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Fall Group Class Schedule Released
Author: Simon Duffill
Fall Group Class Schedule Released
First Stage – A fun and welcoming introduction to the world of musical theatre.
Next Stage – For developing performers ready to grow their skills and confidence.
Main Stage – Advanced training for students preparing for big roles and big dreams.Nicole Karrs
Mezzo-soprano Nicole Karrs is a recent graduate of Stony Brook University, where she earned a Doctorate in Vocal Performance. With over 10 years of private teaching experience, she had previously taught undergraduate voice at Stony Brook. On stage, Nicole has performed in a variety of roles with Stony Brook Opera, including Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Costanza in L’Isola Disabitata, and Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring.
As a young artist, Nicole has showcased her talents in both musical theatre and opera productions with regional companies such as Central Florida Lyric Opera, Nickel City Opera, Miami Music Festival, TUNDI Productions, and most recently, the Northern Lights Music Festival. Among her favorite roles are Madame de la Haltere in Cendrillon, Olga in Eugene Onegin, and La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica.
Evan Waaramaa
Evan Waaramaa is a performing musician, composer, educator and content creator currently living in New York City. He can often be spotted playing fusion jazz on a red keytar at Manhattan clubs like Groove, Harlem Nights, and Silvana.
He can also be spotted in a wide variety of music videos performing with artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Troy Ramey. He routinely releases compositions and music analysis videos at his YouTube channel BitBlitz. And in the summers he can be found leading rock bands and recording classes as the head of Creative Arts at Park’s Music Department in Brookline, MA.
Combined with his experiences as a private instructor and having taught at NYU Steinhardt Evan has experience teaching students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Joseph Mathusek
Joseph Mathusek is a composer, performer, pianist, and director based in New Jersey. During his studies of vocal performance at Brigham Young University-Idaho, Joseph has performed various new musical works such as: That They May Have Joy (Ethan Wickman) and A Song Cycle (Ryan Terry). Joseph is also a highly sought after accompanist by vocalists and instrumentalists alike.
Joseph has composed a number of both large and small-scale works ranging from theatre pieces to commissioned choral arrangements that have been performed for thousands of audience members. Together with collaborator John Ertman, Joseph has written two musicals: Alone (American Music Theatre Project, Concept Album), And Mews (Commissioned 2023).
Joseph is an experienced private educator, teaching both voice and piano to students of all ages and backgrounds.
Connie Teng
Connie graduated with a BA from Northwestern University and has had a diverse and dynamic career.
She grew up dancing, starting with ballet and later expanding her repertoire to include lyrical, jazz, theater dance, and hip hop.
After performing professionally in musicals, she transitioned to straight theater, as well as television and film.
Connie has appeared in numerous regional and national commercials and had roles in major TV shows and films, including The Sopranos and Law and Order: SVU.
Today, Connie is focused on empowering others through coaching, leveraging her unique blend of experience from both the performing arts and the corporate world. She specializes in career and leadership coaching for working professionals and is passionate about mentoring and coaching young actors. You might also recognize her as one of the sassy moms in Tom and the Moms!
Paige Faure
Paige Faure is a theatre maker and performer in NJ/NYC. Her Broadway credits include A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, the latest Tony-winning revival of Company, the title role in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Miss Saigon, Bullets Over Broadway starring Zach Braff, and How To Succeed in Business… featuring Daniel Radcliffe. She’s toured internationally with five other Broadway shows, premiered new works regionally at The Old Globe, Papermill Playhouse, The REV and the Kennedy Center, and has, most recently, created choreography for The Rev Theatre’s 2024 production of Jersey Boys. She will also be a part of the choreography team for the upcoming A Beautiful Noise national tour. Paige has an eleven year old son, Hank, is an advocate for parenting as a creative/performer, and is a Yoga Ground-certified and passionate yoga instructor. She also teaches for Little Apple Arts and Sellwood Studios in NJ, and coaches musical theatre students of all ages
Emily McNamara
Emily McNamara was recognized by Time Out New York as one of the “top ten local women every[one] should know—and be obsessed with.”
