Show , Radio City Spring Spectacular (Featured Dancer) Tours: Crazy For You (European), Victor Victoria ( First National), Fosse (Dance Captain, First National) Vincent is honored to have had the privilege to work with Ann Reinking and Gwen Verdon in the Fosse style of dance. Regional: Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Theatre Under The Stars, Music Theater of Wichita, Paper Mill Playhouse. Choreography: Radio City Christmas Spectacular Assistant Director/Choreographer to Linda Haberman) Royal Caribbean International (Director/Choreographer) TexArts (Faculty/Choreographer) Summer Stock Austin (Choreographer/Sweet Charity) B. Iden Payne Nominee for Outstanding Choreography-Long Center for the Performing Arts. Vincent is a proud member of Actors Equity Association(AEA) and American Guild of Varity Arts(AGVA)

An award-winning composer and orchestrator for film and stage. He has written additional music for such projects as Captain Marvel, Thor: Ragnarok, Hotel Transylvania 3, The Mitchells vs the Machines, The Croods: A New Age, Footloose, The Lego 2 Movie, Drop Dead Diva, and many more. To date, he has written music for 20+ feature films and 50+ episodes of television. As an orchestrator, Peter has scored several large scale works for Andrew Lippa, including a concert suite for piano & orchestra (debuted by LangLang in 2015), his Unbreakable for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC), and his Songs of the Phoenix (also for the SFGMC). Peter has also orchestrated for Marvin Hamlisch, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, and many others. He and longtime collaborator Patrick Lundquist, as Artists in Residence at Texas State, are currently working on a revision of their musical Swan Lake. The show, which began as a few songs at the Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project, was developed into a first draft at the inaugural Goodspeed Writer’s Grove and was later presented at the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, received a full concert production with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra at the Montalban Theatre in LA. Peter is the recipient of ASCAP’s Harold Arlen Award and has an MBA from Stanford University.

John Sheehy is the author of six full-length and numerous one act plays.  His play GAVE HERTHE EYE was produced at Actors Theater of Louisville, the Samuel Beckett Theatre in NYC, Theater Geo in Hollywood among others. Other performances of his work include THE STRIKE (Playwrights Platform, Boston), BARELY DRESSED  (Alice's Fourth Floor, New York), and STOPPING AT UNION (City Theatre, Miami).  John lives in NYC with composer Kim Sherman, and works at, has written, directed and performed with The 52nd Street Project. John received his MFA in Dramatic Writing at Brandeis in 1989.

Kim Sherman is a composer who enjoys composing for the concert stage as well as the theater, film and opera. Her music has been described as “rhapsodic and lush” as well as “craggy and leap-about.”  She embraces lyricism and dissonance as equal partners in conveying dramatic landscapes via musical language. 

Currently under construction is her opera ADA, the spectacular story of computer pioneer Ada Lovelace. SUMMER, 1976 a song cycle for lyric baritone and string quartet was premiered at The Opera Center in New York City in 2016.  SONG OF SONGS, for strings, harp and soprano was premiered in 2004 by San José Chamber Orchestra and soprano Allison Charney. GRAVESIDE, her a cappella choral work, was recorded by Musica Sacra and has been performed throughout the US and Europe. On Broadway, she wrote incidental music for I HATE HAMLET. Other works include THE HAPPIEST AND UNHAPPIEST OF MEN (chorus and orchestra, commissioned by The Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia,) KARNER BLUE (flute and piano, commissioned by The Pappoutsakis Foundation,) THE VISION (guitar and oboe,) LOVE’S COMEDY (opera based on the play by Henrik Ibsen,) and several musicals, among them: HEARTLAND, O PIONEERS!,  HONOR SONG FOR CRAZY HORSE, THE BOXCAR CHILDREN and THE TWO ORPHANS. She has written incidental music for many productions of Shakespeare's plays in regional theaters throughout the United States.

Ms. Sherman studied piano and composition at Lawrence University, and composition and orchestration with composer Thea Musgrave. Her career started in Minneapolis, where she was awarded two Kudos Awards for her work in the theatre. She has enjoyed residencies at The MacDowell Colony and The Banff Centre. A New Yorker since 1983, she is a regular volunteer composer and mentor for The 52nd Street Project.

