PETITE ROUGE: A CAJUN RED RIDING HOOD

2 time Helen Hayes nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Resident Musical (Aida and Godspell), Felicia Curry has always fantasized about playing ‘Little Red’ and now she gets to do it â€" on the bayou! National Tours: Roald Dahl’s WILLY WONKA, Violet, Barbie Live!, Topaz (Original Cast Recording); Regional credits: Aida (2006 Helen Hayes Nom.), Godspell, Featured Performer (2005 Helen Hayes Nom.), Two Queens, One Castle, Wife (opposite T.C. Carson), Three Sistahs, Irene, The Araboolies of Liberty Street, A-Kid, Tintypes, Susannah, BSO Holiday Spectacular 2006, Featured Soloist; Education: University of Maryland. All my love to God, family, friends, and SPK. My heartfelt appreciation to Michael and everyone else who made this incredible opportunity possible!

He jittered his way through The Musical of Musicals: The Musical. He played Jesus and a pot supplier in Reefer Madness. He charmed and soft-shoed his way through The Queen of The Bohemian Dream at this year’s Fringe Festival. He appeared as another man of G-d in The Long Christmas Ride Home at Studio Theatre, and finally played a silly and at times loony father in The Girl in The Goldfish Bowl at Metro Stage. 3-time Helen Hayes nominee, twice for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical (Evita at Toby's, Columbia, MD, and A Class Act at Studio Theatre, Washington, D.C.), and one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Resident Musical (Snail in Frog & Toad at Round House Theatre, Bethesda, MD). Bobby originated the role of Claude in the World Premiere production of Petite Rouge at Imagination Stage, Bethesda, MD, and was recently named Performer of the Year by D.C.TheatreScene.com.

Billy Bustamante is so happy to be a part of NYMF!
Regional credits include Bun Foo in Millie (Cape
Playhouse), the Lion Dancer in Pacific Overtures
(North Shore), Cabaret at Arena Stage, Chicago at The
Riverside Theatre, West Side and Finian's Rainbow at
the Walnut St., Making tracks at San Jose Rep, Big
Daddy in Sweet Charity (Media
Theatre), and George in Anyone Can Whistle (Prince
Music Theatre). Billy also workshoped lead roles in
108 Waverly (AMAS M.T.) and DAVID: in Shadow and Light
(Theatre J). Billy also works as a director,
choreographer and photographer!

New York: “For Risk of Safety” (Directorial Debut), “Williamsburg! The Musical” (NY International Fringe Festival 2007; Lilu the Hipster/Dance Captain), “Rock Me TV” (Hostess/VJ). Regional: “Aphrodite and Her Son” (The Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival; Tania), “American Rice” (Smithsonian Discovery Theater; Assistant Director/Choreographer), “Mulan Jr.” (The Kennedy Center Musicals in the Schools Program; Choreographer), “Seussical the Musical" (Imagination Stage; Bird Girl 1/Assistant Choreographer), “Dracula” (Synetic Theatre at The Kennedy Center; Dracula’s Wife). Cyana has danced in commercials, on BET, VH1, and is a Garage Girl a GoGo (Little Steven Van Zandt’s Underground Garage). She joined Little Steven, The Zombies, The Romantics, Cheap Trick, The Fleshtones and The New York Dolls on “The Rolling Rock and Roll Tour” last year, doing the twist, jerk, and mashed potato. She is currently working on a pilot for the Underground Garage and is a camera op for IRS TV. Upcoming: “The Secret Garden” (Adventure Theater); Resident Theater Artist, Martha. www.cyanacoo)k.com

LC Harden Jr. is a graduate of the Virginia Governor's School for the Arts and holds a BFA from Howard University's Musical Theatre Department. His regional stage credits include My Fair Lady at Signature Theatre; Petite Rouge, Seussical the Musical, and Junie B. Jones at Imagination Stage; Once on this Island at Round House Theatre; Ain't Misbehavin Takoma Theatre; Cats, and Ragtime at Toby's Dinner Theatre; Going the Distance and Black Diamond at The Smithsonian's Discovery Theatre; Where Eagles Fly at The Lincoln Theatre; Blues Journey(understudy) at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts' Theater for Young Audiences; Eubie!, and Godspell at The Olney Theatre Center; and Mike Malone's Black Nativity at Cramton Auditorium. Upcoming projects for LC include The Phantom Tollbooth at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts' Theater for Young Audiences. L.C. originated the role of Frog in Petite Rouge at Imagination Stage.

