Faculty

Robert Agis received his B.A. in Music (Piano Performance) from Xavier University and his Postgraduate Diploma in Music (Composition) at James Cook University in Australia where he composed and performed his first original musical, Potatoes in the Playground.

He has music directed shows including Grease and The Pajama Game and conducted musical theatre workshops for children and adults. Additionally, Mr. Agis has appeared on stage in regional and equity productions including Cabaret, Oklahoma, and Theatreworks Phantom of the Opera.

Roberts singing and playing are featured on his 2000 release, Amaranth, a collection of original piano music and art songs. Amaranth is available through itunes and Barnes & Noble.

Jen Bender (Resident Director): Broadway: The Lion King, Avenue Q, The Wedding Singer, Steel Magnolias (Assistant Director). Regional: Avenue Q at the Wynn Las Vegas, Kander and Ebb's The Visit (Goodman Theatre). National Tour: Wonderful Town. Other: City Center Encores!, Roundabout, Birdland, Carnegie Hall. Jen is a founder of the New York Musical Theatre Festival and a graduate of Northwestern University.

Brad Bradley is currently on Broadway in Monty Pythons Spamalot, which he is an original cast member. Other Broadway credits include: Thou Shalt Not, Annie Get Your Gun, Steel Pier, and A Christmas Carol. 2 Encores: Bye Bye Birdie, Strike Up The Band. Off Broadway: The Cocoanuts. Brad made his pofessional debut at age 12 as a back up dancer for Michael Jackson in the Pepsi Commercial. Has a BFA from USC.

Paul Canaan has performed on Broadway in Miss Saigon, Thoroughly Modern Millie, La Cage Aux Follies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and currently Legally Blonde. He traveled in the National Tour of Annie Get Your Gun and worked regionally at Paper Mill Playhouse, Ford's Theater, and Robert Redfords Sundance theater. He also danced in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in 2001. He has taught all around the country and loves working with artists of all ages.

Robert Felstein’s varied carrer has included jazz, classical and theatre music. He has music directed nearly 50 professional Equity theatre productions at theatres around the country. On Broadway he was pianist for The Lion King and The Canterbury Tales. Show Music magazine, reviewing the recent cast recording of the classic musical Foxy said, “Music director Robert Felstein’s piano playing makes the listener forget there is no orchestra”. He is currently Music Director of the NY production of The Fantasticks (featuring author Tom Jones as the Old Actor). His original compositions include a musical “Orpheus in America” written with playwright Robert Patrick and incidental music for several plays. He is active as a vocal coach and a cabaret accompanist in NYC, and is on the faculty of the Hartt School of the University of Hartford.

Broadway: Princeton & Rod in Avenue Q, Leaf Coneybear in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and the original cast of Mamma Mia!. Off-Bway: The Drunken City (Playwrights Horizons), Jesus in Godspell (2000 cast recording), Cupid in Cupid & Psyche. Regional: Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing (Mark Lamos, dir. Hartford Stage/Shakespeare Theatre), Frederic in Pirates! and the evil Mordred in Camelot (Paper Mill), Charles Busch's play, The Lady In Question starring Busch (Bay Street), Henry Krieger's Kept (TheatreWorks in CA), Just So (North Shore), The Fantasticks (St. Louis Muny), Gypsy (Weston Playhouse), Children of Eden and The Sound of Music (MT Wichita). Numerous readings with Project Shaw. TV: "Six Degrees." Proud: Actors' Equity member, native New Yorker, Interlochen Arts Camper, University of Michigan Musical Theatre Department graduate.   www.BarrettFoa.com

Asmeret can currently be seen playing the role of Pilar in Legally Blonde on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include: Spamalot (Lady of the Lake u/s), Wicked, Aida (ist National Tour) and Footloose. Off Broadway: In the Heights (Vanessa, Carla u/s), Lone Star Love. Regional credits include: A Little Princess, Finian's Rainbow, and The Wiz. Film/TV: "Red Hook", "The Drummer", "Law and Order: Trial by Jury", "Chappelle's Show", "As the World Turns". Asmeret received her B.S. in Communications from NYU, where she was also the Valedictory Speaker for her graduating class.

