Jacobs, who created Grease (in 1970) with Warren Casey, was born and raised on the mean streets of Chicago’s far northwest side. During the golden era of rock ‘n’ roll (1956-1960) he was a guitar-playing “greaser” student at Taft High School. In 1963, Jacobs met Warren Casey when they were both cast in a local theatre production of A Shot in the Dark. Seven years later they wrote what was to become one of the greatest musicals of all time. Grease opened in 1971 in a former trolley barn called the Kingston Mines Theatre in Chicago. A year later, Grease made it to Broadway and “Greasemania” took off, resulting in one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. The 1978 movie became and remains the highest grossing movie musical of all time. Originally an actor, Jacobs has been seen on television, in motion pictures, regional theatre, national tours, and on Broadway. He is the co-author of several other plays and musicals including Island of Lost Coeds, a musical spoof of the low budget sci-fi/horror/jungle movies of the 1950s, which he wrote with Warren Casey. In May 2014, Mr. Jacobs was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from Columbia College in Chicago. He currently resides in Southern California and remains active in the theatre, especially with the American Theatre Company of Chicago.

Warren Casey was born in Yonkers, New York, and attended Syracuse University. During the late ‘50s, he learned all about “greasers” while working as an art teacher in upstate New York. He moved to Chicago in 1962, where he hoped to pursue an acting career. He appeared in dozens of productions, including creating the role of Bernie Litko in David Mamet’s Sexual Perversity in Chicago. He supported himself with jobs in retail, including working as an assistant manager of a chain of apparel stores, and as a record salesman. In the meantime, he taught himself how to play the guitar and began writing songs. Mr. Casey acted with the Chicago Stage Guild (where he met Jim Jacobs), the Old Town Players, and the Kinston Mines Theatre. The latter company staged the original production of Greaser which he wrote with Jim Jacobs. After the incredible success of both the musical and the movie, the two collaborated on Island of Lost Coeds, a musical satire of the B-movies of the 1950s. Mr. Casey died in 1988.

Broadway/West End: (Assoc) Bombay Dreams.

Regional: (Co-Director/Choreographer) The Fabulous Lipitones; In The Heights; Xanadu; Spamalot.

Choreographer/Director: West End: Disney’s High School Musical.

Off-Broadway: Executive Decision; Bingo The Musical!; Common Grounds.

National Tours US/UK: Bombay Dreams; Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5; Disney’s High School Musical 1 and 2 worldwide.

Regional: The Little Prince; Mamma Mia; Footloose; Sister Act; The Witches of Eastwick; The First Wives Club; Mary Poppins; Cats; Cutman, a Boxing Musical; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Anne of Green Gables, 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee; 2010 Olympics Victory Ceremonies, Smash Hit Awards BBC.

Film/TV: State Like Sleep, The Jews Who Wrote Christmas, Diary of A Wimpy Kid 2, The Swinging Nutcracker.

Writer/Director: Bollywood musicals Shakalaka Bombay and Tauba Tauba.

Lisa is a proud member of CAEA and AEA.
www.lisastevens.bizBridge Project (BAM/Old Vic), The Jerry Springer Opera (Carnegie Hall), Camelot (NY Philharmonic/Lincoln Center, PBS), A New Brain (City Center Encores!), and All Singing All Dancing (Town Hall).

London: My Fair Lady, BBC Proms 59 (Royal Albert Hall), Singin’ In the Rain (Royal Festival Hall).

Additional credits: Trevor the Musical (Writers Theatre), Kennedy Center Latino Inaugural (w/Chita Rivera and Rita Moreno), Kennedy Center Spring Gala (hosted by Liza Minelli), and Frozen (Disney Cruise Lines).

Josh is the Founder/Artistic Director of Broadway Dance Lab. broadwaydancelab.org

Theatre credits include Musical Director for the Mirvish production of Kinky Boots, the Dancap/Dodgers production of Jersey Boys the Mirvish/Little Star production of Mamma Mia! and the world premiere of Nicholas Lloyd Webber’s The Little Prince.

Elizabeth is a three-time Dora Mavor Moore nominee for Outstanding Musical Direction for Seussical A Musical (Young People’s Theatre), God Almighty’s Second Class Saloon – A Brecht/Weill Cabaret (Factory Theatre) and Kinky Boots (Mirvish Productions). She also received nominations for the Betty Mitchell Outstanding Musical Direction Award for the Theatre Calgary productions of The Drowsy Chaperone, Anne of Green Gables and The Little Prince.

