THE BEASTLY BOMBING (2007)

In 15-plus years as a professional composer, Roger Neill has distinguished himself as a musician possessing an impressive array of talents and abilities, winning prestige and awards in a wide array of genres: Film and television scoring, contemporary concert music, pop and rock recording, national commercial campaigns, teaching, and musical theater.

A California native, Roger hails from the unfashionable part of San Diego where gun racks outnumber surf racks. A dedicated musician from age nine, he mastered Steppenwolf guitar licks and Mozart Piano sonatas with equal vigor. By age twelve Neill was an accomplished musician on flute, guitar and piano and had already composed several pieces. While earning his Bachelor of Music as a classical flutist at the USC School of Music, Roger was also deeply engaged in other musical fields: Electronic music, film scoring at the USC Cinema School, ethnomusicology, and music for theater. Upon graduation, he won USC's award for Best Musical Composition. Invited to the Aspen Center for Compositional Studies, faculty composer Earl Kim offered Roger an entree into the doctoral degree program in music composition at Harvard University, tuition waived.

At Harvard, he worked intimately with some of the most important and visionary composers of the late twentieth century: John Cage, Milton Babbitt, Earl Brown, Earl Kim, Donald Martino, Leon Kirchner, and Bernard Rands. Under the auspices of the John Knowles Paine Traveling Fellowship, Neill traveled to Zanzibar and Mombassa in east Africa for a three month study of Swahili language and music.

In 1990, he was the first recipient of the BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship in Film Scoring. As a result, he completed a residency in Los Angeles, looking over the shoulders of the likes of Michael Kamen, Quincy Jones, and Mike Post which landed Roger a job with Post on Stephen J. Cannell's Silk Stalkings and Renegade. During his five years with Mike Post, Roger also contributed music to LA Law, Law and Order, NYPD Blue, Doogie Howser, MD and scores of other short-lived television series. After going solo, Roger acquired his first television series, Fox-TV's King of the Hill, and has worked on this excellent show continuously, now scoring it's tenth season. Neill has scored some 300 episodes of network television programming including Chicago Hope, Michael Hayes, and The Simple Life.

Neill has also written scores for over 20 feature films, including an early collaboration with Beastly Bombing librettist Julien Nitzberg for Nitzberg's film Bury Me In Kern County. Recently Roger's flourishing film scoring career has overtaken his television ventures. At the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, Neill had three titles premiering at once: Director Ed Stone's romantic comedy Griffin & Phoenix, the hard-edged documentary feature The Killer Within, with his score performed by the Kronos Quartet and Will Ferrell's modern-day fairy tale, Stranger Than Fiction, for which Neill provided numerous orchestrations and arrangements.

As an arranger, Neill enjoys a well-regarded career independent of his scoring work and has recorded with such prestigious artists as Beck, Mellow, David Sylvian, Jason Falkner, Natalie Merchant, Stereolab, Sondre Lerche and Air, culminating with his 2004 Hollywood Bowl concert with Air, conducting The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, before 17,000 Ecstasy-entranced music lovers.

Early 2006 brought Neill to Paris with film director Sofia Coppola for her film Marie-Antoinette. As Historic Music Consultant, he advised Ms. Coppola on court musical life in the time of Louis XXVI. For Marie-Antoinette, he arranged and conducted the music of Vivaldi and numerous Baroque and Classical era composers, as well as arranging and conducting the music of Siouxsie and the Banshees with a Vivaldi twist. As a musical scholar and rock guitarist, this was an assignment for which he was uniquely suited.

The Beastly Bombing is Roger's first musical theater composition. He hopes you enjoy the show.
www.rogerneill.com

Like Grandmaster Flash, David Berkowitz and Stanley Kubrick, Julien Nitzberg was raised in the Bronx. At age 16, he became a founding member of the cult Lower East Side hardcore punk band Artless. After playing innumerable gigs at CBGB’s and other New York punk locales, the band split up after releasing only one record produced by Dr. Know of the Bad Brains.

Next, Nitzberg migrated to Kentucky, where he directed the documentary The Wild World of Hasil Adkins, One Man Band And Inventor of the Hunch for PBS. This documentary captured the saga of a performer known as much for his drunkenness, his unpredictability, his frequent arrests as for his unique music.

