Staff & Board of Directors

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TADA! Staff

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619 ext. 121
Favorite Musical: Your Own Thing

Janine Nina Trevens co-founded TADA! with Linda Reiff in 1984. Nina has served as Artistic Director for all of the works produced by TADA!, many of which she commissioned specifically for the company. For TADA!, she wrote The Perfect Monster, The History Mystery, The Little House of Cookies, Sweet Sixteen, and Odd Day Rain.

She is currently working on a new musical with Deirdre Broderick about kids and teens and anxiety. She directs many of TADA!’s musicals, numerous staged readings, and Ensemble appearances at various locations and events in and around NYC including 2016’s Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret for Dramatists Legal Defense Fund by John Weidman at The Drama Book Shop. Nina was selected as one of 10 Parenting Leaders by Parenting Magazine, and she was one of only five women nationally to receive Family Circle’s First Annual Halo Award for women who make a difference. She was chosen to be part of the #OneInspired World Observatory opening, featured as an artist that has made a NYC difference, and was featured as New Yorker of the Week on NY1. She is proud to have served on funding panels for NYSCA, DCA, ART/NY and TCG. Nina is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women.

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619 ext. 206
Favorite Musical: Into the Woods

Julia O’Brien is an arts administrator with a background in producing, directing, acting, and education. Past Off-Broadway credits include the world premiere of Babette’s Feast (producer), The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (director/producer), The Snowy Day and Other Stories by Ezra Jack Keats (director/producer). As a general manager with Jessimeg Productions, she worked on dozens of shows, including the Drama-Desk Award winning Zero Hour: The Zero Mostel Show. She also worked in programming at the Sheen Center where she had the honor of presenting American Slavery Project’s Unheard Voices, and producing Ken  Jennings’ one-man show, The Gospel of John. In 2021, she completed the Executive Program in Arts and Culture Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania.

She’s most inspired when creating exceptional theater experiences for children and families, and she’s thrilled to join the TADA! team to carry on its incredible legacy. Outside of TADA! you’ll find her hiking and birdwatching in Central Park with her family, getting lost in a good book, and taking in live performances of all varieties.

 [email protected]
(212) 252-1619  ext. 118
Favorite Musical: 42nd Street

Katy Knowles holds a Masters of Arts in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities from New York University.  Some of her career highlights as an arts administrator include Event Coordinator for NYU’s Educational Theatre Forum on Site-Specific Theatre, Assistant Camp Director at Acting Up Performing Arts Camps, Theatre Facilities Manager at Davis Center for the Performing Arts and Stage Management Intern at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. In addition to her administrative work she has extensive experience as an Educator, Director and Choreographer. As a theatre director and teaching artist, Katy spent many years teaching classes and workshops in musical theatre, acting and dance at Manatee High School, Lakewood Ranch High School, Greensboro Performing Arts, and Mary McDowell Friends School. Some of her favorite shows as a Director and Choreographer are Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game, Anything Goes and The Drowsy Chaperone. Katy also holds a Bachelor in Arts in Acting from Greensboro College and an Associate in Arts in Musical Theatre from Florida School of the Arts.

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619  ext. 184
Favorite Musical: RENT

Javier Cardenas is a NYC native, where he began his training with the Resident Youth Ensemble of TADA! (RYET) program, where he cultivated his love for the arts. He received pre-professional training from Joanna & Ryan Greer, Jim Colleran, and Janine Nina Trevens. Some of his credits at TADA! include Adventures of Ezra Jack Keats: Maggie and The Pirate (JJ) & Apt. 3 (Sam), Everything About School (Almost), Gumball Gang: Crime Solving Kids (Danny), Princess Phooey (Quintos), & Everything About a Family (Almost).

Javier graduated Magna Cum Laude from Leman College where he received his BFA in Multimedia Performing Arts with a concentration in Dance, and is also the 2022 recipient of the Joan Miller Award for dance excellence. He studied Ballet, Jose Limon, Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, Hip-Hop, House, Vogue, improvisation and multimedia production under Michael Manswell, Amy Larimer, Wendell MX oops Cooper, Johanna Meyer, Monica Duncan, Jason Slim007 Rodriguez, Beverly Lopez, Tweetboogie, and Charmaine Charmy Wells.

Professionally, Javier is currently the Associate Director of Artist Development at TADA! Youth Theater. He began teaching hip-hop classes for RYET, and later became a Director/Choreographer throughout NYC Public Schools for TADA! via the education department. He was also Assistant to the Choreographer, Apollo Levine (MJ: The Musical), for The Party (2017), a production produced by New Light Baptist Church at City College of New York. Javier was Assistant Choreographer on Game Changers (2018), Choreographer of Wide-awake Jake (2022) and Adventures of Ezra Jack Keats: Maggie and the Pirate & Apt. 3 (2022) at TADA! Youth Theater. He has also choreographed at the Queer Movers in Movies Festival at BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance.

Javier is still performing and competing in multiple dance styles with Heartbreak Crew and Danceworks NYC. IG- @iRjavii

Ashley Knowles

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619  ext. 132
Favorite Musical: Hadestown

Ashley Knowles (they/she/he) holds a BA in Theater, Minor in Arts Administration from the University of Montevallo. Their love of working with youth began with the Girl Scouts where they previously worked as Head Counselor, Programs Facilitator, and Counselor Trainer for numerous Girl Scout Camps in Alabama. Prior theatrical experience includes Sub Stage Manager for Sleep No More, and a Stage Manager/Counselor and Head Counselor at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. Some of their favorite stage management credits include She Kills Monsters, Tartuffe, A Comedie of Errors, Into the Woods, God of Carnage, and Rent. They have production stage managed numerous shows with TADA! Including The History Mystery, Game Changers, Wide-awake Jake, and Everything About Camp (almost).

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619 ext. 207
Favorite Musical: Spring Awakening 

Ceanna Bryant, Costume Designer was a member of the Resident Youth Ensemble of TADA! for ten years, appearing in numerous productions and special events. She has served as Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain on various productions, as well as a Teaching Assistant for TADA! Education camps and dance classes at Steps on Broadway. She has designed costumes for numerous TADA! productions including: Game Changers, Sleepover, How to Eat Like A Child, and Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats: Apt. 3 & Maggie and the Pirate, and Everything About Camp (almost) at TADA!. She has Assistant Directed on Princess Phooey and B.O.T.C.H.

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619  ext. 136
Favorite Musical: West Side Story

Grantland Tracy is absolutely thrilled to be a part of the TADA! fundraising team. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts with a minor in English and Art History from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Grantland has done theatre since a young age and has worked as an actor, director, dramaturg, playwright, stage manager, sound designer and teaching artist! His true passion lies in storytelling and arts education. Some of his favorite shows he’s been able to work on are Chatroom, Our Town, The Last Five Years, She Kills Monsters, and a handful of self produced projects. When Grantland isn’t working, he’s probably seeing shows, going for walks around NYC, or following his latest creative journey. 

[email protected]
(212) 252-1619  ext. 203
Favorite Musical: A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum 

Thomas Vaethroeder is a TADA! alum who graduated in 2018. He attended Bennington College and studied Theater before returning to New York to pursue stand-up comedy and other performing opportunities.

[email protected]
212-252-1619 Ext. 186
Favorite Musical: Spamalot!

Carpenter, newly based in NYC. Their recent credits include Harmony: A New Musical and Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof as a scenic carpenter, and has spent the past two summers at Forestburgh Playhouse as the Assistant Technical Director. New Hampshire born and raised, Jeremiah has an extensive background in Circus and performing arts, finding their true passion for the technical side of things at Dean College, where they received their BA in technical theatre. They are so thrilled to join the TADA! team, and hope you enjoy the show!

