The Pirate Queen
A musical based on the life of Irish Chieftain Grace O'Malley
Press Release:
Riverdance producers Moya Doherty and John McColgan announce full cast of 39, Broadway venue and opening date of Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schönberg’s The Pirate Queen
starring
Stephanie J. Block, Hadley Fraser*, Linda Balgord, Marcus Chait, Jeff McCarthy & William Youmans
Directed by Frank Galati
Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s The Pirate Queen, the spectacular new musical from the authors of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, will begin previews on Broadway beginning February 23rd, 2007, opening March 22nd, 2007 at the Hilton Theatre (214 West 43rd Street, NYC) on Broadway, following a World Premiere engagement at the Chicago Cadillac Palace Theatre from October 3rd through November 26th, 2006.
The cast of 39 is led by Stephanie J. Block (Grace O’Malley), Hadley Fraser* (Tiernan),
Linda Balgord (Queen Elizabeth I), Marcus Chait (Donal), Jeff McCarthy (Dubhdara) and
William Youmans (Bingham). The company also includes Nick Adams, Richard Todd Adams, Caitlin Allen, Sean Beglan, Timothy W. Bish, Jerad Bortz, Troy Edward Bowles, Grady McLeod Bowman, Rachel Bress, Don Brewer, Kimilee Bryant, Alexis Ann Carra, Áine Uí Cheallaigh*, Noelle Curran, Bobbie-Ann Dunn, Brooke Elliott, Christopher Garbrecht, Eric Hatch, Cristin J. Hubbard, David Koch, Timothy Kochka, Jamie LaVerdiere, Joseph Mahowald, Tokiko Masuda, Padraic Moyles, Brian O’Brien, Kyle James O’Connor, Michael James Scott, Greg Stone, Katie E. Tomlinson, Daniel Torres, Jennifer Waiser, Briana Yacavone.
*Hadley Fraser & Áine Uí Cheallaigh are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production.
The Pirate Queen is an epic musical adventure celebrating the legendary Irish Chieftain Grace O’Malley. Based on her real-life story, The Pirate Queen tells of a compelling, inspirational woman; a heroine who led an extraordinary life as a pirate, chieftain, lover and mother in 16th century Ireland. Commissioned and produced by Moya Doherty and John McColgan, the producers of Riverdance, this new musical combines classic storytelling and a sweeping score, with the powerful, vibrant traditions of Irish dance and song, to create a modern musical event that is both an historic romance and a timeless epic.
The Pirate Queen features a new score from the Tony Award-winning team of Alain Boublil and
Claude-Michel Schönberg, one of the most successful teams of author/composers in musical theatre. The new musical will be directed by Tony Award-winner Frank Galati.
The creative team for The Pirate Queen also includes choreographer Mark Dendy, who recently worked at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on Julie Taymor’s The Magic Flute; John Dempsey (Witches of Eastwick) who has co-written the lyrics; Julian Kelly, principal orchestrator and musical director; three-time Tony® Award-winner Eugene Lee (Wicked), who sets the scene from the deck of the ship which Grace captains to the court of Queen Elizabeth I where the two remarkable women once met; two-time Tony® Award-winner Martin Pakledinaz (Kiss Me, Kate) designing the costumes; four-time Tony® nominee Kenneth Posner (Wicked) creating the lighting design; Jonathan Deans (Ragtime) creating the sound design. Carol Leavy Joyce (Irish dance choreography), J. Steven White (Fight director), Paul Rubin (Aerial design), Paul Huntley (Wig design), Angelina Avallone (Make-up design), Howard Werner (Projection design), Greg Meeh (Special effects), Tara Young (Associate director), Rachel Bress (Associate choreographer), Peter Lamb (Production Manager). Frank Scardino, Theatre Production Group LLC is the General Manager, and
Edgar Dobie is the Executive Producer.
The Pirate Queen is based upon the novel Grania - She-King of the Irish Seas by Morgan Llywelyn.
Tickets for the World Premiere engagement of The Pirate Queen in Chicago are currently on sale at the Chicago Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph Street), the Broadway In Chicago box office at 24 W. Randolph St., the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312)902-1400, at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including all Carson Pirie Scott stores, Tower Records, Hot Tix, select Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com. Single tickets range in price from $28 - $85.
Websites: www.thepiratequeen.com and www.broadwayinchicago.com.
