Artistic Director

Andrew Abrams has worked Off-Broadway, regionally and on tour as a professional director, musical director, conductor, composer and Equity actor. Off-Broadway: Pirates of Penzance (New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players). Tours: Cinderella (with Eartha Kitt), State Fair (with John Davidson), Cabaret (with Andrea McCardle), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Fiddler on the Roof (with Theodore Bikel); Regionally: Between the Lines (Luna Stage), Masterclass (with Rosemary Prinz), Mikado (Theatre Virginia) and numerous others. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Music degree from UW-Madison and a Master of Arts, in Musical Theatre, from University of London-Goldsmiths. He is also a graduate of the advanced year of the BMI Musical Theatre Writing Workshop in New York City where he wrote But I’m a Cheerleader, the Musical which had a reading in London in December, 2013 directed by Tony-Award winner Jerry Mitchell and starring Hannah Waddingham. This show previously headlined the New York Musical Theatre Festival in September 2005. Andrew has also worked as a vocal coach, voice teacher, and Acting through Song coach at NYU, New York Film Academy, AMDA, Mountview Academy (in London), Hofstra University and privately in New York City and Madison.

Director of Education

Gail Becker was born and raised in a western suburb of Chicago. She is a seasoned Cabaret performer and actress now making Madison her home. For the past 20 years she has made it a priority to further the careers of aspiring musical theatre artists by working independently as a Music Director and Instructor. Now in its sixth year, Gail also directs the Overture Center’s Jerry Ensemble. Gail has had numerous Cabaret engagements in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Naples, etc and her Performing credits include - Tour: Babes in Toyland. Chicago: High Society (Sunny), Chicago (June), Sunday in the Park with George (Frieda/Mrs.), Merrily We Roll Along (Gussie), Pirates of Penzance (Edith). Madison: Gypsy (Mazeppa) with Capital City Theatre; Tuck Everlasting (Mae), James and the Giant Peach with CTM. Her music directing credits in Madison include work with Edgewood College, CTM, and Madison Country Day School. In Chicago, Gail music directed and choreographed over 25 productions at local theatres and high schools. Instruction credits include: Capital City Theatre Conservatory, UW Madison Theatre Department, UW Summer Music Clinic, Overture’s Jerry Awards, CTM Academy, and TYA Director for MadCap. She has numerous private students who are either working in theatre or attending colleges and university for musical theatre. Gail also works as a freelance voice over artist. She holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from Miami University. Learn more at www.gailbeckertalent.com and www.gailbeckerstudio.com.

gail@capitacitytheatre.org

Monologue Coach

Whitney Derendinger is a professional actor, stage combat instructor, teacher, and voice and movement coach with over 20 years of experience. Whitney has worked in Chicago, St. Louis, and has toured nationally. He currently reside in Madison, Wisconsin after earning his Master of Fine Arts in Acting from UW-Madison. His passion for working onstage is matched only by his love of coaching and training young actors and theatre artists.

Michael Stanek, is a freelance director/choreographer and arts educator who recently choreographed the Advanced FYL Workshop at Capital City Theatre Conservatory. He currently serves as choreographer for Wisconsin Singers (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Kids from Wisconsin (Wisconsin State Fair) and Parker Arts Academy (Janesville High School). He continually serves as a guest teaching artist for The Broward Center of Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL and choreographs for various theater companies, high schools and dance studios in Madison and the surrounding area. Director/choreographer highlights: The RIDE NYC!, (Drama Desk Nominee) 70, Girls, 70, starring Olympia Dukakis (City Center Encores), Kids With Heart (Rosie O’Donnell Show). Performance highlights: Ed McMahon’s Star Search (Finalist), 42nd Street (European Tour), Sophisticated Sing and Swing, starring Mercedes Ellington (National Tour), Camelot, starring John Rubenstein and Ken Page (The MUNY) and Oklahoma! starring Rue McClanahan
(Broadway Series of Charlotte). Stanek proudly originated the role of the Prince in Beauty and the Beast (Disney-Hollywood Studios) He is a proud 30-year Member of Actors’ Equity Association and an Associate Member of The Society for Stage Directors and Choreographers. Stanek is excited to share “Michael’s Jazz Must
Haves” with the students at CCT Conservatory.

