Summer 2024: The Sound of Music
Buy tickets here!
Directed by Jennifer Boesing and Celeste Kamiya
Music Direction by David Möschler
Choreography by Pam Crane
Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse, based on Maria von Trapp’s autobiography “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”
El Cerrito Performing Arts Theater, July 19 – 28, 2024
Based on the lives of the Von Trapp Family Singers, The Sound of Music is a story of love and courage in the face of hate and danger, and one of the most beloved musicals of all time,. When the exuberant nun-in-training Maria is sent to be a governess for the seven unwieldy children of a a stoic widow, she brings joy and music to the grieving household. As the forces of Nazi Germany begin to encroach upon Austria, the Von Trapp family is forced to make the ultimate moral decision to do what they believe is right. Featuring songs like “Do Re Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” The Sound of Music is an epic, inspiring adventure for the whole family.
MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM
JENNIFER BOESING – Co-Director
Jennifer (she/her) worked professionally as a singer and actor in Minneapolis from the age of nine. Before graduation from high school, she had performed with At the Foot of the Mountain Theater Company, Mabou Mines Theater, Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Minnesota Opera. Jennifer studied acting at the Northwestern Summer Theater Institute, with Wesley Balk at the New Music Theater Institute in Minneapolis, and with Sanford Meisner and Richard Pinter at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York City. In 2002, she earned a master’s in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Operatic Performance. Locally, Jennifer has performed opera, oratorio, and musical theater. Professional credits include work with San Francisco Opera Center, San Francisco Lyric Opera, Pocket Opera, Berkeley Opera, Oakland Opera Theater, Festival Opera, North Bay Opera, 42nd St. Moon, and Mountain Play. Jennifer began working as a director and educator with YMTC in 2000, when it was called Youth Musical Theater Commons. She has served as founding artistic director for YMTC since the company became a nonprofit organization in 2004.
CELESTE KAMIYA – Co-Director
Celeste (she/her) is a San Francisco-born actor, singer, and teaching artist. She began her professional vocal training with the San Francisco Girls Chorus at age 7 and performed with the group for 6 years, appearing during that time in Il Tritico: Suor Angelica and Die Tote Stadt at San Francisco Opera. As a YMTC student, Celeste appeared in and worked on twelve productions, from Anything Goes in 2010 to Carousel in 2016 – and she credits Jennifer, Dave, and Pam with teaching her how wonderful teaching theater can be. After obtaining her BA in Theater at The New School in New York City and studying acting at the British American Drama Academy in London, she returned home to YMTC joined the staff in 2018 and hasn’t left since! She was Resident Stage Manager from 2018–2022, becoming Casting & Outreach Director in 2021, and adding Marketing Director to her many titles in 2022. She co-directed Matilda the Musical (2022) and directed Little Shop of Horrors last fall. Being a part of YMTC has been the joy of her life, and she cannot wait to showcase the work of these astounding young people in The Sound of Music.
When not working at YMTC, Celeste holds a variety of odd jobs, but always keeps performing. She has performed, stage managed, and taught at Shotgun Players, The Mountain Play, NCTC, SBMT, Theatre Rhinocerous, CMTC, SF Shakespeare Festival, Oakland Theatre Project, West Edge Opera, and CCCT.
DAVID MÖSCHLER – Musical Director & Conductor
David Möschler is an award-winning conductor based in Oakland who has been the Resident Musical Director for YMTC since 2012, where he has worked on over 35 productions. In addition to this, he has music-directed over 140 professional theater productions with companies such as Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Shotgun Players, West Edge Opera, Ray of Light Theatre, Mountain Play, Lamplighters Music Theatre, SF Playhouse, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and Center REPertory Theatre among many others. Möschler has also toured with bands like The Dear Hunter and Pop Up Magazine throughout North America. Next up he can be seen conducting A Little Night Music at College Light Opera Company in Cape Cod, where he has served on the music staff since 2005. In 2013 he founded Awesöme Orchestra Collective, which he conducts every month. www.davidmoschler.com.
PAM CRANE – Choreographer
Pam (she/her) was a founding YMTC board member, and the company’s first Managing Director and Production Manager. Choreography credits include Anything Goes, Guys & Dolls, Cabaret, Godspell, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, Jesus Christ Superstar, Urinetown, South Pacific, The Most Happy Fella, The Music Man, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. “Many thanks to everyone who makes YMTC and live theater possible!”
BERTRAND BLANK – Sound Engineer
Bert (he/him) is a sound engineer, DJ, and event producer in the Bay Area. He is the founder of By the Bay Productions, an innovative entertainment production company that specializes in sound design, lighting, and audio-visual effects. Bert has designed the sound for productions of Little Shop of Horrors, Be More Chill, Heathers: The Musical, Into the Woods, Matilda, Sunday in the Park With George, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson Musical, Once Upon a Matteess (musical), Don’t Stop Me, and Fun Home. He is thrilled to be working with YMTC again, and very excited to be part of the team bringing Soubd of Music to bay area audiences. Visit bythebayproductions.com for more info.
