Disney’s My Son Pinocchio

Amy Baker Schwiethale is thrilled to be a part of the professional premiere of My Son Pinocchio. Amy was last seen in MTWichita’s 42nd Street as Anytime Annie. Other performing highlights include: Phyllis Dale in the First National Broadway Tour of 42nd Street, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Singin’ in the Rain at the Westchester Broadway Tehatre, five seasons with the MTWichita resident company, and Hello, Dolly! at the Fireside. As a choreographer Amy has worked on Camelot, Gypsy, and Honk! for MTWichita. Her choreography has been showcased in NYC at the New York Jazz Choreography Project (Alvin Ailey Studios) and Traditions in Tap, with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra, Opera Kansas, and across Northern Italy. Amy is the Associate Professor of Musical Theatre at Wichita State University where she directs, choreographs, and teaches some of the talented performers you will see on stage. She also teaches master classes and offers workshops regionally, nationally, and internationally. She has a BFA in Musical Theatre from WSU, a MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University, and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. Special thanks to Associate Choreographer Casey Bagnall.

Thomas W. Douglas is back for his 15th season in Wichita!  He has performed more than 200 opera, oratorio, orchestral, and musical theater productions nationally and internationally. Highlights include conducting Webber’s Phantom of the Opera in Basel, Switzerland and Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the Anchorage Opera, and directing Ain’t Misbehavin’ in Malaysia. Thomas is currently the Music Director for the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra, and the Artistic Director of the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, which is regularly receiving accolades for innovative, creative, and dramatically provocative productions. His MTWichita history includes ShowBoat with Kelli O’Hara, Ragtime, Smokey Joe’s Café, 9 to 5, Ragtime with Darcie Roberts, Hairspray, The Full Monty, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, and Les Misérables, among many others. Thomas is the founder and Artistic Director of the Neighborhood Opera Company, having recently produced Mozart’s Don Giovanni with an African American cast. With the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, he has conducted jazz legend Nathan Davis’ opera Just Above My Head, Carmen Jones, and Porgy and Bess. Thomas has been the recipient of the Mary Jane Teall Award and the Robert Frankle awards for his contribution to theatre in Wichita, KS and Pittsburgh, PA. Thomas has enjoyed the stage roles of Amonasro in Elton John’s Aida, Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Recently named the Director of Opera Studies in the School of Music in addition to his position as Director of Choral Activities and Professor in the School of Drama, this is Thomas’ 25th year on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University.

For over twenty years, J Branson has been a Chicago-based designer. He is proud to have begun his theatrical career as an Apprentice at Music Theatre Wichita more than 30 years ago. J’s national-tour credits include The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast and Brigadoon. Recent and upcoming regional work includes Violet and Cold Sassy Tree for Wichita State University, Nunsense and Always Patsy Cline for Peninsula Players, Damn Yankees and A Christmas Story at The Ordway in St Paul MN. J will have the pleasure of repeating A Christmas Story this fall with director James Rocco and choreographer Linda Goodrich for the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Past regional work includes Smokey Joe’s Café, Jekyll and Hyde, Chess, The Wizard of Oz (for which J received an After Dark award), Children of Eden, Rags, Assassins, Guys and Dolls and The Pajama Game. J has an array of industrial design credits and has been honored with three National Addy Awards. J’s many designs at MTWichita have included the 2013 production of Mary Poppins (which J & Wayne Bryan repeated in Philadelphia in 2014!) as well as Hairspray, Legally Blonde, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Beauty and the Beast, HONK!, Children of Eden, West Side Story, The Drowsy Chaperone, 1776, Curtains, Sunset Boulevard and Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Many thanks and much much love to the many wonderful people who have touched my life here at MTW. I wouldn’t be half the man I am without you guys!!

Tiia Torchia is honored to be back designing at Music Theatre Wichita, where she has designed Beauty and the Beast, Hairspray, Smokey Joe’s Café, and Xanadu. Recently she moved to Pittsburgh, PA from New York City, where she ran the costume shops of several prominent Off-Broadway theaters. In Pittsburgh she spends her days working as the Assistant Costumer at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, and this summer will be costuming a show for Pittsburgh CLO.

