Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Justin Bacchus is a versatile performer and entertainer. Honoured to make his Drayton Entertainment debut, Justin keeps busy by inspiring a new generation of performers, spreading the good news of music at the Merriam Music Inc. Here, he leads and teaches within the vocal department, produces live events and community outreach. At Main Event Music Toronto, JB brings his special brand of party as vocalist, event producer, and MC. Finally, Justin is blessed to be the dad to three wonderful kids, (Declan, Savannah, and Makenna), and the lucky husband to Carolyn. Enjoy this historic production. Gracious thanks to David Rogers.
LeShaun Bernett (Disciple/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Film/TV: Tiny Dancer (Unwrap Productions); RollPlay Live! (Treehouse); IHeart Radio’s MMVAs 2018. LeShaun is a proud graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he earned a Bachelor of Health Sciences (French Immersion) with a minor in Psychology. He is now continuing his journey at the University of Toronto. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of his family, friends, and dance teachers—without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Making his debut with Drayton Entertainment is a dream come true, and he is beyond excited for the adventure ahead! Instagram: @leshaunbernett.
Luciano Decicco (Simon Zealotes/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre: Jersey Boys (Norwegian Cruise Line); Make ‘Em Laugh, Starbright, Tony Bennett Songbook (VPP); A Stratford Christmas (Stratford Festival Theatre); Play On! (St.Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Step By Step (Stage West); Let’s Dance! (Terra Bruce). Luciano is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Musical Theatre Performance Program. He is also a national anthem singer for the Toronto Blue Jays. A huge thank you to Talent House, my mentors, David Rogers and David Hogan, and my family for their unwavering support. Instagram: @luciano.decicco.
Maya Doherty (Disciple/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut! Other theatre: Princess So Shy in Aladdin: A Panto, Lady Crystal Cameron in Murder at the Snowball Ball (Globus Theatre); Irene/understudy Polly/DC in Crazy for You, Juror 8 in 12 Angry Jurors (Randolph College). Training: Randolph College, The SPACE. Maya is so excited to be doing her first professional musical with Drayton! Lots of love and thanks to friends, family, and God. Instagram: @mayadohertyy_.
Jen Fong (Disciple/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut! Other theatre (select): Wendy in Bad Hats Theatres’ Peter Pan (Globe Theatre); Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Celia in As You Like It, Pisania in Cymbeline (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan); Mamma Mia! (Thousand Islands Playhouse); The Little Mermaid (Persephone Theatre); The Wizard of Oz (Western Canada Theatre). Originally from Regina, Jen is a proud prairie girl at heart. She holds her BA in Visual Art from the University of Regina and is a graduate from Randolph College for the Performing Arts. Big love to her parents and sister as always!
Jonathan Gysbers (Peter/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre (selected): Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys (Charlottetown Festival, Stage West, NCL); Gilbert in Anne & Gilbert (The Guild); Baloo in The Jungle Book (Magnus Theatre); Sky in Mamma Mia!, Crazy For You (Capitol Theatre); Matt in The Fantasticks (Victoria Playhouse). Jonathan is a proud graduate of Sheridan College. Thanks to everyone at The Talent House and Drayton Entertainment for this incredible opportunity! @jonathangysbers / www.jonathangysbers.ca.
Andrew Jackson (Caiaphas)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Andrew Jackson is thrilled to be making his Drayton Entertainment debut in Jesus Christ Superstar. Other theatre (selected): The Creature in Frankenstein (TNB); The Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Queensville); Christian in Cyrano De Bergerac (Citadel); 4 seasons at Canada’s Stratford Festival. Film/ TV (selected): Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (CBS); Gangland: Undercover (History Channel); Catch Me If You Clause (Hallmark); Peter’s Redemption (Shaw); Rogue (Rogue Media); Breakout Kings (A&E); King (Global); Deadly Betrayal (Hearst); Criminal Minds (CBS/ Paramount); Charmed (WB); Wind at My Back (Sullivan); All My Children (ABC). Awards: ACTRA Award Nomination- animation series Numb Chucks, Best Actor Award- Cabbagetown Short Film FestivalMy Father’s An Actor.
