WHO'S WHO
Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II (Music and Lyrics) After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (composer, 1902-79) and Oscar Hammerstein II (librettist/lyricist, 1895-1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most successful partnership in the American musical theatre. Prior to his work with Hammerstein, Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on a series of musical comedies that epitomized the wit and sophistication of Broadway in its heyday. Among their greatest successes were Pal Joey, On your Toes and Babes in Arms. Throughout the same era Hammerstein brought new life to the operetta, culminating in the masterpiece, Show Boat (music by Jerome Kern; Carnegie Hall '08). Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, was also the first of a new genre, the musical play, blending Rodgers' musical comedy style with Hammerstein's innovations in operetta. Oklahoma! (1943) was followed by Carousel (1945), the movie State Fair (1945; remade 1962; Broadway premiere, 1996), Allegro (1947), South Pacific (1949), The King and I (1951), Me and Juliet (1953), Pipe Dream (1955), the TV musical "Cinderella" (1957; remade 1965, 1997); Flower Drum Song (1958) and The Sound of Music (1959). Collectively, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals have earned 35 Tony Awards, 14 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards, and two Emmy Awards.
Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse (Book): The Lindsay and Crouse partnership stands today as the longest collaboration of any writers in theatrical history, lasting for 32 years. Howard Lindsay was born in 1889 and died in 1968. He became an actor at nineteen and went on to become a successful Broadway playwright and director. Russel Crouse was born in 1893 and died in 1966. After serving in the Navy, he worked on New York newspapers, gaining his first renown through a signed column in the Post. In 1932 he became head of the publicity department for the Theatre Guild and in 1933 wrote his first Broadway show, collaborating with Corey Ford on the musical comedy Hold Your Horses. From 1934 on, Crouse wrote only with Lindsay. Their hits include The Sound of Music (with a score by Rodgers and Hammerstein); Anything Goes and Red, Hot and Blue (with scores by Cole Porter); Call Me Madam (score by Irving Berlin); the long-running play Life with Father (which originally starred Lindsay); the Pulitzer Prize winning State of the Union; and The Great Sebastians, written for the Lunts. Their producing credits included The Hasty Heart, Detective Story and Arsenic and Old Lace. Kevin P. Hill (Director, Producing Artistic Director) was born and raised in Waltham, MA and began his theatrical career as a dancer and actor. He appeared in National Touring companies of Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams and Michele Lee, Anything Goes, and the International Touring Company of A Chorus Line. New York audiences have seen him in the Off-Broadway production of Party. Regional performing credits include West Side Story, Good News! A Chorus Line, My Fair Lady, and Marvin in Falsettoland. Kevin has directed and choreographed over 100 productions across America and has had the privilege of working with such stars as Marin Mazzie, Joanne Worley, Kathleen Turner, Josh Groban, Jonathan Groff, and Tony Award-winner, Cady Huffman. In New York, he was the assistant to the director of On the Twentieth Century and assistant to the choreographer on the revival of Guys and Dolls. Kevin has directed and choreographed A Christmas Carol, Kinky Boots, Rodger + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Sister Act here at North Shore Music Theatre. He has alos directed and choreographed Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Sister Act, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Grease at Theatre By The Sea and has directed and choreographed A Christmas Carol, Kinky Boots, Rodger + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Sister Act at Bill Hanney’s Theatre By The Sea in Wakefield, RI, where he is also Producing Artistic Director. Kevin was nominated as Best Director/Choreographer for his work on Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Rent, The Full Monty, Chicago, and Edwin Drood, and was awarded the NH Theatre Award for Best Choreography for West Side Story at the Papermill Theatre. Kevin has also been awarded six BroadwayWorld awards and two Motif awards for his productions of Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, and Young Frankenstein. Future projects include an original danced play called Dance Night. As a Professor of Dance, Kevin has been on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University, and most recently The Boston Conservatory of Music. He is a proud member of SDC, AEA, and Dance Masters of New England, Chapter 5. Briana Fallon (Choreographer) is thrilled to be making her debut as a mainstage musical choreographer at NSMT! Briana has been seen performing on the NSMT stage in Cinderella, Mamma Mia! ('18, '21), Freaky Friday, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Carol, Singin' in the Rain, Young Frankenstein, Saturday Night Fever, and Billy Elliot. NYC performance credits at Theatre Row include Anything Goes and Funny Face. Other director/choreographer credits at NSMT: Curious George: The Golden Meatball, A Year with Frog and Toad, and Asst. Choreographer for A Christmas Carol, Mamma Mia!, Cinderella. Proud member of Actor's Equity union and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Briana holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory. Growing up, Briana received formal dance training at Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, Gene Murray School of Dance, and The Ailey School in New York City. Now residing locally, Briana is the owner of Refine Dance Studio in Danvers, MA where she's originally from. This show is extra special working with my niece, Ainsley (Gretl), and so many of my Refine dance students. A huge thank you to Kevin, Matthew, and Bill