Confessions Of An Actress

Jess LeProtto is a New Jersey native and Broadway performer, who holds a B.F.A. Musical Theater at Pace University. Broadway credits include: Carousel, Hello, Dolly!, Cats (Mungojerrie), On The Town, Newsies (OBC), Bye Bye Birdie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and The Boy From Oz. National Tours/Regional Theater include: Hello, Dolly! (Barnaby Tucker), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Grand Ole Opry), American Dance Machine for the 21st Century (Joyce Theater), A Bronx Tale (Papermill Playhouse), In Your Arms (Old Globe Theater), Freddie Falls in Love (Signature Theater). Film/Television credits include: West Side Story (directed by Steven Spielberg), So You Think You Can Dance (Season 8, Top 8), Smash, Law & Order: SVU, One Life to Live, and the MTV VMAs. @jessleprotto www.jessleprotto.com

Nathaniel Hill is the New-York based founder and president of Broadway Plus VIP Services, the first and only company to fulfill and promote Official VIP experiences for Broadway shows. Broadway Plus creates unforgettable experiences for clients both virtually and live in New York City. These include star meet-and-greets, backstage tours, performance lessons, corporate events, bespoke travel itineraries, and more. Nathaniel is the lead producer of CLEOPATRA , the groundbreaking theatrical experience, which played to critical acclaim Off-Broadway in 2018. He proudly serves on the Junior Board of Make A Wish Foundation's New York chapter, aiding the organization's fundraising efforts and granting dozens of Broadway wishes each year. Nathaniel’s professional experience includes freelance concert and workshop producing, company management at DR Theatrical, general management on Sting's The Last Ship, theater and concert advertising at Serino/Coyne, and management work on numerous Broadway and touring companies including Hamilton, Next to Normal, Billy Elliot, Ragtime, and Wicked. Nathaniel graduated from Duke University magna cum laude, having completed the University’s first undergraduate thesis in theater producing. @broadwayplus www.broadwayplus.com

Happy Birthday Billy!! Billy Stritch is one of the premier singer-pianists on the New York and national jazz and cabaret scenes. He began his career in Houston, Texas, where he formed the vocal trio Montgomery, Plant and Stritch. The trio performed all over New York and Europe from 1983 until they disbanded in 1990. A chance meeting with Liza Minnelli in March of 1991 resulted in her asking him to create vocal arrangements for the record-breaking extravaganza Liza Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to his 25-year collaboration with Liza, Billy recently toured with the legendary Tony Bennett as Tony’s pianist and musical director. A solo entertainer in his own right, he has performed his own shows (including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman) in concert halls and nightclubs across the country. Billy also serves as music director for such leading vocalists as Linda Lavin, Christine Ebersole, Paulo Szot and Marilyn Maye. He is the co-writer of the Grammy-winning song “Does He Love You” recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. When he’s not on the road, he is the pianist for Jim Caruso’s Cast Party open mic night every Monday at New York’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club and he and Jim hold forth on Sunday nights at Bemelmans’ Bar in Manhattan’s fabled Carlyle Hotel. Currently during Covid-19, he is hosting his own weekly Facebook live-stream show “Billy’s Place”, celebrating the Great American Songbook with songs and stories from his varied career. The show airs every Thursday evening at 8:00 pm EDT on his BILLY STRITCH Facebook page. He has recorded five solo CDs and his latest CD release “Billy’s Place” (Club44 Records) is a collection of his favorite songs from these online concerts. @billystritch www.billystritch.com Watch Billy's Place on Facebook Buy Billy's New Album Billy's Place

