Crew

Jessie has been doing community theatre as long as she can remember, beginning with a starring role as one of the white pickets of Tom Sawyer's fence at the age of 5. Since then Jessie has directed, composed and acted in a range of productions all around New Zealand. For the past few years Jessie has been training to be a teacher and is currently working in the Drama and English departments at Wellington College. Jessie has been a long time fan of Stephen Sondheim's work and has been incredibly thankful to be able to work with Footlights and their amazing team to put on this production.

Shawn is thrilled to get back to music directing after a few years break. Company is his first show with Footlights and his first production in New Zealand. It’s also the realisation of a decades-long dream to work on a Sondheim musical. He has been music director for nearly 40 productions including Rent, Working, Sweet Charity, Once Upon a Mattress, Grease, Seussical the Musical, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and The Last Five Years. Growing up a stone’s throw from Broadway, his passion and interest in musical theatre began at the age of 10 with his stage debut in the Wizard of Oz, as Munchkin #3 in the Lollipop Guild.

Shawn is the Music Director of the Bach Choir of Wellington, continually trying to finish his PhD in Music Education, and spends most of his spare time outdoors or at the beach.

Shawn sends his heartfelt thanks to these good and crazy people: Jessie, Nick, Michael, Katty, and the talented cast, musicians, and crew. “That’s all you get!”

Nick is delighted to be making his New Zealand theatre debut as a part of the brilliant and welcoming company of Company. Spending the last decade working as an actor based in New York, Nick is grateful for the opportunity to work behind-the-scenes and utilise his love of organisation and communication. “Love to my favorite person, Maya.”

After making his directorial-debut with Wellington Footlights’ My Fair Lady earlier in the year, Michael decided 2019 was a good year for another first, and decided to put his hand up for Stage Manager in Company. He’s hoping that, through the magic of theatre, the audience is fully transported to Bobby’s New York and never has any awareness of the mime-based interpretative dancing, frantic bed making and seamless costume changes happening backstage. He’d like to thank Sam Burnard for convincing him he could do it, several years after he convinced her she would make an excellent SM, and also the Te Auaha architects for putting windows in a blackbox theatre.

This mysterious green tyke has been dominating pop culture and social media ever since episode one, while the deployment of Company at the start of the holiday shopping season guarantees that related merchandise will be flying off the shelves. The timing also leads directly into the release of his final costuming instalment for the year of his theatrical saga, ensuring that Brendan will reign supreme as we close out this decade and usher in the next.

Nick’s not sure if it was nepotism or desperation that got him involved in this production of Company, but either way he’s happy to have his first peak behind the curtain of musical theatre. This is the first time he’s been involved in a production and he’s really enjoyed working with the great people at Footlights. Final shout out to my wonderful Director/Girlfriend Jessie for getting me involved.

Georgia Kellett has trained in lighting design through Te Auaha over the past couple of years. She has designed lights for Arabian Nights, directed by Annie Ruth in 2018 and assisted in designing for Women of the Wood, directed by Leigh Evans in 2018, among other smaller projects. Kellett finds joy in lighting design as she feels that lighting can really bring a world to life.

Katty began ballet lessons at age 3 and has been dancing ever since. She trained predominantly in ballet and jazz, and has performed at major sporting events and in musical theatre, including Cats, Miss Saigon, 42nd Street, and Grease. Choreography credits include Urinetown, If/Then, (Footlights), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Bare: a Pop Opera. She is now also embracing the role of “dance mum”.

Katty is grateful for the opportunity to be involved with Footlights again, and to be working alongside this talented and dedicated cast and crew.

This is Aimée’s second show doing the hair styling for Footlights, having previously backcombed the life out of everyone’s scalps for My Fair Lady. She’s very excited to create that 70’s vibe, and to provide emotional support while brushing the cast’s hair.