Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

Caroline Sheen is a Welsh actress who has played leading roles on stage in the ⁠West End⁠ alongside TV and film appearances. She won a Helen Hayes award for playing the role of ⁠Mary Poppins⁠ on the National Tour of America.

Talk Musicals to Me

Talk Musicals to me is a new podcast which asks leading theatre industry figures the same 10 questions about the musicals which have shaped their lives and inspired their work. West End veteran Caroline Sheen is the host of the show and has a fair few theatre legends on speed dial to answer questions such as Which was the first Musical they ever saw/Which Musical would they make compulsory in schools/Which Musical have they seen the most? A celebration of how musicals can define careers and lives, Talk Musicals to me is your new “must-listen” theatre podcast!

What does a 31-year-old theatre kid do when he finds out his parents aren't quite who he thinks they are? Write a musical, of course! Our Little Secret: The 23andMe® Musical  is the hilarious, moving, and completely true story of Noam Tomaschoff's discovery that he wasn't an only child… he actually had more than 35 siblings around the world!

With a deft blend of comedy, drama, and wide-ranging musical styles, Noam takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions ending with a message of optimism that is sure to make you hold your family just a little bit tighter.

Dylan MarcAurele

Dylan MarcAurele is a writer and composer based in NYC. His work has been performed in New York, London, Boston, Las Vegas, LA, San Diego, Provincetown, and Edinburgh. A fan of reality television, Dylan created the 27-thousand-follower account @rhonymusical. He is a member of the Theatre Now NY Writers Lab and holds a B.A. in Music from Harvard University. He has a dog named Koopa. Deborah Berenson

Deborah is a writer [lyrics, libretti, plays] and entertainer [singer, actor, cabaret artist, comedienne], sharing her work with audiences in London and New York.​

Born and raised in London, England, she is blessed with dual nationality and a bi-continental personality. She also has lungs that won't quit.

​

Deborah's work has been performed in London, New York and Chicago. Her writing has been selected for the NY Fringe Festival's Encores series and shortlisted for the UK Musical Comedy Awards.

​

She is a proud member of the BMI Advanced Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, the BMI Librettist Workshop and Maestra.

​

Current projects include: Tea With G, It's The End of The World, Keeper and an original cabaret show.

​

Deborah appreciates cats, marzipan, hyacinths and cycling.

Tea for G

Hot tea, dry wit and a firm hand.
Etiquette "expert" G is here to teach you how to be a better person, and make a proper British brew. Her interactive class will have you steeping, serving and singing along in no time. You’re welcome.
A darkly comic musical. With biscuits.

Spotlight Musical Productions

For top-notch musical theatre, look no further.

From our beginnings as the IBM Choir over fifty years ago, Spotlight Musical Productions showcases Toronto’s most passionate local talent, from our cast to our creative team. At Spotlight, we’re proud not only to deliver outstanding productions for our loyal audiences, but also to foster community through our shared love of musical theatre.

Pamela Weiler Grayson

Pam’s musical, Urban Momfare (composer/lyricist/co-book writer), won a Best Musical award, at the New York International Fringe Festival, garnered four stars and a Critics Pick from Time Out, and also played at the Fringe Encore Series. Pam’s award-winning plays and musicals have been seen on stages throughout New York and nationally, including Primary Stages, Naked Angels, Theatre Now New York, The Group Rep/Lonny Chapman Theatre (North Hollywood, CA), Southwest Theatre Productions (Austin, TX - Blue Ribbon Winner of their Rising Artists Series), Arts on the Lake (Kent Lakes, NY), Cincinnati Lab Theatre, Emerging Artists Theatre (NYC - multiple works), and The Chain Theatre (NYC). Her play Observant was the recipient of a 2024 grant from The New York State Council on the Arts and a SemiFinalist in the Jewish Plays Project’s 12th National Jewish Playwriting Contest. Her play The Club was one of three prize-winning plays of the Word Wave Lake Tahoe One Act Play Competition. She is the co-writer, with Alice Jankell, of Cicadas, The Musical, featured on Season 2 of the top-rated Amazon streaming series, The Other F Word. Pam’s songs have been performed at The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, The Duplex, and Don’t Tell Mama. She has written for The New York Times and The New York Observer, among others. Pam is a member of Kate Moira Ryan’s advanced playwriting workshop and a board member of Emerging Artists Theatre. She was a writer-in-residence at Kervigo Ensemble Theatre (NY), for the 2020–2021 season and is an inaugural member of Theatre Now New York’s International Musical Writers Lab. Dramatists Guild member. Education: Brown University, Fordham Law School, New York Theatre Workshop, and The BMI Musical Theatre Workshop. Pam is on the New Play Exchange. See her page at newplayexchange.org/user.

