Songs
Musical? Oh MY God! Music and Lyrics by Aiden Bell
Full company
Q2Qsical! The Q2Q Musical! music by Nick Bombicino, book and lyrics by DC Cathro
Dreaming Building: Erik Stefan Dunn Schneider
Prop Cat: Sarah Musicant
Depressed Depressed! music by D.D. Jackson, book and lyrics by Carl Kissin
It Could Happen to Me: Carl Kissin and David William Klak
The Songbirds a Folktale music and lyrics by Logan Geddes, book by Rhys Samuel Washington
Original Sin: Andrew Cekala
No Flowers: Giuliana Augello
First Father by John Verderber
Rescue Me: David William Klak
Might You Still Love Me Then: Grant Anderson
Clothing Optional music by Matthew Hayden and book/lyrics by Amanda McDowell and Meryl Gellman
Ode to a Brunch: Emma Smiler and Sivan Raz
Any Other Night: Meryl Gellman
Santa Santa! book music and lyrics by Aiden Bell
Elf Song: Samantha Cullifer
I Will find You: Sarah Musicant and David Pohler
The Cast
Grant Anderson is a performer, vocal technique teacher and performance coach residing in New York City. Currently, he is on the Voice Faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and Harlem School of the Arts. This is his first performance with Little Red Light Theatre. He is absolutely thrilled to step away from the voice studio for a moment to showcase these new works. Instagram: @antgranderson website: www.grantcharlesanderson.com
Giuliana Augello (she/her) is over the moon to be representing Songbirds at Little Red Light Theatre Company’s Fundraiser at Don’t Tell Mama’s. As a New-York based actor, she has been fortunate to work regionally, nationally, and in NYC. Favorite credits: Jesus Christ Superstar 50th Anniversary First National Tour, Bucks County Playhouse, Theatre Aspen, The Rev, Axelrod PAC, and Sharon Playhouse. Giuliana has been nominated for a Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Award, as well as a Broadway World Philadelphia Award. Syracuse University BFA MT 2021. Thanks to Rhys and Logan. All my love to Cole, my family (blood chosen), and PMA. Humbled & grateful. @giulianaaugello @nextstopcreatives
Andrew Cekala (he/him) is thrilled to be performing with such wonderful artists, showcasing exciting, original musical theater. Favorite credits include Heart of Robin Hood and Marie Antoinette (A.R.T), Empire Records (McCarter Theatre) Hair (Berkshire Theater), Beau (MTF at Playwrights Horizons), and Pippin (Original Broadway Revival Company). He is a graduate of the Musical Theatre program at the University of Michigan. Andrew is also a cellist and songwriter, with music on all streaming platforms. Joy! @andrewrcekala
Samantha Cullifer is a New York-based singer, actor, dancer and choreographer. She was previously seen in Little Red Light Theatre’s Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood and is thrilled to be back on the Little Red Light stage! New York Credits: Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood (Little Red Light Theatre), Legend of the Chalk Circle (Tier5 Theatre Company), The Rivals (Gallery Players). Regional Credits: The Sound of Music (Liesl), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Billie).
Meryl Gellman is a former opera singer with degrees from the Crane School of Music and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. As a performer, she has appeared in a variety of roles, including Lydia in the NYC premiere of The Rivals, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene, and Le Feu in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. Meryl is also the co-creator and lyricist of the original musical Clothing Optional and currently works as a Somatic Sex & Intimacy Coach in Brooklyn.
