Production Team

Michelle Holowicki, Co-Director, Choreographer

Social Studies Teacher, Brighton High School

Michelle Holowicki is in her fifteenth year at BHS and teaches Close Up Gov/Econ, Economics and AP United States History. Cinderella marked her twelfth show at BHS – she also choreographed Oklahoma! and co-directed and choreographed Footloose,  Bye Bye Birdie, Legally Blonde: The Musical, Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Grease, Nice Work If You Can Get It, White Christmas, Honeymoon in Vegas, Pippin, Newsies  and Cinderella.  Prior to BHS, she choreographed the “Glory of Christmas” productions at NorthRidge Church.

Phil Johnson, Co-Director & Musical Director

Director of Brighton Choirs, Brighton High School 

Phil Johnson is the choir teacher at Brighton High School and Scranton Middle School (since September 2012).  Mr. Johnson also  joined the Brighton Musical Theater Creative team at that time as  Co-Director after spending ten years teaching in Traverse City.  He and his wife, Dianne, have two sons, Ethan and Max and a daughter, Adelaine.

Kristine Stuenkel, Producer & Costume Designer

BCPA Staff

Kristine has been with the musical and drama programs at BHS since 2012 focusing primarily on costume, hair and makeup design. She has over 20 years experience and has designed costumes for over 50 productions. She has expanded her role the past few years to producer  for the musical and has also produced the annual play for BHS Dramatic Arts along with Sonja Marquis for the past three years. She strives to combine a hands on educational experience with a love of theater for the students. 

Josh Holowicki, Technical Director and Scenic Design

Josh’s passion for theater has brought him to the BCPA to work with the Musical Theater Program at Brighton High School. He has over 15 years of lighting and scenic design experience, has toured dozens of stages across the country, and has learned from or worked directly with top lighting designers, including Tony Award winner Ken Billington. Josh has been interviewed or written for several trade publications related to lighting and scenic design, including an article published about the BHS Musical production of Legally Blonde: The Musical for Stage Directions Magazine. Josh is an advisory board member for Martin Professional Lighting and the Brighton Center for the Performing Arts, and he currently owns E2i Design, a lighting production and design company.

Sonja Marquis, Acting Director

Sonja is a professional actor, director and sound designer from Brighton. She has worked with numerous theaters throughout southeastern Michigan, including Williamston Theatre, The Dio, Tipping Point Theatre, Flint Repertory Theatre, Detroit Public Theatre, Purple Rose Theatre Company, The JET, Performance Network, Matrix Theatre Company, Wild Swan, Theatre Nova, Encore Musical Theatre Company and Detroit’s Music Hall. Sonja is honored to have received several awards and nominations for her work, including a Wilde Award win for her portrayal of Betty in The Dio’s The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Wilde Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Suzette, Tipping Point Theatre’s Don’t Dress for Dinner) and Best Play for Young Audiences (Director, Wild Swan’s Charlotte’s Web). Since 2015, she has been the director for Plymouth Uptown Players (PUPs), a youth theater organization run by Plymouth Community Arts Council in cooperation with Tipping Point Theatre. In addition, she teaches theater arts summer camps to young artists of all ages, has been a mentor with Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, and raised three amazing humans with her husband Mike.  

Bella Rabold,  Choreographer

Bella is an alumni of the Brighton Musical Program with six years of competitive dance and four years of musical theater under her belt. She is elated to have the opportunity to choreograph this show. Bella was on the stage for multiple productions during her high school career, including Newsies and Cinderella, and worked behind the scenes as choreographer on Wizard of Oz and Guys and Dolls . Bella is currently working towards a degree in Secondary Education with a focus in English and a minor in Psychology at Eastern Michigan University. 

Liz Howell, Director of Brighton Center for Performing Arts/Stage Manager

Liz is a New York native transplanted to Michigan. She graduated from Wells College in 2011 with her B.A. in Performing Arts: Theatre and Dance. She went on to become a professional stage manager and lighting technician for several years around the East Coast and abroad for companies and venues such as NYO-China, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Education, Surflight Theatre, Bronx Preparatory Schools, Open Hydrant Theatre Company, Ogunquit Playhouse, Sterling Renaissance Festival, etc. In 2013 she joined Actors’ Equity Association and became a union stage manager that allowed her to work on Off-Broadway shows. While working at Lincoln Center Education and Bronx Prep she found a passion for theatre and education. In 2019 after a few years adjusting to a new state she was able to pursue such a passion by joining the Walled Lake School District as production staff and then later as assistant auditorium manager for Novi community schools.