INTO THE WOODS

Alfonso Annotto (Hair & Makeup Designer) Broadway: Wicked with Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Joel Grey and Megan Hilty; Into The Woods Revival with Vanessa Williams, Victor/Victoria with Julie Andrews, Liza Minelli and Racquel Welch; Copenhagen; Spelling Bee; Putting It Together with Carol Burnett and Kathy Lee Gifford; My Favorite Year, The Phantom Of The Opera; Jerome Robbins Broadway; Les Miserables; Miss Saigon; The Scarlet Pimpernel; London: Wicked Design Assoc. Apollo Victoria Theatre. Off Broadway: Shout The Mod Musical; I Will Come Back; Putting It Together with Julie Andrews. REV: South Pacific; Parade; Grand Hotel; Grease; Beehive; Anne of Green Gables; Holiday Inn; Mamma Mia; Guys and Dolls; Best Little Whorehouse; Ghost; Treasure Island; Loch Ness, assoc.; From Here To Eternity (North American Premiere); Catch Me If You Can; State Fair; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; 42nd Street; Footloose; Almost Heaven; Parade; Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story; Evita.

Alec Barbour (Fight Director is a Rochester, NY based actor, intimacy director, fight choreographer, and playwright. He has been studying stage combat since 2005, and is a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. He relishes the opportunity to create visceral, authentic moments of violence and intimacy that are thrilling for audiences while being safe and fun for actors. He received his MFA in Acting at the Hilberry Repertory Theatre at Wayne State University in Detroit, where his roles included Iago in Othello, Carson in Gross Indecency, and Charles Lomax in Major Barbara. Regional acting credits include Sir Castor (and fight captain) in Camelot at Drury Lane Theatre and Horner in The Country Wife at Franklin Stage.  Intimacy Direction: (For Syracuse Stage) Amadeus. (For SU Drama) Romeo and Juliet, Everybody, Wild Party. (For Wallbyrd Theatre Co.) Bard Bending: Fight Club Edition, Two Gentlemen of Verona. (For Utica College) Dracula. Fight Direction: (For Syracuse Stage) Amadeus, Suzette who Set to Sea, Deathtrap, Disgraced. (SU Drama) Wild Party, Kiss Me Kate. (U. of Rochester) Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (with J. David Brimmer). (Nazareth College)  Spring Awakening, Hayfever, Vinegar Tom. (Le Moyne College) She Kills Monsters, Macbeth in Concert, Romeo & Juliet in Concert, The Liar. (Hilberry Repertory Theatre) The Cripple of Inishmaan, Macbeth, The Mousetrap, Moon Over Buffalo. (Wayne State U.)  Arabian Nights, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, SubUrbia.  (Wallbyrd Theatre Co)  Two Gentlemen of Verona, Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Dracula. He is an apprentice with Intimacy Directors International, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and SAG/AFTRA.

Morgan Benford (Assistant Stage Manager) is happy to be participating in her fourth production at The REV as an Assistant Stage Manager. Morgan received her BFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro December 2021. Morgan’s other recent credits include: Evita (ASM), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (ASM Intern), and State Fair (ASM Intern) at The REV; For Colored Boyz (PSM) at Theatre Row; The Julies (PSM) and The World On A Hill (PDM) at University of North Carolina at Greensboro;  A Christmas Carol (ASM) at Triad Stage. Please continue to follow Morgan’s theatre journey on Instagram @stageswithmorgan. She would like to thank her mother and family for their continued support. 

Milo Bue (Scenic Designer) is excited to be working with The REV. He is a Chicago-based Scenic Designer currently pursuing his MFA in the graduate stage design program at Northwestern University. His Chicago design credits include: Indecent and The Revolutionists at Northwestern University; The Moors at A Red Orchid; Wolf at the End of the Block at Teatro Vista; Spamilton at Forbidden Broadway; Pinocchio at Neverbird/Chicago Children Theatre; and Franklinland at Jackalope Theatre. Associate design credits include Beauty and the Beast at Paramount Theatre; The King’s Speech (Tour); The Prince of Egypt at Dominion Theatre London. He has assisted on productions at Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre and many others.

