Michael O'Dell (Music & Lyrics, Book)
A former Berklee College of Music student [jazz studies, film scoring, and vocal jazz - studied under jazz vocalist Roberta Davis] and a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music in Cleveland [Bachelor of Music Degree - studied under composer Dr. Loris Chobanian],
Michael has music directed, accompanied, arranged, conducted, and
composed for a plethora of shows in the New York, Los Angeles, and San
Francisco areas.
Among his other favorites gigs: Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, On The Town, A Little Night Music, A New Brain, and Last Call a.k.a. Happy Hour/The End [the new George Furth/Doug Katsaros musical soon to hit Chicago and New York], and as Assistant Music Director [Michael Farrell, Music Director] for the headlining cabaret show, A Tribute to Bobby Darin Starring John Ferdenzi [directed by Clifford Bell]
at the famous Hollywood Cinnabar Grill and Cabaret in the Roosevelt
Hotel. Most recently Michael composed original incidental music for The Unexpected Man and Peter & Wendy for Lafayette Town Hall and also served as Music Director for Theatre Q’s Torch Song Trilogy, for which he composed the jazzy "Who Woulda Thought?". He has also worked in California at the Willows Theatre and Cabaret, Lamplighters, Alameda Civic Light Opera, Venus Rising Theatre Company, Theatre on San Pedro Square, and also The Manatee Players in Tampa. Michael has had the privilege to work as Musical Director for the west coast premiere of Meshuggah-Nuns with Director/ Writer/ Composer Danny Goggin.
As an actor [EMC], Michael played "Willie Conklin" in
Diablo Theatre Company spectacular Ragtime, "Man #2" in Last Call, "Mabel" in Radio Gals, and "Merlin" and "Graynor" in the Shadowbox Cabaret rock operas, Dawn of Infinite Dreams and Lone Season. He also originated the character of "Floyd, the accompanist" in the hilariously popular Shadowbox Cabaret "The Santa Babies" skit for their annual Holiday Hoopla Christmas Cabaret. As a jazz vocalist, Michael has had the privilege of studying with Madeline Eastman, Kurt Elling, and Karrin Allyson at the prestigious Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West. And as jazz pianist, Michael studied with west coasters Mark Levine and Peter Horvath. Michael also provided the background vocals for the title track of the award-winning independent film, My Sweet Killer [music by Sean Abreu].
Ryan Connell (Incidental Music, Book) While receiving his formal education at the University of Louisville in Piano
Performance and Music Composition, he studied piano with Dr. Brenda Kee, organ with Melvin
Dickinson (student of Hemut Walcha) and Harpsichord with Dr. Jack Ashworth. In the summer
of 2000, Connell studied in Salzburg, Austria through the Kentucky Institute for International
Study. He focused on a critical review of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas in addition to studying
German. In Spring 2004 he was invited to perform at the new original music festival of The
Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland, where he premiered his trumpet
ensemble piece Watta Flipt Watta. His composition for string quintet, "...her image deeply
lies..." was also featured. Since studying the organ at UofL, Ryan has been active as an organist in multiple
churches. His love of the organ has drawn him to play and study much of J.S. Bach’s organ
music in addition to the French Romantic organ composers such as Louis Vierne and Cesar
Franck.
He has served as music director for Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, State Fair, Hello
Dolly, The Music Man, and Fiddler On The Roof.
His formal education includes two summers of study at the Indiana University Summer
Piano Academy, and a B.M in Piano Performance and Music Composition from the University
Of Louisville. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Music Composition at the
University of Colorado Boulder. In the past few years Ryan has focused on performing new
classical music on the piano and organ. He serves as the organist for the First Baptist Church of
Boulder and Director for the Off Broadway School of Fine Arts.
Lillie Jayne (Director, Book) is a New York City based artist who works mainly in the realms of music and performance. She and Michael O'Dell met when they collaborated on her musical play Poppy! An Enchanted Evening with Poppy Bulova produced by the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival, which won top reviews across major publications in New York. In addition to her theatrical work on original plays with various collaborators, she has written and performed music with several music projects in New York, and currently writes and performs with her bands I Feel Awesome, Ecstatics, and Cellular Chaos.
Louis Buehling (Production Manager/Lighting Designer) is a traveling theater tech for hire! From Pyrotechnics in PA at the Pennsylvania Rennisance Faire, to Master Carpenter at the Arkansas Shakespeare Theater Festival. Louis has a plethora of lighting/scenic design and builds under his belt along with stage managing main stage shows for several venues. He is a graduate from the University of Central Arkansas with a B.S. in Theatre and a minor in music (his parents are proud despite the lack of culture in Arkansas!) Louis is also super thankful and excited to be doing his first bit of work further west than he's ever been for this wonderful production in Colorado! Much thanks and love to all his friends and family.