While in Kentucky, Nitzberg also discovered Jesco White. White was the focus of the Emmy Award winning documentary Dancing Outlaw. Nitzberg served as Producer on this acclaimed documentary about Jesco White, an unsuccessful criminal, very successful gas huffer, talented bluegrass tap dancer and equally untalented Elvis impersonator.

Tiring of rural life, Nitzberg moved out to California where he wrote and directed the feature film Bury Me in Kern County. VARIETY raved about this filmic “white trash black comedy,” stating that this “original, fiercely committed indie satire is an impressively assured and pro debut.”

Needing health insurance, Nitzberg entered the world of Hollywood where he became a successful TV writer, writing for HBO, SHOWTIME, TNT, VH1 and NBC. He is currently writing for HBO a script based on the strange life of the civil rights activist and professional wrestler Sputnik Monroe.

Nitzberg has operetta in his blood. He is the grandson of Austrian conductor Hans Knauer who had been a student of The Merry Widow’s composer Franz Lehar. Knauer was chosen by Lehar to conduct his operetta Eva at its premiere in front of Kaiser Franz Josef. Someday, Nitzberg hopes that The Beastly Bombing will play for many of the illustrious and inspiring leaders of this great nation.

Thanks to his creative partners in crime and the talented cast, his work in THE BEASTLY BOMBING earned an LA Weekly Theater Awards nomination for Best Choreography. A California native, Kevin has performed, directed and choreographed in New York, L.A. and regionally. As an actor he has appeared in productions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, MAME, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, HAMLET, GUYS AND DOLLS, ROMEO & JULIET, HELLO, DOLLY!, EDWARD II, and THE 1940'S RADIO HOUR. New York directing credits include: ON THE LEDGE at West Bank Theater, BLACKOUT for the Seraphim Company and A YEAR AND A DAY for the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. Kevin co-authored, directed and choreographed the L.A. premiere of HAYWIRE!, which received a “Gruesomely funny!” from the LAWeekly. Other directing and choreography favorites: Comcast/G4TV’s X-PLAY: THE MUSICAL, LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC, TORCH SONG TRILOGY, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, HAIR TODAY, ROMEO & JULIET and YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU. He is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts/West in Los Angeles and the Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts where he studied under Allen Hill, Joyce Hall, Ruth Petrinovic, Jeff Saver and Michael Scott Gregory. Ever grateful to his saintly family and friends, big hugs to the entire TBB family. Kevin currently lives in Los Angeles and urges everyone to rush over the foolish abyss of subversive song and dance.

* denotes Member of Actors Equity Association (Equity Deputy)

Heather Marie Marsden Theatre: LAWeekly Award Winning “Musical of the Year” The Beastly Bombing (Elyssa), 6 time Ovation Award nominated It Came From Beyond (Becky), Sweet Charity (Nat’l Tour), A Chorus Line (Val; Dir. by Baayork Lee), Anything Goes (Bonnie), Grease (Marty). Film:American Summer, Crash & Burn, Blinders (Heather received a Hollywood DV Festival Best Actress nom.) Shark Hunter, Mind Games, Austin Powers. Over 30 TV credits including: Charmed, Century City, Drake & Josh, The Division, Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Army Show (re-curring), Suddenly Susan. Artist Recordings: Billboard hit Venice Freak, The Harratt Sessions, Pieces of Skye, Shells, Different For Girls. www.HeatherMarieMarsden.com

* denotes Member of Actors Equity Association

TV: “The Shield”, “Las Vegas”, “Will & Grace”, “Medical Investigation”, and “Joan of Arcadia”. London credits include “The Ecstasy", "Bent", and "A Midsummer Nights' Dream", at the Globe, and "Sweet Charity" and "Godspell" at the International Edinburgh Festival. Recent features: "Caffeine", co-starring Mena Suvari, "The Gymnast", and "New Suit", and all the waiters and chefs in Robert Zemekis’ "The Polar Express" with Tom Hanks.
UK TV: "Second Thoughts", after which the son of beloved British crooning legend Frankie Vaughan relocated to the US, landing roles in "Nash Bridges" and OWEN in the film "Boyfriends". The LA and San Francisco premieres of Mark Ravenhills' "Shopping & Fu*king" won Ableson awards for his role as Mark. Kenneth Tynan, in the L.A. premiere of Austin Pendleton’s' Pulitzer-nominated "Orsons' Shadow".
Other credits: “Torn” a nightly-improvised play, the award-winning smash musical, "The Beastly Bombing", "Haywire!", and "Closer", by Patrick Marber. Voice credits include: 'Valmont', in "The Jackie Chan Adventures", the initial voicing of Gnomeo in Disneys’ “Gnomeo & Juliet”, various pirates in "Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Dead Man's Chest", and many video games. Commercial credits include: Microsoft, Audi, Lexus, and Cingular “Star Wars”.