Multi-instrumentalist, teacher and entrepreneur Erica von Kleist began her career as a saxophonist and flautist in the New York jazz scene. A native of Connecticut, Erica moved to the city to study at the renowned Juilliard School and in 2004 earned the first bachelor’s degree in jazz in the school’s history. After graduation, Erica’s next ten years were met with performances, tours and several Grammy-Nominated recordings with various artists including the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Chris Potter, Sean Jones, Seth MacFarlane, Rufus Reid, The Addams Family on Broadway among others. Honored with two ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Awards, several mentions in Downbeat’s annual Readers and Critics Polls, and the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, Erica extended her scope as a bandleader with the release of three albums; Project E, Erica von Kleist & No Exceptions, and Alpine Clarity, with a fourth with tap dancer DeWitt Fleming Jr. One of her most recent endeavors is "Your Musical Is Cancelled The Musical" available online with an all star cast of Broadway actors and musicians, this show will make you yearn for the past, hopeful the future, and say "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" to the present. Another recent project to check out, “BOOBS and other stories”, is a hilarious one-woman show with Erica at the helm on piano and voice. This show features original songs that focus on the struggles that women often face in society. Erica first penned the project as a full musical production and debuted as a reading in NYC featuring an all-Broadway cast. She has since pared the show down to a solo version which debuted in Whitefish Montana in September 2019. A teacher for over 20 years, Erica has always had a passion for education. Her theory text book A Cool Approach to Jazz Theory has been used as a curriculum for several middle and high school jazz programs. As a clinician, Erica has lectured in music business and performance at The Juilliard School, UNC Greensboro, University of Scranton, University of Montana, Stanford University, and has been an adjudicator for the Essentially Ellington Festival, and a faculty member for Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz Program. Erica currently resides in both New York and Whitefish, MT and will be embarking on an album release tour with DeWitt Fleming Jr. in 2020 as well as continuing her one-woman show. Check back for more on the album and on BOOBS. Erica proudly endorses R.S Berkeley instruments. www.ericavonkleist.com Follow @ericavonkleist For more information or to book her virtual musical for your theatre or venue, email urmusicaliscancelled@gmail.com

LEO ASH EVENS is a Pittsburgh born and bred actor with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University. Upon signing with his legit agents, CGF Talent defined him as "an enigma". A dynamic song and dance man as well as voice-over artist, signing with Innovative Artists in 2012, Leo enagages his sexy rasp for both rock ’n roll and commercial voice-overs. Currently, he is the voice of Siemens Technology. In his 10th year with MTCA (Musical Theatre College Auditions), Leo has evolved from monologue coach to Assistant Director and is now a proud Co-Director and Co-Owner of the team with partners Ellen Lettrich (Founder), and Charlie Murphy. Leo loves guiding his students to trust their own work and their process, finding the right program and positioning themselves for success in the professional world. Broadway credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (debut); Shuffle Along…(standby for Brooks Ashmanskas, and later taking over the role) directed by George C. Wolfe, choreographed by Savion Glover; and the vacation swing for School of Rock, where he channeled a touch of David Bowie, Rod Stewart, and Jem of Jem and the Holograms in his spiky blonde wig. Leo's proudest role to date is the Emcee in Cabaret, winning Best Actor in the Houston Excellence Awards while performing at Houston TUTS. Leo later reprised his role at The Arvada Center in Denver, Colorado. It's the gritty roles that really ignite him. And in a close second place - playing the deliciously deplorable Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher. Leo’s had the honor of working with theatre legends Chita Rivera, Patti LuPone, Shirley Jones, and Audra McDonald. He treasured the world premiere play, Somewhere, starring Priscilla Lopez, at The Old Globe in San Diego, in which he originated the role of Jamie McRea. Off-Broadway, Leo originated roles in two premiere plays which have since successfully been published. Bobby in Finks by Joe Gilford and Pluto in Jasper in Deadland by Hunter Foster and Ryan Scott Oliver. Leo played Riff in West Side Story several times: for Alan Johnson (50th Anniversary Tour); Joey McNeely (London); as well as for Joshua Bergasse (Gypsy of The Year, Recording Academy Honors, Barrington Stage, and North Carolina Theatre). He is thrilled to be part of this legacy and pass it on through educational workshops. Maybe he'll even try his hand at directing it one day... Showbiz highlight: In 2016, Leo met his idol, The Great Lady of Comedy - Carol Burnett, after her show at The Beacon Theatre in NYC. Inspired by her hilarious, honest, and wry characters, he always admires her compassionate way of sharing herself with her audiences. Leo is the proud son of Earl and Amy, brother of Sarah, and Uncle of Violet! (He's gonna post some Instagram duos of himself and Violet soon - she'll steal your heart!) He gleaned his green thumb from his parents, and hence, time with his house plants, the community garden, and lush walks in Central Park near his apartment on the Upper West Side are a must! Someday soon, Leo wants to adopt a Wheaten Terrier. Follow @leoashevens