BIOGRAPHIES:
STEPHANIE J. BLOCK (Grace “Grania” O’Malley). Broadway audiences know Stephanie for her portrayal as Liza Minnelli opposite Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz. Stephanie just recently starred in the first national touring company of Wicked as Elphaba for which she won the 2006 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress. Some of her regional credits include Funny Girl, Crazy For You (2002 Ovation Award Nominee), Oliver (2001 Critics Award-Best Actress), James Joyce’s The Dead (The Ahmanson Theatre and Kennedy Center), I Love A Piano (the Denver Center), The Grass Harp (Pasadena Playhouse), Bells Are Ringing (Reprise!) and the World Premiere of Wicked. Her voice can be heard on the original cast recording of The Boy From Oz and numerous commercial jingles including the singing voice of Barbie. She is currently recording her debut solo album. She is a proud member of The Musical Theatre Guild and has been a member of Actors' Equity since 1995. www.stephaniejblock.com
HADLEY FRASER* (Tiernan) West End/UK: Pacific Overtures (Kayama Yesaemon), Assassins (John Wilkes Booth), Longitude (William), The Far Pavilions (Ash), Putting it Together (Various), One Day More (Various), The Shaughraun (Captain Molineux), The Pirates Of Penzance, (Frederick), Peter Pan (Curly), Les Misérables (Marius), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), Blues Brothers…Live! (Jake Blues), Assassins (Zangara), Far Far Away (Leonard).
LINDA BALGORD (Queen Elizabeth I). Broadway: La Cage aux Folles (Mme. Dindon), Passion (Fosca’s Mother), Cats (Grizabella). First national tour: Sunset Boulevard (Norma Desmond), Aspects of Love (Rose Vibert). Regional: The Fix (Violet), Funny Girl (Fanny), Evita (Eva) and Man of La Mancha (Aldonza).
MARCUS CHAIT (Donal) was most recently seen in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award winning Million Dollar Baby and Niki Caro's North Country. On Broadway he originated the role of Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy and starred opposite Frank Langella in Cyrano de Bergerac at The Roundabout. Other favorite roles include Barrett in Titanic (Joseph Jefferson and Helen Hayes nominations), the title role in the World Premiere of Birdy, and Chris in Miss Saigon. TV appearances include “ER”, “CSI: Miam”, “Numbers”, “Without a Trace” and “Crossing Jordan”. A Carnegie-Mellon graduate, Marcus is co-founder of GhostLight Entertainment, an independent film company. For Zoe.
JEFF McCARTHY (Dubhdara). Broadway: Urinetown (Officer Lockstock), Side Show (Terry Connor), Beauty and the Beast (Beast), Smile (Big Bob Freelander), Zorba (Nikos). Los Angeles theatre: Les Misérables, Three Sisters, City of Angels. Off-Broadway: Dream True (Vineyard), Sympathetic Magic (Second Stage). Regional: Arms and the Man (Huntington), The Misanthrope (Guthrie), Henry IV (Indiana Rep), Sunday in the Park with George (Seattle Rep), A Lie of the Mind (Denver Center).
WILLIAM YOUMANS (Bingham). Original Broadway casts: Wicked, Baz Luhrman’s La Bohème, Titanic, Big River, The Little Foxes (with Elizabeth Taylor). Off-Broadway: Miracle Brothers (Vineyard), The Widow Claire (Circle in the Square), Weird Romance (Alan Menken musical), Orphan of Zhao (Lincoln Center), Flux (Public) Henry V (Delacorte). Film: Mrs. Soffel, Compromising Positions, Nadine, Fresh Horses, A League of Their Own. TV: Every cop show for past 20 years. Also, “The Little Match Girl”, “Separate But Equal”, “The Private History of a Campaign That Failed” (Peabody Award).
NICK ADAMS (Ensemble). Broadway: Chicago (Mary Sunshine standby). US/International Tour: Chicago (Swing, Fred Casely u/s, Mary Sunshine u/s). Regional: Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, The MUNY. Training: Boston Conservatory (BFA Musical Theatre), Lake Erie Ballet, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago.
RICHARD TODD ADAMS (Ensemble, Donal u/s, Bingham u/s). Broadway: The Woman in White. Off-Broadway: Little Fish, Listen to My Heart. National tours: The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul). Regional: Caraboo, Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Ragtime, 2 Pianos, 4 Hands. Training: The Juilliard School.
