I’m a music director for improv, sketch, and musical theatre. This involves:
- playing piano
- writing songs and music
- building and operating sound design
- teaching songs and vocal coaching
- teaching skills of music improv and comedy songwriting
- improvising and keeping the show going!
Improv
My current regular groups are:
- RIFF – Chicago’s music improv party, playing every Saturday at 10pm at The Annoyance Theater
- ComedySportz Chicago – competitive short-form improv comedy, playing Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in Piper’s Alley.
- Chicago Magic Lounge – providing accompaniment for that venue’s Signature Shows while magicians do illusions I’m not capable of.
I’ve played with other groups like:
- Hitch*cocktails (narrative genre long-form)
- Storytown (musicals for kids)
- Frogprov (bilingual French-English short-form, as director and player)
- The Greatest Story Never Told (a story for and with kids)
- Anarchy (an improvised rock opera)
- and other indies!
Sketch
I’ve music directed, composed, and done sound design for these sketch groups:
- Second City Touring Companies, touring the United States and sailing on Norwegian Cruise Line
- the Second City Training Center Writing Program
- Dionysus Duck
- Legends in the Game
- Poisonous Zebras
- Supper Club
- Salsation Theatre Company
- and other indie groups!
Teaching
I used to regularly teach musical skills for improv and sketch at the Second City Training Center and the ComedySportz Chicago Training Center. Outside improv, I was a Composer and Teaching Artist in Chicago Opera Theater‘s education program.
I’ve also taught workshops at:
- The New Zealand Improv Festival (Wellington)
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Negaunee Music Institute
- ImproMafia (Brisbane)
- ComedySportz Philadelphia
- Improsaurus (Dunedin)
Musicals
I’ve been music director for musicals with these companies:
- The Annoyance Theater (Chicago)
- iO Chicago
- MCL Chicago
- Dream Big Performing Arts (Chicago)
- Windy City Performs (Chicago)
- Hot Pink Productions (Auckland and on tour)
- Short+Sweet (Auckland)
- Radio New Zealand Drama (Wellington)
- Tim Bray Productions (Auckland)
In some of these instances I also wrote the music. (See Composer.)
Former companies
Back when I lived in New Zealand I worked a lot with these improv companies:
- ConArtists (Auckland)
- Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT)
- The Improvisors (Wellington)
- The Court Jesters (Christchurch)
- Improsaurus (Dunedin)
Festivals I’ve done
I perpetually keep meaning to go back.
- Chicago Music Improv Festival (2019)
- Chicago Sketchfest (2016, 2018, 2019)
- New Zealand Improv Festival, at various times as Music Supervisor (Wellington, 2008-2014, 2017)
- Beat Weekend (Chicago, 2017)
- New York Music Improv Festival (2016)
- Premier Premieres (Chicago, 2015)
- Chicago Improv Festival (2013, 2015)
- NZ International Comedy Festival (Auckland & Wellington, regularly 2001-2014)
- NZ Fringe Festival (Wellington, regularly 2007-2014)
- Southside Arts Festival (Auckland, 2013)
- Seattle Festival of Improvisational Theatre (2013)
- Improvention (Canberra, 2012-2013)
- Dunedin Fringe Festival (2012)
- Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival (2010, 2012)
- Rotorua International Arts Festival (2011)
- Adelaide Fringe Festival (2010)
- Impro Melbourne Hallowe’en Classic (2009)
- Taranaki Arts Festival (2009)