Street Lights (2009)

Carla Duren's Broadway credits include playing Snookie in 110 in the Shade, and Inez in Hairspray. She's had the divine pleasure of being a Harlette for Bette Midler and has lent her vocals to the live performances of other touring artists such as Pink, Deborah Cox, Amel Larrieux, Tamia & Talib Kweli. Carla shares a passion with her character Monique which is singing and songwriting. Her solo album entitled BlackFolkRockStar is now available on iTunes and carladuren.com.

NYMF debut. Chad is thrilled to be in the production of Street Lights, after previously doing the reading at Manhattan Theatre Club Studios. Off-Broadway:The Conscientious Objector, Keen Company. London: Drums on the Dam, ICA (Accidental Festival). Other NYC credits: Polaroid Stories, Hair, The Dybbuk, and In The Blood. TV: 'Law & Order'. B.F.A: NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Member of The Movement Theatre Company.

Gayle has performed in Smokey Joe's Cafe, Once On This Island, Spunk, the multi-award winning play Constant Star, Little Shop of Horrors, Abyssinia, Barnstormer, Strange Case Of Mary Lincoln, Black Nativity, Jerusalem Syndrome - NYMF, "Law and Order: Criminal Intent". She made her Broadway debut in the role of Dorothy in The Wiz as understudy to Stephanie Mills for 3 years. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and obtained a Master of Arts degree in Media Studies from the New School For Social Research.

Twilight in Manchego (NYMF ‘08), Maccabeat (NYMF ‘07), Twist (Kraine Theatre) and Daniella Uses Dirty Words (Abingdon Theatre Company). Regional Theatre: A Chorus Line (Northern Stage), High School Musical and Hairspray (North Shore Music Theatre), Peter Pan (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Hair (Swine Palace). Kevin is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and the Baltimore School for the Arts. Proud member of AEA.

NATIONAL TOUR: Rent (Angel u/s). OFF-BROADWAY: Kingdom (Danny), Public Theatre/QTIP. REGIONAL: Kingdom (Danny), The Old Globe; Kingdom (Andres), ReVision Theatre; Godspell (Jeffrey), Olney Theatre; The Buddy Holly Story (Ritchie Valens), Toby’s Dinner Theatre; Ragtime (Tateh), Lincoln Theater; Such Sweet Thunder (Principal Dancer); Kennedy Center, Leonard Bernstein’s MASS; Kennedy Center. SYNETIC THEATRE: Dracula (Quincey Morris), Host and Guest (Aghaza’s Brother), Master and Margarita (Behemoth), Buratino: The Russian Version of Pinocchio (Buratino). TV/FILM: America's Most Wanted, Tribute to Mikhail Barishnikov, 25th Anniversary Kennedy Center Honors’ Gala (Chita Rivera Tribute). EDUCATION: Miguel is currently studying at The Barrow Group, and has a B.M. in Musical Theater from the Catholic University of America. Thanks to my family, friends, Mom, Dad and Jules for all the love and support!

Broadway: The Story of My Life; Lestat* ; Little Women;  The Rivals; A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum*; Indiscretions.  Off-Broadway: 2 On The Aisle, 3 In A Van; Night Sky; Frankenstein*; Jacques Brel is Alive and Well & Living in Paris; Slut; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change; Saturday Night; Captain's Courageous.  Regional: Ace (Signature); The Producers (North Shore); Carnival (Kennedy Center); The Threepenney Opera (Williamstown); 3hree Musketeers* (AMTSJ); Thoroughly Modern Millie (La Jolla).  Film: Bella, Bourough of Kings.  TC: Adversaries (NBC pilot); Guiding Light.  Education: Carnegie Mellon. Inspiration: Beth, our 3 boys, family and Heaven.  Distraction: Action Figures. (*=recordings)

Virginia is thrilled to be making her NYMF debut in Street Lights! Virginia is an alumni of the Catholic University of America and also studied Shakespeare at the London Dramatic Academy. Recent credits include: Gabriella Montez in High School Musical, and Maria Elena in Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story. She also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra as Rosalia in a West Side Story tribute at the Kennedy Center, and was a member of Washington D.C.’s Urban Dance Team. Much love and thanks to family and friends! No pare, sigue, sigue!

