Idaho! (2008)

Buddy Sheffield knew in seventh grade he wanted to be in the theatre, and except for a brief 22-year foray into television, that is where he has spent his time. Buddy created the legendary Sheffield Ensemble Theatre, which toured the country for years under the aegis of Fran and Barry Weissler's NAMCO. Buddy wrote 8 original musicals for SET and had one, CLEAVAGE, produced on Broadway in 1981. He now looks back on that experience as "a suicide mission."

In television Buddy is best known as head writer of the hit FOX series In Living Color. He also wrote for such shows as Dolly on ABC and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS (the 1988 version. Come on, he's not that old). He is proudest of Roundhouse, an award-winning show he created for Nickelodeon, which he describes as "a musical comedy every week." The television world looked at Roundhouse and reacted: "That's the most creative thing that's ever been on TV. Don't ever do it again." His work in television has earned Buddy three prime-time Emmy nominations, an NAACP Image Award, an Ace award, an Ollie award, non-ulcerative colitis and a hiatal hernia.

Buddy is very happy to be back at home in the theatre. Recently, theatregoers who saw The Drowsy Chaperone and Avenue Q may have recognized Buddy as a member of the audience. He wanted to see Wicked but couldn't get tickets.

Composer Keith Thompson's original comedy/novelty song revue, Kooky Tunes, received international critical and popular praise after an extended engagement at the Laurie Beechman Theater, followed by an Australian tour and the release of the 2002 cast recording. Keith composed White Lies, Douglas Carter Beane's Off-Broadway sketch comedy-musical revue spoofing the tabloid media, and God Lives in Glass, which premiered at NYU's Provincetown Playhouse and has been presented regionally and in concert nationwide. Also a conductor, Keith's professional credits include musical director and conductor for the Las Vegas companies of Jersey Boys (The Palazzo), The Producers (Paris), Hairspray (Luxor), and the North American premiere of We Will Rock You. His New York credits include Jersey Boys, Les Miserables, When Pigs Fly, and Forbidden Broadway. Keith conducted the First National Tours of Mamma Mia and Cabaret (for which he won the 2000 Dora Award, and he supervised the Australian Tour). Keith enjoyed being vocal director and arranger for Nickelodeon TV's RoundHouse, and he is pleased to share the bill as co-composer of Idaho! with long-time collaborator, Morris T. Sheffield.

Matt Lenz (Director) is the Supervising Associate Director for Hairspray on Broadway, National Tour, Las Vegas and Toronto productions and the Director of the current Hairspray National Tour and the South African production. Other recent directing credits include: Saint Heaven, a world premiere musical at The Stamford Center for the Arts, The Irish Curse by Martin Casella for the NY International Fringe Festival, South Pacific at Casa Manana and North Carolina Theater, Disney's Beauty and the Beast at The MUNY in St Louis, The North Carolina Theater and Michigan Opera Theater, Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA at The MUNY and Gateway Playhouse, Dirty Blonde and Love! Valour! Compassion! at Zachary Scott Theatre Center in Austin, the world premiere of Martin Casella's Scituate at the Stamford Center for the Arts, Confidentially, Cole at the Tiffany Theatre in LA, Twelfth Night, Hair, The Ten Percent Revue, The Who's Tommy and the world premiere of Alan Ball's The Amazing Adventures of Tense Guy (Off-Broadway). For several years Matt was the Resident Director for Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and for the National Tours. Also for Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, he was Assistant Director on the Elton John/Tim Rice musical, AIDA in its World Premiere production as Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. He is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and the Lincoln Center Directors Lab.

MICHELE LYNCH (Choreographer) just returned from Minneapolis where she choreographed the World Premiere of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE at The Guthrie. Other new musical credits include HAPPY DAYS, THE MUSICAL (Connecticut Critics Circle Award), "13" (Mark Taper Forum - Garland
Award), GOGO BEACH (NYMF), PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, and EMPIRE. Broadway credits include THE COAST OF UTOPIA, HAIRSPRAY (Assoc. choreographer), THE FULL MONTY (Assoc. choreographer), URINETOWN, THE MUSICAL (Asst choreographer), VICTOR/VICTORIA (performer). Film: the movie CAMP for IFC Films.

