The Tommy Awards Reviewers
The Reviewers for the 2010/11 Tommy Awards are:
Gretchen Bourg
Gretchen Bourg graduated with a BS in Art Education from UW-Stout in Menomonie, WI. She has danced corps and soloist roles in Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, and Peter Pan in addition to other Madison Ballet productions. Ms. Bourg is currently a faculty member and Registrar at the School of Madison Ballet. She is also Madison Ballet’s Education and Outreach Coordinator, conducting dance and movement workshops throughout the community.
Lindsay Christians
Lindsay Christians is a full-time fine arts reporter for 77 Square, a co-production of the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times in Madison, Wisc. She covers theater, dance, opera, classical music and visual art, as well as some jazz and a wine and spirits column. Lindsay moved to Wisconsin from California to earn a masters in theater research (UW-Madison, ’08) and fell in love with the lakes, the bike paths and the awesome art scene. She attended the O’Neill Theater Center National Critics Institute in 2009 and the NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater at USC-Annenberg in 2010. She is the founder of a Madison-area arts and music writers’ group and a leader of high school student theater critics as part of the Overture Center Tommy Awards.
Darrell Francis Dieringer
Darrell is an independent ballroom dance instructor and professional rhythm dance competitor based in Madison, WI. He teaches group classes and private lessons for everyone from casual dancers to amateur competitors. His unique approach borrows from other movement disciplines, emphasizing not the reproduction of steps, but the fluid, comfortable, and expressive creation of movement. Darrell especially enjoys helping people to unlock their own talents and seeing them discover greater confidence and elegance on the dance floor.
Adam Erdmann
Adam Erdmann works for Madison Children’s Museum as their Development Coordinator. Adam earned his B.F.A. in Arts Administration with a minor in Theatre from Viterbo University in La Crosse. While attending Viterbo, he worked extensively in stage management. His work with Madison companies includes MadCAP, Madison Repertory Theatre, and Music Theatre of Madison. On the weekends, you can find him in the Overture Center box office.
Laurie Fellenz
Laurie Fellenz has worked for nineteen years in the Madison Metropolitan School District, and she is currently the band director at Cherokee Heights Middle School. Laurie most recently was the conductor for the Four Seasons Youth Theatre productions of Les Miserables, Once On This Island, and Footloose. She also has been the orchestra conductor for nine musicals at Madison Memorial High School.
Tiffany Fier
Tiffany Fier is a freelance set designer, scenic charge artist and props artisan. She has worked with several Wisconsin theatres including five seasons at APT, Alley Stage in Mineral Point, Children's Theatre of Madison, Opera for the Young, Phipps Center for the Arts, and the former Madison Repertory Theatre.
Ed Flesch
Since 1978 Ed has been the Artistic Director of the Fireside Theatre in Wisconsin where he has produced and directed over 120 productions of Broadway musicals, plays, and original musical revues. In addition he has directed almost all of the major American musicals throughout the US in such theatres as Country Dinner Playhouse (Denver), La Comedia Theatre (Dayton), The Little Theatre on the Square (Sullivan, IL), and The Chateau Theatre (Chicago). As an actor he is best known for such roles as Tevye in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Cervantes/Quixote in MAN OF LA MANCHA, and Emile DeBecque in SOUTH PACIFIC. As a writer his work includes original revues such as SWING ON A STAR, A LITTLE BIT O’ IRELAND, THOSE FABULOUS FIFTIES, and THERE’S ALWAYS TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. He is also the author of many children’s musicals including the 1976 Jefferson Award winner for Best Children’s Theatre Production in Chicago, PETER OF THE NEVERLAND written in collaboration with John Reeger. Combining his talents as writer, director, and producer in 2000 he conceived, produced and directed Madison’s first ever performing arts benefit for AIDS.
Emily Gruenewald
Emily Gruenewald received a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota and since then has spent her career in arts administration, primarily with professional youth arts organizations. She has worked for the U of MN/Guthrie Theatre BFA Actor Training Program, Children’s Theater of Madison, and Madison Youth Choirs. She currently is the Executive Director of the Janesville Performing Arts Center.
Marla Hahn
Marla Hahn’s combined interest in dance and international affairs have taken her around the world and back again. After attending a prominent French ballet academy, Hahn received grants from the French Education Nationale and the Austrian Fulbright Commission that allowed her to perform in places like Barcelona, Vienna, and île de la Réunion (off the coast of Madagascar). Upon returning to the US, she completed her MBA degree at the Bolz Center for Arts Administration and is currently Managing Director for the Bel Canto Chorus in Milwaukee.
Brian Hinrichs
Brian Hinrichs is the manager of communications and community outreach for Madison Opera. At Madison Opera, he oversees the implementation of the High School Apprenticeship Program and Madison Opera Book Club, in addition to many new community collaborations and social media initiatives. Prior to his work in Madison, Brian was a 2007-2008 Fulbright U.S. Student Fellow to Thailand, where he conducted research on the fusion of Western classical and Thai musical traditions in contemporary performance and composition. Originally from Bay Shore, New York, Brian graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University with a B.A. in English and music. He has worked at Glimmerglass Opera and Chamber Music magazine, and his writing has appeared in Symphony magazine.
Terry Kerr
Terry Kerr is an actress, director, educator and arts administrator, and is currently Director of Education at CTM. An inaugural member of the acting company at American Players Theatre, she has performed the work of Shakespeare, Chekhov, Ibsen, Moliere, and Marlow. Terry taught and performed with the Wisconsin Mime Company, voiced roles for education radio, and performed with area theaters. A faculty member at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Terry teaches acting, Shakespeare and presentation skills, and has directed over 20 productions.
