ARTISTIC 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. Recent credits include The Producers and The Hunchback of Notre Dame at The Argyle Theatre. Steven is often asked to present workshops on the topic of musical theatre at local and state conferences. He is also the choir director at Walt Whitman High School, where he has conducted his choirs on the stages of Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Steven’s favorite performance credits include the touring company of A Royal Christmas starring Andrea Bocelli and the New York Philharmonic’s production of Candide starring Kristen Chenoweth (PBS). He is a proud graduate of Westminster Choir College. For more information, visit www.stevenaltinel.com.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nathan is currently writing and directing a new musical called Love Somebody Now with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, which will premiere in 2025.  Nathan has directed for Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Washington National Opera, Theatreworks/USA, New York Musical Theatre Festival, The 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).  Nathan currently teaches for the New Studio on Broadway at NYU/Tisch, and is head of the theatre minor at The College of New Jersey.  He has also taught and/or directed at Penn State, Westminster Choir College, New York Film Academy, Adelphi University, Northwestern University, and Rider University.  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.

ASSOCIATE

Megan Gerlach is thrilled to be joining LIMTF for her 7th year.  Choreography credits include Funny Girl (Forestburgh Playhouse), The Little Mermaid, 9-5, Cinderella, 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) from 2007-12.  Megan has also directed and choreographed for Adelphi University's "Best of Broadway" fall and spring shows. She holds degrees in Dance and Theatre from the University of Minnesota/Twin Cities.

INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM - DIRECTOR

Michelle has played Belle in Disney’s ”Beauty and the Beast” on Broadway at both the Palace and Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Off Broadway: “Chess”, “Internal Combustion” and “Astronauts”. She’s 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”, (Emma US) “A Chorus Line” as Morales, and in Europe as Maria in “West Side Story”. Regionally she’s played Vi Moore in “Footloose”, Emily Hobbs in “Elf”, Donna in “Mamma Mia”, 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 the revival of Into the Woods on Broadway. She’s directed and choreographed productions in various theatres across 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. Michelle is a current member of the New York State Singing Teachers Association (NYSSTA). She recently returned from performing her one woman show “Anything Can Happen” which first premiered in Europe and South America. Her solo album “Love In Time” can be found on Itunes. Please visit www.michellemallardi.com!

ASSISTANT 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 is the administrative side of Recreational Arts, Inc (the organization which supports LIMTF). Sharon first met Nathan Brewer in 1999 when her children were in one of his summer programs and has been working with him on various projects ever since. Sharon has enjoyed working with kids from preschool through high school through experiences in public and private schools, Girl Scouts, church activities, and community theatre. She has always been an active volunteer and currently sits on the Board of Directors for three theatre-arts-related organizations.  She loves working on costumes—and is especially good at making something out of nothing! Sharon received a BA in Mathematics and an MS in Library Science. She and her husband, Rich, live in Martinsville, NJ.

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.

PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL DESIGN

Jenna is a professional retoucher and photographer. She received her BFA and a Photography Minor from Pace University in 2018. Right now, she is working as a Photo Retoucher for Madewell and she is also a freelance photographer specializing in portraiture and theatre photography. Her role here at LIMTF began in 2016 as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret and has since shifted to photography, digital media, and program design. Being an actor and vocalist herself, capturing photographs of performers in their element is extremely significant and fulfilling for her as an artist.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Kyri My-el Colson (she/her) is a hardworking musical theater performer, and writer. As a former senior member of the Post Theatre Company, she was able to learn from performing in musicals at Sun Valley Theatre and stageplays at Long Island University Post getting her BFA in Musical Theatre. As well as participating in various organizations including, but not limited to, nonprofit programs such as Living Arts Dance Inc. assistant directing/teaching for their annual recitals, teen mentoring programs & various summer camps. She also attended Kimmel Center of The Arts’ Showstoppers, Broadway Dreams (Philadelphia, Tour stop), and Interlochen Creative Arts’s Musical Theatre and Creative Writing dual summer program. When not grant writing, working in regional theatre administration, conducting frequent community service in North Philadelphia, and competing in the Miss. America organization’s local and state-level pageants (Miss. Philadelphia & Miss. Pennsylvania), she can be found currently attending Columbia University of Manhattan's Playwriting postgraduate masters program with a concentration in Screenwriting. As well as, looking forward to a first-year hybrid summer internship at LIMTF in collaboration with Columbia and sponsored by the Shubert Foundation.

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Grace graduated from Marist College in 2023 with a Media Studies and Production degree, with a concentration in Television and Film. Her minors were in Theatre and music, and she was on the executive board of both clubs. She is currently the Marketing Associate for New York Stage and Film. She promotes new and emerging artists’ musicals, plays, and screenplays, such as the musical adaptation of the novel A WRINKLE IN TIME, a play written and performed by Laurence Fishburne, and has worked with artists such as Joe Iconis, Beth Henley, Jo Bonney. As an avid theater go-er and performer who grew up on Long Island, she is thrilled to be with LIMTF!

INTERMEDIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR

Molly Guarton is thrilled to be working as a Music Director for LIMTF. She works as a music teacher in the Hauppauge School District. She has a passion for teaching and playing musical theatre. She is a music director for Sunrise Theatre Company and plays in many pits across Long Island and the Tri State Area. She recently graduated from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam where she majored in Music Education and Spanish, with a concentration in piano pedagogy. 

BEGINNER TRAINING PROGRAM TEACHING ARTIST

Alyssa Dinka is a dancer, performer, and educator based in NYC, originally from Venice, FL. Currently she is performing in Pop Divas at Ocean Casino & Resort in Atlantic City on select dates this summer. She is also a dance teacher at Perpetual Motion Dance Studio in River Vale, NJ and Next Step Broadway in Jersey City. Recently she performed in the ensemble of 42nd Street at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg, VA. Additional past performances include NEW YORK: Phish New Year’s Eve Concert at Madison Square Garden, CANADA: Christmas Wonderland at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, REGIONAL: Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Scrooge No More, Fiends, Night Beats, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City: Dance to the Music, Euphoria Variety Show. Alyssa is proud to hold her BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University in NYC. Looking forward to an amazing time working with the LIMFT students and sharing this passion!

BEGINNER TRAINING PROGRAM TEACHING ARTIST

Anna Francesca Schiavoni is an Equity actor based in Sag Harbor and New York. She is a graduate of the George Washington University for theatre and music. Her favorite credits include The Prince of Egypt (Young Miriam/Leah, DreamWorks Theatricals), The Crucible (Mary Warren, Bay Street Theatre), As You Like It (Celia, Shelter Island Shakespeare Festival), Indian Summer (Izzy Rizzo, Bay Street Theatre), Into the Woods (Little Red, CMPAC), Pippin (Catherine, LIMTF), Hamlet (Ophelia, GW Shakespeare Company), and Little Women (Jo March, SFPA).  IG:@anna.francescaa