Other Theatre Credits include: Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, CATS, Grumpy Old Men, Hairspray, The Full Monty, Little Shop of Horrors and The Second City National Touring Company.

Television credits include: Music Consultant: So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Over The Rainbow Canada. Music Director/Composer: Improv Heaven & Hell (TCN), Not to Be Repeated (CTV), It’s Alive, PJ Katie’s Farm (YTV), Killerwhale & Crocodile (BRAVO!), The Bittles, System Crash (YTV), HBO Family 411, Who Knew? (HBO)

Phil Burton has been a member of the Australian vocal group Human Nature since he and his three band mates got together in high school to form a doo-wop group in 1989. Phil is the chief vocal arranger and concert musical director for the group.

Human Nature are one of Australia’s most successful musical exports with 4 number one albums, 7 top ten singles, 25 platinum awards, almost 3 million album sales worldwide and performing to sold out crowds all around Australia and the world. Their 5th studio album “Reach Out: The Motown Record” was Australia’s biggest selling album of 2005, and their latest album “Gimme Some Lovin’ – Jukebox Volume 2” was released in July 2016 and entered the charts at #1.

They are currently performing their hit resident show “Jukebox” in the Venetian Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, playing classic songs from the birth of rock and roll, all the way through to the hits of today.

Human Nature have been through many phases of their career – they were “Australia’s biggest boy band” in the 90s – but their greatest influence has always been the classics: Doo-wop, Soul, Motown and the infectious pop sound of the 50s and 60s. Phil is so excited to be able to bring his wealth of musical experience to a show as iconic and beloved as Grease.

Paul is an international designer for opera, theatre, events, film and restaurants based in New York City. Recent and upcoming productions include: OD Musicals Korea: TITANIC. Signature Theatre: TITANIC, Little Night Music, Crazy for You, Girlstar. Asolo Rep: Evita, Josephine. Shubert Theatre: Show Boat. Geva: The Other Josh Cohen. MUNY: The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Jesus Christ Superstar, Young Frankenstein. Goodspeed Musicals: Thoroughly Modern Millie, A Sign of the Times, Guys and Dolls. Delaware Theatre Company: War of the Roses. Off-Broadway: She Would Stand Like This, Locusts Have No King, White Guy on the Bus, Himself and Nora, Romance Language, Pageant, Sex of the Baby, Look Upon Your Lowliness. Ted Talks Boston. Classic Stage Company: Othello. Yale: The Rocky Horror Show. Santa Fe Opera: Cosi Fan Tutte, Curtis Opera: Impressions de Pelleas, Dr.Atomic. Bard: The Demon, Turandot. RB Schlather @ Whitebox: Alcina, Orlando. Boston Lyric Opera: Trouble In Tahiti. Broadway Associate Designer: Lincoln Center’sSweeney Todd, Lady Day, How To Succeed…, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Bengal Tiger, Follies, Anything Goes. Paul is originally from Key West, Florida, Studied at Boston University and a member of Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab, United Scenic Artists and was titled Live Design Magazine’s ‘Designer to Watch.’ www.pauldepoo.com

Cory is an award winning designer, currently residing in Charlottetown,PEI. His set, costume and lighting designs have received both national and international recognition. His work has been seen throughout Canada, as well as throughout Europe and Russia. Cory earned a degree in Architectural Studies from Carleton University and holds an MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta. Recent Designs: Anne of Green Gables, Evangeline, Bittergirl the Musical (Charlottetown Festival) Liberation Days(Theatre Calgary/WCT); Mary Poppins, Next to Normal, (Theatre Calgary/Citadel Theatre); Crazy for You, Shakespeare in Love, Million Dollar Quartet,Venus in Fur, Romeo and Juliet, Spamalot, The Rocky Horror Show (Citadel); Last 5 Years, Michel and Ti-Jean, and Let The Light Of Day Through (Theatre Network). www.corysincennes.com

Gerald is currently with the Stratford Festival (since 1986). In 2008, he became Head of Wigs and Makeup. As a hair stylist Gerald started his theatrical work at The Grand Theatre, London. Following that he spent two seasons at the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake. Training and designing in Europe as well as throughout North America, Gerald has worked in most major theatrical centres. Awards include a Gemini for the film by Timothy Finley, Elizabeth Rex. Wigs and Makeup Design on Lincoln Centres Tony award winning Light in the Piazza, among others. Gerald feels fortunate to have worked with countless talented artists at the Stratford Festival and elsewhere including Desmond Heeley, Robin Phillips, Christopher Plummer, Brian Bedford, Annette Bening, Colm Feore, Santo Loquasto, Clayton Shields, Armand Assante, Mary Louise Parker, John Turturro, Alfred Molina and Atom Egoyan, to mention a few.

