A Dog Story, A New Musical

Eric H. Weinberger, Book

Eric is delighted to combine his passion for musicals and dogs in A Dog Story. His previous musicals are Wanda's World, which was nominated for Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards, and ...And Then I Wrote A Song About It, which had productions in New Jersey and California and was presented at Below 54 in New York City in May 2016. Eric has also written a number of plays. His Class Mothers '68 starring Tony winner Priscilla Lopez was produced in New Jersey and Off Broadway. Tea For Three: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty, which he wrote with Elaine Bromka, who also stars in the show, has been touring the country since 2004 and is published by Dramatic Playwriting. Eric is currently working on a play about the life of Vivian Vance – Ethel from “I Love Lucy.”

Gayla D. Morgan, Music & Lyrics

Gayla began writing for the stage with a one-woman cabaret about her lack of a love life, Reflections on Being Single (Denver Center for the Performing Arts). Other shows include Conch Republic (The Musical!) (Monnie O. King, book; Key West Fringe Theatre, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017), Mary – A Musical (book co-written with Jean Mornard; O’Neill finalist, 2010), and Barry Gets It (Chris Widney, book; finalist, Moving Arts L.A. 2009). Gayla is also an actress, singer, and violinist. And – most importantly – a devoted dog-lover. GaylaMorgan.com

Ken Davenport, Executive Producer

Ken Davenport is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer whose credits include Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening, Allegiance, Kinky Boots, The Visit, It’s Only a Play, Mothers and Sons, The Bridges of Madison County, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Chinglish, Oleanna, Speed-the-Plow, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America, Blithe Spirit, and 13, as well as Daddy Long Legs, That Bachelorette Show, Altar Boyz, My First Time, The Awesome 80s Prom, and Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage Off-Broadway.  Ken was featured on a national commercial for Apple's iPhone, named one of Crain's “40 Under Forty” and is one of the co-founders of TEDxBroadway.  Combined, his productions have grossed more than $100 million worldwide and are being produced internationally in over 25 countries including Germany, Mexico, France, and Korea. He created and developed the Broadway board game Be A Broadway Star, as seen on “The Today Show.”  He also runs a number of theatrical websites including YourBroadwayGenius.com and DidHeLikeIt.com, for which he also developed a smartphone app.  His blog, TheProducersPerspective.com, has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, The Gothamist and more. He has written articles for Forbes, Mashable, Imedia and others.  Current projects include his original musical Gettin' The Band Back Together, which premiered at George Street Playhouse, as well as the revival of Once on This Island, Mass Appeal, and The Great White Hope.  For more information, visit www.DavenportTheatrical.com

Ryan Conway, General Manager

Under Ryan's supervision, DTE Management is an industry leader in general management services for Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. DTE Management currently manages Avenue Q and Trip of Love. Previous productions include Spring Awakening, Daddy Long Legs, My First Time, That Bachelorette Show, and the successful ten-year run of The Awesome 80s Prom. Before coming to DTE Management, Ryan worked in commercial theatre in NYC as a company manager for some of Broadway’s biggest shows, including Mamma Mia!, Billy Elliot, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Macbeth. He graduated from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, where he studied Performing Arts Management.

Justin Baldridge, Director

Justin is proud to be making his NYC directorial debut with A Dog Story. A graduate of California State University, with post-graduate work completed at Roosevelt University, Chicago, he spent 10 years in education, directing more than 20 shows, including Cabaret, The Diviners, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Ninth Guest, Twelve Angry Jurors, How To Succeed…, Bull, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), and Anything Goes. He has also worked frequently as a musical director (Seussical, Honk!, Urinetown, among others). He relocated to Manhattan from Redondo Beach in July 2016 and is enjoying exploring New York City one borough at a time. www.justinbaldridge.com

Seaglass Theatrical, Lead Producer

Founded in 2015, Seaglass Theatrical is proud to begin its producing ventures with A Dog Story at The Loft at the Davenport Theatre. Our mission is to polish and refine projects through gentle development, and A Dog Story is a perfect example of the end result we hope to accomplish with each future show we produce! www.SeaglassTheatrical.com

