Creatives
Thomas Meehan
Book by
Thomas Meehan (Book) received the Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers in 2001 and in 2003 for co-writing the book for Hairspray. He received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and has written the books for the musicals Rocky, Elf the Musical, Cry-Baby, Young Frankenstein, Chaplin, Bombay Dreams, I Remember Mama, Ain’t Broadway Grand and Annie Warbucks. In addition, he was a long-time contributor of humor to The New Yorker, an Emmy-Award winning writer of television comedy, and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs and To Be Or Not To Be. Mr. Meehan was also a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild. He and his wife, Carolyn, divided their time between a home in Nantucket and an apartment in Greenwich Village, near which, on Hudson Street, she owned and presided over the long-running and near-legendary children’s store Peanut Butter & Jane.
Charles Strouse
Music by
A long-standing member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in January 2002, an inductee into The Theater Hall of Fame, Charles Strouse’s first Broadway musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE (1960), won him a Tony® Award and the London Critics Best Foreign Musical Award. In 1970, APPLAUSE, starring Lauren Bacall, achieved the same honors and his smash hit, ANNIE (1977), also won a Tony® for Best Score as well as two Grammy Awards®. Some of his other musicals include ALL AMERICAN, GOLDEN BOY (starring Sammy Davis Jr.), IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S SUPERMAN, I AND ALBERT, directed in London by John Schlesinger, and DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER, written with Alan Jay Lerner. CHARLIE & ALGERNON won a 1981 Tony® nomination for Best Score, as did RAGS in 1987 and NICK AND NORA in 1992. He wrote both the music and lyrics for off-Broadway’s MAYOR, and teamed again with Martin Charnin to create ANNIE WARBUCKS, the sequel to ANNIE. His film scores include BONNIE & CLYDE, THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY’S, and ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN. Those Were The Days,” the theme song for TV’s ALL IN THE FAMILY is a Strouse song, with lyrics by his most frequent collaborator, Lee Adams. Born Too Late”, a 1958 pop song written with Fred Tobias, was a top-10 BILLBOARD chart hit and is still heard on many oldies stations. The quadruple platinum album title song by Jay-Z, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”, won the 1999 Grammy for the best Rap album, charted for more than a year and won the BILLBOARD 1998 R&B Album of the Year Award. Strouse’s far-ranging talents include chamber and orchestral works, a piano concerto, a two-piano sonata, and operas. His latest choral work, The Child In Us All”, premiered in Spring, 2000. NIGHTINGALE, an opera based on the Hans Christian Andersen story for which he wrote music, book and lyrics, was recorded by Sarah Brightman. Strouse was commissioned in 2001 to write CONCERTO AMERICA for the pianist Jeffrey Biegel. The work premiered in June 2002 with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall. Charles Strouse created the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, where he encouraged the talents of countless young composers, writers and performers. In 1999, Strouse received the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award for Career Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre. In December, 1995, a tv reinterpretation of the classic BYE BYE BIRDIE (starring Jason Alexander and pop-star Vanessa Williams) aired on ABC-TV. The 1995/96 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics was given to the new song written for and performed by Vanessa Williams: Let’s Settle Down”. Another tv interpretation in 1999, ANNIE, aired on ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney, swept the ratings by winning over 40 million viewers, won the 1999 Peabody Award and 2 Emmy Awards. The show starred Kathy Bates, Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, Andrea McArdle and Alicia Morton as Annie and ranked #1 as movie of the year. A revised GOLDEN BOY was produced by the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven (November, 2000); and the ENCORES! Series presented the show in March, 2002. Future projects: GOLDEN BOY will be performed at the Greenwich Theatre in England in June, 2003. THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY’S, which Charles Strouse originally scored for film, has been turned into a full-length musical. The Broadway-bound version has a book by the late Michael Okrent and Evan Hunter, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. The Manhattan Theatre Club has scheduled the show for its 2003-04 season. An adaptation of the Paddy Chayevsky film MARTY, had a successful regional theatre run at Huntington Theatre in Boston in September, 2002. The show reunites Strouse with Lee Adams as lyricist; the book is by Rupert Holmes. John C Reilly starred in the Huntington production and will later again star when the show comes to Broadway next season.