Broadway: The Music Man; Marie Christine. First national Broadway tours: Ragtime, Show Boat. Off Broadway: “Madame Wu-Chan”(s/b) Our Leading Lady, “Delia”- Asylum- The Strange Case of Mary Lincoln “Power Woman”- Menopause the Musical (original N.Y. cast). Regional:  "Sister Hubert" - Meshuggahnuns!, "Bloody Mary" - South Pacific, "Sylvia" - All Shook Up, “Muzzy” – Thoroughly Modern Millie, “Wanda”- Crowns, “Reno Sweeney” - Anything Goes, “Lady Thiang” - The King & I, “Aldonza” - Man of La Mancha, “Joyce Heth” – Barnum. Opera:   “Mercedes” - Carmen.  Film: Menace II Society. 

A native of Mexico City, he has been performing for 14 years. In Mexico City he has been seen in the shows Guys & Dolls, Cats and Rent to mention just a few. He has toured around Brazil, Colombia and Mexico with The Disney Special Events Group and around Germany and Austria with Opera NY in the show The Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber. His voice was featured as the title role in the Dreamworks' animated feature Joseph, King Of Dreams. Roberto has also been seen as a headline singer for Carnival Cruise Lines on seven different ships. To see and hear more about Roberto visit: www.RobertoAraujo.com

Claudeen is a recent graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, 09'. And since, been in three new productions, which include a World Premiere of Charles L. Mee's, Coney Island Avenue (New York Theater Workshop), Rara Avis, and now Streetlights! She is excited to be joining this fabulous cast, and thanks her family and friends for their continuous support. Wake it up!

Geri is thrilled to be making her NYMF debut in Street Lights! She was last seen in the Fringe Festival show Tales from the Tunnel and is currently a junior musical theatre major at Pace University. Love and thanks to Mom, family, friends and Hilda Harris."Music is a freight train on which god travels..."

Jay is excited to return to New York to join the cast of Street Lights after traveling the country with the first national touring company of Legally Blonde. His favorite credits include portraying the role of Juan in the Off-Broadway company of Altar Boyz after originating the role in the first national tour. He was also involved in the reading of Andrew Lippa's The Man in the Ceiling. Other credits include: Avenue Q, Las Vegas company (appeared as Princeton/Rod), Blue’s Clues Live, Disney’s Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular (Aladdin), Joseph…Dreamcoat (Joseph), Damn Yankees (Joe Hardy), Peter Pan, Bye Bye Birdie and A Few Good Men. Film/TV: Stay, “Third Watch.” Jay is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Love and thanks to my family and friends for all their support.

Ejyp has appeared on Comedy Central, "30 Rock", and in "Get Rich or Die Trying", to name a few. He has also been seen in several commercials and print ads for companies like Mercedes Benz, Macy’s, Guinness and Sprint as well as on the runways of New York, Japan, South Africa and Milan. A soulful baritone, and songwriter Ejyp recently released his debut album, "7 Roads".

Melissa is a native North Carolinian, has begun her acting career in New York be dedicating herself to education. She is a graduate of the New School for Drama with her MFA in Acting. While attending she studied Acting under Ron Liebman and Robert Walden. Her most memorable roles include: Anna in Old Times, Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Mary in Brown, and Erzulie in Once on This Island. She is a member of At Play and managed by Nani Saperstein Management.

Drymala is the primary composer and original bookwriter for the satirical musical WHITE NOISE, which received its premiere at the 2006 NYMF and which received a Summer Theater Award for Outstanding Score that year; WHITE NOISE was subsequently optioned for Broadway, and recently was mounted in New Orleans as a tryout for the Broadway production.  In 2003-4, he was the primary speechwriter on Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign where he wrote a feature-length article in Vanity Fair magazine on poverty in America on behalf of Gov. Dean, as well as writing a speech on race relations that was hailed by The Black Commentator magazine as "the most important statement on race in American politics by a mainstream white politician in nearly 40 years."  He performs indie folk/country under the name Blueyed Son around Brooklyn and Manhattan (www.blueyedson.com).

Ryan conceived & directed the award-winning (and now Broadway-bound) White Noise at the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival, and was featured on Good Morning America and Primetime Live. Other NYC projects include My Life on Craigslist & the annual Broadway Beauty Pageant.  He is currently directing Vote! the musical at FringeNYC and My Broken Brain at NYMF.  He serves on The Board of Directors of The Deconstructive Theatre Project, where he co-directed the play, Lilies. As a politico, Davis served in NH as GOTV Triage Lead at Obama's State Headquarters and was a member of the Obama Pride NYC Leadership Committee. He is a veteran of Gov. Howard Dean's 2004 Presidential Campaign and writes for The Hill & Huffington Post. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn. For his activism, Davis has been honored by The American Association Of Political Consultants and awarded a Nightlife Award by The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club.  He blogs daily. 