New York performing credits include: A Musical About Star Wars, NEWSical The Musical, The Awesome 80’s Prom (also co-wrote), My Big Gay Italian Wedding, My First Time, The Karaoke Show, and Around The World In 80 Days.
Regional favorites: Gettin’ The Band Back Together at George Street Playhouse (also co-wrote), Little Shop Of Horrors, Fiddler On The Roof, Dreamgirls, Godspell, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Chicago.
Emily performs regularly as a host, singer, and comic at venues all over NYC. She recently co-starred on the HBO drama Vinyl, produced by Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger. Other TV: Sex And The City and Billy On The Street. Emily is the lead singer for 80’s tribute band, White Wedding Band, 90’s tribute band, Uncle Jesse, and The Broadway Project Band. Emily loves teaching performing arts to students of all ages and particularly has a blast at Sellwood Studios!
Kelley Meyer Browning
Kelley Meyer Browning is a registered teacher (TCRG) with the Irish Dance Commission in Dublin, Ireland having successfully passed the rigorous two-day, five-part practical and written examination in 2017. She studied Irish Dance with the Griffith Academy in Connecticut for thirteen years. During her competitive career, she was a six-time undefeated New England Champion, a regular top-ten National placement holder, and annual World Championship qualifier beginning at the young age of eight. While at the Griffith Academy, Kelley also studied ballet, tap, and jazz with Broadway-trained instructors, and danced in annual and seasonal performances that highlighted traditional technique, modern blending of dance forms, and the importance of movement and song as a form of expression, storytelling and human connection.
Kelley began her professional Irish Dance career at 18 years old as a cast member of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance Troupe 4 (Disney EPCOT) and Troupe 2 (touring group) where she performed in theaters, amphitheaters, and stadiums throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. Fulfilling a promise to her family, she left LOTD after two years to enroll at the University of Connecticut where she received her BA in Finance. Kelley continued to dance and teach while living in Manhattan and Los Angeles. Highlights of her time in LA include performing with Cleary Irish Dance at Sony Studios for an unaired episode of Shark Tank and collaborating with choreographers Mandy Moore and KC Monnie to create an Irish Dance number for Shania Twain’s 2018 comeback tour and eventual Las Vegas residency.
Kelley lives in Madison with her husband, Larry, and their three children Desmond, William, and Grace.
Paige Porter
Paige sings opera, jazz, and theater in the tri-state area, and runs a choir out of Morris County with her husband who is also a Westminster alumnus.
She has a Batchelor of Music degree from the prestigious Westminster Choir College, and a Masters of Music from Manhattan School of music.
She has extensive private teaching experience, with students of all ages.
Ashley Adler
Ashley is a Drama Desk nominated actress, award winning singer & voice actor. Her voice can be heard in over 75 TV and radio commercials, as well as videogames, animation, trailers, award shows, audiobooks, promos, dubbing foreign films, e-learning, and documentaries. She has voice-matched over 25 celebrities for films, videogames, toys, theme park rides and more. She works with Marvel, Disney & Pixar on a regular basis in a variety of mediums.
She can currently be heard as Eliza in Final Fantasy: War of the Visions, Thelos (the Sun God) in Atlas Fallen, and as the Narrator of Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Ashley music experience spans from being a professional opera singer to singing in rock bands.
She’s performed Off-Broadway & regionally in musicals and operas at NYC Town Hall, NY City Center, Wolftrap Opera, Liederkranz Opera, the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre and has worked frequently with both iconic New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players and the revered Folksbiene- National Yiddish Theatre. She also toured the nation with an award-winning one person show about Anne Frank.
She has recorded, sung & performed with many bands, including The acclaimed Eagle Rock Gospel Singers, (who she recorded 3 albums with and had many of their songs placed in TV and film), the klezmer band Mostly Kosher, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob) & the Hi-Seas, Rah Rah Rabbit, Ali Angel, legendary drummer Bernard Purdie, The Ateliers, Bearded Band and many others.
She is a graduate of the Acting conservatory at SUNY Purchase and studied voice privately at Manhattan School of Music with legendary Metropolitan Opera star Ashley Putnam.
Ashley Adler knows the voice and knows how to help you find your power, and your authentic sound. She looks forward to working with you!!