Music and Vocal Arts
Music-Musical Theater Faculty, Students, Alumni
Professional Activity
Watch us online at "NDNUTube." Our students have created our own YouTube site for NDNU student performances.
2009-2010
FACULTY
Paige Cook-Perez (Musical Theatre) is "Laurey" in Hillbarn Theater's upcoming production of OKLAHOMA!
Joel Friedman (Musical Theatre, History of Rock, Graduate Seminar) is writing the score for a film, RED ICE, billed as a "super natural thriller."
Daniel Glover (Piano) performs Rachmaninoff, Amy Beach, Prokofiev, Rimsky Korsakov, Tschaikovsky, Dvorak, Franck, and Strauss in San Francisco, Buenos Aires, and San Jose. http://www.danielgloverpianist.com/calendar.htm
Marc Jacobs (MTC Co-Director, Musical Theatre). His new musical, ALL THE MORE TO LOVE just received an Edgerton Grant and will receive its world premiere at the Phoenix Theatre, AZ on April 9, 2010. His new play THE IAGO SYNDROME will receive its world premiere at Cal State East Bay in November, 2009 with Mr. Jacobs directing. His musical HOW TO MAKE A MUSICAL was published last year by Dramatics Publishing.
Debra Lambert (MTC Co-Director, Opera/Musical Theatre) sang the role of The Old Prioress in DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES for Pocket Opera at Notre Dame in April.
William Liberatore (Musical Theater) is music directing TINYARD HILL for TheatreWorks, July 15-August 16. He has received yet another Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Musical Direction of CAROLINE OR CHANGE for TheatreWorks. He was also nominated for his work on GREY GARDENS. His Gunn H.S. Choir just returned from a tour of Vienna and Prague.
Dottie Lester-White (Musical Theater) choreographed THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL in May (SAN JOSE STAGE), and just completed FUNNY GIRL in Sullivan, Illinois. THE PRODUCERS opens at Foothill College July 24th and runs through August 16th (see Alanna Pinell and Brienne Jones). Upcoming: THE TAFFETAS at Tabhard Theatre in San Jose, and MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (November) and THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN (January) in Mesa, Arizona.
Kimberley Mohne-Hill (MTC faculty) directs for San Jose Repertory Theatre in September.
Henry Mollicone (Opera, Graduate Seminar, Composition) has had his compositions performed at Central City Opera (THE FACE ON THE BARROOM FLOOR), New York's Trinity Church (THREE SIMPLE SONGS soprano Marnie Breckenridge), at Indiana University (IN TIME OF WAR for soprano and string orchestra), by the San Jose Symphonic Choir (FLIGHT THROUGH THE STARS, for chorus, soloists and orchestra), at Illinois College (BEATITUDE MASS FOR THE HOMELESS), Basilica Shrine/Crypt Church (BEATITUDE MASS..., Catholic University, Washington DC. He has been a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow at St. Mary's and Illinois Colleges, and conducted several concerts with his Winchester Orchestra. Upcoming: MISA DE LOS IMMIGRANTES in San Jose by the San Jose Symphonic Choir in March, BEATITUDE MASS in Bristol, England in December.
Eric Morris (Voice, Musicianship). Eric's new CD, "Pure Beauty," features him playing the touch guitar. His singing group, The Edlos, have also produced a new CD of Broadway music.
Lois Musmann (Music History, Musical Director) is preparing a presentation for the Seume Colloquium in Weimar Germany, that she will repeat in Leipzig next year. The research has been supported by an NDNU faculty research grant.
Justin Taylor Nixon (MM 2007, Voice Faculty) just finished a highly successful run of I LOVE YOU YOU'RE PERFECT.... with Ray of Light Theater in San Francisco.
Donald Pippin (Pocket Opera at Notre Dame, Honorary Doctorate, 2007) has published four volumes of "Opera in English," covering the operas of Mozart, Puccini, Offenbach, and Donizetti. He is currently translating two new operas (bringing the total to more than 80): Moniusczko’s THE HAUNTED MANOR and Donizetti’s LA FAVORITA.
Matthew Royce (Production Manager): September - HAIR at Alameda Civic Light Opera, October - El Teatro de Danze Contemporanea de El Salvador in DC, November – WORD FOR WORD: Three Virginia Woolf Stories at St. Mary’s, March 2010 - SEAGULL IN THE HAMPTONS – Shotgun Players.
Steve Sanders (Musical Theater/MTC) is Associate Conductor for WICKED national tour in San Francisco. His work on JACQUES BREL.... for Marin Theatre Company was nominated for a 2008 Bay Area Drama Critics Circle Award.
Michael Schmitz and Thomas Hansen (Piano) played CARMINA BURANA with the Peninsula Symphony in May.
