Faculty for the Intensives
Judith Fredricks Judith Fredricks is founder of The Academy for the Performing Artist and The Writer’s Stage, as well as Opera New York. Ms. Fredricks performed extensively as a mezzo-soprano in opera, from Cairo to NYC. She has starred in both musical and dramatic theatre, television, (Warner Brothers TV), film, and dance (San Francisco Ballet, American Dance Machine). More recently, she has been directing both in NYC and regionally. Her off-Broadway directing credits include; “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, based on the short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne; “Vincent”, a new musical based on the life of Vincent Van Gogh, “Tales of the Manhattan Woods” (a present-day New York City version of “Die Fledermaus”), followed by another new musical, “They all Knew”. She recently directed Opera Las Vegas (‘Carmen” and “La Boheme”,) and 2 summers ago, “The Merry Widow” for Emerald City Opera in Steamboat Springs, CO. Ms. Fredricks has received glowing reviews in the New York Times, UPI, Backstage, New Yorker Magazine, and in regional papers both here and in Europe. She has produced and directed large European tours, which, fully costumed and choreographed and with Romanian orchestra, toured Italy, Germany, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Denmark for five years. For Opera New York, she has directed present day versions of “La Boheme”. “Tocsa”, “Carmen”, “Cavallaria Rusticana”, “Die Fledermaus”, “Pagliacci, “La Traviata”, and “Rigoletto”. In May of 2005 ONY & APA held the first annual Chester Ludgin American Verdi Baritone competition, judged and co-supported by Placido Domingo. This event is scheduled for its 3rd repeat, again with Mr. Domingo, spring of 2012. In 2006, Ms. Fredricks co-founded a Summer Intensive in New York, “Making It On Broadway” with Jodie Langel. Judith also teaches voice privately for both Broadway and Opera singers in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Diego. Her students have been seen in leading roles on Broadway in Les Miserables, Pajama Game, Chorus Line, Falsettos, Scarlet Pimpernell, Wonderful Town, Kiss Me Kate, Some Enchanted Evening, Billy Elliott, Grease, Mamma Mia, Phantom of the Opera (Often as many as 4 at a time in one show), etc., as well as in National Tours and off-broadway productions. In opera her students are world-wide. Judith is a member of AEA, SAG, AFTRA, and AGMA. ****** Jason Graae (NYC-San Diego) Jason Graae has starred on Broadway in "A Grand Night For Singing", "Falsettos", "Stardust", "Snoopy!", "Do Black Patent Leather Shows Really Reflect Up?". Off- Broadway shows include "Forever Plaid", "Olympus on My Mind", "All in the Timing", "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (Drama Desk Nomination- Best Actor in a Musical)" and many more. Jason made his Metropolitan Opera House debut as featured vocalist in Twyla Tharp's "Everlast" with American Ballet Theatre. Jason has performed his one-man show all over the country, including Rainbow and Stars, Birdland, and the Metropolitan Room in NYC, Caramoor Music Festival, Wolf Trap, Feinstein's in L.A., the Fairmont Hotels in New Orleans and Dallas, and The Plush Room in San Francisco, to name a few. He has received the New York Nightlife Award, 4 Bistros and was listed in TimeOut NY's Top 10 Cabaret shows of 2006. In Los Angeles, he recently won his second L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award - the 2008 Joel Hirschorn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theatre. He won an Ovation Award for "Forbidden Broadway Y2KLA!", an Artistic Director's Achievement Award for "Fully Committed" and a Santa Barbara Indie Award for "High Button Shoes". Jason originated the role of "Houdini" in the L.A. production of "Ragtime" at the Shubert Theatre. At the Hollywood Bowl, he was Benny Southstreet in "Guys and Dolls'" and Marcellus in "The Music Man".He has appeared in many shows with Reprise!, The Colony, The El Portal,The Falcon and The Rubicon. This past year he was seen as Panch in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at La Mirada and as Janitor/Priest in "See What I Wanna See" at the Blank. On television, Jason has appeared on many shows including "Six Feet Under", "Rude Awakening", "Friends", "Frasier", "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", "Living Single", "Caroline in the City", "Providence", etc. On PBS, he was a guest soloist twice with the Boston Pops and once with Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony on "Holiday for the Troops at The Kennedy Center" and recently in "Words and Music by Jerry Herman". Movie appearances include the title role in "Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms" (2008 Toronto and London Film Festivals), Disney's "Home on the Range", "On Edge", "Gepetto", "The Dukes of Hazzard in Hollywood", and "Awakening