Jared Gertner is currently playing William Barfee in the Broadway production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a role he first played in the San Francisco and the Boston (IRNE award, best actor) companies. He is also in the core rotating cast of the Off Broadway improv show Don't Quit Your Night Job. Other NY includes the premiere of Anatomy 1968 (Theatre Row, SPF); Minimum Wage (NY Fringe); My Favorite Year (Musicals Tonight); and the title role in the premiere of Corduroy (TheatreWorks USA). Regionally, he has appeared at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, St Louis Rep, Paper Mill Playhouse, Orpheum Theatre (Omaha), and 11th Hour Theatre Company (Philadelphia). He has also been seen in the independant film "The Suicide Auditions." Jared has been teaching for Camp Broadway for 5 years including 2 summers on the National Tour. He has also taught master classes in many schools and camps throughout the city and the country.

Jonathan Hadley most recently appeared as Bob Crewe in the Broadway company of Jersey Boys and is currently playing the role on the First National Tour. He was previously seen on Broadway channeling Marvin Hamlisch and Michael Bennet in A Class Act and Off-Broadway in Finian's Rainbow at New York's acclaimed Irish Rep. Tours include Into The Woods (with Cleo Laine), Joseph... (with Donny Osmond), Fiddler on the Roof (with Theo Bikel) and Forbidden Broadway. Favorite regional credits include leading roles in Dirty Blonde, Born Yesterday, Yiddle With A Fiddle (Boston Herald Award), Amadeus, Loves Labors Lost, Call Me Madam (starring Leslie Uggams), The Secret Garden and Captains Courageous. TV: "Another World", "Kidsworld" & "Sex and the City". Jonathan is a director and teaching artist with Camp Broadway, TADA!, the Yip Harburg Foundation's "Rainbow Troupe" and BRAVO's "On With the Show" and directed MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and TARTUFFE for New York's Sonnet Repertory Theatre. Jonathan recently graduated from Brooklyn College with an MFA in Directing.

Michelle Kittrell can currently be seen in the new Broadway musical, Legally Blonde, where in addition to playing many roles she is also the dance captain. She also has appeared in the Broadway hit, Hairspray, as the dance captain as well as playing the role of Penny Pingleton. Additional Broadway credits include: All Shook Up, Bebe "Bubbles" Baker in Urban Cowboy, the Senator's Girlfriend in Sweet Smell of Success starring John Lithgow, Seussical starring Rosie O'Donnell, Footloose, Wonderful Town (Encores) and Grease! Michelle has toured the U.S. with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease!, Footloose as well as Europe playing the role of Lorraine in 42nd Street. She has performed regionally as Velma Kelly in Chicago, Evelyn Nesbit in Ragtime, Graziella in West Side Story, Millie in Good News! in addition to working with Tommy Tune in the workshop of Easter Parade. On television she has appeared on "Law & Order", "Live with Regis and Kelly", "Broadway: An American Musical", "Miss America Pageant" with Tony Danza, "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade", “The View, "This is the Moment" with Donny Osmond as well as numerous appearances on the "Today Show" and "Good Morning America." In addition to her performing, Michelle teaches musical theatre and audition workshops as well as tap, jazz, and lyrical master classes in NYC and across the country. Michelle was also named one of the "top 10 tap dancers in the US and Canada" in the Gregory Hines National Tap Challenge.   www.MichelleKittrell.com

Broadway: Rent (Angel, Steve), Flower Drum Song (2002 revival), Sondheim's Pacific Overtures (2005 revival). He originated the role of Boq in the Chicago production of Wicked. Regional credits include: Godspell (Paper Mill Playhouse), Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar (Music Circus), Barnaby in Hello Dolly (The Muny), Thuy in Miss Saigon (PCLO), Lun Tha in The King And I starring Lou Diamond Phillips (NCT), Toby in Sweeney Todd (FST), & Seth / Shem in Children of Eden (Fords Theater). Telly is featured on the original cast recordings of Flower Drum Song (DRG records), Pacific Overtures (PS Classics), and Wall To Wall Stephen Sondheim (Symphony Space). He has also released an EP of original music on Mopptopp Records entitled, "Getaway". On television, Telly was recently featured on the season six finale of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent". He is a proud member of UNBOUDED Theater Company. BFA Carnegie Mellon University. Please check out www.tellyonline.net

