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BROADWAY SPOTLIGHT 
​CAST

RONA FIGUEROA 
​Broadway: Miss Saigon (Kim); Les Miserables (Eponine); Nine (Revival); Lennon; Les Miserables (Fantine-Revival).  Regional: The King and I; Waterfall; RENT; The Boys from Syracuse; Jesus Christ Superstar; We Will Rock You (LasVegas).  Off-Broadway: Dogeaters, Female Heart, Caucasian Chalk Circle, (Vineyard Theatre), Turandot (play) Film &TV: “Dragonheart: A New Beginning,”, “Slow Jam King,” “Mysteries of Laura,” “Eye Candy,” “Gossip Girl.” 

LANA GORDON most recently co-starred as Velma Kelly in the Broadway company of Chicago and made history with Brandy as the first two black co-leads on Broadway, Born in New London, Connecticut, she studied dance at New York City's Alvin Ailey School on a scholarship where she excelled as a dancer. After that, Lana took part in a repertory ensemble directed by Sylvia Walters for over 3 years, before joining Donald Bird's ensemble "The/Group." Lana then played the role of Dionne in the European tour of  Hair. In 1997, Lana made her debut on Broadway as an original cast member in The Lion King as Shenzi. She then joined the Broadway cast of Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. During the past 10 years she has had a very successful career performing all over Europe and the Middle East in various shows such as Chicago as Velma, Sister Act as Deloris, Tarzan as Kala, West Side Story as Anita, Carmen Cubana as Carmen, and at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in Qatar as a guest vocalist. 

JUDY McLANE starred in over in over 4000 performances as Donna Sheridan and Tanya in the Broadway company of Mamma Mia! making her the longest running lead in the show’s history. Judy received critical acclaim creating the role of  Vienna in the Off-Broadway production of Johnny Guitargarnering a Drama Desk Nomination and a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance in the Theater.  Other Broadway credits include Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman performing duets with the legendary Chita Rivera, Aspects of Love with John Cullum, and Chess. She created the role of Lillian in the two person musical and World Premiere of  Los Otros by Michale John LaChuisa  at the Everyman Theatre. Her National and International Tours include the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Donny Osmond, Mrs. Baskin inBig, and Side By Side By Sondheim directed by Rob Marshall. Favorite roles include: Maria Callas inMaster Class (Theatre Raleigh), Diana in Next to Normal (Syracuse Stage SALT Award, Riverside Theatre,  Pioneer Theatre), Margaret in Light in the Piazza (Raleigh Theatre, Broadway World Award) Phyllis in Follies (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes nomination), Eva Peron in Evita, the title character inVictor/Victoria, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, Luisa in Nine, Nancy in Oliver!, Florence in Chess, Lily in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Paper Mill Playhouse), Fiona in Brigadoon, Milly in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (St. Louis MUNY), Mrs. Walker in The Who’s Tommy, Rebecca in Rags (American Musical Theater of San Jose), Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar (Sacramento Music Circus), and Ann in 1940's Radio Hour (Repertory Theater of St. Louis), Isabella in Wuthering Heights (Olney Playhouse), and Lucy in Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde (Casa Manana). As a worldwide concert and cabaret artist, she has  performed as a soloist with countless symphony orchestras including the Bolshoi Orchestra in Moscow, the National Orchestra of Lyon, France, National Symphony of Canada, National Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Ft. Worth, Indianapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee, Naples, Oklahoma City, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Seattle, St. Louis, Southwest Florida,Toronto, and Chuatauqua Symphony Orchestras and Chess in Concert at Carnegie Hall, among many others. Film: Donna in the cult classic film, “Were the World Mine” and Val in “Hiding in Daylight” which was selected for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. TV: “Madame Secretary” “Elementary,” “The Blacklist,” “Guiding Light” and “Another World.”  Judy can be heard on the recordings of Johnny Guitar and Sundance the Musical.

JON PETERSON recently returned to New York having starred as the Emcee in the National tour of Cabaret, a role he also played on Broadway. Off-Broadway: George M. Cohan Tonight; Have a Heart; The George M. Cohan Revue; Irving Berlin in Person; Half a Sixpence. Regional: Peter and the Starcatcher (Theatre Aspen); He Wrote Good Songs [writer/ actor] (Seven Angels Theatre); Song Man Dance Man(Milwaukee Rep); Singin' in the Rain (Ogunquit Playhouse); Sophisticated Ladies(Gateway Playhouse); Half a Sixpence(Goodspeed); The World Goes Round; The Rocky Horror Show; A Chorus Line (MUNY). London West End: The Sound of Music; A Chorus Line; Dames at Sea; She Loves Me; "Y"; Sophisticated Ladies; Cavalcade; Whoop-Dee-Doo!; Definitely Doris; Cats; On Your Toes; Blitz!. Film include: "Then"; "Sketch"; "Coffee and Cabbage"; "A Moment"; "Track"; "The Lost City of Tomorrow"; "My Life Sucks"; "Rick's Pawn Shop"; "Death's Waiting Room"; "Like the Spider"; "The Color of War"; "Human After All"; Face to Face"; "Penny Saver"; "Proverbia"; Anna Ballerina"; "Mail Order Wife"; "Surviving Picasso". Albums: "Skidoo!"; "George M. Cohan Tonight"; "The Johnny Mercer Jamboree"; "Irving Berlin Revisited".