Rob recently played the role of "Sam Carmichael" in the Las Vegas company of Mamma Mia! On Broadway, he was the understudy for "The Beast" and "Gaston" in Disney's Beauty and The Beast. Other credits include We Will Rock You (Las Vegas), Children of Eden (Ford's Theatre), Camelot (Westchester Broadway), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Music Circus) and Mame (North Shore).

Elena Shaddow
Broadway: Woman in White, Fiddler, Nine, Sweet Smell of Success, Les Misérables. London West End: Magnolia in Showboat. National Tours: Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza (first National). Recent Regional: Lili in Carnival! (Papermill Playhouse), Cecily in The Importance of Being Earnest (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ). Beaming and proud mother of Adelina Rose Harrington, 7 ½ months old. Love to Mike.

BETH CURRY is so excited to be spreading her legs for Idaho. She is currently in LEGALLY BLONDE (us Brooke/Pilar/Margot). Other Bway credits include: Good Vibrations (Rhonda). National Tour: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (us Jolene). TV: Hope and Faith, A Christmas Carol, Conan, Tonight Show. She sang back up for the Brian Setzer Orchestra for 3 years and has received a Billboard award for her original music. Love to family and J.

Broadway: Cry-Baby, The Producers, Contact, Big, Crazy For You (PBS Great Performances). Off-Broadway: Contact, Anything Cole, Hollywood/Ukraine. National Tours: Contact, Crazy For You, 42nd Street. Film: The Producers. TV: although Stacey has appeared in numerous commercials, he has not yet been on "Law & Order". He does not have a website.

Jay Rogers recently performed understudy duties for the role of Mr.
Charles in Paul Rudnick's THE NEW CENTURY at Lincoln Center. Prior
to that he appeared as Mignon Mullen in MY DEAH, Archie in ARCHIE AND
MEHITABEL, and as a host of characters in both Howard Crabtree's
extravaganzas; WHOOP DEE DOO! and WHEN PIGS FLY.(Drama Desk
nomination).

Just finished playing Laurie in Little Women (Lyceum Theatre, MO) He was last seen @ NYMF in '05 in Yank, and is ironically now playing the character Yank. 1st National Tours; Parade (dir by Hal Prince) & Footloose (dir by Walter Bobbie). He has performed the role of Jack in Into the Woods for dir. Glenn Casale @ Sacramento Music Circus, The Ordway, T.U.T.S. and South Bay Civic Light Opera. Other Favorite's include: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Snoopy), The Secret Garden (Dickon) She Loves Me(Arpad) and Grease(Doody) to name a few. More @ www.danielfrankkelley.com

Robbie Roby: Broadway: Hairspray. Tours: Spamalot, JosephDreamcoat (cast recording), Starlight Express, Hairspray (L.V.). Regionals: Beauty(MUNY, NCT, Detroit Fox), Empire, Fiddler (w/ Paul Sorvino), and South Pacific (Casa Manana). Currently: Audition Supervisor for the upcoming musical Billy Elliot. Thank You Keith, Buddy, and Sharon for your faith. Finally, my sincerest gratitude to Matt and Michele for giving me a career! Dare to Dream!

Holly just recently finished playing the role of Sarah in Guy's and Doll's at the Monomoy Theatre in Cape Cod and is "spud"tasticly excited to be singing in IDAHO! Other Credits include Of Thee I Sing - Encores! (New York City Center); A Man with a Load of Mischief (The York Theatre Co.); Grease (National Tour); Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde (Trump Plaza, Atlantic City) and is very proud of her role as Mrs. Claus in the Korean production of Sing Along Santa.

Joe is hootin' and a hollerin' about being part of IDAHO! He just returned from the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma where he played Rolf in The Sound of Music. He is a recent graduate of Syracuse University where his favorite roles included Lippa's Wild Party (Phil), My One And Only (Billy Buck Chandler), and The Tooth of Crime (Crow). Thanks family, friends, Josh, Teresa, Matt.

Wendy Lynette Fox- Regional/Tours: Into the Woods (The Witch), Little Shop of Horrors (Crystal), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Brenda).RENT (u/s Joanne), We Will Rock You (U.S. premiere) (u/s Killer Queen).
Grind (Loretta) York Theatre. BM in Musical Theatre at James Madison University.

Jessica is thrilled to be a part of IDAHO!, and to work with Matt Lenz and Michele Lynch again whom she first impressed with her versatility as a "wolf/napkin" in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at The MUNY. Other regional credits include: (Alice) SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (PCLO). Jessica is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan where she received a BFA in Musical Theatre.

