Stand Tall (2012)

Gerard Canonico (Goliath)

Gerard Canonico is thrilled to be doing his first ever NYMF show! Broad­way: Spring Awakening (Moritz), American Idiot (Ensemble), Les Misérables (Gavroche). Off-Broadway: The Talls at Second Stage Uptown Theater (Russell James), The Prince and the Pauper (Tom Canty The Pauper), Children’s Letters to God (Brett Williams). Film: Boy WonderDirected by Michael Morrissey (Steve Sanders), and the upcoming film Not Fade Away Directed by David Chase (Schindewulf) due for an Oct. 19th 2012 release date. Other credits: American Idiot at Berkeley Rep, A Christmas Carol at MSG,The King and I at Paper Mill Playhouse, Casper tour with Chita Rivera. Gerard also writes music and plays a variety of instruments for other artists around NYC. Most recently he can be heard playing drums on Declan Bennetts' album "RECORD:breakup". Thanks to Family and Barry Kolker "Super Agent".

Jef Canter (King Saul/Jesse/Cassius)

Jef is pleased to be making his debut at NYMF. He most recently appeared in Lend Me A Tenor at Arts Center of Coastal Carolina.  Other Credits: National Tour of Peter Pan: The Show (Mr. Smee).  Playhouse on Park - Around the World in 80 Days. The Gretna Theatre - A Little Night Music, My Fair Lady, and Funny Girl.  The Welk Resort Theatre - It’s A Wonderful Life (Clarence). Musical Theatre West - Annie (Lt. Ward) w/Andrea McArdle, Cortland Rep - Damn Yankees (Joe Boyd).  Love to my dad and in memory of my mom. www.jefcanter.com

Trista Dollison (Black Sheep)

Trista is thrilled to be a part of Stand Tall! Credits include: Disney's The Lion King on Broadway, Porgy & Bess (Clara), Morgan Street (Dominique), Cool Papa's Party. Special thanks to the Mine Agency. Much Love to my beautiful family, Clarence, and friends. Psalms 23:1-6.

Jill Shackner (Mia)

Jill Shackner has appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables and Off-Broadway in A Charity Case, Landscape of the Body, Prince & The Pauper, Penny 4 Eyes Rock N’ Roll Show, and The Broadway Kids.  Her television credits include “What Would You Do?,” “All My Children,” “Three Moons Over Milford,” “As the World Turns,” “Out of the Box,” “Star Search,” and “Celebrity Deathmatch,” and film credits consist of “Text Me” (NYC International Film Festival – Best Actress Nominee; Houston Comedy Film Festival – Best Actress Nominee), “Paper Man,” and “House of D.” Jill graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University with a BA in Music. Love and many thanks to everyone who made it possible to be part of this amazing production in NYMF 2012!

 

Bryan Welnicki (David)

Bryan Welnicki is both delighted and honored to be a part of Stand Tall!  Regional: Sweeney Todd (Tobias) at the Gateway Theatre.  Recent graduate of NYU Steinhardt.  Past school credits: Sweeney Todd (Tobias), The Fix (Cal Chandler), Mrs. Sharp (Jake), and King David (Absalom).  NYMF: Greenwood (Young Daniel); The Toymaker (Doby)  Love to Mom, Dad, M/M, M/A, and L.  Enjoy!

 

Simon Greiff (Director)

Simon trained as an Actor at The Central School of Speech and Drama and, for over 12 years, worked in award winning Theatre, BAFTA winning Television & Film and created leading roles in the West End and across the UK.

Since focussing on his career as a Director, Simon’s credits include A Song Cycle For Soho (Soho Theatre) which he also co-created; the British Premiere of Stand Tall A Rock Musical (Landor Theatre); the British Premiere of The Pork Crunch (Pleasance Theatre), Spring Awakening (Wilde Theatre), the British Premiere of the Off-Broadway indie-pop musical Striking 12 (Waterloo East Theatre), which he was also given permission to ‘anglicize’; Home: The Scott Alan Song Cycle workshop (Her Majesty’s Theatre), which he also co-created. He was the Resident Director on the award-winning No1 Tour of We Will Rock You, Development Director on Stand Tall, Playback (including Drury Lane investment showcase) and Sex And The Village and A Penguin’s Tale (for Perfect Pitch Musicals).

Simon also has his own production company, SimG Productions presenting West End Concerts & Cabarets showcasing new musical theatre writers, and he also runs the independent label SimG Records who have released 13 albums from solo artists to original cast recordings. For more information please visit:  www.SimGProductions.com 

 

Lee Wyatt-Buchan (Book & Lyrics)

Described by Author Philip Pullman as an ‘Intuitive and clever writer’ Lee Wyatt-Buchan is a newcomer to the world of theatre offering a raw and edgy approach to his work. Early success with Stand Tall came with winning the Diana Award for his contemporary book and emotive lyrics. Having had success with his own band Verona in the late 90s, Wyatt-Buchan founded and co-owns the successful Witchwood School of Rock and also co-owns Shrill Productions, the new musical company. Between 1997 and 2007 Wyatt-Buchan managed several leisure centre’s in Oxford City overseeing 100 members of staff across varying venues including swimming pools and an Ice Rink. During this time he also worked as a project manager focusing on corporate systems review, however he left his qualified vocation to concentrate on his life passion (with the exception of his wife) writing and music. Wyatt-Buchan continues to write TV/Film scripts, Junk Food Nation and Charlie Peach, and children’s books, The Tickling Kite and Lemon Cake.

