Faculty

Marc Tumminelli (Director) — Marc has worked with young actors all over the United States teaching acting workshops with Camp Broadway, Explore America, Travel Adventures, Arts for All, Hands on Broadway, Dodger Theatrical’s Broadway production of 42nd Street and as Drama Director at The South Shore Dance Theatre. Marc is currently on the directing staff at The Random Farms Kids Theater in Westchester County, NY and serves as Program Director for Playhouse Junior at Saint Michael’s Playhouse in Northern Vermont.

Marc’s students have appeared on Broadway in Shrek: The Musical, Mary Poppins, The Color Purple, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Les Miz, Sunday in the Park with George, West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie and Finian’s Rainbow; on TV in The Backyardigans, Saturday Night Live, All My Children, 30 Rock and more.

As an actor, Marc has appeared as Eugene in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues and Broadway Bound at theatres all over the US. Recent credits include: Yonkers in the Chicago production of Gypsy staring Patti LuPone and directed by Lonny Price. Other regional and New York credits: Dames at Sea, Lost In Yonkers, Into The Woods, Torch Song Trilogy, Oklahoma!, Oliver!, Shenandoah, The Dresser, Big River, Rags, Crazy For You, Pirates of Penzance and the hit Off Broadway productions of The Snow Queen and Bring Back Birdie, as well as the all-star concerts of Children Of Eden, The Secret Garden and Pippin, the latter starring Rosie O’Donnell and Ben Vereen. Film/TV credits include: The Sopranos and A Beautiful Mind directed by Ron Howard.

Directing Credits Include: A Year with Frog and Toad, Bat Boy, Cabaret, Rent, High School Musical, The Wiz, Oliver!, Annie, Into The Woods, Life of the Party and the educational touring production of The New Kid. Most recently Marc served as “Munchkin Director” for the MSG production of The Wizard of Oz.


Jessica Bogart (Teaching Artist) — Broadway: Jenny in In My Life (original cast), Ado Annie in Oklahoma! (original revival cast), Eponine in Les Misérables, Philia in …Forum (original revival cast), Maureen in Rent, Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Petra in A Little Night Music at The New York City Opera and Los Angeles Opera.  Regional:  Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing (La Jolla Playhouse in association with Aquila Theatre Co.); Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story and Eliza in My Fair Lady (Walnut Street); Ophelia in Hamlet (Colonial); Mrs. Millimant in The Way of the World (Yale Rep); Sarah in The Ballad of Little Jo (Steppenwolf, directed by Tina Landau), Gypsy in Gypsy (w/Patti Lupone, Chicago Rivinia Festival); productions at Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Goodman, Geva, and the Apple Tree Theatre in Chicago, where she is Artistic Associate and directed Eve Ensler’s Necessary Targets and Michael John LaChiusa’s Hello Again. Jessica has taught acting and musical theatre workshops all over the US.


Ashley Brown (Teaching Artist) — is currently starring on Broadway as Mary Poppins in the hit Disney musical. Ashley recently made her Broadway debut as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Previously, she toured with Disney’s On The Record. She performed in The Leading Men of Broadway and participated in Broadway By the Year: 1956. Training: Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (BFA, Laurie Beechman Award).


Laura Bell Bundy (Teaching Artist) — received 2007 Tony, Drama Desk and Drama League Award nominations for her work in Legally Blonde. Broadway: originated Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray, performed Glinda in Wicked. Off-Broadway: originated Tina Denmark in Ruthless (Outer Critics and Drama Desk nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Musical). Regionally: Sherrie Christian in Rock of Ages (Los Angeles), Dainty June in Gypsy, Louisa in The Sound of Music. TV: “Modern Men” (WB), “Cold Case” (CBS), “Veronica Mars” (UPN), “Happy Hour” (FOX), “Strangers With Candy” (Comedy Central), leading roles in the pilots “Dirtbags” (FOX) and “All Grown Up” (CBS), Marah in “The Guiding Light” (1999-2001). Film: Dreamgirls, Jumanji, Life With Mikey, The Adventures of Huck Finn. Singer/songwriter: just completed her debut “Y’alternative” country album Longing for a Place Already Gone and a CD of standards, I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Proceeds from the Christmas CD benefit her charity, Kreative Kids Foundation. Creator and co-designer of Schmancy Purses. www.laurabellbundy.com.


