Pandora's Box (2010)

Kerry Butler, Tony Award nominee and one of Broadway’s favorite ingénues (although she was recently cast as a terrorist!) has starred in Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Xanadu and Les Mis, to name but a few. In Pandora's Box, she plays the slightly naive suburban housewife Pandora who innocently opens the door one day to find someone who turns her life upside down.  Kerrybutler.net

Deidre Goodwin recently starred as Sheila in the revival of A Chorus Line. In addition to also starring on Broadway as Velma in Chicago and appearing in the movie version, Deidre performed in Chita Rivera’s: A Dancer’s Life, Never Gonna Dance, Nine, The Boys From Syracuse and The Rocky Horror Show plus many more.  In this modern musical, she plays Mona the handy woman who enters the hyper-heterosexual Forrester family home and changes everyone's lives forever. 

Tom McGowan made Broadway history when he, as the understudy, took over the lead in La Bete right before it opened and won a Tony Nomination for Best Actor. His other Broadway credits include Ivanov and Chicago. Instantly recognizable as the station manager Kenny from Frasier and Bernie from Everybody Loves Raymond, he has also appeared on TV in Curb Your Enthusiasm, ER and Brothers and Sisters, as well as in the films Sleepless in Seattle, As Good As It Gets and The Birdcage, to name a few.

James Patrick Stuart, who plays Oliver the relentlessly philandering husband, returns to NYC after appearing in almost 100 movies and TV episodes in California. An Emmy award nominee for All My Children, Stuart has subsequently appeared in It’s Complicated, Imagine That, 90210, Samantha Who, and CSI: Miami to name a few. James is known to children all across the world as the voice of Private on The Penguins of Madagascar.

Gary Halvorson, a seven-time Emmy award winner, is a graduate of the Julliard School of Music. He comes to Pandora's Box directly from directing the Opening Production of the Metropolitan Opera for Television. 

As a music student in New York, he was disappointed in the quality of music being presented on television; so he wrote PBS a letter. Accepting his challenge, PBS invited him to "do better." Twenty years on, Gary has revolutionized the way musical theater and concerts are presented on television.

The Metropolitan Opera's director of choice, Halvorson is currently directing the 2008-2009 season of operas for live broadcast via satellite into movie theaters around the nation.  He has directed over fifty operas for television including Figaro with Bryne Terfel and Cecilia Bartolo, Wozzek, The Merry Widow, and Carmen to name a few. A frequently collaborator of Michael Tilson Thomas's, he has directed the award winning documentaries of the San Francisco Symphony Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, as well as Stravinsky's Rite of Spring plus many others. Plus he was chosen to direct the Grand Reopening of Carnegie Hall.

He has also directed many of the Broadway productions that have been aired on television including: Peter Pan, Play On, Eubie, Little Johnny Jones, True West with Bruce Willis, Vanities, The Country Girl, Sherlock Holmes, In Regard of Flight, Piaf as well as Jerry Herman's Broadway at the Bowl and a Tribute to Jule Styne.

For children, he has directed literally hundreds of specials for Disney including Kids Inc, David Copperfield, Magic in the Kingdom, Circus Songs and won an Emmy for Adventures in Wonderland, as Best Director. He was also hired by SONY/COLUMBIA and the Muppets to direct his first feature, ELMO IN GROUCHLAND starring Mandy Patinkin and directed the award winning Free to Be…A Family.  Most recently, Halvorson has been directing the very successful From The Top series for PBS Television.

In addition to all of his musical work, Gary has directed the most successful comedies on television including: Friends, Two and a Half Men, Everyone Loves Raymond, Roseanne, The Drew Carey Show and Muppets Tonight.

In the last twenty years he has directed virtually every star performing today: Jennifer Aniston and the cast of Friends, Drew Carey, Renee Fleming, Bruce Willis, Gloria Estefan, Kelsey Grammer, Lily Tomlin, Brett Butler, Placido Domingo, Diana Ross, Liza Minelli to name a few. World class artists who will offer rave reviews of Gary's work include Julie Taymor, Michael Tilson Thomas, Bruce Willis, Jamie Foxx, Franco Zeffirelli and Renee Fleming.  In 2008 he directed two new sitcoms: Do Not Disturb for FOX and True Jackson for Nickelodeon, which Gary also produces.

Having reached the pinnacle of success in various capacities Gary is anxious to expand his horizons. He recently directed the workshop of Pandora's Box, and next season sees the Broadway debut of Dr.Seuss's The 5,000 Fingers of Doctor T, also by Glen Roven and Maria Schlatter.