Aldie Chalmers (Music)

Aldie is a very experienced musician with over 35 years experience of playing, performing and teaching guitar. Over 15 years has been spent working with young children either in musical or sports environment. A qualified roller and ice hockey coach who was coach of the Great Britain Junior Skater Hockey team and head coach of the Oxford Skater Hockey club for 10 years. Musically, has worked with large groups of children as well as working one to one with individuals to teach them music theory, technique and various aspects of working within the music industry. In the area of music, has performed and recorded with many bands. Has owned and managed rehearsal and recording studios, a music shop and a musicians agency in London. Aldie is an experienced sound engineer for both recording and live sound. He has many years of experience songwriting and he also worked with bands at major concerts including Reading Festival, Deptford and Glastonbury Festival and all major venues in London. Aldie has worked with bands at Capital Radio in London and at Maida Vale with BBC Radio and has been involved with the creation of two Music Learning Organisations (schools), one for World Music and one for Rock Music. He has also played as a session guitarist on many recordings over several years

Sandy Chalmers (Music)

Sandy has over 35 years of working in the music industry as a professional musician. He plays the electric bass guitar and sound engineers and has experience with singing, guitar, drums and keyboards. His passion in life is song writing. He has performed on 3 continents playing music from country rock, pop and dance to heavy metal. He has worked as part of the road crew for some of the largest events in the country from Reading Festival to Castle Donnington Monsters of Rock as well as BBC radio sessions and Capitol Radio. He has recorded music for the public, one of which was single of the week on radio and NME, Sounds and Kerrang magazine. He has successfully completed bass and sound engineering courses, run his own rehearsal and recording studios in London, employing over 30 people and training them. His other skills include working as chief designer for a rollerblading magazine he helped created which went on to become the top selling niche sport magazine in the UK. Sandy has also taught English to Vietnamese boat-people in Hong Kong as well as working for London Employment Training helping the unemployed get back to work (specializing in musicians and people wanting to work in the music industry). After spending 7 years in a Zen Monastery he decided to use all the skills he has accumulated to pass on his love of music to young people and help them to realize their dreams in music. Sandy co-owns the Witchwood School of Rock a successful music school for young people and he owns his own recording studio Secret Music.

Brent Frederick (Music Director)

Broadway: Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Conductor/Keyboard 1 & Keyboard 2), Leap of Faith (Asst. Keyboard Programmer), Newsies (Asst. Keyboard Programmer). Off Broadway: The Kid (Music Department), The Piano Teacher (Music Consultant), I’m Still Getting My Act Together (Copyist). Regional: Newsies (Asst. Synth Programmer; Papermill Playhouse), Spamalot (Assoc. Conductor; Ogunquit Playhouse). Cruise Line: Saturday Night Fever (Music Supervisor; Royal Caribbean, Intl.). National Tour: Fiddler On the Roof (Assoc. Conductor; Atlanta TOTS). More at www.BrentFrederickMusic.com. Love to Jackie and Lily.

 

Julia C. Lee (Scenic Designer)

JULIA C. LEE is a New York City-based scenic designer. She received an MFA in Design from Yale School of Drama in May 2012, and her BA with double majors in theatre and sociology from National Taiwan University. Recently, she designed the world premiere of Amy Herzog’s Belleville at Yale Repertory Theatre. She has re-conceived the design forBelleville at New York Theatre Workshop for the next season in 2013. Her other theatre credits include Passing by Dipika Guha (Carlotta Festival of New Plays), Eurydice (Yale School of Drama), Hollow Roots, Erebus and Terror, Salome (Yale Cabaret) and The Dining Room (National Taiwan University). She is the recipient of Donald and Zorka Oenslager Travel Fellowship in Design, the 2010 Donald and Zorka Oenslager Scholarship in Stage Design and the 2010, 2011 Eldon Elder Fellowship. See more of her work at www.juliaclee.com.

Paloma Young (Costume Designer)

Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher (Tony Award), Assistant Designer on American Idiot. New York: Brooklyn Babylon (BAM Nextwave), Recall (Colt Coeur), Wildflower (2ST). Regional: You Nero (Berkeley Rep), Current Nobody, Hoover Comes Alive! (La Jolla Playhouse),Titus Andronicus (California Shakespeare Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Old Globe), Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte’s Web (South Coast Rep), 1001 (Mixed Blood), Dos Pueblos (Miracle Theatre). Graduate of UC San Diego. 