Kristy Cates (Teaching Arist) — Original Broadway Cast of Wicked (ensemble/Elphaba understudy). Kristy then went on to a year long run as Elphaba in the Chicago production of Wicked. She was most recently seen the Human Race Theatre production of Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots. Off Broadway/ Regional: Boobs! The Musical, Princess Ida, St. Louis MUNY, The Lucille Lortel, White Barn Theatre , North Bay Opera, The Playhouse on the Green, The Eugene O’Neill Conference and the NY Fringe Festival. NYC/Chicago concerts: Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex, Joe’s Pub, Laurie Beechman Theatre, and a sold out series An Evening with Kristy Cates at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center. She was honored to be a National Anthem soloist for the Chicago Bears, Bulls and White Sox. BFA: Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. Proud member of AEA.


Diana DeGarmo (Teaching Artist) shot to stardom at the age of 16 as the runner up on the 3rd season of American Idol. Following American Idol, Diana released her single “Dreams” which became one of the best selling singles of 2005. She recorded her debut album Blue Skies with RCA Records. Diana toured the United States as part of American Idols Live and in 2005, Diana went on a USO tour to entertain the troops in 13 countries overseas, including Afghanistan and Iraq. Diana made her Broadway debut in Hairspray as Penny Pingleton. Following Hairspary, Diana performed the lead in the 2006 national tour of Brooklyn: The Musical. Recent theatre credits include; Dorothy in a tour of Oz the Musical, the LA production of the musical revue Back to Bacharach and David, The Lyric production of Joseph…. Currently Diana is starring as Sarah in the Off Broadway hit musical Toxic Avenger at New World Stages.


James Donegan (Teaching Artist) — James Donegan is a New York-based actor. In New York, James most recently appeared in the Off-Broadway casts of Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab and Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening (original cast, 2008 Drama Desk: Best Revue), and on their respective cast albums. Other New York and regional credits include: The Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho), Company (Bobby), Hello, Dolly! (Cornelius), My Fair Lady (Freddy), Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus), Evita (Che), Triumph of Love (Agis) and many more. He can be heard on his solo CD, So Much Spring (“…auspicious debut” — Next Magazine), as well as the upcoming Allegro on Sony Classics. James is also a voice teacher whose students have worked on and Off-Broadway, as well as in numerous regional theaters. Special thanks to Marc and the The Broadway Workshop crew for all of they do.


Stephanie Fittro (Teaching Artist) is currently starring in the Broadway musical Legally Blonde as Kate/Chutney. Past credits include national tours of Hairspray and Carousel; favorite NY credits include Met Opera (The Merry Widow featured as Joujou, starring Placido Domingo!), Encores!, and Irish Repertory Theatre, as well as the role of Mandy in Eric Bernat and Robin Carrigan's new comedy Jesus and Mandy at Theatre For The New City. Stephanie has appeared in numerous productions of West Side Story (directed by Alan Johnson) and Finian’s Rainbow at theatres all over the US. Teaching and choreography credits include Diamond Head Theatre (Honolulu, HI), Ft. Salem Theatre (Salem, NY), The Gem Theatre (Detroit, MI), Prospect Theatre (NY, NY), Michigan State Unviersity (East Lansing, MI), Academy of Dance (Clark, NJ), as well as many workshops and outreach programs. As an actor she has studied with Shakespeare and Co. (Lenox, MA), specializing in acting and Shakespeare; as a dancer, she trained at the Boston Ballet and Alvin Ailey Schools. She is proud to be an interpreter of classical musical theatre choreography, especially material melding ballet, character, modern and jazz. She is also proud to have studied with the late great Mr. James Jamieson, Agnes DeMille’s beloved sword dancer in the original Brigadoon, who inspired her to no end, and to whom she dedicates her teaching.


Sutton Foster (Teaching Artist) Broadway: Fiona in Shrek: The Musical, Inga in Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, L.A. Ovation Award), Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards), Eponine in Les Misérables, the 20th anniversary of Annie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease. Other New York: performed concerts at Carnegie Hall (NY Pops), Lincoln Center (American Songbook series), Town Hall, Joe’s Pub, Actors Fund benefit performances of Funny Girl and Chess. TV: Disney Channel’s “Johnny and the Sprites,” HBO’s “The Flight of the Conchords.” Her first solo album WISH was released in 2009.


Kaitlin Hopkins (Teaching Artist) — As an actress, Katilin has worked extensively in theater, film, television and radio for 25 years. Some credits include: Broadway: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Noises Off, Anything Goes. Off-Broadway, she originated the role of Meredith in Bat Boy - The Musical, receiving Drama Desk and Ovation Award nominations. She also appeared in Bare, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and Nicky Silver’s Beautiful Child (The Vineyard Theatre). Other: Disney’s On The Record (National tour), John Adams’ opera I Was Looking At The Ceiling... directed by Peter Sellars (International tour), The Opposite of Sex and Party Come Here (Williamstown Theatre Festival), The Philanderer (South Coast Repertory). Radio: The Heidi Chronicles, Working and Proof. Television/Film includes: The Nanny Diaries, How To Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, Rescue Me, Six Degrees, The Practice, Spin City, JAG, Star Trek- Voyager, all three Law and Order shows and 3 yrs as Dr Kelsey Harrison on Another World. Training: Carnegie Mellon University (musical theater), The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London. For more info visit www.kaitlinhopkins.com.