Laura Jane Collins* (Production Stage Manager) is delighted to return to The REV for the 2023 season and be a part of both Into the Woods and Beautiful. Additional credits: 42nd Street, Footloose, Grease, South Pacific, Anne of Green Gables: A New Folk Rock Musical, Ghost at The REV; Espejos: Clean, Tender Rain, Matilda, Somewhere Over the Border, Twilight Los Angeles, 1992, Amadeus, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Elf The Musical, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Next to Normal, The Magic Play, Stupid F***ing Bird, Chinglish, Scorched, and The Boys Next Door at Syracuse Stage; The Foreigner, Third, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Around the World in 80 Days at Hangar Theatre. 

Alex Gutierrez (Assistant Music Director) is a pianist, conductor, and music director based in Ithaca, NY. He is thrilled to be returning to The REV for the third year! In May of 2023 he graduated with a Masters of Music in Conducting from Ithaca College. He also holds a B.M. in Music Education from Ithaca College. Previous REV credits include: Footloose, Catch Me If You Can, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Assistant Musical Director). Other credits include: RENT, Fun Home, & Into the Woods (Associate Music Director) at Ithaca College; The Bridges of Madison County and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Music Director/Conductor) at Ithaca College; Kinky Boots – Regional Premiere (Keyboard 2/Keyboard Programmer) at Hangar Theatre.

Tiffany Howard, MFA (Costume Designer) is living the dream as the Resident Designer and Costume Shop Manager at The REV. After teaching college for a number of years, Tiffany transitioned into professional costume design. She has been with The REV since 2008 where some of her favorite costume designs include: Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, Holiday Inn, Mamma Mia!, Saturday Night Fever, South Pacific, Catch Me If You Can, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Beehive, among many others. During the school year, Tiffany works with The REV Education Department bringing theatre into the lives of students across the state. In addition, Tiffany has taught workshops and seminars, and designed for various colleges and theatres in the area. All love to my ballast, Geoff. TiffanyHowarddesigns.wordpress.com

Jeffrey D. Kmiec† (Scenic Designer) is an award-winning Theatrical Production Designer based in Chicago, with a career spanning across the United States and Europe. Jeffrey holds an MFA from the University of Virginia and a BA from Illinois State University. He is also a member of USA 829. For a comprehensive look at Jeffrey’s portfolio and further details about his work, please visit jeffreydkmiec.com.

James Lapine (Book) is a playwright and director. On Broadway he has worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George; Into the Woods; and Passion. He also conceived and directed the musical review Sondheim on Sondheim. With William Finn he created Falsettos, recently revived by Lincoln Center Theater; Little Miss Sunshine; Muscle; and directed Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other Broadway credits include his play based on Moss Hart’s memoir Act One (also LCT), Amour, The Diary of Anne Frank, Golden Child, and Dirty Blonde. He has written the plays Table Settings, Twelve Dreams, The Moment When, Fran’s Bed and Mrs. Miller Does Her Thing. Lapine has been nominated for eleven Tony Awards, winning on three occasions. He has also been the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, SDC’s Mr. Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, and inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

Daniel Lundberg† (Sound Designer) is thrilled to return to The REV after designing last season’s State Fair. Other design credits include Roundabout Theatre Company, The Public Theater, New York Stage and Film, A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut, His Story, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live. Sound engineer and assistant design credits include 15 Broadway productions, 11 tours, six circuses, two theme parks, and many concerts. BFA Carnegie Mellon. 

John Lacson Malley (Stage Management Intern) is thrilled to be joining The REV once again! They are currently an undergraduate student at Florida State University. Previous credits include: Evita (Stage Management Intern) at The REV; A Streetcar Named Desire (Opera, ASM), Sweet Charity (ASM), & Last Stop on Market Street (ASM) at FSU. Upcoming credits include: Imogen Says Nothing (ASM) and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (SM) at FSU. They would like to thank Casey Sammarco for her mentorship, their fellow FSU SMs for their guidance and support, and the entire Evita team for their incredible work!

