Count to Ten (2009)

The Group Theatre Too, LLC and Justin Boccitto (Producers)

The Group Theatre Too (GTT) was founded in 2003 by Artistic Director Michael Blevins and Executive Producer Justin Boccitto.  GTT produces quality entertainment that stimulates and supports an ensemble group of artists as well as it’s patrons through productions, outreach, and educational arts programs.  Group Theatre Too hopes to encourage diversity and the exploration of the human experience through theater, dance and music while communicating the fact that as many ways as we humans are different we share common bonds and can connect with everyone bringing new understanding and compassion to our lives.  Past productions have included:  the New York revival of Seesaw, Count To Ten (National Youth Award for Best New Play), Tape, Vanities, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Love Letters, The Boyfriend, The Subject Was Roses, David Rimmer’s Album and the annual Choreographer’s Canvas.  GTT also produced MAC Award Winner, Alisa Schiff, in Mama Said...The Songs of Cass Elliott.    Generation Tap, GTT’s tap company, has appeared at Tap City, Tap Extravaganza, The United Nations, Circle in the Square and was featured in Dancer and Dance Spirit Magazines. Seen by over 5,000 school students, GTT’s social awareness play, Aftermath, is now available for performance through Heuer Publishing.  GTT also runs after-school arts programming at P.S. 75 Elementary School and retains a fiscal sponshorship through The Field, a 501 (c)(3) organization in Manhattan.  Artistic Board of Advisors for GTT include Mercedes Ellington, Nicole Fosse, Mallory Graham, Maurice Hines, Bernard Kaplan, Theodore Mann, Bettye Morrow, Sue Samuels and Chita Rivera.

Mr. Boccitto has a strong foundation in theatre having worked for The Metropolitan Opera, The Juilliard School, Willow Cabin Theatre Company, Broadway Dance Center, The New York Fringe Festival and Circle in the Square.  Visit www.justinboccitto.com,  www.grouptheatretoo.org and www.counttotenthemusical.com for more information.

Michael Blevins (Bookwriter, Lyricist, Composer, Director/Choreographer)

MICHAEL BLEVINS is originally from East Tennessee. He attended the University of North Carolina, majoring in Acting and Dance and continued his studies in the performing arts and writing at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Michael is an accomplished composer, lyricist and award winning published playwright with numerous titles to his credit. He is the book-writer and co-author of music and lyrics for the new family musical Count To Ten (counttotenthemusical.com) which played the Connelly Theatre and 14th Street Theatre in Manhattan and will open again this fall in New York City. In addition to Count To Ten, which recently won the 2008 National Youth Theatre Award for Best New Musical, Blevins was commissioned to write the book, music, and lyrics for The Carol, a musical adaptation of the Dicken's Christmas classic that enjoyed a long, successful run at JCCT, the oldest continuing community theatre in the State of Tennessee. He is also the author of the Social Awareness Respect-Your-Body one-act play, aftermath published by Heuer and currently enjoying production by The Group Theatre Too, LLC (grouptheatretoo.org) touring through High Schools and Middle Schools in the Northeast. He is the author of several one-act plays to be performed by children most notably Kelly and The Internet Goblins published by PLAYS, The Drama Magazine for Young People, and Suite Heart and Club Drama that will be included in a soon-to-be published book for young actors entitled Garage Plays. In addition, Michael also penned An American Sampler: 100 Years of Broadway Dance that was commissioned by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for their state-wide Theatre Academy Program and The Broadway Kid a one-act musical vaudeville featuring the life, times and music of George M. Cohan. Blevins' newest full-length play, The Roundabout Inn enjoyed a successful run in the Spring of 2009 at the Centenary Stage Company YPW.  Blevins is no new-comer to theatre having appeared in several Broadway productions including, Bring Back Birdie, with Donald OConnor and Chita Rivera, Neil Simon's Little Me with Victor Garber and James Coco and the Tony Winning Tap Dance Kid in which he created and originated the role of 'Winslow'. Major film roles include a cameo appearance in Woody Allen's Zelig, a supporting role in the screen biography Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr. and Diane Lane, yet he is most widely known for his portrayal of 'Mark' in the movie A Chorus Line, directed by Sir Richard Attenborough. Michael Blevins resides in Manhattan and is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc. He is represented by New York entertainment lawyer, Donald C. Farber, Esq. and Literary Agent, Jerry Rudes, of Mistral Artist Management, New York.  For more information visit: www.michaelblevins.com and www.counttotenthemusical.com