Alice Jankell

Alice is a director, writer actress as well as the Artistic Director of The Philipstown Depot Theatre.
​For Disney, Alice helped to create and develop new Broadway musicals.  As Associate Artistic Director of The Williamstown Theatre Festival, her directing work included AS YOU LIKE IT,  DINAH WAS, and ENOUGH ROPE, the special event on Dorothy Parker starring Elaine Stritch.  Alice has worked and learned in venues as varied as the Mark Taper, the L.A. Opera, The Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, La Mama, and City Theater, among many others, as well as in film and TV.  Alice was the Creative Director of F.A.B. Women (For, About, and By Women) under The Barrow Group’s Off-Broadway umbrella, helming the company of 125 professional female writers, actors and directors.  During her tenure, F.A.B. Women generated and produced 48 new plays.
With Putnam Theatre Alliance, Alice co-created Freedom Project, directed and filmed MORE BEAUTIFUL, a brand new play by Craig Lucas, and co-created and directed DIRT.  Alice is currently preparing to direct Martha Pichey’s new play, ASHES & INK, Off-Broadway this fall.
Alice’s own scripts have appeared across the country, and a collection of her plays has been published by Leicester Bay Theatricals.  Her play, THE SWEET SPOT, opened at Off-Broadway’s 59E59 Theaters last winter, and her musical (with Pam Weiler Grayson) about urban motherhood (Director/Co-Writer), won a Best Musical Award from the NY International Fringe Festival, was a Critic’s Choice, and garnered 4 stars from Time Out. 
Her many favorite acting roles include a solo performance, backed by the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and a lead in the Off-Broadway premier of Arlene Hutton’s LETTERS TO SALA.   Alice has taught acting at Carnegie Mellon.
Alice is a founding member of Putnam Theatre Alliance, a New York Theatre Workshop Usual Suspect, member of The Actors Studio PDW and PDU, and The National Musical Theatre Workshop, founding member Putnam Theatre Alliance.

Lauryn Gaffney is a musical theater writer who has gained international recognition for her exceptional work in the industry. With a passion for storytelling and music, Gaffney has a unique ability to create captivating and emotional narratives that resonate with audiences. Her commitment to exploring complex themes and creating rich characters has set her apart as a rising star in the musical theater world.

After Lauryn’s success with her first original musical Big Shot hitting Ireland, London, Off-Broadway, 54 Below, and winning 5 BroadwayWorld Awards, it feels about time to bring her newest show to life. Set against the backdrop of love, loss, and redemption, Jilted weaves together a tapestry of heart-wrenching narratives and uplifting anthems that will linger in the hearts of all who attend.

MATEO CHAVEZ LEWIS (He/They) is a professional musical theatre writer/composer, based in NYC and Toronto.

He is best known for writing Book, Music & Lyrics for the critically acclaimed Tommy Rhodes (2024 Toronto World Premiere), and for the epic anthem he wrote and performed as a tribute to Greta Thunberg, “Dear Greta” (you can listen to the song here).

Other music & lyrics writing credits include The Opening (2024 Dramatists’ Guild reading), The Yellow Wallpaper (a 10-minute musical adaptation), The Accountant (2022 Canada Council for the Arts grant recipient), and Quarantine Songs (2022 Toronto World Premiere).

He also runs Music Theatre Theory, a YouTube channel with ~10k subs where he analyzes the best songs and performances from the musical theatre canon. TOMMY RHODES is based on the true mystery of Bobby Dunbar. In the days before DNA testing, two boys go missing. Years later, one boy returns — and both the mothers of the missing kids somehow become convinced that this is their son.

Neil Bastian

Neil's songs have been sung in West End venues including The Crazy Coqs, The Iris Theatre, Above the Arts, Seven Dials Playhouse, Phoenix Arts Club, Soho Theatre and The Other Palace.
He was a top-5 finalist for the MTI Award 2023/24 and was nominated for the Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize 2022, as well as a finalist in the 2018 Iris Theatre Xmas Factor Song Competition.  He is a member of the Book Music and Lyrics weekly songwriting workshop, as well as Mercury Musical Developments.
The Rise and Fall of Vinnie and Paul is Neil's third musical - his other two, Force Ten Gayle and The Mayfly Man, are also in development.

The Rise and Fall of Vinnie & Paul

Van Gogh's house-share with Paul Gauguin started as a dream of artistic brotherhood but ended in a nightmare: after only 8 weeks together they had a blazing row, Paul left town and Vincent cut off his own left ear.​
​​Why? This electrifying two-man rock musical confronts a mystery that has baffled art historians for over a century.
Promising to ruffle the feathers of art historians and Van Gogh fans the world over, The Rise and Fall of Vinnie & Paul blasts the roof off the little yellow house to reveal the pain and passion within.

Julie Nemitz

With over fifteen years of experience in executive sales and marketing leadership roles, Julie Nemitz has a proven track record of driving growth through strategic vision and innovative content marketing. She has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and led teams at award-winning agencies and publishers in New York City. Known for rolling up her sleeves and solving challenges, often by finding the perfect creative messaging that drives people to action, she combines big-picture strategy with hands-on execution to deliver awesome marketing solutions for her clients. 