Originally hailing from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Yusha-Marie Sorzano is a relentless, dynamic performing artist, choreographer, educator and leader in the dance world.

She is currently a member of Camille A. Brown & Dancers and is founding co-artistic director of the newly formed Zeitgeist Dance Theatre, as well as serving as Associate Director for Program Development with Francisco Gella Dance Works. Concurrently, she teaches ballet as special faculty at the California Institute for the Arts and is at work as choreographer for Jeannette, a new musical.

As a dancer, Ms. Sorzano is always hungry to stretch her artistic boundaries by working with new companies and choreographers. She has been attached to numerous nationally recognized organizations, including Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and L.A. Dance Project. She has performed in principal roles with the Ailey company and in a wide variety of concert works, including works by noted choreographers Dianne McIntyre, Ulysses Dove, Maurice Béjart, Hofesh Shechter, Kyle Abraham, and Mauro Bigonzetti. Additionally, she has performed alongside recording artists, made film and television appearances, and danced in theater and opera.

As a creator, Ms. Sorzano has choreographed works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Idaho, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, and numerous schools and training programs, and she is currently working on a new piece that combines concert dance with an immersive audience experience. She has been a research fellow at the New York Public Library's Jerome Robbins Dance Division, an artist in residence at the Watermill Center in New York, a recipient of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's New Directions Choreography Lab, and a National YoungArts Foundation Dance Artist-In-Residence.

As an educator, Ms. Sorzano has had the pleasure of working with esteemed educational institutions and festivals around the world, from her native Trinidad to the United States and beyond. She is deeply passionate about the powerful role that educators play in the lives of young artists.

Ms. Sorzano's talent and drive have been on display since she was 8. She received her primary instruction from the Miami-Dade public school system, including New World School of the Arts, before being accepted with a full scholarship to both Thomas Armour Youth Ballet and the Dance Theater of Harlem. In her senior year at New World, she received an award for outstanding choreography and was a National YoungArts Foundation award winner in dance. She went on to attend the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program and by her junior year she was invited to join Ailey II.

You can read her most recent resume here.

And do ask her about that silent Y.

A five-time Tony Award winning director and choreographer most known for Crazy For You, Contact, The Scottsboro Boys, and The Producers. Her work has been honored with Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel and a record six Astaire Awards.

She directed and choreographed The Producers, winner of a record-making 12 Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Choreography.

She co-created, directed and choreographed the Tony Award winning musical Contact for Lincoln Center Theater, which was honored with a 2003 Emmy Award for “Live from Lincoln Center”.

She directed and choreographed the critically acclaimed musical The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway and in the West End, where it was honored with the 2014 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.

Other Broadway credits include Oklahoma!, Show Boat, Prince of Broadway, Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish, Young Frankenstein, Thou Shalt Not, The Music Man, The Frogs, Big, Steel Pier, Picnic, and Crazy for You.

Off-Broadway credits include: The Beast in the Jungle, Dot, Flora the Red Menace, And the World Goes ’Round, Happiness and The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville starring Mandy Patinkin and Taylor Mac.

For ten years she choreographed Madison Square Garden’s annual spectacular A Christmas Carol. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut directing and choreographing The Merry Widow, starring Renée Fleming.

Her London West End productions include Crazy For You, Oklahoma!, Show Boat, Contact, The Producers, and Young Frankenstein.

For New York City Ballet, she created Double Feature, a full-length ballet featuring the music of Irving Berlin and Walter Donaldson, and For the Love of Duke, featuring the music of Duke Ellington. 

Other ballet credits include But Not For Me for the Martha Graham Company and Take Five…More or Less for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Her choreography received an Emmy Award nomination for the HBO presentation Liza – Live from Radio City Music Hall, starring Liza Minnelli. She received the American Choreography Award for her work in Columbia Pictures feature film Center Stage. She directed and choreographed The Producers: The Movie Musical, nominated for 4 Golden Globes. 

She directed and choreographed the Broadway bound Ahrens/Flaherty musical Marie for The 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. In collaboration with the Williamstown Theatre Festival, she directed the play Photograph 51 for Audible. 