CAITLIN ALLEN (Ensemble) Broadway: Riverdance. National Tour: Riverdance. Eight-time World and All-Ireland medalist, two-time North American Champion; winner of North American Junior Cup, NFAA Scholarship, 1997 Presidential Scholar. University of Notre Dame (BBA), Account Supervisor at Weber Shandwick Worldwide.
SEAN BEGLAN (Ensemble). TCRG has over twenty years dance experience. He has toured the world, most notably with Riverdance where he was the principal lead. A certified Irish dance instructor, Sean hails from Co. Cavan, Ireland.
TIMOTHY W. BISH (Ensemble) is thrilled to be joining The Pirate Queen. Broadway: Movin' Out, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Tours: Swing! Companies: Parsons Dance, Dendy Dance. Regional: Camille Claudel, Carousel, Sweet Charity. Thank you friends, family and especially Mom.
JERAD BORTZ (Ensemble). On Broadway has performed Sky in Mamma Mia!, Fiyero in Wicked and Actor’s Fund’s Chess and Hair. Other NYC credits include the workshops of Sweet Charity, Robin Hood, and Flyer, the Musical. Ithaca, DGRW, AEA.
TROY EDWARD BOWLES (Ensemble). Broadway: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (original cast). National Tour: Movin' Out (James). NY City Opera, Radio City Christmas
Spectacular, NY Musical Theatre Festival, Cedar Lake Contemporary
Ballet, Disney World, Tokyo Disney. Love to Caron and Ed!
GRADY MCLEOD BOWMAN (Ensemble). Broadway debut. Fayetteville, NC native. NC School of the Arts BFA (2005). Tour: Fosse. Regional: Marriott Theatre (IL), Fulton Opera House, NC Theatre. Film/TV: Forrest Gump, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles”. Family, friends, & God - thanks for everything! www.gradymcleodbowman.com
RACHEL BRESS (Associate Choreographer/Ensemble ). Associate/assistant choreography: Dirty Blonde (Broadway), Old Money (Lincoln Center), Carol King: Making Music with Friends (Madison Square Garden), On a Clear Day and The Apple Tree (City Center, Encores!), Pippin (Goodspeed / National Tour). Choreography: NBA All-Star Half-time (NBC), Sex and the City (HBO), Apt. 3A by Jeff Daniels (NYC). Performance: Mamma Mia! (Broadway), West Side Story (National Tour), Most Happy Fella (NYC Opera).
DON BREWER (Ensemble). Recent credits include: Les Misérables (Broadway and National tour), The Who's Tommy (National Tour), The Will Rogers Follies (National Tour). Favorite roles: Father to beautiful baby girl Georgia, and husband to beautiful wife Lisa.
KIMILEE BRYANT (Ensemble) played Christine in Phantom of the Opera (Broadway, Switzerland, Toronto, Tour). City Center: Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, Josephine in Pinafore, Casilda in Gondoliers and Encores! Bye Bye Birdie. Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music. www.kimileebryant.com
ALEXIS ANN CARRA (Ensemble) has her BA in Theatre Studies from Yale University. Broadway: Sweet Charity (assistant dance captain, swing, u/s Nickie), Wicked. National Tour: Fosse. Other credits: Sacramento Music Circus, Oklahoma!, Fame on 42nd St. Love & thanks to family and friends. Om Shanti.
ÁINE UÍ CHEALLAIGH * (Evleen) was the solo singer with Riverdance on its very first run. She is recognized as one of the most outstanding traditional singers in Ireland and has won the Gold Medal for sean-nós singing on two occasions.
NOELLE CURRAN (Ensemble) has been Irish dancing since she was five, and is a two time World Champion. She performed in Riverdance for five years, and earned a Masters degree in Physical Therapy from Boston University.
BOBBIE-ANN DUNN (Ensemble) has trained extensively in numerous dance styles, with Cashel-Dennehy School of Irish Dance, Milwaukee Ballet, and in Graham and Horton techniques. She has competed, performed and received awards worldwide, recently toured with Riverdance.
BROOKE ELLIOTT (Ensemble) was recently seen in the first national tour of Wicked. Other credits include: Taboo (Broadway), Beauty and the Beast (National Tour). TV: “Law & Order: Trial by Jury”, ABC’s “The View”. Love to my family.
CHRISTOPHER GARBRECHT (Ensemble) most recently portrayed the Boatman in Ravinia’s production of Sunday in the Park with George after having played the same role at Chicago Shakespeare. He was also seen in the title role in Phantom in Chicago, Indianapolis and New York.