Thanks to my wife Nancy, my children and entire family for their endless support.

13 Seasons with the Stratford Festival including Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, Tartuffe, The School for Scandal, Macbeth, Hamlet, The Sound of Music, Oedipus Rex, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, Othello, Fiddler on the Roof, Henry V, The Matchmaker, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, As You Like It.

Other selected productions include: Così Fan Tutte (Canadian Opera Company); Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Sideways (La Jolla Playhouse, California); Jenufa, Maria Stuarda, Albert Herring (Pacific Opera Victoria); A Word or Two with Christopher Plummer (CTG/Stratford, Los Angeles); The Little Prince – The Musical, Mary Poppins & Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary with the Citadel), Hay Fever(Theatre Calgary); Anne of Green Gables, Million Dollar Quartet, Mamma Mia (Charlottetown Festival); A Christmas Carol, Enron, The Year of MagicalThinking (National Arts Centre); Evangeline (Charlottetown/Citadel); Million Dollar Quartet, The Rocky Horror Show, Little Women, The Three Musketeers(Citadel); Glenn, A Tender Thing, ‘Night Mother (Soulpepper); Liv Stein, Julie, Harper Regan, The Other Place, Venus in Fur (Canadian Stage). Upcoming productions include: The Humans (Citadel/Canadian Stage); The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, The Tempest, Napoli Milionaria (Stratford Festival). Please visit Michael at www.michaelwaltondesign.com.

Peter has worked at most of the major Canadian theatres and in US cities such as New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Dallas and Atlanta. He lives in Stratford where he has spent 22 seasons at the Stratford Festival designing over 60 productions. His Broadway credits include: Come Fly Away and Barrymore and his national tours include Sister Act, Catch Me If You Can, Come Fly Away and West Side Story.

Recent projects include: Life After for CanStage/MSC; Guys and Dolls, HMS Pinafore and The Madwoman of Chailot for Stratford; Million Dollar Quartet and Anne of Green Gables for Charlottetown; and the US premier of the Tango Rock Musical Arrabal in Boston.

Peter is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada, United Scenic Artists and the AF of M. He is a graduate of McGill University and teaches theatre sound at Humber College. Peter would like to thanks his wife Meghan and their daughters Ella and Beatrice for their unending support.

Matthew is a New York based stage and multimedia experience designer. Selected design credits: Channeling the King (Soho Playhouse); I Have Confidence (92nd St Y); Little Women (Madison Opera); Rock ‘n Roll Refugee (Royal Family, NYC); Beaches (Drury Lane); Girlstar, Soon (Signature Theatre); Witnessed by the World (59E59); Ashes Under Gait City (Contemporary American Theatre Festival); The Wizard of Oz (Surflight Theatre); Our Lady, Tongue of a Bird (New Repertory Theatre); Catapult on America’s Got Talent (Broadcast); Shape of the Table, Pentecost, and The Prisoner’s Dilemma for Burning Coal Theatre and The Cockpit Theatre (London); Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You (Film Theatrical Recreations, PBS). Matthew is the co-founder and Managing Director of BeSide Digital, through which he has worked with clients such as Cadillac, GQ, Refinery29, Tiffany & Co, Visa, The Walking Dead, The City of New York, American Express, and Samsung. He is a member of United Scenic Artists.

Casey is a Toronto based Actress, Stunt Performer, Fight Director and Stage Combat Instructor. A Certified Instructor and Fight Director with Fight Director’s Canada, Casey is the first woman to be credited with Fight Direction at the Stratford Theatre Festival. Recent Fight Directing Credits include: Waiting for Godot, Picture This, Incident at Vichy, 39 Steps, Hosanna, Noises Off and the remount of Kim’s Convenience (Soulpepper); Breathing Corpses (Coalmine Theatre), Crackwalker,Banana Boys (Factory Theatre), Scarberia (YPT), Hamlet (CanStage), Reckoning (Article 11).

