About Us



BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Judith Marlowe, Ph.D., FAAA Roy Alan Heather Alexander Tom Sacha Gordon Blitch Audrey Byllott August Byllott Michael Edwards Anne van den Berg (Director, Emeritus) Mayor Kenneth Bradley (Honorary Director) Officers: President- Dr. Judith Marlowe Vice President- Roy Alan Treasurer- Gordon Blitch Secretary- Audrey Byllott

STAFF
	ROY ALAN (Artistic Director) Worked for over 50 years as a performer, director, choreographer, and artistic director; Served as an entertainment manager at Universal Studios Florida for 6 years; Member of Actors' Equity Association, the professional union for actors since 1979; Directed, choreographed and performed in over 200 productions across the country including Broadway, National Tours, Regional, Stock and Dinner Theaters; Member of Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance.
	HEATHER ALEXANDER (Executive Director) Received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from The University of North Florida; Worked in Management positions for 18 years; Member of Actors' Equity Association, the professional actors' union for 21 years and The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists for 10 years.; Board Member of the Orange Avenue Business Association; Member of “4 Arts” group; Member of Winter Park Cultural Consortium; Member of Central Florida Performing Arts Alliance.
	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.
	CHRIS LEAVY (Musical Director) Received his BA in theatre from The University of New Hampshire and is currently pursuing his Masters degree. Chris is a freelance music director and pianist/conductor whose professional career spans over 25 years and nearly 100 shows. His recent work includes the Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theatre Festival (Frog Kiss, Maccabeat!), the Kansas City Fringe Festival (Disgracefully Yours), Branson Missouri's Mansion America (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and Silver Dollar City (Classic Country Nights and Dickens Christmas Carol). Other favorites include Steel for the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA and Pippin at Portsmouth, NH's Theatre by the Sea. Chris served as music supervisor for the Vagabond Stage Company’s Friday Night Live Cabaret, and produced four editions of Broadway Rocks, a musical revue of rock & roll favorites from Broadway/off-Broadway musical theatre at the Vandivort Center Theatre.
	TODD ALLEN LONG (Box Office/ Facilities Manager) Received his Bachelor of Science with honors in Music Education from Penn State University; Worked for 15 years as Administrator and Project Manager for such companies as Reebok, United Way and the American Pharmacists Association; Served as Box Office Manager, Education Coordinator and Music Director for local theatres and theatre schools; Worked as the Protocol Officer for the United State Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia for 2 years; Worked for over 25 years as a professional singer, actor and director in regional, dinner and small professional theatres, festivals, schools, and theme parks.
	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. Currently sits on the Orange County Community Action Awareness Team in affiliation with the Orange County Arts Education Center helping take arts education into the entire Central Florida community.
	CANDACE NEAL (Social Media & R.E.A.C.H. Program Coordinator) Candace Neal received her Bachelor of the Arts in Theatre from Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. Although she dedicates the bulk of her time to the stage and singing/ songwriting, she has worked for Neal Studio Graphic Design for over eight years. She has worked as a theatrical teaching artist for several artistic companies including Lake Dillon Theatre Company in Colorado, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, & The Orlando Repertory Theatre. Favorite show credits include: Disney's Finding Nemo The Musical (Dory), Chicago (Velma Kelly), Disney's American Idol Experience (Judge), I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Woman #2), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Lucy), SHOUT! (Yellow Girl), Grinchmas at Universal Studios Orlando (Betty Lou Who), & Gypsy (Louise). Her original album, "Music From A Can" is available now on iTunes. (Back To Top)
	CONNY WILLIAMSON (Stage Manager/ Production Coordinator/ Volunteer Coordinator) Conny is thrilled to be on staff at the Winter Park Playhouse. Conny’s previous shows at the Playhouse are *My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, Pete N Keely, and Musical of Musicals: The Musical* . When she is not at the Playhouse, Conny is an Entertainment Manager and Textile Services Manager at Walt Disney World. She can also be seen at Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner Shows keeping the murders to a minimum. In Orlando, Conny has worked with Yow Dance, The IceHouse Theatrehe Orlando Opera, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Theatre Winter Haven, Baggy Pants Theatre Company, and Polk State College. Previous credits include performing in and Stage Managing for a variety of productions in and around the Louisville Kentucky area. (Back To Top)
THEATRE HISTORY

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 seven musical productions per year, monthly cabarets and an educational outreach program R.E.A.CH (Relevant Educational Arts for Children).

PHOTOS

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

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