ERIC HATCH (Ensemble) is excited to be making his Broadway debut. Regional: Walnut St., North Shore Music Theatre, and PCLO. Graduate of Point Park College. Thanks to my hope and foundation: mom, family, Charice and friends. Proud AEA member.
CRISTIN J. HUBBARD (Ensemble). NYC: Chess, Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill. Regional: The Boyfriend (directed byJulie Andrews), Aida, A Little Night Music (Goodspead), Secret Garden (Sacramento Music Circus and North Shore), Camelot, Sweeney Todd. AEA member. Many thanks family, teachers, friends.
DAVID KOCH (Ensemble). NY: Jekyll & Hyde (Original Broadway Cast), Pajama Game (NY City Opera), Chess (Off-Broadway), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Pre-Broadway). Tours: The Producers, Copacabana, Jekyll, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Regional: Chicago, South Pacific, Damn Yankees, Kismet and Show Boat (also filmed for PBS).
TIMOTHY KOCHKA (Ensemble) has the distinction of winning the World Irish Dance Championships two times and the All Ireland Championships three times. Since 2000, Tim has performed with Riverdance on Broadway, the North American and Asian tours.
JAMIE LAVERDIERE (Ensemble). Broadway: The Producers (Original Company). Tours: Urinetown (First National), A Chorus Line (Europe). Off-Broadway: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Cam Jansen. Favorite roles: Billy (Anything Goes), Puck (Midsummer Night's Dream), Leo (The Producers). Thanks Pete and Bev.
JOSEPH MAHOWALD (Ensemble). Broadway, Off-Broadway, recording, film, television and regional theatre. Soloist at Carnegie Hall, and with over a score of major Symphonies around the world. For my children, Molly and Patrick who keep the pirate in me alive! www.josephmahowald.com
TOKIKO MASUDO (Ensemble) started dancing at age seven. After earning numerous titles, she joined Riverdance in 1998. She toured Europe, Asia, and North America, and did the run on Broadway. Kiki is excited about The Pirate Queen!
PADRAIC MOYLES (Ensemble). Dance credits: The Irish Reps production of Grandchild of Kings directed by Harold Prince, Riverdance (principal and dance captain). Padraic would like to thank his parents, family and friends for their continued support.
BRIAN O’BRIEN (Ensemble). Broadway/NY: Beast/Gaston cover in Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, Steel Pier, Anything Goes (Lincoln Center Benefit), My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs (City Center/PBS). AEA.
KYLE JAMES O'CONNOR (Ensemble) performed and competed in Irish dancing since childhood. 2002 North American Champion. He toured North America with Riverdance (2003-2005) as a dancer and choir member. Thanks to his family for love and support.
MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT (Ensemble). Broadway: Mamma Mia!, All Shook Up. Off-Broadway: Here's to the Public!. Tour: Fosse (standby for Ben Vereen), Mamma Mia! (first national tour). Regional: Aida, Cinderella, South Pacific, Ragtime. B.F.A. from Webster Conservatory. Love to Family and Friends. www.michaeljamesscott.com
GREG STONE (Ensemble). Broadway: Les Misérables, Oklahoma!, Urban Cowboy. Greg has starred in the national tours of Les Mis and Miss Saigon as Jean Valjean and Chris respectively. Much love to his beautiful wife Chelsea.
KATIE E. TOMLINSON (Ensemble) is thrilled to be onboard with The Pirate Queen! Favorite roles include: Lily in The Secret Garden, Rosemary in How to Succeed… and Estella in Great Expectations. Bachelor of Music, New England Conservatory. For Mom and Dad.
DANIEL TORRES (Ensemble). Broadway: The Woman in White (Walter Hartright u/s, Performed), A Christmas Carol (Young Scrooge). Off-Broadway: Altar Boyz (Juan). Sundance: Most Wanted (Danny Reyes). CCM Grad. Thanks to family, friends and Nicolosi & Co. www.danieltorres.net
JENNIFER WAISER (Ensemble). Selected credits: Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof (Stratford Festival), Jane Eyre (Mirvish), The Diary of Anne Frank (Anne). Received Dora nominations for Little Sally in Canadian premiere of Urinetown and The Boy Jones.
