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LISA MATSKO HAMILTON is the founder
and director of the Professional School for the Arts in Torrance,
where hundreds of children, teens and adults have been trained
in singing, dancing and acting since the school's opening in 1991.
"Our abiding principal that sets us apart from many arts programs
is that we are not for the hobbyist," says Hamilton. "We offer
a supportive and disciplined atmosphere with teachers who are
working in the professional world. Our program is geared to the
student whose goal is to perform professionally." Since PSA's
opening, students have gone on to perform on Broadway, in national
tours, in civic light operas, and on cruise ships. Others have
been accepted to some of the most prestigious university performing
arts programs in the nation. Hamilton, who received her MFA in
music theatre at the University of California, Irvine, received
the 1995 Fine Arts Award from the City of Torrance. She also heads
the Professional Arts Education Center, a nonprofit corporation
dedicated to raising scholarship funds for deserving arts students.
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GERARD BABB is proud to be a founding
faculty member of the Professional School for the Arts, co-instructor
with Lisa Matsko-Hamilton of the successful Music Theatre Audition
Workshops at PSA, and a twenty year friend of Lisa's. In addition
to having been a founding member of the Artistic Advisory Board
for the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, Gerard has been
involved in eight productions there, six as associate director.
A frequent performer, Gerard has been featured in shows such as
Once Upon a Mattress, The Sound of Music, Paint Your Wagon,
A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Three Sisters, The Gondoliers,
and Hayfever. As a matter of fact, he is probably one of
the few actors whose resumes includes eight of the seventeen roles
in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (seven of which were in
the same production!) Gerard is the full-time Marketing Coordinator
for the School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine,
where he earned his MFA in Acting/Music Theatre. |
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KIM ARNETT is thrilled to be
returning to PSA after living in Las Vegas for the past 3 1/2
years where she was the dance captain for the production of
Mamma Mia! During that time, she also left for 6 months to
dance captain the 1st National Tour. Before that, she was part
of the Broadway/National Touring company of Peter Pan
starring Cathy Rigby. She can be seen on the A&E DVD of Peter
Pan. Kim has toured through Europe as well with productions
of My Fair Lady and 42nd Street. When she is home,
she can be seen in productions with such companies as CLO of
South Bay Cities, Theater League, and McCoy Rigby Entertainment.
A lot of Kim's early training started as a ballet dancer and
studied with companies such as Pennsylvania Ballet, San
Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, and then was a trainee with
Hartford Ballet before moving into musical theater. |
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ROGER CASTELLANO
Roger enjoys working in all entertainment media forms: from
television and theme park, to industrials and special events
throughout the U.S., Asia and Central America.
Director/choreographer credits include Oliver!, La Cage Aux
Folles, A Little Night Music (all receiving the Drama-Logue
Award), Me & My Girl (Los Angeles Times Critic’s Pick),
A Chorus Line (Arizona’s ariZoni Theatre Award), The
King And I just last November, and 4 seasons with the award
winning Music Theatre of Wichita (Mary Jane Teall Theatre Award
- Outstanding Guest Artist). Roger has also created original
shows, parades and industrials for companies like Sesame Street
Live, Sanrio Inc. and the Walt Disney Company. Acting highlights
include My One And Only (Billy) with Susan Egan
(Drama-Lougue Award), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere),
Anything Goes (Billy) with Tracy Lore, Once Upon a
Mattress (Jester), Into the Woods (The Baker), On
The Town (Ozzy), How to Succeed in Business… (Bud
Frump). Roger received a BA in Theatre from California State
University, Fullerton. |
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DENNIS CASTELLANO
Conductor, accompanist, and vocal coach specializing in music
theatre. Teaches UCI's musical theatre workshops, lectures in
the history of the American musical, and serves as musical
director for the department. Waves the baton for such
personalities as Kaye Ballard, Jodi Benson, Theodore Bikel, Judy
Blazer, James Brennan, Carol Burnett, John Cullum, Dom DeLuise,
Susan Egan, Nanette Fabray, Harry Groener, Dale Kristien, Marcia
Lewis, Donna McKechnie, Harve Presnell, Lee Roy Reams, Helen
Reddy, Cathy Rigby, Jack Wagner, and JoAnne Worley. Works with
South Coast Repertory, Sacramento Music Circus, Long Beach Civic
Light Opera, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Civic
Light Opera of South Bay Cities, Music Theatre of Southern
California, Musical Theatre West, and The Musical Theatre Guild.
