Lee Commander currently oversees the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Bands, Percussion Ensemble, and the Marching Redcoats. All of the ensembles at Leon High School have maintained Superior ratings at both the district and state levels under his direction and have earned outstanding accolades, including the prestigious Otto Kraushaar and Jack Crew Awards. Ensembles under his instruction have performed as featured ensembles at The Southeastern United State Band Clinic in Troy, AL, and at The Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Conference in Tampa, FL. During his time as the Director of Bands, he has added the Instrumental Lesson’s Academy where students can receive one-on-one instruction from music professionals in the area and established a scholarship endowment for students continued study in post-secondary education.

Prior to earning his Bachelor of Music Education (BME) from The Florida State University (FSU), he was highly involved within the College of Music, including work with the Board of Advisors and Marching Chiefs. He was awarded the Manley Whitcomb Scholarship in 2010 for his continued support of and effort in music education and a Medal of Honor from The Marching Chiefs. 

While completing his Master’s in Music Education from FSU in 2018, he worked with Dr. Alice-Ann Darrow to develop curriculum for students with significant disabilities in an ensemble music setting. As a result, he currently coordinates Lions United—students from self-contained classroom settings can perform in an integrated classroom environment along with several other performing ensembles at Leon, such as Steel Pans, Guitar, and Chorus.

Mr. Commander has been involved with the Leon Summer Musical since 2016 where he worked as a performer, rehearsal coach for the pit, and as a conductor. He is thrilled to be making his return as a conductor for this year! 

Mr. Commander holds an Honorary Membership to Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from Tau Beta Sigma in 2021 for his work as a Southeast District Counselor, and in 2022 was awarded a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association. His other professional associations include The National Association for Music Education (NAfME), The Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), The National Band Association (NBA), and The Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA). 

Randi Lundgren is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with two BA’s, one in English and one in Theatre Arts. She has directed over 40 shows in her years as a director, 28 of which have been at Godby High School here in Tallahassee. In her 15-year tenure at GHS, where she built the theatre program from the ground up, she has directed such shows as Chicago, Dreamgirls, Into the Woods, Tarzan, Once on this Island, and most recently, Disney’s Descendants. Next spring, she is looking forward to bringing Shrek to the stage and in the fall bringing back their community wide children’s show. This past year, she directed the world premiere musical Teodora, a true story about a Ukrainian woman who survived the two regimes of Hitler and Stalin. She is super proud and excited to work on this show with this group of people. She is most excited to only have to direct because in her day job as Fine Art Department Chair, Director of Theatre Arts, Auditorium Technical Team Sponsor, SGA Co-sponsor, Yearbook Adviser, and theatre and yearbook teacher at Godby High School, she runs her program mostly by herself with some helpful friends and family who assist in making her visions a reality. She says that it has been hard letting go of some of the control, but rewarding to learn to accept help and that she doesn’t have to do it all. This year she was honored to be chosen as Leon County Schools Teacher of the Year and looks forward to growing in her craft through the summer, learning new skills to take back to the Cougar Den. She couldn’t do anything without the love and support of her husband Eric and her son Ryan. She hopes you all come see the shows at Godby next year and beyond and that Joseph makes all of your Technicolor Dreams come true!

Anna Norris is thrilled to return to the Leon Summer musical team after choreographing Anastasia and Beauty and the Beast! As a performer, Anna has been seen onstage as Roxie in Chicago, Blanche in Jane Eyre, Bebe in A Chorus Line, and Nikki in Curtains, along with other featured dance roles. Favorite choreography credits include Anything Goes and Joseph... (Brookwood School), Grease and The Little Mermaid (QMT), The Drowsy Chaperone (Theatre Tallahassee), and A Christmas Story (New Stage Theatreworks). Anna is a proud Lincoln High School alum, and participated in the Leon summer show when she was in high school. By day, Anna consults with school districts on their academic strategy as member of the TNTP team. She holds a BA in Music and American Studies and an MPA from FSU with concentrations in Non-Profit Management and Education Policy

Tabitha Peck is the Director of Choral Activities at Leon, where she teaches Capital Singers, Madrigals, Melodears, AP Music Theory, and two classes of Technical Theatre. She is a proud graduate—and former marching band Drum Major—of Tallahassee’s James S. Rickards High School, and holds a B.M.E. and M.M.E. in Choral Music Education from The Florida State University College of Music. 