of Spring" . He has been heard on many cartoons and for five years he was the voice of "Lucky, the Leprechaun" for Lucky Charms Cereal, a balanced part of your complete breakfast. He made his Los Angeles Opera debut as "Njegus" in "The Merry Widow", repeating the role with Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Ne w Orleans Opera. Also with L.A. Opera he was featured as "Offenbach" in "The Grand Duchess" , directed by Garry Marshall. He played "Frosch" in "Die Fledermaus" with the Washington National and San Francisco Operas, and recently at the Manhattan School of Music. Jason has recorded over forty CDs, including original cast albums, concerts, compilations, and his two solo CDs, "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile - Jason Graae Sings Charles Strouse", and "Jason Graae LIVE at The Cinegrill" (Fynsworth Alley). ****** Jeffrey Polk (San Diego) Credits Include: FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE (Broadway, U/S Tour / L.A. Ovation Awards – Best Supporting Actor in a Musical). Banzi – THE LION KING (Pantages Theatre Los Angeles.) Annis – JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (U/S Tour McCoy/Rigby). SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ (1st U/S tour, Australia, Japan, Germany, Las Vegas with Gladys Knight. Little Moe – Master of Magic EFX (Las Vegas, MGM. Mic hael Crawford’s U/S.) Marcellus – THE MUSIC MAN (West Coast Tour Theatre League). Richie - A CHOURUS LINE (Santa Barbara CLO). Benny Southstreet – GUYS & DOLLS (Sacramento Music Circus, McCoy/Rigby.) Barnaby – HELLO DOLLY (Sacramento Music Circus.) Judah – JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNO COLORED DREAM COAT (The Muny, St. Louise, MO., Starlight Theater Kansas City, MO.) Ken – AINT’ MISBEHAVEN (CLO South Bay Cities.) Rhythm Boy – MY ONE AND ONLY (Long Beach CLO, Sacramento Music Circus, San Jose CLO, Casa Manana, Ft, Worth TX. Claridge Hotel Atlantic City, N.J. Chip – ON THE TOWN (Casa Manana Ft, Worth TX. Ensemble – RAGTIME (Musical Theater West) Directed and Choreographed - SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood. 10 LA Ovation Nominations, L.A. Times Critics Choice, and has choreographed the show numerous times with Director Glenn Casale, with the blessings of Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Corky Hale Stoller. He also has Written, Directed and Choreographed tributes for the Hillcrest Country Club, 90th Anniversary Show Starring Natalie Cole, Larry King and Monty Hall. THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN with B. Gordy, starring Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. THE MUSIC OF LEIBER AND STOLLER which was also performed at Poway Performing Arts. Teaches at Camarillo Academy of Performing Arts, Professional School of the Arts in Torrance, Young Americans Member of.... Musical Theatre Guild Shows ****** Robert Mitchell (NYC) Music Director Robert Mitchell has conducted the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, the Queens College Orchestra, as well as his own Robert Mitchell Jazz Orchestra. . He also conducted a recording of the “Carmen Ballet” for the Chicago Ballet Co., and in London, members of the BBC Orchestra for his orchestral arrangement of the recording for “Hello Dolly”. For Opera New York and Opera on the Sound, he has conducted standard operatic repertoire such as “La Boheme”, “La Traviata”, “Carmen”, Die Fledermaus”, and others. For several seasons he was principal conductor of the Golden Fleece Opera in New York, focusing on such contemporary works as Hugo Weisgallʼs “The Stronger”, Richard He has also been the Conductor and Music Director for seven European Tours of “The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber”. For these tours he has conducted orchestras in opera houses and concert halls throughout Germany, Vienna, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. In addition, Mr. Mitchell is also active as a composer. Some of his works include a number of musicals that have been acclaimed by the New York Times, several film scores, an orchestral suite, and works for jazz big band. And as a guitarist, he has performed as a solo artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Claudio Abbado. He has played for several Broadway shows, singers such as Lesley Uggams and Frankie Avalon, and has performed for the Queen of England, as well as Presidents Bush, Clinton and Reagan. Mr. Mitchell did his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois, and graduate work at Northwestern University and Queens College. He has studied with Jens Nygard (Music Director of the Jupiter Symphony) Maurice Peress (Music Director of the Kansas City Philharmonic) Gordon Peters (conductor of the Chicago Civic Orchestra) and William Russo (Music Director of The Chicago Jazz Ensemble). ****** Lorin Latarro (NYC) LORIN LATARRO is currently the Associate