Meet the team

Cast

George Abud (Nerd Face)

is an Arab-American actor. Broadway: The Band’s Visit starring Katrina Lenk & Tony Shalhoub (Daytime Emmy Award, OBC Recording); The Visit starring Chita Rivera & Roger Rees (OBC Recording). Off-Broadway: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui opposite Raúl Esparza, Nathan The Wise opposite F. Murray Abraham, Peer Gynt opposite Gabriel Ebert, and Allegro directed by John Doyle (Classic Stage Company); The Band’s Visit directed by David Cromer (Atlantic Theater Company); Lolita, My Love opposite Robert Sella (York Theatre Company). Regional: August Rush (Lewis Chapman, Paramount Theatre); Annie Get Your Gun directed by Sarna Lapine (Charlie Davenport, Bay Street Theater); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck, Geva Theatre Center); 1776 (The Muny); Fiddler on the Roof (Human Race Theatre); Man of La Mancha, Oliver Twist (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ). International: The New Prince with Barbara Walsh, Marc Kudisch, and Paulo Szot at the Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam.

Felicia Boswell (Police Officer)

EMMY Winner. GRAMMY Nominee. (NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE), 2x HELEN HAYES AWARD Winner (Outstanding Lead Actress), BWW Winner (Best Lead Actress), Jeff Award (Best Supporting Actress nom). Broadway: Shuffle Along (Josephine Baker); Motown (Diana Ross); Memphis (Felicia Farrell). Highlights: Color Purple (Celie); Jelly's Last Jam (Anita); MEDEA (Medea); AIDA (Aida); Man of LaMancha (Aldonza); RENT (Mimi); Midwives (Charlotte). TV: POWER (Melissa) STARZ; The Good Fight (Lace) CBS; Macy's Day (Diana Ross) Motown, etc. "Mama Knows Best" available, all music platforms. @FeliciaBoswell www.FeliciaBoswell.com

Jacob Dickey (Sunny)

Off-Broadway debut! Favorite credits include Aladdin (Broadway and Nat'l Tour as Aladdin), Stephen Schwartz' Prince of Egypt (as Moses), and Next to Normal (as Gabe). He sends love and gratitude to his family, his agents at CGF, and his Irishman. ig: @biguglyjacob

Ann Harada (Pile of Poo)

Ann played Christmas Eve in the Broadway and West End productions of AVENUE Q and stepsister Charlotte in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Other Bway: Madame Thenardier in Les Miserables (revival), 9 To 5, Seussical, and M. Butterfly. Recent Off Bway: Dropping Gumballs On Luke Wilson, Pacific Overtures. Film: Sisters, Trouble, Admission, Hope Springs, Feel, Happiness. TV includes: “SMASH” (as Linda, the Stage Manager), "Blue Bloods",“The Good Wife,” “House Of Cards,” “Master Of None,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” “New Amsterdam”. Twitter: @annharada Insta: iamannharada

Josh Lamon (Prince)

TV/FILM: Here Today (Dir. Billy Crystal), “Katy Keene,” “The Blacklist,” “The Good Fight,” “30 Rock,” “Deadbeat,” “Inside Amy Schumer” and Steve Phoenix: The Untold Story. Broadway: The Prom, Groundhog Day, Finding Neverland, Elf and Hair. Off-Broadway: A New Brain (Encores!), Into The Woods (Shakespeare in the Park), Little Miss Sunshine (2nd Stage), Little Me (Encores!) and February House (The Public). You can hear his podcast, ‘Josh Swallows Broadway’, on the Broadway Podcast Network. Composition: co-book writer, conceiver and additional musical and lyrics for the musical Bloody Bloody Jessica Fletcher. You can find Josh and his cats, Sweeney and Toby on Instagram: @Josh.Lamon and also at www.JoshLamon.com

Lesli Margherita (Princess)

