ROLLER
DERBY | ABOUT
| CAST | CREDITS
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HAROLD WHEELER Composer / Orchestrator
As an
orchestrator, Harold received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony nomination for
HAIRSPRAY, and was nominated for a Tony as well for DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.
From the time he conducted the Broadway musical PROMISES, PROMISES to the year
DREAMGIRLS won six Tony awards, Wheeler has been in the front ranks of
entertainment as a conductor, composer, arranger and performer. Additional
credits as orchestrator and music supervisor include COCO, TWO GENTLEMEN OF
VERONA, THE WIZ, LITTLE ME (Tony nomination), A CHORUS LINE, THE TAP DANCE KID,
LENA HORNE: THE LADY AND HER MUSIC, FAME, THE LIFE
(Tony nomination), SIDE SHOW, SWING! (Tony nomination), THE
FULL MONTY, and NEVER GONNA DANCE (Drama Desk nomination). He acted as
musical director for the SUMMER OLYMPICS IN ATLANTA, the 2004 ACADEMY AWARDS,
and composed the score for the film LOVE! VALOUR! COMPASSION! Currently, he is
the musical supervisor for the hit ABC television series DANCING WITH THE
STARS. He is married to actress/singer Hattie Winston.
BARRY ARNOLD Book / Lyrics
At New York’s Public Theater Barry co-authored the musical PLAY ON
THE TIMES, and the musical MONDAY MARCH ELEVEN at the Promenade. With Harold
Wheeler, he has written the new musical HOT NUTS, currently in pre-production.
Barry assisted director Joshua Logan on Broadway’s LOOK TO THE LILIES, and
Producer Harry Rigby on NO, NO, NANETTE. In the late 90’s, he designed TIMES
SQUARE'S NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATIONS, and in 2002 he associate produced NEW
YORK'S OFFICIAL 9/11 COMMEMORATIONS, also contributing designs in 2003. Mr.
Arnold wrote the book for ANOTHER STAR IN THE SKY, which opened the Bangkok
Cultural Center, as well as THE PEARL for Phuket Fantasea. As a lighting
designer, among the original productions Barry designed are GODSPELL, JOSEPH
AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, BUBBLING BROWN SUGAR, DIVERSIONS AND
DELIGHTS, and TO BE YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK.
JOHN BRADEN Composer / Lyrics
John
Braden created the scores for dozens of musicals, among them THE BEARD, SILVER
QUEEN SALOON, GULLIVER’S TRAVELS, EMILY POST’S BOOK OF ETIQUETTE, the Obie
Award winning WRITERS OPERA, and DOWNRIVER. John was a five time ASCAP Award
winner in the Pop and Theatre categories. With three gold records to his
credit, he wrote and produced children’s albums for projects as wide ranging as
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, CABBAGE PATCH KIDS, KNIGHT RIDER, TARZAN, BARBIE AND
KEN, THE CARE BEARS, and the Arthur C. Clark film 2010. John had a long
association with the La Mama Experimental Theatre Club and Theatre for the New
City, as well as numerous other important companies involved in the development
of the Off-Off Broadway Theatre movement. John Braden’s promising career was
unfortunately cut short in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, to which he
succumbed in his mid-thirties. This production of ROLLER DERBY is dedicated to
his memory.
DALE
OLSON Producer
Dale
C. Olson has had an extensive career in journalism, public relations and
marketing in all phases of the entertainment industry, initially as a
journalist and entertainment feature writer in his native Portland, Oregon, then
as a reporter and key drama critic for Daily Variety, moving on to become
Publicity Director of The Mirisch Company, where the first of more than 150
motion picture campaigns was on the Academy Award winner IN THE HEAT OF THE
NIGHT. He later joined the public relations firm Rogers & Cowan, where he
became the company’s Executive Vice President and President of the Motion
Picture Division, launching such films as the Christopher Reeve SUPERMAN,
ROCKY, and the HALLOWEEN series. He represented The Center Theatre Group in its
early days under Artistic Director Eliot Martin, was the founder of The Los
Angeles Drama Critics Circle, wrote the Los Angeles section of Best Plays, the
Burns Mantle Yearbook for eight years, and publicized numerous Los Angeles theatre
productions. Among his theatrical clients were Laurence Olivier, Rex Harrison,
Peter Ustinov, James Earl Jones, Diana Rigg, as well as Shirley MacLaine, Gene
Kelly, Steve McQueen, Melina Mercouri, Cicily Tyson, Doris Roberts, Marion
Ross, Halle Berry, Rod Steiger, Rock Hudson, Rosemary Clooney and numerous
others. For the past l0 years, he has been the Academy Award consultant for
DreamWorks Pictures. He has been a national Trustee of The Actors’ Fund of
America for 20 years, where he heads the public relations committee and serves
on the Human Services and Retirement, and Assisted Living Home committees.