BRIANA YACAVONE (Ensemble) comes directly from the Broadway, Touring and Chicago companies of Wicked. Credits include Hal Prince and Larry Fuller’s Evita, as well as West Side Story at La Scala Opera, Milan. Love to parents, Stephen and Isabel the cat.
THE PIRATE QUEEN
Creative Team Biographies
ALAIN BOUBLIL’s (Book and Lyrics) first musical, La Révolution Française (written in collaboration with Claude-Michel Schönberg, Jean-Max Rivière and Raymond Jeannot), was first staged in Paris in 1973, attracted 300,000 spectators and won numerous awards. The collaboration between Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg continued, producing the most performed musical in the world: Les Misérables (over 51 million spectators to date in 32 countries and two Tony® Awards on Broadway). They went on to create Miss Saigon (over 30 million spectators worldwide, and Evening Standard Award for Best London Musical in 1990), and Martin Guerre (Olivier Award for Best Musical in 1997). Alain is also the author of a play, Le Journal d’Adam et Eve, based on two short stories by Mark Twain, and performed in Paris in 1994. His first novel, Les Dessous de Soi, recently published, won the French Prince Maurice Award. Alain wrote the stage adaptation and the new songs for Jacques Demy’s and Michel Legrand’s “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort”.
CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG (Book and Music). Born in 1944 of Hungarian parents, Claude-Michel Schönberg began his career as a singer, writer and producer of popular songs. He wrote the musical score of La Révolution Française, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Martin Guerre. He has also supervised overseas productions of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon and co-produced several international cast albums of his shows. In 2001 he composed his first ballet score, Wuthering Heights, which was created by the Northern Ballet Theatre in September 2002. Now The Pirate Queen is his sixth complete score. In 2003 Claude-Michel Schönberg married the English ballerina Charlotte Talbot. He is the father of one son and two daughters.
FRANK GALATI (Director) won two Tony® Awards in 1990 for his highly praised adaptation and direction of Steppenwolf’s production of The Grapes of Wrath on Broadway. He was nominated for a Tony® Award in 1998 for directing the musical Ragtime. Other Steppenwolf productions include after the quake, Homebody/Kabul, The Royal Family, Morning Star, Valparaiso, You Can't Take It with You, Aunt Dan and Lemon, Born Yesterday, Earthly Possessions, As I Lay Dying and Everyman. His productions at the Goodman Theatre, where he has been an associate director since 1986, include She Always Said Pablo, The Winter's Tale, The Good Person of Setzuan and Cry the Beloved Country. He has staged operas for Chicago Opera Theatre and for the Lyric Opera including The Voyage of Edgar Allen Poe and William Balcom's View from the Bridge seen at the Metropolitan Opera in 2000. In 1989 Mr. Galati was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay (with Lawrence Kasdan) of The Accidental Tourist. Mr. Galati is a professor in the department of performance studies at Northwestern University.
MARK DENDY (Choreographer). Artistic director of Mark Dendy Dance and Theater from 1983 to 2000, touring the world and performing in NYC at The Joyce Theatre, Lincoln Center, Dance Theater Workshop and Performance Space 122. Recipient of the 2000 Alpert Award in the Arts, numerous National Endowment, NYSCA and foundation fellowships, and the 1997 New York Dance and Performance Award, “The Bessie” for sustained achievement with his company. Broadway: Taboo 2003, The Pirate Queen, upcoming. Off Broadway: The Wild Party (Lippa, Manhattan Theatre Club), 2000 Obie Award, Joseph Calloway Award, Drama Desk Nomination, best choreography. Regional: Baptiste, The Dybbuk (Hartford Stage), Camille (Goodspeed Musicals) Carnivale (Radio City Music Hall, Graciella Danielle), The Magic Flute (The Metropolitan Opera, Julie Taymor).
JOHN DEMPSEY (Co-lyricist) wrote book and lyrics for The Witches of Eastwick (London, Melbourne, Tokyo, Moscow), The Fix (Donmar Warehouse, directed by Sam Mendes), Zombie Prom (New York), Circles and Dick Whittington. He wrote lyrics for the musicals A Country Christmas Carol and The Reluctant Dragon as well as for the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus. Plays include One Miracle in a Lifetime and The Greater Goode. He has received two Olivier Award nominations for The Witches Of Eastwick and The Fix, and is the recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Fellowship for Playwriting.