Rodriguez played the role of Mick in the Dekkoo series I'm Fine. He was promoted to series regular for the third and final season. He has had recurring and guest roles in television series Modern Family and This Close as well as in web series Raymond & Lane, That's the Gag, Only Children, and Going Up. In February 2019, it was announced Rodriguez would star in Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as Carlos Rodriguez, the color guard captain and student choreographer. The series premiered that November. Carlos is the first openly gay character in the High School Musical franchise. Rodriguez is from Selma, California and is of Mexican descent. He attended Sanger High School. He is openly gay. Follow @frankiearodriguez

Alan Campbell grew up in Homestead, Florida the son of a third generation farming family, and attended Tulane University and the University of Miami, graduating with a BA in business. Alan shares a daughter, Riley, with former wife, actress Lauren Kennedy. On Broadway: Alan recently played the role of Sam Carmichael in Broadway's hit musical, Mamma Mia!. He received a 1995 Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard opposite Glenn Close, Betty Buckley, and Elaine Paige. He also received the Drama-Logue Award for his performance in Sunset Boulevard's American Premiere in Los Angeles. Alan starred in Susan Stroman's 2000 Tony Award winning musical, Contact at Lincoln Center. Off-Broadway: Chris Durang's Adrift In Macao, Lanford Wilson's Book Of Days at the Signature Theater and in the regional premiere of Book Of Days at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Hartford Stage. He also starred Off-Broadway in AVOW, by Bill C. Davis. Other theatrical credits include David Mamet's, Race, Death and The Maiden, 12 Angry Men, Noel Coward's Hay Fever at San Diego's Old Globe, Oleanna, Beauty and the Beast, Johnny Guitar, the Kennedy Center's revival of Bell's Are Ringing, Of Thee I Sing at Chicago's Symphony Space, the Ford's Theatre production of On Shiloh Hill, Boogie Woogie Rumble of a Dream Deferred at the Urban Arts Corps in New York, Breakfast at Tiffany's at the St Louis MUNY and productions of I Love My Wife and Larry Shue's The Nerd. Feature films include Weekend Warriors; Bump in the Night; Tom, Dick and Harry, and Universal's A Simple Wish with Martin Short and Kathleen Turner. On television, he co-starred for 5 seasons with Bill Conrad and Joe Penny on CBS's Jake and the Fatman. He also co-starred with John Ritter as surfer "E.Z. Taylor", on ABC's Three's a Crowd, "Evan Grant" on NBC's Another World, "Dr. Ellis Marshall" on All My Children, Contact - "Live From Lincoln Center" on PBS, and in Red Flag, a CBS Movie of the Week. Alan has guest starred on numerous television shows including, Law and Order, Homicide: Life on the Streets, Facts of Life, Throb, Matlock and award winning Web Series, Submissions Only and Then We Got Help. His recordings include Sunset Boulevard, Adrift In Macao, "ABC" A Tribute to Adler, Bock and Coleman and The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber on Polygram. Alan is an originating member of the Broadway Tenors with Brent Barrett and Brian d'Arcy James. He has sung at the White House and performed for three U.S Presidents. Alan is a Founding Director of Theatre Raleigh/Hot Summer Nights in Raleigh North Carolina and a founding member of H.O.L.A. (Heart of Los Angeles) Youth Theatre, providing an artistic outlet and guidance to inner-city children. www.alancampbell.net Follow @balancampbell