Casey Bagnall is an Iowa native, and just recently graduated from Wichita State University with a BFA in Music Theatre and Dance. At WSU he was featured as Arpad in She Loves Me, Billy in Assassins, Jimmy in Crazy For You, and many other productions. He was also a member of the Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre where he toured Italy and Mexico as a company member and soloist. His regional credits include Hairspray (Sketch) at the Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre, Gypsy (Newsboy) and A Funny Thing….Forum (Protean III) at LOOK Music Theatre, and The Merry Widow (Dance Ensemble) at Wichita Grand Opera. He would love to thank Mom, Dad, Grandma, and his beautiful sisters for their endless love and support. A huge thank you to Amy, Wayne, and Linda for their love, guidance, and this amazing opportunity! Enjoy the show!

David Neville is thrilled to return for his 32nd season of “Camp MTW.” In addition to many productions at MTWichita, David has designed lighting for North Shore Music Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, Omaha Symphony, the United States Air Force, Stage One, Ordway Music Theatre, Papermill Playhouse, the University of Michigan, Penn State University, Portland Center Stage, North Carolina Theatre, Musical Theatre West, Arkansas Rep, Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, George Street Playhouse, the 5th Avenue Theatre, and Off-Broadway. David’s favorite designs at MTWichita include Big River, Cats, Ragtime, Once On This Island, Children of Eden, and Jesus Christ Superstar. David also teaches lighting and scenic design at Wichita State University. He makes his home in Wichita with his wife Robin.

David Muehl continues his 10th season as MTWichita’s sound designer, having also served as the sound assistant previously for a season. During MTWichita’s off season, David is the audio producer for WSU’s College of Fine Arts where he oversees audito recording and live sound for fine arts and other performances. He also serves as sound designer for WSU’s Opera and Musical Theatre programs and is the sound advisor to student musical theatre and opera sound designers and engineers. Some of his favorite sound designs have been Children of Eden, Into the Woods, Les Misérables, and the Wizard of Oz. David has also done sound design for Wichita Center for the Arts and Cabaret Oldtown. Special thanks to Josh and Matt with Event Systems for their continued support of MTWichita.

Taylor Malott is extremely excited to spend her first summer with Music Theatre Wichita. She is a Cincinnati native who recently graduated from the University of Cincinnati (CCM) with a BFA in Theatre Production and Design with an emphasis in Wig and Makeup Design. She has been a licensed cosmetologist for more than five years. Taylor has been a part of the wig build crew at Utah Shakespeare Festival and was the department head at Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh for their 2014 season. Taylor could not be more grateful for this opportunity to work for MTW.

Maria is a recent graduate from the University Of Arizona. There she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre production and design, with emphasis in scenic and prop design. Her past credits include Assistant Scenic Design for Arizona Repertory Theatre’s production of The Man Who Came to Dinner. Maria is very excited to start her third season with Music Theatre Wichita. She would like to thank everyone at MTW for the opportunity and enjoyable summers. Maria would like to give a very special thanks to her mom, Carmen Leon and her boyfriend, Brandon Kahler for their constant support. Without it she wouldn’t be here today.

Debbie Roberts has designed costumes for many shows here, including 42nd Street, White Christmas, Thoroughly Modern Millie, High School Musical, State Fair, Funny Girl, The Most Happy Fella, On the Town, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Annie Get Your Gun, Man of La Mancha, Crazy for You, The Sound of Music, My One and Only, and various Festival of Broadway shows. A graduate of Friends University, Debbie received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Ballet. “I am so proud of the work that Music Theatre Wichita does, it is always a pleasure to work each season. While California remains my home, for over 25 years Wichita has been my summer home. I look forward to meeting new people and learning new skills each time. Enjoy the shows!”

Megan is extremely grateful to be spending her sixth season working with MTWichita helping them bring these wonderful stories to life. She has found great mentors and friends working with this wonderful company. Most recently she worked at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach, Florida. She is a graduate from Sterling College with a B.A. in Theatre and Art with an emphasis in Illustration. Credits include 42nd Street, Catch Me If You Can, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Disney’s and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins and Singin’ in the Rain (MTWichita).