JULIAN KELLY (Music Director/Orchestrator) has developed an international reputation as a conductor, musical director and arranger in the concert hall, recording studio and theatre. Recent theatre credits in London and the provinces include Stephen Sondheim's Company, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Pacific Overtures, Follies, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park With George and A Little Night Music, the Kander and Ebb musicals Chicago, 70, Girls, 70! and The Rink, Jerry Herman's Mack and Mabel and The Best of Times, West Side Story, Oliver!, The King and I, Carousel, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Calamity Jane, Piaf, Damn Yankees, Singin' In the Rain and On Your Toes starring Adam Cooper. Following conducting engagements at Sydney Opera House, London's Royal Festival Hall and Sadler's Wells Theatre, Julian is delighted to return to both Chicago and New York having been Musical Director of Riverdance on previous occasions in both cities.
EUGENE LEE (Set Design) has been Resident Designer at Trinity Repertory since 1967. He has a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, a MFA from Yale Drama School, and honorary Ph.D’s from DePaul University, Rhode Island College, and Rhode Island School of Design. Mr. Lee has won three Tony® Awards for his work on Broadway, for Bernstein’s Candide, Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, and Schwartz’s Wicked. Other New York work includes Slaveship, Alice in Wonderland, The Normal Heart, Agnes of God, Grandchild of Kings, Uncle Vanya, Showboat, Ragtime (Tony® nomination), and A Number. He is the production designer for NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”. Filmwork includes Easy Money, Coppola’s Hammett, Huston’s Mr. North, and Malle’s Vanya on 42nd Street. Other awards include the Drama Desk Award, the American Theatre Wing’s Design Award, the Outer Critics’ Circle Award, and the Pell Award. He has been nominated three times for the Emmy® Award. He is an adjunct professor at Brown University, and lives with his wife Brooke in Providence, where they raised their two sons.
MARTIN PAKLEDINAZ (Costume Designer) received the Tony Award for Thoroughly Modern Millie, directed by Michael Mayer, and Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for this show. In 2001, he received the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Michael Blakemore’s award-winning production of Kiss Me, Kate. The same year, he received the Lucille Lortel Award for his work on Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party, and Waste directed by Bartlett Sher. Recent New York productions include Wonderful Town at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre directed by Kathleen Marshall, Two Gentlemen of Verona for New York Shakespeare Festival, Juvenilia at Playwrights Horizons, the musicals The Look of Love (for the Roundabout at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, directed by Scott Ellis) and A Year with Frog and Toad (at the Cort, directed by David Petrarca), Kimberly Akimbo for Manhattan Theatre Club and The Boys from Syracuse for the Roundabout. Other New York work includes The Life (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), directed by Michael Blakemore; James Lapine’s productions of The Diary of Anne Frank, Twelve Dreams and Golden Child (Tony nomination); The Misanthrope, starring Roger Rees and Uma Thurman (Obie Award); A Thousand Clowns; Taller Than a Dwarf; Give Me Your Answer Do; Anna Christie, directed by David Leveaux; Kevin Kline’s Hamlet; and Troilus and Cressida, directed by Sir Peter Hall. Recent regional productions include Three Sisters at Intiman Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher.
KENNETH POSNER (Lighting Design). Broadway: Wicked, Hairspray, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Nominations), The Odd Couple, Glen Garry Glenross, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony Nomination), Little Women, The Frogs, The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, The Goat, Imaginary Friends, The Smell of the Kill, Swing, The Man Who Had All The Luck, Uncle Vanya, Side Man (Lortel Award), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Lion in Winter, Little Me, A View from the Bridge (Drama Desk Nomination), The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Getting Away with Murder, The Little Foxes, The Rose Tattoo, The Father and The Rehearsal. Off-Broadway: Valhalla, The Wild Party (Lortel Award, Drama Desk, and Outer Circle Critics Nominations), The Play About the Baby, Tick-Tick-Boom, The Waverly Gallery, That Chapionship Season, Pride’s Crossing (Lortel Award), As Bees in Honey Drown, Cowgirls, The Food Chain, Suburbia and numerous productions for Playwrights Horizons, The Public, Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, The Vineyard, and Classic Stage Company. Opera credits include designs for the New York City Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Obie for Sustained excellence in lighting design.