* denotes Member of Actors Equity Association

Natalie Salins recently filmed The Believers for Warner Bros. and had a Guest Star role on Criminal Minds. She has also starred as Gertrude in Hamlet and Whitney in A Piece of my Heart. On the NY stage she has starred as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar and Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She has played Ellen Mahoney on ABC's All My Children. In 1996 Natalie sang for President Clinton at The Kennedy Center. She gives a special thanks to Kara and her family for their ongoing love and support.

Circle X Theatre: A SWEET DEAL, (Solo). Sacred Fools Theater of LA: the title role in PEER GYNT; also DUBYA 2004, DUBYA 2000, CRAZYFACE, and TELL THE BEES, the first three “Picks of the Week" LA Weekly. Supporting roles in the features BARSTOW 2008, KILLER BUD, and THE VELOCITY OF GARY; the lead in the short film THE WAGER. In Seattle (home town), THE DUCHESS OF MALFI (as Ferdinand); SAINT JOAN and RELATIVE VALUES with Greek Active; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Lysander) with Wooden O; several original works of director Derek Horton (CAT-LIKE TREAD, PIMPIN). Additional plays include BENT (Horst) and THE NORMAL HEART (Felix) in Portland, Oregon; A CHORUS LINE (Paul), THE GRAPES OF WRATH (Tom Joad), WEST SIDE STORY (Riff), and LA BOHÈME (singing Schaunard). Sidney sings, writes, composes music, directs (often for SERIAL KILLERS at Sacred Fools), and produces theatre. He analyzes and develops scripts (Literary Director for Circle X, two years).
A life-long fan of the Seattle Mariners, Sidney would like to be known as the Ichiro of theatre.

A New York City native, Russell Steinberg has been living in LA for the past eight years, where he can mostly be seen performing as his alter ego, Johnny Fayva. He grew up doing theater in NYC and is happy to return to his roots.

From San Francisco to Paris, Jesse Merlin has performed 33 leading operatic roles including Leporello in Don Giovanni, Colline in La bohème, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Frank in Die Fledermaus, the title role in Don Pasquale, Ferrando in il Trovatore, and Méphistophélès in the Gounod Faust. He completed a four-year Artist Residency with Opera San José in 2006.
He made his New York debut in August 2007 as Edwin McManoff in Lost in Hollywoodland at the NY International Fringe Festival. Merlin made his international debut in June 2005 in Paris with the world premiere of Le Terrain Vague at the Théâtre du Rond Point and the Théâtre Lucernaire. He also created the role of the Sexually Abusive Grandfather in the world premiere of the lesbian serial killer opera WUORNOS at the Yerba Buena Center in 2001.
Working broadly in burlesque and vaudeville, he sang at the Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco in front of over 10,000, and performed at the Hollywood Bowl as the Criminologist in the 30th anniversary celebration of The Rocky Horror Picture Show before over 13,000. www.jessemerlin.com

Curt originally hails from The Windy City, Chicago, where he got hooked on acting in the fifth grade as a chorus member in “Cinderella.” . He went on to star in numerous productions including, "Grease," "Amadeus," "My Fair Lady. He also wrote, directed and starred in a popular community theatre show called “Big Louis’ Speakeasy” at the age of 16. During his high school years he was an All American Gymnast , the 1987 Junior National Juggling Champion of the International Jugglers Assosiation and was the youngest performing artist ever at The Bristol Renaissance Faire in Wisconsin.

Moving to Los Angeles in 1988, Curt continued in his theatrical training, gaining a BA in Theatre from Cal State University, Northridge, and starring in several Main Stage productions such as "Little Shop of Horrors," and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Curt was also active in several student productions, including Kurt Vonnegut's "Happy Birthday Wanda June," and directed a production of David Mamet's one act, "The Shawl."