Gia Solari (Musical Theatre, Choreographer): Tap Choreography: THE PRODUCERS, Diablo Light Opera Company, Choreography: THE WEDDING SINGER, Willows Theatre Company, Direction/Choreography: National Finals for America's Junior Miss Program, Mobile, AL, Instruction: Music Theatre Conservatory, NDNU/BBBay -- TAP, Instruction: New Works Conservatory, TheatreWorks -- DANCE, Direction/Choreography: SWEET CHARITY, American Conservatory Theatre MFA3 Cabaret Production, Choreography: URINETOWN, Diablo Valley College, Choreography: CURTAINS, Diablo Theatre Company.
Lee Strawn (Voice, Vocal Pedagogy, Lyric Diction) sang the role of Dr. Bartolo in THE BARBER OF SEVILLE with Pocket Opera in San Francisco and at the Napa Valley Opera House in May, Doctor Bartolo (per Donald Pippin, "Your Doctor Bartolo is DEFINITIVE."), King Alphonso in LA FAVORITE, also with Pocket Opera, and for Pocket Opera at Notre Dame: the Marquis de la Force in DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES.
Lubo Velickovic (Violin) Plays a recital at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento in January, and in June 2010 will perform at the City Hall and Concert Hall ("Kolarac") in Belgrade, Serbia. He is director of the mixed choir at St. John's Serbian Orthodox Church in San Francisco. He will play a solo recital on October 18 on the Ralston Series in the Ralston Hall Mansion Ballroom.
Wesla Whitfield (Musical Theatre, MTC, MFA 2011) sang with the Stanford Jazz Festival (July 12), sings regularly at Silo's Club on weekends in Napa, has numerous performances around California throughout the fall, and journeys to the Lincoln Center Cabaret Festival in New York in November. weslawhitfield.com
MUSIC THEATRE CONSERVATORY
Jennifer Brissman (MTC 2007) has been accepted to the College Conservatory at Cincinnati Musical Theater program.
Sarah Blodgett (MTC 2009) was called back to New York on July 7 for final callbacks for the Broadway and national tour companies of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, for the ballet dancing role of "Meg."
Tracy Camp (MTC 2008) joins the cast of A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS at TheatreWorks in December 2009.
Shaun Repetto (MTC 2008) is at NYU's summer Musical Theater program.
Leslie Sherman (MTC 2006) has been accepted to the Experimental Theatre Wing studio at Tisch/NYU.
Zach Trimmer (MTC 2005) has been on the national/international tour of HAIRSPRAY.
STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
Tatiana Bookbinder (MM 2010) is participating in the summer Music Theatre Conservatory program.
Megan Conroy (Certificate Candidate) is at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) opera program in Graz, Austria studying German, audition techniques, voice and "lots of fun singer stuff."
Beth Guido (BFA 2009) is participating in the summer Music Theatre Conservatory program.
Kelly Jean Hammond (BFA/MP 2010) is in Italy performing with the Opera Festival di Roma, studying Italian and singing in SUOR ANGELICA and LE NOZZE DI FIGARO.
Matthew Brandon Hutchens (BFA 2005/MTC 2000) joins the Broadway national tour of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN in September, hot on the heels of his recent national tour with CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG.
Brienne Jones (BFA 2011/MTC 2002) is in the singing/dancing ensemble in THE PRODUCERS at Foothill Music Theatre.
Phillip Kirchman (BMu 2003) is Associate Conductor/First Keyboard with the national tour of WICKED, currently in Memphis.
Isha leon (BFA 2007) has been accepted to the MBA program at Purdue University.
Daniel Norberg (MM 2010) and Jessica Rine (BFA 2005) are in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in San Jose.
Neal Pascua (BFA 2011) is in THE KING AND I at Broadway By the Bay ("Buddha" and men's ensemble) running July 16-August 2nd at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center.
Nicholas Patton (BMu 2009, MFA 2011) sings the tenor lead, Lord Abercoed, in FLORADORA with San Jose Lyric Theatre August 1st and 2nd at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. He just finished Assistant Directing/Assistant Music Directing/Assistant Stage Managing/Assistant Choreographing and Master Electricianing a teen production of THE BOYFRIEND with The Music School and Mountain View High School.
Daniel Lloyd Pias (BMu 2009, MFA 2011) is in THE WEDDING SINGER with the Diamond Head Theatre Company in Hawaii.
Alanna Pinell is in THE PRODUCERS at Foothill Music Theatre, assisting Dottie Lester White as Dance Captain. She joins the cast of OKLAHOMA! with two performances as Ado Annie in September.
Michael D. Reed (BFA 2010) will be Jud Frye in Hillbarn Theatre's OKLAHOMA!, opening in September.
Martin Rojas-Dietrich (BMu 2009) was nominated for a Bay Area Drama Critics Circle Award for "Best Musical Direction" for his work with CABARET with San Francisco Playhouse in summer 2009. He is currently directing SNOOPY for Hillbarn Theatre's summer conservatory program.