This is Haley’s first summer at MTW, and she is thrilled to be here. She just finished her first year of grad school at The University of Virginia, getting her MFA in costume design and technology. She has worked for Porthouse Theatre and Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre. She is grateful for the opportunity and is looking forward to the summer ahead!

Katrina Miller is excited to be spending her first summer with Music Theatre Wichita. A freelance scenic artist and designer, Katrina comes to Wichita from the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. She holds an MFA in theatre design and production from Purdue University and a BFA in theatre design and technology from Northern Illinois University. Her adventures in theatre have taken her all over, from the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, to the Texas Shakespeare Festival, to the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, with many other stops in between. She would like to thank her amazing husband Phil for being so supportive of all her endeavors.

Charles Koslowske has been music director/keyboardist for many productions with Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, Oklahoma City University’s Opera and Music Theatre Company, OCU Performing Arts Academy High School Music Theatre Program, University of Colorado Department of Theatre and Dance, CU Opera in the Summer, Boulder Broadway Company, Boulder’s Dinner Theatre, and Lyric Artists of the West, among others. He made his New York debut in 2002 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and he was the official pianist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Rocky Mountain Region Auditions and Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition for several years. Charles has taught at Colorado State University and the University of Miami Frost School of Music in Salzburg program. He has earned three degrees from University of Colorado-Boulder: Master of Music degrees in collaborative piano and in vocal performance and pedagogy, and Bachelor of Music in vocal performance. He has participated in master classes taught by artists including William Bolcom and Joan Morris, Helen Donath, Shirlee Emmons, Thomas Hampson, Marilyn Horne, Martin Isepp, Martin Katz, Frederica von Stade, Kristin Chenoweth, and Kelli O’Hara. Charles is currently a member of the vocal coaching faculty at Oklahoma City University.

AJ is happy to return to MTWichita for his 10th season. Most recently AJ was the Master Carpenter at Childsplay in Phoenix, Arizona. AJ is very grateful for all the help he has received from the Wichita theatre community and would like to include a special thanks to Local 190 for all the hard work they do during the summer and throughout the year.

Jeff Taylor is extremely honored to be back with this excellent cast and crew for his 15th summer at MTWichita. Throughout the years since 2000, he’s had the chance to apprentice, build, design, and even act for MTWichita, and has now become the year-round Production Manager, working closely with the awesome MTW staff. A loyal Kansan, Jeff graduated from Wichita High School East, earned his BA in Musical Theatre from Friends University, and his MFA in Design and Technology from UMKC. Jeff thanks Wayne for his continual guidance throughout the many years together and his wife Sarah, for the many wonderful years to come.

Mitch is very excited to be spending his second season with Music Theatre Wichita. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Mitch has been fortunate to spend the last year in Chicago working in production management at the Goodman Theatre while also freelancing at the Steppenwolf and Paramount theatres. Mitch’s previous credits include two summer with the Santa Fe Opera, technical direction and carpentry work at the University of Oklahoma, and leadership of the University of Oklahoma chapter of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). Mitch would like to express his gratitude to Jeff and Wayne for having him back for another summer!

Amanda Bowman is thrilled to be home for her 11th summer at MTWichita and honored to be stepping into this new role. She spent the last two seasons at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and has also worked for The Palace Theater in the Dells, Wichita Symphony Orchestra, Crown Uptown, IATSE #190, Walt Disney World, and Merrimack Repertory Theatre. Ms. Bowman is a graduate of Wichita State University. Thanks and love to Wayne, Nancy, her family, and KBEAT. Proud member of AEA. For Grandpa.

Originally from Oklahoma, Tiffany is returning for her sixth MTWichita season. She spends the other 9 months of the year in the Twin Cities where she works as a freelance stage manager in addition to being the production stage manager for Theater Latte Da. While in the Twin Cities, she has the pleasure to work with companies including the Pillsbury House Theatre, The Children’s Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, and the Guthrie. Prior to her move to the Twin Cities she worked on more than a dozen productions as part of the stage management team at Phoenix Theatre, in Phoenix, AZ. This summer marks 10 years as a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association. Missing you, Em!