A native Californian, Tony is thrilled to be making his Broadway debut in Mary Poppins, which has just reached its 500th performance. As an original cast member, Tony performs every night in the Ensemble, while understudying the roles of Bert and the Park Keeper. Tony's previous theatrical credits include West Side Story (US and International Tours), The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, 42nd Street, Singin' in the Rain (Cosmo), Footloose, Cabaret, Oklahoma, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Wizard of OZ (Scarecrow). Most recently, Tony directed and choreographed over 200 young actors in Bye Bye Birdie, for the Metropolitan Educational Theatre Network, aka MET II, in Southern California. Other choreography credits include Footloose at the Trump Taj Mahal, and The Who's Tommy for Surflight Theatre. Tony served as resident Ballet Teacher at Stagelite Center for Dance in NJ, as well as guest choreographer for Gotta Dance Studios in NJ. Tony is a proud graduate of New York University's Tisch School for the Arts; BFA in Theatre

Off-Bway: The Porch (Ziad), In The Heights (Ensemble/Usnavi U/S). NYMF: All Is Love (Yellow Lover). Regional: Cabaret, Assasins, Man of La Mancha, Children of Eden, Pippin, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Babes In Arms, On The Town, Annie. TV: Umizumis (Nickleodeon).

Randy Redd made his Broadway debut in Parade directed by Harold Prince at Lincoln Center. He appeared as "Britt Craig" in the National Tour of Parade and as "Bingo Little" in the American premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's By Jeeves directed by Alan Ayckbourn. Off-Broadway and regional credits include Lucky Stiff directed by Graciela Daniele, Blood Brothers, Smoke on the Mountain, PForever Plaid (Connecticut Critic's Circle Award), One Man Bnd with Academy Award-winner James Lecesne, the 25th Anniversary Production of Pump Boys and Dinettes and Empire. He has worked at such reputable theaters as Manhattan Theater Club, The Atlantic Theater Company, The Lamb's Theater, Naked Angels, The Kennedy Center, The Goodspeed Opera House, The Geffen Playhouse, The York Theater Co., Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park, Studio Arena, Pittsburgh CLO, Charlotte Repertory Theater, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Stamford Center For The Arts, The Cape Playhouse, The Actor's Playhouse and many others. Film and television credits include "After The Storm" directed by Hilla Medalia, "Kinsey" directed by Academy Award-winner Bill Condon, The Backyardigans (Nick Jr.), "The Wright Verdicts" (CBS), "Fame L.A.", "Good Morning America", "The Today Show" (NBC), "The Tony Awards" (CBS), the "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NBC) and numerous commercials. His first play, Mississippi Sugar was developed and produced at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. In concert: Town Hall, Alan Light's Live From Home, New Voices Collective, Symphony Space, St. John The Divine, Ars Nova, Dominion, The Knitting Factory, Cooper Union and Joe's Pub. CD: Lucky Stiff (York Theater Co.), Parade (Original Cast Recording), Jason Robert Brown's Wearing Someone Else's Clothes, Neo and Ring of Fire (Original Cast Recording). Randy teaches at NYU's CAP21 and is a teaching artist with Camp Broadway, Broadway Classroom, Arts Horizons and the Bravo Network's "On With The Show". He most recently appeared on Broadway in Ring of Fire directed by Richard Maltby and Off Broadway in Some Men, a new play by Terrence McNally directed by Trip Cullman at Second Stage in New York.   www.afterthestormfoundation.org

Arbender is a native of Chicago Illinois and has had the opportunity to travel the world performing. He has earned college degrees in Theatre, Music Theater, Music, Dance, Special Education and Theology. His Broadway credits include Hairspray (Gilbert/Seaweed Cover) and The original cast of Disney's The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric Cover). Arbender also spent 6 years as a studio session vocalist for the Walt Disney Organization. He also spent time as a guest Vocalist on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Arbender spends his free time working with the American cancer Society specializing in leukemia and also dedicated time to research and education for Children living with Autism. You can learn more by visiting www.arbender.com

Began her formal dance training at the Dance Theatre of Harlem under the tutelage of Artist Director, Arthur Mitchell and Co- Director, Karl Shook. Acknowledging her ability, she immediately became a member of the corps-de-ballet. While there she simultaneously was a member of the renounced Marie Brooks Children's Dance Theatre. She has had the opportunity to travel to places such as Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Martinique, Surinam, Ghana, Brazil, Italy and Paris to name a few.