Stepanie Johnston (Teaching Artist) — Stephanie Johnstone is an NYC-based composer, music director and vocal coach. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, she has studied with Dr. Alan Cohen at NYU, participated in Adam Guettel's group lab class through Musical Theatre Works, and was selected for the New Dramatists' Guild Composer/Librettist Studio 2006. Her songs have been sung at Cafe Vivaldi and Don't Tell Mama, she contributed material for Dreamakers (w/ Brian D'Arcy James) at the Children's Aid Society, and while in Prague, she collaborated with the Czech gypsy/folk band Vibra Etherna. Her other recent musical theater works include Hotel Sarajevo (Hot Ink Festival 2004 and Barbara Wolff Reading at CAP21) which she worked on and co-conceived with Marisa Michelson and the zany one-act: The Adventures of Mommy and Fetus. She wrote the music, lyrics and orchestrations for Tully (In No Particular Order) (Theater For the New City workshop, New York Musical Theater Festival production 2007) for which she was awarded Honorable Mention for Achievement in Music at NYMF. As a music director, she has worked with Liz Swados, Raw Impressions, Taylor Mac, and Quo Vadimus Arts, just to name a few. She has been vocal coaching in Chicago and New York for the past six years, and she has taught at City College of New York, The Neighborhood Playhouse Junior School, Curtain Up Kids, and Broadway Training Center of Westchester.


Leslie Kritzer (Teaching Artist) — Leslie Kritzer recently starred on Broadway in Legally Blonde as Serena for which she was honored with the Clerence Derwent Award by the Actor’s Equity Association. She received critical acclaim and a Time Out New York award for her sold-out Joe’s Pub run of Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches (a performance she repeated at The Plush Room in San Francisco). She received a Drama Desk Nomination for creating the role of Pickles in the off-Broadway production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical. Other New York credits include Hairspray, Bat Boy: The Musical, and Godspell. Regionally, Leslie has performed such roles as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Eva Peron in Evita, and Kathy in the world premiere of Vanities. She was also seen in the national tour of Urinetown. She has performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London as a guest soloist honoring Tim Rice and Alan Menken and can be heard on several cast recordings. Recent television credits include 3LBS (CBS) and the Jason and Jessica pilot for HBO. Upcoming Broadway A Catered Affair, opening this spring at The Walter Kerr Theatre.


Caissie Levy (Teaching Artist) has appeared in Wicked on Broadway and in Los Angeles in the iconic role of Elphaba. She has also starred in Hairspray (on Broadway, in Toronto and on the First National Tour) and as Maureen in the national tour of Rent. Currently, Caissie is starring as Sheila in the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Hair.


Howard Meltzer (Teaching Artist) has been partnered with Carol Goldwasser since 2004. Television: Hannah Montana (Disney Channel)(series), Spectacular! (Nickelodeon) (Movie of the Week), Out of Jimmy’s Head (Cartoon Network), The 1/2 Hour News Hour (FOX News Channel/20th) (Pilot & Series), The Troop (Nickelodeon) (Pilot), Beatkinz (Nick Jr.), Generations (CBS/Dreamworks) (Pilot), American Dad (FBC/20th) (Pilot), Stroller Wars (CBS/Sony) (Pilot), Now What? (UPN/20th), Untitled Michael Jacobs (FBC/Sony) (Pilot). Prior to partnering with Carol, Howard was a staff Casting Director with Stuart Howard Associates in NYC. Broadway: The Graduate, Fortune’s Fool, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, Annie Get Your Gun (Revival), Fosse, Chicago (Revival), Annie (Revival) and Grease (Revival).


Jack Plotnick (Teaching Artist) has spent the last decade as a working actor in Los Angeles. Just recently, he filmed a role in the hour-long CBS pilot The Mentalist, which has just been picked up to series. In film, he has appeared opposite Ben Stiller in Meet the Fockers, Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters, Renee Zelwegger in Down With Love, and Sally Field in Say It Isn't So. Other films include Cook Off!, Remarkable Powers and the Disney feature South of the Border. Jack was a series regular (and Supervising Producer) on the Lifetime Television comedy Lovespring International, which he also occasionally directed. He was also a regular on the Comedy Central cartoon series Drawn Together, and the short-lived, but highly acclaimed FOX TV show Action. Recurring TV roles include: Reno 911, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joan of Arcadia, Ellen and Rude Awakening, Nip/Tuck, Ugly Betty, Shark, Las Vegas, NYPD Blue and Dawson’s Creek. Graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.