TADA! Teaching Artists

Chris Bell is originally from the Eastside of San Antonio, Texas but lives and works out of NYC.  Chris holds an an MFA Contemporary Dance (Case Western Reserve), a in BS Dance (Lamar), and because he likes camping and the beach, a BS Geology. He currently makes work with Raja Feather Kelly & the feath3r theory and is a frequent collaborator with (and former choreographic assistant to) Mark Dendy. Current & Recent Projects include: Jelly’s Last Jam (Choreographer, Long Wharf Theater/New Haven), The Wild Party (Co-Choreographer, Up Until Now Collective), Eighty-Sixed (Associate Choreographer, Diversionary Theater/San Diego) Wednesday (TF3T/New York Live Arts), The Met Gala (Rachael Chavkin), and Mute Swan, a collaboration with Theater in Quarantine written by Pulitzer-prize finalist Madeleine George. His company chrisbelldances (CBD) has presented work in 6 states and 4 out of 5 boroughs in NYC including evening length works at Dixon Place and Gibney Dance Center. CBD was the first dance company in residence at the Cherry Grove Community House and Theater, America’s oldest continuously operating LGBTQIA+ theater. CBD is proudly Queens based and an inaugural member of the Queensboro Dance Festival (2014). CBD is currently on the 2022 summer tour with QDF presenting free dance events in neighborhoods across Queens. chrisbelldances.com

Nicole is a NJ/NYC based actor and teaching artist. She is a performance graduate of Fordham University’s BA Theatre program and a current student of NYU’s Educational Theatre MA program. Some of her recent acting credits include: Blood Manor (Morgue Victim, New York Times feature), Love and Information (Various) at NYU Steinhardt and The Thanksgiving Play (Alicia) at the Wombat Theatre Company. In the summer of 2018, Nicole trained at Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Tuscany in commedia dell’Arte and cirque performance, developing her love for physical theater and clowning. 

During her undergraduate years: she studied abroad and interned in London, England at the Theatre Royal Stratford East; directed, produced and adapted The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) for Fordham’s Fall 2019 Studio Season; and lead produced Fordham’s 2019 Performance Showcase. 

Nicole has worked with companies such as Envision Theater, Chamber Theatre Productions, Neighborhood Playhouse, Broadway Bound Kids, bergenPAC, and Helen Hayes Youth Theater teaching acting and dance, running workshops and co-directing student performances.

Miriam Daly is a composer, music director, pianist, and teaching artist. A long time Music Director of the Off-Broadway smash, Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, she’s worked in numerous theaters in NYC and around the country. Recent composition credits include: 12 shows for The Catastrophic Theatre (Houston); NYU Steinhardt’s 4@15 The Far-Out Way To Fly!; Houston Shakespeare Festival: As You Like It; U. of Houston: Blood Wedding, Mother Courage And Her Children, and The Snow Queen. As a composer she received The York Theatre’s NEO award. She is a graduate of Eastman School of Music and NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. miriamdaly.com


Michael Finke is a New York-based composer, lyricist, and librettist. He has had songs, concerts, and full productions of his work performed at Lincoln Center, the Czech National Symphony, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Joe’s Pub, The Laurie Beechman Theater, NYU, Don’t Tell Mama, Off Broadway at St. Luke’s, NYMF, L.A.’s Rockwell: Table & Stage, the Christmas Day telecast on ABC, and many more. He’s written the book, music, and lyrics to musicals such as Reporting Live, Caroline and George, Surrounded By the Water, and his latest project, Powerline Road. His work has been workshopped and produced by regional theaters in New York, Boston, Detroit, Kansas City, and more. And his musical short, Dead Flowers, has been published and licensed by MTI, being performed in both English and Spanish in the U.S., Mexico, and Spain. He is a member of ASCAP, the Dramatist Guild, and is the winner of the 2015 New Voices Project with Disney Imagineering and New Musicals Inc. Upcoming projects include the Broadway-bound musical 161st Street and his debut musical theatre album “Get What You Want”, being released winter 2022 by Broadway Records. He has been a musical director for the Lovewell Institute since 2007, having music directed Lovewell workshops in Ohio, New York, Florida, Kansas, Nevada, Sweden, and Italy.

Timmy Gage Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Timothy Gage is a New York City based theatre artist and educator. As an artist, Timothy works as a director and choreographer and has put up numerous shows with students ages 5 – 18. His favorite credits include Disaster!, Legally Blonde Jr., and Fame Jr. As an educator, he has taught acting, dance, writing, improv, speech, movement, and more to students ages 3 – 80. Timothy has also taught at New York Theatre Workshop, Brooklyn Acting Lab, Stagedoor Manor, A Class Act NY, and Millbrook Playhouse. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts from SUNY New Paltz and is currently working towards his MA in Educational Theatre at NYU. He is so excited to be working with TADA!

Emily Goggin Teaching Artist Music Director

Emily Goggin is an New York-based music director, pianist, teacher, and performer with a B.A. in Music from George Washington University. Emily has a passion for bringing new musicals to life, most recently productions of a new opera, The Project by Peyton Marion, at Lincoln Center and The Eleventh Hour, written by Dave Seamon. She has music directed countless shows and cabarets in and around New York City; some of her favorites include productions of Assassins, Newsies, and Gypsy. One of Emily’s joys is bringing the light and magic of theatre to young people. She has music directed many youth productions, including Into The Woods Jr., Bring It On, and Fiddler On The Roof Jr., devised new musicals and theatrical pieces with students, and teaches private voice and piano lessons. Emily is absolutely thrilled to join TADA! in their mission to bring theater and music to young people in NYC!

Calvin Hitchcock

Calvin Hitchcock is a composer, performer, music director based in Jersey City, NJ. His music has been described as “impressive” and having “a fine ear for sonority” (Pittsburgh Tribune Review), and has received awards from the Kennedy Center and The American Prize. Calvin also frequently works as a performer/MD in theatre and live entertainment, and has been seen at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Carowinds Theme Park, Virginia Stage Company, and music directed multiple shows for TADA! Youth Theater’s Resident Youth Ensemble. He is currently pursuing an MM in Composition at the Mannes School of Music, studying with David T. Little. www.calvinhitchcock.com


Jeremy Jacobs is an international music director and teaching artist who uses music,storytelling, and the arts as active agents for social change and personal discovery. His work has been seen in London, England, Trentino, Italy, Shenzhen, China, New York City, and all across America. Alongside TADA!, Jeremy is an active teaching artist at YAYA Theatre Company (Shenzhen, China) and Piknik Theatre (Steamboat Springs, CO). Some recent credits in music direction include Jersey Boys and Always… Patsy Cline (STAGES St. Louis), A Year With Frog and Toad and Twelfth Night [MD/Composer] (Piknik Theatre), and Urinetown (Sargent Conservatory at Webster University). He could not be more thrilled to continue encouraging students to think critically about themselves and the world through theatre arts at TADA! BM: Music Direction in Musical Theatre (Webster University).

Sabrina Kalman Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Sabrina Kalman is an actress, dancer, singer and proud theatre/arts educator from New York City. She has a degree in Theatre Performance from Wagner College, and she has traveled the world performing and teaching children of all ages. Some favorite performance credits include The Wizard of Oz (National/Int’l Tour), Newsies (Surflight Theatre), and Gabriel’s Daughter (Documentary Film). As a teaching artist Sabrina has taught, choreographed and directed with organizations  such as MainStages, DMF Youth!, From Stage to Screen and many more! Most recently, Sabrina’s choreography could be seen in The John W Engemen Studio’s production of The Sound of Music. Sabrina loves storytelling and exploring the world with creativity and imagination.  She has dedicated her life to shedding light and sharing love through the arts!

Ruchir Khazanchi Teaching Artist Music Director

Ruchir Khazanchi is an awarded actor, songwriter, and musician, originally from Omaha, Nebraska. As a child of two educators, he’s developed a passion for working alongside young people to establish a more equitable, joyful, and inclusive future in the arts. He graduated from Northwestern University in 2021 with concentrations in Theatre, Musical Theatre, Creating the Musical, and Screen Acting. His original shows have been performed and recognized with The American Music Theatre Project, Davenport’s Piano Bar, Brooklyn Children’s Theatre, and New Musicals Inc., where his original musical, A BRIDGE TO THE MOON, received 3rd prize in the “Search for New Musicals 2021”. THEATRE: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Lyric Opera of Chicago); THE APPLE TREE (Porchlight Music Theatre); THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY (TheatreSquared); MR. DICKENS HAT (Northlight Theatre); LEGALLY BLONDE (Paramount Aurora); KISS (Haven Chicago). FILM/TV: INSIGHT (ABC); THE BECOMERS (Zach Clark). Music Direction: JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, JERSEY BOYS (Maine State Music Theatre); BROADWAY CAN YOU HEAR ME? (Davenport’s Piano Bar). He is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent. More at www.ruchirkhazanchi.com. Thank you to my teachers.