Lesli ruled Emojiland in the original NYMF production. Lesli won the Olivier Award for her West End debut as Inez in Zorro The Musical. Broadway: Matilda The Musical; Dames At Sea. Off-Broadway: Who's Holiday (Drama Desk, Lortel, & Off-Broadway Alliance noms. ) Television (recurring) “Transparent”; “Most Likely To” (ABC pilot); “Homeland”; “Instinct”; “Elementary”; “Seven Seconds”. Film: The Many Saints of Newark (Upcoming); Opening Night. Regional: Guys & Dolls , Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Kiss Me Kate, The Gronholm Method, Man Of La Mancha , Showboat , Little Shop Of Horrors , Spamalot. Debut album Rule Your Kingdom now available. Twitter/IG: @QueenLesli Website: leslimargherita.com

Laura Schein (Co-Writer, Smize)

has been in the biz of show since age 10. 1st Nat'l Tour: Ragtime. Regional: Holiday Inn (Goodspeed), Mary Zimmerman’s Pericles (Goodman), Carousel (Long Wharf), 2019 LA Writers Workshop (CTG), Coney Island Christmas (Geffen), Oblivion (CTG), NOFX’s Home Street Home (Davenport Theatricals). TV/Film: “Kidding,” “Masters of Sex,” “Weeds” (Showtime), “Sing It!” (YouTubeOriginals), Exeter (Sundance Now), and the animated feature UglyDolls (STX), for which she co-wrote the Kelly Clarkson-Janelle Monae duet “Unbreakable.” Currently writing on an upcoming musical series for Quibi.

Lucas Steele (Skull)

Broadway: Great Comet, The Threepenny Opera (with Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper). Off-Broadway: credits include the St. Vincents Project (Rattlestick), Myths and Hymns (Prospect Theater Company), The Kid (The New Group), The Great Comet (Ars Nova, Kazino), Wickets (3LD), Oliver Twist (TFANA), and Corpus Christie (Bowery Lane). A Tony nominee and Lucille Lortel Award winner he can also be seen in the award winning short films Photo Op and Cavan. Television: “Dangerous Liaisons” (Pilot). Connect: @TheLucasSteeele.

Natalie Weiss (Construction Worker)

Natalie has gained an international following from her performance and coaching videos as well as her web series, "Breaking Down The Riffs”. Broadway: Everyday Rapture (u/s Menonettes). National Tours: Les Miserables (swing), Wicked (ensemble-u/s Elphaba). Regional: Ghost (Molly), Chess (Florence), Saturday Night Fever (Candy). She can be heard on the recordings of The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen, The Incredibles 2, and various new musical theatre composers’ albums. American Idol Season 4. BFA Penn State. Natalieweissofficial.com (@thenatalieweiss)

Max Crumm (Man In Business Suit Levitating)

Broadway: Scott, DISASTER! (The Nederlander), Danny, GREASE (Brooks Atkinson). Off-Broadway: The Evolution Of Mann, Hot Mess, The Fantasticks, Disaster!, Brooklyn Crush {formerly: F#%KING UP EVERYTHING}. Festival/Regional: Woody Harrelson, Matthew Mcconaughey Vs. The Devil (NYMF 2017), The Situation, Jersey Shoresical (NY Fringe Festival). Walter Paisley, Beatsville (Asolo Rep.), Andy, Legendale (Human Race Theatre). Film/TV: “Emergence,” “Ray Donovan,” Easy A, Killing Diaz & Echoboom. @MaxCrumm



Dwelvan David (Guardsman & Others)

1st national tour: Finding Neverland; The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. NYC: Standby (NYMF 2013) Regional: Sweeney Todd (Denver Center); Sister Act (Tuacahn); Ain’t Misbehavin’ (STAGES/Riverside);Show Boat (Lyric Opera Chicago); The Wiz (TATC); Caroline, or Change (Human Race); Ragtime (Drury Lane); TV: "Bull," "Gotham,” “Law&Order SVU,”“Happy!" BFA Millikin University. AEA Proud. @dwelvandavid



Jordan Fife Hunt (Man Dancing & Others)