Tracy originated the role of Mrs. Duck and Crayfish in the World Premiere production of Petite Rouge at Imagination Stage. Other roles include: Gertie in Noel and Gertie and Woman 2 in Two Queens, One Castle (MetroStage); Fastrada in Pippin (Round House Theatre); Mrs. Cratchett in A Christmas Carol (Ford's Theatre); Jo Perry in the workshop production of 90 North (Kennedy Center); Ensemble in the Helen Hayes Award winning Sideshow (Signature Theatre); and The Duchess in Revenger's Tragedy (Washington Shakespeare Theatre).

A recent graduate of George Mason University, Jade is ecstatic to be involved in Petite Rouge. Most recently, she was seen in The Wiz (Dorothy) with Dance Expansion Project. Previous credits in the Washington, D.C. area include: Alex in Wonderland (The Red Queen) directed by Debbie Allen, Aida (Aida) and Beehive (Aretha Franklin/Diana Ross). Other credits include: An Ideal Husband (Mrs. Cheveley), Venus (Venus), Once On This Island (Asaka), Look Back in Anger (Helena). Jade also received the 2005 Weissberg Fellowship from Signature Theatre for Overtures, an intensive workshop. Thank you to all involved in this project.

Isaiah Johnson is a performance artist from Anchorage, AK. He has played at many of Washington, DC's most notable theaters including Wholly Mammoth, The Atlas, Kennedy Center, The Lincoln, National Theater and Imagination Stage where he originated the role of TeJean in the world premier of Petite Rouge. Isaiah received a BFA from Howard University and is currently pursuing a MFA at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts in New York.

Studied at the Tisch School of the Arts, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and The Washington Ballet. Michael has choreographed: Once On This Island, Wintertime, A Year With Frog and Toad, Round House Theatre; A Class Act, Batboy, the Musical, A New Brain, (Helen Hayes nomination Best Musical), Studio Theatre; Othello (Helen Hayes nomination Best Play), Timon of Athens (dir. by Michael Kahn), Shakespeare Theatre Co; Love’s Labours Lost, Blood Wedding, Wash. Shakespeare Co; Vigils, Woolly Mammoth Theatre; Crumbs From the Table of Joy, Center Stage; Junie B. Jones, Seussical, Rapunzel, Imagination Stage; Alexander, Who’s Not…Going to Move, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Kennedy Center, Roll On! with Melba Moore, Michael & Regina Winans, The Lincoln Theatre; Directed and choreographed Petite Rouge, World Premiere, Imagination Stage. Directing credits include: 365 days/365 plays, Week 12 by Suzan-Lori Parks, MetroStage; Mulan, Jr, The Kennedy Center. Upcoming: The Stephen Schwartz Project, a new musical revue based on the works of Stephen Schwartz, World Premiere MetroStage. With composer John L. Cornelius II, he is the librettist for: The Bingo Longo Travelling All-Stars and Motor Kings (NAMT Producer-Writer Initiative); The Yellow Rose of Texas (Theatre Under the Stars, Puffin Fdn Grant); and Say It Ain’t So! (accepted into 2006 NY Internat’l Fringe Festival). Michael is currently Artistic Director of Adventure Theatre, Artistic Assoc. & Dir. of Touring Productions at Smithsonian’s Discovery Theatre, Adjunct Prof. at American Univ. and GW Univ, and a member of SSDC, Dramatis Guild of America, The African-American Playwright’s Exchange and Round House Theatre’s “Kitchen,” a group of D.C. artists workshopping new works, including Cushing’s musical Tussaud, which he recently dramaturged and directed.