Lonny Price (Teaching Artist) Most recent Broadway- Tony Nominated 110 in the Shade starring Audra McDonald. Lonny directed and co-authored the Ed Kleban musical A Class Act on Broadway (five Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical) and in Los Angeles and Tokyo. He won an Emmy for his film of Sweeney Todd with Patti LuPone (broadcast on PBS), directed the original cast reunion performances of Falsettos that inaugurated Playwrights Horizons’ new complex on Theatre Row and staged the Broadway musical Urban Cowboy. Previously on Broadway, he directed Joan Rivers in her Tony-nominated turn as Lenny Bruce’s mother in Sally Marr...and her escorts (co-authored with Ms. Rivers and Erin Sanders). Off-Broadway, he supervised the Manhattan Theatre Club’s remounting of Athol Fugard’s Valley Song and directed Jules Feiffer’s Grown Ups, Jeff Baron’s Visiting Mr. Green (starring Eli Wallach) and revivals of The Rothschilds and Juno. He has worked with Patti LuPone on a series of staged concert versions of musicals including Pal Joey (Encores!, with Peter Gallagher), Annie Get Your Gun (Lincoln Center with Mr. Gallagher), Sweeney Todd (Lincoln Center with George Hearn and the N.Y. Philharmonic) and A Little Night Music (the Ravinia Festival with Mr. Hearn and Zoe Caldwell) and GYPSY (the Ravinia Festival with Patti LuPone). Lonny served as staff director of ABC’s One Life to Live (Emmy nomination). As an actor, he has appeared in many movies including Dirty Dancing and on and Off-Broadway in a variety of plays and musicals including Burn This, The Immigrant, MASTER HAROLD...and the boys, Rags, A Class Act and Merrily We Roll Along, receiving an Obie, Theatre World and Drama-Logue Awards.


Aileen Quinn (Teaching Artist) — Aileen has had a diverse career for over 20 years working in Film, TV, Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional Theatre, Voice overs and Recordings. At the age of 9 Aileen shot to stardom when she took on the title role in the 1982 film version of Annie starring Carol Burnett and Albert Finney. Some of her favorite roles include: Tessie in the Broadway Production of Annie, Princess Zora in the film Frog Prince, April Coregory in the world premier Irish play That Was Then, Molly in the regional production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Chava in the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof, Bet in the Papermill production of Oliver and more recently Annette in the 1st National Tour of Saturday Night Fever. Aileen graduated with honors from Drew University and is currently a drama professor at Monmouth University.


Jennifer Rudin is Director of Casting and Talent Development for Disney Theatrical Productions in New York City. Jennifer spent five years as head of casting for Walt Disney Animation Studios and won the 2006 Artios Award for casting Chicken Little. Additional animated films include Meet the Robinsons (2007 Artios Nomination), The Wild (2006 Artios nomination), Academy Award Winning film The Incredibles and Academy Award nominated Brother Bear. Upcoming films include The Princess and the Frog (starring Anika Noni Rose) and Rapunzel. In Los Angeles, Jennifer cast the Los Angeles premiere of Jason Robert Brown’s musical 13, winner of the 2008 LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Her next project will be the upcoming Broadway production of Ben Elton’s play Popcorn. Jennifer has taught Master Classes at NYU, Boston Conservatory, Northwestern University, Emerson College, Webster University, Baylor University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder and University of the Arts. Jennifer has also cast hundreds of national television commercials; including the famous “Can you hear me now?” campaign for Verizon. Born and raised in Manhattan, Jennifer was a professional child actress from age eight to seventeen and starred in numerous television movies, plays and commercials. She is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin- Madison and a past Board Member for the Casting Society of America.

Sarah Statler (Musical Director) — Sarah started singing and playing the piano at an early age. While living in San José, California, she played leading roles in productions such as Side Show, Jekyll & Hyde and West Side Story. She also appeared in promotions for theater on KNTV as well as the Emmy nominated documentary: “Pulse...The Rhythm of Life.” She moved from California to New York to earn her BM in voice from the Manhattan School of Music. During her time spent at there, she appeared in their American Musical Theater Ensemble’s productions of Side by Side by Sondheim as well as I Remember It Well...A Tribute to Lerner and Loewe. She also recieved the ASCAP Foundation’s Fran Morgenstern Davis Scholarship. Over the past few years, Sarah has started teaching both voice and piano students. Since then, she has vocally directed such shows as Into The Woods, Jr., Little by Little and Jesus Christ Superstar. She has also taught at such places as Northern Stage, The Manhattan School for Children, and The Children’s Musical Theater of San José.