Carl Kissin performed more than 4000 shows for the renowned improv comedy troupe Chicago City Limits. He wrote book & lyrics for the musicals, “Depressed, Depressed,” “Alone World,” (Winner: best book, lyrics – West Village Musical Theatre Festival) and “Date of a Lifetime,” (Winner: Excellence in writing – lyrics – New York Musical Theatre Festival). He wrote and performed in “Jewish in an Hour” for last year’s Little Red Light Theatre benefit. Carl was in Oliver Stone’s movie Talk Radio and performed seven different characters at the Public Theatre in Eric Bogosian’s stage version. He is a 3-time winner of the Manhattan Monologue Slam and a cartoonist for the New Yorker. www.carlkissin.com
David William Klak, New York Theatre: The Wizard of Oz (The Actor’s Temple), Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood (Little Red Light Theatre), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Lenfest Center for the Arts). Regional: Spamalot, Fiddler on the Roof, Lend Me a Tenor, Hello, Dolly! (Woodstock Playhouse). Michigan born, David William Klak has been living in New York City the past two and a half years developing his career as an actor, singer, and nightlife entertainer. David was previously seen in Little Red Light Theatre’s workshop production of Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood as Calvin “Caftan” Carson and is very excited to be working with them once again.Instagram- @davidwilliamklak Website- davidwilliamklak.com
David C. Pohler (He/Him) – was last onstage with Little Red Light Theatre in Hello, Again but has since been seen around the city in Sunday in the Park with George, Anything Goes, Pirates of Penzance, and at 54 Below where he’s performed HAIR in concert. Favorite credits include Next to Normal, Hello, Dolly! and Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Vocal Performance from the University of Montevallo. David would like to thank his family, both given & “found” for all the love along the way! @dcpohlerbear
Sivan Raz is a magnetic actor, singer and award-winning director. A nuanced performer, their credits range from Off-Broadway (Theater Row, Playhouse 46) to international festivals (CCTA, NYC Fringe), with shows like Anti-Gone (Antigone), Two Noble Kinsmen (Dance Captain) and The Words Will Come (Sheila). As a director, they create unique sensory experiences with works such as Anti-Gone, Cyrano De Bergerac, The Wild Party (Lippa), God Of Carnage and podcasts like Shelterwood and SDITE. They are the founding Artistic Director of Needs More Work Productions, a spicy, bold and colorful theater company for a better tomorrow. Sivan has recently spoken at the 10th annual BroadwayCon. sivanraz.com
Erik Stefan Dunn Schneider (thequ33rartist) is a multi-hyphenate artist and content creator, a business owner, and professional adder of value. Born in the Midwest and living in Queens, he is indebted, in all of his love and artistry, to his fur baby Tessakat. He has the distinction of being the last Emcee of the Sam Mendes production of Cabaret, and his first published novel The Bremmyntown Rebellion, the first of the Bremmyntown Trilogy, is now available along with his other content, makeup artistry and styling skills at @stormegroup23 on insta and threads
Emma Smiler is an NYC-based actor, singer, and dancer. Emma is graduating from Marymount Manhattan College this May with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Arts Management. This semester she is interning for the International Girls Ensemble co-founded by one of the directors of this show, the incredible Amanda McDowall. This is her third time performing at Don’t Tell Mama and would like to thank Amanda, her voice teacher Grant Anderson, and the entire team:)
Sarah Musicant (they/them) is so excited to be exploring new works once again with Little Red Light Theatre! Their stage work includes Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood (Little Red Light Theatre), Macbeth (Hudson Classical Theater Company), Pride and Prejudice: The Musical (Connelly Theater), and They/Them/Theirs (Transformation Theater). Sarah is passionate about bringing new and diverse work to life and is always excited to explore fresh storytelling opportunities. Special thanks to their family, fiancé, and manager for their invaluable support and guidance. NYU Tisch
www.sarahmusicant.com @sarahmusicant
The Writers
Clothing Optional!
Matthew Hayden (music) is a New York City-based pianist and composer whose work bridges the Western classical and various popular music traditions. As a pianist, he has a deep affinity for the European concert repertoire and the American vernacular traditions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He has performed as both a soloist and accompanist in the U.S. and Europe. As a composer, he explores the intersection of European concert music and the popular musical traditions he loves most. His first musical, Clothing Optional, reflects this approach. Beyond music, Matthew has a successful career in anti-financial crime, helping financial institutions detect and combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
Amanda McDowall (book, lyrics) (She/Her) is a Queens native and New York City-based director and arts educator. She is the founder of International Girls Ensemble (IGE), an organization empowering young women globally through theater and storytelling. Amanda has taught and created theater worldwide through IGE, fostering self-expression and leadership. She is excited to co-direct this fundraiser for Little Red Light Theatre, celebrating new musicals, including Clothing Optional, the original musical she developed with Meryl Gellman and Matthew Hayden. Other directing credits include the documentary Dorothy, highlighting the legacy of Dorothy Maynor, and serving as associate director for Ginger Twinsies Off-Broadway this summer.