 

Beth Clary (Lyricist)

Beth is a recipient of the Ole Olsen Theatrical Scholarship and graduated from Ball State University majoring in speech and theatre. Her performing career began at the age of nine with the World's Largest Amateur Circus in her home town of Peru, Indiana where she performed for 10 years. She went on to be the founder and director of the highly acclaimed French Woods Circus at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts in New York. Ms. Clary now lives in New Palestine, Indiana with her husband, Randy and six children. This is her first collaborative effort as a lyricist.

Scott Knipe (Composer)

SCOTT KNIPE (Music) received a Masters in Music from the University of Michigan. He was active as a professional oboist and performed at major concert halls including, Carnegie Hall, Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Town Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall with such noted ensembles as Lehigh Valley Orchestra, Pennsylvania Sinfonia, and The Bach Festival of Bethlehem. Other performance credits include recordings for Newport Classics and appearances on National Public Radio. He acted as musical supervisor for over thirty-five productions and for 15 seasons served as musical director and principal conductor at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, in New York. He was well versed in composition having composed and arranged several chamber works. Sadly, Mr. Knipe passed away in 2005.

Bruce Sacks (Composer)

BRUCE SACKS (Composer) has acted as the musical director for numerous productions at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts and has also participated in the same capacity for Theatre South, Great Neck. New York. His other credits include many arrangements and compositions for area cabaret troops, dance companies and the cable TV show Real Kids. He is an accomplished pianist and trumpeter as well as studio musician. But his talents do not stop there. As a graduate of Albany State University, he continued his studies in medical school at the Downstate Medical Center. Currently Dr. Bruce Sacks is a practicing pediatrician in New York City.

David Wollenberger (Composer)

DAVID WOLLENBERGER (Music) is an accomplished musician and composer, he began his career playing with the The New Jersey All State Orchestra and the Bergen Youth Orchestra. He studied composition, on full scholarship, at Tanglewood and Juilliard prior to his studies at the Eastman School of Music where he received a Bachelor of Music. For five years he was on the staff at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, in New York, where he taught classes in music, cabaret technique, song writing, recording techniques, synthesizer programming and jazz improvisations. He made his theatrical show debut being the sole composer for the 1983 Eastman Freshman Show before joining Count to Ten. Mr. Wollenberger has created arrangements for Warner Bros., Inc. and has several jazz ensemble, string quartet, and pop compositions to his credit. He now resides in Los Angeles and is still composing and recording his music.

Christine Riley (Musical Director)

Christine is happy to be part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival once again. Past NYMF shows include: Gemini the Musical, Flight of the Lawnchair Man, and Mud Donahue and Son. Most recently, Christine was the Musical Director for Urinetown and Cabaret (Five Towns College), Romance, Romance, (The Glove Theatre), Seesaw (The Connelly Theatre) and Count to Ten (14th Street Theatre), as well as tthe Asscociate Musical Director for My Vaudeville Man at the York Theatre. Other credits include: Thoroughly Modern Millie (AMD - National tour), Frankenstein (AMD –Casino Rama), and Nunsense (AMD – Fallsview Casino) and as well as serving as the musical director for many regional and university theatre productions including: A Chorus Line, CATS, Miss Saigon, Once Upon a Mattress, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, A New Brain, Fiddler on the Roof, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Cocoanuts, Honk!, Annie Get Your Gun, and South Pacific, among others. Christine also arranged and conducted a new musical, Caterina’s Son, in Florence, Italy. She has a private vocal coaching studio in NYC and enjoys working on many new musicals like Count To Ten. Christine is currently on the Theatre faculty at Five Towns College on Long Island. Ms. Riley received her BM from Ithaca College and MM from Arizona State University.