for the abundance of opportunities you've provided me these 9 years. Much love to my biggest fans: my husband David, our future baby boy due in 3 months(!!!), Mom, Dad, family, and friends. @briana_fallon Milton Granger (Music Direction) returns to North Shore Music Theatre having previously music directed A Christmas Carol (’14 – ’18, ’21, ‘22), Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Mame, 42nd Street, Young Frankenstein, The Music Man, West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Poppins, Saturday Night Fever, Anything Goes, Cats and Swing!. As pianist/conductor: Broadway: Mary Poppins, The Woman in White, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cyrano the musical, and Camelot (with Robert Goulet). National Tours: Phantom of the Opera, Big, Sunset Boulevard, Camelot. International: West Side Story. Over 100 regional productions at North Shore Music Theatre, Baltimore CenterStage, Westchester Broadway Theatre and others. Work as composer/lyricist: Two First Prizes in National Opera Association new chamber opera competition; nine chamber operas, performed regularly throughout U.S. and Canada. Several produced musical plays, including Castle Walk (NYMF Next Link Selection), and Peter Rabbit and the Garden of Doom (winner, Actors’ Playhouse competition). miltongranger.com Kyle Dixon (Scenic Design) Kyle’s scenic artwork may be seen across the United States, from NYC to Las Vegas. Recent scenic designs include: Beautiful, My Way, Kinky Boots, Cinderella, Footloose, Million Dollar Quartet, Saturday Night Fever, Newsies, Singin’ in the Rain, Love and Other Fables, Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia! (BroadwayWorld Regional Award), Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Producers, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Music Man, Beehive, Buddy, West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, Sister Act, and Young Frankenstein at Theatre By The Sea, (BroadwayWorld Regional Award), Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Mamma Mia! (‘18, ‘21), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, Oklahoma!, Hairspray! Peter Pan, Mame, 42nd Street, Young Frankenstein, The Music Man, West Side Story (North Shore Music Theatre), White Christmas, Rock of Ages, and A Bronx Tale (John W. Engeman Theatre), Camelot (Westchester Broadway Theatre), The Broadway Classic Music Dance Review (Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, Beijing, China), Growing up ’70s starring Barry Williams (Off Broadway), Angelina Ballerina, The Musical (NYC, Toronto, National Tour), Fancy Nancy, the Musical(NYC, National Tour), StinkyKids (Off Broadway Alliance Award), It Shoulda Been You (starring Kim Zimmer) and The Wizard of Oz (Gretna Theatre, BroadwayWorld Regional Award), Xanadu, Doubt, The Secret Garden and The Merchant of Venice (Williams Center for the Arts), and many more. Kyle has designed concert events for Faith Prince, Tommy Tune, Pam Tillis, and the NC Gubernatorial Inauguration Gala (Telly Award). In addition to theatre, Kyle accepts fine art commissions and is the designer of North Carolina’s historic Elizabethan Gardens’ Winter Lights. KyleDixonDesigns.com @kyle_dixon_designs Kelly Baker (Costume Coordinator) is so happy to back for another season! Previous NSMT Costume Design/Coordinator credits include: A Christmas Carol, Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Mamma Mia! (‘21, ‘18), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, Oklahoma!, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, as well as TYA shows The Wizard of Oz - Youth Edition, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, Frozen Jr., The Little Mermaid, Jr., A Year With Frog and Toad and. Other companies she has worked for include: The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, New England Conservatory, Greater Boston Stage Company, Odyssey Opera, The Cape Playhouse, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, Theatre By The Sea, and OIV’s Ouroboros Trilogy. Thank you to Kevin, Karen, Matthew and the amazing NSMT Costume Shop/Wardrobe Crew for all that they do. Hi Mama! Jose Santiago (Lighting Design) is happy to return after lighting Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia! (‘21, ‘18), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, Hairspray, Peter Pan, 42nd Street, Evita and Spamalot at North Shore Music Theatre. Past designs include: Kinky Boots, Footloose, Million Dollar Quartet, Mamma Mia! (‘21) and the entire 2016 - 2019 seasons at Theatre By The Sea; Rent, Anything Goes, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Sister Act The Musical, Young Frankenstein, White Christmas (Gateway); Of Mice and Men (Bay Street Theatre); Man of La Mancha, La Cage aux Folles, Mame (The Wick Theatre), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Merry- Go-Round Playhouse). He received his Master of Fine Arts in Lighting Design from Florida State University. jsantiagodesign.com Alex Berg (Sound Design) is excited to return to North Shore Music Theatre! Alex is a freelance sound designer and mix engineer in the greater Boston area. Credits include shows at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, ACT of Connecticut, Theatre by the Sea, Prescott Park Arts Festival, Barrington Stage Company, Kavinoky Theatre, and Shakespeare in Delaware Park. Thank you to the team at NSMT, and to my family, friends, and Lyn for all their love and support. Rachel Padula-Shufelt (Wig & Hair Design) Previous work at North Shore Music Theatre include Beautiful, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, and Oklahoma! Broadway credits include: Glass Menagerie, Waitress. Regional: American Repertory Theatre: Macbeth in Stride, Moby Dick (Elliot Norton Award winner- Best Design), Black Clown, Waitress, Fingersmith (Elliot Norton Award winner- Best Design), Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (Elliot Norton award winner- Best Design), Marie Antoinette, and Crossing Huntington Theatre Company: The Colored Museum. Rachel is the hair and makeup supervisor for Boston