Founded in 2002, The Winter Park Playhouse is Central Florida's professional musical theatre and one of few in the state. It is a 501(c)(3), non-profit charitable organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life for residents and visitors in Central Florida by producing and developing year-round professional musical theatre programming, in-house and out in the community, that entertains, uplifts, and inspires.

Located minutes from downtown Orlando and blocks from beautiful Park Avenue, the Playhouse is known for its high quality entertainment, welcoming atmosphere and exceptional customer service. The intimacy of the 123-seat theater engages patrons in a unique up-close-and-personal experience.

Affiliated with Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union of actors and stage managers, the Playhouse maintains high standards of artistic integrity and proudly employs professional actors, musicians and technicians for each production. The year-round programming includes: 

The Mainstage Series
An annual Series of dynamic musicals and revues, new or rarely produced in the region, which feature professional actors and musicians.

The Spotlight Cabaret Series
A monthly Series of new cabaret premieres which showcase a different professional singer in a 55-minute "New York-style" cabaret in the beautiful lobby bar.

REACH
An educational outreach program which engages underserved children in quality musical theatre experiences (live performances and classes) at their day nurseries, schools and community centers.

SHARE
An adult outreach program that brings uplifting, professional musical theatre performances to homebound seniors in life care communities.

Florida Festival of New Musicals
A new annual festival, the only one in Florida and one of two in the Southeastern Region, which is being developed to help advance musical theatre by showcasing new musical works and fostering the artistic growth of composers and playwrights.

Roy Alan
Roger Blauvelt
Gordon Blitch
Gary Brewer
George Fender
Cris Heceta
Dr. Armon Jadidian
Leslie Kelly
Dr. Francille MacFarland
Dr. Judith Marlowe
Mark Peelor

Heather Alexander (ex officio)
Carrie Frye (Director Emeritus)
Anne van den Berg (Director Emeritus) 
Michael Edwards (Director Emeritus)
 

Officers:
President: Roger Blauvelt
Secretary: Leslie Kelly
Treasurer: Gordon Blitch

ROY ALAN
(Artistic Director)

Roy is the Artistic Director and co-founder of The Winter Park Playhouse and has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union of actors and stage managers, since 1979. He has been working professionally for over 50 years with over 250 production credits as a performer, director, and choreographer including the Broadway productions of Pirates of Penzance with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt and Nine with Raul Julia. His National Tour credits include; The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Pirates of Penzance. Roy also appeared in the Pre-Broadway production of Chaplin with Anthony Newley.

HEATHER ALEXANDER
(Executive Director)

Heather is the Executive Director and co-founder of The Winter Park Playhouse and has been a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union of actors and stage managers, since 1992. She received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from the University of North Florida and has been working professionally for over 25 years. Heather is a member of The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The Winter Park Cultural Consortium, The Orange Avenue Business Association, 4 Arts, and The Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance. In addition to her professional stage experience, she has a variety of commercial, industrial and television credits including the co-host of The Florida Lottery’s Flamingo Fortune Game Show.

MICHAEL EDWARDS
(Associate Director)

Received his BFA in theatre from The School of Performing Arts at United States International University in San Diego; Graduate of the College of Theatre Arts at the famed Pasadena Playhouse; Member of Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists for over 30 years; Serves on Central Florida Liaison committee for Actors' Equity Association; Worked as a director, artistic director, and actor for over 40 years in regional, dinner, and small professional theatres, summer stock companies, theme parks universities and schools across the country.

ALAN GALLANT
(Technical Director/ Stage Manager)

Alan received a Master’s in Fine Arts from The University of Central Florida and has worked as an actor, technician, educator and student of the theatre for over 30 years. He has appeared at UCF in The Laramie Project, The Three Sisters, The Visit, and Dracula; at The Winter Park Playhouse in Groucho: A Life in Revue; at The Orlando Fringe Festival in Hooked and Copping a Craigie; and at The Orlando Repertory Theatre in the Writes of Spring. 