Recent Acting credits: Code 8, Orphan Black, Sudden Master, Deep Six (upcoming). As a Stunt Performer, Casey is known for doubling Anna Silk on Lost Girl, and recently wrapped doubling on The Halloween Series as well as Motion Capture Stunt Performance on several Ubisoft video games. Casey is a Stage Combat Instructor and the owner of Temper: Combat Performance Arts, and is passionate about teaching the art of stage combat with enthusiasm and specificity.

Sarah is excited to be performing in Grease at the magical Winter Garden Theatre. Select Theatre credits: Crazy For You (Citadel Theatre/Theatre Calgary); Mamma Mia!, Anne of Green Gables, Alice Through The Looking Glass, Canada Rocks! (Charlottetown Festival); All Shook Up, Spamalot, Hairspray, High School Musical (Drayton Entertainment); Beauty and the Beast, Music Man (Capitol Theatre).

Select Film/TV credits: The Next Step (Family Channel), The Moblees – Assistant Choreographer (CBC), Warrior (NBC); Carrie (SONY); SYTYCDC (CTV); Canadian Country Music Awards (CBC); Warehouse 13 (SYFY); King of the Camp (YTV).  Awards: Maud Whitmore Scholarship (Charlottetown Festival). Sarah was a member of the NBA Toronto Raptors Dance Pak (4 seasons) while she completed her Honours Science Kinesiology Degree at York University.

Instagram – vancerdancer

With over 15 years experience as an entrepreneur in entertainment, David has developed and produced over 100 projects, a number of which have toured North America and garnered awards. David has worked extensively in Toronto and New York as a producer, artistic director and executive producer.

As lead producer, his diverse projects include: the Classical Theatre Project (Canada’s fastest growing classical theatre company); the record breaking revival of CATS with Mirvish Productions; off-Broadway shows Bayside the Musical (NY Times Critics’ Pick), Full House the Musical starring Perez Hilton, the hit headline-grabbing Katdashians: Break the Musical, and the US National tour of HAIR!; a new production of Macbeth, set to open off-Broadway in 2018, with a live action feature film already financed; Hellhound, the first ever video game based on a Shakespeare play; the wildly innovative, dining experience The Betrayer’s Banquet, with Original Content London and star chef Brad Long; ShakesBeer, the smash hit Elizabethan biergarden experience now in its 4th year; and the founding of the Toronto Youth Theatre, a charity that gives young people professional theatre opportunities.

Charles is a stage and screen director, writer and producer and the other Irregular, with David Galpern. He is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre Project – the world’s leading producer of classical theatre for teen audiences. His stage productions have garnered Dora nominations, international awards, multiple North American tours and audiences of well over two million people.

Recent credits: CATS (Mirvish/Numu), HAIR (featuring a new book written by Charles Roy and James Rado)(Starvox/Prather), Shakuntala (Pleiades Theatre/World Stage Festival), Huckleberry Finn (CTP/US tour), Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Midsummer Night’s Dream (CTP/US Nat’l tours), Shakesbeer (the smash hit Elizabethan biergarten experience, now in its fourth year), Navy Seal v. Demons (AK Waters Productions).

Upcoming: Zulu 6 (Netflix), N.U.M.B. (National Lampoon), Shakespeare Live (CTP/Cineplex), Hellhound (a video game based on Macbeth) and Never Say Macbeth (his feature film directorial debut.)

Trained as a lawyer and wielding a Masters in 17th Century poetry, John Kelly’s career has taken him from syndicated loan and structured finance transactions on Bay Street to the C-suite of an integrated media company focusing on feature film co-productions between Canada and Europe. For the past 15 years he has acted as a finance and business consultant to producers of scripted entertainment programming. He is a co-founder of Irregular Entertainment. As an environmental advocate, he produced a 2010 science documentary that had an unprecedented influence on global climate change policy related to the threat of rising sea levels. His interest in audience building and youth engagement informed his founding of a worldwide crowd-sourced video project, Youth Climate Report, which presents annual film reports at high-level UN environmental events in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme. He is a member of the board of directors of Toronto’s Esprit Orchestra, the world’s longest continually operating new music orchestra. In his spare time, he enjoys the company of his two children as well as fly-fishing, mountaineering and distance running.