Martin Charnin
Lyrics by
Martin Charnin created the role of Big Deal in the original Broadway company of West Side Story in 1957, the only acting job he ever had. He began writing during West Side Story and his first collaborator was Mary Rodgers.
He was subsequently the director, lyricist, composer, librettist, producer or a combination of the aforementioned, for over 140 theatrical productions, including Annie, Annie Warbucks, the Rock Opera version of Joan of Arc, Mata Hari, Loose Lips, Star-Crossed, Sid Caesar and Company, Carnal Knowledge, In Persons starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, The Flowering Peach, Winchell, the revised Can Can by Cole Porter (for which he wrote a new libretto), Cafe Crown, Mike, Laughing Matters, The No Frills Revue, The First, On the Swing Shift, A Little Family Business, Upstairs at O’Neals, The National Lampoon Show, Lena Horne on Broadway, I Remember Mama, Hot Spot, Zenda, Put It In Writing, Fallout, Kaleidoscope, Ballad For A Firing Squad, La Strada, Nash at Nine, Music Music, Two by Two, And in London, Bar Mitzvah Boy, Bless the Bride, The 9 1/2 Quid Revue, and internationally and regionally, 17 productions of Annie.
In the 60’s and 70’s he turned to Television and created 7 specials that garnered over 15 Emmy Awards, and the Peabody Award for Broadcasting.
His collaborators included Peter Allen, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Keith Levenson, Michael Danziker, Peter Sipos, Mary Rodgers, Marvin Hamlisch, Richard Rodgers, and Charles Strouse.
He wrote for and directed among others, Fred Astaire, Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, Lena Horne, Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury, Johnny Mathis, Bill Murray,Jon Stewart, Bebe Neuwirth, Bernadette Peters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gilda Radner, Molly Ringwald, Chita Rivera, Lou Reed, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Joan Rivers, Chuck D., Phoebe Snow, Shirley MacLaine, Marlo Thomas, Julianne Moore, Martha Plimpton, and Barbra Streisand.
Charnin was the artistic director of Seattle’s Showtunes for 7 years, before moving back to New York for the 4th incarnation of Annie on Broadway. He also created a one woman theatrical entertainment for his wife, Broadway and television star Shelly Burch.
Kenneth Foy
Scenery by
Kenneth Foy designed the Houston Grand Opera’s acclaimed multi-media productions of Carmen, Madama Butterfly, Pagliacci, and A Little Night Music, as well as Porgy and Bess at La Scala in Milan. He also designed international touring productions of The Sound of Music and The King and I and the American Opera Center productions of Xerxes and Regina. Foy’s credits include Broadway productions of Candida, starring Joanne Woodward, Macbeth with Nicol Williamson, the David Merrick production of Oh, Kay!, a revival of Annie, An Evening With Jerry Herman, the Tyne Daly revival Gypsy, directed by Arthur Laurents, and Dame Edna: The Royal Tour. He was represented in London with the West End production of Annie and the English National Theatre production of The Syringa Tree, which he also designed Off Broadway.
Foy provided art direction for the Emmy winning Pulitzer Prize documentary, Moment of Impact, Annie in Australia, sets for Radio City Music Hall, theme park events for Busch Gardens and Six Flags, and video animation for The Mariah Carey Charm Bracelet Tour. He also served as production designer for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Foy designed national tours of My Fair Lady, Bombay Dreams, Doctor Dolittle, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, and the world premiere productions of Disney’s High School Musical, and High School Musical 2, which he also designed for London’s West End. He was a member of the scenic department of the Metropolitan Opera for 25 years. He was among the first designers in the scenic industry to employ computer generated technology.
Kenneth Foy died on February 25 2014.
Kristian Fredrikson
Costumes by
Kristian Fredrikson was one of Australia’s most experienced and highly regarded designers. His award-winning designs were featured in productions for opera, drama, ballet, 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, film and television.
Kristian’s credits include groundbreaking works for the Australian Ballet (Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelia and The Nutcracker) Opera Australia (Norma, Turandot, The Merry Widow and Salome), Western Australian Opera (AlbertHerring), The Royal New Zealand Ballet (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol), South Australian Opera (Verdi’s Macbeth), Houston Ballet (Swan Lake, The Tales of Texas triple bill entitled Pecos Bill) the Sydney Dance Company (King Roger and Body of Work) and Sydney Theatre Company (Macbeth, The School for Scandal, A Doll’s House and Hedda Gabler starring Cate Blanchett and which transferred to New York in 2006). Kristian’s film and television credits include Undercover, Vietnam, Dirtwater Dynasty, Sky Pirates, Short Changed, The Shiralee and Mao’s Last Dancer (set and costumes from Opera Australia’s Swan Lake).