 

Charles Coes (Sound Designer)

NEW YORK: Broadway: Peter and the Starcatcher (Associate), Chinglish (Associate), In The Next Room (Associate); Off-Broadway: Playwright’s Realm: Dreams of the Washer King; Making Books Sing: The Butterfly. REGIONAL: North Shore Music Theatre: Annie; Shakespeare Theatre Company: Servant of Two Masters; Ford’s Theatre: Parade; Williamstown: One Slight Hitch; The Wilma: My Wonderful Day; Yale Rep: Passion Play. OTHER: Sound Design for spectaculars on Royal Caribbean’sOasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas.   INSTRUCTOR: Swarthmore College and NYU’s Tisch School. TRAINING: Yale School of Drama.

Jason Adams (Production Manager)

Jason Adams is honored to be working on Stand Tall.  Jason is the production manager for the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts.  Previous projects include;  Ricky Gervais: Live in America, the Out of England Tour (Production Manager), Ricky Gervais: Live out of England 2 (Production Manager), Tim Minchin (Tour/Production Manager), Stephen Merchant: Hello Ladies Tour (Production Manager), Fates Imagination (Production Manager, Gotham Stage Company),Becoming Adele (Production Manager, Gotham Stage Company), A Dangerous Personality (Production Manager, Perry Street Theatricals), Hamlet (Technical Director TFANA), Othello (Technical Director, TFANA), Rafta, Rafta (Production Carp, The New Group), Mouth to Mouth (Production Carp, The New Group), The Rich Boyfriend (Production Carp, The New Group), The Starry Messenger (Production Carp, The NewGroup), A Lie of the Mind (Production Carp, The New Group).

Liz Elise Richards (Production Stage Manager)

Liz is happy to be back at NYMF after managing Jack Perry is Alive (and Dating) last year. Recent credits include: Just Sex and 155 First Avenue (Theater for the New City), Where's My Money? (Cherry Lane Studio), and Three Sisters (The Atlantic Stage 2). Other favorite credits include: Ultra Violet Live! (Skirball Center), Lizzie Borden (The Living Theater), Balm in Gilead and The Changing Room (T. Schreiber Studio). www.lizeliserichards.com

Olivia Edery (Assistant Stage Manager)

Olivia Edery is a Stage Manager and Lighting Designer from the San Francisco Bay Area. She just finished her 3rd year in the Production and Design studio at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently working on Jose Perez IV’sFIGHTER (SM) which is traveling to Missouri in August and is a Venue Director at this year's FringeNYC. Recent projects include Snowball Battlefield (SM), Mary Kate and Ashley Variety Hour (LD), the di(SPlACE)ment project (Assoc. LD), Manhattan Ballet School’s Nutcracker Suite (SM), Sweet Nothings (LD), Krapp’s Last Tape (LD), and both previous productions of FIGHTER (SM).

Jason Haft (General Manager)

Jason's line producing credits at NYMF include Nighttime Traffic (2010) and NYMF's annual Next Broadway Sensation competition (since 2009). He currently works at 321 Theatrical Management as a production accountant on Wicked, Peter and the Starcatcher, Sister Act, and Bring It On: The Musical, among others. Previously, he served as Company Manager on John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean and as Assistant Company Manager on Charles Busch's The Divine Sister and the recent revival of Cactus Flower. Other credits as producer and associate producer include Rated RSO, Kerrigan and Lowdermilk: Under the Influence, and numerous other concerts featuring the works of rising songwriters.

Rachel Sussman (Associate General Manager)

Rachel is thrilled to be making her production side debut at NYMF with Stand Tall after previously performing in Show Choir! (2010) and two years as a co-President of the NYMF Student Leader Program (SLP). Rachel has worked with 321 Theatrical Management, the International Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Second Stage Theatre. She has assisted on Joe Iconis’s Bloodsong of Love (Ars Nova), les sept doigts de la main’s Traces (Union Square Theatre), and is currently producing two new works: Wounded Bird on Virgin Land (NYU Shop Theatre)  and Lemon Cake (133rd St. Arts Center). BFA: NYU Tisch (Strasberg/Experimental Theatre Wing). www.rachel-sussman.com

Daryl Eisenberg (Casting Director)

Daryl Eisenberg, CSA is owner of Daryl Eisenberg Casting, a full service casting office for film, theatre, TV, commercials, new media.  Daryl is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.  Member of Casting Society of America. www.decasting.com

Sam Morris (Press Representative)

For the past three and a half years as a publicist Sam Morris has worked with an exciting array of arts, entertainment and lifestyle clients, currently representing Broadway's leading arts education organization, Inside Broadway, Gary Beeber’s hit burlesque show at The Triad, Gotham Burlesque, The Astaire Awards and the restaurant HUDSON at Haymount House in Westchester. On events and projects he has worked with Liza Minnelli, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Nick Jonas, Christie Brinkley, Brooke Shields, Adrian Grenier, and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel among others. This is his fifth consecutive year working with NYMF productions and is thrilled to be a part of such a fantastic festival again.