She is an Associate Director for Lincoln Center Theater and a member of the Board of Directors for the Ronald O. Perelman Center for the Performing Arts located at the World Trade Center.

She is the recipient of the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater and an inductee of the Theater Hall of Fame in New York City.

JASON STYRES, CSA is a casting director at Binder Casting, which has cast over 70 Broadway shows.  He casts such Broadway shows as the multiple Tony Award-winning Best Musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Broadway & upcoming National Tour) The Lion King (Broadway and National Tour), and previously Nice Work If You Can Get It, as well as the upcoming productions of Anastasia, Dames at Sea, and Around the World in 80 Days.  He is also the casting director of the National Tour of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (Randy Skinner, chor.), and the prestigious NY City Center Encores! series, including this season’s Lady, Be Good, Paint Your Wagon, and Zorba.  He was also the casting director of the three-time Emmy nominated production of Carousel, produced by the NY Philharmonic/PBS.   He has also worked on the smash hit television show So You Think You Can Dance and the highly praised HBO documentary Six by Sondheim.  He has cast for such directors/choreographers as Darko Tresnjak, Warren Carlyle, Casey Nicholaw, Kathleen Marshall, John Rando, Josh Bergasse, Josh Rhodes, John Doyle, James Lapine, Mark Brokaw, and Randy Skinner, amongst many others.  Four-time Artios nominee.

Regional/Other: Hartford Stage, New York Philharmonic, Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), San Francisco Symphony, Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS), TUTS Underground, North Shore Music Theatre.  He is a proud supporter/friend of the Cancer Support Community, also serving as their casting consultant for their galas and benefits.

Internationally renowned theater choreographer and director, Sergio Trujillo is the first-ever Latinx recipient of the Tony Award for Best Choreography. He was honored with the Tony in 2019 for Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. Additionally, he won the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for Memphis. Sergio was previously nominated for several awards including a Tony Award for On Your Feet!, Drama Desk Awards for Hands on a Hardbody, Leap of Faith, Memphis, and Jersey Boys, a Lucille Lortel Award for Saved, and received an Ovation Award for Empire.

He made his Broadway debut in 1999, dancing in Jerome Robbins' Broadway. As a dancer, he has performed on Broadway in Guys and Dolls, Victor/Victoria, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Fosse.

Sergio made his choreographic debut in 2005 with Broadway’s All Shook Up. His success expanded from there with Jersey Boys — which continues to grow in popularity worldwide. In 2011, four of his productions ran simultaneously on Broadway: Next to Normal (2010 Pulitzer Prize), The Addams Family, Memphis (Olivier Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, NAACP Award, Drama Desk Award nomination, Astaire Award nomination), and Jersey Boys (Greenroom Award, Olivier Award nomination, Drama Desk Award nomination, Dora Award nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award nomination).

Adding to his list of Broadway choreography credits are Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (Chita Rivera Award, NAACP Award nomination), A Bronx Tale (Chita Rivera Award nomination), and Guys and Dolls (Astaire Award nomination).

Recent directing credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour currently playing in Germany, Arrabal for American Repertory Theater (Elliot Norton Award), the North American tour of Flash Dance the Musical, and the Broadway concert of Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine. 

He has introduced audiences to his choreography in many noteworthy Off-Broadway shows including Invisible Thread for Second Stage, Romeo & Juliet for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Kismet for New York City Center Encores!, The Great American Trailer Park Musical for Dodger Stages, and Bare: A Pop Opera for the American Theatre for Actors.

Over his 25-year career, his list of international theater hits has expanded exponentially, to the point where he has had over 15 productions running at the same time globally. His work on Disney’s Tarzan ran for 12 years in Europe, Jersey Boys continues a successful run all over the world — simultaneously in Europe, Asia, Australia, South Africa, and the US. The Addams Family found homes in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. Tony-winning musical Memphis played in movie theaters nationwide concurrently with its Broadway run and streamed on Netflix soon after. His exceptional moves landed perfectly in Peggy Sue Got Married for London’s West End, Kiss Me Kate, and Twelfth Night in Tokyo, West Side Story for Canada’s Stratford Festival, and Needfire for the Royal Alexandra Theatre.