Credits include: Original Rosie in Mamma Mia! (Las Vegas), Chicago(Riverside Theater), Nunsense(Douglas Fairbanks Theater), Blown Sideways thru Life, Heartbeat(Adirondak Theater Festival) Red Hot and Cole (Queens Theater in the Park), and Max and Maxine Together Again. TV Credits: HBO’s True Blood, TLC's Rock the Reception, Late Night with David Letterman, General Hospital,Entertainmen Tonite and Good Day Live. Jennifer has performed in every comedy club in NYC as a member of Third Rail Comedy.

Broadway: Grease!-Tommy Tune Revival (Sonny), New York: But I’m A Cheerleader-NYMF; Two Cities-Stamford Arts Center; Sun Up-Metropolitan Playhouse; As You Like It, Twelfth Night-Gorilla Rep; Timon of Athens, The Seagull-American Globe, Regional: Guthrie, Dallas Theatre Center,Olney, American Heartland, Kansas City Starlight, Syracuse Stage, Old Log. Television: Film School, One Life To Live, All My Children
Film: Folks, Glass Chain, Rehab, Little Distractions, Heart of Spider, Happy Ending. ILoveMicheleRagusa

JAMES TABEEK: Broadway: TABOO (Dance Captain/Swing, Cast Recording), BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Carpet, Lefou u/s), SWEET CHARITY (workshop). Broadway National: WICKED (Dance Captain/Swing). Other NYC: BABES IN ARMS (City Center/Encores), CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, CARNIVALE (Radio City Music Hall). Europe: WEST SIDE STORY (Big Deal, Riff u/s). Regional: Kennedy Center, North Shore Music Theater, Goodspeed Opera House. Thanx David, Matt, and Marianne.

BILL NOLTE just hung up his Franz helmet from THE PRODUCERS after 5 years on Broadway, Max and Leo tours, Las Vegas and Ogunquit, Maine.    He recently performed his solo concert ALL OF ME  in Las Vegas and Jackson Hole, Wyoming and is looking forward to its NYC debut  at BIRDLAND on November 10, 2008. When not  in a show  he enjoys watercolor painting and  teaching voice . 

RAMONA KELLER, from Brooklyn, New York. Made her Broadway debut in
'Smokey Joe's Cafe' as the standby for BJ, Pattie, and Brenda and later toured Germany in the role of BJ. She originated the roles of Radio 1, in 'Caroline Or
Change' and Ms. Paradice, in 'BKLYN the Musical' on Broadway. Some of her regional credits include, two productions of 'Dreamgirls', Lonestar Love, 'Beehive', 'Buddy Holly Story', and the musical review In Time w/ Hugh Jackman in Las Vegas. She recentley had the honor of reviving her role as The Radio in 'Caroline Or Change' in London at the Royal National Theater.

Blake Hammond has appeared onstage in all 50 states of this Union and seems to remember very little about his performances. He's a Gemini and list "IDAHO" baked potatoes with butter and cheddar cheese as his favorite starch! Broadway Shows: 5, National Tours: 4, TV/Film: 38, NYMF: Priceless.

Lori Eure is originally from North Carolina. Theatre credits include: Broadway: Cabaret, Sally Bowles/Kit Kat Girl. National tour: Cabaret. Regional: The Buddy Holly Story, We Will Rock You (Las Vegas Cast), Beehive at The Kennedy Center, Annie, and Guys-n-Dolls. Lori currently teaches dance at the Westport Dance Center and sings regularly with her band Coo Coo Lu Lu.

Christopher D. Littlefield (Music Director, Piano): The Yellow Wood (New York
Musical Theatre Festival 2007, dir. BD Wong; York Theatre 2007), NYMF's Broadway
Idol (w/Andrea McArdle), Nate the Great (Theatreworks/USA), The Fantasticks, Fiddler
on the Roof, Revoco (Texas Shakespeare Festival), The Screams of Kitty Genovese
(Assoc., NYMF 2006), Shout! The Mod Musical (Keys, Off-Broadway), Falsettos (Keys,
George St. Playhouse). Developmental: Angels, Wood, Awakening (w/Julia Murney and Mary Testa), The Yellow Wood, GrooveLily's Striking 12, UnLock'd. Artist-in-Residence: University of Rochester (Hello Again, 2007-08). Music Director/Coach: UT San Antonio. Collaborative work with Julia Cameron (Author, The Artist's Way), Malcolm Gets, William Finn, and Cyndi Lauper.