Matthew Weaver is a Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Nominated producer of theatre, television, and film. Since its founding in 2012, he has served as the head of MediaWeaver Entertainment. Weaver began his foray into theatre after conceiving the stage musical Rock of Ages. As lead producer, he ushered the concept from a small showcase in an LA bar, to a full-fledged smash-hit that ran close to 6 straight years on Broadway, and grossed $140 million. The show was nominated for 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and is the 27th longest running Broadway show of all time. The musical went on to play around the world including two National Tours, London, Toronto, Las Vegas, Japan, Korea, Australia, Scandinavia, Mexico, Philippines, and is presently being staged on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Breakaway. Weaver is currently developing a stage adaptation of the iconic American TV/Music franchise Soul Train. Tony Award Winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots) is set to write with Anthony Zuiker (Creator of CSI). Tony Winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots; On Your Feet) will direct.

Theatre: Million Dollar Quartet (WCT); Weesageechak Festival (NE); Million Dollar Quartet, Anne of Green Gables, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Project Tour (CF); Elf:The Musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Intimate Apparel, A Year with Frog & Toad, A Christmas Story, The Game of Love & Chance, The Wizard of Oz (Neptune); Stag & Doe, If Truth Be Told, Seeds, Having Hope at Home, Prairie Nurse, Yorkville: The Musical, Vimy (Blyth); Little Shop of Horrors, Cinderella, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, James & The Giant Peach, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (STC); Discovering Elvis (VPP); Where The Blood Mixes, The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon (TNW)

Film: Film Festivals (Hot Docs, TIFF, Inside Out, etc.)

Other: Thanks to all my family & friends. Enjoy the show!

Leslie is thrilled to be spending a few weeks in Toronto on Grease! A professional stage manager for the past 13 years, she has worked on over 50 productions across Canada. Favourites have included Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins (Rainbow Stage); Once, Billiy Elliot, White Christmas (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre).

Follow Leslie – lesliesidleywatson

Select credits: The Return of Ulysses, The Marriage of Figaro, Lucio Silla, Orpheus and Eurydice, The Magic Flute, Der Freischütz, Don Giovanni, Iphigenie en Tauride (Opera Atelier); Acha Bacha (Theatre Passe Muraille); acquiesce (Factory); Kim’s Convenience (National Tour, Soulpepper, Fringe); Cowboy Versus Samurai, Death of a Salesman, The Sunshine Boys, The Aleph, Double Bill: (re)Birth: E.E. Cummings In Song + Window On Toronto, Glengarry Glen Ross (Soulpepper); The Invisible Girl, The Monster Under the Bed (YPT).

Other: TIFF from 2003-2017; The National Ballet of Canada; Stratford Festival
Upcoming: Actéon & Pygmalion (Opera Atelier)

Theatre credits include: Alice Through the Looking-Glass (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), The Heart of Robin Hood (RMTC and Mirvish Productions), West Side Story (Rainbow Stage), Big Mama! The Willy Mae Thornton Story (NAC/Belfry Theatre), Red (RMTC/Belfry Theatre) Good People (RMTC), West Side Story (Rainbow Stage) and Calendar Girls (RMTC). In the previous century, theatre credits include B-Movie The Play, (Toronto Workshop Productions, Vancouver Playhouse, Canadian Stage, Edinburgh Festival, Wilbur Theatre Boston).

Born and raised in Mississauga Ontario, Alex has been immersed in the performing arts since childhood. Her passion for the industry lead her to complete a Masters in Business Administration specializing in Arts and Media Management and become a Certified Associate in Project Management, giving her the tools required to organize and facilitate a successful arts organization.

Alex has been fortunate to work on a diverse selection of projects including: the Port Credit Jazz Festival, Musicals such as Cats and Hair, and International tours of Romeo & Juliet and Twelfth Night. In addition, she continues to support her local arts community through her work as a House Manager at the Oakville Performing Arts Centre.

Alex is thrilled to be a part of the Grease Team and would like to thank her family for their continued support.

Allison is a graduate of the University of Windsor. Since graduating, she has been a part of the 2011 & 2015 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space and in 2011 was selected to be a participant of the new project: Six Acts. Allison’s recent theatre credits include: Inge Snapshots: Bus Riley’s Back In Town and Glory in the Flowers (Stage Manager & Associate Producer, The Remnants) Cold Comfort & Port Authority (Stage Manager, Fly on the Wall); Driving Miss Daisy & Mary Poppins (Apprentice Stage Manager, Port Hope Festival Theatre); Terrible Parents (Apprentice Stage Manager, The Cabaret Company); Maresfield Gardens (Stage Manager, Theatre 33); The Hobbit & Brundibar (Assistant Stage Manager, Canadian Children’s Opera Company), Menopause The Musical (Assistant Stage Manager, Shaggypup Productions, National Tour), Seasons (Stage Manager, SolExpress) and MacBeth, Romeo & Juliet and Twelfth Night (Production Stage Manager, Classical Theatre Project).