Joshua Sade James (
Disciple/Priest/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre: Solo Guest Entertainer in A Little Bit of This, A little bit of That; Seasons of Love (Zoe Tyler International); Guest Entertainer in Major Fourth (RWS Global); Broadway Christmas Wonderland (Theatre Orb, Tokyo); Conga (North American Premiere); Dancing Queen (Dublin Worldwide Productions); Legends In Concert, Broadway In Concert, Rock You Tonight, Vinyl Jukebox, Showdown, The Brill Factor (Norwegian Cruise Lines). Joshua, a proud graduate of Sheridan College’s BMTP program, is ecstatic to be making his Drayton debut. Thank you to Cat, at daCosta Talent, and to all my beautiful friends & family. www.joshuasadejames.com.
Mandy Keating (Disciple/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mirvish). Film/TV credits: Disney’s Zombies 1 + 2, Christmas in the Spotlight (BPS M27 Starry Inc); Bring It On: Cheer or Die (Universal Studios); Junos 2025 Promo (CBC). Live Performance credits: Pan Am Games Opening Ceremonies, WE Day Toronto with Lilly Singh, Choreographer’s Ball; Fever after Dark The Main Event (Vancouver). Mandy is thrilled to make her Drayton debut with this cast and production team! Born and raised in Winnipeg, Mandy has trained in various dance styles since age 3. After graduating from The University of Manitoba in Nursing, Mandy moved to Toronto to pursue her dancing career. Big thank you and love to my wonderful supportive family. Instagram: @mandytkeating.
Heather Kosik (Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto. Other theatre (selected): Anne in La Cage aux Folles, Something Rotten, Richard II, Love’s Labour’s Lost, June/Roxie Hart u/s in Chicago, No One Is Alone: A Sondheim Celebration, Zaneeta Shinn in The Music Man, The Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls, HMS Pinafore (Stratford Festival); Chris, Mrs. (Winter Garden); Mary Poppins (Grand Theatre); Rumspringa Break! (Grow) (CMTP/Theatre Sheridan); The Voices of Canada, We Are Canadian (Charlottetown Festival). Film/ TV: Richard II (Stratford Festival, 2023). Recordings: Mickey in Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick (audiobook). Training: Sheridan College. Heather moonlights as a photographer; www.kosikphotos. com, @kosikphotos. All my love to my Devon, always. @heatherkosik.
Emily Lukasik (Mary Magdalene)
Drayton Entertainment: Over the River and Through the Woods, Carole King in Beautiful. Some favourites include: Once (Mirvish, Dora Award); Hook Up (TPM/Tapestry Opera); Little Women (Theatre New Brunswick, Theatre Orangeville, Theatre Sheridan); Fiddler On the Roof (Persephone); Kitchen Radio, Saint Anne’s Reel (Blyth Festival); As You Like It (CanStage); Retold (Musical Stage Co.); Into the Woods (Ovation); The Melville Boys (Foster Festival); five seasons at the Shaw Festival, including Saint Joan, Sweeney Todd, Wilde Tales; Home for the Holidays (Theatre Aquarius). Up next: Stag and Doe (Thousand Islands Playhouse). www.emilylukasik.com. Mary 5:4-10.
Lee MacDougall (Pontius Pilate)
Drayton Entertainment: Performer: Rock of Ages, Sound of Music, ‘Art’, Rocky, Twelve Angry Men, Footloose, Brigadoon, On Golden Pond, The Odd Couple, The Foursome, Wild Guys. Director: Buying the Farm, All Shook Up. Other Theatre (selected): Performer: Nick/ Doug in Come From Away (Broadway/Toronto/Washington D.C./ Seattle/La Jolla Playhouse); The Louder We Get (Theatre Calgary); The Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz, Harry in Mamma Mia!, Smokey in Damn Yankees (Mirvish); Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, and theatres across Canada. Director: Rope’s End (Blyth Festival); Glory Days (Theatre Aquarius); The Producers, Joseph…, Beauty and the Beast (Stage West). Playwright: High Life, The Gingko Tree.
