Creative Team

Julie Debra Saltman

(Co-Creator/Lead Producer/Costume Designer)

Julie Debra Saltman AKA (Salty) I am a Broadway Producer and Costume Designer. I am originally from Boston, but I am a die-hard New Yorker now! (And I have the shoes to prove it.)

I hold a degree from Carnegie Mellon and an MFA in costume design from Brandeis University. I have worked on several Broadway Shows in multiple capacities. My Broadway credits include Lestat, High Fidelity, Spring Awakening, etc. I worked for the producers of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, which led to creating and developing Taking Wing: Legends of Emimencia,

On Feb 1st 2024 I was Honored by my Union 829 Iatse as a “Strong female Role Model and Hero”

My true north in my professional world and this project will always be Fred Mcfeely Rogers. AKA Mr Rogers.

In my 11 seasons on Broadway, I have won five Tony Awards.

(Pippin, Porgy and Bess, Once on this Island, Company, Parade)

I also have 5 shows among the top most successful of all time.

They include:

(As producer): Come From Away -- 5 year run plus house record. Also Olivier Award winner. #50 on the list of longest runners in history

Beautiful The Carole King Musical -- 6 year run plus house record. #29 on the list of longest runners in history

(As investor):

Matilda -- 4 year run. #59 on the list of longest runners in history

Dear Evan Hansen -- 6 year run plus house record. #48 on the list of longest runners in history

(As Producer):

The Play That Goes Wrong (Among the top 12 most successful plays in all Broadway history, still running Off-Broadway)

Producer of Fat Ham, winner of The Pulitzer Prize.

Johnny Blaze Leavitt

(Co-Creator/ Book Writer)

Johnny Blaze Leavitt is an award-winning playwright, actor, comedian, cosplayer, and published digital artist. He is the co-creator and book writer for Taking Wing: Legends of Emimencia which won the 2021 TheaterMaker Award for Best Play. He is also the co-creator of the online sketch comedy duo The Lara and Johnny Show. Several of his scripts have been performed by Point of You Productions, the American Theatre of Actors, and more. He is a recurring moderator and panelist at BroadwayCon. Favorite stage credits include the ghost of Sigmund Freud in The Last of the Freudians (The American Theatre for Actors), Sigmund Freud in An Interpretation of Anna (Spit & Vigor), Arnold Fishbinder/Lord Myron in Verse DiVerse (Theater for the New City) for which, he was nominated for Best Performance in an Off-Off Broadway Play, The Love Doctor in the Off-Broadway run of Love is a Bad Neighborhood (Theater 54 @ Shetler Studios), and Jason Friendly/Poacher/Male Swing in Friendly's Fire (Rising Sun Performance Company). Johnny can be spotted performing stand-up comedy around NYC (including at Caroline’s on Broadway) and crooning as Zombie Dean Martin in the long-running seasonal cabaret The Rat Pack Undead. His digital artwork has been published in Alter Ego Magazine (TwoMorrows Publishing)

SAG/AFTRA, DG, EMC

**Brian Prather**

**(Production Designer)**

BRIAN PRATHER is a designer for live, filmed and virtual events. Off-Broadway: DANIEL’S HUSBAND (Westside Theatre), MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION (Gingold Theatre Group), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (St. Clement’s), BECOMING DR. RUTH (Westside), THE MEMORY SHOW (Transport Group), FREUD’S LAST SESSION (New World Stages), and THE BURNT PART BOYS (Playwrights Horizons) among others. International: Chung-mu Art Hall (South Korea). Regional: Alley Theatre, Asolo Rep, Goodspeed Musicals, Barrington Stage Co., TheaterWorks Hartford, Virginia Rep., Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, Capitol Rep., Delaware Theatre Co., Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, among many others. Television: several projects for Connecticut Public Broadcasting, including the concert series “The Kate” for which he received an Emmy Award (New England) nomination. Awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award (Chicago), and two Berkshire Theatre Critics Assoc. Awards. Asst. Professor of Scenic Design at Central Connecticut State University, Associate Artist at Barrington Stage Co., and member of USA Local 829.

www.brianprather.com

**Kelley Birney Reischauer**

**(Executive Producer)**

Graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Kelley has appeared in numerous national commercials, theatre productions, and independent films. Co-writer of the musical, Monsters in My Head, based on the award winning book series,The WorryWoo Monsters, by author, Andi Green. Part of the team that developed the internationally acclaimed WorryWoo SEL/DEI cross-curricular program currently used in elementary schools across the globe, and most recently helped develop and launch a WebSeries around the Woos. Kelley is the founder of The Southern Fried Film Festival; an international film festival in Huntsville, Alabama, now in its third year.

Vivien Weiss has worked as an Executive Content Project Manager at Macmillan Publishers, overseeing production of numerous high school and college textbooks. She also studied theatre as an undergrad at Carnegie Mellon University—favorite roles over the years include Maggie in A Chorus Line, Drood in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress, and Cinderella in Into the Woods, as well as various cabaret performances in New York’s theatre district. From the inspired inception of Taking Wing through the initial readings, script discussions, edits, and performances, it’s been a true joy to participate in this fantastic(al!) production.