Composer, lyricist, music director and performer Diana Lawrence works across genres and disciplines to tell essential human stories through music.  Her musical, Mill Girls, released a 2021 EP featuring Nikki Renée Daniels, Alysha Deslorieux and Val Vigoda, and her chamber musical, Zora On My Mind, received a spring 2022 workshop via Georgetown University’s Racial Justice Institute. She has worked as an improvising music director for The Second City, and was commissioned to write original music for Steppenwolf Theatre’s premiere of Tracy Letts’ Mary Page Marlowe.  Diana & the Dishes, Diana’s original pop-soul project, has shared the stage with artists such as Nellie McKay and Becca Stevens. Dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices, Diana has worked with Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Storycatchers Theatre, a company that creates original musical theatre with incarcerated youth. A member of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, Diana is a 2021 recipient of the Jerry Harrington Award.

Heaven Lei Lucas Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Heaven Lei Lucas is a Wisconsin native turned New York-based actress, dancer, choreographer, and teaching artist. Like the outstanding students of TADA!, Heaven found her love for performing early. At the tender age of three, she started performing elaborate one-woman shows, including standup comedy, choreographed routines, and boisterous singing. The theatre bug bit her and she hasn’t looked back! Heaven has just graduated with her BFA in Drama and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her past credits include Heathers, The Taming of The Shrew, The Laramie Project, Fuenteovejuna, and in lucem with TISCH DRAMA STAGE. Additionally, Heaven has produced, directed, and starred in multiple short films dealing with subject matter such as equity, female empowerment, and international relations. Fostering her love for the arts and mentoring young people, Heaven began her teaching artist career in 2019 and has worked with students from ages 4-18. She is fascinated with her student’s creativity, critical thinking skills, and all the magic they bring to each class. She is also a licensed special education aide and believes that accessibility, diversity, respect, and empathy are essentials for every classroom! Heaven works to ignite a passion for personal and artistic growth in each of her students. She extends her appreciation to the TADA! staff and is absolutely thrilled to begin her adventure with this organization!

Vivienne Luthin Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Ruchir Khazanchi is an awarded actor, songwriter, and musician, originally from Omaha, Nebraska. As a child of two educators, he’s developed a passion for working alongside young people to establish a more equitable, joyful, and inclusive future in the arts. He graduated from Northwestern University in 2021 with concentrations in Theatre, Musical Theatre, Creating the Musical, and Screen Acting. His original shows have been performed and recognized with The American Music Theatre Project, Davenport’s Piano Bar, Brooklyn Children’s Theatre, and New Musicals Inc., where his original musical, A BRIDGE TO THE MOON, received 3rd prize in the “Search for New Musicals 2021”. THEATRE: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Lyric Opera of Chicago); THE APPLE TREE (Porchlight Music Theatre); THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY (TheatreSquared); MR. DICKENS HAT (Northlight Theatre); LEGALLY BLONDE (Paramount Aurora); KISS (Haven Chicago). FILM/TV: INSIGHT (ABC); THE BECOMERS (Zach Clark). Music Direction: JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, JERSEY BOYS (Maine State Music Theatre); BROADWAY CAN YOU HEAR ME? (Davenport’s Piano Bar). He is proudly represented by Paonessa Talent. More at www.ruchirkhazanchi.com. Thank you to my teachers.

Originally from Louisiana, Trey McCoy is a NYC based actor, singer, and teaching artist. Previous Credits include the touring productions of Motown: The Musical and Waitress. When he’s not performing or teaching, he can be found learning a new recipe, working on his web series, or watching his guilty pleasure…Real Housewives. He holds a BFA from Montclair State University and is ecstatic to be teaching the artists of our future!

Angelika Menendez Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Angelika Menendez comes from Miami, FL and is a New York-based Latinx actor, singer, educator who graduated with her BFA from Emerson College. She is thrilled to be working with TADA! Youth Theatre and is so excited to get to play in the room and make discoveries with her students! As an educator Angelika has toured to many states in the northeast and southwest performing for students K-6th. Later in the year she will be teaching with New London Barn Playhouse. Previous credits include: The world premiere of Casa Alfonsa (Creede Rep) Do You See… and For Carmen in San Sebastian (The REV Theatre Company). Angelika seeks to create diverse and inclusive brave spaces in all the work she does. Many thanks to her family and friends in Miami and the northeast for their love and support.
angelikamenendez.com


Samantha Sayah Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Samantha Sayah is a NYC based actor, singer, musician, and teaching artist. As a performer, recent theatre credits include Girl in Once and Sister Act at the Geva Theatre Center, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Florida Repertory Theatre. Additionally, she’s performed at The Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Astoria Performing Arts Center, Disney Cruise Line, and Tokyo Disney Resort. She has also acted in National commercials and on voice over projects for brands like Tic Tac, Dannon, Walmart, Outback, and more. When she’s not performing, she can be seen playing Dueling Pianos around the tri-state area with The Flying Ivories. Samantha’s Directing credits include Into the Woods Jr. at The Secret Theatre in Queens, and Matilda Jr. & Into the Woods Jr. with the Performing Arts Conservatory of New Canaan. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University, and is ecstatic to be teaching at TADA! www.samsayah.com. IG: @samanthasayah

Kevin Smith Teaching Artist Music Director

Kevin A. Smith is thrilled to be teaching with TADA! New York City credits include; Amas Romeo & Bernadette; Theater 2020 A Little Night Music; Three Act Theater Next To Normal. National Tours: Miss Nelson Is Mission, Miss Nelson Has A Field Day, Stink Cheese Man, The Little Engine That Could. Regional credits: Northern Stage The Sound Of Music, Mamma Mia; McLeod Summer Playhouse Gypsy, The Drowsy Chaperone, 9 To 5, Into The Woods, Sister Act, Singin’ In The Rain, Bring It On, Hairspray, Spamalot, The Sound Of Music, Chicago, And Annie. Dartmouth College Into The Woods, Cabaret, Urinetown; Columbia University Ragtime.

Michael-Anthony Souza Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Michael-Anthony is a performer, director, and creator proudly residing in Harlem. Michael-Anthony studied acting at The Atlantic Theatre Acting School and musical theatre at CAP21. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, he went on to act abroad at the Old Vic in London and around the world as a lead vocalist with Royal Caribbean. Along with touring the country with TheatreWorksUSA, Michael-Anthony has performed works with FringeNYC (Standby: The Musical), The Movement Theatre Company (And She Would Stand Like This), The Atlantic Theatre Company (Books Cook), and Westchester Broadway Theatre (Sister Act). Along with performing, Michael-Anthony became a teaching artist with the NiteStar Program in 2012 and then went on to direct full musicals at CK Kids American Dance and Drama Camp for eight years. In 2017, he joined Toes for Dance in Canada as a teaching artist, showcasing and guiding works in the process. In 2019, he was the associate director for T. Adamson’s The Straights at JACK Theatre in Brooklyn, NY and during the pandemic, he joined the writing team at The After Image Theatre Company.  Spring 2021, Michael-Anthony signed on as 1st AD for Not Looking: The Series and that fall, he assistant directed Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors with The Boomerang Theatre Company. This past year, M.A. taught a filmmaking course with the Imogen Foundation, along with directing a handful of musicals with Brooklyn Children’s Theatre, including a Disney pilot production. Michael-Anthony is thrilled to be starting his second season with the education team at TADA!

Ammon Taylor Teaching Artist Music Director

Ammon Taylor is a pianist, composer, music director. With a Bachelor of Music in composition from UT Austin, Ammon has a background in classical, jazz, and musical theatre. In his former position as the Paramount Theatre’s Education Music Director in Austin, TX, Ammon did everything from setting children’s narrative inventions to music with the Paramount Story Wranglers to arranging and music directing full musical revues for summer camps. Ammon is an avid accompanist of improvised theatre, and has created scores for improvised musicals on-the-spot with various troupes and theaters in Austin, and is currently involved with The PIT theater in New York. The winner of B. Iden Payne awards for his original scores in 2015 and 2016, and for his live music performance in 2018, he attended the National Winter Playwright’s Retreat in 2019, and is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop, 2022 cohort (composition.) He is also the composer and creator of the internationally acclaimed post-apocalyptic song cycle Rites of Warming.