WADE PRESTON began his Broadway career as the Alternate before taking over the role of "Piano Man" in Billy Joel's hit Movin' Out. He played the role for the show's entire 3½ year run, and starred on and off in the production's National Tours for the next few years. He still fronts concerts with the Movin' Out Band. Wade did virtually all the rehearsals and sound checks for Joel for his historic "Last Play at Shea" performances, job description "Stunt Billy." Prior to Movin' Out, Wade was well known on the west coast as the preeminent boogie pianist, revered for his rollicking performances, stunning technical abilities and spirited versatile singing. Besides recording sessions, master classes, and the occasional Movin' Out Band™ concert, Wade is currently focused on his solo concerts.

BROADWAY SPOTLIGHT CREATIVE

STEPHEN DeANGELIS (Producer/Host)  has produced over 300 different Broadway concerts at venues in New York and across the United States featuring a multitude of Broadway stars including many Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winners and nominees, stars from hit television series and films whose roots are on stage and Broadway's fastest rising young performers. He is also the Producing Artistic Director and Host of At This Performance... ,  the critically acclaimed concert series that has showcased the talents of  over 1000 Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates since October 2003. He has cast over 3600 network television and radio commercials for Manhattan's leading advertising agencies for such clients as DirecTV, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, E*TRADE, Febreze, Cover Girl, Pantene, Advil, Robitussin, Downy and Hewlett-Packard and has contributed to many historic and award-winning spots and campaigns including many which have been recognized with Platinum, Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes. Stephen also cast the six-time Emmy Award nominated Playhouse Disney series “Johnny and the Sprites” starring Tony Award nominee John Tartaglia which was seen on the Disney Channel. His work has been seen in New York and regionally in over 300 theatrical productions for companies including Musicals Tonight!, York Theatre Company, The John W. Engeman Theater at Northport, The Drama League, Casa Mañana, North Shore Music Theatre, Virginia Stage Company, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Stage One, Studio Arena Theatre, American Stage Company, GeVa Theatre, Starlight Theatre of Kansas City, the St. Louis Municipal Opera (The MUNY) and Dallas Summer Musicals among others as well as numerous festival showcases, workshops and readings. Other credits include The World AIDS Day All-Star Concert Revivals of Pippin and The Secret Garden, the All-Star production of Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens and the 25th Anniversary National Tour of Hair. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and has staged musicals in major theatres across the country in Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Dallas and St. Louis and throughout New York and New England. Throughout his career, Stephen has cast over 100,000 actors across all entertainment platforms. Recent productions include the New York premiere of Unexpected Joy by two-time Tony Award nominee Bill Russell (Original Cast recording on JAY records), the Off-Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s Marry Me a Little and the All-Star concert of Into the Woods. He also was nominated for two 2018 BroadwayWorld Awards. Stephen was recently named Producing Artistic Director of the new Pocono Center for the Arts, scheduled to open late 2020.

EUGENE GWOZDZ (Musical Director/Accompanist) is originally from Fort Worth, Texas and now resides in NYC. Eugene is the Music Director/Arranger for the American Dance Machine 21, and the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts.. Eugene was the MD/Arranger for Our Guy, Cy, a musical concert tribute to Cy Coleman, starring Tony Award Winners, Randy Graff, Cady Huffman, and Lillias White which received rave reviews from the NYC critics; MD/Arranger for the Jerome Robbins Awards honoring Chita Rivera, Harold Prince, and Stephen Sondheim. Music Director and Pianist/Arranger for Tony Award-winning "Princess and the Frog" star Anika Noni Rose at the Lincoln Center American Songbook Series; Drama league Tribute to Patti Lupone; orchestrated and arranged music for the critically acclaimed revival of It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman. Music Director and Music Director/Pianist/Arranger for the hit show, Thrill Me, and the critically acclaimed 20th Anniversary Revival   Production of Maltby & Shire's Baby at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Broadway: The Full Monty and Oklahoma!. Broadway National Tours: Sunset  Boulevard  (with Petula Clark), Flower Drum Song, Swing!, The Color Purple, The Phantom of the Opera, The Will Rogers' Follies and West Side Story (Conducted  and played keyboards). He has worked with many Broadway stars including Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes  Mitchell, Norbert Leo Butz, James Monroe Iglehart, Shuler Hensley, Stephanie J. Block, Patti Lupone, Cady Huffman, Chita Rivera, Leslie Uggams, Donna McKechnie, Andre DeShields, Lee Roy Reams, Ken Page, Patrick Wilson, Billy Porter, Harvey Fierstein, Shirley Jones, Will Chase, Betty Buckley, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Will Chase, LaChanze, Nikki James, Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Andrea McArdle, Chris Seiber, Rachel York, Norm Lewis, Megan Hilty, Kristin Chenowith, Brent Barrett, Valisia Lekae, John Tartaglia, Laura Benanti, Melissa Errico, Karen Ziemba, N'Kenge, Mark Kudisch, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Laura Bell Bundy.