Choreographer of Greenday’s American Idiot on Broadway. Lorin also choreographed NYC’s prestigious Encore’s Fanny at City Center, How To Succeed In Business, Cy Coleman’s The Best Is Yet To Come with director David Zippel, Live From Lincoln Center’s Hansel and Gretel for PBS, and Erotic Broadway at The Triad. Lorin performed in over 12 Broadway shows including Guys And Dolls, Movin’ Out, Chorus Line, Fosse, Curtains, Apple Tree, Spamalot, Man of La Mancha, Kiss Me Kate, Wonderful Town, and Swing! She has also choreographed for TV, film and national commercials. Lorin danced internationally with the world renowned Martha Graham Company and MOMIX, and worked with Twyla Tharp, Savion Glover, Mike Nichols, Hugh Jackman, David Hyde Pierce, Hank Azaria and Eric Idle. She has been featured in Dance Magazine, awarded New York’s Dancebreak Award, and graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School. ****** Geoffrey Cantor (NYC) A Working Actor, Geoffrey has been teaching for over ten years. Besides extensive private coaching in New York, he is currently the Artistic Director at the Bergen County YJCC. He spent three years as the Artistic Director and Artist in Residence for the JCC Association's In London, he developed the play-reading series "Readings at One" at the Duke of Yorkʼs Theater in the West End. There he directed the London premier reading of Allan Knee's "The Man Who was Peter Pan", upon which the film "Finding Neverland" was based. Other directing credits include James Mclureʼs 1959 "Pink Thunderbird" ("Lone Star and Laundry and Bourbon"), "Winterglass" (an original piece), "Cowboys II", by Sam Shepard, and "Swampland", by Craig Sabin. As an actor, he has appeared on stage on and off-Broadway, regionally, and in the UK. He has been seen on screens large and small, from films like "Public Enemies" and TVʼs "Sopranos", to Candace Busnell's web-series "The Broadroom". Geoffrey has also ****** Jamibeth Margolis (NYC) Jamibeth Margolis is an accomplished stage director based in NYC. She has fifteen years of professional experience working in theater and opera. During that time, she has worked consistently at some of the most prestigious theaters and opera companies around the US. Last year, she was the recipient of the competitive SDCF Directing Observership on Mark Lamos' production of Tosca at New York City Opera and served as Assistant Stage Director for La Traviata at Opera NJ. Prior to that she assisted with the casting for The Merry Widow at the Metropolitan Opera starring Placido Domingo. At Ithaca College, she served as stage director for Dance of Death (Distler) as guest director in the school of music and also worked on a production of The Tender Land. Currently Jamibeth serves as Artistic Director For Musicals at the Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) where she fosters new writing talent and looks to bring a dozen new musicals and operas to life each summer. This summer she directed 1812: The Musical and Family Dinner (a new play) at MITF. Jamibeth also teaches musical theater and opera performance and audition technique in NYC. Recent theatrical directing credits include Do I Hear a Waltz? and Jekyll and Hyde at the Arvada Center Theater in Denver. Jamibeth served as assistant director to Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks on the recent Broadway revival of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial and also on Jules Feiffer's A Bad Friend at Lincoln Center Theatre. She has also helmed developmental productions of the following new musical works: Owl Creek, Far From the Madding Crowd, Plane Crazy, Great Googley Moo, and Warsaw (which is currently on track for a Broadway production in the next two years). Upcoming Projects: Pirates of Penzance at Boheme Opera in NJ and Family Dinner at The Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row in NYC. ****** Lynn Fitzpatrick (Las Vegas - San Diego) A veteran of over 80 productions spanning dramatic acting, musical theatre, and operetta. Ms. Fitzpatrick performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in National Tours, in Regional Theatres, at Radio City, in films for the large and small screen, in numerous commercials (on camera and voice-over), and in command performance at the White House. As General Manager of the Walnut Street Theatre, Managing Director of The State Theatre of North Carolina (for which she expanded and developed the Children’s Theater Program) and of the Hangar Theatre and Executive Director of Theatrical Outfit, Lynn also produced over 50 shows. A former Business Representative for Actors’ Equity Association, and Board Member for AFTRA and SAG, she is also a founding member of The American Stage Company, Teaneck, NJ (for which she created and developed their educational curriculum.) For APA, June 2010, she will be teaching Acting, & Monologues,. ****** Stephanie Fredricks (San Diego) Stephanie Fredricks performed on Broadway in Wonderful Town with Donna Murphy and Brooke Shields for it’s year and a half run. A true triple threat, her background and professional credits include strong dance roles, opera and music theatre roles, and TV/film. Her Off-Broadway theatre credits include leading roles in; The Occupation, (Theatre Row Theatre), and A Night Sea Journey at the Harold Clurman Theatre. Regional theatre credits include the leading ladies in Phantom!