With Graeme Murphy, Kristian designed and created the scenarios of the Australian Ballet/Sydney Dance Company co-production Tivoli and the highly acclaimed production of Swan Lake for the Australian Ballet.
Before his death in 2005 Kristian won 4 Erik Design Awards, 6 Green Room Awards, 2003 Helpmann Award (Swan Lake), 1983 AFI Award (Undercover) and 1999 Australian Dance Award – Services to Dance.
Gavan Swift
Lighting Design by
Gavan Swift is a multi award-winning lighting designer. He graduated from Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in 1994. His musical lighting designs include Mamma Mia!, Heathers the Musical, Mack & Mabel, The Mikado, The Pirates Of Penzance, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweet Charity, Fiddler on the Roof, Jolson, Buddy, Oh What A Night, Footloose, Hair, Xanadu, Chess, Carousel, Follies and Saturday Night Fever both in Australia and on London’s West End. Gavan was the lighting designer for Moby Dick at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, LA Opera, and The Dallas Opera.
He has designed the lighting for The Production Company’s Anything Goes, Sugar (Some Like It Hot), The Music Man, Hair, Mack & Mabel, The Pirates of Penzance, Thoroughly Modern Millie and their inaugural production of Mame. For the State Theatre Company of South Australia his designs include Three Sisters (co-set designer), King Lear and Hamlet. For Bell Shakespeare; The Winter’s Tale, Pericles and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He also designed the lighting for the award-winning Victorian Opera production of Salome, and La Rondine. Gavan has also designed lighting for productions at the Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, The Ensemble Theatre, and Opera Australia. Gavan was the Associate Lighting Designer for the Australian productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Cabaret, The Full Monty, Chicago, High School Musical, A Chorus Line, South Pacific, The Lord of the Rings, Wicked, Frozen, An American In Paris, 9 to 5, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hairspray, Jesus Christ Superstar, Beauty & the Beast, Moulin Rouge and The Lion King; as well as the London production of A Chorus Line, the Japanese production of Beauty and the Beast, plus the Mexican production of Wicked.
Craig Wilkinson
Projection Design by
Craig Wilkinson APDG is a multi-award-winning Live Performance Video Designer and the Creative Director of optikal bloc.
Video Design credits include: Dracula (Sydney Theatre Company), Trent Dalton’s Love Stories (Brisbane Festival / QPAC), Boy Swallows Universe (Queensland Theatre / Brisbane Festival / QPAC), Frankenstein, James and the Giant Peach, Fourthcoming, Fantastic Mr Fox, A Christmas Carol, Green Day’s American Idiot, Wuthering Heights, 1984 (Shake & Stir Theatre Co), Grease The Musical – 2024/2025 national tour (John Frost for Crossroads Live), Shaun The Sheep’s Circus Show (CiRCA / Aardman Animation), Round The Twist The Musical (Queensland Theatre / QPAC), First Casualty, The Mountaintop, Gasp! (Queensland Theatre), Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, My Brilliant Career (Queensland Ballet), Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs (Broadway Entertainment Group), Jersey Boys, The Wizard of Oz – In Concert, Singin’ in the Rain – In Concert (Prospero Arts / QPAC), Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical (David Venn Enterprises), The Mystery of Valkyrie (Woodward Productions), Avoidable Perils (Counterpilot), Let’s Be Friends Furever, I’ve Been Meaning To Ask You (The Good Room / Brisbane Festival), Prize Fighter, Pale Blue Dot (La Boite Theatre), One The Bear (Black Honey Company / La Boite / Campbelltown Arts Centre), Snapshot (Polytoxic), Frank & Fearless, The Night Parrot, Help Is On It’s Way, Voices of Remembrance, One Hundred and One Years (Queensland Music Festival), Seven Sisters Songline (HHO Events for the Canberra Centenary), Terror Australis (Leah Shelton), Viva Spectacular, Cyber Illusion Spectacular (Aerial Angels Australia / Ocean Park Hong Kong).