As member of the award winning Road Theatre Company, Curt's credits include the highly acclaimed West Coast Premeire of "Marked Tree," the Off-Road production "The Junto" and notable roles in the award winning shows, "The Pagans" and "Ouroborus." He has worked several times with 2 time Tony nominated director Tony Tanner in "The Misanthrope," "Hamlet", and "Troilus and Cressida". A few other theatre credits include “The Traveling Lady” at The Company of Angels, “Antony & Cleopatra” & "Hamlet" at The Nevada Shakespeare Festival, and most notably as the star in a popular local production of the musical “Hair” which was directed by the show’s creator, James Rado. This production eventually took Curt to Moscow for the first ever Russian production. He has been a member of several Los Angeles theatre companies over the years, including his own (Trinity) and newly joined the Underground Theater Company in Hollywood. He co-stars in the feature film "Triple Threat" (available on Netflix) and has been seen in several national TV commercials.
Curt wishes to thank the fantastic cast, crew and creators of The Beastly Bombing for the amazing rollercoaster ride over the last year. I love you all and hope this train keeps going and going and going...

Kate Gabrielle Feld (Clarissa), graduated from the University of Southern California in 2006. She was a voice major at the best music school on the west coast, the Thornton School of Music, where she studied with voice teacher Elizabeth Hynes. She went on to continue her studies in Milan, Italy in 2005 where she concentrated on Italian and voice with famous La Scala soprano Patrizia Zenardi. Kate has performed in many operas and musicals at the Thornton School of Music including Hansel and Gretel, Cendrillon, and Patience. Kate has also had the privilege of working with Grammy award winning songwriter, Amy Powers, in 2003. In 2005 she worked closely with MTV’s talent department where she took part in the development of many specials and sitcoms. Kate is currently involved with various shows and projects, and continues to work as Cantorial Soloist at Temple Beth El, Aliso Viejo.

Aaron Matijasic recently graduated from USC’s School of Cinema-Television with a degree in Screenwriting. On the stage, Aaron has appeared as J.B. Biggley in How to Succeed…, Felix Unger in The Odd Couple, and Reginald Bunthorne in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience. Most recently, he wrote and directed an original musical extravaganza called Invasion! for USC’s Massman Theatre. Aaron enjoys bonfires, drinks that are blue, and the touch of a good woman.

John was a very annoying child who sang incessantly (not much has changed) until his parents had no choice except to put him in various choirs at a very young age. Eventually he became member of the children's choir for the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center (it's been all downhill since then). He continued his studies at Interlochen Arts Camp, and touring with musicals throughout high school. During college in Chicago he continued performing in plays and musicals. He had a brief and fruitless career as a fashion model (WORK!), and was the lead singer for the synth-pop band Endora (many tragic haircuts ensued). In Los Angeles he studies musical theater at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and private voice with Derek Graydon. Recently he has rediscovered his love of opera when out of nowhere appeared Prince Poppycock. The Prince has been seen trilling across the stages of Club Dandy, The Dresden Dolls, Ann Magnuson, and Jer Ber Jones. John is pleased to be rejoining The Beastly Bombing and is excited to reprise the role of Jesus.

Joel was raised a southern Baptist in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where his father worked at government nuclear facility. At nine the family moved to the dreaded "north" where he had the drawl kicked out of him by compassionate schoolmates. Learning to lose the stutter he developed while adapting to a new accent, he enrolled in speech classes which quickly led to the stage. After playing varsity football and ice hockey he soon was hired by St. Louis' THEATRE PROJECT COMPANY as an actor and worked at most of the legitimate theaters in Missouri and Illinois. Leads in THE RAINMAKER, THE ELEPHANT MAN, GREASE, and JULIUS CAESAR were his favorite roles. He also got to hold LOU BROCK on first base for a local TV COMMERCIAL and hurt SNAKE PLISSKEN more than anyone else in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. In LA Joel worked in SOAPS, EPISODIC TV and starred in USA UP ALL NIGHT abomination AMERICAN DRIVE_IN. For the next ten years Joel was semi-retired, fathering sons and paying a mortgage. He took master acting classes from Darryl Hickman and Larry Moss, and last year began his own "SINGER COMEBACK SPECIAL". Joel is thrilled to create a role in a world premiere musical and is very grateful to Roger and Julien for creating such a wonderful piece of musical history. Still in "comeback mode" Joel is seeking representation and may have to cut back on his honkytonk singing career if more acting jobs come around.

Julianne, a graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz has been stage managing for over five years. Some of her most recent works include: Production Stage Manager for Vagina Monologues, in conjunction with the V-Day organization; Stage Manager for Signs & Syndromes , a web-based simulcast co-production between the Universities of California Irvine and Santa Cruz; and Assistant Stage Manager for the new L.A. musical, Invasion! Julianne is thrilled to be stage managing The Beastly Bombing once again in New York with Kevin, Roger and Julien and the entire cast, and can't wait to see what this next chapter in her life will hold.