Jeannie McCarville
Jeannie has been involved with River Valley Players, a community theater group in Spring Green, in various roles since 1999. Since joining RVP, she has also directed and assisted with many of the River Valley High School musicals. Jeannie is in her third season at American Players Theatre where she is currently the house manager of Touchstone Theatre, APT's newest venue.
Heather Murn
Heather fell in love with the stage while she grew up in Mineral Point, acting in H.S. musicals and community theater productions. She went on to get her BA Acting Specialist and English Lit. degrees at UW-Madison, then moved to London and got her MA in Arts Criticism & Management at City University. She has worked for professional theater companies all along the West Coast, and now loves working as Overture's Group Sales Coordinator, as well as a director and dramaturg for Alley Stage in Mineral Point.
Tim Sauers
Tim Sauers is the Director of Marketing & Community Engagement at Overture Center for the Arts. Tim previously served as Director of Grants at the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, where he managed four granting programs distributing close to $4 million. Tim also served for thirteen years as program director at Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education in Chicago. He was responsible for the research, planning, development, marketing and selling of school and community based programs reaching over 350,000 participants annually. He received his BA in Communication and Theatre Arts from Susquehanna University and holds Master of Arts degrees in Theatre Direction from Michigan State University and in Interdisciplinary Arts from Columbia College Chicago. For eleven years he was a freelance theatre critic for Gernhardt Publications and is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association. Tim has worked with organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts Council, Nevada Arts Council, the Chicago Park District, Project Exploration and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in program development, grant development and review, and conducting workshops and presentations.
Frank Schneeberger
Frank Schneeberger is currently a Theatre Technician for Overture Center for the Arts. From 1978-2002, he was the Resident Designer/Technical Director for Madison Repertory Theatre, helping it to grow from a small community theater to a nationally-recognized, professional regional company. During this time, Frank designed and built over 140 sets. Between 1974-1978, he was the Resident Designer/Technical Director for CTM Madison Family Theater Company. In addition, Frank’s designs have been seen at American Players Theatre, Cider Mill Playhouse (Binghamton, NY), Theatre X (Milwaukee), Racine Theatre, Rockford Theatre, University of Wisconsin Opera-Madison, Strollers Theatre, Mercury Players Theatre, Madison Theatre Guild, Madison Savoyards, Edgewood College and Wisconsin Youth Theatre.
Lynda Sharpe
Michael Stanek
Michael, a native of Wisconsin has produced, directed, choreographed and performed all over the world. He is currently the Artistic Director for the Broadway Dinner Theatre in Wisconsin Dells and the Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, VA. Stanek is also the Founder/Artistic Director of BROADWAY KIDZ WISCONZIN, which produced the Wisconsin Regional Premier of Disney's High School Musical to sold-out audiences in 2007. In 2006, Stanek was awarded an "OBSERVERSHIP" by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation of NYC, where he was chosen to assist Tony-Award winning Director/Choreographer Kathleen Marshall for City Center Encores production of Kander and Ebb, 70, Girls, 70, starring Olympia Dukakis. Prior to that Stanek served as the Artistic Director for the New York Broadway Kids group, KIDS WITH HEART, a group that has appeared on the Rosie O-Donnell Show and Co-Artistic Director for Performing Arts For Children. Michael choreographed the New York Off-Broadway premier of The Perfect Monster, for TADA Theatre which received rave reviews in the New York Times! Stanek adjudicates for various show choirs, dance competitions and has served as an optional judge and choreographer for National American Coed Pageant in Orlando, FL. Stanek is a 1990 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a 20 year member of Actors' Equity Association and an associate member of The Society for Stage Directors and Choreographers.
Jennifer Stewart
Jennifer Stewart is an award-winning choreographer who has taught dance, theater and music in a variety of venues throughout the U.S. In addition to a BFA in Dance, she has 15 years of performance and over 20 years teaching experience in both concert dance and musical theatre. Jennifer directed Dames at Sea, two successful runs of The Taffetas and co-directed Musical of Musicals: The Musical for University Theatre. Additional UT choreography credits include: The Greeks (co-production with Madison Rep), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Arabian Nights, Pride & Prejudice, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, 3 Penny Opera, Lucky Stiff, Das Barbecu and I Do! I Do!. Edgewood College choreography credits include: Metamorphosis, Gypsy and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Most recently you can find her teaching for UW-Madison and Dance Studio 3D. She also is the creative director and designer of the Mahomet-Seymour Marching Colorguard and is a Master Teacher for Dance Masters of Wisconsin.
Erin Wenzel
Erin Wenzel is the Development Associate for 201 State Foundation, the 501(c)(3) support organization for Overture Center for the Arts where she is responsible for oversight of the Ovation Fund as well as the planning and execution of donor engagement events. In addition, Erin handles the compilation of all Overture grant applications to area and national foundations, government agencies, and corporations who share Overture’s commitment to engaging the community in the arts. Prior to her career in development, Erin spent 8 years as a professional stage manager based in Chicago where she worked with such renowned theatres as Steppenwolf, Victory Gardens and Chicago Shakespeare. Erin was the production stage manager on Chicago Shakespeare's multiple Joseph Jefferson Award winning production of Rose Rage which transferred to New York's The Duke on 42nd Street for a limited off-Broadway run in 2004.