JONATHAN DEANS (Sound Designer) theatrical credits on Broadway include Lestat, Brooklyn, Taboo, Follies, Seussical, Music Man, Fosse, Parade, Ragtime, Candide, Disney's King David. Las Vegas venues include EFX, Seigfried and Roy, Masquerade Parade and Cirque du Soleil’s Love, Ka, Zumanity, “O”, Mystere and La Nouba in Orlando and a tour of Corteo. He is known for his advance audio applications and designs for theater and likes to bring something new to every production to further the audience’s enjoyment of sound. He currently holds a position at UCLA teaching a MFA in Theater Sound Design.
CAROL LEAVY JOYCE (Irish Dance Step Choreography) is a teacher and an adjudicator of Irish dance. During her dancing career she has won many titles including three World Titles. For eight years she worked with Riverdance as Irish Dance Director and then Assistant Director. Her responsibilities included auditioning and training the dancers and she also contributed new choreography to the Show.
J. STEVEN WHITE (Fight Director). Broadway: 18 productions including Pillowman, The Color Purple, and A View From the Bridge. Off-Broadway favorites: Burn This and Hurly Burley. Public Theater: 22 shows including The Tempest, Julius Casesar, The Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, King Lear, A Language of their Own, and Cymbeline. Faculty Member: Graduate Acting Program at NYU-Tisch, the Stella Adler Studio, and Columbia University MFA.
PAUL RUBIN (Aerial Sequence Designer). Broadway: Wicked, Frozen, Peter Pan, The Green Bird, Kiss Me, Kate, Dance of the Vampires, Fiddler on the Roof and Saturday Night Fever. National Tours: Seussical, Spiderman Stunt Spectacular, Dora the Explorer, Doctor Dolittle, Blue's Clues, Scooby-Doo, and Cathy Rigby’s farewell Peter Pan tour. Television: “The Tony Awards”, CNN, “The Rosie O’Donnell Show”, “Entertainment Tonight” and A&E’s “Peter Pan”. www.theflyguy.com
PAUL HUNTLEY (Wig Designer). London-born, is a Special Tony Award winner. Current Broadway shows include The Producers, Hairspray, Sweeny Todd. Upcoming: Grey Gardens, Curtains. Movies: Fast Track, Anna Paquin in X-Men 3, Ralph Fiennes in Doris, Jennifer Lopez in La Cante, Christopher Walken in Balls of Fire, and Susan Sarandon in Enchanted. TV series include “Kidnapped”.
ANGELINA AVALLONE (Make-up Consultant). Broadway: The Color Purple, Sweeney Todd, The Pajama Game, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Light in the Piazza, Grey Gardens, Lestat, The Odd Couple, All Shook Up, Lennon, Seascape, Sweet Charity, The Pillowman, Wonderful Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Gypsy, Little Shop of Horrors, Dance of the Vampires, Dracula the Musical and Julius Caesar.
HOWARD WERNER (Projection) has created lighting and projection designs for theater, architectural installations, trade shows and corporate events for 25 years. Past Projects: Lestat, Say Goodnight, Gracie, EFX, Lights of Liberty, Xerox, DaimlerChrysler, Nintendo, and Audi. Howard is a principal and senior designer of Lightswitch, a design consortium founded in 1993. www.lightswitch.net
GREGORY MEEH (Special Effects Design) designs, builds and supplies special effects for theatre, opera, dance, industrials, television, film and print. Some recent credits include Ka for Cirque Du Soleil, Lord of the Rings in Toronto, the Broadway productions of Spamalot, An Inspector Calls (Drama Desk Award), Angels in America, Tommy, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and the television productions of “Fool’s Fire” for American Playhouse, “Late Show,” “SNL,” and “One Life to Live.”
TARA RUBIN CASTING (Casting). Broadway: Spamalot; Spelling Bee; The Producers; Mamma Mia!; Phantom; Good Vibrations; Bombay Dreams; Oklahoma!; Flower Drum Song; Imaginary Friends; Metamorphoses. National tour: Disney’s On the Record; Les Miserables. Lincoln Center: The Frogs; Contact; Thou Shalt Not; A Man of No Importance; Anything Goes (concert). Off-Broadway: Second Stage. Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival; Kennedy Center; La Jolla Playhouse; Yale Rep. Film: The Producers. Ms. Rubin is a member of the Casting Society of America.