The list of national theaters and companies he has created original content for has grown to include Freaky Friday for Disney, Mambo Kings out-of-town tryout at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre, Zhivago and The Wiz for La Jolla Playhouse, the US tour of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Musical for the Olney Theatre Center (Helen Hayes Award nomination),  The Wedding Banquet for Seattle’s Village Theater, and Chita and All That Jazz in which he served as co-choreographer to Chita Rivera.

For the Los Angeles Opera he has choreographed The Marriage of Figaro, and for the New York City Opera, Salome.

Sergio works and resides in New York City. He is proud to be the first choreographer ever invited to serve as a voting member of the American Theatre Wing’s Advisory Committee for the Tony Awards and is an active member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Sergio is Colombian born and was raised in Toronto. He studied science at the University of Toronto and later pursued further education by attending chiropractic school.

Recently he was distinguished as one of the Top 100 Colombians in the world by President Juan Manuel Santos.

Since 1990, he has been in a loving and inspiring relationship with actor Jack Noseworthy. They married in 2011 and were ecstatic to welcome their baby boy, Lucas Alejandro Truworthy, in March 2018.

In Sergio’s words:

"I knew that FOSSE would be my last show as a dancer when I began feeling limited by somebody else’s work. I didn’t get to express myself, and I needed to do something about it."

Tony Walton started his professional career in 1957. Since then, he has garnered 16 Tony Award nominations for his sets and costumes, winning the Tony and the Drama Desk Award for his designs for Pippin, House of Blue Leaves and Guys and Dolls. He has worked with directors as diverse as Bob Fosse, Sidney Lumet, Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, Ken Russell, Volcker Schlondorf, and Francois Truffaut. Tony has received Academy Award nominations for Mary Poppins, The Boy Friend, The Wiz and Murder on the Orient Express, and won the Oscar for All That Jazz. Tony’s graphic work consists of book and magazine illustrations, caricatures for such publications as Playbill, Theatre Arts and Vogue; and many posters for Broadway, Off-Broadway and West End shows. He has co-produced shows in London – three in association with the legendary Hal Prince. His designs for the opera and the ballet have been seen at NYC’s Metropolitan Opera House, London’s Theatre Royal Covent Garden, and Sadler’s Wells.

In addition to his design credits, for the last fifteen years Walton has been the director (and usually designer) for acclaimed productions of many plays by Shaw, Wilde and Coward (along with new work and new musicals by both Irish and American authors) at the Irish Repertory Theatre, The Irish Center, The York Theatre, San Diego’s Old Globe, and Sag Harbor’s Bay Street Theatre.

“Tony Walton is one of the most acclaimed designers of the last 50 years, and the rare artist who has won an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony. I am thrilled that he will be sharing his expertise with our students as well as the Texas State and San Marcos community,” said Department Chair John Fleming. “Anyone interested in design and the creative world behind-the-scenes will find his visit both informative and inspiring.”

As part of his residency, in addition to receiving the Bowman Lifetime Achievement Award, Walton will also teach master classes and do a lecture on “Collaboration-The Process” for the students and the community, and talkbacks following screenings of his films.

Christian A Warner is a multi-disciplinary artist with a career that spans over dance, musical theatre, and film. He most recently completed a three-year commitment with TU Dance (Saint Paul, MN) in which he not only performed concert dance works by artists such as Alvin Ailey and Kyle Abraham, he was also a founding dancer in “Come Through” - an evening-length collaboration with the Grammy-award winning band Bon Iver. Christian also provided background vocals for the recent Bon Iver album “i,i” for the track “Naeem.” Other dance credits include repertoire acquired by Aszure Barton, Troy Powell, Sonya Tayeh, Dwight Rhoden, and Luke Murphy. His musical theatre credits include productions such as Disney’s The Lion King (Broadway and Nat. Touring productions), Oliver! The Musical (National Tour), and Hairspray (Regional/Houston, TX).  His choreographic credits include musicals such as Working and Ragtime as well as residencies with BAK Middle School, HSPVA, and most recently TU Dance and James Madison University. 

