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WHO'S WHO IN THE CAST
Harvey Fierstein (Book) is a four-time Tony Award-winning writer and actor. His Broadway writing credits include Kinky Boots, Torch Song Trilogy (Tony, Drama Desk, Dramatists Guild Awards), Casa Valentina, Safe Sex, Legs Diamond and A Catered Affair (12 Drama Desk nominations and the Drama League Award for Best Musical). His La Cage Aux Folles is the only show to ever win Best Musical and 2 Best Revival Tony Awards. Other plays include Spookhouse, Forget Him and Flatbush Tosca. His teleplays include “Tidy Endings” for HBO (ACE Award), and “On Common Ground” for Showtime. His children’s HBO special, “The Sissy Duckling,” won the Humanitas Prize and the book version is in its eighth printing. Other honors include the Drama League Award for Outstanding Performer of the Year, a special OBIE award, NY Magazine Award, and nominations for The Olivier Award and an Emmy. His political writings have been seen on PBS’ series “In the Life” and published in The NY Times, Huffington Post and Hartford Courant. He was inducted into The Theater Hall of Fame in 2008 and author of the New York Times best-selling memoir, I Was Better Last Night.
Cyndi Lauper (Music & Lyrics) is a groundbreaking Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning songwriter, performer and activist. She won her first Grammy Award for She’s So Unusual in 1985 and became the first woman in history to have four top-five singles from a debut album. She has gone on to release ten additional studio albums, yielding timeless classics like “Time After Time,” “True Colors” and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” with global record sales in excess of 50 million. In 2013, Lauper became the first solo woman to win a Tony Award for Best Score (for Kinky Boots), and also won her second Grammy Award for the show. Lauper was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015, released a New York Times best-selling memoir, and continues to collect impressive accolades across the music industry and beyond. She is also a tireless activist and advocate for women and the LGBTQ+ community; in 2008, she founded True Colors United, to bring an end to homelessness amongst LGBTQ+ youth. In December 2019, the United Nations presented her with their first-ever High Note Global Prize, an award given to artists who use their significant platforms to fight for social justice. Lauper is currently writing the score for the upcoming Broadway adaptation of Working Girl. @cyndilauper Kevin P. Hill (Director & Choreographer, 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 Rodger + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Mamma Mia!, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, A Christmas Carol, Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, and Sister Act here at NSMT and Kinky Boots, 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 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 Broadway World 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 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. Dan Rodriguez (Music Director) is happy to return to NSMT for Kinky Boots following his recent work on NSMT’s Little Shop of Horrors. Dan’s recent area credits include work with the Lyric Stage Company (The Last Five Years, Little Shop of Horrors), the Front Porch Arts Collective (Ain’t Misbehavin’), Huntington Theatre Company (Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music), Reagle Music Theater (Pippin, West Side Story), Wheelock Family Theatre (Make Way for Ducklings, In the Heights), American Repertory Theatre (The Lily’s Revenge, The Blue Flower), New Repertory Theater (Hair), Moonbox Productions (Caroline or Change, Cabaret) and many other theaters, as well as work at the Boston Conservatory, Emerson, Brandeis, and other schools. His work has earned him five IRNE Awards for Best Music Direction. Kyle Dixon (Scenic Design). Kyle’s scenic artwork may be seen across the United States, from NYC to Las Vegas. Recent scenic designs include: 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), 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 (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, Kyle accepts fine art commissions and is the designer of North Carolina’s historic Elizabethan Gardens’ Winter Lights. KyleDixonDesigns.com Instagram: @kyle_dixon_designs Kelly Baker (Costume Coordinator/ Additional Costume Design) is so happy to back for another season! Previous NSMT Costume Design/Coordinator credits include: Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Mamma Mia! (‘21, ‘18), The Bodyguard, Sunset Boulevard, Jersey Boys, Freaky Friday, Oklahoma!, A Christmas Carol, Hairspray, Jekyll & Hyde, Peter Pan, as well as TYA shows A Year With Frog and Toad and Curious George: The Golden Meatball. 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 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 Adam Bates (Sound Design) is excited to be designing once again at North Shore Music Theatre where he recently designed Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story and where he has worked since 2019 as their A1/Supervisor. Adam has worked on a variety of shows over the years (since 2008) including tours with Disney On Ice, An American in Paris, and A Christmas Story. Previous sound design work includes (Palace Theatre) Hairspray, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Million Dollar Quartet, Saturday Night Fever, Sister Act, and A Christmas Carol. Rachel Padula-Shufelt (Wig & Hair Design) Previous work at North Shore Music Theatre include 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 Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Carol (‘21) 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 Little Shop of Horrors, Buddy, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Carol ‘16 – ‘19, ‘21, 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) is thrilled to be a part of the 2022 season at NSMT. Past NSMT Music Director credits include A Christmas Carol (‘19), A Year with Frog & Toad, School House Rock Live Jr. Past Assistant Music Director credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Cinderella, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, A Christmas Carol (‘04 – ‘07, ‘10 – ‘18, ‘21), 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 (Casting Director) is honored to continue working with 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. 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. |