Lauren Mills, Scenic Design

Lauren is a New York City based scenic designer working in theatre and television. Selected theatre credits include: Dot (Detroit Public Theatre), My Fair Lady (Sharon Playhouse), Absolution (St. Luke’s Theatre – Off-Broadway), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Sharon Playhouse), The Happy Family (Theatre Row – Off Broadway), Reefer Madness (University of Southern Maine), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Ursinus College), True Love (Sharon Playhouse), Captive Audience (New York Deaf Theatre), The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (New York Deaf Theatre), and O. Rex (Gia Forakis and Company). Television credits include Art Direction for episodes of The TODAY Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Member – United Scenic Artists USA 829. MFA – Carnegie Mellon University. www.laurenmillsdesign.com

Frank Galgano & Matt Castle, Orchestrations & Addl. Arrangements

Frank & Matt are happy and proud to continue their work on A Dog Story after orchestrating the original production at Key West’s Waterfront Playhouse. Other credits include FOUND (Atlantic Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company); Once Upon a Mattress (Transport Group); Fiasco Theater’s Into the Woods (McCarter Center, Old Globe, Roundabout, Menier Chocolate Factory, upcoming national tour); A Little Princess (Sacramento Theatre Company); Chick Flick, the Musical (Medford, Chicago); Resident Alien (Western Carolina University); Litter (American Conservatory Theater); many new works for Theatreworks/USA, Kennedy Center, George Street Playhouse, and Pioneer Drama Service. Concerts and specialty numbers for Kristin Chenoweth, Carole King, Deborah Voigt, Randy Newman, William Finn, Adam Gwon, Debra Monk, Chris Mann, Ektor Rivera, Aloe Blacc. Coming soon: the world premieres of The Donner Party (Sacramento) and Pride & Prejudice (Surrey, England).

Tyler Kieffer, Sound Design

TYLER KIEFFER Is a Brooklyn based sound designer whose credits include Little Shop of Horrors (Berkshire Theatre Group); The History Boys (Palm Beach Drama Works); Buried Child, Alls Well that Ends Well (NYU: Tisch); Deer and the Lovers, Peter Pan, and The Troublesome Reign of King John, (Yale School of Drama); Arcadia (Yale Repertory Theatre); The Maids, Lindberg’s Flight, The Defendant, The Untitled Project, Radio Hour, The Most Beautiful Thing in the World, Small Things (Yale Cabaret); Aint Gonna Make It (Ars Nova) and Pride and Prejudice (Swine Palace). Tyler holds a Masters degree from the Yale School of Drama and a B.A. in Theatre from Louisiana State University.

Fritz Brekeller, Production Manager

NYMF: The Gold, The Last Word, Lisa and Leonardo, Cloned! The Musical and The Groove Factory. FRINGNYC: The Crack in the Ceiling. He is also a theater director, film AD and Emmy award winning TV stage manager.

Marjorie Wood, Production Stage Manager

Thrilled to be a part of the Dog Story team! National Tour: The Merchant of Venice Off Broadway: Pericles, Abyss, King Lear, Ludic Proxy, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Absolution NYC: 210 Amlent Avenue, Ruzante! Regional: Peerless, An Enemy of the People, Clybourne Park, Kiss Me, Kate!, On The Town, Romance in Hard Times, Fiddler on the Roof, See How They Run, Guys and Dolls, Absurd Person Singular, Sweeney Todd, The Game (Barrington Stage), Phantom! (Moonlight), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Cygnet). Proud AEA member! Thanks and love to my family! For G Jer. 29:11

Shannon Lewis, Choreography

Shannon Lewis is known for her critically acclaimed performances and works praised for breakthrough style and passion. She is the creator of the groundbreaking StyleSmash Project currently being developed in the US and Canada. As a performer, she has had roles in 10 Broadway shows and memorably gained international attention in the Original Broadway Cast of Fosse as the original “I Gotcha” girl. As a Choreographer, she recently won an Honourable mention for Choreography in the NYMF hit CLAUDIO QUEST. She also has a New Dreamworks Theatrical Project in development. Shannon is a frequent Guest Choreographer and Master Teacher at JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE FESTIVAL and has debuted 4 original world premiere works. Other Choreography includes: PAGEANT PRINCESS (Director/Choreographer); JOSEPH…TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT; THE ROGER REES AWARDS (Director/ Choreographer); DEE SNIDER’S R&R XMAS TALE; THE LION KING JR; LORD TOM; SID THE SCIENCE KID LIVE!; REUSEABLE THE MUSICAL; THE GERSHWIN AWARDS; THE PASSING SHOW. T.V/FILM- STUCK (due in 2017); REDRUM; BUSTLEFLUFFAH; 2014 SPECIAL OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY. www.shannonlewis.net Instagram: @realshanlew