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Dracula, Student Prince, Master Class, Children of Eden, Chorus Line, and in LA Theatre; Months on End, and I Capture the Castle. Television credits include the daytime series, The Bold and the Beautiful, recurring in ABC’s All My Children, and HBO’s – Life Stories: Families in Crisis. Film credits: Slow Day, and Oedipus (Lead voice), an Animated Short –Sundance Film Festival 2004. She has appeared in numerous commercials and in Opera she has sung the leading coloratura roles in Verdi’s Ballo In Maschera and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. “Pop” Concerts include Natchez Opera Festival and Paper Mill Playhouse (Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber). Stephanie is a member of AEA, SAG, and AFTRA. Stephanie has her own TV/Film/Music Theatre school, called Creative Development. For APA, June, 2010, she will be teaching TV/Film, and Acting Your Song. ****** LESLEY BANDY, R.A.D.A. (Las Vegas) Lesley danced with Edinburgh Ballet Theatre, Scottish Opera, the Royal Opera Ballet at Covent Garden, and the Royal Ballet. In addition to performing many principal roles in the classical ballets, Lesley performed as Principal and Adagio Dancer in cabaret, musicals, television, and film.She has also held Entertainment Management positions with MGM Grand, Harrah’s, and Universal Studios. Based in Las Vegas, Lesley teaches master classes for dancers and singers; works with MGM Grand Productions and R&R Live and others, on large corporate events; freelances as Producer, Staging Director, and Choreographer for productions both in the US and internationally; and is also involved in the creative and developmental process for several new theatrical projects in the US, China and Australia. For APA, June 2010, she will be teaching Ballet and Theatre Dance. ****** Dona D. Vaughn (Opera Intensives) Ms. Vaugn is the Artistic Director of Opera Programs at Manhattan School of Music also serves as Artistic Director of PORTopera, a summer festival in Portland, Maine. From 1998 – 2008 she was Stage Director/Acting Coach for The Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. A graduate of Brevard College (voice) where she currently serves on the board of trustees, she received her BA in music (vocal performance) from Wesleyan (Outstanding Alumni Award) and the MA in theater (directing) from Hunter College. She studied acting with Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen, and dance with Martha Graham. She began her career as a performer in the original Broadway productions of Company, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Seesaw. She was Assistant to Producer Kermit Bloomgarden for the Broadway productions of Equus and Hot L Baltimore, Associate Producer for Pavel Kohout’s Poor Murderer and ABC Television’s All My Children, Dramaturge for the O’Neill Conference on Opera and Musical Theater, HB Playwright’s Unit, and the University of Kansas New Play Season, and Assistant Director for Tennessee Williams’s Red Devil Battery Sign. Directing credits include New York City Opera, Michigan Opera Theater Wolf Trap, Ensemble Studio Theater, Lincoln Center Playwrights’ Festival, New York Repertory Company, Kennedy Center, Minerva Productions, Peterloon Festival, Heritage Theater (Calgary, Canada), DiVivreVoix (Vivonne, France), Florida Arts Festival, and many colleges and universities across the country. She directed the premieres of Roberto Hazon’s L’Agenzia Matrimoniale, Francis Thorne’s Mario and the Magician, Ray Luc’s Droane’s Wooden Image and The Bullfrog, New York premieres of Milton Granger’s Talk Opera and The Proposal, Off-Broadway production of Murphy Guyer’s World of Mirth, and the European premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s The Flower and the Hawk. Formerly a member of the voice faculties for SUNY-Plattsburgh and Marymount Manhattan College, she often serves as an adjudicator for vocal competitions including: The Metropolitan Opera National Council, The Richard Tucker Foundation, Denver Lyric Opera, Palm Beach Opera, The Jenson Foundation, The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Artist-in-Training Program, and Premio Spiros Argiris International Competition (Italy)
Additional Faculty TBA: Check back in the coming weeks for masterclass and faculty announcements.
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