Robert Markus (Jesus of Nazareth)
Drayton Entertainment: Twist and Shout, Chicago, Backstage Pass. Other theatre: Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen (Dora Nomination, Toronto Theatre Critics Award); Tommy in Tommy, Mark in Rent, Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show, and appeared in A Wrinkle in Time, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, and Chicago. (Stratford Festival). He has performed on stages across Canada, including The Shaw Festival, Theatre Aquarius, Grand Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, Ross Petty Productions, Theatre Calgary, Citadel Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, and Musical Stage Company. Robert’s work has been nominated for Dora Mavor Moore, BroadwayWorld, My Entertainment World, Sterling, Betty Mitchell, and Calgary Critic’s Awards. Online: robertmarkus.com.
Caitlin McKeon (Priest/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre (selected): Elf the Musical (Magnus Theatre); Flashback Memories of the Summer of Love, Honky Tonk Angels (Canada Playhouse) 9 to 5: The Musical (Capitol Theatre); The Roaring Twenties, What a Wonderful World, Everything Elvis, Canada Sings (Victoria Playhouse); Anne and Gilbert the Musical (The Guild); Legally Blonde (Grand Theatre); A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (McManus Theatre); Picnic (Good Foundation); Summertime (The Arts Project). Magic Credits: Magic Immersive Chicago, Illusionarium Toronto. Film/TV: Rachel in Revenge of the Black Best Friend. Assistant Choreographer Credits: Oil Rush, Camelot, Yesterday Once More 1973, Jesse’s Jubilee (Victoria Playhouse Petrolia); Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream (Drayton Entertainment). Caitlin McKeon is delighted to make her Drayton Entertainment debut in Jesus Christ Superstar. A graduate of Fanshawe College’s Theatre Arts Program, Caitlin now lives in Toronto, where she continues to train in her passions of dancing, acting, singing, gymnastics and magic. Caitlin would like to thank her family and friends for their continuous love and support!
Jade McLeod (Annas/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut! Most known for their critically acclaimed run as Jo on the Broadway National Tour of Jagged Little Pill. Other theatre: A Trip To The Moon (Parkside Lounge, NYC); Wakeman (Village Theatre, Seattle); Winner (New York Theatre Barn); Play On! (St Lawerence Shakespeare Festival); Mamma Mia! & Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Stage West Calgary). Jade is a graduate of St Clair College. Community is everything, big love to mine (especially queer & trans folks, and my love, Stephen). @jadeemcleod.
Christopher Ning (King Herod)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre: Titanique (Segal Centre & Mirvish Productions). Christopher was born in Toronto and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. He is profoundly grateful to his parents for their constant belief in him, providing the foundation for his success. He thanks his partner for their endless love, joy, and encouragement to pursue his dreams. Christopher also extends his appreciation to his friends and family, whose warmth and unwavering support have meant the world to him. @chris_ning (IG).
Adam Sergison (Disciple/Ensemble)*
Drayton Entertainment: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The Music Man, 9 to 5: The Musical, The Wizard of Oz. Other theatre: The Wizard of Oz (First National Tour, Mirvish); We Will Rock You (Mirvish); Saturday Night Fever (North American Tour); Damn Yankees, Chitra, White Christmas, Holiday Inn (Shaw Festival); Rock of Ages (More Entertainment); Spamalot, Step By Step (Stage West Calgary); Otello, Tadzio in Death in Venice (Canadian Opera Company); An American Hymnal (Terra Bruce); Elf (Theatre Aquarius); Jesus Christ Superstar, Anne of Green Gables, Mamma Mia! (Charlottetown Festival); Mr. Mistoffelees in Cats (Rainbow Stage); West Side Story (Neptune, Vancouver Opera). Thanks and love to Ariel, my family and friends, and T House!
