Joseph Stein (Book) won the Tony Award and Drama Critics Circle Award for Fiddler on the Roof. His other musicals include Zorba (Tony nom., Drama Critics Circle Award), Rags (Tony nom.), The Baker’s Wife (Laurence Olivier Award, London), Juno, Take Me Along, Irene (starring Debbie Reynolds), The King of Hearts, and So Long, 174th Street. He also co-authored the musical Carmelina (with Alan Jay Lerner), Mr. Wonderful (starring Sammy Davis Jr.) and Plain and Fancy (with Will Glickman). His plays are Enter Laughing, Before the Dawn, Mrs. Gibbons’ Boys. He began his career in TV and radio, writing for The Sid Caesar Show, Your Show of Shows, The Henry Morgan Show, and many others, and for personalities including Tallulah Bankhead, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason, and Zero Mostel. He wrote the screenplays of Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof, for which he won the Screen Writers Guild Award.
Jerry Bock (Music) was born in New Haven on November 23, 1928. Thirty years later, he and Sheldon Harnick gave birth to The Body Beautiful in Philadelphia. In between was Catch a Star and Mr. Wonderful (starring Sammy Davis Jr.). Bock and Harnick’s celebrated collaboration yielded five scores in seven years: The Body Beautiful, Fiorello (winner of the Broadway triple crown: Tony Award, NY Critics Circle Award, Pulitzer Prize for Drama), Tenderloin, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof (nine Tonys, including Best Musical), The Apple Tree (and to have had Eddie Sauter as the original orchestrator of The Apple Tree was a gift to this composer beyond measure), and The Rothschilds. Bock and Harnick have been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. Sheldon Harnick (Lyrics) is the recipient of a Tony and Drama Desk Award for Lifetime Achievement. His career began in the 1950s with songs in revues both on and off Broadway (e.g. “The Boston Beguine,” “The Merry Little Minuet”). With Jerry Bock, he created a number of memorable musicals including Fiorello (Tony, Pulitzer Prize), She Loves Me (Grammy), and Fiddler on the Roof (Tony). Other collaborations: Rex (with Richard Rodgers), A Christmas Carol (with Michel Legrand), A Wonderful Life (with Joe Raposo), The Phantom Tollbooth (with Arnold Black/Norton Juster), and The Audition (with Marvin Hamlisch). He has written two musicals himself: Dragons and A Doctor in Spite of Himself. Mr. Harnick is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Songwriters Guild. Jerome Robbins (Original Broadway Choreography and Direction) is world renowned for his work as a choreographer of ballets, as well as his work as a director and choreographer in theater, movies, and television. His Broadway shows include On the Town, Billion Dollar Baby, High Button Shoes, West Side Story, The King and I, Gypsy, Peter Pan, Miss Liberty, Call Me Madam, and Fiddler on the Roof. His last Broadway production in 1989, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, won six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director. Among the more than 60 ballets he created are Fancy Free, Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, Dances at a Gathering, In the Night, In G Major, Other Dances, Glass Pieces, and Ives, Songs, which are in the repertories of New York City Ballet and other major dance companies throughout the world. His last ballets include A Suite of Dances, created for Mikhail Baryshnikov (1994), 2 & 3 Part Inventions (1994), West Side Story Suite (1995), and Brandenburg (1996). In addition to two Academy Awards for the film West Side Story, Mr. Robbins has received four Tony Awards, five Donaldson Awards, two Emmy Awards, the Screen Directors’ Guild Award, and the NY Drama Critics Circle Award. Mr. Robbins was a 1981 Kennedy Center Honors Recipient and was awarded the French Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur. Mr. Robbins died in 1998. Robert W. Schneider (Direction) is a NYC based director who serves as both artistic director of the award winning J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company and producer of the Tony Award winning 54 Below. He has directed the award-winning Off-Broadway revivals of Seesaw, A Class Act, Hollywood/Ukraine, The Baker’s Wife, Woman of the Year, Sugar, Do-Re-Mi, and a new version of Ahrens and Flaherty’s Lucky Stiff. He has had the great pleasure of collaborating with such institutions as Lincoln Center, New York Philharmonic, Second Stage, Center Theater Group, Walnut Street Theater, as well as with such artists as Stephen Sondheim, Audra McDonald, Stephen Schwartz, Nathan Lane, and the wonderful Sheldon Harnick, for whom he directed To Life: A Centennial Celebration starring Laura Benanti and Kate Baldwin. He was awarded the Ovation and StageSceneLA for his regional premiere of Memphis and was named the best cabaret director of the 2010s by BroadwayWorld. His books include Fifty Key Stage Musicals (Routledge Press) and the upcoming Queer Musicals (Oxford Press), as well as the podcasts Behind the Curtain and Broadway Bound. Josh Assor (Choreography). Choreographic credits include New York Fashion Week, the New York City Knicks, Audi, Celebrity Cruise Lines, Cedar Fair, Hard Rock Hotel, as well as regional productions of Mary Poppins, Anastasia, Fiddler On The Roof, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Cinderella, Newsies and the world premiere of Medicine the Musical, which ran Off-Broadway. Josh