Todd M. Eskin - CEO/Owner - Head of the Theatre Department Todd is a partner at Across the Board (ATB) Talent Agency, a bicoastal agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas representing adult and youth actors, directors, choreographers, and producers in TV/Film, Commercials, Hosting, and Theatre. He is the Chief Operating Officer and Head of the ATB Theatre Department, which he founded in May 2012. After graduating from the University of Central Florida with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre Performance, Todd became a working member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers, Actors’ Equity Association, the American Guild of Variety Artists, and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Shortly after, he began his representation career as an agent trainee at Abrams Artists Agency in Los Angeles. Todd has clients currently working on Broadway (Hamilton, A Bronx Tale, Book of Mormon, Lion King), National Tours (Kinky Boots, The Wizard of Oz, Flashdance, The Lion King, Ragtime, Saturday Night Fever, Bullets Over Broadway, Mamma Mia, Joseph, If/Then), Las Vegas (Rock of Ages), Regional Theatres (La Jolla, Paper Mill Playhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, Musical Theatre West, 3D Theatricals, Cabrillo Music Theatre), Cruise Lines (Disney Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines), Theme Parks (Disneyland, Universal Hollywood, Hong Kong Disneyland), and more. @stage_agent

A girl in Star City, Arkansas grows up with loving parents who would flirt and sing in harmony to 1960’s break-up songs by Elvis Presley and Skeeter Davis. Summers were spent with her Mammy and Pappy traveling to bluegrass festivals in their motorhome, the little curly haired girl dancing to the fiddles and banjos, embraced by the tight-knit bluegrass community. Her father’s work takes the family to the bayou of Monroe, Louisiana where the utopia is interrupted when her idyllic home breaks up, rocked by infidelity that nobody saw coming and her world is turned upside down. She retreats to the radio, back to her sad country songs, stories woven around her own pain. In the aftermath, she is determined to split town to make a life is on her own terms. In a head-turning spin, a month after high school graduation, she wins the America’sMiss T.E.E.N. Beauty Pageant where she is scouted by a talent agent. She puts her college plans on hold, moves to New York and in a few short years, this small-town girl is making her Broadway debut in Julie Taymor’s “The Green Bird.” As if that wasn’t a ripe enough story for a roller coaster of a country song, fast forward a few years, girl meets boy, girl gets married, has children, spinning on stage after stage until her history catches up to her and she’s playing the part her mother originated, blown sideways by cheating. Once again, she hits the road, landing in Nashville and, as a newly single mother, she turns back to the country and gospel music from her childhood, writing her way to resilience, through the grief, and toward love. With her newest album, “I’m Not Broken,” Sarah Jane Nelson adds her own defiantly triumphant voice to the Americana-Country field. Set in a sonic landscape that recalls the era of artists like Wynonna, Kathy Mattea and Mary Chapin Carpenter, “I’m Not Broken” is an honest breath of fresh air, a deliberate throwback to the days when a fiddle, an acoustic guitar and a rich alto voice could celebrate the fullness of a life hard-fought and hard-won. Pedal steel, fiddle and acoustic guitar opens the record on the title track that lifts to an anthemic chorus that wouldn’t be out of place on commercial country a decade or two ago: “But I’m not broken, I’m not done I get up more than I’m knocked down Put myself back the way I was found” Moving from ballad to a rocker with a rolling banjo, “Reap What You Sow” is a foot-stomping slap to the woman who steals her man “You can take the laundry, the dishes, the dirty bathroom and the kitchen, oh the grass looks green but there’s something you should know”. She addresses the ghosts of her past with “Sins of the Father” and even gives us a beautiful acoustic version of The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” finding the dark intimacy in the 90’s monster hit. This is a singer who fits the cliché: “she could sing the phonebook and make it sound good.” In fact, her search for her voice led her from musical theater to Shakespeare to a 2011 acoustic blues-influenced record of standards. But Nashville does a funny thing to artists, makes a singer into a songwriter and by singing their own songs, the songs bring out a truer voice, teaching the artist something maybe they had forgotten. As rich as cane syrup, Nelson’s honeyed voice is both resilient and vulnerable, gliding through the 12 songs with a gentle familiarity, as if we’ve known her all along. It’s clear this once-musical theater actress has deep roots in country music, as every note rings authentic. This is no small task and not many other singers could pull off this hat trick. Nelson had been toying with her songs for years, writing with babies on her lap, moving from NYC to Oregon to Los Angeles and eventually to Nashville with her first husband, also an actor. But the foundation of her marriage had been crumbling for years and cracked wide open in Nashville. The 12 songs on “I’m Not Broken” are the result of this shift from singing others stories to sing.