WAYNE CILENTO Broadway: Wicked, Sweet Charity (Tony nom.), Aida, The Who's Tommy (Tony, Drama Desk, Astaire awards), How to Succeed... (Tony nom.), Dream: The Johnny Mercer Musical (director/choreographer; Tony nom., Best Choreography), Jerry's Girls, Baby (Tony nom.). West End: The Who's Tommy (Olivier nom.). Other credits: Off-Broadway's A Hot Minute and Angry Housewives, national tour of Spirit, ...Forum at La Jolla (San Diego Drama Critics and Drama-Logue awards). Performer credits: A Chorus Line (Mike, original cast), The Act, Seesaw, Perfectly Frank, Irene, Big Deal, Rachel Lily Rosenblum and Dancin' (Tony nom.). He has done musical staging for Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow, Chita Rivera, Billy Joel, Donna Summer and Pete Townshend.

Four-time Emmy Winner, Glen Roven, is thrilled to have Pandora’s Box be part of the NYMF Festival. He made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting his Violin Concerto based on The Runaway Bunny, with Glenn Close and the American Symphony Orchestra. He recorded the piece with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Brooke Shields for Sony/BMG. Baritone Mark Stone recently performed an entire evening of Roven’s concert music also at Carnegie Hall. This past Mother’s Day, Soprano Lauren Flanigan debuted his Goodnight Moon, A Lullaby for Soprano and Orchestra,  based on the famous Children’s classic, at a free concert in Central Park for 10,000; GPR Records recorded the concert live along with another performance of Runway Bunny, narrated by Kate Mulgrew. Flanigan  has subsequently performed the Aria at Alice Tully Hall, Kimmel Center, and all over the country. Future projects include the San Diego Lyric Opera performing his translation of Don Giovanni and Baritone David Adam Moore recording and performing his translations of Wintereisse. He has conducted the National Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, The Munich Philharmonic, The Radio Luxembourg Orchestra, as well as many others, and made his Israeli conducting debut in 2001 conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in two sold-out concerts honoring Leonard Bernstein. He has conducted for Renee Fleming, Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle and was chosen to conduct four Presidential Inaugural Concerts, as well as America’s Millennium Celebration, produced by Steven Spielberg. In addition to appearing hundreds of times on television, he has written songs for, conducted and produced for Julie Andrews, Aretha Franklin, Kenny G., Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Kermit the Frog, Patti LaBelle, Liza Minnelli, Diana Ross, and many others.  He conducted Frank Sinatra’s last concert on television and Sammy Davis’s final television appearance. He conceived and produced for GPR Records, Poetic License/ 100 Poems 100 Performers where performers including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Patti LuPone, Jason Alexander, Cynthia Nixon among others, read their favorite poem; this album has become the best selling Poetry album of all time. He began his Broadway career as a rehearsal pianist for Pippin while still in high school, and at nineteen was the musical director of Sugar Babies on Broadway. He also wrote the scores for John Guare’s, Lydie Breeze and Gardenia, Christopher Isherwood’s A Meeting By the River and Larry Glebart’s Mastergate, plus was a contributing composer to A…My Name is Alice. He is a contributing author to Games We Played, a collection of essays published by Simon and Schuster. Next season sees the opening of his Broadway Musical, Dr. Suess’ The 5000 Fingers of Doctor T and Pandora’s Box, with Maria S. Schlatter. Future album projects include solo albums for Opera Stars Daniel Oklulitch, David Adam Moore, and Lauren Flanigan, an all-star Midsummer Nights Dream recording, as well as a Poetry Album just for Children, Ode To A Watermelon.

Maria S. Schlatter (Bookwriter), an Emmy winning television producer and writer has written comedy, music, and variety specials and series for the top performers in entertainment including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Muhammed Ali and Roseanne.  An award winning videographer, she has produced and written tributes for Julie Andrews, Blake Edwards, Goldie Hawn, Frank Oz and Garry Marshall as well as producing the Gstaad Film Festival. She has written for John Cleese, Drew Carey and Eddie Murphy. Next season sees the opening of her Broadway Musical, Dr. Suess' The 5000 Fingers of Doctor T directed by Halvorson and a score by Roven.

Josiane Balasko is a French actress, writer and director who wrote, directed and starred in the movie Gazon Maudit.

She won the 1996 César Award (shared with Telsche Boorman) for best writing for this film, for which she was also nominated as best director. The movie itself was nominated for best film

She was born Josiane Balašković in Paris. She has been involved in almost 100 feature films in France as either an actress, writer or director.

Balasko's other César nominations for best actress were for Trop belle pour toi (1989), Tout le monde n'a pas eu la chance d'avoir des parents communistes (1993), Cette femme-là (2003). She is married to George Aguilar, who is also an actor.

