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Harvey Kahl-Music Director, works
with Sonka Dukureh in early rehearsals.
More Behind The Scenes
The Creative
Team
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The Production Staff
of Respect, A Musical Journey of Women
William Franzblau (Executive Producer)
Mr. Franzblau produced the TONY-Nominated Best Play of 2003, SAY GOODNIGHT
GRACIE. Co-produced the touring version of the Broadway hit, BEATLEMANIA.
Executive Producer of three tours of the Moscow Circus and CBS LIVE, Off-Broadway.
Co-produced two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles productions in addition to marketing
their records and live videos. In 1999 he was the CEO of Katrix a high end
computer animation company and produced Disney’s Virtual Reality Theme
Park attraction RIDE THE COMIX. He has also managed several multi-platinum
international rock acts. Mr. Franzblau is currently producing the international
hit comedy Robert Dubac’s The Male Intellect: an oxymoron?, NY’s
longest running comedy, JEWTOPIA and EVIL DEAD the Musical in NYC.
Jay Harris (Producer)
Mr. Harris has produced plays in 20 cities in the United States, Canada, as
well as England and Scotland. In his home state of Florida, his productions
have 73 award nominations- winning 23.His New York City productions, Say
Goodnight Gracie, American Rhapsody, Jewtopia, Evil Dead, Sophie, Totie and
Belle and Bump have been nominated or won; A Tony Nomination, Outer Critics
Circle Award, Best in Touring Broadway Award, MAC Award, (2) Lucille Lortel
Nominations, (3) Drama Desk Nominations. London Productions include: Sunday
in the Park with George, Life in the Theater, Anna in the Tropics, Fool for
Love, Oleanna, Mary Stuart, Some Girls - Productions garneted (12) Olivier
Nominations: (2) Evening Standard Nominations: (1) Evening Standard Award:
(2) What’s On Stage Nominations: Critics Circle Nomination; Time Out
Life Award.
Timothy Graphenreed (Musical Arrangements)
(Composer, Lyricist, Author, Musical Director, Vocal Arranger, Dance Arranger,
Orchestrator, Musical Supervisor, Vocal Coach, Concert and Show Pianist,
Show Conceptualist) is best known for composing The Tornado, The Funky Monkey,
and Emerald City Ballet in the Mega Broadway hit “The Wiz”. As
this Biography will attest, he is a very talented individual who delights
in finding and conquering new musical challenges.
He is a member of ASCAP and has worked with several
multi-talented Directors/Choreographers including Michael Peters,
Maurice Hines, Pat Birch, Ed Love, Hinton Battle, Louis Johnson,
Debbie Allen, Ted Sod, Henry Tetang, Mercedes Ellington, Otis Sallid
and of course, Tony Award winning George Faison. He has also worked
with and done arrangements for several Notables including the late
Gregory Hines; Bill Cosby; Jennifer Holiday; Phylicia Rashad; Jeff
Goldblum; Robert Downey, Jr.; Obba Babatunde; Maya Angelou; Arnetia
Walker; Jasmine Guy; Martha Plimpton; Valerie Simpson; Darlene Love;
LaChanze; Robert Townsend; Morgan Freeman; Charles Strouse; Carol
Channing; Marty Passeta; Peter Marshall; Suzzanne Douglas; Ben Vereen;
Dick Scott; Jennifer Lewis; Melba Moore; Lalo Shriffin; Nick Ashford;
Peobo Bryson and Patti Austin to name a few.
He has written arrangements for several corporations
including Ford, Krizia by KM, L’Oreal, Essence Magazine, CBS,
Rai Uno, Panasonic, PBS, Coca Cola “100 years of Coca Cola”,
and Lincoln Mercury. His list of theatrical and Broadway credits
includes Musical Direction, Composition, Vocal and/or Dance Arrangements & Orchestrations
for "The Wiz", "Comin' Uptown", "Sing Mahailia
Sing", "Leader Of The Pack", “Mooney Shapiro
Songbook”, "To Sir With Love", “Bona Fortuna” starring
Gene Anthony Ray, "Pride And Joy", "The Apollo....
It Was Just Like Magic", "American Passion", "Golden
Boy", "Smokey Joe’s Cafe", and "Come On
And Hear!" [A New Irving Berlin Musical]. In addition, Timothy
wrote and arranged a few productions numbers for the “Essence
Awards”; arranged several numbers for the “Liberty Weekend
Celebration” starring Shirley MaClaine and the late Gene Kelly.
He was also the Dance Arranger for Mercedes Ellington’s “Twist”.
Other credits include, Principal Performing Pianist for Jewell Jackson
McCabe’s annual “Candace Awards” for 4 years, which
was a prototype for the “Essence Awards”; Conductor for
a Revival of “The Wiz”, again starring Stephanie Mills
that toured the country in ‘93; Musical Director for Ms. Lillias
White, winner of the TONY award for “The Life”. As a
concert/show pianist, he performed at the reopening of Maxim’s
in NY and in the Ethel Barrymore Room at the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia
with Ms. White, and worked with Christie Brinkley, and Ms. White,
on the premier of “Believe”, Christie’s new perfume.
In 2001 he recorded a CD with Miss White, “From Brooklyn to
Broadway” at Arci’s Place in Manhattan, on which he performed,
musically directed, arranged and wrote the Theme Song.
In 1995, Mr. Graphenreed received an individual project
grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, Opera Musical Theater
Program for his work on the new musical, “Storm Warning”,
by Saundra McClain and Donna Lynn Burns, which was presented at the
ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop with Stephen Schwartz.