Musical direction cited by the Los Angeles Times; received 9
Drama-Logue Awards and the Robby Award for Best Musical
Direction. Lives in Irvine with his wife Peggy and their
children Leslie and Jeffery.
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JON ENGSTROM has worked throughout
the United States & overseas. His production of 42nd Street
in Germany was voted by the International Press as one of the
two most popular musicals in Europe. He recently directed and
choreographed the first staged production of a new musical version
of Little Women. Other productions that Jon has directed
& choreographed for major venues include: West Side Story,
Evita, Fiddler on the Roof, Singin' in the Rain, Meet Me in St.
Louis, Mame, Guys and Dolls, The Will Rogers Follies, Hello Dolly,
My Fair Lady, No, No, Nanette, Into the Woods, Anything Goes,
Oliver, Oklahoma, Sweet Charity & Can-Can . Jon has
also choreographed productions of Bye, Bye, Birdie, Angry Housewives
& The Grass Harp. Jon’s efforts have been acknowledged
by numerous awards including: 8 Drama-Logue Awards, & 2 Robby
Awards. Jon’s career started with a Ford Foundation Scholarship.
He went on to become a soloist with San Francisco Ballet. He was
an original member of Eliot Feld’s company and also guest artist
with Lar Lubovitch before moving on to “The Great White Way” where
he was a featured dancer in five Broadway musicals: No, No,
Nanette, The Pajama Game, Very Good Eddie, Whoopie! & 42nd
Street & two National Tours: Chicago & Seesaw.
Jon has been fortunate to work with such notable director/choreographers
as: Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Donald Saddler,
Alan Johnson & Danny Daniels. |
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K.C. GUSSLER was born and raised in
Southern California. A 26-year veteran of both the theatre and
film, Mr. Gussler began his formal training in performing at the
young age of seven. He began his professional career as one of
ten young tap dancing boys in the MGM film Pennies from
Heaven starring Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. He
continued his training throughout the Los Angeles area and by
sixteen was the youngest member in the Las Vegas production of
A Chorus Line. At age 21 he made his Broadway debut in
the 1991 Tony Award revival of Gypsy starring Tyne Daly.
Some of Mr. Gussler's performing credits include the national
tour of 42nd Street, the European company of West Side
Story, as well as regional and stock productions of Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers, West Side Story, Funny Girl, Meet Me
in St. Louis, The Pajama Game, La Cage Aux Folles, A Chorus
Line, Chess, Anything Goes, Peter Pan, The Will Rogers Follies
and The Boy Friend. His directing and choreographic
credits include Hello Dolly! for Moonlight Amphitheater
in San Diego. Fiddler on the Roof for Theatre League and
the Civic Light Opera of the South Bay Cities. You're a Good
Man, Charlie Brown for Sacramento Music Circus. Meet Me
in St. Louis, Crazy for You, Swingtime Canteen, Cabaret, Me and
My Girl, and George M! for Bakersfield Music Theatre.
Good News and Singin' in the Rain for Hamilton
Academy of Music in Los Angeles. Show Boat and The
Music Man for the Santa Barbara CLO. 42nd Street for
Southern Arizona CLO, The Most Happy Fella and the world
premiere of Brief Shining Moment for the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas. Jerry's Girls for the Arvada
Performing Arts Center in Denver, CO. Cabaret, Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and You’re A Good Man,
Charlie Brown for The Dell Center in Austin, TX. For the
past three years, Mr. Gussler served as the Academy Artistic
Director for Austin Musical Theatre and Ballet Austin’s Musical
Theatre Laboratory. Throughout the years, Mr. Gussler has had a
long affiliation with the Walt Disney Company performing for
Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland as a member
of The Kids of the Kingdom and The Diamond Horseshoe
Revue. He also choreographed and performed for the new
Disney Park, Tokyo DisneySea. Currently he is a resident
choreographer for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
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DEXTER JONES most recently appeared
in the critically acclaimed West Coast premiere of Swinging
on A Star at the International City Theatre in Long Beach,
Ca. and was nominated for an NAACP Theatre Award for his performance.
