MEET THE KOTA TEAM
Partial list
LAURA LUC (Founder & Artistic Director)
Laura's love of the arts led her to founding KOTA at the age of eleven, a company that produces theater for young audiences & donates a portion of the proceeds to charity. New York City Directing/Producing includes: Dream Street (The Pearl Theatre), A Little Princess (Signature Theatre), And a Child Shall Lead (HERE), Pippi Longstocking (York Theatre), Number the Stars (Davenport Theatre), Freckleface Strawberry (47th St Theatre), Broadway Kids NYC (Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater), My Holiday Wish (The Olivia), Lyrics for Life (Symphony Space), Heart to Heart (54 Below). Regional: Peter Pan, Into the Woods, Cinderella, A Christmas Carol, The Wizard of Oz, Ruthless!, The Sound of Music, Annie, Seussical, and more. Laura has enjoyed working with young performers as a Co-Director for Retter Entertainment's This Way to Broadway Live. She has worked with companies such as The Metropolitan Opera, American Ballet Theatre, English National Opera, and on NBC's "The Sound of Music Live!". Casting credits include live events, films, TV and commercials. Laura is a graduate of Ithaca College Theatre Arts. She loves making a difference through the performing arts, and inspiring young people to follow their passion.
EDWARD BELL (Music)
Edward Bell works in theatre as a composer, lyricist, musical director and educator. Major credits as Musical Director include Richard Thomas and David Hoyle’s Merrie Hell (Soho Theatre), the London premiere of Dear Edwina (LOST Theatre), A Little Princess (Signature Theatre), Othello (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Theatro Technis), Songs for a New World(RCM), Little Shop of Horrors (The North Wall, Oxford), and The Way Through the Woods (Edinburgh Fringe). Edward is Founder and Director of The Song Foundry, a startup in global songwriting education. He is a graduate of Cambridge University and the Royal College of Music, London, and a proud member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild of America, and an alumnus of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. www.Edward-Bell.com
SINAI TABAK (Music)
Sinai is an NYC-based music director, pianist, and composer. He recently music directed Asolo Repertory Theatre’s world premier of Luck Be a Lady, a revue of Frank Loesser’s work, for which he also contributed additional arrangements. Regional: Dallas Theater Center’s acclaimed production of Les Misérables, The Rocky Horror Show (Bucks County Playhouse), Bells Are Ringing (Associate, Berkshire Theater Festival), Johnny Baseball (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Family Album (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), and Justin Guarini’s Lovesick (Bucks County Playhouse). Off-Broadway, Sinai music directed Stars of David (DR2 Theater), and workshops of The Total Bent (Public Theater), American Psycho, Murder at the Gates, and The Single Girls Guide (DTC). Sinai received a degree in Music Composition from NYU. www.SinaiTabak.com
LANE NAPPER (Choreo)
Some of you may recognize Lane Napper from the hit television show, "Victorious" where he plays Lane Alexander, the school's hip and zen Guidance Counselor. TV: "iCarly", "Game Shakers", "Henry Danger", "Sam and Cat", "Drake and Josh", "Zoey 101". Some of Lane’s clientele include Warner Bros., Touchstone, Disney, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon and Broadway, to name a few. Lane’s Theatrical choreography credits include the regional productions of West Side Story, Pippin, Grease, and Mr. Bojangles. Lane has also choreographed the tour of Freckleface Strawberry, music videos & live events. Currently Lane is choreographing the TOUR for the Korean Kpop group EXP, America’s FIRST American made Kpop Boy Band. www.LaneNapperNow.com
Dance Molinari LA/NY (CHOREO)
Under the artistic direction of Janine Molinari, DMO's renowned professional training program focuses on the needs of young adults currently auditioning for and performing in Broadway shows, tours, tv, film, as well as young pop artists who have appeared on "American Idol", "America's Got Talent", "So You Think You Can Dance" and "X-Factor". DMO has also produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and for the NY International Fringe Festival, as well as several independent films and web-series. Some recent DanceMolinari credits include Disney's Kickin' It, Off-Broadway's Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, The Totally Tubular Time Machine, starring Debbie Gibson, and Footloose at the Seven Angels Theatre, which Janine Molinari directed and is also the resident choreographer. Club choreography includes the China Club, Miami's Mansion, Passions, Hollywood Hard Rock and The Culture Club. www.DANCEMOLINARI.COM
Thommie Retter (Choreo)
Thommie has been on the national teaching circuit for the past 25 years. After performing on Broadway for more than 1.5 million theatergoers in the original Broadway cast of BILLY ELLIOT for 3.5 years, Thommie has returned to his first love of teaching. Thommie is one of the producers of the coming-of-age feature film "Contest". Being a part of the creative team at MusicWorks Unlimited since it’s inception in 2003 has been a creative outlet for another passion of Thommie’s, song writing. Thommie runs Retter Entertainment, which provides professional performance opportunities for young artists in New York City, including This Way to Broadway Live and upcoming reality-based series. www.retterentertainment.com
ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHERS
DEBORAH WILSON
STEPHANIE BISSONNETTE
ALEC VARGAS
BOE WANK
CAITLIN MCGEE
JODI BROD
EMILY BUFFERRED
ANDREW TURTELTAUB
KIMBERLY JACKSON
RAQUEL WALLACE
BRIONNA TRILLING
Jeorgi Smith
STAGE MANAGEMENT
Jerry Pedroza
PAMELA EDINGTON
jordan liau
BRIANNA REEDY
CHELSea BAZZEL
EVAN BERNARDIN
JESSICA JARDON
MIRIAM SALZMAN
SARAH PERLIN
LIGHTING Designers
AARON PORTER
MICHAEL CATALAN
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
BRIONNA TRILLING
MARIA MAY
MADISON MULLAHEY
IRELAND HORAN
IVY IDZAKOVICH
Avery Rose Pedell
Elizabeth Rearden
BETH BERNSTEIN
Haley Lanzoni
Set Design
Rob Lavagno
Alexander Woodward
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS
ALEX BIRD
jeorgi smith
OLIVIA PERRONE
SARAH LUC
LINDSAY MARON
ALYSSA LUC
Child Guardian
Ilana Bolotsky