Christopher Hoyt (Lighting Designer)

Christopher Hoyt (Lighting Designer) Recent design credits include Moliere’s Learned Ladies (lighting design) at Brooklyn College, We like the good-Art Show (scenic design) at Live with Animals Art Gallery,  Tempest (scenic design) at Brooklyn College,  MIKA, Secretary General’s Campaign to End Violence Against Women (scenic & lighting design) at The United Nations.  Other design credits include Hank Williams: Lost Highway (scenic design) at The Depot Theatre and Lobby Hero (scenic design) at Brooklyn College. He currently works at Brooklyn College as the Technical Director of the New Workshop Theatre, while studying for his MFA in Theatre Design.

Gabe Toth (Orchestrations)

Gabe holds advanced degrees from Berklee college of Music and Boston University.  Gabe has been on the stage in some form or another since the age of nine.  He was brought up as a major soloist with The Singing Boy's of PA, was a professional soloist and church organist at age 11, held high ranks in District, Region, State, and All-East choruses in High School and was lead in numerous high school and college plays and musicals.  (So yes, this musician does act, sing, and dance also!) Gabe has recently been seen on Holland America Cruise Lines, The Princess Emerald cruise ship as pianist/vocalist/entertainer. Music director/pianist/singer with "American Jukebox" and "On Broadway" with professional production company Matt Davenport Productions/Live On Stage out of Nashville, TN.  As well as music director for last falls CSC production of Cabaret and equity performance of "Christmas At Smalls Empire Music Hall" where he also had a character singing and ukelele playing spotlight.  Gabe also compiled and arranged 100 percent of the music for this show written by Allen Lewis Rickman.  Gabe is thrilled to be part of opportunities where he can utilize all of his talents including writing and arranging. 

Jeff Brelvi (Assistant Director)

JEFF BRELVI made his directorial debut with the 78th Street Theatre Lab production of Tape, a play by Steven Belber and produced by The Group Theatre Too.  He has co-directed many projects along side Director/Choreographer Michael Blevins such as On the Town, 1776 , and Oliver!.  Other directing credits include the Group Theatre Too's Performer's Playground residency at P.S. 75 where he co-directed and choreographed Tom Sawyer.  Jeff has also worked as Asst. Choreographer to Justin Boccitto on Singing in the Rain at the Mac-Haydn Theatre. He has instructed dance at Centenary College and is also a member of GTT's Generation Tap company, and has appeared in several GTT productions including aftermath and Quick Curtains.  This fall he is teaming up yet again with Blevins to Assistant Direct Count to Ten, Blevins' original musical featured in the 2009 NYMF (New York Musical Theatre Festivall).  Jeff is currently a full-time student at City College.

Dan Renkin (Fight Choreographer)

DAN RENKIN (Fight Director) works widely as both actor and fight director/stunt coordinator. For film and television he has worked as for As the World Turns, See You In September, Asylum Seekers and a variety of independent films. For stage he was an assistant to B.H. Barry on Broadway's CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, as well as off–Broadway on EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL and A STONE CARVER with Dan Lauria. He has fought in CARMEN and OTELLO for the Metropolitan Opera, where he also coached or fight–captained Principal Singers, and has staged or coached character-driven fights waged with everything from wheelchairs to axe handles to broadswords for Babel Theatre Project, Penguin Rep, Abingdon Theatre, Shakespeare-on-the-Hudson, New Jersey Rep, Blunt Theatre Company, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, WORKSproductions, Storm Theatre, JLM Productions, St. Ann's School, The New Acting Company, and MaskWork Unlimited. He is on the faculty of the New York Film Academy, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Renaissance Theatre Academy and Circle in the Square Theatre School, where he is also an alum and has taught since 1997. He has been a guest instructor for John Jay College, Greenwich Youth Theatre, CAP21, Center School and The New School, and is a Master Class instructor with Broadway Classroom.

Nancy Valladares (Sound Designer)

Nancy has recently graduated from Brooklyn College with an MFA in technical theatre and Production. She was one of the assistant technical directors for the "NYC Fringe Festival" this summer, and  has contined on as the technical director for the "Fringe Encore Series". She is also working on the "Asian American Festival" as a Technical Director at the New School for Theatre.

Ryan Schaars (Assistant Choreographer)

Vangeli Kaseluris (Costume Designer)