As Australian and New Zealand Associate Video Designer: Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical (TEG Dainty)
As a video producer, Craig has created video marketing campaigns for companies such as Sydney Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre, Shake & Stir Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre and Brisbane Festival.
Michael Waters
Sound Design by
Original sound designs: Musicals and Plays include: Jesus Christ Superstar, The Odd Couple, Grease, Mamma Mia!, Cinderella, Muriel’s Wedding, FANGIRLS, Hairspray, Shrek, The Woman In Black, My Fair Lady, Barnum, The Boy From Oz, Hugh Jackman’s Broadway to Oz, Doctor Zhivago, Saturday Night Fever, The Tap Pack (US Tour 2020), Fiddler On The Roof, Dream Lover, Annie The Musical, David Campbell’s Wild With Style, Chess, Bran Nue Dae, The King And I, Anything Goes, The Time Machine, Ladies In Black, Atomic (Sydney & Off Broadway), Anthony Warlow with Faith Prince, We Will Rock You, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert and Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage.
Operas include Siegried and Roy-The Unauthorised Opera, The Rabbits, Dead Man Walking, Orpheus In The Underworld, and Plácido Domingo & Katherine Jenkins in Concert among others.
Awards for Best Sound Design include: Helpmann Awards; Muriel’s Wedding, The King And I, The Woman In Black; Dusty – The Original Pop Diva; Green Room Awards; My Fair Lady, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage; Broadway World Sydney Awards: FANGIRLS; DAPA Awards (Italy): Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
As Associate Sound Designer: Beauty and The Beast, Hamilton, The Lion King, Aladdin, Frozen, and Jagged Little Pill among others.
Adrian Storey
Executive Producer
Adrian’s career has seen him work with the best theatre practitioners around the globe in various forms, initially through Company/Stage Management, General Management and then as a significant Producer in his own right.
Graduating with a BA(Hons) in Public Administration and a post-graduate diploma in Stage Management, Adrian toured extensively throughout the UK (regional and West End), USA, Israel, India and Australia. He is honoured to have worked with Sonia Friedman Productions (Harry Potter & the Cursed Child), Playful Productions (Wicked) and continues a long-standing relationship with the Ambassador Theatre Group, Michael Cassel Group, Crossroads Live, Opera Australia & Tim Lawson Enterprises. Adrian has worked in all styles of theatre, from Shakespeare plays to Musicals, which include acclaimed productions of: ‘The Cherry Orchard’, ‘Suddenly Last Summer’, ‘Hedda Gabler’, ‘A Servant to Two Masters’, ‘Humble Boy’, ‘Afterplay’, ‘Sexual Perversity in Chicago’, ‘Arms and The Man’, ‘Kiss Me Kate’, ‘By the Bog of Cats’, ‘Ragtime’, ‘Macbeth’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Blue Man Group’. Working with some of the world’s most prolific or high-profile performers such as Eric Sykes, Peter Bowles, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith, Holly Hunter, John Hurt, Matthew Perry, Minnie Driver & Hank Azaria.
After relocating to Australia in 2008, Adrian has quickly become a major player on the national arts scene, working on the blockbuster musicals, ‘Jersey Boys’, ‘Hairspray (2010 & 2022)’, ‘A Chorus Line’, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, ‘South Pacific’, ‘The King & I’, ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Magic Mike Live’, “Grease’ & ‘Annie’.
Adrian also owns and operates a boutique commercial theatrical company StoreyBoard Entertainment created to produce works rarely seen in Australia for audiences who demand breathtaking, original, and exciting theatre. This ethos has already seen results following a successful workshop of ‘Our House- the madness musical’; the first professional production ‘Follies – in concert’ staged in 2017 and more recently in 2019 with ‘Barnum’ starring Todd McKenney & Rachael Beck. Both ‘Follies’ & ‘Barnum’ were critical and commercial successes using celebrated Australian creatives. More recently the company invested in the London production of ‘Be More Chill’ at The Other Palace & ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ on Broadway starring Billy Crystal. 2020’s scheduled production of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ starring Lachy Hulme (Offspring, Romper Stomper, Beaconsfield) was due to open at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne but closed due to the covid-19 pandemic. ‘Chess the musical’ starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Paulini & Rob Mills, toured Australia in 2021 playing to sell-out audiences in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’ starring Hugh Sheridan was another commercial success and thrilled audiences in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in autumn of 2023.