Doug serves on the voice faculty of American University, teaches private voice, music directs and acts in numerous regional theatre productions and cabaret acts. He recently music directed and conducted CELEBRATE BROADWAY, at the Kennedy Center, starring John Lithgow and Linda Eder. In 2006, Doug conducted THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON’T THEY for American University and toured the production to Yaroslavl, Russia. This Spring he will conduct and music direct the world premiere production of THE STEPHEN SCHWARTZ project at MetroStage, conceived and directed by Michael Bobbitt, with vocal arrangements by John Cornelius. Recent acting credits include ASSASINS, directed by Joe Calarco (several Helen Hayes Awards) and SAVING AIMEE, with Kathie Lee Gifford and Carolee Carmello, both at Signature Theatre; SHE LOVES ME, the Olney Theatre Center: and KISS ME, KATE with the Washington Savoyards. Nearest to Doug’s heart is his 12-piece hot jazz and swing band, The SingCo Rhythm Orchestra, the house orchestra for the Atlas Performing Arts Center, with performances for Voice of America, The National Archives, Channel 4 TV among others. Check out www.SingCoMusic.com.

Rebecca is a graduate of Wellesley College with a degree in Theatre and Music. Having spent time in New York and Boston as a Stage Manager, Actor, Musician, and various other production areas, she is happy to be on or off-stage. While in Boston she was a founding member of the "Wellesley Summer Theatre" and co-founder of "Wellesley Summer Theatre for Children". She also co-founded and taught "Theatre Classes for Young Performers". Past credits include; Off-Broadway: V*M*W’s production of Birdcage. Other New York: Pickwick in El Sarten, performances at Center Stage/NY, The Knitting Factory, NY Comedy Club. Regional: As You Like It, Nine, Joan of Arc, Come Back Little Sheba, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, Much Ado About Nothing, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, etc. Film: Urchin.

Alex is thrilled to return to Petite Rouge after designing the original production in 2004. His professional scenic and lighting design work has been seen at the Olney Theatre Center (Carousel), Round House Theatre (And the World Goes Round), Rep Stage, Catalyst Theatre, and Imagination Stage, among others. Alex is the resident lighting designer for the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC and a graduate of the M.F.A. design program at the University of Maryland at College Park.

7 time Woodie King Award Winner, 4 time Helen Hayes Award nominee, and one time winner for Outstanding Costume Design of a Resident Musical (Spunk, Studio Theatre), 1 Kevin Kline Award, a CEA Award (CROWNS), and 2 Cleveland Critics' Awards, Reggie Ray has designed costumes for the following Theatres: Arena Stage, Everyman Theatre, Ford's Theatre, The Guthrie Theater, The Goodman, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Missouri Repertory Theatre, Place D’Arts, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Studio Theatre, and The True Colors Theatre Company. He has also designed costumes for Al Freeman Jr., Andrea Frye, Debbie Allen, George Faison, Joy Zinoman, Kenny Leon, Michael Bobbitt, Mike Malone, Regina Taylor, Ron Himes, Sam Scalamoni, Tim Bond, and many others; Celebrity Clients include : Maya Angelou, Jennifer Holliday, Richard Roundtree, Karen Clark Sheard, Regina Belle, Alyson Williams, Diahann Carroll, TC Carson, Allen Payne, Tony Terry. Mr. Ray is Resident Designer and Instructor of Costume Design & Make-up for Howard University. He is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829/International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees [USA/IATSE].

Katie Touart is an artist and professional designer whose costuming career began with seventy-five kimonos made from dyed and painted bed sheets for an elementary school production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado. While working side by side with the children of Somerset Elementary School to costume six more shows, Katie began to design and create work for established Washington area children’s theaters. Credits include: Mulan Jr. and Aladdin Jr. (The Kennedy Center’s Musicals In The Schools program) Black Diamond, How Old is A Hero?, Going The Distance (Smithsonian’s Discovery Theater) The Grid (Imagination Stage) James and The Giant Peach, Brave Irene, Princess and The Pea, Alice In Wonderland, Clara Barton: The Courage Within, Ferdinand The Bull and Winnie The Pooh (Adventure Theatre).