Charlie Smith (Scenic Design) Associate Design: Gem of the Ocean (Boston, B'way), The Drowsy Chaperone (B'way, West End, Nat'l Tour), Radio Golf (LA, B'way), Beauty and the Beast (European Tour), The Wiz (Netherlands). Other credits: Property Known As Garland (Off-B'way), Showstoppers (Lincoln Center), King Lear (UK), Bingo (Sarasota, SF, Chicago), Cabaret (AMTSJ), A Wonderful Life (Papermill, TUTS), 3 Musketeers (Nat'l Tour), The Crucible (UK). Current projects: Donizetti's The Elixir of Love, Britten's Billy Budd, Bingo (UK tour). www. studio30west.com

LINDA FISHER, Costume Designer
Some film/TV: STEPHEN KING'S THE LANGOLIERS, AFTER THE STORM, HEART
OF MIDNIGHT, RACHEL RIVER, etc.
Some B'way: MORNING'S AT SEVEN (1980), A TUNA CHRISTMAS, BUS STOP, etc.
Lots of Off B'way: GREATER TUNA and shows at Irish Rep, Roundabout,
Playwrights' Horizons, NY Public, etc., etc.
Lots & lots of Regional Theatre: Guthrie, Long Wharf, Hartford Stage,
Alley Theatre Houston, Westport Country Playhouse, Dallas Theatre
Centre, Arena Stage, McCarter Theatre, Williamstown Summer Theatre,
etc., etc., etc.

Julie Duro (Lighting Designer) Ms. Duro has worked with many opera, dance and theatre companies throughout the United States including Santa Fe Opera, Opera International in Washington, D.C., Opera Illinois, Dayton Opera, Triangle Opera Theatre, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Florida State Opera, Houston's Ebony Opera Guild, the Green Mountain Opera Festival and the Connecticut Opera (this season's Don Giovanni and Daughter of the Regiment.). Theater includes A Word or Two Before You Go, The Member of the Wedding (Westport Country Playhouse). Her extensive dance credits include North Carolina Dance Theatre, the Australian Ballet, Ohio Ballet (resident lighting designer) and Tulsa Ballet. She is the resident lighting designer for the yearly Salute to the Presidential Scholars in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center 

Theatrical Engineering credits include; A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Bring Back Birdie, Broadway Design credits include Onward Victoria, Tom Sawyer, Urinetown, The King and I and Wonderful Town. He is currently designing and engineering Julie Andrews tour of The Gift of Music.
Lew was the founder of ProMix, a theatrical audio company, Syntonic Design Group a corporate audio company and Autograph A2D an audio distribution company located in NewYork and London

Greg's multifaceted career includes over 300 productions. Theatre: Dreamgirls starring Jennifer Holliday; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Ann-Margret; Evita; Man of La Mancha starring Richard Kiley; King of Hearts; Stop the WorldI Want to Get Off starring Sammy Davis, Jr.; Odyssey/Home Sweet Homer starring Yul Brynner.

Jeff Whiting (Assistant Director): Broadway: Young Frankenstein, Assistant Choreographer; Wicked 5th Anniversary, Assistant Director. Upcoming: Happiness, Assistant Director/Choreographer (Susan Stroman). National Tours: Hairspray, Assistant Director; The Producers, Assistant Director. Off-Broadway: Saint Heaven, Associate Director; The Donkey Show, Associate Director. Jeff is also a resident member of the creative team for The Walt Disney Company.
Open Jar Productions (Artistic Director) dedicated to development of new plays/musicals and an actors training program. www.openjarproductions.com

ERIC SEAN FOGEL: Assistant Choreography credits include: Happy Days National Tour, Goodspeed and Papermill Theatres, My Fair Lady with Kelsey Grammer at the NY Philharmonic, The Merry Widow at Los Angeles Opera and Dallas Opera, Night at the Operetta at Town Hall, Grease and West Side Story at the MUNY, and Broadway Bares 18. Thanks, as always, to Michele.