Meryl Gellman (book, lyrics) is a former opera singer with degrees from the Crane School of Music and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. As a performer, she has appeared in a variety of roles, including Lydia in the NYC premiere of The Rivals, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene, and Le Feu in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges. Meryl is also the co-creator and lyricist of the original musical Clothing Optional and currently works as a Somatic Sex & Intimacy Coach in Brooklyn.
Depressed Depressed! D.D. Jackson (music) is a 2x Emmy-winning (5x nominated) a (Canadian) Juno-winning jazz pianist/composer with 14 recordings featuring mostly original material as leader or co-leader (including 2 on the major label BMG); an award-winning educator (currently teaching Media Scoring at Fierstein’s Graduate School of Cinema, music tech at Jay-Z’s “Roc Nation” school at LIU Brooklyn and Screen Scoring at NYU); and a former writer for Down Beat magazine (where he wrote the column “Living Jazz” for several years). Current projects: A Canada Council-commissioned “Poetry Project” album featuring diverse poets from across Canada set to his music. ddjackson.com
Carl Kissin (Lyrics) performed more than 4000 shows for the renowned improv comedy troupe Chicago City Limits. He wrote book & lyrics for the musicals, “Depressed, Depressed,” “Alone World,” (Winner: best book, lyrics – West Village Musical Theatre Festival) and “Date of a Lifetime,” (Winner: Excellence in writing – lyrics – New York Musical Theatre Festival). He wrote and performed in “Jewish in an Hour” for last year’s Little Red Light Theatre benefit. Carl was in Oliver Stone’s movie Talk Radio and performed seven different characters at the Public Theatre in Eric Bogosian’s stage version. He is a 3-time winner of the Manhattan Monologue Slam and a cartoonist for the New Yorker. www.carlkissin.com
First Father
John Verderber (music, lyrics) is a theatre writer living in New York. Born in New York in 1992, his musical Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood saw a workshop production from Little Red Light Theatre in the autumn of 2024. His commentary and essays have proven as incisive as his work as a songwriter and dramatist, and besides being a multi-episode guest on the podcast Scene to Song, his prose has been seen in New York and Time Out magazines and Signature Theatre’s Everything Sondheim.
Musical? Oh MY God! Santa Santa!
Aiden Bell (Music/lyrics) Theatre as a performer, Hair European Tour, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Musical? Oh My God, Into the Woods, Fruediana, Chicago, La Cage Aux Folles. In England, Looney Tunes Live, Jesus Christ Superstar, Scrooge. Aiden lives in England.