EUGENE
HARBIN Producer
As a
recording artist Eugene Harbin has received acclaim for his albums GENE HARBIN
NAKED ON BROADWAY and THE HAPPIEST TIME OF THE YEAR, a Capitol Records
Christmas release on which he co-starred with Nancy Wilson. As an actor in New
York, he appeared in PAPER TRAINED and THOUGHTS, as well as in regional theatre
with Hal Linden, Chita Rivera and Gilbert Price in KISS ME KATE, Nanette Fabray
and Bonnie Franklin in NO, NO, NANETTE, and Robert Cleary in SUGAR. Eugene was
both associate choreographer and a performer for Ann-Margaret’s shows in Las
Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Miami Beach, as well as two acclaimed television
specials. For Disney he was choreographer for multiple Disneyland entertainment
shows. Harbin has appeared as a guest star on numerous television episodes,
including a recurring role on the popular daytime drama, GENERAL HOSPITAL, and
been featured in many national commercials, among them a popular musical spot
for McDonalds. In addition to his performing career, Mr. Harbin is a well known
business executive in the Motion Picture Industry.
MICHAEL
COOK Producer
Michael
Cook is a poet, songwriter, musician, and mathematician. His book of poems, THE
RISE AND FALL OF THE MIND, was published in 2006. Michael has written two
musicals with Eben Wight Keyes II, LE SHOTGUN MARRIAGE, produced at the Sharon
Playhouse and the Priscilla Beach Theatre, and THE LYSISTRATA AFFAIR, presented
at the Judith Anderson Theatre. A native New Yorker, while attending school, he
appeared in several Off-Broadway children's theatre productions. Following
graduation from Northwestern University, where he studied theatre and film, Mr.
Cook worked in various capacities on numerous film and theatre projects, while
pursuing his studies of higher mathematics, which he is currently putting to
good use as a Wall Street analyst.
ROD
FOSTER Set
Design
Rod
returns to the New York stage after a long absence during which he has been
designing and teaching theatre design around the world. Besides the classics,
among the many plays and musicals he has designed are WHORES, WARS AND TIN PAN
ALLEY, GOLDEN LADDER, TRIPLE PLAY, THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER, WAITING FOR GODOT,
GOLDEN BAT with The Tokyo Kid Brothers, and WEST SIDE STORY in Mexico City. Rod
was recently visiting professor of design at Thailand’s Chulalangkorn
University.
SUSAN
TSU Costume Design
Susan
Tsu has designed costumes for theatre, opera, and television, creating
everything from the award-winning costumes for the runaway hit musical GODSPELL
to the historic collaboration for THE JOY LUCK CLUB in China, as well as the
opera THE BALCONY at the Moscow Art Theatre. Among the musicals she has designed
are ELIZABETH I, SHINE (Phoebe Award Nomination), CROWNS, DRACULA: A MUSICAL
NIGHTMARE, CANDIDE, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, TIME AGAIN
IN OZ (Austin Circle of Critic’s Award), CAROUSEL, ON THE ROAD TO BABYLON,
THREE PENNY OPERA, and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Carbonell Award). Tsu’s television
credits include the PBS productions of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, WILDER WILDER!
and the Metromedia Playhouse production of BLIND
ALLEYS starring Cloris Leachman and Pat Morita. Among the awards she has
received are the New York Drama Desk, New York Drama Critics, New York Young
Film Critics, L.A. Distinguished Designer, Austin Circle of Critics, and the
Richmond Phoebe Award.
TOM MORSE Sound Design
Tom
Morse has designed sound for over 50 Broadway productions. He won the Ovation
Award in L.A. for his design of FOOL MOON. He also designed Shakespeare in the
Park for four years. His Broadway designs have included Neil Simon's JAKE'S
WOMEN, LOST IN YONKERS, RUMORS, BROADWAY BOUND, BILOXI BLUES, BRIGHTON BEACH
MEMOIRS, ODD COUPLE, THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, LITTLE ME, and FOOLS. He also
designed MACBETH, GREASE!, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, ME AND MY GIRL, ARTIST
DESCENDING A STAIRCASE, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, SUNDAY
IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, DEATH OF
A SALESMAN with Dustin Hoffman, SAFE SEX, MAIL, MOST HAPPY FELLA, DUET FOR ONE,
DOONESBURY, HUMAN COMEDY, THE ICEMAN COMETH, PRECIOUS SONS, EXECUTION OF JUSTICE,
CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, and PETER ALLEN UP IN
ONE. Off-Broadway credits include KUDZU, ELEANOR, RADIO GALS, Sam Shepard's
SIMPATICO, Tony Kushner's THE DYBBUK, Bill Irwin's CAPIN, and A FLEA IN HER
EAR. Tom has designed extensively in the industrial and special event fields as
well. Some of his clients are Panasonic, Ciba Geigy, AT&T, Sprint, Shell
Oil, and MCI, and he has been a consultant on Joe's Pub at the Public Theatre
and the NYFD. Special events include the Pope in Central Park, the Goodwill
Games, Health Expo, and more.