StoreyBoard Entertainment also acts as a general management company and was awarded contracts for ‘Cirque Stratosphere’ in 2019, from the creators of ‘The Illusionists’ and ‘Cirque 1903’; and ‘Fiddler on The Roof’ (In Yiddish with English surtitles)” for John Frost and Opera Australia in 2020. Adrian was General Manager on ‘Magic Mike Live – Australia’ for MML Worldwide & Crossroads Live and is an Executive Producer for Crossroads Live Australia.
Stuart Johnston – TDM
Technical Director
Stuart Johnston has had a career in Australian theatre spanning 18 years and is the owner and CEO of Theatre Safe Australia (TSA) and its subsidiary companies. Operating through TSA Stuart has been involved with Australian productions of Moulin Rouge!, Hamilton, Mary Poppins, Hairspray, Phantom of the Opera, & Juliet, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 9 to 5, Jagged Little Pill and Wicked, as well as international productions of Moulin Rouge! (Germany/Korea) and HadesTown. Recently Stuart has filled the Technical Director position for the Australian tour of Beauty & the Beast, the Singapore production of Frozen the Musical for Disney Australia and Grease the musical for Crossroads Live.
Trudy Dunn
Resident Director
Trudy began as a performer in Perth working on shows such as The Sentimental Bloke, Company, Barnum and On The Wallaby. She worked with the Midnite Youth Theatre Company initially as their Artist-in-Residence moving on to become a production manager, choreographer and director. In these roles, Trudy travelled to the UK, Canada and Singapore. She has worked extensively as an educator including teaching for WAAPA’s Diploma of Acting. Trudy directed Maverick Newman in Conversation at the Hayes, Urinetown for the Victorian College of the Arts, Malacañang/Montgomery for the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Cybec Electric program, as well as Guys and Dolls for Antipodes Theatre Company for which she was nominated for a Green Room Award. Through Antipodes Arts‘ Winter Labs Trudy has helped to develop new Australian works as well as operating as an independent dramaturg. Trudy is a contributing creative for a new Australian musical, One Day in September, directing its workshop developments in Sydney and Melbourne. Trudy was the Resident Director for Storeyboard Entertainment’s Tick Tick Boom! and most recently for Crossroad Live’s Grease. Trudy grew up in a theatrical family and both her children pursue careers in the performing arts. She is married to a VERY understanding teacher.
David Piper
Musical Director
David Piper is a graduate of the University of Sydney (Bachelor of Music).
As a musical director, pianist, composer and educator, David has been at the forefront of the industry in Australia for over 30 years. A classically trained pianist, he achieved early success as a national finalist in the ABC Young Performers’ Award, until he found a home in musical theatre.
David has been Musical Director for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (GFO/Crossroads), Beautiful, Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical (Matt Ward Entertainment)), for the acclaimed national tour of Chess (Storeyboard). He was also Musical Director for The Production Company on Chess (Green Room Award nomination), and The Boyfriend. He was MD for the original Australian tour of The Boy From Oz, for the Gold Coast Arts Centre on Jesus Christ Superstar, Miss Saigon and Mary Poppins, and for Playking and National Theatre of China on Cho Cho. He worked for VCA as Music Director on Company and A Chorus Line. He has been Associate Musical Director for Fiddler On The Roof, (Lawson), Once, (MTC/GFO), Legally Blonde The Musical (Ambassador) Mary Poppins (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh), Wicked, (GFO) and Annie (GFO). He has been Assistant Musical Director for Hugh Jackman The Boy From Oz Arena, (Gannon/Fox), Mamma Mia, (Dainty) We Will Rock You (Michael Koppel), Miss Saigon (Louise Withers and Assoc), Crazy For You (GFO) and Into The Woods. As a repetiteur/vocal coach and pianist he has worked on Carousel in Concert, (Enda Markey), Titanic, (Marollo), Priscilla Queen of the Desert, (Cassell), My Fair Lady, (Opera Australia), Aladdin (Disney), Strictly Ballroom, (Bazmark), Sunset Boulevard, Oklahoma!, Aspects of Love (Really Useful Group), West Side Story (VSO), Scrooge the Musical, The Pirates of Penzance (EssGee), Chicago (IMG), Show Boat and for the ABC with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He has also worked as Musical Director for Magnormos Productions and for Federation University Performing Arts Faculty. He has written music for P.E. The Musical (Malthouse) and Alice Through A Looking Glass Darkly (Phoenix Theatre) and has been a faculty member of the Bachelor of Music Theatre Course at AIM and works casually at VCA, APO Arts Academy and Associated Studios Australia.