Steve Landes is proud to return for his 22nd summer as the Apprentice Program Director. A Wichita resident for twenty two years, Steve worked for Friends University, the Wichita Center for the Arts, Music Theatre for Young People, and Shakespeare in the Park. He has just finished his 37th year as a high school theatre teacher. He has been inducted into the Kansas Thespians Teacher Hall of Fame, and is currently co-state director of Kansas Thespians. Steve moved to the Kansas City area fourteen years ago for a teaching position. As an educator, Steve continues to be very excited about working with the apprentices in this unique training program (and MTW is deeply grateful for Steve’s creative dedication to our young people!).

WOW! 40 seasons! Who would have thought that back in 1976, a summer job would turn into such a career!! Being one of the oldest members of the production staff, this will mark summer productions numbering 197 to 201. In the off season, I still keep my hand in stage managing for Ballet Wichita Orchestra (19 years) and enjoying a fabulous working relationship with Wichita State University, all the while keeping our ever growing rental business running. I seem to get around a lot but only inside Century II. My life remains happily engaged in larger and more complex tasks working for my favorite employer. My thanks to WB…..I offer my deepest love and respect to all who work in this fabulous building and for our organization.

Joshua Larson has choreographed for Wichita State University, Friends University, and at various high schools, studios, organizations, and theatres in and around the Wichita area, with his choreography earning him four Jester Awards. His choreographic and directing talents have been used at MTWichita as the staging director for the Teen Choir (2006-present); director/choreographer of Festival of Broadway (2008-2010, 2014, 2015) and Curtain Up! (2013-present); and choreographer/adjudicator for the dance portion of MTWichita’s national audition tour (2013-present). Joshua received his undergraduate degree in dance performance from Oklahoma City University and his Master of Liberal Arts (with a Theatre Concentration) from Baker University. He has traveled the country evaluating national dance competitions including Starbound and The Elite Dance Cup. Performing credits include shows at Carnegie Hall, on the Holland America Line, and with the following groups: MTWichita, Stiletto Entertainment, Tuacahn, Silver Tree Productions, Oklahoma City University, Windwood Theatricals, and The American Spirit Dance Company.

Linda Starkey continues her relationship with MTWichita, having performed in My Fair Lady, Oliver!, Cabaret, and The Sound of Music, and having conducted the Teen Choir and assisted with MTWichita’s apprentice program. Currently serving as the Director of the School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University, Linda has also served as Associate Director of the Opera and Music Theatre program there, and taught voice for more than 30 years. She has directed for Opera Kansas, WSU Opera Theatre, WSU Theatre, Wichita Community Theatre, Wichita Children’s Theatre, and the Center for the Arts. In 2005, her production of Pippin was chosen to be an alternate for the American College Theatre Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Jennifer Fisher is so excited for her seventh season at MTWichita. She would like to thank Wayne and all the amazing, talented people at Music Theatre Wichita for including her in the magic! During the year Jennifer is an educational interpreter for Sedgwick County Co-op, and leads the deaf ministry at Central Community Church, where she interprets services, concerts, conferences, classes, and support groups. Jennifer has been signing for more than 10 years and is focused on musical performance interpreting, having trained in Nashville, TN under Gate Communications. Her goal is to create a performance that’s as impactful for the deaf as it is for the hearing. Jennifer thanks her girls Kara and Stephanie and her husband for their support. Most importantly, thanks to God for the blessings He’s given and the opportunity to work in such a remarkable place. 2 Cor. 4:16-18

Nancy Reeves joined MTWichita in 1988 as a bookkeeper and soon took on other responsibilities. She first took over the position of Company Manager and more recently added Producing Associate to her job description. As Company Manager Nancy’s duties include coordinating auditions, handling thousands of submissions each season. Other duties include handling the travel and housing accommodation arrangements for guest artists, and maintaining active communications with all department and department heads throughout the season. As Producing Associate Nancy attends auditions and participates in casting decisions, works with agents, and participates in contract negotiations. Her long tenure at MTWichita and close personal connections to people throughout Wichita allow her to be an outstanding resource for MTWichita and for artists working in Wichita during the summer season. She can quickly connect a need to a resource, whether that is a qualified rehearsal pianist, an appropriate caterer for a donor appreciation event, or a convenient hotel room for a guest artist.

History