BILL BREWER – Build Assist
Bill has been working with YMTC in a variety of production roles for several years. His background in design and manufacturing has integrated well with assisting in the production of nearly two dozen YMTC performances. He is excited to be part of Sound Of Music, and the attendance of his mother at this production, who has met and visited with some of the depicted Von Trapp family members. BS, MS University of Oregon
LAURA CORNWALL – Stage Manager
Laura Cornwall (they/she) started their theater career as a stage manager with YMTC 2006–2011, and most recently was the Stage Manager for YMTC’s production of Fun Home. Laura has a BA in Stage Management and Dramaturgy from Oberlin College and an MFA in Theater Management from the Yale School of Drama. Laura spent a number of years creating theater in New York City with artistic partner Philip Waller, has worked as an Access and Sensory Consultant—including with National Disability Theater—and has a passion for bringing Disability Justice work and the performing arts together.
LAUREN FITTS – Assistant Costume Designer
Lauren Fitts (they/she) is very excited to be returning for The Sound of Music, their 8th show with YMTC. They graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2021 and are currently a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati. They worked for YMTC as a wardrobe manager for Light in the Piazza, Shrek the Musical, Sweeny Todd, and Ragtime. Since then they have been honing their construction and design skills building costume pieces for Once on This Island and Everybody, wardrobe managing Fellow Travelers and Clue, and design assisting Diologue of the Carmelites at the University of Cincinnati.
LUCRETIA FROKE – Hair & Makeup Designer, Scenic Painter
Lucretia (she/her) is excited to run her 5th show with YMTC and has been running and designing hair and makeup as well as set building, scenic painting, and prop fabricating in the Bay Area for the past 7 years, for YMTC she worked on Matilda, Sunday in the Park with George, Hunchback of Notre Dame. However her favorite and most recent show was Little Shop of Horrors where she designed and built the giant Audry 2 and is excited to bring magic to the stage again for Sound of Music.
RACHAEL HEIMAN – Costume Designer
Rachael Heiman (they/she/he) graduated from the California College of the Arts in 2018, diving into a decade-long career as a Bay Area Production Designer and Fabricator that specializes in historical recreation costumes for opera and musicals. Their individualized BFA, a blend of textiles, sculpture, and fashion, fuels their creative practice, especially in productions like this one. They’re celebrating their 13th collaboration with YMTC and second season as a resident costumer pouring their heart into shows such as Les Misérables, The Light in the Piazza, and Sweeney Todd. Beyond the sewing machine, Rachael’s journey has led them to explore performing, modeling, props artistry, and more. They’ve worked with a myriad of other Bay Area theatre companies including The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, African-American Shakespeare Company, The SF Speakeasy, and the San Francisco Playhouse. @Rachaelheimanproductions
HEATHER ONDERSMA – Intimacy Director
Heather (she/her) is thrilled to return to YMTC after serving as intimacy director for Fun Home. Theatre intimacy direction credits include Rent (dir. Adam Pascal aka OBC Roger), The Book Club Play (Ross Valley Players), Rent, Cinderella and In the Heights (Berkeley Playhouse), Little Women and The Prom (YPTMTC/Randall Museum) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Alameda Foodbank Players). Film (selected): Chimera (dir. Steve Pink, with Pauline Chalamet), Companion (New Line Cinema with Jack Quaid, Sophie Thatcher, Rupert Friend), Splash City (prod. Berner/4 Ways Entertainment) and El Campo (dir. Octavio Pisano). Member of Lincoln Center Directors’ Lab, assistant faculty Theatrical Intimacy Education (TIE), treasurer of the National Society of Intimacy Professionals, organizing team for the International Conference of Intimacy Coordinators–Berlin 2024. @heatherondersma
MITCHELL OST – Scenic Designer
Mitchell (he/him) is very excited to be returning to YMTC after designing the set for Ragtime in 2022. Mitchell teaches theater design/technology at The College Preparatory School in Oakland. He designs in the Bay Area and across the country including as the resident set, lighting, and projection designer for the M Ensemble Company in Miami, Fl. He is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. www.mitchellost.com
DAWN NAKASHIMA – Properties Designer, Scenic Artist
Dawn is so pleased to have found a niche in theater stagecraft (props, set dressing, paint & build). One of her favorite pastimes is to “make things” and as the property master she gets to flex her creative, problem solving and resourceful-ness muscles. Turns out Dawn is well suited for this type of work with a BS in Industrial Design (SJSU) and an MFA in Studio Arts (Mills College). Some of Dawn’s favorite YMTC shows to work on for their unique challenges – Light in the Piazza, Shrek the Musical & Matilda. Check out Dawn’s website for her latest creations: www.nakfinearts.com
THOMAS SOTO – Sound Designer/Mixer
Thomas is excited to join YMTC again the 23/24 season. He has mixed and designed SFX for YMTC since the summer of 2022. Notible performances of Shrek the Musical, Matilda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and YMTC’s comissioned show Don’t Stop Me. He also works with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on various musical projects such as The Apple Tree and Little Women. He currently works at the Fairmont Hotel as an A/V specialist, A1, and Assistant Project Manager. During his down time you can find him hosting game nights, designing D&D content, and trying to be social.