Originally from RI, Scot has lived in NYC since 1992. He attended Bentley College in Waltham, MA where he studied Management & Marketing and did his graduate studies in Arts Management at Texas Tech University. While at TTU, he also did extensive undergraduate course work in acting and directing.

Scott started performing again while in grad school. His professional career started in Dallas at the Deep Ellum Theatre Garage. From there he booked a six month national tour and upon completing it relocated to NYC. He supplemented his acting career with work as a freelance Casting Assistant for several Independent Casting Directors until 1999 when he joined Charles Rosen Casting. Scott became partner of Rosen & Wojcik casting in 2005. In 2009, the company transitioned to Wojcik | Seay Casting. Wojcik | Seay casts in all areas including seasons cast for Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, FL, The Arvada Center and Theatre Aspen in CO, Tuacahn Performing Arts Center in Ivins, UT, Stages St Louis, Theatre Raleigh and the Astoria Performing Arts Center in Astoria, Queens. W | S also casts individual projects in TV, Film, Web and all areas of the Commercial side of the industry. Credits include: Off Broadway-Tennessee William's "The Two Character Play" "Philosophy for Gangsters" and "Handle With Care". National tours of "A Chorus Line", Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Oklahoma". Projects in developing are the musicals "A Proper Place" and "The 1st Gentleman" as well as the Broadway bound rock musical "Chix 6". Film and TV projects include the indie film "Best Man in the Dark", web series "Expert Witness" and TV pilot "Upstate". 

His work as an Arts Presenter during college and grad school led to an interest in producing. To further that interest, Scott aligned his skills with two partners to form CRW Productions, a company that creates customized theatrical events. From 2002 till 2007 CRW produced projects that ranged from corporate fundraisers, philanthropic events to new musicals and developmental readings as well as a multi-million dollar product launch in South America.

Scott pursues his interest in education by teaching audition skills and applications of the concept of the business of acting. Some of Scott's educational work includes developing a 10 week "Business of Acting" class, and a 5 week Commercial Technique class that are taught at conservatories in NYC. He has taught for SAG/AFTRA for 9 years and has been a guest monologue coach for Vassar’s summer program for several. Along with co-teacher Susan Pilar, he developed a 6 week curriculum called “FUSE”, designed to help recently graduated acting students bridge the gap between the academic and professional acting environment. in addition to his work in NYC, Scott consult with undergraduate acting programs to help them better prepare for their NYC industry showcases.

TJ Young is a Texas-born playwright and dramaturg based in Pittsburgh where he serves as co-representative for the Dramatists Guild - Pittsburgh region.

Currently, TJ is working on a piece commissioned by James Madison University entitled ISLE OF NOISES, which will serve as a prequel to The Tempest. He also serves as  a faculty member in The School of Drama at Carnegie Mellon University while teaching workshops on adaptation, storytelling, and playwriting to writers across the country as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival's Playwriting Intensive.

His other plays include THE INSEPARABLES (Pittsburgh Public Theatre Commission), NO. 6 (2017 Harold and Mimi Steinberg Award Winner – KCACTF, Indiana Repertory Theatre), LYON’S DEN (2018 Harold and Mimi Steinberg Distinguished Play Winner), DARK SKINNED PAVEMENT (2020 Inkslinger Playwriting Award Winner), RUBY’S BABY BLUE (2016 John Cable Short Play Regional Selection- KCACTF), HELL IS EMPTY (2017 John Cable Short Play Regional Selection - KCACTF), HALLMARK (TETA Playfest 10-minute Winner), BEFORE THE FIRE (Fade to Black 2018 Festival Selection), EFFIE, ROCK THE CRADLE, LILIES, and STUFFED. He was the recipient of the 2017 Ken Ludwig Playwriting Scholarship.

He has had productions at Texas State University as part of their New Works Festival, Director/Designer Collaboration Project, and as part of their 2016-2017 Main Stage Season. He was the 2019 Spotlight Artist of Throughline Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, PA. He received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Texas State University. He has been a Teaching Artist with City Theatre in Pittsburgh and worked with Quantum Theatre in Pittsburgh. He is also the NPP Vice-Chair for Region 2 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and a Partner at subTEXT Solutions Dramaturgy Group.