Jordan is so excited to a part of Emojiland! National tour: A Chorus Line (1st national revival). City Center Encores!: Fiorello!, Where’s Charley? International: Sousatzka (Mirvish Theatre, Toronto, world premiere). Regional: Loch Ness (The Rev), The Wiz (Broadway Sacramento), West Side Story (Guthrie Theater), Paul in A Chorus Line (Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Riverside Theatre), TV: “New Year’s Eve: From Lincoln Center” on PBS, “The A-List” on LOGO. Training: BFA in Musical Theatre (The Boston Conservatory). Instagram: @jordanfifehunt



Heather Makalani (Information Desk Person, Kissy Face & Others)

From the island of Guam! Heather is thrilled to be making her Off-Broadway debut with Emojiland while hitting her 1 year anniversary as a ‘New Yorker’. Earlier this year, Heather made her Broadway debut in Aladdin the Musical understudying Princess Jasmine. This summer she appeared at the Finger Lakes Music Theatre Festival as Sandy Dumbrowski in Grease where she was nominated for best leading actress in a musical by the SALT Awards. Australian credits include Aladdin (Original Australian Cast), Heathers, and RENT. Love to Mom and Dad. @heathermakalani



Tanisha Moore (Woman Dancing & Others)

Tanisha is a Florida native, who currently resides in New York City, and is thrilled to make her Off-Broadway debut with Emojiland! She has toured the country with Flashdance the musical and Broadway’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Regional credits include; the role of June in Gypsy, Smokey Joe’s Café, The Wiz, and the world premiere of Disney’s Freaky Friday. For Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Jay- I love you! www.tanishamoore.com or Instagram: @Taneeeeshh



Creative

Keith Harrison (Co-Writer/ Orchestrations)

is a musical wizard whose credits include work on The Prom (Netflix, upcoming), Cinderella (Sony, upcoming), “The Politician” (Netflix), “American Ido”l (FOX, ABC), “American Horror Story” (FX), “Grace & Frankie” (Netflix), Westside (Netflix), Kidding (Showtime), “The Daytime Emmy Awards” (POPTV), “Claws” (TNT), UglyDolls (STX), “911” (FOX), and the original Chicago production of Million Dollar Quartet. Notable collaborators have included: Ariana Grande, Meryl Streep, Ben Vereen, Ana Gasteyer, Shoshana Bean, Andrew Lippa, Larry O’Keefe, Babyface, Emmylou Harris, Jason Alexander and many more.



Thomas Caruso (Director)

Southern Comfort (The Public Theatre; NY Times Critics Pick, Lucille Lortel Award & Outer Critics Circle Award nominations: Best New Musical), Dynamo: Seeing Is Believing (West End, U.K. & Australian Tours). B’way National Tours: Matilda, Ghost, Master Class. Broadway Associate Director credits include: A Christmas Carol, Groundhog Day, Matilda, Ghost, Mamma Mia!, Bombay Dreams, Follies, Master Class. Other directing credits include: David Blaine: Real or Magic (Asia tour); Earth To Bucky (Bay Street Theatre), the premiere of Terrence McNally and Israel Horovitz’s Off Season (Gloucester Stage).



Kenny Ingram (Choreographer)

Kenny has returned to choreography after 15 years in the Broadway and touring companies of The Lion King. Choreography credits include: 42nd Street (Marriott Lincolnshire; Joseph Jefferson Award), Dreamgirls (Papermill Playhouse), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Portland Stage/Maine State Music Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Sophisticated Ladies (The Fulton Theatre), Dreamgirls (Marriott Lincolnshire; Black Theatre Alliance Award), Nomathemba (Steppenwolf Theatre). Kenny won the award for Outstanding Choreography for Emojiland at the New York Musical Festival.