William Kerr is a tech savvy entertainment executive and consultant who has built a digitally-savvy, operational, supervisory, general management and C-suite executive level capability over 30 years. Mr. Kerr’s career has seen him in numerous corporate, theatrical, entertainment and event producing roles. He has held operational, technical direction, programming, artistic direction, management and executive leadership positions in general management, managing director and executive director roles within diverse multi-disciplined and multi-departmental environments, both for-profit and not-for-profit.

Mr. Kerr has worked at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto, The Live Entertainment Corporation of Canada, Livent Inc., Asian based Sight Sound, and The West Vancouver Arts Centre Trust, helping build, re-engineer and operate theatres, theatre groups and production companies.

Five years with the Vancouver based Osborne Group Interim Management organization built competence in the corporate world and the ability to quickly move into organizations and affect operational and management change. Mr. Kerr’s recent work has been helping and building start-up organizations in the arts, theatre, entertainment and corporate worlds, the most prominent being the 2011 Black Creek Summer Music festival in Toronto and the 2013-2016 Jazz on the Mountain Festivals at Blue Mountain and Horseshoe Valley ski resorts.

Now as President and Managing Principal of William Kerr and Associates, William brings his accumulated experience to bear, amplifying the successes of a select group of companies, networks and proven colleagues around the world, finding what is most needed and/or wanted in an organization or situation and producing it.

Robert, of Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting, has cast over 100 television shows including, Feud, American Horror Story, GLEE, CSI, Dexter, Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica, and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Nominated for eight Emmy Awards, Robert won the Emmy for casting the FOX Television phenomenon, GLEE.

Robert’s career expanded to include on camera work as the host/mentor on Oxygen’s hit competition series, The Glee Project. Recently, Robert has also begun a career in producing, starting a production company, Stay Relevant Productions with his business partner, Mike Jenner. Robert is married to actress Kim Johnston Ulrich and has two children – Cooper and Tierney.

Larissa Mair has been casting theatre, film and television for more than a decade for every major television network in North America. She recently wrapped the feature film Milton’s Secret, starring Donald Sutherland, and she is currently casting The Competition starring Richard Dreyfuss. Her upcoming projects include the The Beaverton (Season One and Two) and the Feature films Clara and Ordinary Days. Larissa has cast for every network but highlights include the past few years of the hit series Degrassi: Next Class and the multiple-Emmy winning series The Odd Squad. Larissa founded Theatre by the Bay and she has cast many other musicals. Larissa wants to thank Colleen Rush and Ryan LaPlante for their hard work! Best wishes to the cast/crew. Also, special thanks to Charles Roy and David Galpern for this incredible opportunity. Enjoy the show.

Alex has had an extensive career in casting, starting on the television series Friends. She went on to work on several films including All The Pretty Horses, Scary Movie, Any Given Sunday, Spy Kids and Requiem For A Dream. She has been an Associate Casting Director and a Casting Director for UDK Casting since 2004, working on various television series including Quantico, Nip/Tuck and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She also worked as the Associate Casting Director of Glee from its inception Pilot through its final sixth season. Alex is currently the Casting Director of the USA series Shooter and the CW series Supernatural.

Leslie-Ann is an independent consultant specializing in sponsorship marketing for the arts. She has held senior roles at Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Canadian Stage Company and the Canadian Opera Company. Since 2007, Leslie-Ann has worked independently as a consultant for arts organizations in Toronto securing major cash marketing sponsorships in imaginative and effective ways that benefit both the arts and corporate clients.

Deborah Knight, owner of dkpr public relations inc., has worked in PR management positions with organizations as diverse as The Canadian Opera Company, Mirvish Productions, Fairmont Hotels and WestJet. Deborah is a seasoned professional with 25 years experience in PR, event management, fundraising and sponsorship, marketing, theatre production, artist management and contract negotiation.

Deborah’s event management experience includes working with the late Nelson Mandela for Mandela and the Children Charity in Toronto, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, The Toronto Blue Jays, Mayor Mel Lastman, Olympic athletes, Hollywood celebrities such as Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and Woody Harrelson and Canadian legends such as the late Robertson Davies.

Deborah is also a part time professor at Centennial College teaching post-graduate Public Relations, Marketing, Social Media and Arts Management courses at the School of Communications and Media Design.