Deborah Wicks La Puma's work for adults and children has been seen across the country at the Kennedy Center, Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, Maryland’s Olney Theatre, Arlington’s Signature Theatre, Palo Alto’s TheatreWorks, The Berkshire’s Barrington Stage Company, and Interlochen Center for The Arts. Her awards include the Jane Chamber Playwriting Award, the Robert M. Golden Award, a National Endowment for the Arts’ New American Works Grant, a Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Musical Direction, two Parent’s Choice Awards, and two-time Actor’s Playhouse National Children’s Theatre Festival Winner. Her adult works include the lyric opera DAKOTA SKY (Premiered at Olney Theatre), the musical comedy ONE BAD APPLE (Premiered at Stanford University), a pet-centric cabaret show PETPOURRI (NYC’s John Houseman Theatre) and PERDITA, a Mexican folk musical based on Shakespeare's "Winters Tale", currently being developed. Her works for young audiences include EINSTEIN IS A DUMMY (Commissioned and Premiered at the Alliance Theatre, GA), WALKING THE WINDS: American Tales (Commissioned and Premiered at the Kennedy Center), FERDINAND THE BULL and CINDERELLA EATS RICE AND BEANS (Commissioned and Premiered at Imagination Stage, MD). Ms La Puma, a Mexican-American, received her MFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, her BA from Stanford University, and studied folk music with Alfredo Lopez, musicologist at la Universidad de Baja California. She is a union member of ASCAP, The Dramatist Guild and Actors Equity Association, and an active musical director, performer and sound designer. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters. See www.crunchynotes.com.

Joan Cushing is best known for her political satirical revue Mrs. Foggybottom & Friends! which ran for 10 hit years at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., as well as performances at Don't Tell Mama and The Triad in NYC. Also in New York, she performed her solo nightclub act Lady Sings the News! at the Ballroom, filling in for Blossom Dearie, and studied musical theatre writing at the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. More recently, she has adapted 5 popular children's books as musicals, receiving over 180 productions and 2 national tours: Miss Nelson Is Missing!, winner of the 2003 Nat’l Children’s Theatre Festival; Junie B. Jones & a Little Monkey Business!; Miss Nelson Has a Field Day!, finalist 2005 Nat'l Children's Theatre Festival; Petite Rouge; all commissioned by Imagination Stage, and Brave Irene, commissioned by Adventure Theatre. Other theatres which have produced her work include Seattle Children’s Theatre, Childsplay, Dallas Children’s Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Mill Mountain Theatre, Barter Theatre, First Stage Milwaukee, Walnut Street Theatre, Stage One Louisville, Manhattan Children's Theatre, California Theatre Center, and Omaha Theatre Co. According to TYA Magazine, she is "the most produced playwright in children's theatre." Recent works include a brand new script for Tussaud, based on the deliciously gruesome and dark tale of Madame Tussaud, winner of the 2001 Source Theatre Festival; her new musical, The Christmas Doll, opens in December at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte; a commission with Imagination Stage for Heidi, the musical (with playwright Martha De Silva) premiering next season; and Ramana's Garden based on the true stories of children in an orphanage in Rishikesh, N. India (with Kathy Carroll). Ms. Cushing is represented by the Susan Gurman Agency.

Jonathan G. Willen formed his namesake Theatrical Production and Event Design and Management Company in 1997. Mr. Willen studied arts management at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD and has gone on to work and produce theater and special events with some of the top names in the entertainment business including award winning writer, director and choreographer Debbie Allen, singer, Patti LaBelle, musician Arturo Sandoval, actor, Bill Pullman, actress Judith Ivey, choreographer George Faison, actress and comedian Carol Channing, actress & singer Kitty Carlisle Hart. As a producer of major events he has overseen the concept, design and execution for over 500 events in Washington, DC and Nationally. In 2004 he was selected by the committee for Senator John Breaux, (D-LA) to produce the Senator’s final Democratic National Convention event, A Caribbean Beach Bash with headliner Ziggy Marley. In the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, Mr. Willen has assisted in launching several highly successful local-performing companies; including, Capital City Opera, Tribute Productions, which he serves as associate producer, and most recently the launch of his new Cabaret and Jazz weekly performance event, INDIGO at The Atlas Performing Arts Center. His extensive background in the arts includes production of Opera, Dance, Theater and Musicals. Over the course of the last several years Mr. Willen has assisted and produced with the Kennedy Center’s Programming and International Programming department with their worldwide festival programs including African Odyssey, AmericaArtes, China Festival, as well as produced A New America: The 1940’s and the Arts. He has worked extensively with national and international companies including Jeffery Finn Productions, The Smithsonian National Museum(s), the John F. Kennedy Center and numerous others to present outstanding performance. Mr. Willen is also the producer of the musical Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood which opens off broad-way in September 2007. His company, based in Washington, DC has assisted clients in staging surprise parties, themed events and opening night celebrations of all sizes. Upcoming projects include a national tour of one of Debbie Allen’s highly successful children’s musicals and the area premier of Three Dancers: The Essence of Dance at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC.