KARA
MILLER Video Designer
A
graduate of Juilliard, Kara is a digital media artist on the faculty of Mira
Costa College and Cal State San Marcos in Southern California. She collaborates
with dancers around the world creating video projection designs and performance
installations. Her recent dance films have been presented by the DANCE CAMERA
ISTANBUL FESTIVAL in Turkey, the INTERNACIONAL DE DANZA CONTEMPORANEA CUERPOS
EN TRÁNSITO in Mexico, and created on location in Colombo, Sri Lanka. ROLLER
DERBY marks her New York musical theatre debut.
MICHELLE
M. ROBINSON Associate Choreographer
Michelle
began her formal dance training at the DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM under the
tutelage of Arthur Mitchell and Karl Shook. While there, as a member of the
corps-de-ballet, she also appeared with the renowned MARIE BROOKS CHILDREN’S
DANCE THEATRE. A recipient of The Harry Belafonte Performing Arts Scholarship,
Ms. Robinson attended the State University of New York at Purchase, graduating
with a BFA in dance. From Europe to Broadway, Michelle has appeared in such
acclaimed productions as SOPHISTICATED LADIES, CAN-CAN, DREAMGIRLS, THE
TEMPEST, JELLY’S LAST JAM, THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG, BLACK AND BLUE, SWEET CHARITY,
and is presently an original cast member of the smash Broadway revival of
CHICAGO. For television, she has most recently been seen on the daytime drama
ONE LIFE TO LIVE in the role of Mrs. Sharp, and the HBO Special LACKAWANA
BLUES.
STEPHANIE KLAPPER Casting Director
Stephanie
Klapper Casting’s work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally,
internationally, on television, film, and heard on radio. Selected recent
credits include: ELVIS PEOPLE, AN OAK TREE, TWO THIRDS HOME, BULRUSHER (Pulitzer
Prize nominee), ELLIOT, A SOLDIER’S FUGUE (Pulitzer Prize nominated
production), INDOOR/OUTDOOR, TREASON, IF WISHES WERE HORSES. Michael
Hollinger’s OPUS, A.R. Gurney's INDIAN BLOOD, Terrence McNally's DEDICATION,
Charles Grodin's THE RIGHT KIND OF PEOPLE, and the currently touring IN THE
CONTINUUM. Additionally, Klapper Casting’s work has been seen in the Pulitzer
Prize winning Off-Broadway DINNER WITH FRIENDS, as well as the Tony Award
nominated Broadway productions of BELLS ARE RINGING and IT AIN’T NOTHIN’ BUT
THE BLUES. Selected Regional Theatres: Goodman Theatre, The
Magic Theatre, The Round House, City Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, Delaware
Theatre Company, Capital Repertory Theatre, The Hangar Theatre, The Adirondack
Theatre Festival, The New Theatre, and The Vermont Stage Company. Ms.
Klapper is a member of the Casting Society of America and The League of
Professional Theatre Women.
PATT
DALE Associate Producer
Patt
Dale has worked as a theatrical press agent for over 30 years, representing
Broadway, Off-Broadway, Dance and Cabaret productions. Credits include HAIR,
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, and the Tony award winning
musicals THE WIZ, EVITA, AIN'T MISBEHAVIN’, SWEENEY TODD, BIG RIVER, and INTO
THE WOODS.
PAUL
LEESE Associate Producer
Paul
qualified as an architect in London in 1964, becoming a member of the Royal
Institute of British Architects in 1965. He practiced as an architect in the
United Kingdom until 1974, when he became interested in the design of
interiors. From 1979 he has specialized in interior design, establishing LRF
Designers in 1980 with offices in London and Hong Kong. Mr. Leese is also a
writer and fine artist, and worked in the art department for several major
films, including LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.
LEAH
CHIAVERINI Associate Producer
Ms.
Chiaverini steps into the role of producer for the first time with ROLLER
DERBY. An accomplished performer, Leah has appeared in productions of FUNNY
GIRL, ROBIN HOOD, BYE BYE BIRDIE, MURDER FOR DINNER, GUYS AND DOLLS, THE SECRET
GARDEN, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, BARNUM, YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN, and
FREE TO BE YOU AND ME. A sports enthusiast, when not on stage, she can be found
practicing her prize-winning equestrian skills in the countryside surrounding
her hometown of Bethesda, Maryland.