Christian Cordelia completed his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan, graduating with highest honor for a diploma in costume and scenic design.

He mastered his technique at the Kingston University in London.

From the year 2000 he has worked in the USA as a costume and set designer for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and others, extending his activities in Tokyo, Seoul, Copenhagen, Las Vegas, and among cruise lines.

In 2006 he moved to Los Angeles where he has been illustrating costumes for the major studios.

www.christiancordella.com

Liz Piccoli Select previous credits include: Director/Choreographer/Dramaturg for Spandex the Musical- The Audio Musical mixed by Tony Award winning Kai Harada, written by Daniel Levin with live productions Off-Broadway at 777 Theater and at the Minnsky Theater in Minneapolis (www.spandexmusical.com,) Director/Choreographer for Billy Elliot (Axelrod Theatre,) Cinderella and Footloose (Okoboji Summer Theater,) SDC Observer for Lysistrata Jones (Judson Memorial and Broadway.) Other credits include: Choreographer for the TVLand Awards Opening featuring Liza Minnelli, the Opera Goyescas in NYC, The Little Prince in Milan, Italy and Miss Saigon at the University of HI. Recent Directing work includes: Into the Woods (Proctors Broadway Camp), The Secret Garden (Virginia Children's Theater) and Love Letters (Phoenicia Playhouse.) Last summer she choreographed her first feature film, Dirty Rhetoric, starring Tovah Feldshuh (Funny Girl on Broadway.) Past performance highlights: NBA commercial starring P!NK, Club La Bomba with Sofia Vergara, The First Emperor with Placido Domingo (Metropolitan Opera, NYC) and West Side Story (Lyric Theatre, MD) She currently resides in Woodstock, NY with her husband Michael and her 3 pups. Zaide, Trixie and Chester.

www.liz-piccoli.com, IG @epdanzer

Richard H. Blake Most recently directed the musical True North at The Orlando Repertory Theatre. Some of his other Directing and Producing credits include A Bronx Tale the Musical, the show in which he originated the role of Lorenzo, famously portrayed by Robert Deniro in the film, the new musicals “Storytellers”, “Rise”, “Whiskeyland” and the play “Uncle Jackie”. He can currently be seen as Charlie McClurgle on the television series The Bite streaming on the Spectrum Network Before that he was stabbing Lou Diamond Philips as Aaron on Season 1of Prodigal Son on Fox. He `has starred in fifteen Broadway shows including: Jersey Boys, Wicked, Legally Blonde, The Wedding Singer, Hairspray, Aida, Saturday Night Fever, Rent, Matilda, The Sound of Music, Macbeth, Teddy and Alice and “The Prince” in The Prince of CentralPark. A role for which he holds the honor of being the youngest person to ever have his name above the title of a Broadway Show. His Film and T.V. credits include: Life of an Actress, Ascent To Hell, Any Day Now, Red light August, The Equalizer, Law & Order, Madame Secretary, Blue Bloods, HBO’s High Maintenance, Instinct, Dietland, Kevin Can Wait, Elementary, All My Children, The Babysitter’s Club, Toonces and Friends and more. As well as numerous Off Broadway, Commercial and Radio credits. His favorite roles to date though, are that of husband and father to his amazing wife and son.

Patrick Cashin has a strong enthusiasm for capturing the enchantment of live performances through photography. He started taking photos in 2012 and has since developed a sharp eye for theater photography.

Managing the special difficulties that come with taking pictures for theater productions, like "YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU," "THE EFFECT," "WAKEY, WAKEY," "HAMILTON," "IT'S JUST A PLAY," and numerous more. Patrick approaches every assignment with a creative and professional mindset. He feels that thinking about the story the image tells future generations is an investment in preserving the essence of your most cherished memories.

To use photography to bring your theater play to life, get in touch with Patrick at cashindesign.com.

Consultants

**Henry Aronson**

**(Music Consultant)**

Henry Aronson is one of the most accomplished music directors on Broadway, with a NY theatre career spanning over forty years. He was the music director for the Broadway productions of Rock of Ages, Grease, Twyla Tharp’s The Times They Are A-Changin’, Rent, Rocky Horror Show, Little Shop of Horrors, In My Life, and Starmites. Also on Broadway: associate conductor/piano soloist for Rocktopia (Broadway and tour), associate conductor of Cry Baby, Good Vibrations, Parade, Saturday Night Fever, Mail and Prince of Central Park, and conductor of The Who’s Tommy. Upcoming: Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter at Atlantic Theater Co.

Daniel Hailstone is a life long lover of storytelling. He has performed in, and helped produce performances of The Music Man, Shakespeare's As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and Selections from The Merchant of Venice. He lives in Utah where loves to spend time hiking, cliff jumping, and helping people live their dreams.