The Songbirds a Folktale
Logan Geddes (music and lyrics) is a singer, songwriter, and actor from New Jersey. He is thrilled to be a part of an event that uplifts new musical voices! The Songbirds marks his musical composition/lyric debut after several years of working on ongoing independent music projects (keep an eye out!). Special thanks to his collaborator, Rhys Samuel Washington, as well as the Songbirds squad, his family, and Mitchell. BFA in Musical Theatre/Ithaca College. @logan.geddes @thesongbirds_musical
Rhys Samuel Washington (book) Festival and the L.B. Williams Playwriting Contest at New Circle Theatre Company, the descendant of the renowned Circle Repertory Company. Recently, Rhys recently participated in the inaugural Theatre Write Now cohort, a program dedicated to nurturing the work of early-career playwrights. His plays have been developed and showcased at Ithaca College, New Circle Theatre Company, Playground NY, and HB Studio. Washington (Librettist: The Songbirds) is a New York-based writer, actor, and lyricist with a BFA in Writing for Film, Television, and Emerging Media from Ithaca College. His play Lifetime Achievements and All The Shortcomings Thereafter was nominated for Best Short Play at the 2022 New York Theater
Q2Qsical the Q2Q Musical
Nick Bombicino (music) is an actor, musician, and playwright based in New York City. As a composer and arranger, his works have been performed by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, the New England Patriots, Three Miles Lost of Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges, and Spicy Witch Productions. Acting credits include: Off-Broadway – Delirium’s Daughters (The Clurman); NYC – Life is But A Dream and Merrily, Merrily (Spicy Witch Productions); Regional – Tomfoolery, Treasure Island (Lost Nation Theater); Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew (Adirondack Shakespeare Company); Film/TV – Curvy Girls Rock; Totally Patriots (2016); and in the UK: Hay Fever (Birmingham Repertory Theatre); We Are Three Sisters (The Old Joint Stock Theatre). Instagram: @nickbombicino
DC Cathro (book, lyrics) is a Chicago-based playwright, actor, and director from the Washington DC metropolitan area. His musical “Till,” written with award-winning composer Leo Schwartz, was one of three winners in the 2016 Main Street Musicals Festival, selected by Gregory Mosher, and was also accepted into the 2019 New York Musical Festival (NYMF). “The Book of Merman,” another musical written with Leo Schwartz, enjoyed a five-month run Off-Broadway. In 2014, he became the only playwright to have two shows in the Pride Films and Plays Festival in Chicago, IL; “Pen, A Musical” (with Schwartz) and the comedy “Family Holiday.” DC’s works have been read at theatres and festivals across the U.S. and U.K., including The William Inge Festival in Independence, Kansas, The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and St. Luke’s Theatre, Off-Broadway in New York City.
The Directors
Ashley En-fu Mathews Director , Ashley is a multi-hyphenate performer, director and theatre professional. Select performing credits include the Off Broadway revival & Las Vegas companies of Rock of Ages, Pacific Overtures (East West Players Los Angeles), Mamma Mia at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, Rock of Ages (Drayton Ent), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Drayton Ent), Miss Saigon (Macau), Disney’s Mulan (Tuacahn) and can be seen in the recent ad campaigns for Chicago The Musical on Broadway. TV/Film: Law & Order (NBC), Katy Keene (CW). She recently choreographed and assistant directed “Harry Reems Goes to Hollywood” for Little Red Light and has directed showcases for Let’s Broadway NYC. Canadian born and California raised Ashley now calls NYC home. As a proud 1st generation mixed Chinese/Taiwanese North American, Ashley is a passionate advocate for API and mixed-race representation and identity in theatre, as well as an activist for actor/performer empowerment and encourages industry wide change that will prioritize worker well-being, mental health, safety and empowerment in the creative workspace. She is a founding member of the recently launched New York Theater Company (NYTC), where she hopes to bring new and exciting developmental pieces to the city. Self-proclaimed Childless Cat Lady. @ashleyematthews
Sean Andrews
Musical Director Sean is a NY based music director/accompanist. He is frequently found playing auditions, masterclasses, rehearsals, and cabaret halls such as 54 Below and Green Room 42. Outside of NYC, he has worked at many regional theaters across the country including Stages St. Louis, Mac- Haydn Theatre and The Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Sean is currently on the music staff at Broadway Artists Alliance in NYC and is the resident Music Director at Nightingale Bamford, which inspired the school featured in Gossip Girl. An avid traveler, Sean was fortunate to be the onboard MD/Conductor for Royal Caribbean, working on productions such as Hairspray, Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You.
Amanda McDowall Associate Director is a Queens native and New York City-based director and arts educator. She is the founder of International Girls Ensemble (IGE), an organization empowering young women globally through theater and storytelling. Amanda has taught and created theater worldwide through IGE, fostering self-expression and leadership. She is excited to co-direct this fundraiser for Little Red Light Theatre, celebrating new musicals, including Clothing Optional, the original musical she developed with Meryl Gellman and Matthew Hayden. Other directing credits include the documentary Dorothy, highlighting the legacy of Dorothy Maynor, and serving as associate director for Ginger Twinsies Off-Broadway this summer.