Ashley St. Juliette Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Ashley is a professional New York City-based actress. She studied theatre at the Stella Adler Studio of acting, and on-camera acting at the New York conservatory for dramatic arts. Fond of the Meisner method Ashley looks for the truth in her work and seeks to pull the same from within her students. She has a passion for developing character and stories exploring the voice, body and imagination. Taking the text off of the page and putting it in our bodies to tell compelling and truthful stories to audiences. Ashley is particularly excited to teach acting throughout New York City public schools as it helps students with social and emotional learning. Discovering and developing who they are in some of the scene study and character work they’ll do will be very beneficial as students continue their journey into adulthood. With her background as a professionally trained stage and screen actor, her lesson plans will mirror the nature of the business for when it’s time for students to take center stage. Hearing their unique voices is what Ashley looks for to build upon.


Stephanie Wells Teaching Artist Music Director

Stephanie Wells is a pianist, music director, teaching artist, vocal coach, and an educator. She has been teaching and music directing for more than 20 years. She received her BA in Musical Theater Performance from Columbia College Chicago. In Chicago, she began music directing, gigging with bands and started her teaching career at Old Town School of Folk Music. After moving to NYC, she collaborated with Elizabeth Swados at New School and Tisch School of the Arts of NYU where she had the pleasure of working on a devised musical theater production The Reality Show that was produced and performed for the NYC, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai campuses. She has also served as adjunct faculty and resident music director at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn. Oh her recent travels through the county, she worked at Rocky Mountain Theater for Kids, University of Colorado Boulder. The Arts Hub in Colorado. In Texas, she served as the Associate Music Director at Texas State University’s BFA Musical Theater program. And in Portland, she worked with Vibe Portland and The Young People’s Theater Project. Currently, in addition to her work at TADA!, she music directs and teaches for PPAS, Hannah Senesh, teaches piano and voice lessons and works as a freelance music director in NYC.

Rachel Tuggle Whorton Teaching Artist Music Director

Rachel Tuggle Whorton is a performer, director, writer, and arts educator who promotes the arts as tools for personal expression, cooperative storytelling, community dialogue, and social change. Rachel has collaborated with groups across the country, including Royal Caribbean International, National YoungArts Foundation, La Jolla Playhouse, Blindspot Collective, San Diego Musical Theatre, The Acapella Company, Harding University Theater, Playwrights Horizons, The New School, SITI Company, CO/LAB Theater Group, Havas Luxe Events, NYU Looking for Shakespeare, Verbatim Performance Lab, & New York City Center. Her 2017 Off-Broadway performance, Her Opponent, was featured in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian, and on MSNBC. Rachel holds a Ph.D. in Educational Theater from New York University, where she often serves as an instructor and music director. She is also the co-editor of the Teaching Artist Journal. Member: Actors’ Equity Association, Dramatists Guild.

Ashley St. Juliette Teaching Artist Director/Choreographer

Ashley is a professional New York City-based actress. She studied theatre at the Stella Adler Studio of acting, and on-camera acting at the New York conservatory for dramatic arts. Fond of the Meisner method Ashley looks for the truth in her work and seeks to pull the same from within her students. She has a passion for developing character and stories exploring the voice, body and imagination. Taking the text off of the page and putting it in our bodies to tell compelling and truthful stories to audiences. Ashley is particularly excited to teach acting throughout New York City public schools as it helps students with social and emotional learning. Discovering and developing who they are in some of the scene study and character work they’ll do will be very beneficial as students continue their journey into adulthood. With her background as a professionally trained stage and screen actor, her lesson plans will mirror the nature of the business for when it’s time for students to take center stage. Hearing their unique voices is what Ashley looks for to build upon.


Stephanie Wells Teaching Artist Music Director

Stephanie Wells is a pianist, music director, teaching artist, vocal coach, and an educator. She has been teaching and music directing for more than 20 years. She received her BA in Musical Theater Performance from Columbia College Chicago. In Chicago, she began music directing, gigging with bands and started her teaching career at Old Town School of Folk Music. After moving to NYC, she collaborated with Elizabeth Swados at New School and Tisch School of the Arts of NYU where she had the pleasure of working on a devised musical theater production The Reality Show that was produced and performed for the NYC, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai campuses. She has also served as adjunct faculty and resident music director at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn. Oh her recent travels through the county, she worked at Rocky Mountain Theater for Kids, University of Colorado Boulder. The Arts Hub in Colorado. In Texas, she served as the Associate Music Director at Texas State University’s BFA Musical Theater program. And in Portland, she worked with Vibe Portland and The Young People’s Theater Project. Currently, in addition to her work at TADA!, she music directs and teaches for PPAS, Hannah Senesh, teaches piano and voice lessons and works as a freelance music director in NYC.

Common Ground Creative Team & Production Staff

Lisa Diana Shapiro, creator of COMMON GROUND

Lisa Diana Shapiro (writer/actor) is book and lyric writer of Samantha Spade, Ace Detective (music by Georgia Stitt) and Princess Phooey (music by Eric Rockwell) both commissioned and produced at TADA! Youth Theater in New York. Samantha Spade, Ace Detective was named National Youth Arts Best New Musical, and is now licensed through Concord Theatricals. Lisa’s short film, Slingin’ The Slang (based on Samantha Spade, Ace Detective) can be seen at http://samanthaspademystery.com/slingin-the-slang/.  Lisa’s new musical, Common Ground, about undocumented teen immigrants living in New York in 2018-19 during the immigration crackdown, premieres at TADA! in 2024. The song “Superhero” from Common Ground recently premiered at the TYA/USA national conference.

Award-winning non-musical plays include Labor Pains, a Comedy in Nine Months; . . . and Into the Fire; Aces Wild; and the high-school tour show The End of the Story. Lisa’s screenplays have finaled and placed in prestigious screenwriting competitions, including American Zoetrope, CineStory, and the Chesterfield Fellowship. She is a member of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop and a graduate of the Northwestern University theatre program. More at: LisaDianaShapiro.com, SamanthaSpadeMystery.com, PrincessPhooey.com. 

Julia Jordan Kamanda Composer

Julia Jordan Kamanda, is music composer for Common Ground and a proud TADA! Alum. Her goal in work and life is to create musical experiences for families who seek to find a deeper connection – to themselves, to others, and to the world around them. She is a singer/songwriter and the author/composer of Musical Tales for Modern Minds storybooks with Hal Leonard. As the owner and creative director of the Young Musician Academy, she mentors young adults in a contemporary music performance platform based in Lancaster, PA. She splits her time between the United States and rural Sierra Leone, West Africa working with her husband, award-winning filmmaker Ali Biko Sulaiman Kamanda, to establish a creative arts enrichment program at his Mamaland Children’s Community there. She hosts an interview-based podcast available on Spotify entitled Creative Parenting Conversations. Original music is also found on that platform under Artists/Julia Jordan.

Georgia Stitt Composer, Additional Music

GEORGIA STITT is an award-winning composer, lyricist, music producer, pianist, and activist. Her original musicals include Snow Child, Big Red Sun, The Danger Year, The Big Boom, The Water, Mosaic, and another TADA musical, Samantha Spade, Ace Detective (“Outstanding New Musical” from National Youth Theatre). Georgia has released four albums of her music: A Quiet Revolution, My Lifelong Love, This Ordinary Thursday, and Alphabet City Cycle, and she is currently producing a new album of theatrical art songs and an oratorio called The Circling Universe. Georgia is the Founder and President of Maestra Music, an organization for women and nonbinary theater musicians, and is in leadership at The Dramatists Guild and The Recording Academy. She teaches Musical Theater Writing at Princeton University. She has worked extensively as a Music Director and lives in New York with her husband and their two wonderful daughters, Molly and Susie, both former TADA company members! www.georgiastitt.com


Alex Sanchez Director/Choreographer

Alex Sanchez is a New York City based Director, Choreographer and Educator. Recent choreography: FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS (The MET Opera), THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA, co-choreography, (Mitzi Newhouse, Lincoln Center Theatre) and THE JERUSALEM SYNDROME (The York Theatre). 