Dylan MarcAurele, Music Director

Off-Broadway musical directing debut. Most recently, Dylan served as music assistant for the Broadway and Chicago productions of Hamilton. In May, he graduated from Harvard University, where he composed three original musicals (That 1770s Show, Victorian Secrets, and What The Hell?!) and music directed three professional musical improv troupes (at Improv Asylum, Laugh Boston, and Catalyst Comedy). www.dylanmarcaurele.com

Michael Cassara, Casting

Michael Cassara, CSA is a casting director and educator in New York City, where he and his team have cast over 400 theatre and film projects since the formation of Michael Cassara Casting in 2003. Recent credits include SPAMILTON (dir. Gerard Alessandrini), Gigantic (Vineyard Theatre, dir. Scott Schwartz), Forbidden Broadway (most recent two off-Broadway editions and cast albums), I Love Lucy® Live On Stage (2014-15 national tour), Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project (dir. Chet Walker), Kingdom (The Old Globe, dir. Ron Daniels), Oliver! (National Asian Artists Project/NAAP - Artios Award nomination for excellence in casting), A Little Night Music (starring Penny Fuller and Mark Jacoby), The Twelve (Denver Center/world premiere), The Molly Maguires (dir. Sheryl Kaller) and many more. Regional credits include frequent productions for top regional theatres including Gulfshore Playhouse, The Old Globe, Denver Center, Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, American Theater Group, Olney Theatre Center, the Hangar Theatre and more. Michael has served as the resident casting director of the New York Musical Festival since 2007, where he has cast over 70 musicals since the festival's inception in 2004. Additionally, in 2013 he began serving as the Resident Casting Director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) and casts their annual Festival of New Musicals each October. Film credits include Grantham & Rose, The Hyperglot (Artios Award nomination, dir. Michael Urie), Contest, Clear Blue Tuesday and more. As an educator, he regularly teaches at many of the nation's top universities and training programs, including Baldwin Wallace University, Elon University, Indiana University, NYU, Texas State, and many others. Michael is a native Clevelander and a BFA graduate of the musical theatre program at Otterbein College. An obsessive family historian, he is the only person to ever hold membership in both the Casting Society of America and the Association of Professional Genealogists. http://www.michaelcassara.net / @michaelcassara

Jamie Roderick, LIGHTING DESIGN

Off-Broadway: The Woodsman (New World Stages, PBS's Theater Close Up), Ken Davenport's That Bachelorette Show, My Big Gay Italian MidLife Crisis, Liberty: A Monumental New Musical. Regional: The Bikinis! - A New Musical Beach Party (Long Wharf Theatre, Riverside Theatre), Hamlet (Shakespeare on the Sound). Additional recent credits include: Kerrigan and Lowdermilk's The Bad Years, Midnight at the Neverget, Tink! Resident Lighting Designer: Broken Box Mime Theatre.

Miriam Hyfler, Associate Stage Manager

Excited to join A Dog Story’s team! Recent credits: The Dingdong (Pearl Theatre Company), A Dream of Red Pavilions, Dojoji, Three Trees, Rangoon, Fishing for Wives (Pan Asian Repertory), Marco Calvani/Neil LaBute's Author Directing Author (La Mama), How to Break (HERE), The Soap Myth (National Jewish Theater Foundation), Henry V (New York Classical Theatre), Cymbeline, Capsule 33 (Barrow Street Theater), I Call My Brothers, The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise, Ludic Proxy (The Play Company), Beware of Young Girls (59E59 Theaters), Strawberry and Chocolate (International Studio Theater), several seasons with Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. Love to FreddyG.

Rachel Esman, General Management Associate

Rachel Esman joined DTE Management in 2015 and has served as Company Manager of That Bachelorette Show and Daddy Long Legs, and Assistant Company Manager of Trip of Love. Prior to DTE Management, Rachel worked in the business office at Roundabout Theatre Company. She holds a BFA in Theatre Management from University of Miami.

Martha Robinson, CO-PRODUCER

Martha Robinson was born and raised in Chappaqua, NY. Her now-deceased parents, Nancy and Seymour Robinson, instilled in her a love of arts at an early age. She moved to Key West, FL, in 1987, where she works as a full-time realtor and also fundraises for numerous KW charities. Her love of music and the arts continues, and she is proud to help bring A Dog Story to NYC.