On Broadway and in national and international tours he has been
seen as Richie in A Chorus Line, Andy Lee in 42nd Street,
a New Rhythm Boy in My One and Only, Riverdance, Play On!,
and performing Cholly Atkins classic soft shoe "Memories of You"
in the multi-Tony award winning hit Black and Blue. His
television credits include "Loving", "One Life to Live", "All
My Children", "The Little Richard Story", "Bojangles" (starring
Gregory Hines), "The Old Settler" (starring Phylicia Rashad and
Debbie Allen) and PBS Great Performances of Black and Blue
and Play On! He just completed his first lead film role
in Urban Pill (www.urbanpill.com).
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GERRY McINTYRE
The old adage, "Those who cannot do, teach," certainly does not
apply to one of Torrance's newest dance instructors. Gerry McIntyre
has a most impressive resume that proves not only that he can
do, but he has. While working in New York City, Mr. McIntyre appeared
in Broadway productions including: Anything Goes, with
Patti LuPone, Once On This Island, Uptown It's Hot, and
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Michael
Damien. Though Mr. McIntyre has moved to Los Angeles to pursue
work in TV and Film, he says that he can't leave dancing completely.
"I've been dancing for so long. It's a part of me." So every Saturday
afternoon this multi-talented performer exercises the dancer in
him at PSA. "Teaching gives me a completely different sense of
fulfillment. I love to see students perform a combination that
60 minutes ago they thought was impossible." |
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KAREN MORROW was raised by operatic
parents in Des Moines, Iowa and turned to "the theatre" in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. The next stop was every major musical theatre, cabaret
and concert hall from New York to Honolulu! In New York, she starred
on Broadway in I Had A Ball; Joyful Noise; I'm Solomon; Music,
Music; The Selling of the President; The Grass Harp and the
Tony Award winning Drood. Off Broadway, her starring roles
included Sing Muse; The Boys From Syracuse; five seasons
with the New York City Center during it's golden years of musical
revivals and most recently she starred in the National tour of
Show Boat. On Television, Karen starred as a regular on
"The Jim Nabor's Hour" "Friends," "Tabitha" "Ladies' Man," "Goodnight
Beantown," "Song by Song," and "Great Performances" for PBS; "Singing"
for CBS; and has been a guest star on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,"
"The Tonight Show," "The Today Show," "Alice," "Too Close For
Comfort," "Loveboat," "Falconcrest," "Murder She Wrote," "Night
Court," to mention just a few; and radio's Garrison Keillors'
"A Prarie Home Companion." Karen has sung with the Los Angeles
Philharmonic, the Honolulu, Pacific, Minnesota, Milwaukee, and
Metropolitan Symphony Orchestras and can be heard on eleven albums.
She is the recipient of an Emmy, the coveted Theatre World Award,
and five Dramalogue Awards. Visit her website at www.karenmorrow.com.
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SHA
NEWMAN
Los Angeles Premiere Gilligan's Island, The Musical produced
by Sherwood and Lloyd Schwartz, creator of the ever-popular TV
series Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. Tour of
Smokey Joe's Café starring Rita Coolidge and Gary
U. S. Bonds. Tour of The King & I starring Debby Boone.
LA Theatre Ovation Award Winner for Best Musical West Side
Story, Robby Nomination Best Director of a Musical and top
ten shows by the Los Angeles Times. NEA Millenium Project World
Premiere of Petticoat Rules with writer Mary Murfitt (Cowgirls)
and composer Pamela Drew Phillips (Crazy for You); Sylvia
(Hermosa Playhouse), South Bay's and Damn Yankees
(Critics Choice Los Angeles Times) and Ovation Award Nomination
and L.A. Times Critics Pick for The King & I. California
premiere of Violet (Laguna Playhouse) received Robby Award
nominations for Best Director, Best Musical among 7 other nominations.