Todd is thrilled to be working on Street Lights.  His other credits include The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea (NAACP Theatre Award Nomination), Ain’t We Got Fun (London Concert), Kiss Me Kate (national tour), White Noise: A Cautionary Musical, Memphis (Bay Area Circle Critics Awards Nomination), DISNEY’S High School Musical, Abysinia, Aida, Smokey Joe’s Café, BIG, The Secret Garden (World AIDS Day Concert), Oklahoma, M. Claudel (workshop), and Ruthless! The Musical.  His choreography can also be seen in the film, Were the World Mine, where he was nominated for an Astaire Award.  Look for his next project, Letters to Wendy’s.  He dedicates this show to CRH.

Sonny Paladino: Music Supervisor for Disney’s High School Musical (Milan/Italy tour.) Broadway: Grease (Assistant Conductor,) Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Mama Mia (Keyboard.) 1st National Tours: Disney’s High School Musical and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Musical Director/Vocal Arranger/Orchestrator: Jammin’ for Godot (The Culture Project,) Stuck in the Zipper, White Noise, and Mandragola (York Theatre.)  Off B’way: Naked Boys Singing and The Open Gate. As a composer: The Return of the Blue Cat, (with poet F.D. Reeve, OtherPress-publisher.) Currently, Sonny is writing music for Matthew Morrison’s debut album and musically directing the new musical The Happy Embalmer as well as Street Lights. B.F.A. in Jazz Piano from CUNY City College. www.sonnypaladino.com

Off Broadway: We Declare You A Terrorist (SPF ‘09), 33 To Nothing (Wild Project), Esoterica (DR2), How Love Is Spelt (SPF ‘05).  Other credits include Production Manager for  Big Art Group’s European and North American tours of SOS, The People and Cinema Fury:The Imitation; Justin Bond’s Close To You At Christmas, Darling (Abrons Art Center) and Lustre: A Mid- Winter Trans-Fest (PS122); Rob Roth/Theo & The Skyscrapers’ Screen Test (Abrons Art Center).  Ana Mari is currently the Production Manager at the Wild Project.

Hilary has been working in New York City as a Scenic Designer for 3 years.  Most recently she has worked as Associate/Assistant Scenic Designer on productions including Vanities (2nd Stage), In The Heights National Tour, Minsky’s (Ahmanson Theatre), In The Heights (Broadway), Crimes Of The Heart (Roundabout Theatre Co.), 7 Brides For 7 Brothers (Papermill Playhouse), Curtains (Broadway), High Fidelity (Broadway).  She has also designed productions for Fringe NYC, I Got DA Beat Productions, AZ Onstage Productions, Naples Playhouse, & AZ Repertory Theatre.  She is excited to be a part of NYMF 2009. 

NYC design credits include: Vote! A New Muscial (NYC Fringe), Factory Girls (Ars Nova, Joes Pub), Caught in The Threshold (Peter Jay Sharp Theatre), Rabbit Hole (ATA), The Wendigo (Medicine Show), Sadie Sadie (Gene Frankel, NYC Fringe), Women of Manhattan (Crowne Theatre), Perez Hilton Saves The Universe (NYC Fringe), The Wendy Complex (MITF, Outstanding Lighting Design Award), Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Gene Frankel), among others. Regional: The Full Monty, Funny Girl (Revison Theatre) Broadway: (Asst. To): HAIR, Passing Strange, Off-Broadway: Peter and Jerry, The Shape of Metal. His work can be seen at www.BrianTovarDesign.com

Nicky J. Smith is a New York City-based freelance costume designer and wardrobe stylist. Her most recent New York City credits include VOTE! ( New York Fringe Festival), America: A Problem Play (Planet Connections Theatre Fest) Universal Robots (Manhattan Theatre Source), Assistant Costume Designer: Coraline (Lucille Lortel) and Assistant Stylist: Silent Library (MTV) Ms. Smith has also done production work with The Metropolitan Opera (costume shopper/crafts artisan) Comedy Central (costume shopper/wardrobe assistant) and Williamstown Theatre Festival ( Assistant Costume Designer).She holds a B.F.A. in Costume Design from the University of Miami, and an M.F.A. in Costume Design from The University of Tennessee.