*Dance Captain
Julius Sermonia (Disciple/Ensemble)
Drayton Entertainment: Priscilla, Marathon of Hope, Damn Yankees, Beauty and The Beast. Other theatre (selected): Miss Saigon, The King and I, Doctor Zhivago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Contact, Cats (Broadway); Chicago, Tommy, Camelot, Evita, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, A Funny Thing…Forum, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Anything Goes (Stratford); Holiday Inn (Shaw); Maggie, Beauty and The Beast (Aquarius); The Play That Goes Wrong (Charlottetown); Frozen, Elf, Mary Poppins (Neptune); Waitress, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Shrek, Beauty and the Beast (Grand); Little Mermaid, Cinderella (Ross Petty); The Drowsy Chaperone (RMTC); Sweet Charity (StageWest); Hair (CanStage). Film/TV: Mother of All Shows (Feature Film); The Boys (Sony/Amazon); Hellcats (CW); The Tony Awards (CBC). @juliussermonia.
the creative team
David Rogers (Director)
Drayton Entertainment: Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, Harold Hill in The Music Man, Joseph in Joseph…, Che in Evita, Broadway Heroes (one-man show), Fiddler on the Loose (Creator), Canada 151, Sinatra Seven, Good Ol‘ Country Gospel (Creator and Director), Sh-Boom (Director). One of Canada’s leading musical theatre artists, David has appeared as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestras of Toronto, Edmonton, Nova Scotia, Sudbury, Kitchener, Florida, National Arts Centre, and Kingston. He has played many leading roles in musicals across North America, including: The Phantom of the Opera, Tommy, Camelot, Cats and Into the Woods. David created and produced A Starbright Christmas which played for 10 years at the Stratford Festival Theatre and is now at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, where he is currently the Co- Artistic Director.
Christine Watson (Choreographer)
Drayton Entertainment: Choreographer: The Full Monty, Jersey Boys, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Assistant Choreographer: A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, and Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto; Kinky Boots, Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Performer (selected): Rock of Ages, Mamma Mia!, Grease, West Side Story, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, All Shook Up, Anne of Green Gables, Footloose, 9 To 5: The Musical. Other theatre: Choreographer/Assistant Director for Jersey Boys, Associate Choreographer for Rock of Ages (Mayfield); Mamma Mia! (Tweed). Head Choreographer for Pop Nation Canada. Performer: Rock of Ages (Mayfield/Fallsview); Spamalot (Aquarius); Dance Legends (Grand); A Chorus Line (Rose). Special thanks to everyone at Drayton, 10 Talent, my loving husband, and my wonderful family.
Mark Payne (Music Director)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): The Crooner, Fiddler on the Loose, I Love a Piano, Godspell, Songs of Sinatra. Mark Payne is a diverse London musician; equally at home on the stage, in the studio, singing, playing, writing and arranging. He is currently the resident Musical Director at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, where he arranges the music for the entire season, rehearses the casts, and performs in most of the shows, including Starbright Christmas for the past 13 years. He co-conducts Primus Amabile Men’s Choir in London.
Doug Paraschuck (Set Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment (selected): Crazy For You, An Inspector Calls, Kiss Me, Kate, Jersey Boys, Fiddler on the Roof, American Son, The Music Man, South Pacific, Dial M for Murder. Over 30 productions for the Stratford Festival. Director of Design and Associate Director for the UAE Golden Jubilee Celebration (2021) Expo, Dubai. Designer for Stephen Fry’s Mythos (Shaw Festival, Edinburgh Festival, English National Tour). Director of Design for the Calgary Stampede Grandstand show (2014-23). Director of Design for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics opening, medals, and closing ceremonies. Director of Design for the opening and closing ceremonies for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. For over 35 years, Doug has designed for television, theatre, film, opera, ballet, and touring productions and has created hundreds of productions in Canada, the United States, Asia, and Europe.
Ivan Brozic (Costume Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, One For The Pot, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hilda’s Yard, Little Shop of Horrors, Chicago, The Crazy Time, Boeing Boeing, Legally Blonde. Other theatre: ELF: The Musical, Mamma Mia!, Legally Blonde, Cabaret, The Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story (Theatre Aquarius); British Invasion, America Strikes Back, Disco Cirque (Charlottetown Festival); The Producers, Glorious, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Stage West); Nikola Subic Zrinski (Opera Mississauga). Ivan works as a Set and Costume Designer for theatre, concerts and events across the country. As always, cheers to the fabulous crew!
