Musical Theatre Radio presents "Be Our Guest"

Chris James is an emerging on camera talent and a powerhouse presence on screen. Not only is he a skilled actor and dancer, but he broke into the TV and film industry using a wide variety of martial arts skills, and has since been a stunt and fight choreographer for various productions. With a variety of performance skills from an extensive theatrical background, he has a host of performance tools in the tool box.

Chris has soaked up every life experience that he could find.  A world traveler; he has tried to experience every adventure possible.

Training in several Martial Arts, languages, stage combat, and several performance styles, Chris is striving not only to be a great performer, but a truly diverse human being.

He is best known for his critically acclaimed performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet at the Arts Club Theatre Company on Granville Island, and for the epic anthem he wrote as a tribute to Greta Thunberg, “Dear Greta” (you can listen to the fully orchestrated version here).Other music & lyrics writing credits include Tommy Rhod

es (2024 Toronto World Premiere), 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 runs Music Theatre Theory, a YouTube channel with ~9k subs where he analyzes the best songs and performances from the musical theatre canon.

We spoke with Nicholas Rita (music director), Giulia Lentini (actor), Lisa Malcolm (stage manager) and Nicole Toogood (director) of the upcoming TCDSB Staff Arts production of 'Legally Blonde'

Katz composed Our Wedding, The Musical, a musical written for his own actual wedding, which was featured in The New York Times in 2003.

Katz is also a specialist in theatrical improvisation. He has taught at Artistic New Directions’ Summer Improv Retreat and currently teaches at The People’s Improv Theatre. He has composed scores for a variety of Second City (NY) improv-based revues, including We Built This City on Rent Control, A Time For Heroes and Hoagies, and Generation F’d. He has also taught song improvisation at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Circle in the Square and the National Dance Institute.

Ashley Jana is a singer/songwriter, producer, and engineer whose music has independently garnered over 60 million streams. Her original music has been featured on HBO, NBC, Showtime, Lifetime, Bravo, Vice, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, CNN, TLC, TNT, Oxygen, and more.  20 of her original songs have been featured on the hit show “Dance Moms”, with her song “Feels So Good”, co-produced with Grammy winner Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins landing on the hit show "Empire”. She also wrote the topline melody of "Jelly Jelly" for K-pop sensation TWICE, the topline melody of "Scelgo Ancora Te" for Italian superstar Giorgia, and most recently, the song "Trouble" for America's Got Talent Allstar, Daneliya Tuleshova. Ashley works out of her home studio, where she provides a wide range of online music production services, and she recently completed production for the world premiere album version of her new musical, co-written with Will Nunziata, FIGARO: An Original Musical.

During his 34 years at Jujamcyn Theaters from 1987 to 2021, he occupied positions including Creative Director and Senior Vice President. He was "conceiver of the longest running musical revue in Broadway history, Smokey Joe's Cafe, conceived the critically acclaimed After Midnight, and served as the dramaturg for Hairspray. The musical and movie The Prom were developed from his original concept."

From 2000 to 2020, he was a producer at the Encores! series. Under his tenure, several Encores! productions transferred to Broadway, including After Midnight, The Apple Tree, Finian's Rainbow, and Gypsy.

In 2003, he began lecturing at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He developed the content of his music theatre studies course into a book, The Secret Life of the American Musical, published in 2016. Reviews were largely positive, with The New York Times calling it "revelatory and entertaining."

Ministry of Video is a specialist in video production for the performing arts.

As a performing arts video production company, we have over 30 years’ experience working alongside top choreographers and industry professionals across the UK. We specialise in filming promotional videos, live stage events and theatrical productions including dance and musical theatre.

That’s only possible from modern HD and 4K camera technology. In addition to video, we independently record audio, whether it’s a basic WAV or MP3 track off the sound desk or a complex array of vocal mics with accompanying band. Each audio channel is mixed, edited and mastered to strict Dolby digital standards, resulting in a clear and acoustically pleasing stereo soundtrack.

To complete our productions we can provide a closing rolling cast list or our trademark video montage credits and pre-show feature. Each project can be delivered for broadcast and on any media such as DVD, Blu-ray or for online content. Browse our performing arts and creatives pages to view samples of our work from top UK choreographers and take a moment to read the endorsements by some of our established clients. If you would like to know more about the Ministry of Video production options please contact us and we will be delighted to respond.

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.