Emily Glick is a local performer and teaching artist, very happy to call Madison her new home. She's taught for CCT, was the theatre director at Memorial High School, and is now the theatre teacher and director at Madison Country Day School. Emily holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Michigan and a Wisconsin Theatre Teacher license. She is a member of Actors' Equity Association and has performed with Forward Theater, Madison Opera, Children's Theatre of Madison, Music Theatre of Madison, TimeLine Theatre, The Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Chicago Children's Theatre. 

Jackson Warring, a Madison native, performed as a dancer, singer and actor regionally and professionally for over a decade with numerous renowned organizations and acclaimed productions. Career highlights include Capital City Theatre’s On the Town and The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Soloist role Renfield in W.Earle Smith’s Dracula, Principal soloist Puck in Peter Anastos’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Principal in Jin-wen Yu’s Bolero. On top of his performing career, Mr. Warring has extensive background in mentoring, coaching and teaching young, aspiring artists in a number of performing arts disciplines. He spent five years on faculty with Madison Ballet, three years with Elevation Dance Academy, Synergy Dance Academy, Ballet Quad Cities, West Side performing Arts, and numerous guest-teaching appearances including Children’s Theater of Madison. As a multi-disciplined teacher, Mr. Warring teaches Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Improvisation, and Musical Theatre. Mr. Warring’s training began at West Side Performing Arts and continued with nationally recognized Milwaukee Ballet School and The Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Mr. Warring is honored to have also trained with NYCB principal Michelle Gifford, ABT principal Leslie Brown, Compania Nacional de Danza’s Africa Guzman, as well as Joffrey principals, Nicole Duffy, Davis Robertson, and Brian Mcsween. Other teachers of note include Doug Caldwell, Sonya Tayeh, Laurie Johnson, and Mark Goodman. Mr. Warring has taught and coached at all levels of dance, from professional to beginner, and all ages, from two years old to adult students. While at the School of Madison Ballet, he co-developed the Jazz curriculum and taught Movement in Your World, Madison Ballet’s signature outreach program in partnership with Dane County’s HeadStart Program and MMSD. Jackson Warring is excited to share with Capital City Theatre’s CORE Conservatory his dedicated passion and energetic teaching style while fostering the love of the arts.

Stagecraft Studio

As a lighting designer, production manager and technical director based in Madison, WI, John has enjoyed a wide variety of work in theater, dance, opera, and music. He also lit and managed Guys On Ice when it was produced by Madison Repertory Theater in 2001, and continues to remount it every winter in Madison and some surrounding cities for a few stops, remounting the show into a variety of theaters, making sure the guys look great and audiences get the best show possible! Having traveled all over the world with a few different companies, he still ranks Madison as his favorite place to work. However, he is thrilled to be joining the Northern Sky family and fully expects it will become his second favorite. Recent Madison credits include work with Forward Theater, Four Seasons Theater, University Opera, Madison Opera, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Madison Repertory Theater, University Theater, Kanopy Dance and Jazzworks Dance Company, and Li Chiao-Ping Dance, and now Capital City Theatre with whom he is also production manager. Nationally, credits include Cincinnati Opera, Ping Chong & Co. and Muna Tseng Dance.

Trevor is a professional actor, director, educator, movement/fight choreographer, and motion capture actor/stunt performer. He received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Acting & Directing and his BA in both Theatre and Communications from Cardinal Stritch University. Trevor has worked professionally with Northern Sky Theater, Derby Dinner Playhouse, Children's Theater of Madison, Theatre LILA, Forward Theater Company, Renaissance Theaterworks, Four Seasons Theatre, Capital City Theatre, University Theatre, and Jennifer's Talent to name a few. As a motion capture actor and stunt performer for the Call of Duty video game franchise, Trevor has worked on: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty Black Ops III, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, Call of Duty: WWII, Call of Duty Black Ops IIII, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered, Call of Duty: Warzone, and most recently Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Trevor holds several qualifications from SAFD and Dueling Arts International. In addition to his professional theatre credits, he is also an accomplished theatre and communications educator with teaching credits at Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Cardinal Stritch University, Madison College, and currently serves as the head of theatre at UW-Whitewater at Rock County.