CHRIS LEAVY
(Musical Director)

Chris received a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre from the University of New Hampshire and his professional career as a Music Director, accompanist, vocal coach and actor spans over 40 years and more than 100 shows. Now in his seventh season as resident MD at the Winter Park Playhouse, Chris is also a pianist, vocal coach and performer at Walt Disney World (Dapper Dans of Main Street, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, and more) and Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure (Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular). Other local credits include SAK Comedy Lab, Mad Cow Theatre, Treasure Tavern, Sing Live USA and the Orlando Gay Chorus. Chris performed his award-winning cabaret I'm Just Not That Gay at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, the Kansas City Fringe Festival and Don't Tell Mama in New York. He directed Ned Wilkinson's original hit musical Julie Bunny Must Die! for Orlando Fringe in 2010, and re-teamed with Ned to direct Fosgate: Ferret Loan Officer for Orlando Fringe in 2012, which was named "Best of the Fest" by the Orlando Sentinel, and garnered a Patrons Pick award. Chris' national credits include the National Tour of Bathhouse, the Musical, and shows for the Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theatre Festival, Silver Dollar City theme park and the Mansion America (Branson, MO), the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA and Portsmouth, NH's Theatre by the Sea and Seacoast Repertory Theatre.

TODD ALLEN LONG
(Director of Administration & Facilities)

Todd received a Bachelor’s of Science in Music Education from Penn State University and has worked for over 25 years as a professional singer, actor and director in regional, dinner and small professional theatres. He worked for 15 years as an administrator and project manager for such companies as Reebok, United Way and the American Pharmacists Association, and as the Protocol Officer for the United States Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia for 2 years. Todd has served as Box Office Manager, Education Coordinator and Music Director for local professional theatres and schools and has performed numerous roles for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando and Sea World Orlando.

LISA MELILLO
(Director of Marketing & Public Relations)

Received BSA in communications from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Former Director of Sales for the Arts & Cultural Alliance; 20 year veteran of the tourism and group sales industry; Worked in subscription sales department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., Held numerous positions for several Fortune 500 entertainment organizations including most recently Planet Hollywood Inc. and Hard Rock Café International Inc. where she developed the sales and marketing departments for each organization as their Vice President of Sales.Lisa is a proud graduate of Leadership Winter Park Class XXI and is actively involved in many local and state professional associations. 

MEGAN TSURUMAKI
(Director of Outreach)

Megan has been with The Winter Park Playhouse's exciting outreach program since its inception in 2009, though she's been working with Heather and Roy since 2006! Megan holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Musical Theatre from UCF, and a Bachelors of Music in Music Education with a minor in theatre arts from Appalachian State University. She is a private instructor in audition coaching, vocal pedagogy and piano. Megan also music directs productions with theatres around Orlando, including The Orlando Repertory Theatre and Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Megan's love for teaching grew when she spent a summer touring the upper mid-west with Prairie Fire Children's Theatre, where she directed a production of Alice in Wonderland with a new set of 80 students in a different city each week. After graduate school, Megan chaired the Performing Arts Department at Maret School, a private K-12 day school in the heart of Washington, DC. She has a passion for helping young people reach their dreams in the performing arts and loves sharing that passion with members of our community. 

Jessie Varner
(Executive Assistant)

The Winter Park Playhouse brings people together and touches the heart in ways that significantly enhance the quality of life in this community. We exist because of the ongoing passion, dedication and generosity of our amazing staff, donors, patrons and volunteers.  The founders are not philanthropists-simply artists who want to touch as many lives as possible through the joy of musical theatre.  

When The Winter Park Playhouse opened in 2002, it was located in the back of a performing arts school and had a 4’ x 8’ platform stage, 60 folding metal chairs, no curtains, no sound system, and minimal lighting.  Within 6 months, we had cultivated enough support to build a small stage, purchase additional lighting equipment and seating and present its first season of three productions. 

Year after year, we’ve consistently broadened our audience and expanded our programming. On August 15, 2009, we moved into the current location allowing us to better serve the community. Today, The Winter Park Playhouse presents six mainstage musical productions per year, monthly cabarets, and the outreach program REACH.  

For photos from our past productions, visit our Facebook page!

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