Director/choreographer credits: ON YOUR FEET, (Paper Mill Playhouse). JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR
DREAMCOAT, (Maine State Theater). SWEET CHARITY, NEWSIES & EVITA,(The
Marriott Theater of Chicago). IN THE MOOD, Bud Forrest Entertainment/ international/ national tour. THE WORLD GOES ROUND, (NYC Riverside Theater).

On Broadway: Musical Stager, PARADISE SQUARE, (Tiberius Productions. Pre Broadway, Choreographer, ROMAN HOLIDAY, (GFI Productions). Other New York choreographic credits: The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizon, New York City Center Encores!, and Amas Musical Theater. 

Regional credits: The Goodman Theater, Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, Williamstown Theater Festival, Guthrie Theater, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Marriott Theatre, Berkshire Theater Group, Glimmerglass Opera, St. Louis Muny, Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Kansas City Starlight, Pittsburgh CLO, Riverside Theater, Woodminster Amphitheater and SDC Dancebreak. 

Alex performed in 10 Broadway shows and was in the original cast of Fosse, The Red Shoes, Carousel LTC revival, Big The Musical, Follies Roundabout Theater Revival, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Chita Rivera A Dancers Life. Other Broadway shows, Love! valor! Compassion!, Once Upon A Mattress and Wonderful Town. Alex is the 2022 winner of Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award for best choreography, 2015 co-recipient of the SDC Joe A. Calloway Award for Best Choreography. Two time winner of the Broadway World Award 2011 & 2012. He has been nominated for an Outer Critic Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award, Connecticut Critic Circle Award and nine Joseph Jefferson Awards and was a 2022 SDC Breakout Award Finalist. He was also honored by Dance Magazine 25 to watch 2016. More info: Alexsanc.com

A classically trained pianist of 25 years, composer and conductor; Manny Vidales was born and raised in Miami, Fl. He attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida  where he worked in over 30+ musical productions while earning his B.M. in Music Composition, and shortly after his M.M in Choral Conducting. Having recently moved to New York City, he has since collaborated on several new musical workshops as a music assistant, and associate music director; these new works include ‘Shesus’ by John Leguizamo, The Amazing Mr. X, and a new Disney Theatrical Group production. He currently meets with Broadway Music directors to discuss the intricacies of conducting within the theatre, and intends to further his career of Music Direction on Broadway with the goals of elevating musical standards and practice within the industry.

STEVE O’SHEA is a lighting designer for theater, opera, and dance. He has designed over 20 productions at TADA! since 2006. He is a design associate for International, Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and industrial productions. Recent projects include Lighting Direction for the Kronos Quartet, SITI Company, Rude Mechanicals, Philadanco Dance Company, The Washington Ballet & Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Christmas Carol). M.F.A.

Ceanna Bryant, Costume Designer was a member of the Resident Youth Ensemble of TADA! for ten years, appearing in numerous productions and special events. She has served as Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain on various productions, as well as a Teaching Assistant for TADA! Education camps and dance classes at Steps on Broadway. She has designed costumes for numerous TADA! productions including: Game Changers, Sleepover, How to Eat Like A Child, and Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats: Apt. 3 & Maggie and the Pirate, and Everything About Camp (almost) at TADA!. She has Assistant Directed on Princess Phooey and B.O.T.C.H..

Mengyi Liu Scenic Designer

Mengyi Liu (Scenic Designer) – Mengyi is a NYC-based scenic designer. Graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with Scenic Design MFA, Mengyi designed Soldier Songs (Pittsburgh Opera), Fun and Games (Theater for the New City), Frankenstein (UNIS), Girl In the Red Hair (Gene Frankel Theater), Botticelli In The Fire (Columbia University) and Teach Me How To Die (Gene Frankel Theater). Mengyi has joined TADA! previously on Everything About Camp (almost), is delighted to work on Common Ground, and hopes you enjoy the show! mengyiliu.com


Ashley Knowles

Ashley Knowles (they/she/he) holds a BA in Theater, Minor in Arts Administration from the University of Montevallo. Their love of working with youth began with the Girl Scouts where they previously worked as Head Counselor, Programs Facilitator, and Counselor Trainer for numerous Girl Scout Camps in Alabama. Prior theatrical experience includes Sub Stage Manager for Sleep No More, and a Stage Manager/Counselor and Head Counselor at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. Some of their favorite stage management credits include She Kills Monsters, Tartuffe, A Comedie of Errors, Into the Woods, God of Carnage, and Rent. They have production stage managed numerous shows with TADA! Including The History Mystery, Game Changers, Wide-awake Jake, and Everything About Camp (almost).

Megan Hawk Assistant Stage Manager

Megan Hawk (She/Her) is a NYC – based stage manager who is thrilled to join the TADA! team! ASM regional credits include: Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sense & Sensibility, Jersey Boys, An American in Paris, Camelot, and Baskerville: The Sherlock Holmes Mystery. PSM credits include Something Rotten!, Legally Blonde, and numerous Dance Concerts. She is grateful to be a part of Common Ground and would like to thank her friends and family for their endless support.

Mengyi Liu Scenic Designer

Mengyi Liu (Scenic Designer) – Mengyi is a NYC-based scenic designer. Graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with Scenic Design MFA, Mengyi designed Soldier Songs (Pittsburgh Opera), Fun and Games (Theater for the New City), Frankenstein (UNIS), Girl In the Red Hair (Gene Frankel Theater), Botticelli In The Fire (Columbia University) and Teach Me How To Die (Gene Frankel Theater). Mengyi has joined TADA! previously on Everything About Camp (almost), is delighted to work on Common Ground, and hopes you enjoy the show! mengyiliu.com


Ashley Knowles

Ashley Knowles (they/she/he) holds a BA in Theater, Minor in Arts Administration from the University of Montevallo. Their love of working with youth began with the Girl Scouts where they previously worked as Head Counselor, Programs Facilitator, and Counselor Trainer for numerous Girl Scout Camps in Alabama. Prior theatrical experience includes Sub Stage Manager for Sleep No More, and a Stage Manager/Counselor and Head Counselor at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. Some of their favorite stage management credits include She Kills Monsters, Tartuffe, A Comedie of Errors, Into the Woods, God of Carnage, and Rent. They have production stage managed numerous shows with TADA! Including The History Mystery, Game Changers, Wide-awake Jake, and Everything About Camp (almost).

B.O.T.C.H. Production Staff

Janine Nina Trevens Director

Janine Nina Trevens co-founded TADA! with Linda Reiff in 1984. Nina has served as Artistic Director for all of the works produced by TADA!, many of which she commissioned specifically for the company. For TADA!, she wrote The Perfect Monster, The History Mystery, The Little House of Cookies, Sweet Sixteen, and Odd Day Rain.