Founding partner in GPR Records, a new recording company devoted to classic and unexpected works. Peter is a noted Broadway sound designer represented currently by, Looped and All About Me. A prolific designer including last season’s: Will Farrell’s Your Welcome America, Blithe Spirit, Speed the Plow, and such past designs as: New York Philharmonic’s production of My Fair Lady, in 2006 and Camelot in 2007. Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out, La Cage Aux Folles, Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews, City of Angels, Gypsy, Falsettos, Paul Simon’s The Capeman, The Will Rogers Follies, Swing, Minnelli on Minnelli with Liza, Dream, Threepenny Opera with Sting, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas to name a few. Noted plays: The Odd Couple, M. Butterfly, Stones in His Pockets, The Beauty Queen of Leenane and A Thousand Clowns. Peter is President and co-owner of Sound Associates, Inc a premier provider of sound and video systems to the theater and business community with locations is New York, Yonkers, and Atlanta. He was instrumental in developing the recording studio at the New York location, home of GPR Records. Peter and his wife, Maritza, are the proud parents of daughters Lori and Mallori.

WESTBETH ENTERTAINMENT, Arnold Engelman-President, is a producing organization that has successfully and consistently produced critically-acclaimed, financially successful, ground-breaking entertainment for 30 years. From Eddie Izzard to Billy Connolly, Mike Myers to Lewis Black, Wigfield to Hedwig, and The Family Guy to Tenacious D to Margaret Cho, WestBeth has been the creative catalyst, partner and producer of some of the most innovative productions to come in and out of New York.

Heather’s recent design credits include EQUUS (Guild Hall; Dir. by Tony Walton/ Starring Alec Baldwin), The Man Who Ate Michael Rockefeller (West End Theatre),  It Pays to Advertise (Metropolitan Playhouse), The Truth About Santa (Kraine Theatre), Soap Myth (Dog Run Rep),  Orpheus and Eurydice (Chashama), Nami (Theatre Row) and Dialogue of the Carmelites (SUNY Purchase).  Associate Design & Art Direction include; Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (NBC),  A Tale of Two Cities (Broadway/Hirschfeld Theatre), Candida (Irish Repertory Theatre), Comedy Central Presents (Comedy Central) and ME:TV (Nickelodeon).  She works as a freelance artist throughout New York City.

Arthur Oliver has been designing costumes professionally since 1991.  Opera, Theatre, Film, Television and Academia have employed his talent at such notable institutions as The Atlanta Opera, The Connecticut Opera, Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Charles Playhouse, The Colonial Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, Mixed Company, The Stratford Shakespearean Festival (Ontario), The Yard, NYU/Tisch, LSU, Swine Palace, Trinity College, Gordon College, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, The Boston Conservatory, Emerson College, Merrimack Repertory Theatre.

Broadway and Off-Broadway credits are five years of design for the annual Broadway Bares event, beginning in 2006.  In its 20th year and headed by executive director Jerry Mitchell, the event has raised millions for men, women and children suffering with HIV/Aids.  In the past year his Off-Broadway work was seen in two productions for 59E59 Theatres.

In 1995 he designed a series of short films for The Tropicana Film Festival (Sydney, Australia).  The 1997 worldwide broadcast of “Evening at Pops/Brush Up Your Shakespeare” (PBS/The Boston Pops) marked his debut in the television industry and was followed some years later with the 2004 ESPN live broadcast of a 1900’s period baseball game.

In the past 20 years, Mr. Oliver has worked with popular entertainers such as Raquel Welch, Liza Minnelli, Alicia Silverstone, Keanau Reeves, Maureen Stapleton, Marge Champion, Harvey Fierstein, David Hyde-Pierce, Bebe Neuwirth, Carly Simon and Olympia Dukakis.

In 2001 he designed the costumes for a fully staged “Romeo and Juliet”, with the accompaniment of The Virginia Symphony and The Buffalo Philharmonic, under the baton of Maestra JoAnn Faletta.

In 2005 he collaborated with Grammy Award recipient Carly Simon and Artistic Director Wendy Taucher, (The Yard), on “Created by Carly Simon: Dances at the Yard” with new compositions by Ms. Simon.  Through the years his work has been praised in some of the most important and influential press in America (The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Herald, The Wall Street Journal and Variety Magazine) and he has been profiled in national magazines, STAGEDOOR and Berkshire Living.

Anthony Pearson (Lighting Designer), originally from Australia, has served as associate designer for such shows as: “9 to 5” (National Tour), “Chicago” (International), “Shrek” (B’Way and National Tour), “Finian’s Rainbow”, “Looped”, “Boeing Boeing”, “Bye Bye Birdie”, “Minsky’s” (LA), “High School Musical 1 & 2” (US and UK Tours), “White Christmas”, “High Fidelity”, “The Drowsy Chaperone” (B’way, National Tour and West End), “Spamalot” (Las Vegas), “…Spelling Bee” (National Tour), “Rent” (Asia Tour). Other projects include “Celtic Fyre”, “IllumiNights” and “Kinetix” at Busch Gardens and New Years Eve Celebrations from Times Square and his hometown of Sydney.