Lena Gabrielle (Music Director)

Lena is a music director, arranger/orchestrator, composer/lyricist and performer specializing in new works development. Her original songs and musicals have been performed all over the country; her musical Tink received an award for excellence in family theatre at the New York Musical Festival in 2016. NYC: You, Me, I, We,Endangered!, The Most Miserable Christmas Tree, New York Animals, Regional: Aida, The Full Monty, A Taste of Things to Come. Love to the entire Emojiland team, MCG, Kristen, and Beth - anything is possible! lenagabriellemusic.com



David Goldstein (Scenic Designer)

West End: Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (also US Tour and Off-Broadway). Off-Broadway: Church And State (New World Stages), That Golden Girls Show (DR2), Soul Doctor (Actors Temple), The Portal (Minetta Lane), Stalking The Bogeyman (New World Stages). Select Regional: Souvenir (Penguin Rep), The Great Gatsby (Des Moines Playhouse), Someone Else (NCStage), 9 to 5, Anything Goes, All Shook Up (WVPublic), Heathers (Drake University). David’s prolific work has been seen at dozens of other theaters around the country.



Vanessa Leuck (Costume Designer)

Off-Broadway: Disenchanted! (Westside Theatre; Henrey Hewes Design Award nomination), Confidence and The Speech (Theater Row), #DateMe (Westside Theater), Midnight at the Never Get (York Theater Company), Trump Family Special (Triad). National Tours: Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate (FELD), Disenchanted! (Starvox Entertainment). Regional: Capital Repertory Theater, American Music Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Fireside Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company. Other favorite designs: BCEFA’s Broadway Backwards and Broadway Bares; Pope! and The Time Machine (NYMF).



Jamie Roderick (Lighting Designer)

Off-Broadway: Midnight at the Never Get (YorkTheatre, Drama Desk Nomination), Caesar & Cleopatra (GTG), Safeword (ATA), Accidentally Brave (DR2), We Are The Tigers (Theatre 80), Red Roses, Green Gold (Minetta Lane), The Woodsman (New World Stages, PBS), Afterglow, A Dog Story, Ken Davenport's That Bachelorette Show. London: It Happened in Key West. Regional: The Bikinis! (Long Wharf Theatre, Riverside Theatre, WBT), Romeo & Juliet (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company) Twelfth Night, Midsummer, Macbeth, Hamlet (Shakespeare On The Sound).



Ken Goodwin (Sound Designer)

Broadway: Rocktopia (Associate), The Parisian Woman (Associate), Groundhog Day (Associate), Hedwig and The Angry Inch (also US Tour; Assistant), On The Town (Assistant); Off-Broadway: Socrates (The Public Theater), Barbecue (The Public Theater; Assistant), The Band’s Visit, The Total Bent (Assistant), The Wildness Sky-Pony’s Rock Fairy Tale (Ars Nova; Associate). Ken has also worked as a mixer on and off Broadway, at Spoleto Festival USA, and at regional theaters across the country, including The Ogunquit Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Adirondack Theatre Festival, and Berkeley Rep.



Lisa Renkel & POSSIBLE (Projection Designer)

POSSIBLE is a global authority on video design for live events, having spent nearly a decade collaborating with the most relevant and innovative recording artists and realizing large scale installations. Together with projection designer Lisa Renkel, they use the intersection of art and technology in bringing theatrical stages to life. Current/recent productions: Ariana Grande Sweetener Tour, Lady Gaga Enigma Residency, Childish Gambino This Is America Tour.



Bobbie Zlotnik (Hair Design)

Bobbie is ecstatic to be reunited with Vanessa Leuck on Emojiland!!! His Off-Broadway hair and make-up design credits include Disenchanted, BedBugs!!!, and Forbidden Broadway. Recent design credits include I Due Figaro (Manhattan School Of Music), Elf (Gateway), Kinky Boots (Hangar) and the premiere of To Wong Foo – The Musical (AADA).



Ethan Nienaber (Associate Director)

Ethan is a New York based director and new work developer. Previous NY directing credits include: Decky Does A Bronco (US Premiere - Royal Family), Edge of Everything (Sprout Works Harvest Festival), Nobody Nose &Back/Story (World Premieres - General Mischief Dance Theatre), Beast’s Beauty &The Project: An Opera (World Premieres - Lincoln Center). Previous assistant credits include: Emojiland (NYMF), Jericho(Laura Braza - Attic Theater Co.) and various Industry Readings. Next, he will be the Movement Director for BENT (Triskelion Arts). Ethan is a proud graduate of UNCSA Drama.