She is currently working on a new musical with Deirdre Broderick about kids and teens and anxiety. She directs many of TADA!’s musicals, numerous staged readings, and Ensemble appearances at various locations and events in and around NYC including 2016’s Banned Together: A Censorship Cabaret for Dramatists Legal Defense Fund by John Weidman at The Drama Book Shop. Nina was selected as one of 10 Parenting Leaders by Parenting Magazine, and she was one of only five women nationally to receive Family Circle’s First Annual Halo Award for women who make a difference. She was chosen to be part of the #OneInspired World Observatory opening, featured as an artist that has made a NYC difference, and was featured as New Yorker of the Week on NY1. She is proud to have served on funding panels for NYSCA, DCA, ART/NY and TCG. Nina is a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Gia Gan Music Director

Malaysian-born Gia Gan, holds a MM in Music from the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory College of Music and a BA in Arts from Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. Gia was an Assistant Conductor at the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) where she conducts young choristers ages 7-18 all over New York City. In China, she was Assistant Conductor at the Children and Young Women’s Choir of the China National Symphony Orchestra serving over 3,000 children of all ages and the associate music director at the Beijing Children’s Theatre Arts. She has also directed the music in such New York City productions as Wizard of Oz Jr., Peter Pan Jr., Children of Eden, Godspell, and I Do! I Do!, among others. Besides being a conductor, pianist and singer, Gia is also a composer at the Advanced BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

Kim Grier-Martinez Choreographer

Kim Grier-Martinez, a native New Yorker, is a multifaceted artist with a remarkable career in dance, performance art, teaching, and choreography. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the renowned Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, now part of the University of the Arts, showcasing her commitment to excellence in her craft. In 1990, Grier-Martinez captivated audiences as the principal dancer in George Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess” at the Metropolitan Opera House, a milestone moment in her career choreographed by the legendary Carmen de Lavallade. Simultaneously, she delved into choreography for the Off-Broadway production “The Dark Star From Harlem,” directed by Glynn Borders and Mario E. Sprouse. Her association with the Rod Rodgers Dance Company spans decades, evolving from a featured soloist to becoming the Artistic Director after Rodgers’ passing in 2002. Grier-Martinez’s leadership emphasizes the interconnection of political, scientific, and cultural elements in society, reflected in the company’s diverse repertoire. Beyond the stage, Grier-Martinez is a passionate educator. In 2002, she founded the Rod Rodgers Youth Program and Ensemble, mentoring young dancers from childhood to young adulthood. Her teaching extends to various programs, including the Harlem School of the Arts, Bronx Arts Ensemble, Alvin Ailey Summer Outreach Programs, and continues with 92NY School Engagement, ArtsConnection, and LEAP. Grier-Martinez’s choreographic portfolio is diverse, ranging from the acclaimed “The Dark Star from Harlem” to collaborations with ZCO/Dance Project and performances at Middle Collegiate Church. Her impactful contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2023 15th People’s Hall of Fame Award by City Lore and nominations such as the AUDELCO Award for choreography. As a panelist and judge, she continues to shape and recognize excellence in the arts community. Grier-Martinez’s unwavering dedication to her art and community has left an indelible mark on the world of dance and beyond. Kim is excited to join the TADA! Community.

Ceanna Bryant, Assistant Director was a member of the Resident Youth Ensemble of TADA! for ten years, appearing in numerous productions and special events. She has served as Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain on various productions, as well as a Teaching Assistant for TADA! Education camps and dance classes at Steps on Broadway. She has designed costumes for numerous TADA! productions including: Game Changers, Sleepover, How to Eat Like A Child, and Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats: Apt. 3 & Maggie and the Pirate at TADA!. This is Ceanna’s first time directing.

STEVE O’SHEA is a lighting designer for theater, opera, and dance. He has designed over 20 productions at TADA! since 2006. He is a design associate for International, Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and industrial productions. Recent projects include Lighting Direction for the Kronos Quartet, SITI Company, Rude Mechanicals, Philadanco Dance Company, The Washington Ballet & Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Christmas Carol). M.F.A.

Joel Sherry Scenic Designer

JOEL SHERRY (Set Designer) has designed six productions for TADA!. Joel is an artist, designer, builder and choreographer. He received a BFA in Theater from California Institute of the Arts. Joel is a multi-disciplinary artist working in the areas of design, visual art, and choreography. As a designer, Joel has created environments for theater, dance, corporate entertainment and themed attractions. Joel Sherry has been an Arts Educator for over 20 years, working with grades K through adult ages in the areas of visual art, theater, design and production. Joel is happy to have the set design used again for this latest update of B.O.T.C.H.

Gabriela Contreras (Costume Designer) designs costumes for theatre and music videos. She has assisted in several productions in El Teatro Repertorio Español and El Teatro de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Has assisted designers in producing costumes for music artists including Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat.


Gabrielle Giacomo Production Stage Manager

Gabrielle Giacomo (she/her) is an NYC based stage manager and teaching artist. She is excited to be working on her first production with TADA! After receiving her BFA from NYU Tisch with a double major in Dramatic Literature and Film & Television Production, she went on to complete the Professional Apprentice Program in Stage Management at The Juilliard School. Some recent stage management credits include L’Allegro, Pinkalicious, and The Baker’s Wife.As a teaching artist, she is grateful to work with the young artists of Treasure Trunk Theatre and has enjoyed spending summers in the Adirondacks as Head Theatre Specialist at Camp Echo Lake!

Jaadyn Rogers Assistant Stage Manager

Jaadyn Rogers (Assistant Stage Manager) is a creator who has developed their artistic skills from a young age. Taking an interest in dance at the age of three, performing and being immersed in the world of theatre has been their path and a deep passion. They soon set their sights on the inner-workings behind the stage where they began to work as stage manager for theatrical productions. In 2017, Jaadyn traveled to Kampala, Uganda to learn the fundamentals of East African dancing; taking them into an appreciation for spreading knowledge of culture through visual storytelling. Jaadyn is a graduate of Howard University, obtaining a B.F.A in Theatre Arts Administration. In July of 2023, Jaadyn received the opportunity to travel back to Africa, serving as a documentarian with Kofago Dance Ensemble to learn West African dance in Dakar, Senegal. Their mission is to use their skills to curate creative visions meant to challenge and inform all viewers.

Arts Mentorship Program (AMP) Mentors

AMP mentor April Rozier

April Rozier got her love for theater and started her career at age 5. She began her training at the Walnut Street Theater in Philly, and performed throughout the East Coast. After attending AMDA New York, she found her passion working with Youth Theaters and Camps. She has been a part of several Arizona debuts, her favorites include choreographing Nevermore, The Life of Edgar Allan Poe, and stage managing Heathers.

After traveling and working bicoastal for over ten years, she is excited to be back in New York mentoring and training the next generation of creatives.

AMP mentor Jay Adana

Composer/Lyricist: The Loophole (Public Theater), The Woodsman (New World Stages, lyricist), The Last Tiger in Haiti (Berkeley Rep/La Jolla Playhouse), Fingerpaintings (Playwrights Horizons Downtown). Performance: The Loophole (Public Theater), On the Head of a Pin (59E59), Joe’s Pub. 2018 Jonathan Larson Award, 2019 Dramatist Guild Foundation Fellow. Training: #BARS workshop, #BARS Residency at The Public Theater, BFA SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Theater Arts and Film

AMP mentor Luis Salgado

Luis Salgado is an international director, choreographer and educator from Puerto Rico based in New York City and who most recently opened his own adaptation of the musical FAME to great reviews in Washington D.C. He was the Assistant Latin Choreographer of In the Heights on Broadway, which won four Tony Awards.

Last year Luis worked as the associate director/choreographer of Cirque de Soliel’s Paramour in Hamburg, Germany. Among the productions he has directed/choreographed in the United States and abroad are the fantasy musical Ella Es Colombia in Bogota, Colombia with MISI Musicals, the Holland Production of On Your Feet, Ragtime, To Be or Not to Be . . . A Shakespearean Experience, Aida, The Musical, Amigo Duende, The Musical, Bountiful, Zuccotti Park, Song of Solomon, Speed the Plow, The Tempest and Fuerza y Pasión in Lima Peru.

In 2017, Luis directed and choreographed the U.S premiere of the Spanish version of In The Heights at GALA Theatre in Washington D.C which received nine 2018 Helen Hayes Awards including Best Musical, Best Direction and Best Choreography.

He has appeared on Broadway in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, ROCKY, In The Heights, On Your Feet, as well as Off-Broadway shows and Broadway tryouts The Mambo Kings (Frankie Suarez), Fame on 42nd Street (Joe Vegas, understudy) and Aida, among others.

Film credits include: American Gangster, Dirty Dancing 2, Havana Nights, the television remake of Dirty Dancing, Enchanted and Step Up 2, The Streets (Alejandro), for which he also was assistant choreographer.

Luis is the founder/director of R.Evolución Latina, an affiliate of the non-profit organization Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Luis’ personal mission as an artist and a leader is to empower society through the arts to make a change for the better.