Her ensembles have performed at the Florida ACDA conference President’s Concert, the FMEA Presidents Concert, and the Southern Region ACDA Conference. Under her direction, choirs have received “Choir of Distinction” titles at the State Music Performance Assessment. She has presented sessions at the FMEA State Conference on the topics of Music Theory and a cappella music. Each summer, Mrs. Peck produces and music directs the Leon Summer Musical, and is active in Leon's Thespians, selecting and assisting with musical numbers that perform at District and State. The musical numbers are frequently chosen "Critic's Choice" and "Best in Show" at the District and State level.

While at Leon, Mrs. Peck has founded the national award-winning pop a cappella group The Mane Event, as well as the Theatre Tech program, which develops the skills necessary for facilitating all productions and performances in the District’s most comprehensive Performing Arts program. She manages the Leon Performing Arts theatre, which oversees approximately 120 events each season.

Students from Mrs. Peck’s programs have consistently gone on to place in collegiate voice, music education, music therapy, musical theatre, and technical theatre programs. Former students have performed on Broadway and in Opera Houses throughout the US and Europe.

Mrs. Peck has been active in leadership with FMEA, FVA, and ACDA throughout her professional career, along with membership in USITT and NAfME. She is currently serving as FVA District 3 Chair after having served as Treasurer in the District for many years, while continuing as a member of the Executive Board as State Treasurer and Webmaster for Florida ACDA. Mrs. Peck enjoys adjudicating choirs, performing as a soloist (her favorite roles to date are the Witch in Into the Woods and Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast) and raising her two beautiful daughters with her husband Tim.

Tim Peck is thrilled to mix another Leon Chorus Summer Musical! Tim has worked on all Leon summer shows since 2008, along with other school and community musicals in Tallahassee and Quincy. Tim has served for four years as Worship Arts Director for Thomasville First United Methodist Church in Thomasville, GA, following eight years teaching middle school Chorus, Guitar, and High School Sound Engineering/Technical Theatre in Tallahassee. In his spare time, he enjoys gigging with Jim Ed Tim Ed and 36 Strong, watching the Premier League and Seminole sports with his girls, and learning the joys of cooking.

Maggie Smith is the Associate Director of Choral Activities and Theatre at Leon, where she teaches Prelude, Overture, Opus, and Theatre 1. She is so excited to be returning for her second Leon summer show! She received her B.M in Vocal Performance and B.M. in Music Education from the University of Kentucky and her M.M in Vocal Performance from The Florida State University. Performance credits include, Mrs. McLean (Susannah) with Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, Madame Flora (The Medium), the Grandmother (Little Red Riding Hood), Old Lady (Candide), 2nd Witch (Dido and Aeneas), the Mother (Hansel and Gretel), and Annina (La Traviata) with FSU Opera, and Tisbe (La Cenerentola) with Bayview Music Festival. With a shared love of musical theatre, she has been seen in the roles of Bloody Mary (South Pacific), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd), and Madame Thénardier (Les Misérables) with University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast) with Emerging Artists Studio.  She is the recipient of the KY District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Encouragement award in 2017 and 2018, the Carlisle Floyd Endowment for Opera in 2016 and 2017. Maggie is a self-acclaimed Disney adult, competitive functional fitness athlete, and loves spending any free time she has with her partner Seth and their dachshund, Bristol Annie.

Michelle Madsen Thompson is thrilled to be working as costumer for the Leon summer show! Her first Leon costuming experience was with the Choral Department’s 2008 production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast when she was tasked with making headpieces for the napkins. With available assets, including two bags of feathers and a FedEx box, she created her first Leon costume pieces. Since then, she has been involved with over a hundred regional shows ranging from Anastasia: The Musical to Sweeney Todd to A Christmas Carol as a lead or support costumer. As a counselor and faculty member at The Florida State University, she specializes in resilience-based measurement and interventions with underserved children, adolescents, and families experiencing trauma, poverty, and abuse. She presents nationally and internationally on the implementation of resilience following trauma for youths in school, counseling, foster care, medical and high-risk community settings.

Annaliese Trammel just finished her first year of college at the University of North Florida. She is currently studying both psychology and sociology and is planning to pursue a career in counseling. She participated in theatre as a backstage crew member all throughout middle and high school. She worked as an Assistant Director/Stage Manager for Mrs. Lundgren for three years while she was at Godby High School. She’s excited and thankful to have been offered this opportunity to work on another theatre production with Mrs. Lundgren, even after finishing high school!