Dana Marie Ingraham (Associate Choreographer)

Broadway credits include Hot Feet, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark (OBC), Motown the Musical. National Tours: The Lion King, The Color Purple (1st Nat’l); Motown the Musical (1st Nat’l). Off Bway: Sense of an Ending. Concert dance credits include Philadanco, Armitage Gone! Dance, among others. Dana Marie is a co-founder of Broadway Serves (an affiliate of BC/EFA), and a United States Presidential Scholar of the Arts. Head up, eyes open. Represent Ingraham.



Adele Rylands (Violence Consultant)

An original work directing graduate of NYU and Playwrights HorizonsTheater School, Adele is also an IATSE Local One Candidate as a Broadway Stagehand and the proud CEO of her own health and wellness business. Previous fight directing credits include Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids Broadway Bares On Demand (Hammerstein Ballroom), The Time Machine (Theatre Row), LadyShip and Manuel vs the Statue of Liberty (Signature Theatre). adelerylands.com



Marjorie Ann Wood (Production Stage Manager)

Tour: The Prisoner, The Merchant of Venice Off Broadway: Accidentally Brave (Daryl Roth), My Name’s Not Indian Joe (EBP), Tchaikovsky: None but the Lonely Heart (ERC), One Thousand Nights and One Day (Prospect), Bulldozer (AGT), The View UpStairs (InvisibleWall), A Dog Story (Davenport), Pericles, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Ruzante! (TFANA),Abyss, Ludic Proxy (PlayCo), Regional: Peerless, Kiss Me, Kate!, On The Town, Romance in Hard Times, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd (Barrington Stage), Big River (Unquowa Rep), Phantom! (Moonlight), Hedwig (Cygnet) MFA: Rutgers LTMF



Becky Abramowitz (Assistant Stage Manager)

Becky is a storyteller working as a director, stage manager, and more. Off-Broadway includes: Theatre Row, Theatre at St. Clement’s, TFANA, Drunk Shakespeare, Trainspotting Live, HERE Arts Center, IRT Theater, Women’s Project Theater, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Access Theater, Soho Rep, and Sleep No More. Other NYC: Dixon Place, NYTB, STREB, and many festivals. Regional: Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, and Endstation Theatre Company. B.A. Theatre from FSU. Thank you, Mum! @thebeckywthegoodhair



Binder Casting (Casting)

Founded by Jay Binder, CSA in 1984. Binder has cast over 80 Broadway productions, dozens of National Tours, several off-Broadway shows, workshops and labs, in addition to seasons for over twenty-five regional theatres around the country. Broadway highlights include: Disney’s The Lion King (All North American casting), In Transit, Dames at Sea, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Born Yesterday, The Miracle Worker, Finian’s Rainbow, Brighton Beach Memoirs, A Chorus Line, Gypsy, The 39 Steps, White Christmas, Is He Dead?, Inherit The Wind, Journey’s End, Butley, Virginia Woolf, Sweet Charity, Wonderful Town, Movin’ Out, 42nd Street, The Music Man, The Iceman Cometh, ...Charlie Brown, The Sound of Music, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Last Night of Ballyhoo, Chicago, The King and I, Damn Yankees, Lost in Yonkers, Jake’s Women, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, The Goodbye Girl, among others. Film/TV highlights: Dreamgirls, Chicago, Nine, Hairspray, Carousel (PBS/NY Phil) and Six by Sondheim (HBO). Encores! At City Center since its inception in 1994. Twelve–time Artios Award winner and the recipient of the Rosie Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. Part of RWS Entertainment Group. www.bindercasting.com



Tinc Productions (Production Management)

Established in 2007, Tinc Productions, LLC is a technical producing firm, providing experienced production management, technical talent staffing and event consulting services. Tinc specializes in high-profile theatrical productions, corporate events, meetings, and immersive experiences throughout the world. Recent credits include Broadway's Slava's Snowshow, The Play That Goes Wrong, Little Shop of Horrors, Rock of Ages Hollywood, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Puffs, Mike Birbiglia's The New One, Pip's Island, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Shanghai and nine seasons of the New York Musical Festival. For more information, please visit our website www.tincproductions.com