Elizabeth Addison is a multi-hyphenate whose work exists at the intersection of Theatre Arts and Recovery. As a person in long term recovery, Elizabeth understands the power of the Arts and storytelling to heal and transform. Elizabeth has written three musicals about her recovery journey. Her first musical, “This is Treatment,” just had a sold out run at Northeastern University, and her third musical, “Chasing Grace,” was just accepted into the SheNYC Arts summer festival. Elizabeth was a part of the MUSE Mentorship program where she was mentored by Broadway musicians. This mentorship program resulted in an opportunity for Elizabeth to observe the rehearsal process and the remounting of “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway. Elizabeth was just appointed The Artistic Director of New Play Development at 2nd Act, an organization whose mission is to change the way people and communities respond to the impact of substance use through theatre and drama therapy. She is on the Advisory Board for The Recovery Project at Florida Studio Theatre. The Recovery Project will have a summer residency at NYSF where Elizabeth will also be one of their resident artists. Elizabeth is a creative recovery coach at Revolution Recovery where she also facilitates Recovery Storytelling workshops. This September, Elizabeth will be leading a storytelling through song workshop at the prestigious SHE RECOVERS conference in Chicago, and her fourth musical, “In Between…” will premiere at 54 Below in October 2023.

Julia Jordan Kamanda Composer

Julia Jordan Kamanda, singer/songwriter, music mentor, and owner of J3Music Studios, is on a music mission. Her focus is on spreading a positive musical message to encourage and empower others.

In 2010, Julia co-founded the Creative Arts Initiative in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and traveled there to teach young women new ways to express themselves creatively through the arts. She currently offers songwriting, guitar, and vocal mentoring sessions to students of all ages; blogs about the experience of being a musician and a mom on her “Music Mommy” blog; and offers a music supervision service for independent filmmakers.

As a songwriter, Julia’s music is acoustic-based; but the arrangements go much deeper, pulling inspiration from her jazz and folk roots and natural R&B soul. On her debut album Urban Legacy, released in 2007, she presents songs about light, love and trusting life’s changes- lessons she learned from her musical genius father, Stanley Jordan, and her poetess mother, Sandy Kilpatrick Jordan. At 30 years old, she already has 21 years of professional performance experience and her voice has carried her around the world to grace the stages of legendary music venues, including the Buzios Jazz y Blues Festival in Brazil; the Cairo Opera House in Egypt; the Long Beach Jazz Festival in California; and Alice Tully Hall in New York City, among many others.

AMP mentor Kathy D Harrison

Kathy D. Harrison is a multi-disciplined performing artist, songwriter and playwright. Her original musical titled, The Movement- An A Cappella Musical, was selected to perform for the 2019 New York Theater Festival – Winterfest, the 2015 National Black Theatre Festival, Puffin Foundation and The Greene Space – WNYC live webcast. Her musical Southern Boys – Sons of Sharecroppers was featured at the 2017 National Black Theatre Festival and will be presented by Charleston Black Theater in October 2019.

With an extensive background as an Arts Educator, Kathy D. Harrison was selected to be a recipient of the Jubilation Foundation 2 Years Artist Fellowship. She has spent the past 15 years working successfully in Arts Administration and Arts Management, designing theater, music and dance curriculum for school programs, social service agencies, and non-profit efforts. Social advocacy and purpose-driven creative arts are Ms. Harrison’s lifelong commitment and purpose.

She is a visionary leader with a strong entrepreneurial drive. She is the Founder and Managing Artistic Director for Diversity Youth Theater; a performing arts company based in NJ. Merging her creative abilities with her management skills, she developed several unique Arts projects that helped to brand the grass-roots company into a reputable establishment. In 2014, she started Performing Artists United, a membership based arts collective for young adults. The membership based ensemble company develops original works for touring purposes, while also serving as the leadership umbrella for Diversity Youth Theater.

Simran Pal Kaur is an NYC based multidisciplinary artist who graduated with an honors Multimedia and Performing Arts degree with a concentration in theatre from Lehman College. She is ambitiously curious about diving deep into the psyche of each role at hand to unlock its true nature and mysteries. She has played a vast array of roles and has delved into works ranging from Chekov to Shakespeare. Acting credits: Pearl (Locked in Love), Masha (Three Sisters), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet). Production/stage management credits: Future Classics Festival 2023 (Titan Theatre Company, Queens Theatre), Spring Dance Concert 2022 & 2023 (Lehman College), How to create massive change… (The Tank), Dance In Dialog 2022 & 2023 (Lehman College). Directorial credits: The Love Hate Club (Off-off-bdwy, Broadway Bound Theatre Festival, Theatre Row), One Night Standoff (a finalist for the Queens Shortplay Festival, The Secret Theatre; and for Queer Love Festival, Lehman art gallery). More credits plus contact info available on website: www.simranpalkaur.com
Gia Gan Music Director

Malaysian-born Gia Gan, holds a MM in Music from the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory College of Music and a BA in Arts from Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. Gia was an Assistant Conductor at the Young People’s Chorus of New York City (YPC) where she conducts young choristers ages 7-18 all over New York City. In China, she was Assistant Conductor at the Children and Young Women’s Choir of the China National Symphony Orchestra serving over 3,000 children of all ages and the associate music director at the Beijing Children’s Theatre Arts. She has also directed the music in such New York City productions as Wizard of Oz Jr., Peter Pan Jr., Children of Eden, Godspell, and I Do! I Do!, among others. Besides being a conductor, pianist and singer, Gia is also a composer at the Advanced BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

Board of Directors

J. Chalmers Browne President Technical Program Manager – Google

Chalmers has served on TADA!’s Board since 2009, and has been President since 2015, after two years as Treasurer. Professionally, he is a Technical Program Manager at Google, and he previously worked in technology at Citibank and the Theater Development Fund, among other employers. He was a founding member of the Liminal Stage, a showcase theater company that was active from 1992-1995, and was revived in 1998 to produce a month-long run of Doctor Faustus at the Culture Project. In 1996, he and partners opened the first internet cafe in NYC: The Heroic Sandwich @ 36 E 4th Street, offering a single PC, 128K ISDN, comic books, and pb&j with the crusts cut off. It was also the first internet cafe to close in NYC.  For many years Chalmers has been a volunteer softball and soccer coach and division commissioner with Peter Stuyvessant Little League and Manhattan Kickers Soccer Club, and he is a licensed USSF youth soccer referee.  All of these activities are tolerated, supported and/or participated in by his amazing wife Sarah and his four high-school and college-age children.

Frank Moy Treasurer Director of Trading and Operations

Frank works for a Hedge Fund based out of Midtown Manhattan. His daughter is currently a member of the RYET at TADA! He is an avid supporter of the program, believing that children need a safe space to express themselves through performing arts. Being an active volunteer at TADA! during productions has given him the opportunity to see the strong community that they have built, one of support and acceptance. He is delighted to help TADA! continue and grow.


Monisha Bhayana Secretary Professional Development Manager, Banking & Credit – Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Monisha is currently pursuing her MSEd in Educational Theatre from the City College of New York.  She also holds a JD from University of Pennsylvania Law School and previously worked as a corporate attorney at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett before returning to her first love of theatre.  She is thrilled to play even a small part in TADA!’s mission of helping young people from all backgrounds develop life skills through theatre.

Brian Burchfield is an investment banker who currently runs the energy and power group at Drexel Hamilton, a service-disabled broker dealer.  Brian is a US Army veteran who graduated from West Point in 1999 and served as an engineer officer in the US Army for 5 years.  Brian began a career on Wall Street following business school in 2006.  Brian has covered the energy and power sector at various institutions, to include WestLB AG, Whitehall Capital Markets, and now Drexel Hamilton.  Brian raises equity and debt capital for new projects as well as serves as M&A advisor for existing assets in the sector.

Lauren Feldman-Hay Board Member Chief Information Officer, Fountain House

Lauren is currently the Chief Information Officer of Fountain House. She is responsible for leading the organization’s information technology strategy. She is passionate about using data and technology to advance health equity in the health and social services sectors. Although Lauren started out studying dance, history, and policy, she fell in love with relational databases on the job 20 years ago. She and her husband have two daughters and live in Kew Gardens, Queens.