Michael Walton (Lighting Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment: Kiss Me, Kate, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Grease, Oliver!, Blue Champagne. Stratford (selected): 21 Seasons including: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Rent, Chicago, Richard III, Billy Elliot, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, The Tempest, Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Fiddler on the Roof. Other theatre: Piaf/ Dietrich (Mirvish); Anne of Green Gables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Million Dollar Quartet, Mamma Mia! (Charlottetown Festival); A Doll’s House Part 2 (Mirvish/RMTC); The Little Prince – The Musical (Theatre Calgary); Chimerica (RMTC/Canadian Stage); Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Sideways (La Jolla Playhouse). Michael is the Head of Design for the Stratford Festival.
Allan McMillan (Sound Design)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): Cinderella: The Panto, The Full Monty, Crazy For You, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Fiddler on the Roof, Evita, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots, Man of La Mancha, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Rock of Ages. Allan is a graduate of the Technical Production Program at Sheridan College, and over his 35+ years of experience, has held many positions in production, from Technical Direction, Lighting Design, Carpentry and Production Management.
Laurel Oneil (Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Fiddler on the Roof, A Few Good Men, Buying the Farm, Annie, Fiddler on the Loose. Other Theatre: BOOM (Theatre Calgary, Thousand Island Playhouse and Off-Broadway); BOOMX (Theatre Calgary and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); BOOMYZ, The Importance of Being Earnest, Escape to Margaritaville (Theatre Calgary); Jesus Christ Superstar, Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music (Western Canada Theatre); The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Extractionist, Murder in the Studio (Vertigo); 60+ productions at Stage West, including: Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Rock of Ages, Avenue Q. Laurel would like to dedicate her work to the loving memory of her mom, who helped her find her love of theatre at young age. She would also like to thank her family, friends & RP for their love & support.
Kelsey Jensen (Assistant Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other theatre: Apprentice Stage Manager: Perfect on Paper (Talk is Free Theatre); Sound of Music (Grand Theatre); Bedtime Stories (Upper Canada Playhouse); Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Crow’s Theatre); Chris, Mrs. (Boldly Productions); Much Ado About Nothing (Stratford Festival) Other: BA[H] Drama in Education and Community (University of Windsor). Thank you to my friends and family for all their support, and to Joey, my everything.
Victoria Snashall (Assistant Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment Debut. Other theatre: 3 Musketeers, Dolly
Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, Guys & Dolls, The Birds & the Bees [tour], Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Redbone Coonhound, Kim’s Convenience, Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story, Buffoon (Arts Club); Pride and Prejudice, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hurry Hard, The Wizard of Oz, Kim’s Convenience (WCT); Sunrise Betties (ITSAZOO); The Wolves (With a Spoon Theatre in association with Pacific Theatre); The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Messiah, A Christmas Carol (Pacific Theatre); Fado: The Saddest Music in the World, Talking Sex on Sunday, Proud, God and the Indian (Firehall Arts Centre).
the band
Mark Payne (Music Director/Keys)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): The Crooner, Fiddler on the Loose, I Love a Piano, Godspell, Songs of Sinatra. Mark Payne is a diverse London musician; equally at home on the stage, in the studio, singing, playing, writing and arranging. He is currently the resident Musical Director at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, where he arranges the music for the entire season, rehearses the casts, and performs in most of the shows, including Starbright Christmas for the past 13 years. He co-conducts Primus Amabile Men’s Choir in London.
Brian Barber (Keys II)
Drayton Entertainment: Fiddler on the Loose. Brian Barber is a freelance musician based in Waterloo. With over twenty years of performing experience, Brian has a highly diverse musical background. He holds a Masters in classical piano and spent two years entertaining from the piano bar on Australia-based cruise ships. Closer to home, he has enjoyed working as Music Director for the Drayton Youth Academy. In 2023 he performed with Mark Payne and the Windsor Symphony and has been involved with several musicals at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia. Brian is thrilled to be part of this production.