In 2020, Julie launched her marketing consultancy. To date, over 2,800 arts organizations and artists have benefitted from the training, content, and group coaching with Julie. We're pretty proud of that. Her signature programs Sell The Show! and Merrily We Roll Out: The Season Reveal Launch Plan have impacted local theatre marketing strategies from Glasgow, Ireland to Melbourne, Australia and everywhere in between.

Expanding from there, Julie launched Artist Marketing Lab and Creative Leaders Agency, in 2022. There, Julie works directly with creative arts leaders to elevate their authority and presence in the industry. She has worked with playwright and Guggenheim fellow Christine Masciotti, Broadway director James Rocco, award-winning screenwriter and playwright Marc Ketchem, and playwright Susan Parker /Concord Theatricals to rebrand her company Parker Plays for the digital age. CLA has provided strategy, content, and growth for these and many more clients. 

Julie's deep desire to empower leaders with a better understanding of the power in their unique branding and marketing abilities speaks directly to her passion for keeping the creative arts thriving everywhere. 

Julie has also worked with numerous for-profit arts companies to guide them in making a huge impact on their businesses by creating influential marketing content born from innovative strategies. Her work with Musical Theater College Auditions, The Broadway Mentors Program, Camp Broadway, Thirty Saints Productions, and more has delivered growth for these for-profit arts organizations. 

Julie is also a member of the esteemed Adjunct Faculty at Western Michigan University Department of Theatre and Dance, teaching marketing to the next generation of performing artists and arts leaders.

Broad Impact Network

Broad Impact Network is a membership-based community for women passionate about the creative arts. Whether you are working as an artist or supporting the arts, Broad Impact Network empowers its members to celebrate, support, advocate, and shape an arts and culture that we believe in.

Our mission is to build a robust and engaged community of women who actively support female-identifying creators, advocate for freedom of artistic expression, and provide a creative space for women-led projects.

We unite women who love the creative arts and care about championing female voices so we can lift up artists, explore our own creativity, and make a real impact to advocate as a community. Broads are stronger together.

Rachel Peake

Originally hailing from Saskatchewan, Rachel is a director and dramaturge of theatre and opera. She is currently the Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario.

​

From 2021 to 2023 Rachel was the Associate Artistic Director of the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver. There she oversaw the running of the Artistic Department from 2021-2022 during the Artistic Director's maternity leave. From 2017 to 2020 she was the Associate Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, where she led the Citadel's New Play Development initiatives. In January 2023 she won the Ovation Award for Outstanding Direction for her work on Something Rotten!, produced by Theatre Under the Stars.

​

Rachel recently directed Macbeth for Calgary Opera (Betty Mitchell Award nominee - Outstanding Production of a Musical) , Sense and Sensibility for the Arts Club, 9 to 5: the Musical for the Citadel Theatre, Something Rotten! for Theatre Under the Stars, and The Pearl Fishers for Vancouver Opera. Rachel directed and dramaturged Hyperlink for the elbow, which was nominated for a Critic's Choice in Innovation. Recent directorial credits also include The Garneau Block for the Citadel, La Cenerentola for Vancouver Opera, and Phaedra/ Serenade for Pacific Opera Victoria.

​

Some additional career highlights include directing and dramaturging the world première opera, Stickboy, for Vancouver Opera; directing the première of The Contest of the Winds for Caravan Farm Theatre; helming SexyVoices, a community-based creation piece about love and sex in the disability community for Realwheels Theatre; directing Angels in America: Part One at Studio 58, and directing and co-conceiving the interactive project Sustainability in an Imaginary World at UBC.

​

Rachel was the co-Artistic Director of Solo Collective Theatre from 2008-2013 for whom she directed Cool Beans, Play With Monsters, After Jerusalem, The Project, and The Trolley Car.  She also spent four years as Resident Stage Director of Dark by Five at Gros Morne Summer Music where she directed and co-created fifteen new interdisciplinary works. 

​

Rachel interned at the Komische Oper in Berlin, at Stratford's Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction, and in the Shaw Festival's Neil Munro Directing Internship. She also studied extensively with her mentor, James Fagan Tait. Rachel is a graduate of the University of Alberta and Studio 58.

Grand Theatre

The Grand Theatre is known for world-class theatre created and built in London, Ontario. As southwestern Ontario’s premiere producing theatre and one of the most beautiful theatre spaces in Canada, the company has deep ties to the community and to its artists, artisans, and technicians. 

As a vibrant cultural hub and not-for-profit professional theatre, the Grand serves to gather, inspire, and entertain audiences in London and beyond. At our home in downtown London, we create productions on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the Auburn Developments Stage (144 seats). The Grand season of theatrical offerings runs from September to May, and we collaborate with companies and artists across the country through our co-productions that see London-made artistic and creative work travel to audiences nation-wide. Through our successful New Play Development Program, the Grand is committed to developing and premiering new, original works and supporting the growth and reach of theatre writers and creators. Our recently renovated venue offers a contemporary and welcoming environment that is also home to several successful music series’, community arts rentals, and cultural and special events.