As a recipient of The Harry Belafonte Performing Arts Scholarship, she attended the State University of New York at Purchase where she graduated from with a B.F.A. in Dance. After graduation, Michelle's talents were sought after by many prestigeous dance companies however, she had now set her sights on Musical Theater.

From Europe to Broadway she has appeared in such productions as Sophisticated Ladies starring Judith Jamison, Can-Can, Dreamgirls, The Tempest, Jelly's starring Gregory Hines, They're Playing Our Song, Black and Blue starring Savion Glover, Sweet Charity and presently an original cast member of the smash Musical Broadway Revival of Chicago. On television, she has been seen on the daytime soap opera drama "One Life to Life" in the role of Mrs. Sharp and the HBO Special "Lackawanna Blues".

Sarah Saltzberg's theatre credits most recently include Broadway’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, currently playing at Circle in the Square Theatre. Previously, she originated and developed her character, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, in C-R-E-P-U-S-C-U-L-E, which she co-produced at the Theatorium in NYC. She has appeared off-Broadway as Helen in The Donkey Show (Club El Flamingo), Cherry in Sinfully Rich (Mint Theater), in her one-woman show Dear Diary (Broadway Spotlight Series, Ars Nova), as well as throughout NYC in long-form improv comedy with the Upright Citizen's Brigade. Sarah is also one of the creators of “Don’t Quit Your Night Job,” an improv/sketch/music variety show featuring a rotating cast of Broadway performers and special nightly guests. For the past six years, Sarah has been teaching improvisation to students in grades K-5 at P.S. 6 on the Upper East Side.

Robb Sapp appeared on Broadway as Boq in Wiked. Off-Broadway he played Tank in Zanna, Don't! (original cast recording), Turkey in Johnny Guitar (original cast recording), and Marvin in Enter Laughing. Robb toured the U.S. with the First National Tour of Saturday Night Fever where he understudied and performed the role of Bobby C. His regional credits include Papermill Playhouse, Roundabout Theatre Company, Barrington Stage Company, Music Theatre of Wichita, Ford's Theatre, Syracuse Stage and Indiana Repertory Theatre. Robb has been a part of the development of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (dir. James Lapine), Spring Awakening (dir. Michael Mayer), Cry-Baby (dir. Mark Brokaw), and most recently traveled to London to work on Lucy Simon's new musical Zhivago (dir. Des McAnuff). Robb is currently attached to the Broadway-bound musical LADY ON A CAROUSEL directed by Susan H. Schulman. He can be seen (briefly!) in the film "Acorss The Uuniverse" directed by Julie Taymor. Robb holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University.

Timothy Smith is a graduate of James Madison University in Virginia, with a BS in Telecommunications. He has been performing on Broadway for the past 12 years. Timothy has been part of 6 original Broadway companies, two of which hold Grammy Awards. His credits include Grease, Annie Get Your Gun w/ Bernadette Peters, Elton John’s Aida, Dream, Brooklyn and the Broadway revival of Sweet Charity, in which Timothy played opposite Christina Applegate. He was last seen in the Broadway hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Timothy is currently expanding his experience by developing television and film for SONY PICTURES TELEVISION. He is also the co-creator and director of a new play, Mother Of Mine by Erin Leigh Peck, which will be going into production in 2008.

Since moving to New York a few years ago, Will has appeared on Broadway in: The Producers, La Cage Aux Folles, 42nd Street, and currently as Bobby in A Chorus Line. Will is originally from Charlotte, NC, where he graduated high school from the awesome Northwest School of the Arts. In his spare time, Will is probably taking class or writing songs on the guitar. BFA: Carnegie Mellon.

Broadway: Little Women (John Brooke, original cast recording), The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul). National tour: My Fair Lady (Freddy), The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul). Regional: Once...in New Jersey (Vinnie, world premiere, Jeff nominated), Passion (Giorgio, Midwest premiere), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Hero), Forever Plaid (Smudge, After Dark Award), All Night Strut (Marriott Lincolnshire). Much concert work, including the Tokyo Symphony, conducted by Jerry Steichen. Up next, To the Contrary, a new play by Craig Jacobs, part of the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Student and avid fan of the Upright Citizens Brigade.