FRANK P. SCARDINO (General Management) formed Theatre Production Group LLC as a production and management company. He has served as executive producer or general manager for Follies (Broadway), Ragtime (Broadway, Los Angeles, Toronto and Tour), The Phantom of the Opera (Toronto and International Tour), Sunset Blvd (Toronto), To Grandmother’s House We Go (Broadway), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond (Chicago, Toronto and North American Tour), Aspects of Love (Tour), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Broadway and Tour), Showboat (Broadway, Toronto, Chicago and Tour) Barrymore starring Christopher Plummer (Broadway), Candide (Broadway) and Music of the Night, starring Colm Wilkinson (Tour). Mr. Scardino has been responsible for over 50 productions —Broadway, Off-Broadway, national and regional; and was formerly General Manager for Jujamcyn Theatres and Productions. His other Broadway credits include The 1940’S Radio Hour, On The Twentieth Century, Pippin, The Mikado, and the original company of Chicago, among others. Theatre Production Group has managed Laughing Room Only starring Jackie Mason, the Will Rogers Follies tour starring Larry Gatlin, Immigrant the Musical and Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed. www.theatreproductiongroup.com
EDGAR DOBIE (Executive Producer) is currently the North American Executive Producer for Riverdream and the Executive Director of Trinity Rep, a regional theatre company based in Providence, RI. Mr Dobie joined Trinity Rep as Executive Director on September 10th 2001. With roots in non-profit theatre management, he is a successful commercial theatre producer. His Broadway credits include Sunset Boulevard (Tony Award for Best Musical), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Paul Simon's The Capeman and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He also served as the managing producer for the 1999 and 2000 Tony Awards. Mr Dobie has worked in nonprofit theatre, notably as founding managing director of Toronto's Canadian Stage Company. His commercial theatre career began producing the Toronto and touring productions of The Phantom of the Opera. For six years he was president of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Company, overseeing all North American operations. He continues as a board member of Rhode Island Citizens for the Arts, and member of the National Corporate Theatre Fund and the Advisory Board of the Actor's Fund.
RONAN SMITH (Executive Producer, Development) has worked since 2001 on the development and production of a wide range of projects for Riverdream, and prior to that he worked from 1997 to 2001 on the world tours of Riverdance as Director of Operations, responsible for the logistics of moving the numerous companies around the globe. His background is in Irish theatre, starting as an actor (including international tours with the Abbey Theatre), as Artistic Director of TEAM Theatre (a theatre-in-education company), as Executive Director of the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and as Executive Producer for Groundwork (an independent production company that produced mainly in the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin but also toured internationally). He is currently Chair of the Board of The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children. The Ark is a unique and internationally renowned institution that has developed innovative programmes for children in all art forms, and has attracted significant international attention for its work. He has also served on the Boards of a variety of Dublin based arts organisation such as the Dublin Fringe Festival, the Olympia Theatre, Project Arts Centre, Second Age Theatre Company and Tallaght Community Arts Centre.
MOYA DOHERTY’s (Producer) career includes theatre, radio and a distinguished and award-winning track record in television production, both in Ireland and the UK. Moya is the producer of Riverdance, the worldwide acclaimed theatrical phenomenon, which premiered in Dublin’s Point Theatre in February 1995. She is a director of Tyrone Productions, Ireland’s leading independent television production company, whose output includes drama, documentary and entertainment programming. She was a founding Director of Today FM – Ireland’s national commercial radio station and as a member of the Board of the Dublin Theatre Festival Moya is heavily involved in promoting new and challenging theatrical work in Ireland. Moya has won many awards and accolades over the years. She has been named Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year; she has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and has been bestowed with honorary doctorates from the University of Ulster and from the National University of Ireland in recognition of her success and her ongoing commitment to the world of the arts in Ireland.
JOHN McCOLGAN’s (Producer & Creative Director) career as a highly successful television director began in the mid seventies in RTÉ Television (Ireland’s national broadcasting station) where he went on to become Head of Entertainment. He is a founding director of Tyrone Productions, Ireland’s premier independent television production company and is Chairman of Today FM, Ireland’s national commercial radio station. He played a key role in the evolution of Riverdance from the original seven-minute dance number and went on to direct the full stage-show spectacular. John has been closely involved with the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre – he was on the Board of the Theatre for five years, served as Chairman of the Abbey Centenary Committee and directed a critically-acclaimed production of the 19th century melodrama The Shaughraun for the theatre. Currently John is also involved in developing Magick Macabre, a theatrical show of magic, horror and illusion. John has received many awards during his career, including an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the National University of Ireland in recognition of his services to the arts and entertainment industry.
Author: The Celtic Cafe