JERRY
SELTZER Associate Producer
Attending
Stanford University and obtaining his degree from Northwestern, Jerry served in
the US Army 430th Counter Intelligence Corps in Austria. Following his service
in the Army, he revived the sport of Roller Derby in 1959, establishing a video
tape network with the Bombers as America’s team. The sport grew in popularity
in the 60’s and 70’s, drawing record crowds in Madison Square Garden and other
major venues across the nation (Record crowd: 50,200, White Sox Park, Chicago,
September 1972.) For motion pictures, he produced the award-winning documentary
DERBY in 1970. In 1973 he retired from Roller Derby, starting BASS Tickets with
Hal Silen in 1974, which became the largest computerized ticket service in
Northern California. In 1975, Jerry served as consultant to Bob Dylan’s ROLLING
THUNDER REVIEW and in 1977 co-produced the infamous HOOKER’S BALL with Margot
St. James at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. Seltzer joined Ticketmaster in 1983 as
Vice President Sales and Marketing. Jerry is the son of Roller Derby’s founder,
Leo Seltzer. Currently living in Sonoma, California, where he co-founded the
Sonoma Valley Film Festival, Mr. Seltzer does not roller skate.
LARRY LEWIS Skating Coach
A star
of the Roller Derby, Larry started training in 1963 at the age of 12, shortly
thereafter becoming skate boy for the Los Angeles Thunderbirds. Quickly in
1964, he was recruited as a skater for the Hawaiian Warriors. To stay on the
track, Lewis would also skate with other teams that were short a player for the
night, having gotten himself a work permit from his junior high school. In
1965, when skater John Hall broke his neck, Larry started skating for the
Detroit Devils. In the summer of ‘66, he joined the L.A. Thunderbirds, becoming
a mainstay on the team for three years. January 1970 saw Lewis moving to Miami
to skate with the Florida Jets. Now a fan favorite, he moved once again in the
winter of 1970 to skate with the New York Bombers, following that with a stint
as both co-coach, with Lester Quarles, and a skater on the Texas Outlaws. In
1972 Larry began coaching the Detroit Devils, and in 1973 was recruited to
coach the New York Bombers. When Roller Derby folded in 1973, Larry was forced
to reluctantly retire from the sport he loved, but when an opportunity arose in
1980 to once again hit the track, he immediately joined a fledgling league put
together by the skaters themselves. While vacationing around the Bay Area in
1982, Lewis found a new opportunity to soar, and began coaching and skating
with both the Midwest Pioneers and the New England Braves, finally settling in
with the newly re-formed Bay Area Bombers. Larry continues to skate with the
Bay Area Bombers Team in San Francisco whenever he can, even though he now
holds a full time job with the IRS and resides in Southern California.
GARY
POWERS Roller Derby Historian
Powers
has been a fan of the banked track sport since 1967. From the moment Gary first
saw skaters whizzing 'round the curved skating surface on TV, the color and
excitement of the game, the competition and theatricality of it all, he was
immediately hooked. Following the demise of the original Roller Derby in 1973,
Powers has been dedicated to keeping the game alive, founding The National
Roller Derby Hall of Fame and Museum. Through the Roller Derby Foundation,
which he initiated, Gary, with the help of other fans, has been able to give
tens of thousands of dollars to former skaters in the form of cash grants,
plane tickets, parties, get-togethers, phone cards, or whatever it takes to
improve the quality of the lives of these great stars of the Roller Derby. Because
of his desire to preserve and protect the history of the Roller Derby, he has
accumulated one of the largest collections of memorabilia in the country, which
is professionally displayed and on view for all to see at his home in New York
City.
BARON
WOLMAN Roller Derby Photographer
In
addition to his stint as Roller Derby’s official photographer, Baron Wolman is
perhaps best known as Rolling Stone’s first photographer. During his fast-paced
tenure at the magazine, Wolman's lens captured the royalty of the '60s pop and
rock explosion: Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa, The Who, Jimi
Hendrix, Joan Baez, Iggy Pop, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Phil
Spector, Jim Morrison, Ike & Tina Turner, Timothy Leary, and the
counter-culture of the times. After leaving Rolling Stone, Wolman started his
own fashion magazine, Rags, housed in Rolling Stone's first San Francisco
offices. When that venture, devoted to street couture and culture, folded after
13 issues, Wolman learned to fly, did aviation photography; started
Squarebooks, his own publishing house; and has since continued to do projects
for everyone from the Oakland Raiders to the adult-rock cable music channel
VH1. Today Baron lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico and continues to stretch
the boundaries of the arts of photography and photojournalism. His work can be
viewed at www.fotobaron.com