Broadway: A Catered Affair, Company. Off-Broadway: Altar Boyz, Naked Boys Singing!, Awesome'80s Prom, From Door to Door. NY/Regional: Rosie O'Donnell's R Family Cruise, Twilight: LA 1992 with Lincoln Center, Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp Gala, numerous events with Broadway Cares and Artists Striving to End Poverty (A.S.T.E.P.) www.asteponline.org. BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts. Proud member of AEA.

Travis Milliken: Broadway - La Cage Aux Folles, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, Salome, Henry IV, Raisin In The Sun; Off-Broadway - Ten Unknowns, Chaucer In Rome, End of the World Party. Travis is Audra McDonalds Personal Assistant and is the Retreat Director for Moveable Arts.

Broadway: For Colored Girls... Off Bdwy: Altar Boyz NY Theatre: Pages, Drift (NYMTF). Regional: The 25th...Spelling Bee (Chicago co.), Altar Boyz (Nederlander tour, Rep. St Louis & Cincinnati Playhouse), Dreamgirls (starring Jennifer Holliday), Loving, Repeating (Stephen Flaherty & Frank Galati), Shear Madness (Chicago Theater) and several productions for The Goodman Theatre, San Diego Rep, Theatre Aspen, The Chicago Theatre, TUTS and TOTS. TV: "You're The One That I Want" and Nickelodeon's "Storyforia" & "The BeatKinz". Web Series: "Joe Hero" (AOL TV).

KEITH SHERMAN & ASSOCIATES (Press Representative) is the public relations and marketing communications company for a diverse clientele in entertainment, lifestyles and corporate industries.

KSA has represented more than 200 Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring productions as well as the Tony Awards for 18 years. KSA currently represents: “Mindgame,” “Flamingo Court,” “Sleepwalk With Me” and “Forbidden Broadway.”

KSA has publicized dozens of films for Focus Features, Universal Pictures, Lion’s Gate and Roadside Attractions. The Company did the unit publicity for Sarah Jessica Parker’s new film, Spinning into Butter and the documentary ShowBusiness (Regent Releasing). KSA has worked on dozens of programs for the major television and cable networks and PBS.

Clients include Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, The Onion, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Columbia University, Hertz, Sony, Architectural Digest, Bolshoi Ballet, New York Marriott Marquis, Town Hall, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The New York Times. www.ksa-pr.com.

HOWARD JOINES (Music Coordinator). Contractor, conductor, percussionist. Grease, The Times They Are A -Changin', Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Never Gonna Dance, Flower Drum Song, The Full Monty, Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Singing in the Rain, The King and I, Radio City. Recordings/performances: Jewel, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston. Jingles/film/television: Coca-Cola, Miller Beer, Across the Universe, Alamo, Peggy Sue Got Married, Snake Eyes, Femme Fatale. On-camera: Maid in Manhattan, "Guiding Light."

Credits include: I LOVE YOU BECAUSE, Off-Broadway (February 2006) and --winner Best Off-West End Musical 2007, (London), MASKED, Off-Broadway (2007). Regional: RESPECT: A MUSICAL JOURNEY OF WOMEN in Cleveland (September 2006), Boston (October 2006) and Atlanta (March 2007) and MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL in Minneapolis (May 2007). COMING SOON: GLIMPSES OF THE MOON (www.glimpsesofthemoon.com) at the Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel (September 2008) and US Revival of Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (Broadway and US Tour, Fall 2009).

Richard Winkler has been involved with professional theatre for 35 years, bringing his creativity and talent to bear primarily on lighting design, while becoming extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the business. In 2005 he produced the hit drama HALF LIFE at the New York International Fringe Festival. Prior to that he produced the showcase of the new Will Holt musical
J. F. K. following its world premiere in Dublin, Ireland. IDAHO! marks his first cooperative producing venture. His most recent lighting designs include: 3 Mo' DIVAS at the Denver Theatre Center, 3 Mo' TENORS at the Little Shubert, A WONDERFUL LIFE at Papermill, DREAMGIRLS at TUTS in Houston, and
IL TROVATORE at Opera Virginia.

Producing credits include Bernice Bobs Her Mullet (NYMF 2007), Noon Day Sun (Diverse City Theater), and Diverse City Theater's Summer Benefit Gala featuring Norm Lewis. Martha also recently worked on The Great American Trailer Park tour and currently, the shows's Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut. Martha is the managing director for Diverse City Theater.