Thomas Meehan (Book) received the Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers in 2001 and in 2003 for co-writing the book for Hairspray. He received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and has written the books for the musicals Rocky, Elf the Musical, Cry-Baby, Young Frankenstein, Chaplin, Bombay Dreams, I Remember Mama, Ain’t Broadway Grand, and Annie Warbucks. In addition, he was a longtime contributor of humor to The New Yorker, an Emmy Award-winning writer of television comedy, and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs and To Be or Not to Be.
Mark O'Donnell (Book). Mark O’Donnell’s plays include: That’s It, Folks!, Fables for Friends, and The Nice and the Nasty (all produced at Playwrights Horizons), and Strangers on Earth and Vertigo Park (both produced by Zena Group Theatre). He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Tots in Tinseltown. Mr. O’Donnell collaborated with Bill Irwin on an adaptation of Moliere’s Scapin. and he co-authored a translation of Feydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear, both for the Roundabout. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Lecomte du Nuoy Prize, and the George S. Kaufman Award. Marc Shaiman (Music and Lyrics, Arrangements) has been writing music, lyrics, arrangements, orchestrations, and very lengthy emails since entering show business at the age of 16, at LaMama, in 1976. He has won a Tony (for co-writing the score to Hairspray with co-lyricist Scott Wittman), a Grammy (also for Hairspray), an Emmy (for his work on Billy Crystal’s Oscar appearances) and if he hadn’t lost each of his five Oscar nominations (for Sleepless in Seattle, Patch Adams, The First Wives Club, The American President, and South Park-Bigger, Longer & Uncut), he could boast of being an EGOT. Till then, he remains a EGT. Other film work includes Beaches, When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, The Addams Family, A Few Good Men, Sister Act, Hocus Pocus, The Bucket List, and Parental Guidance, to name a few. Scott Wittman (Lyrics) co-wrote (with Marc Shaiman) the lyrics for the Olivier Award-winning musical Hairspray, for which the pair received Tony and Grammy Awards. He also served as an executive producer on the hit film starring John Travolta. They teamed up again on Broadway for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, which he also directed, and Catch Me If You Can, which received a Tony nomination for Best Musical. For their original songs on NBC’s musical drama “Smash,” Scott & Marc were nominated for two Emmy Awards, a Grammy and a Golden Globe. Jeff Whiting (Director/Choreographer) Broadway: Bullets Over Broadway, The Scottsboro Boys, Hair, Wicked, Young Frankenstein, Big Fish. Upcoming: Love Affair, Crazy For You, Little Dancer, The Baker’s Wife, In The Light, Loch Lomond, Cookies, Fly More Than You Fall. National Tours: Bullets Over Broadway, Hairspray, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, The Rockin’ Road to Dublin, Louis and Ella. Off-Bway and Other: Cookies (NYMF), Single Wide (NYMF), Chasing Rainbows (World Premiere), Gypsy (Capital). Concerts: James Taylor Live at Carnegie Hall (with Bette Midler, Sting, Tony Bennett). Jeff is the creator and founder of Stage Write Software, the standard method for documenting choreography, the Founding Artistic Director of The Open Jar Institute, a premiere music theatre training program, and was featured in a TED Talk sharing his philosophy of “Open Jar Thinking”. Jeffwhiting.com Milton Granger (Music Director) has previously served as Music Director in NSMT productions of Jekyll & Hyde, Mame, A Christmas Carol (’14 – ’17), 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: Sunset Boulevard, Big, The Phantom of the Opera, Only a Kingdom (with Sally Struthers). Off-Broadway: A Fine and Private Place, Fermat's Last Tango (CD and DVD), Company, Different Fields. International: West Side Story in Paris and Berlin; over one hundred productions in regional theaters. As composer/lyricist/librettist: Two first-place awards from the National Opera Association; Castle Walk a Next Link selection in the New York Music Theatre Festival; Bronze Mirror a selection of the Manhattan Theatre Mission festival; Peter Rabbit and the Garden of Doom winner of the Actors' Playhouse competition. Eight chamber operas which have been produced by over 50 opera companies and university workshops in the U.S. and Canada. www.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: Mamma Mia!, Peter Pan, Mame, 42nd Street, Young Frankenstein, The Music Man, West Side Story (North Shore Music Theatre), Camelot (Westchester Broadway Theatre), The Broadway Classic Music Dance Review (Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, Beijing, China), Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia!, 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 (Theatre By The Sea, BroadwayWorld Regional Award), Growing up 70’s 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, he is the designer of NC’s historic Elizabethan Gardens’ Winter Lights, a ten-acre holiday display. www.KyleDixonDesigns.com Kelly Baker (Costume Coordination) is thrilled to be coordinating her first season at NSMT! A graduate of Bridgewater State College, Kelly has been involved with the costume and wardrobe department at NSMT for the past 8 seasons. She has previously been the Wardrobe Manager at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee (2015-2018), as well as working with New England Conservatory, Stoneham Theatre, Odyssey Opera, and OIV’s Ouroboros Trilogy. Special Thanks to Kevin for this opportunity, my family and Mark for their unwavering support, and to Kat, Sandra and the wardrobe dream team for all of their amazing hard work! Hi Mama! Jose Santiago (Lighting Design) is happy to return after lighting Mamma Mia!, Peter Pan, 42nd Street, Evita and Spamalot Past designs include: Chicago, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia!, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and the entire 2016 & 2017 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 Kevin Heard (Sound Design) is delighted to be working at North Shore Music Theatre. Broadway: All The Way, The Cherry Orchard, The Country House, Sylvia; Off-Broadway: Smokey Joe’s Cafe, In & Of Itself, The View Upstairs, The Total Bent, Clinton The Musical, For The Last Time, Long Story Short, The Underclassman; Along with dozens of productions at regional theatres across the US, Kevin designed the sound for the International Premieres of Fun Home (starring Lea Salonga), Kinky Boots, and Matilda in Manila, Philippines. Kevin is the Associate Producer