Tanya Memme is an Emmy Nominated TV Host, Inspirational Speaker & Soul Centered Coach / Consultant who travels around the world teaching entrepreneurs how to “Build Engagement & Visibility on Camera, Video & Social Media.” She is the founder of “Life Masters” a Talk Show/Podcast on ITunes, AppleTV and Roku and on YouTube. She deeply inspires her listeners through the stories of some of the most renowned speakers and mentors in the world. Stories of unwavering perseverance and words of wisdom to help others get through the challenges of life. Tanya is most famous as the host of the Emmy nominated show, “Sell This House” on A&E for 15 years. She also hosted popular shows like “Sell This House Extreme” and “Move This House” on A&E, FYI and BIO Channel and “Home & Family” on Hallmark Channel, Awesomeness TV, “Best Vacations and (syndicated travel show) ET CANADA on Global TV. Tanya was crowned Miss CANADA in 1994 and competed for the coveted title of Miss World in Sun City South Africa. She has traveled the world giving motivational speeches and with World Vision filming and uncovering the truth about Child Trafficking and Child Labor. She was the DirectTV Customer news Anchor for 7 years and has hosted over 50 infomercials. Tanya is big into giving back and makes trips to Guatemala with her dad to help WELLS OF HOPE build schools and bring clean water to remote communities. She has a 7 year old daughter Ava who also appeared (crafting with her mommy) on Hallmark Channel’s “Home & Family” for 4 years. Instagram @tanyamemmeofficial www.tanyamemme.com

Barrett Foa is a series regular on the hit CBS drama, NCIS: Los Angeles (2009). He plays tech operator/surfer "Eric Beale" alongside Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Oscar winner Linda Hunt. Since moving to Los Angeles in January 2009, Foa has been a recurring guest on Entourage (2004) (as Ari's assistant), and the original NCIS (2003) and guest-starred on Numb3rs (2005) and The Closer (2005) opposite Kyra Sedgwick. On Broadway, Foa starred as the leads of both "Avenue Q" (Princeton and Rod) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf Coneybear), and was in the original Broadway cast of "Mamma Mia!". He can be heard as "Jesus" on the 20th anniversary cast recording of "Godspell". He has played leading roles at Playwrights Horizons (where he starred in the world premiere of Adam Bock's play, "The Drunken City", a piece he helped workshop and develop), The Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, The York, and John Houseman, as well as at such reputable regional venues as Hartford Stage and The Shakespeare Theatre, D.C. (starring as "Claudio" in William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"), Bay Street Theatre (starring opposite playwright Charles Busch), Paper Mill Playhouse, TheatreWorks in CA, The St. Louis MUNY, North Shore Music Theatre, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Music Theatre of Wichita, Weston Playhouse, and Maine State Music Theatre. Born and raised in New York City, Foa graduated from The Dalton School on Manhattan's Upper East Side. He attended Interlochen Arts Camp for four summers, spent a semester of college at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from one of the nation's top musical theatre programs, The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He resides in Los Angeles. @barrettfoa

Jen Rudin is an award-winning Casting Director, writer and audition coach, and author of the book Confessions of a Casting Director. She has won two Artios awards for casting, and recently nominated for a 2019 Casting Society of America Artios award for her short film Lucy in the Sky. She owns and operates Jen Rudin Casting which casts for film, television, commercials, animation and theater in New York and Los Angeles. Jen also writes a monthly column for Backstage.com on Voice Over casting. Jen Rudin grew up in New York City and began her professional acting career at age eight. She created many new roles in new plays, starred in several television movies, and did commercials. At age twelve, she had her first epiphany at a final callback that she wanted to be a Casting Director – a perfect blend of her photographic memory and love of actors. Her casting philosophy combines the challenge of solving the casting puzzle – who is best for the role? – while creating an honest, positive and comfortable audition environment, in what is often the most stressful of situations. www.jenrudincasting.com Follow @rudinj