Dee Klinger (Guitar)
Drayton Entertainment: Fiddler on The Loose, Canada 151, Godspell National Tour. Other theatre: The Tony Bennet Songbook, 1973, Hogan’s Hoedown, Fiddler & Crooner, East Coast Kitchen Party, Women of Country, Summer of ’69, You’ve Got A Friend, Country Sunshine, Godspell, Fiddler on the Loose I-II, Canada Sings, Everything Elvis, Starbright (D2Entertainment). Work credits include: recording artists Jaydee Bixby, The Higgins, Mackenzie Porter, and others. Dee is a published songwriter and musician in London, Ontario. Thanks to everyone at Drayton and all the patrons for their support of the arts.
Richard Moore (Drums)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): Crazy For You, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical, Kinky Boots, Holiday Inn, Beauty and the Beast, Mamma Mia!. Other theatre (selected): Wicked, Aladdin, Mean Girls, Ain’t Too Proud (Mirvish Productions, 2023/24). Richard’s musical background includes years of experience performing in musicals, symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles, and pop/rock bands. He serves on faculty at both York University and the Oscar Peterson School of Music at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. Richard is a proud member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 226.
Junior Riggan (Bass)
Drayton Entertainment: A Christmas Carol: The Panto, Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages, Footloose, Peter Pan: The Panto, Wizard of Oz: The Panto, The Crooner (2022), Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto, Rocky: The Musical, Hairspray, Rock of Ages, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cinderella, Footloose, Little Shop of Horrors, Aladdin, Anne of Green Gables, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy: Legally Blonde – the Musical. Other theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar (Theatre Sheridan); Mamma Mia!, Finding Black Joy (The Grand Theatre London); Yorkville: The Musical (Blyth); Now and Forever, a diva spectacular …, 9 to 5: The Musical (St. Lawrence College); The River Rolls (New Hamburg); Patsy Cline (Leisa Way Productions). Junior thanks the Drayton family for the opportunity.
The Musicians and Music Director engaged for this production are members of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, and are performing in the jurisdiction of the Central Ontario Musicians’ Association, Local 226.
the authors
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed the scores of some of the world’s most famous musicals. From Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969) to Cinderella (2021), his work has been consistently seen on world stages. Before the COVID pandemic hit, Lloyd Webber had shows continually running in the West End for 48 years and on Broadway for 41. When Sunset Boulevard joined School Of Rock , CATS and The Phantom Of the Opera , he equalled Rodgers & Hammerstein’s record of four shows running simultaneously on Broadway. He is one of the select group of artists with EGOT status, having received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.
Lloyd Webber owns seven London theatres, including the iconic London Palladium and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Over the past three years the latter has been completely restored and renovated at a cost of over £60 million. It is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by a private theatre owner in recent times. His mantra that every penny of profit made from his theatres is ploughed back into the buildings has meant that considerable work has been undertaken across his theatre portfolio during the pandemic, including the complete remodelling and reseating of the Gillian Lynne.
Lloyd Webber is passionate about the importance of musical education and diversity in the arts. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation provides 30 performing arts scholarships every year for talented students with financial need and supports a range of projects such as the Music In Secondary School Trust and commissioning research into diversity in theatre.
Andrew Lloyd Webber was knighted in 1992 and created an honorary life peer in 1997. To mark his 70th birthday, his bestselling autobiography Unmasked was published by Harper Collins in March 2018.
Tim Rice
Tim Rice has worked in music, theatre, and films since 1965 when he met Andrew Lloyd Webber, a fellow struggling songwriter. Rather than pursue Tim’s ambitions to write rock or pop songs they turned their attention to Andrew’s obsession – musical theatre. Their first collaboration was based on the life of Dr. Thomas Barnardo, the Victorian philanthropist, The Likes of Us. Their next three works together were much more successful – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita
Tim has since worked with other distinguished popular composers such as Elton John (The Lion King, Aida), Alan Menken (Aladdin, King David, Beauty and the Beast), Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (Chess), and Stuart Brayson (From Here to Eternity). He has also written with Freddie Mercury, Burt Bacharach and Rick Wakeman among others.
Tim founded his own cricket team in 1973, which has now played over 750 matches, and was president of MCC, founded in 1789, in 2002. He crops up here and there in all branches of the media, drawing on his extensive knowledge of the history of popular music.
As an EGOT, he is one of only 17 people in the world to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award, was knighted by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1994, and is the proud owner of a boxer dog and two dozen chickens.