Adam Houhoulis hails from Cape Cod, Massachusetts but has made New York City his home since 1998.  His professional career has focused on enterprise technology in the financial services industry with a specialty in data.  Having spent 18 years at Citigroup and 2 years at TD Ameritrade, he now leads the Data Management Office at Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, based in Manhattan.  Adam’s appreciation for the powerful impact of youth theater began with his participation as a student in his junior & senior high school’s drama club.

Alina Patton Jones Board Member Administrator, FRK Foundation

Executive Coach, Author, self-esteem advocate, mother and wife, Alina Patton Jones is a Unicorn; living proof that women can have a well-rounded and fulfilling life in a world that tells them that they need to live according to a specific set of rules. Alina was born and raised in Washington, DC where she spent her childhood studying modern dance and ballet. 

After graduating from college, Alina pursued a career in the non-profit area where she became Acting Director of Housing for D.C. C.A.R.E. Consortium.  The program was funded by the Ryan White Title II Act to provide emergency housing for people who were homeless with HIV/AIDS.   

After living in DC most of her life, Alina moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling. Over the course of her modeling career Alina was ultimately picked up by Wilhelmina. She did runway and showroom modeling for AEFFE Group representing brands such as Philosophy, Moschino, Alberta Ferretti and John Paul Gaultier, and campaigns for African Pride and Clairol. 

Alina then married Charlie Jones and had their first daughter Taylor (who became an ensemble member at the age of 8).  As a mom and still modeling she began to correlate the effects of modeling and self-esteem which led to her pursuing a degree in Social Work. Alina earned her MSW at Fordham University and soon became Practice Manager at Beth Israel Family Planning Center for Women’s Health. Soon thereafter she gave birth to her youngest daughter London who also became an ensemble member.

Today Alina works as an Executive Coach to provide efficient and effective mental health and career coaching. She does this with diverse individuals and groups at all levels and across all industries with the focus on helping distinguish and realize their personal, professional and corporate goals.

Vielka is the Founder and CEO of Young Singers Academy, where she leads a team that empowers kids ages 3-18 to sing with confidence using her innovative approach to voice education for singers and speakers.

Previously she was at The Juilliard School and Carnegie Hall where she was a thought partner for music educators around the world and creator of music education resources. A classical contralto, she has performed at Lincoln Center, the United Nations, and Carnegie Hall. She received her M.A. in Music Education from New York University, and B.M. in Classical Voice from Manhattan School of Music.

Vielka is the founder and conductor of the Hewitt Community Chorus. She has previously served on the New York City boards of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Kodály Organization. She also helped bring music education back into her local elementary school, P.S. 41.

Vielka is the proud mother of two children, and lives with her husband and two kittens in Greenwich Village. When she’s not singing, teaching or learning, she loves yoga, meditating, running, traveling, and enjoying her view.


Ryan Kinkade Board Member Director of Manager Alpha Research & Selection

Ryan Kinkade is a Director of Manager Alpha Research & Selection with Principal Asset Management. He oversees a team dedicated to investment manager and strategy research for the $137 billion in assets managed by the Principal Asset Allocation group. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations. Originally from the central coast of California, Ryan graduated with Honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Business Economics and minors in Music, Professional Writing, and Sports Management. Ryan spent the first decade of his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he saw his first commercial stage production, Wicked, in 2009. Ryan is a passionate supporter of performing arts and since moving to NYC, has enjoyed countless shows on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, the West End, ballet, and of course – TADA! Ryan was a Producer of the Guys Who Like Musicals podcast and is an active investor in musical theater productions. He is an avid golfer, a rusty saxophonist, a long-time Swiftie, a patient Minnesota sports fan, and is prepared to argue about the best burger (In-N-Out, obviously). Ryan has served on TADA!’s Board of Directors since 2020 and is also a board member for Reaching for the Arts in New York.

Laura first got involved with TADA! when her children spent almost all of their breaks in TADA!’s education programs and her eldest joined RYET. She is excited to support TADA! as a board member. She spent over a decade each at Columbia University and American Express in marketing, development, editorial, and management roles and received her MBA at The Wharton School as well as her BA from Yale College.

Michael Meola Board Member Principal – BJH Advisors LLC.

Sharon Mosse is the CEO/Co-Founder of How I Met My Dog/ComPETibility Group Inc., a disruptive online adoption/rehoming service that custom matches humans with their canine soul mates. She is also a consultant for business strategy, marketing, and turnaround. Sharon has an extensive client, agency, and consulting track record as well as leadership experience in marketing-driven organizations. Sharon has served as Chief Marketing Officer for Barnes & Noble, Brooks Brothers, and Red Door Spa Holdings. Consulting clients include a broad range of B2B, B2C, non-profits and start-up companies. Ms. Mosse is a graduate of The Wharton School and Williams College. She has  served on The Lincoln Center Business Council as well as the Board of Directors for the All-Star Orchestra.

Eddie Mufute Board Member Sr Manager of Pricing & Planning at Warner Bros. Discovery

Edward Mufute is a Sr Manager of Pricing & Planning at Warner Bros. Discovery, based out of New York. He is responsible for Ad sales pricing and planning approvals across cable networks such HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Network, Discovery Channel, OWN, and many others. He has two children who are current RYET members at TADA!, and has seen first hand the power behind TADA!’s mission of contributing towards the development of our youth through musical theater. He is excited to play a small role in the continuation of that mission.

Doug Murphy Board Member Director of Marketing & Account Strategy at Hearst Magazines

Doug is currently the Director of Marketing & Account Strategy at Hearst Magazines, one of the largest publishers in the world. His marketing career began in theater and spans over a decade both on Broadway and off-Broadway, including theatrical advertising agencies Serino Coyne and Daryl Roth Advertising, as well as the Broadway productions of Godspell (2011) and Allegiance (2015). Earlier in his career, Doug developed a deep appreciation for non-profit and regional theaters, working in marketing at Hartford Stage, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, and the Musical Theatre Factory, where he produced their new work series. Doug earned a BA in Marketing & Arts Administration from the University of Connecticut. He is thrilled to be on the TADA! Board of Directors to help make theater accessible (and fun!) for all youth and families.

Jacob Platt Board Member CEO and Executive Producer of Dragon Lily Productions, Inc.

Jake started working backstage in 1997 and studied Lighting Design in college. He moved back to NYC in 2005 and has since shifted into Producing and Production Management. From 2012-2022 Jake worked on a total of 27 Productions at TADA and held a Staff position of Production Supervisor & Facility manager for 7 years. He is now the CEO and Executive Producer of Dragon Lily Productions Inc. – a Video Production company “Dedicated to creating content that explores and exemplifies the spectrum of humanity.” Current projects include; documenting DEI initiatives in the game developer and video game industry, and creation of an animated children’s series for release on YouTube titled Kung Fu Caleb. Jake also freelances as a Project Manager for boutique and high end corporate events, retail stores, and trade shows.

Funda Akarsu Reza Board Member Risk Strategy Executive at JP Morgan Chase
Stephen T. Rodd Board Member Of Counsel– Abbey, Spanier, Rodd & Abrams, LLP
Jacob Platt Board Member CEO and Executive Producer of Dragon Lily Productions, Inc.

Jake started working backstage in 1997 and studied Lighting Design in college. He moved back to NYC in 2005 and has since shifted into Producing and Production Management. From 2012-2022 Jake worked on a total of 27 Productions at TADA and held a Staff position of Production Supervisor & Facility manager for 7 years. He is now the CEO and Executive Producer of Dragon Lily Productions Inc. – a Video Production company “Dedicated to creating content that explores and exemplifies the spectrum of humanity.” Current projects include; documenting DEI initiatives in the game developer and video game industry, and creation of an animated children’s series for release on YouTube titled Kung Fu Caleb. Jake also freelances as a Project Manager for boutique and high end corporate events, retail stores, and trade shows.

Funda Akarsu Reza Board Member Risk Strategy Executive at JP Morgan Chase

Artistic Advisory Board

Kenneth Cavander
Michael Colby
Delia Ephron
John Forster
Sheldon Harnick

Tom Keegan
Davidson Lloyd
Chita Rivera
Marcia Rodd
Michael Rupert

Stephen Schwartz
John Shea
Charles Strouse
Leslie Uggams

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