Deborah is thrilled to be a part of the Grease marketing team.

Vince J. Ciarlo is a communications consultant with over 20 years of experience successfully promoting clients and events in the arts, entertainment, cultural, tourism, non-profit, lifestyle and corporate sectors. He has also raised the profile of numerous organizations, events and individual artists, in Canada and the U.S., through the development and delivery of media relations campaigns and special events.

Matt Kassirer has been designing and nurturing brand identities since 2004 – from travel to fashion, medical tech to finance. A trained copywriter, Photoshop artist and UX designer, Matt has found in Grease a project rich with cultural currency. The challenge of doing well by Josh Prince’s directorial vision is one of threading the needle: how to hit an energetic, fresh look that amplifies the youthful magic of Grease … while reflecting the 1950s with a visual honesty. Matt is thrilled to be working with such a talented collection of people. You can find him over at komposit.ca and at kassirer.tumblr.com

Mike Schwarz, CEO of myZone Media, has over 17 years of internet marketing experience and three successful exits. Schwarz is passionate about Google Adwords and Facebook marketing where he’s had the opportunity to learn from 7 figure ad budgets and watch PPC evolve from inception to maturity. As a commerce graduate from the University of British Columbia, Schwarz was recognized as one of the top 40 under 40 Entrepreneurs in Vancouver. When not digging through Google Analytics, Schwarz can be found enjoying the great outdoors with his wife and four-year-old son.

Why Mike is excited to be on the Grease team: “Since a very young age, I’ve been super passionate about music & events. My mother was a piano teacher and force-fed me royal conservatory books for breakfast. My first rock band may have died a slow death once I pursued college, but my passion for the music industry never faded. Upon graduation from university, I started up a company that was all about getting people to events, and well… here I am 17 years later still pursuing the dream – not on stage, but from the comforts of my laptop. Watching the Grease cast in dress-rehearsals gives me goosebumps, and really reminds me why I’m happy to help!”

Julie is a digital marketing strategist and consultant with a track record building audiences for digital-first entertainment properties. Julie began her career as an arts & entertainment publicist, working with some of the biggest names in entertainment. She worked for several years in the music industry before transitioning in the mid-90s into digital marketing. Live event clients include Just For Laughs and the Producers Guild of America. Julie is mother to a street artist named Waxhead and human companion to a chihuahua named ‘Sid Vicious’.

After graduating from the University of British Columbia, Brooke found her passion helping brands grow through digital marketing. She spends most of her time creating content for various online campaigns within the music and entertainment space. When she’s not working away, Brooke is usually somewhere outdoors adventuring in B.C. She is thrilled to be a part of the Grease team and can’t wait for opening night!

While relatively new to the digital marketing scene, Zach’s background in film production and computer science bring a fresh creativity to the Grease team. When he’s not crafting Messenger scripts or facilitating Grease‘s Facebook Live efforts, Zach can be found brushing up on his love of photography or being lazy with his dog Rosie.

Michael has had a 20 year career in musical theatre. His credits include: 42nd Street, Pirates of Penzance, Camelot (Stratford), Sweet Charity, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Next Whisky Bar (Shaw). He has also worked in regional theatres doing White Christmas (Neptune), Beauty and the Beast,Mary Poppins, Forever Plaid, A Christmas Carol, Rocky Horror (Aquarius), Singin’ In The Rain, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Little Shop, Peter Pan: The Panto, Oliver! (Drayton). In Toronto, Michael has played on Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Spamalot (Mirvish). Michael is also the Musical Director of the award winning vocal trio “Les Chiclettes.”

A music director, pianist, arranger, engineer, producer, conductor, and recording studio owner (IMAGINE Sound Studios), Mark Camilleri’s credits include music directing
The Toxic Avenger (Dancap Productions); Cinderella (Ross Petty Productions); and, Secret Garden (Podium Concert Production) Funny Girl in Concert; A Rhapsody in Gershwin (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company) ,The Very Very Best of Broadway, with Marvin Hamlisch, Martin Short and Audra McDonald; Back The Mack, with Matt Dusk, Sophie Milman, Jim Cuddy, Measha Brueggergosman and Johnny Reid; and the Canadian Screen Awards; associate music directing Mamma Mia, Dirty Dancing (Mirvish Productions); and conducting/orchestrating for major symphony orchestras across Canada. He has also shared the stage with The Canadian Tenors, Il Divo, Celine Dion, Sting, Eric Clapton, Andrea Bocelli, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, David Foster, and Annie Lennox. Mark co-founded PODIUM Concert Productions in 2016 (dedicated to presenting full musicals in concert) and will be conducting NINE in January 2018. Details at podiumconcerts.com