Best Director / Choreographer Drama-Logue Awards for her Los Angeles
productions of Evita, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Guys
& Dolls and Cabaret. She garnered the new Back Stage
West Garland Award for her choreography in Cabaret and
Paint Your Wagon and a Robby Award for Seven Brides
for Seven Brothers. She directed and choreographed Mirette,
a premiere of the new musical written by Elizabeth Diggs, Harvey
Schmidt & Tom Jones, for Robert Redford's Sundance Summer Theatre
to critical acclaim and the staged reading at Pasadena Playhouse
for MTG (Musical Theatre Guild) of Here's Love. Her production
Working (Laguna Playhouse) was voted in the top ten shows
by the Los Angeles Times. Other credits include ABC/Aaron Spelling,
New Line Cinema, Movies of the Week, Pasadena Playhouse's premiere
of Mail. She originated the role of Ruth on Broadway in
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Other performing credits
include the Broadway/National and Regional Companies of Evita,
Annie Get Your Gun, West Side Story, No, No Nanette, Paint Your
Wagon and Annie. She is a graduate of USIU School of
Performing & Visual Arts in San Diego. |
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MICHAEL ORLAND
Michael Orland is currently the Pianist, Arranger and Associate
Musical Director for the hit FOX-TV series AMERICAN IDOL. Through
this amazing opportunity, Michael has appeared on OPRAH, ENTERTAINMENT
TONIGHT, and THE WAYNE BRADY SHOW, and has collaborated with music
industry giants such as Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, and Diane
Warren, to mention just a few. He also served in the same capacity
for the successful summer series AMERICAN JUNIORS and has Associate
Produced two hit singles (GOD BLESS THE U.S.A. and WHAT THE WORLD
NEEDS NOW IS LOVE) for AMERICAN IDOL as well as the hit compilation
CD from AMERICAN JUNIORS. In addition to playing and conducting
for many celebrities including Lucie Arnaz, Kaye Ballard, Deborah
Gibson, Shecky Greene, Jennifer Holliday, Lainie Kazan, Sally
Kellerman, Gladys Knight, Barry Manilow, Chita Rivera, and the
late Nell Carter and Wayland Flowers & Madame, Michael played
for the hit shows “FORBIDDEN BROADWAY”, “RUTHLESS!”,
and “WHEN PIGS FLY” in Los Angeles. He made his Hollywood
Bowl debut accompanying the legendary MGM star Ann Miller. An
accomplished songwriter, his songs have been featured on several
daytime soaps and primetime shows. On recordings, he can be heard
on Debbie Gravitte’s “Alan Menken Album” and “MGM
Album”; Rita McKenzie’s “Ethel Merman’s Broadway”,
“Ruthless! The Musical”, and produced and arranged Roslyn
Kind’s “Come What May”. Michael is currently working
on a solo piano album due out soon. |
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GREG SCHREINER
Greg Schreiner has performed as
soloist with the Los Angeles Concert Orchestra, Santa Monica
College Symphony, UCLA Symphony Orchestra, Cypress Orchestra and
performed at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics. He has
several recordings in release including the soundtrack from
Hollywood Revisited on the LML Music label which was chosen in
2005 for United Airlines “In Flight Channel”. He has been on
the piano faculty of Cerritos College for the past 15 years and
performs extensively around Southern California. He is also
accompanist for the Mansfield Chamber Singers of Beverly Hills.
Mr. Schreiner recently performed the Shostakovitch 2nd
Piano Concerto for the PBS series “In Search of Wisdom”. He has
been invited to give a recital April, 2005 at the Richard Nixon
Library in Yorba Linda, California. He has been chosen in
2003-2005 for inclusion in Who’s Who in America. He has worked
for ten years as musical director for Broadway singer, Karen
Morrow. He is producer-performer for the touring show, Hollywood
Revisited. He holds Master Degrees in piano performance from
UCLA and Western Illinois University. Mr. Schreiner is also
president of the Marilyn Monroe Fan Club. |
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