Gavin Mayer (Associate Director) Originally from Colorado, Gavin Mayer is an award-winning theatre director and teacher.  Gavin spent ten years as a resident director at the at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado where he has directed the world and regional premieres of numerous musicals. Some of his directing credits include: I’ll be Home for Christmas (Henry Nomination for Best New Musical), White Christmas (Henry Nomination for Best Director of a Musical), Disney’s Tarzan, She Loves Me, The Great Gatsby, A Christmas Carol, the Musical, Curtains (Henry Nomination for Best Director and Best Musical), Miracle on 34th Street, and Legally Blonde (True West Award winner for Best Musical and nomination for Best Director)  Other professional credits include Baby Dance, 4000 Miles, Over the River and Through the Woods (Cherry Creek Theatre), Guys and Dolls: in Concert (Lone Tree Arts Center), and Forever Plaid (Post Playhouse). Other favorite directing experiences include Fun Home, Pippin, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Urinetown, Run for Your Wife, West Side Story, and the high school world premiere of The Laramie Project. Gavin currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Directing and Musical Theatre at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

Emma Power* (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be back at The REV! Previous REV credits include: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Catch Me If You Can, Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver, 42nd Street, and Grand Hotel. Off-Broadway: You Mean To Do Me Harm (Vineyard Theater), Peer Gynt (Classic Stage Company). Tours: Peter And The Starcatcher (2nd National), I Love Lucy Live On Stage (1st National). Regional: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Elf The Musical, Million Dollar Quartet, Menopause The Musical, and Heartbreak Hotel at Ogunquit Playhouse; Spamalot and The Elephant Man at Studio Tenn; Evita at Studio Tenn & TPAC; Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirates Christmas at Lythgoe Family Panto & TPAC. BA from The University of Maine.

José Santiago† (Lighting Designer) is a New York City based Lighting Designer. His work has been seen at Chicago Opera, The Paramount Theatre (Aurora, IL), Center REP, Bristol Riverside Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Theatre by the Sea, Bay Street Theatre, Gretna Playhouse, The Gateway, The Wick Theatre, Guild Hall, Penobscot Theatre, 5 Star Theatricals, Slow Burn Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse. He received his MFA in Lighting Design from Florida State University. Proud member of USA829 and represented by Michael Moore Agency. www.jsantiagodesign.com 

Brett Smock** (Producing Artistic Director/Director/Choreographer) Brett began his tenure here at The REV in 1992 when he appeared on the Playhouse stage as a dancer in two consecutive seasons. In 1994, he became a Playhouse choreographer and, in 1996, a resident director/choreographer. Throughout the early 2000s, Brett balanced his work at the Playhouse alongside his freelance career as a director/choreographer based in both NYC and LA. In 2011, Brett came aboard as the General Manager/Associate Artistic Director and, in 2014, was appointed the Producing Artistic Director. To date, Brett has been at the helm of over 95 shows here on the Playhouse stage. Recent highlights include the acclaimed productions of Catch Me if You Can, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, State Fair, 42nd Street, Almost Heaven, Footloose, Grand Hotel, Working, Cabaret, Parade, The Light In The Piazza, On The Town, Chicago, and the new Saturday Night Fever. Brett has directed and/or choreographed over 70 shows regionally and around the world. In addition, he has staged various workshops, readings, and developmental productions of 17 new musicals including The Mudge Boy (NYC Workshop), Streets of America at the Kennedy Center, and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? at Moscow Art Theatre, Russia. He has staged new musical revues for Cunard’s QE2 World Cruise, special events in 16 states, Mexico, and Indonesia, tribute galas for Presidents Bush and Clinton, and a host of celebrity fundraiser events. A longtime advocate for arts education and young talent development, Brett teaches workshops and masterclasses in NYC and has served as adjunct faculty at several colleges and universities. Currently, in addition to his role as Producing Artistic Director of The REV, Brett is the director and a proud producer of Tim Rice’s newest musical, From Here To Eternity which made its North American premiere here at The REV in 2016 and its US regional premiere at the Ogunquit Playhouse in 2017, followed by a NYC workshop in 2019 and, most recently, the 2022 London revival at the Charing Cross Theatre in London. In March 2024, Brett will direct the Midwest premiere of From Here to Eternity at The Skylight Music Theatre in Milwaukee. Producing highlights include The REV’s commercial collaborations including Anne of Green Gables (Goodspeed ’22/Pre-Broadway), Loch Ness (Regional/pre-Broadway), Austen’s Pride (upcoming NYC/Regional productions), and over 40 new musicals at The PiTCH. Brett lives in Auburn, NY and New York City and is a member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).  Actor’s Equity Association (AEA), and The Dramatists Guild (DG).

Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum  (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park With George (1984), Into The Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994) and Road Show (2008) as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959) and Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Anthologies of his work include Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), Marry Me A Little (1981), You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99) and Sondheim On Sondheim (2010). He composed the scores of the films Stavisky (1974) and Reds (1981) and songs for Dick Tracy (1990) and the television production “Evening Primrose” (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: “Finishing the Hat” (2010) and “Look, I Made A Hat” (2011). In 2010 Broadway’s Henry Miller’s Theatre was renamed The Stephen Sondheim Theatre in his honour; in 2019, London’s Queens Theatre was also renamed the Sondheim.

Jeff Theiss (Music Director) is excited and grateful to return to The REV for his 15th season! He was the Music Director for The Band’s Visit on Broadway, which won 10 Tony Awards and a Grammy Award. Additional Broadway credits include: The Book of Mormon and Lysistrata Jones. Jeff was also an NYC audition pianist for such casting directors as Tara Rubin, Stewart/Whitley, and Wojcik & Seay. Favorite REV credits include: Parade, The Light in the Piazza, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Sweeney Todd.  He is currently an Assistant Professor and Music Director of the Theater Department at Ithaca College. BME – Baylor University. MM – Ithaca College.

Nancy Boone-Bahr (Reeds) is thrilled to be back for her third season with The REV Theatre Company! A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Ms. Boone-Bahr performs frequently with the Rochester and Buffalo Philharmonics and Symphoria in Syracuse, as well as for touring Broadway productions, big bands and for touring artists. Nancy has toured Europe, Asia and the Middle East with productions of Crazy For You, Porgy and Bess, and West Side Story and has been featured as a soloist with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Greater Rochester Music Educator’s Wind Band and with the Kaunas Symphony Orchestra in Lithuania. Nancy has been a member of Gap Mangione’s Big Band for over 30 years and also teaches at the Hochstein School in Rochester, NY.

Julie Bridge (Horn) is currently the Associate Principal Horn of Symphoria, formerly Third/Associate Principal Horn of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra where she had been a member since 1994. She has played with the Dallas, San Antonio, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Harrisburg, Fort Worth, Grand Rapids and Erie orchestras.  Julie received her undergraduate degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio and her Master’s degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Ms. Bridge currently lives in Dewitt, New York with her husband, Robert. Julie is excited to be a part of Into the Woods after having played State Fair, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, South Pacific, Sweeney Todd, Treasure Island, and Parade in past seasons with The REV.

Robert Bridge (Percussion) is a Professor of Music at Onondaga Community College and adjunct faculty at Lemoyne College and Syracuse University.​ He also performs regularly in the Syracuse area including performances with the Society for New Music and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and can be heard on commercial recordings of both groups. He is an artist endorser for Yamaha Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, and Innovative Percussion mallets and sticks. He has enjoyed playing a variety of shows at The REV. Some favorites include Always Patsy Cline; Mama Mia!; Working; and 42nd Street. He is also incredibly proud to have been part of The REV Concert in 2020. 

Frank Gabriel Campos (Trumpet) is delighted to be back in the pit for another great REV show. Professor emeritus of Ithaca College, Frank plays principal trumpet for the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the Tri-Cities Opera, the Syracuse Opera, and he is an active jazz musician as well. You can hear his recordings on Spotify, including “Flight of the Bumblebee.”

Michael Fittipaldi (Bass) is excited to be a part of The REV’s 2023 season! Some of his favorite productions here include: Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story, The Full Monty, Altar Boyz, A Light in the Piazza, Million Dollar Quartet, and 42nd Street. Michael is a member of the Albany Symphony and performs regularly with the RPO and Symphoria. Many thanks to the amazing staff and crew for always making The REV a great place to be!

Sonya Stith Williams (Violin) is a diverse violinist equally at home in the orchestra, chamber music concerts, solo work, musical theatre band member, and as an educator. She was a member of the Syracuse Symphony for ten years and became an active member of the transformation of that organization into Symphoria. She currently serves as Symphoria’s associate concertmaster. She has also soloed with Symphoria and served as their concertmaster. She has played many chamber concerts as a member of the Finger Lakes Piano Trio, and has been a part of other chamber groups such as the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music, the Skaneateles Festival, the Society for New Music and summer chamber festivals. She enjoys playing musicals here at The REV and with Syracuse Stage productions. She also teaches at LeMoyne College and SUNY Oswego and spends her free time on her play-farm with gardens and animals that she shares with her husband and three kids.

All photos by Ron Heerkens Jr. Photography / Goat Factory Media.