Cast Bios
Michael Bihovsky (Michael + Music, Lyrics, and Book) has been performing onstage since the age of eleven, where he made his debut as Fagin in his 5th Grade Production of “Oliver!” Since then, Michael has appeared in countless theatrical productions, including Tick, Tick…Boom! (Jon), 42nd Street (Billy Lawlor), Songs for a New World (Man #2), The Who’s Tommy (Uncle Ernie), Titanic (Wallace Hartley), and many, many more. Michael has also directed, produced, and starred in a series of benefit concerts for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a Philadelphia-based charity dedicated to helping cure childhood cancer, as well as for the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children. Michael’s venture into musical composition began at age 16 with the original musical Eclipse, followed by The New Musical, which he began writing as a student at NYU. As a side project, Michael has also written a musical play, Safe in Sound, inspired by the music of the popular gothic-rock band Evanescence. Michael is a recent graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized study, and is currently starring as Mark in a production of Jonathan Larson’s RENT at the Hackensack Theatre Company in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Dana Gitlin (Remy) is a student at New York University pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree. Most recently, Dana has performed in multiple annual productions of Forbidden NYU. She has also performed at New York City’s Sullivan Hall, and has been featured in numerous benefit concerts for causes such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer Research and The Mitzvah Food Project. Favorite past roles include Mame (Mame), Ragtime (Sarah’s Friend), and alongside Michael Bihovsky in the third-ever mounted production of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…Boom! (Susan/Karessa). Dana is also an accomplished dancer, having studied ballet, jazz, hip hop, and modern. She has enjoyed collaborating with Michael on several projects over the past several years, and is exclusively featured on the upcoming soundtrack to Michael’s gothic-rock musical Safe in Sound, samples of which are available online in the music section of www.michaelbihovsky.com.
Shoba Narayanan (Dance Club Soloist) is an actor, singer, and dancer studying musical theatre at the Boston Conservatory. Originally from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Shoba has enjoyed a vast array of theatrical credits, including West Side Story (Maria), Les Miserables (Cosette), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), The Secret Garden (Ayah), Follies (Showgirl), Guys and Dolls (Hot Box Girl), and most recently in Les Miserables – The Concert (Fantine). Along with her passion for musical theater, Shoba is also a professional Bharatanatyam (South Indian Classical) dancer. She has performed in both group and solo performances in the U.S and India, and has given lecture demonstrations at many colleges, universities, schools, fundraisers, and community outreach events. She has given solo performances in the prestigious Music and Dance Season in Chennai, India, where she will be returning again in the 2010 Season. In addition, Shoba also studies at The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet at the pre-professional level, and has appeared in productions of The Nutcracker and studio performances. Shoba also studies Classical voice, Carnatic (South Indian Classical) vocal music, Jazz, Tap, and Modern dance. She aspires to work on Broadway, National tours, film, and create new and exciting work.
Jeremy Schonzeit (Evan) was born and raised in Manhattan, where he had an intense and in-depth exposure to music from a very young age. After taking classes in his childhood at Manis School of Music, Jeremy followed his dreams of singing by performing in the internationally recognized ensemble, the Miami Boys Choir. After graduating from the Ramaz Upper School with several awards for the performing arts, as well as having been the President of the school’s Choir, Chamber Choir, and Percussion Ensemble, Jeremy went on to New York University, where he studied Psychology and Music Education. An active performer in the A Cappella world, Jeremy has had the opportunity to perform all over the world as well as for several Heads-of-State, most notably Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jeremy is deeply honored to have been cast in The Musical, and would like to thank Michael, whose true and unyielding talent is only compounded by his kindness and selflessness. Love and thanks to my family, who have always pushed me to follow my love of music.
Aaron Stall (Simon) currently studies theatre at Temple University in Philadelphia. For the past few years, Aaron has been steadily gaining strength and acknowledgment in the Philadelphia theatre community, where he has appeared in several professional productions, including West Side Story (Tony), Michael Tomasetti's Media Addicts (Andrew), Birdy (Young Birdy), The Matchmaker (Barnaby Tucker), and Rabbit Hole (Jason), which is playing at the Arden Theatre until December 2009. Aaron is classically trained in vocal performance by Lisa Willson DeNolfo, to whom he owes much of his professional success, and through which he was introduced to Michael Bihovsky (who has also been a student of Lisa's for the last several years). Aaron would like to thank Michael for giving him this incredible opportunity to record The New Musical, and wishes him the best in all of his personal and professional pursuits.
Doreen Strauss (Melanie) is a recent graduate of Penn State University, and has had a passion for music and the performing arts since the earliest years of her life. Her love for the stage has significantly affected her as a person, and has motivated her to continue her pursuit of a life on Broadway. Over the years, Doreen has lit up the stage in such productions as Once on this Island (Ti Moune), Carousel (Julie Jordan), Titanic (Kate Mullins), 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), Bye Bye Birdie (Gloria Rasputin), BARE and The Music Man.In addition, Doreen has also been featured as a soloist in Michael Bihovsky's Broadway-based benefit concert series for Alex's Lemonade Stand. Doreen is thrilled to have been chosen to be a part of the incredibly talented cast of The New Musical, with which she has been involved since its earliest inceptions (the character of Melanie having been written particularly for her own vocal abilities). She would especially like to thank Michael, whose work is a continuous source of joy and inspiration.
Jonathan Turner (Mathew) is a senior in molecular biology at Princeton University. Although his academic pursuits are strictly scientific, however, Jon has performed with the Triangle Club, Princeton's musical comedy troupe, in their show Heist Almighty. He has also performed with the Tigertones, Princeton's signature a cappella group, in a variety of venues – from the Zankel hall at Carnegie to the beaches of Bermuda. Jon first began performing musical theatre in high school, inspired by a love of opera that has thankfully diminished over time. Since that time, Jon has appeared in a wide array of musical productions, including Ragtime (Colehouse Walker), Carousel (Enoch Snow), and Grease (Teen Angel). In addition, Jon has appeared as a featured soloist in several of Michael’s benefit concerts, most notably "Broadway Rocks" in 2006, and "Broadway: Evolutions" in 2007. Jonathan plans to attend graduate school in biology, where he hopes to find further opportunities for vocal performance.
Natalie West (Sheila) is a recent graduate of Muhlenberg College with a BA in Theatre and Media and Communications. At Muhlenberg, Natalie performed in several productions, including Cabaret, Urinetown, and Twelfth Night. Other productions have included 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer), Carousel (Carrie), and Seussical (Mayzie). In spring of 2009, Natalie received an Irene Ryan nomination this past spring in the American College Theater Festival for her performance in Howard Barker's The Possibilities. In December of 2009, she will be appearing in the Aporia Theater Company’s production of Office Hours in December 2009. In addition to vocal performance, Natalie has also worked and studied as a dancer and choreographer, specializing in jazz, tap, and ballet. She has worked with Michael in countless productions over the last several years, and can also be heard on his debut album Dare to Dream, performing "A Love Song" from Michael's first musical, Eclipse. Natalie has recently moved to New York City, where she is auditioning and continuing to pursue a career in performance.