choreographed Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary Spectacular as well as the televised series “DJ Burnt Bannock.” He has worked as a Creative Director on projects such as Kings Islands 50th Anniversary, NYE at Soho House, various fashion campaigns and recently directed/choreographed the launch campaign of the Tin Building by world renowned chef Jean-Georges. Josh has been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine, Dance Canada Quarterly, Industry Dance Magazine and is currently on faculty at Steps On Broadway and the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Instagram: @josh_assor Miles Plant- he/him - (Music Direction) is a NYC based music director, conductor, pianist, arranger, orchestrator, and composer. He is music supervisor of j2 Spotlight Theatre where he has supervised A Class Act, Hollywood/Ukraine, Woman of the Year, Sugar, Do-Re-Mi, Lucky Stiff (with supervision by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens), The Baker's Wife (providing a new orchestration under the supervision of Stephen Schwartz), and The Goodbye Girl starring Sierra Boggess, Christopher Sieber, and directed by David Zippel. Miles recently served as music director, arranger and orchestrator for the brand-new musical The Jerusalem Syndrome at the York Theatre Company, a cast album will be coming later this year. His national Tour credits include Bandstand (Music Director) and The Sound of Music (Associate Music Director). Ryan Howell (Scenic Designer). Off-Broadway: Atalanta (The Julliard School), Pretty Hunger, Teenage Dick (The Public Theater Studio), Adoration of the Old Woman (INTAR). Regional: A Few Good Men, School Girls: Or The African Mean Girls Play (Pittsburgh Public Theater), Lights Out: Nat King Cole (The Geffen Playhouse), Loving vs. Virginia (Williamstown), Cinderella, Evita, Newsies, Annie, The Little Mermaid (Westport Country Playhouse), Ain’t Misbehavin’ ,Grease, Altar Boyz (The Cape Playhouse), Sunday in the Park with George (Axelrod PAC), Little Shop of Horrors (ACT of CT), The Magic Flute (Opera Theatre St. Louis), Ariadne Aux Naxos (Cincinnati Opera), Idomeneo (WolfTrap Opera). Broadway (Associate* / Assistant^): Latin History for Morons*, Eclipsed*, Hadestown^, Paradise Square^; Film/TV: (Asst. Art Director): HBO/ Succession - S 3/4, Showtime/ Three Women - S1. Website: www.ryanmhowell.com / Instagram: @ryanmhowell Kelly Baker (Costume Coordination) is so happy to be back for another season! Previous NSMT Costume Design/Coordinator credits include: Jersey Boys (‘24, ‘19), A Christmas Carol, Elvis: A Musical Revolution, The Full Monty, Escape To Margaritaville, The Sound of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Mamma Mia! (‘21, ‘18), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Freaky Friday, Oklahoma!, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, as well as TYA shows Descendants, Matilda Jr., The Wizard of Oz - Youth Edition, Curious George: The Golden Meatball, The Little Mermaid, Jr., A Year With Frog and Toad. Other companies she has worked for include: Lyrics Stage Company, 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! Jack Mehler (Lighting Design). Previous work with NSMT includes Scenery & Lighting for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Jekyll & Hyde (IRNE nomination), Singin’ in the Rain (2016), Billy Elliot The Musical, Miss Saigon (2013), Scenery for West Side Story (2003), and Lighting for A Christmas Carol ('02-'19, ’21-‘23; 2012 IRNE nomination), Annie, Buddy,Camelot (IRNE nomination), Children of Eden, Elvis: A Musical Revolution, 42nd Street, Funny Girl, Gypsy, Hairspray, High School Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, The King and I, A Little Night Music, Little Shop of Horrors, My Fair Lady, Nine (IRNE nomination), Oklahoma! (2019), The Producers, Ragtime, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Thoroughly Modern Millie, West Side Story (2016), Wizard of Oz, and Young Frankenstein. He received the 2012 (Elisabeth) and 2013 (Rebecca) Korean Musical Theatre Awards (Korean Tony) for Lighting Design of the Year. Other Theatre design credits include Walnut Street Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, Riverside Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Seattle Rep, Syracuse Stage, Weston Playhouse, The Working Theatre and WPA among many others. Dance: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Lar Lubovitch, San Francisco Ballet, Donald Byrd/Spectrum Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Buglisi Dance Theatre, BalletMet, Ballet Memphis, Richmond Ballet and many others. Jack also provides owner's design representation for organizations building or renovating performance and rehearsal spaces and is a founding Board Member of ACT of Connecticut. James Cannon (Sound Design) is a sound designer and composer based in Watertown, MA. He is thrilled to be making his North Shore Music Theatre debut this season with Jersey Boys! Recently, his work has been heard at The Umbrella Stage Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, The Huntington Theatre Company, Moonbox Production, Greater Boston Stage Company, and many more theatres in and around the Greater Boston area. Outside of theater, he produces music for local hip-hop artists Red Shaydez, Brandie Blaze, Joe Grizzly, and J. Jordan. Somewhere in there he gets a little sleep. He gives all the love in the world to his four-month-old son, Trevante, and his loving partner Rebecca! Rachel Padula-Shuflet (Wig & Hair Designer). Previous work at North Shore Music Theatre include Elvis: A Musical Revolution, The Full Monty, Escape To Margaritaville, The Sound Of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s 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 Jersey Boys (‘24), A Christmas Carol (’21 - ‘23), Elvis: A Musical Revolution, The Full Monty, Escape To Margaritaville, The Sound of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s 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 TYA productions of Madagascar and A Year with Frog and Toad 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. Zack Steele (Associate Director) is currently finishing his third and final year pursuing an M.F.A. in Directing for Musical Theatre at Penn State University. In the fall, he will be directing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street as his final thesis production. Other directing credits include: Falsettos (Penn State Centre Stage), the World Premiere of Utopia (Hugo West Theatricals), Faith Healer by Brian Friel (Downtown Theatre Center), Ordinary Days, and Gidion's Knot by Johnna Adams (Penn State School of Theatre). Much love and thanks to Rob for the opportunity to help tell this incredible and poignant story with this stellar group of artists. Steele is a proud Associate Member of SDC. Instagram: @zack.steele.director Robert L. Rucinski (Assistant Music Director) is thrilled to be returning to NSMT. Past NSMT Music Director credits include Madagascar, Elvis: A Musical Revolution, Escape To Margaritaville, 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 Jersey Boys (‘24) The Full Monty, The Sound of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Carol (‘04 – ‘07, ‘10 – ‘18, ‘21- ‘23), Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys (‘19), 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 Danvers, MA. More info at rucinskimusic.com Dakotah Wiley Horan (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back having worked as the Assistant Stage Manager on Jersey Boys (‘24), A Christmas Carol (‘16 – ‘19, ‘21 – ‘23), Elvis: A Musical Revolution, The Full Monty, Escape To Margaritaville, The Sound of Music, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots, Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Mamma Mia! (‘18, ‘21), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys (‘19), 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. Maria Papadopoulos (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be joining the NSMT team this summer. Off-Broadway credits: Do Re Mi (ASM - J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company), Lucky Stiff (ASM - J2 Spot Musical Theatre Company), The Goodbye Girl (ASM - J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company), Sugar (ASM - J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company), and Women Of The Year (ASM - J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company). Select other credits include: Indecent (PSM - Weston Drama Workshops), Merrily We Roll Along (ASM - Weston Drama Workshops), POTUS (Sound Board Op - SpeakEasy Stage), A Case For The Existence of God (Sound Board Op - SpeakEasy Stage). BFA from Penn State. Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer) is honored and proud to have been responsible for the re-opening of the nationally renowned North Shore Music Theatre in 2010. Aside from his work operating North Shore Music Theatre, one of Bill's crowning achievements was the 2007 purchase and re-opening of Theatre By The Sea, a landmark 500 seat professional summer theatre and restaurant, which is entering its seventeenth successful year of operation in Matunuck, RI (theatrebythesea.com). Bill was a co-producer on the recent Broadway production of The Shark is Broken, and recently co-produced a New York City workshop of The SeaView Nursing Home for the Newly Deceased. Bill was an investor in the recent Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Pippin, as well as the First National Tour. Bill is currently expanding his group of live theatres. 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, 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 six movie complexes in three states. Bill is currently Chairman of the Board of the Theatre Owners of New England. Bill has been named to the North Shore Top 100 by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce. He received the Leslie S. Ray Hall of Fame Award (2015) and Businessperson of the Year Award (2012) from the Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce, as well as Businessperson of the Year from the Salem Chamber of Commerce (2011). Kevin P. Hill (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 recently directed and choreographed Jersey Boys ('24, '19), and has also directed and choreographed Elvis: A Musical Revolution, The Sound of Music, A Christmas Carol, Kinky Boots, Rodger + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Sister Act here at North Shore Music Theatre. He has also directed and choreographed Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia!, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Sister Act, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Grease at Theatre By The 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 dance 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. Matthew Chappell (Associate Producer & Casting Director) is in his 6th 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. |