Click here for Michael's resume
(PDF format) |
|
A former Berklee College of Music student [jazz studies, film scoring, and vocal jazz - studied under jazz vocalist Roberta Davis] and a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music in Cleveland [Bachelor of Music Degree - studied under composer Dr. Loris Chobanian], Michael has music directed, accompanied, arranged, conducted, and composed for a plethora of shows in the Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tampa areas.
Among his other favorites gigs: Ragtime, Sweeney Todd, On The Town, A Little Night Music, A New Brain, and Last Call a.k.a. Happy Hour/The End [the new George Furth/Doug Katsaros musical soon to hit Chicago and New York], and as Assistant Music Director [Michael Farrell, Music Director] for the headlining cabaret show, A Tribute to Bobby Darin Starring John Ferdenzi [directed by Clifford Bell] at the famous Hollywood Cinabar Grill and Cabaret in the Roosevelt Hotel. Most recently Michael composed original incidental music for The Unexpected Man and Peter & Wendy for Lafayette Town Hall and also served as Music Director for Theatre Q’s Torch Song Trilogy, for which he composed the jazzy "Who Woulda Thought?". He has also worked in California at the Willows Theatre and Cabaret, Lamplighters, Alameda Civic Light Opera, Venus Rising Theatre Company, Theatre on San Pedro Square, and also The Manatee Players in Tampa. Michael has had the privilege to work as Musical Director for the west coast premiere of Meshuggah-Nuns with Director/ Writer/ Composer Danny Goggin.
As an actor [EMC], Michael played "Willie Conklin" in Diablo Civic Light Opera's spectacular Ragtime, "Man #2" in Last Call, "Mabel" in Radio Gals, and "Merlin" and "Graynor" in the Shadowbox Cabaret rock operas, Dawn of Infinite Dreams and Lone Season. He also originated the character of "Floyd, the accompanist" in the hilariously popular Shadowbox Cabaret "The Santa Babies" skit for their annual Holiday Hoopla Christmas Cabaret. As a jazz vocalist, Michael has had the privilege of studying with Madeline Eastman, Kurt Elling, and Karrin Allyson at the prestigious Stanford Jazz Workshop and Jazz Camp West. And as jazz pianist, Michael studied with west coasters Mark Levine and Peter Horvath. Michael also provided the background vocals for the title track of the award-winning independent film, My Sweet Killer [music by Sean Abreu].
Now based in NYC, Michael is currently "hitting the pavement" [and craigslist.org] for gigs that will showcase his talent and allow him to work with other artists on a collaborative level. His current gigs: serving as Stage Manager for the The New York International Fringe Festival's featured production of Becoming Britney, writing a ten minute musical titled American Bombshell with Christopher Bell for the U.S-ification of America Conference Festival at Center Stage in NYC for a September 11th, 2008 premiere, serving as Music Director/ Pianist for singer/ actress Louise Van's cabaret show at The Duplex on September 25th, 2008, and working at COLONY Music in Times Square. This past month, he and Kristen Caven had a well-received staged reading of their fairy tale-based musical, The Souls of Her Feet [the first part of the trilogy, Shoes, a Mirror, and Big Pink Rose], at Playwrights Horizons in NYC. In the "wings," Michael is finishing writing Shoes... and also working on writing the one act-musicals, WAITING...[a drama] and ASK-A-NURSE [a comedy]. Michael also has composed video greeting cards for the San Francisco-based company, The Hi Note.
As a versatile musician and actor, Michael's pianistic skills, musical nuances, and knowledge of the variety of musical genres help to make him a "package deal" whether it be on stage, in a cabaret, or composing, arranging, or orchestrating for theatre, film or television.
|