Originally from Thunder Bay Ontario, Crystal is an HBFA Graduate from Lakehead University, a Second City Alumna, and has an extensive background in Arts Education. Beyond scenic painting and set design for Toronto’s Solar Stage and Arts Express’ Broadway Creations program, Crystal’s passion for art continues in her teaching of children where she combines theatre and visual arts to explore imagination with her character Sparkle. A talented voice actor, and comedian, she can also be seen performing improv and sketch throughout the city. Crystal is honoured to have been brought on board to work alongside such a talented team and thanks her partner Rudi for all his love and support with her ever-changing schedule.

Design credits include: Saltwater Moon & Night Wings (Superior Theatre Festival), Othello (Driftwood), Of Human Bondage (Magnus), Hamlet (Hart House), Deceitful Above All Things, Waterfront: The Blessing, Shed & Rabbit Rabbit (Summerworks), Le Magicien d’Oz (Théâtre La Roulotte), Cabaret, Stop Heart, and Shouting (National Theatre School). She recently completed four years as a design assistant with the Stratford Festival. She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria, and completed training at the National Theatre School of Canada in Design. Awards include the Ian and Molly Lindsay Young Design Fellowship and the Tom Patterson Guthrie Award. Website: nancyanneperrin.com

Jareth is a lighting designer based in Toronto. He is thrilled to be taking this ride with some Greased Lightnin’. He is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.

Select Credits include: What Linda Said, Serenity Wild, (SummerWorks 2017); LEAR: A Retrospective (World Stage 2017); Pearle Harbour’s Chatauqua, Two Birds One Stone (RISER 2017); The Libertine (TIFT); Black Boys (Saga Collectif / Buddies In Bad Times); Lemons…, The Glass Menagerie, Casimir and Carolin (The Howland Company); Sinners’ Lounge (Canada’s Wonderland); Dusk Dances (2015-2017; Sylvie Bouchard); Crazy For You (Port Hope Festival Theatre); The Trial of Judith K (Thought for Food Productions); Mourning Dove (Sudbury Theatre Centre).

Emma Alderman first began her career in the performing arts at the Bella Rose Arts Centre in Halifax Nova Scotia where she stage managed, technical directed and production managed for a variety of live performances and events. Since moving to Toronto she has had the opportunity to complete her BFA in Performance Production at the Ryerson Theatre School, Co-Technical Direct An Honest Farewell inside Honest Ed’s and expand her freelance career. Most recently she spent the summer participating in a Swing Tech/Technical Direction Practicum at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Visit my Linked In for more details.

David is one of the senior voice teachers in the Canadian theatre. He established the MFA in Performance at York University’s Department of Theatre where he founded and supervised the Voice Teacher Diploma in the MFA Acting Program, is the Founder and Director of Canada’s National Voice Intensive and has taught professional classes at Equity Showcase Theatre in Toronto. With a BFA from Carnegie-Mellon and an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University, he was in the first group to train with Kristin Linklater and is a Designated Linklater teacher. He has served as a voice coach in Canada, England, the Netherlands, and the United States. He has worked in the entire range of theatre from classical theatre and opera, musical theatre, film, television, radio, to contemporary and experimental theatre and music with such companies as: Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival; the Tyrone Guthrie, the Open Theater; the Royal Court, the English Opera Group; as well as numerous companies in The Netherlands. He has taught at NYU and Carnegie-Mellon University, at LAMDA, at the Toneelschool, Amsterdam, the National Theatre School, the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Simon Fraser University, and other institutions across Canada.

Along with extensive experience in the training of clergy, business personnel and political figures, he has coached on more than 200 film and television productions.

Select Theatre credits: Richard III (Shakespeare Bash’d); A Christmas Carol (Soulpepper); Romeo & Juliet, The Virgin Trial (Stratford Festival); MATILDA the Musical (Mirvish Productions, 1st US National Tour); Rufus Does Judy, Contemporary Color, If I Loved You: Gentlemen Prefer Broadway (Luminato Festival).

Other credits include work with Disney Theatrical, Disney Cruise Line and Ronald McDonald House Charities. Christopher is a graduate of the Ryerson School of Performance. Much love to mom and dad.

Follow online – CSDBrackett.