YesBroadway (Social Media & Influencer Marketing)

YesBroadway is a media and arts marketing company founded by Sam Maher with a focus on turning more young people into frequent theatergoers. Recent campaigns include Broadway shows such as Be More Chill, Jagged Little Pill, Oklahoma!, and Beetlejuice, as well as several Off-Broadway theater companies and theater-adjacent brands. Sam's favorite emoji is the jazz hands emoji, which some people think is a hugging emoji...but he's not falling for it!



Dan DeMello (Publicist)

Dan has coordinated press campaigns across the US, Canada, Mexico City, Dublin, London, and Berlin. Current clients include Poseidon Theater Company, Psycho Clan, The Theater Center on 50th & Broadway, and NYC's longest-running play Perfect Crime. Current international clients include London based comedian Ashley Blaker and Dublin based actress Laoisa Sexton. He also designed the widely successful publicity campaign that attracted top-tier media coverage for the gay social networking & dating app SCRUFF, which now has over 15 million members globally.



MP Productions, LLC (Co-Producer)

We support meaningful theatrical productions that are inclusive, relevant, and engaging.



Alan Scheinbaum (Co-Producer)

Graduate of Northwestern University BA and Northwestern Law School JD. Former State’s Attorney and attorney with Rudnick and Wolfe. Member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange since 1978, former member of Board of Directors. Proud father of Laura and Carly and husband of Dr. Sandi Scheinbaum.



THE DODGERS (Co-Producer)

A theatrical producing partnership hatched in 1978 by six friends. Responsible for over 175 productions in North America, UK, Europe and Australasia, they have been blessed by a host of awards from Broadway’s Tonys (56), London’s Oliviers, Australia’s Helpmanns and the like. Their president is Michael David. Their offices are in Times Square and Covent Garden, London.



Brad Cerenzia (Co-Producer)

Executive Producer - Circle Gets The Square. An early investor and producer of Disenchanted! Off-Broadway and incubator for numerous theatrical and virtual reality works, including "Outrage Onstage", Jacques Lamarre’s "My Vhite House Christmas Spashial", "Ready Hunty One", regional productions of Disenchanted!, and "Disenchanted! 10th Anniversary Album" released 2019.



Vanessa Leuck & Ethan Popp (Co-Producer)

Producing debut. Vanessa is a costume & makeup designer and performing arts professor, and Ethan is a Grammy- & Tony nominated music producer, supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator. Currently developing a number of exciting, original properties. Favorite production: their 3-year-old son, Aldrin. Thanks to family & friends for their support.



Jacquelyn Bell (Associate Producer)

Jacquelyn founded Bell Arts, a commercial theatre and live event producing entity in 2015. She is most known for the critically acclaimed productions of Broadway for Black Lives Matter #Bway4BLM, and Summertime. She is a founder of Broadway Advocacy Coalition, the 2018 Commercial Theatre Institute Fred Vogel Scholar, and is a Fellow of the Broadway League. Notable collaborations include, Broadway: The Band's Visit and King Kong; Off-Broadway: Life Sucks and Curvy Widow. Jacquelyn has been featured in Forbes, NBC News, PBS, and Black and Making It.



Visceral Entertainment (Executive Producer & General Manager)

Visceral Entertainment founded and operated by Michael Chase Gosselin and Tim Sulka, is the lead producer of Midnight at The Never Get, which received a NY Times Critic’s Pick, Bistro & MAC Awards, and was nominated for Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critic’s Circle and Off-Broadway Alliance awards for its 2018 run at the York Theatre Company. Midnight will open Off-Broadway in Summer 2020, kicking off a national tour. Additional highlights include Happy Birthday, Wanda June (The Duke on 42nd Street / NY Times Critic’s Pick), Life Sucks (NY Times Critic’s Pick), Money Talks, Endangered! The Musical, The Wrong Box and The First Annual Trump Family Special.

