ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / MUSIC DIRECTOR

Steven Altinel is the founder and artistic director of the Long Island Musical Theatre Festival. He maintains an active schedule as a music director, pianist and vocal coach in the tri-state area. Steven is often asked to present workshops on the topic of musical theatre at local and state conferences. In addition to this, he is the choral director of Walt Whitman High School where he has conducted his choirs on the stages of Carnegie Hall, and Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center.  His favorite performance credits include the touring company of A Royal Christmas starring Andrea Bocelli and the New York Philharmonic’s production of Candide starring Paul Groves and Kristin Chenoweth (PBS). Steven performs regularly with the eVoco voice collective and is a proud graduate of Westminster Choir College. 

STAGE DIRECTOR

Nathan Brewer is a director of theatre, opera, concerts, film, and events. Directing credits include Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera, Theatreworks/USA, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Town Hall, Park Avenue Armory, Forestburgh Playhouse, Princeton Festival, Long Island Musical Theatre Festival, Pennsylvania Centre Stage, American Pops Orchestra, Fairfax Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, and Blue Hill Troupe. Nathan has also directed the Helen Hayes Awards, Standing Ovation Awards (Kennedy Center), and Hispanic Heritage Awards (aired on PBS). Committed to the development of new works, Mr. Brewer has directed three original movie musicals for the New York Film Academy, in addition to multiple productions and industry readings of new musicals (NYMF, The York, 54 Below). Nathan has taught and/or directed at New York University (Tisch), Penn State, Westminster Choir College, and New York Film Academy. Assisting credits include Aladdin (Broadway), and Relatively Speaking (Broadway). Nathan is the Founder & Artistic Director of Recreational Arts, a performing arts educational organization, with programs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. www.nathanbrewer.net

CHOREOGRAPHER

Megan Gerlach is an Actor/Choreographer living and working in NYC.  Choreography credits include Funny Girl (Forestburgh Playhouse), The Addams Family, Shrek, Spamalot (Black Hills Playhouse), and has worked with Nathan Brewer and Marcia Milgrom Dodge both performing in and as associate Choreographer for Seussical (Theatreworks USA) since 2007.  Favorite roles include: (Judy) A Chorus Line (Bass Hall) and (Bonnie) in Anything Goes (Chanhassan Dinner Theatres). Megan graduated with degrees in Dance and Theatre from the University of Minnesota/Twin Cities.  She is thrilled to work with the amazing students of LIMTF again after choreographing Violet and Let It Sing - the music of Jeanine Tesori Revue last year.

MIDDLE SCHOOL INTENSIVE - DIRECTOR

Michelle Mallardi has played Belle in Disney’s” Beauty and the Beast” on Broadway at both the Palace and Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Other New York credits include “Chess”, “Internal Combustion” and “Astronauts” at the Fairbanks Theatre. She performed live as a soloist at Radio City Music Hall in the Christmas Show and with Liza Minelli. Also with Linda Eder at the Palace Theatre and Carnegie Hall. Michelle is on both recordings. National tours include “Les Miserable”, Frank Wildhorn’s “Jekyll and Hyde”, “A Chorus Line” as Morales, and in Europe as Maria in “West Side Story”. Some favorites are Evita Peron in “Evita” Hodel in “Fiddler on the Roof”, Christine in “Phantom of the Opera”, Louisa in “The Fantasticks” and Gina in the East Coast premier of “One Last Ride” now a feature film. Her directing and choreography credits include assisting John Carrafa in choreographing the latest revival of Into the Woods on Broadway as well as being a part of the artistic team in a future upcoming Broadway Production still in development. She’s directed and choreographed musicals in various theatres on Long Island, New York and Connecticut and has taught with Joan Lader and Deborah Gibson in various workshops. She teaches voice at CW Post/Long Island University in the Musical theatre department as well as at her home. Her one woman show “Anything Can Happen” premiered in Europe and South America and is scheduled in Europe and Canada again this fall. She’s recently released her solo album “Love In Time” which can be found on Itunes. Please visit www.michellemallardi.com!

MIDDLE SCHOOL INTENSIVE - MUSIC DIRECTOR

Craig Coyle is a pianist/vocal coach and music director. He has been involved in many musical theater productions in the Long Island area and elsewhere. Most recently, he has musical directed "Pippin" at Massapequa High School and played keyboard in "Mamma Mia" at Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts and this summer, in addition to LIMTF, he can be seen playing keyboard for two other productions in Long Island and North Carolina. Craig plays for ballet and modern dance classes as well as musical theater classes at Hofstra University and he is also Music Director of the Congregational Church of Patchogue. He holds a B.M. in Piano from Westminster Choir College.

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Sharon Lawton was President of the Board for Girl Scouts of the USA (Rolling Hills Council), in addition to serving as troop leader, cookie manager, and board member. For twelve years, she has managed the children and youth choirs at Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church, where she first collaborated with Nathan Brewer in 1999. Since that time, Sharon has organized dozens of summer camps and productions, through which hundreds of lives have been changed. Sharon received a BA in Mathematics and an MS in Library Science. She met her husband Rich while training computer programmers at AT&T, and their two daughters have grown up through Nathan’s summer programs!

GENERAL MANAGER

For the past eight years Vanessa has taught music within the public school system. Her most recent placement in Queens resulted in implementing a brand new PreK-5 music curriculum where Vanessa maintains and directs a chorus, drum ensemble, and rock band in addition to a full schedule of general music classes. Not one to stay in one place, she also has experience teaching music abroad in Kasoa, Ghana through International Volunteer Headquarters. In her spare time, she sings as a soprano in the Long Island based eVoco Voice Collective, and this summer has been selected as a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Vanessa holds a B.S. in Music Education from Hofstra University as well as a M.S. in Music Education from Queens College.