In 1997, he was the Dance Arranger/ Orchestrator for
Maurice Hines’ “B’way Soul Jam” which premiered
in The Netherlands. He arranged and orchestrated an Opening Production
Number choreographed by Mr. Hines for the Rockettes in Las Vegas,
and was Musical Director/Arranger/Orchestrator for a presentation
of Mr. Hines’ Tribute to the great French composer Charles
Aznavour “Sketches of Life”.
In 1999, he composed some songs and was the Arranger/Orchestrator
for the new musical, “Mating Habits Of The Urban Mammal” by
Michael Leeds, who directed and choreographed “Swinging On
A Star” for B’way. In June 1999, Mr. Graphenreed premiered
his original Musical “Wake Up Alan!”, which was his gender
bending interpretation of “Alice in Wonderland”. He was
Composer/ Arranger for the Henry Street Settlement Production of “Don’t
See My Bones And Think I’m Dead”, a show written by several
students in the Drama Program of the Urban Youth Theater.
Mr. Graphenreed co-directed, choreographed, arranged
and orchestrated the first ever "J. P. Morgan’s A Night
of Cabaret” produced by Donna Lynn Burns in October of 2000,
which raised $8,400 for the AMAS Musical Theatre program. That same
year, he premiered an evening of “Radio-friendly” Music,
Drama and Comedy entitled “Woman of The World” starring
Virginia Woodruff as Diva V., directed and choreographed by Mr. Hines,
with Book by Mr. Lee Summers. He served as Dance Arranger for the
workshop production of “The Mancini Project” based on
the music of Henry Mancini directed by Otis Sallid.
Mr. Graphenreed composed, arranged and performed in Regina Taylor’s “Night
in Tunisia” at George Street Playhouse with Suzzanne Douglas and Cheryl
Freeman.
In 2003 he served as Musical Director/Arranger/Pianist
for “Surviving the Rhythm and Blues of Life” at Aaron
Davis Hall.
He was Musical Director for both versions of D.D. Verni and Hinton Battle's "The
Bronx Casket Company". He did the Dance Arrangements/ Orchestrations and
some song Arrangements for Debbie Allen’s “Beehive for Broadway” which
has been re-titled “Girl Group Time Travelers”.
His list of growing accomplishments on the Island of
St. Croix include:
- Director/Stager/Co Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist/Arranger/
Orchestrator/Musical Director for “Remember Where
You Come From”, which told the tale of the Queens
of St. Croix being brought back to help the youth of today.
- Director/Stager/Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist/
Arranger/Orchestrator/Musical Director for Virgin Island Storm, a island
flavored music group, that included members of the St. Croix Educational
Complex and UVI, that performed all over St. Croix.
- Vocal and Music Arranger/Orchestrator/Vocal
Coach/Additional Lyric Writer for Francillia Benjamin in
the Miss St. Croix Pageant 2006. Francillia won the Pageant.
- Artistic Director/Stager/Vocal Coach
for the tremendously successful Country Day School production
of “Seussical”.
- Director/Stager/Bookwriter/Composer/Lyricist/
Arranger/Orchestrator/Musical Director for “Yesterday’s Dreamers,
Tomorrow’s Stars”, a story of how an optimistic newly rich kid
from Iowa changes the lives of some Crucian youth. Together they find a bond
and pledge to change the lives of as many youth as they can, starting with
the youth of St. Croix. It is a moral story, which focuses on the history,
present, future and survival of St. Croix. The Pop Score includes musical
styles from the Caribbean including Quelbe and Calypso.
Upcoming events /projects include:
- World Premier of “Yo, Alice!”,
a new Hip-Hop/ Pop/ R&B Broadway Musical with Music
and Lyrics by Timothy Graphenreed and Lee Summers, and
Arrangements and Orchestrations by Mr. Graphenreed.
- The Premier of his musical “CherriSoul”,
which is the story of the calorie-challenged woman, Cherri
Lancaster, who shows the world that is it the Size of the
Talent that matters.
- Also he has just put the finishing touches
on “What Are You Doing With Your Life?”, a
contemporary musical about a little girl who tries to save
her family, when they get lost in the world of hard drugs
and alcohol, in their ferocious pursuit of the American
Dream.
- He is also Vocal Coach for Yadah, a
Gospel group featuring his daughter and 4 other extremely
talented singers from the DC area that be performed through
out Italy in 2005.
- One of the most enjoyable projects
in recent years is his participation as Composer/ Lyricist/
Arranger/ Orchestrater, in “The Holiday Bunch”,
which is a Rap/ Pop/ R&B group started by some members
of his family. The Concept is that they perform songs about
the Holidays done in fun and unique ways. He is presently
working on a Musical based on the group. "The Holiday
Bunch" will be the story about a Kid’s Club,
The We Hate Holidays Club that was formed because all they
see is that bad things happen and people act crazy on Holidays.
They meet the Holiday Bunch, who they unwittingly summon
from HolidayLand, as the Kids seriously sing about having
no more Holidays. After the two groups meet they form a
bond as they explore ways to get the tradition of celebrating
Holidays back on course. He has chosen the young children
and young adults of St. Croix to be the first cast to perform
it.
- And finally Mr. Graphenreed has the
distinct pleasure of having done vocal arrangements for
Four African American TONY Awards winners including Lillias
White, who won for best featured actress in a musical for "The
Life", Hinton Battle who is a triple TONY award winner,
Adriane Lenox, who won for best featured actress in a Play
for "Doubt" and LaChanze, who trained with him
to get her first Broadway show, "Once On This Island" and
last year won the TONY for best lead actress in a musical
for "The Color Purple".
Dana Gamarra (Stage Manager)
Dana has been blessed to be doing theatre for more than 20 years without muttering
the words, “Would you like that super-sized?” But seriously,
folks, Dana would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting
the arts. He would like to dedicate his work to Karen, Katalyn, Natalie,
and last but not least, in loving memory to his grandmother, Dolly Blair
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