Mitchell Woodcock
Choreography by
Helpmann Award-winning choreographer Mitchell Woodcock is one of Australia’s most sought-after creative directors, renowned for his extensive work in entertainment. Mitchell choreographed the Paper Dolls series for Paramount+ and directed campaigns for Australian productions including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Saturday Night Fever, Chicago, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He has also served as a creative director and choreographer on Australian Idol, The Voice, TikTok Awards, and major events such as the ICC T20 World Cup Opening Ceremony and FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony.
As the founder of New Ground Collective, Mitch has created performances for over 50 national and international artists, including Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora, Adam Lambert and Meghan Trainor, with his work featured on the ARIA Awards, Dancing with the Stars, Australia’s Got Talent and Logie Awards.
Mitch became the youngest choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance Australia, which led to him choreographing Saturday Night Fever, earning him a Helpmann Award for Best Choreography. In fashion, he has collaborated with prestigious brands like Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Karl Lagerfeld and Dior.
As a performer, Mitchell debuted in West Side Story at 17 and toured internationally with musicals such as Wicked, Chicago, Dirty Dancing, Kinky Boots, Guys & Dolls and was the resident choreographer for Pippin.
Mitchell recently wrote, directed, and choreographed Lassù, a spiegeltent show thatpremiered at the Perth Fringe Festival. He also choreographed Elf The Musical, which played at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.
In 2024, Mitchell was proud to launch Co-Lab Quarters, a brand new creative space in Newtown designed to support and connect industry performers.
Karen Johnson Mortimer
Directed by
Karen began her professional career at the age of 15 in Anything Goes starring Toni Lamond. As a performer, Karen played Cassie in the original Australian production of A Chorus Line and appeared in Company, Conquest of Carmen Miranda, Dames at Sea, Kiss Me Kate, No No Nanette, Irene as well as GFO productions Cabaret and Footloose. Throughout the 80’s Karen was a regular solo guest artist on The Don Lane Show and The Mike Walsh Show.
Karen’s choreographic credits include Turns starring Reg Livermore and Nancye Hayes, Grease-The Mega Musical (GFO), Stones In His Pockets (STC), Leader of The Pack – The Ellie Greenwich Musical (Star City), Anzac Military Tattoo (Acer Arena) and Opening Ceremonies for numerous Bledisloe Cups, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as well as The World Swimming Championships (Melb 2008) and the Helpmann Awards in 2007. Karen was honoured to be part of the Creative team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics as choreographer for Tin Symphony in the Opening Ceremony and two sections of the Closing Ceremony. She also choreographed the Gold Medallists Gymnastic Gala- 2000 Sydney Olympics (NBC-USA), For the Sydney Festival Karen choreographed Kelly’s Republic on the Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. Other choreographic credits include Oscar’s Turn To Sing, Wonder Woman (Reg Livermore), Sacred Cow (Reg Livermore), Norman Gunston Show (ABC TV) and Farnham & Byrne (ABC).
Most recently Karen has returned as Australian Associate Director for Crossroads Live’s productions of Chicago and Wicked. Karen remounted the Korean Language production of Wicked in Seoul in 2015. In 2017 Karen was Associate Director to Dame Julie Andrews for the 60th anniversary production of My Fair Lady. She directed the 2018 production of Saturday Night Fever starring Marcia Hines and was Associate Director for Grease –The Arena Spectacular, The Wizard of Oz, Dirty Dancing, Pippin and the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5. She has also directed three Rob Guest Endowment Finalists Concerts held in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Karen was also one of Artistic Director’s for the World Youth Day Festival in Sydney in 2008. In 2003 she completed a Masters Degree at the University of Wollongong in Theatre Research. She is thrilled to be returning to Annie as Director for this current Australian Tour.
Original Broadway Production Directed by MARTIN CHARNIN
Based on “Little Orphan Annie”®
By Permission of Tribune Content Agency, LLC