Meredith most recently directed the musical Summer of ’42, Round House Theatre, and Driving Miss Daisy, starring Roscoe Orman from TV’s Sesame Street, Delaware Theatre Company, where she will be returning this fall to direct The Diary of Anne Frank. Her NY credits include the premieres of Adam Rapp’s Members Only, Itamar Moses’ Authorial Intent (Drama League), Gary Winter’s The Impotent General, Betty Shamieh’s Again and Against (New Georges), and the workshop of Megan Mostyn-Brown’s The Rest of Yor Life (Labyrinth Theatre Co. at the Public Theater). Regionally, she directed the premiere of Alison Moore’s Hazard County in Atlanta, and The Secret Lives of Losers in Kansas City, and during her 3 seasons at Actors Theatre of Louisville, she directed the world premieres of Kuwait, A Bone Close to My Brain, Heaven and Hell, and Backstory in the Humana Festival. She was also the Boris Sagal Fellow at the Williamstown Theatre Festival where she directed Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, and was the National Assistant on Suzan-Lori Parks’ 365 Days/365 Plays. Other favorite credits include Angels in America, Full Circle, Balm in Gilead, Baltimore Waltz and A Bright Room Called Day. In addition to her work developing new plays, she also works with new musicals, and was the New Works Program Director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. She is a leader in the Women’s Project and Productions Directors Lab, is an Affilitated Artist with New Georges, and was a Drama League Fellow. She holds an MFA in directing from UCSD and a BS in Performance Studies from Northwestern University.

Mike Artell is an award-winning author, illustrator, TV cartoonist, conference speaker, musician and humorist. Each year, Mike speaks to thousands of kids at scores of schools and addresses major business, educational, healthcare and association conferences where he shares a simple message: a sense of HUMOR is vital to happiness and success. It's true for kids; it's true for adults. And it's especially true when you're under stress. In Petite Rouge â€" A Cajun Red Riding Hood, Artell’s hilarious Cajun rhymes and Jim Harris’ award-winning art combine to create a delightful retelling of the classic folk tale. Winner of the 2004 Louisiana Young Reader's Choice Award and a finalist for the North Carolina Children's Book Award, ranked #5 on American Booksellers Assn. 2002 list of the Top 76 books for kids, named a Notable Children’s Trade Book by the National Society for the Social Studies & the Children's Book Council, and recognized as a 2002 Honor Book by Storytelling World Magazine. Mike’s latest release is Three Little Cajun Pigs.

Imagination Stage commissioned and produced the premiere of Joan Cushing's Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood in 2005. Under the leadership of Founder Bonnie Fogel, Artistic Director Janet Stanford and Producing Director Kate Bryer, the Bethesda, Maryland theatre produces professional shows year-round, and has gained a national reputation for developing and premiering new work for young audiences, which then go on to have productions nationally and internationally. Besides Ms. Cushing, it has commissioned playwrights Kevin Kling, Charles Way and Rebecca Rice, among others. In summer, 2008, Imagination Stage will produce David Craig's adaptation of Michael Ende's The Neverending Story, co-commissioned with Seattle Children's Theatre. Petite Rouge is currently licensed by Imagination Stage.
For script and CD of songs,
www.imaginationstage.org.