Ballet. Stephen MacDonald (Production Stage Manager) is excited to be working on another production with North Shore Music Theatre after stage managing Beautiful, A Christmas Carol (’21, ‘22) Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Mamma Mia! (‘21). Other recent credits include The Inheritance, People, Places and Things and Admissions with Speakeasy Stage Company of Boston, Mamma Mia! (‘21) at Theatre By The Sea, and A Year with Frog and Toad TYA at North Shore Music Theatre. When not working professionally as a stage manager, Stephen spends his time directing and designing educational productions, teaching future generations of performing and technical theatre artists. Dakotah Wiley Horan (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back having worked as the Assistant Stage Manager on Beautiful, A Christmas Carol (‘16 – ’19, ’21, ’22), Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Mamma Mia! (‘18, ‘21), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, Oklahoma!, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, Mame, 42nd Street, Evita, Young Frankenstein, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Music Man, West Side Story, Spamalot and Singin’ In The Rain, and as the Production Assistant for Mary Poppins and Funny Girl. Some of her previous Stage Management credits include: Capital Repertory Theatre: Betrayal, Marvelous Wonderettes, Cactus Flower, 33 Variations, Leslie Uggams in Uptown Downtown, Man of La Mancha, and Single Girls Guide. Pendragon Theatre: Clean House, and Twelve Angry Men. She would like to thank her parents for instilling and encouraging her love of theatre, and to her friends and her North Shore family for always supporting her. Robert L. Rucinski (Assistant Music Direction/Rehearsal Pianist) is thrilled to be a part of NSMT's 2023 season. Past NSMT Music Director credits include Curious George: The Golden Meatball, A Christmas Carol (‘19), A Year with Frog & Toad, School House Rock Live Jr. Past Assistant Music Director credits include Beautiful, Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Carol (‘04 – ‘07, ‘10 – ‘18, ’21, ‘22), Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, Oklahoma!, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, 42nd Street, West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain (‘06 & ‘16), Les Misérables, The Little Mermaid, The King and I, Forever Plaid, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Crazy for You, Cinderella (‘05-’06), Ain’t Misbehavin’, Damn Yankees, Camelot, Fame. Robert has been music director at many theaters throughout New England and teaches at several high school and university theater programs in the local area. A native of Jersey City, NJ, he now lives in Arlington, MA. More info at RucinskiMusic.com. Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer) is honored and proud to have been responsible for both the 2007 purchase and re-opening of Theatre By The Sea (theatrebythesea.com), the landmark 500 seat professional summer theatre and restaurant in Wakefield, RI and the 2010 purchase and re-opening of North Shore Music Theatre (nsmt.org), the 1,500 seat nationally renowned regional theatre in Beverly, MA. He began his career in show business at age 19, leasing and developing movie theaters, including his first multiplex in Quincy, Massachusetts. Before long, he was booking rock shows (Jefferson Starship, Rush) and other types of live entertainment, which eventually led to the presenting and producing of Broadway productions. One such show was an appearance by the legendary mime artist, Marcel Marceau. As president of Broadway Productions, Bill presented national tours such as Annie, Amadeus, Dancin’, Peter Pan, The Rocky Horror Show and Mark Twain starring Hal Holbrook, throughout New England including Worcester, Springfield, Portland, Maine and Boston. Throughout his career, Bill has stayed focused on his movie theatre chain having bought, built, owned, operated and sold more than 30 cinemas. His company, Entertainment Cinemas, currently operates seven movie complexes in four states. In 2009, Bill was elected President of the Theatre Owners of New England. Bill’s ongoing work with NSMT inspires him to consider acquiring additional performance venues at which he plans to someday share his productions between his theatres. Bill has been named to the North Shore Top 100 by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, he was recognized by both the Beverly Chamber of Commerce and Salem Chamber of Commerce as Business Person of the Year. He is the recipient of the 2015 Leslie S. Ray Hall of Fame Award, presented by the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce. Bill is a member of the League of Broadway Producers and was involved with the recent revival of Pippin, as well as developing several new musicals. Bill also produces Cape Live!, a summer entertainment series at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center in Hyannis. Matthew Chappell (Associate Producer, Casting Director) is in his 5th season as resident Casting Director and Associate Producer for Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre and resident Casting Director for Theatre By The Sea. He is a former talent agent, casting associate, and photographer for Heyman Talent Agency, specializing in TV/film, commercials, runway, print and voiceovers and, for many years, worked as Associate Producer for Encore International, casting and producing shows for theme parks, cruise ships, and corporate events. Prior to making the leap to Casting and Producing, Matthew enjoyed a 20+ year career as a professional Actor/Singer/Dancer. Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. actorsequity.org North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) Since 1955, NSMT has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of Memphis in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney in 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of A Christmas Carol along with celebrity concerts, children’s programming, and year-round education programs for all ages. |