After two years living out of suitcases with national tours of The Full Monty (ass’ sound engineer) and Sesame Street Live (sound engineer), Andy has spent the last few years settled in New York, where his suitcase at least stays atop the same dresser every night. His designs have included: Greenwich House Music School’s Come Rain or Come Shine, A Tribute to Johnny Mercer, with Christine Ebersole, Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso, and Klea Blackhurst; Legends at Town Hall (featuring Charles Busch and Lypsinka); and Columbia Stage’s productions of A Winter’s Tale and The Wild Party (LaChiusa). He also served as associate sound designer for the recent highly-acclaimed revival of Martha Clarke’s Garden of Earthly Delights, the NYMF productions of Virgins and Magpie, and the Public Theatre workshop of Langston in Harlem, and has served as sound engineer for Shakespeare on the Sound’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (music by Stew), Dan Hurlin’s Disfarmer, Celia: La Vida y Musica de Celia Cruz, Altar Boyz, and many others. http://DucksEchoSound.com

Micah is an NYC based Hip-Hop Dancer/Choreographer, is privileged and blessed to be involved a show like Street Lights. Most recently choreographed a music video for the webseries Weiner & Weiner (coming October 2009). Other projects include: Lost & Found (West Coast Premier October 2009), Good Christian, Dance2XS Urbanite, and AIDA among others. This is his second show with Joe, Ryan, and Todd (White Noise being the first), and he could not be happier to be working with them again. Jeremiah 29:11

Recent directing/choreography credits include: The Tracks are Electrified and original dance-plays How About You? and Sugar in My Bowl as part of The Wellesley Project's A Night of Shorts and assisting directing Vote! as part of FringeNYC. Choreography credits include the first NY revival of See What I Wanna See (5th Floor Productions), KNB - The Musical (FringeNYC/Gorilla Rep), the upcoming feature film Beer Pong: The Musical, and various workshops with her dance-theatre company, EP Dance Players. Erin is a director/choreographer for City Lights Youth Theatre where credits include The Music Man, Honk!, Guys & Dolls, and the original revues Hello, Jerry! and What is this Feeling?. Aries, Pennsylvanian, and Notre Dame graduate.

Music Coordinator: Bye Bye Birdie, Vanities, Grease, The Times They Are A -Changin’, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Romantic Poetry, Adrift in Macao, many NYMF shows. Conductor/Percussionist: Billy Elliot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Never Gonna Dance, Flower Drum Song, The Full Monty, Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon, Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular. Percussionist/Drummer: Les Misérables, Singing in the Rain, The King and I. Recordings/performances: Jewel, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Rochester Philharmonic, Orpheus, St. Lukes. Jingles/film/television: Coca-Cola, Miller Beer, Across the Universe, Alamo, Peggy Sue Got Married, Snake Eyes, Twilight, The Age of Innocence, Femme Fatale. On-camera: Main in Manhattan, MTV Music Video Awards, Guiding Light.

Paul is managing director of OFF OFF PR, a public relations firm dedicated to the promotion of Indie/Off-Off Broadway theatrical productions through effective marketing communications. Publicity credits include the AEA Showcase productions of YANK! A New Musical, Like You Like It, and King Lear (The Gallery Players); KNF Co’s Love, Incorporated (MITF) and Bird House; John Montgomery Theatre Company’s productions of Benny (MITF), Spitting In The Face Of The Devil (FringeNYC), and Sex Ed (Short Subjects (continued); and the upcoming production of Down Range at Theatre 3, Oct. 28-Nov. 1. Member, AEA/AFTRA. paul@OffOffPR.com. www.offoffpr.com.

Karen has been an entrepreneur and passionate theatre-goer for over 20 years. Currently, she is the Executive Creative Director of RuschDirect, providing direct marketing consulting and creative development services to a wide range of clients, including MasterCard®, Advanta, AAA, Citibank, Time Inc. and American Express®. www.ruschdirect.com

Co-founded by Nathan Vernon and Marissa Rosenblum, Mass Street recently associate produced the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway musical ROOMS A Rock Romance at New World Stages.  Nathan, a graduate of the University of Kansas, has created his own broadway group sales and marketing firm, Stage Seats, Inc.  Marissa, also a graduate of the University of Kansas, has worked for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre since 2007. Member: 2008-2010 Women's Project Producers Lab. www.MassStreetProductions.com.

Theatre credits include: My First Time, Altar Boyz, The Awesome 80s Prom, VOTE! A New Musical (Fringe '09), Street Lights (NYMF '09), Gay Bride Of Frankenstein (NYMF '09), F#@king Up Everything (NYMF '09), Tales From The Tunnel (Fringe '09), The Garage Band Project, Tully (NYMF '07), Jihad: The Explosive New Musical (Edinburgh Fringe '07). Film credits include: You Can't Fix Her, S.O.L., The Book of Caleb, Tabitha's Aquarium. TV credits include:  Casting Associate on GOSSIP GIRL (Warner Bros/The CW) and CASHMERE MAFIA (Sony/ABC).  Web credits include: TheBatterysDown.com, Standard Deviants.  Graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.  Member of Casting Society of America. www.decasting.com.