for BenDeLaCreme Presents and founded the sound design & consulting firm Heard Audio, LLC. www.HeardAudio.com Gerard Kelly (Wig and Hair Design) Broadway: Disney’s The Lion King (Tony© Award - Best Musical), Hair (Tony© Award - Best Revival of a Musical). Gerard's hair and wig design has been seen at North Shore Music Theatre since 1999 as well as many other Regional Theatre's and Shakespeare Festivals across the country. Gerard has also created many wigs for performers such as Harvey Fierstein, Felicity Huffman, Laura Linney, Marlo Thomas, The B-52's (including the cover of their album Funplex), Varla Jean Merman, Charles Busch, S.Epatha Merkerson, Jennifer Holiday, RuPaul, Woopie Goldberg, and The Lady Bunny. Gerard's work can be seen in films such as Transamerica, Girls Will Be Girls, The Ten, The Savages, King Bolden, Notorious, The Conjuring and The Other Woman. Natalie A. Lynch (Production Stage Manager). With NSMT: Jekyll & Hyde, Mamma Mia!, Peter Pan, Mame, The 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017 Musical Seasons. Other Credits Include: Capital Repertory Theatre, Reagle Music Theatre, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, New Repertory Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company, STAGES St. Louis, Stoneham Theatre and Maples Repertory Theatre. National Tours: The Magic Tree House: The Musical and A Christmas Carol. Natalie began at NSMT as the SM Intern in 2005 and is thrilled to return once again to her theatrical home. She is a graduate of University of New Hampshire and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Special thanks to her parents, her family and friends, and to Rachel for all of the endless love and support. Dakotah Wiley Horan (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back for the 2018 Season having worked as the Assistant Stage Manager on Jekyll & Hyde, Mamma Mia!, Peter Pan, Mame, A Christmas Carol ’17 & ‘16, 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, Twelve Angry Men, A Christmas Story. She is a graduate of SUNY Postdam and Universidad de Sevilla. She would like to thank her parents for instilling and encouraging her love of theatre, and her friends and her North Shore family for always supporting her. Nate Bertone (Assistant Director) is honored to return to NSMT having designed, directed, and produced on this stage. Nate recently made his Arizona Broadway Theatre debut with Titanic after completing this past summer as Resident Scenic Designer with Broadway Sacramento at Music Circus designing Singin’ in the Rain, Disney’s Newsies, and Mamma Mia! As a storyteller who works as director, set designer, producer, and playwright, he has assisted On/Off-Broadway, including A Bronx Tale (Broadway) and the Susan Stroman-helmed Crazy for You (Lincoln Center). Nate has directed premieres of Polkadots (The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati), Entangled (Salem Theatre Company), and his new play with music, Letters From War (NSMT), where he also designed Shrek: The Musical and Sister Act. Alumnus of Central Saint Martins and Carnegie Mellon University. natebertone.com @natebertone @lettersfromwarplay Robert L. Rucinski (Assistant Music Director). Past NSMT credits include: Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol '04-'07 & '10-'17, 42nd Street, School House Rock Live Jr., 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 is thrilled to be returning to NSMT this season. In the past year, he was music director for shows such as Young Frankenstein, Spring Awakening, and an award-winning production of Urinetown at the various high school and university theater programs at which he works. A native of Jersey City, NJ, he now lives in Arlington, MA. 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. 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. 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 in its twelfth year of operation in Wakefield, RI (theatrebythesea.com). 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. Kevin P. Hill (Producing Artistic Director). Born and raised in Waltham, Massachusetts, Kevin began his theatrical career as 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 credits as a performer 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. He 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 at the New Amsterdam Theatre and assistant to the choreographer on the revival of Guys and Dolls. He directed and choreographed A Christmas Carol, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, Sister Act, and Mamma Mia! here at NSMT, and Mamma Mia!, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Sister Act, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Grease at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea in Rhode Island, where he is also Producing Artistic Director. Kevin has been nominated as Best Director/Choreographer for his work on Smokey Joe's Café, 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 five Broadway World awards and two Motif awards for his productions of Mary Poppins and Young Frankenstein. Future projects include an original danced play called Standing Still. As a Professor of Dance, Kevin has been on faculty at Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University and most recently The Boston Conservatory of Music. Kevin is a proud member of SDC, AEA and Dance Masters of New England, Chapter 5. Matthew Chappell (Associate Producer/Casting) is honored to join this remarkable creative team as resident Casting Director and Associate Producer for Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre and resident Casting Director for Theatre By The Sea. An accomplished performer, he is fortunate to have worked all over the world in more than 30 productions, including several shows at NSMT, as lead vocalist in Stephen Schwartz’s Magic To Do for Princess Cruise Lines, and appearances at Feinstein’s/54 Below, The Duplex, Carnegie Hall, and The Metropolitan Room. For many years, Matthew worked as a talent agent, casting associate, and photographer for Heyman Talent Agency, specializing in TV/film, commercials, runway, print and voiceovers. He is a former Associate Producer for Encore International, casting and producing shows for theme parks, cruise ships, and corporate events. Music Theatre International (MTIShows.com) is one of the world’s leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theatres from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 60,000 theatrical organizations in the U.S. and in over 60 countries worldwide. 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. www.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. |