One of the seventeen actual L.A. natives, Meredith grew up in the industry and has over a decade of experience under her belt. She attended Crossroads School for the Arts and Sciences and later received her B.A. in English Literature from Skidmore College, with additional work in Photography and Theater. After college, she spent a summer in Vermont with The Atlantic Theater Company in the Practical Aesthetics Workshop, studying under William H. Macy, Gregory Mosher and others. Before finding her niche as a casting director for film and theater, she acted, worked at a literary agency, associate produced documentaries, coordinated commercials, produced spots for MTV's "Rock The Vote" campaign and even worked as Jerry Stiller's line coach on “Seinfeld”.

In 2003, she returned to the theatre as producer and casting director of the critically acclaimed Sneaux! The SINsational Gothic Figure Skating Musical, at The Matrix Theatre. Directed by Ovation award-winner Andy Fickman, (Reefer Madness, She’s The Man) and starring Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”), Sneaux! earned six L.A. Weekly Awards nominations, including Musical of the Year. Meredith continued her collaboration with Mr. Fickman, casting the world premiere of Jewtopia in Los Angeles at The Coast, then earned her first Off-Broadway credit when the show opened at The Westside Theatre in 2004. Most recently, she cast the rock n’ roll tribute show, Femmes and Phantoms at The Roxy, featuring songs from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Brian DePalma’s cult-classic film, Phantom of the Paradise, starring Donovan Leitch, Jr., featuring Dave Navarro, MiG and Monet Mazur, with a special guest performance by Paul Williams.

Various film credits: Who’s Your Daddy, Town & Country, Instinct and Beverly Hills Ninja. Producer/Casting Director: A Perfect Little Man, (Neal McDonough) a Discovery Award nominee at the 1999 Hollywood Film Festival. Co-producer/Casting Director: Kush. Additional casting: Last Night, (Frances McDormand), which screened at the Venice, Boston, Hamptons and London film festivals. Congratulations go to the talented cast and creative team of The Beastly Bombing.

Susan Matheson met Julien Nitzberg when she was a young impressionable teenager. She tried to escape his evil clutches by moving to Los Angeles where she began designing clothes for Barbie. Eventually tiring of designing clothes that had to fit people under 12 inches, Susan began working in the film industry where the bodies were small but the heads were big. She was the costume designer for Blue Crush, Friday Night Lights, Talladega Nights and the upcoming The Kingdom.

Steve is a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles.
A graduate of Emerson College, he wrote the book for
GREAT EXPECTATIONS, a musical adaptation of the
Dickens classic, which received a staged presentation
at the Renberg Theater in Los Angeles. The play was
directed by Richard Jay Alexander and featured Hugh
Panaro, Anastasia Barzee and Cloris Leachman.
Recently, he produced and directed a documentary,
SEASON OF DREAMS, which follows a group of teen actors
who come to Los Angeles for the whirlwind of pilot
season. He is excited to be part of the Beastly
Bombing and thrilled to be in New York. Originally
from the Boston area, the east coast always feels like
home. Soon to debut is Steve's online comic THE
FURIOUS GOLDFISH at www.thefuriousgoldfish.com.

"The Beastly Bombing" marks Jill McGraw's second collaboration with Nitzberg and Neill after the white trash black comedy film "Bury Me in Kern County". Her career in underground theater design began literally in a basement at Chicago's legendary Club Lower Links, where she met Co-Production Designer Matthew Owens. Her most recent art department credits include "The Devil and Daniel Johnston", "Arrested Development" and "Entourage"

Patrick J. Shields is best known in New York City for his twenty year stewardship of Shields Window Cleaning, a small business dedicated to hiring writers, musicians, actors and journalists, providing them a risk taking, but safe haven to earn their keep in New York City, while advancing their artistic careers.

A member of the Screen Actors Guild, he has taken time off from his performing career since 1999, to write magazine and newspaper feature articles, tech trade articles, to serve as a member of The Board of Trustees of The Ohio Independent Film Festival, and as a full time political fundraiser for various Ohio, New York local, and U.S. Congressional candidates.

A graduate of Kenyon College, and The National Theater Institute at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, producing The Beastly Bombing marks his return, full time, to artistic endeavors.