Director/Choreographer
Connor is a New York-based director, choreographer and dance educator. He is best known for choreographing the world-wide musical phenomenon Beetlejuice, with productions on Broadway, Australia, London, South Korea and the currently running North American Tour.
Connor received the Astaire Award for his work on The Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of The Robber Bridegroom, directed by Alex Timbers. Other notable recent work includes a new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast for Disney Creative Entertainment running aboard the Disney Dream; the world-premiere stage adaptation of Disney’s Tangled; Robert Schenkkan and Neil Berg’s The Twelve (Denver Center); the HIFA Festival in Zimbabwe; Found (Philadelphia Theatre Company), 13 North American companies of ELF; and pieces for Goodspeed Musicals, The Public Theatre, Theatreworks USA, Buck County Playhouse, Lincoln Center, Papermill Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, ACT, Playhouse Square, and Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC. Connor most recently choreographed the world-premiere of Will Aronson and Hue Park’s IL TENORE at the Seoul Arts Center in South Korea.
Connor is currently developing several musicals as director: the world-premiere stage adaption of Disney’s MOANA, Kit Yan and Melissa Li’s MISS STEP for MCC and THE BIG GAY JAMBOREE from Titanique creator Marla Mindelle, Jonathan Park-Ramage, and Philip Drennen. He graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory and was recently honored with the 2021 Young Alumni Award. He is a former competitive gymnast and made his Broadway debut as a performer in the final company of Beauty and the Beast. IG: @connorga. www.connorgallagher.com
Associate Choreographer
Katie just completed serving five years on faculty in the Musical Theatre Department at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre. At CCM, in addition to directing and choreographing productions, she also taught Tap, Jazz and will continue to produce The Senior Showcase.
Choreography/Directing credits include: Oklahoma! (MacHaydn Theater), Bernstein's Mass (Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra), Shrek (Connecticut Repertory Theater), Lizzie and Mame (The Human Race Theater), Jesus Christ Superstar (Clinton Showboat Theater), Into the Woods (The Carnegie Theater) Santa Claus (Cincinnati Children's Theater). Bright Star, 42nd Street, Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Pippin, Sondheim On Sondheim, Candide, The Theory Of Relativity, and Godspell at CCM. Katie served as the Resident Choreographer of the St. Louis MUNY for their 2020 virtual season.
Katie served as the Tap Consultant for the Public Theater's production of Soft Power, written by Janine Tesori and David Henry Hwang. Select performing credits include National Tour of Oliver!, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Pirates! at The MUNY, The Light In The Piazza, Elf and Anything Goes at Lincolnshire Marriott, Mary Poppins at Kansas City Starlight Theatre, Company at The Gallery Players, and Cats and Chicago at the West Virginia Public Theatre.
Recently she served as Artistic Director at Broadway Method Academy in Fairfield, CT, and recently taught at the Poly WeDo Academy in Beijing, China. Katie also teaches masterclasses around the country including Interlochen Arts Camp, Broadway Dreams Foundation, and the MUNY. Katie is a certified Tap Teacher with the American Tap Dance Foundation, and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, as well as Second City in Chicago. Katie is a member of Actor's Equity Association.
Music Director
Joel is a New England based Director, Music Director, and Composer. No stranger to Cleveland, Mercier spent four years with Great Lakes Theater, musically directing their productions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden and Les Misérables, which won the Cleveland Critics and Broadway World Cleveland Award for Best Music Director. Past orchestration, arrangement, & music direction credits include nationally recognized theaters all over the country such as the New London Barn Playhouse (NH), Northern Stage (VT), Goodspeed Opera House (CT), Center for the Arts (PA), Idaho Shakespeare Festival (ID), the Palace Theatre (NH), American Music Theatre (PA), and NYC’s Duplex, Westbeth Off-Broadway & Nokia Theatre Times Square. An award-winning composer, Mercier’s original productions & adaptations include Ghost Hunting and Lost in Wonderland (NH Theatre Factory), The Magic of Fairytales Series (Palace Theatre), Tom Sawyer (Winnipesauke Playhouse), and A Christmas Carol: A Sparkling New Musical which toured across the country in 2013. Mercier, a graduate of the Hartt School, was the Resident Music Director & Artistic Associate at the New London Barn Playhouse for six years, a Guest Artist at Dartmouth College for three, and is currently the Producing Artistic Director at North Country Center for the Arts Jean's Playhouse in NH. He is very excited to be back in Cleveland, having musically directed all the Dazzle Awards shows since its very beginning. www.joelmercier.com
Sound Designer
Richard is a freelance Sound Designer, teacher, and AV Systems Designer. Richard recently designed sound for The Choir of Man Afterparty at Playhouse Square and has worked at numerous theatres, schools and attractions throughout the US including: Ashland University, Beck Center for the Arts, Baldwin–Wallace University, Cain Park, Carnegie-Mellon University, Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Academy, The Cleveland Play House, The Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland State University, Dobama Theatre, The University of Evansville, Great Lakes Theater, Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, The Jewish Community Center of Cleveland, Oberlin College and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Richard is also a consultant on the construction and renovations of theatres and to award winning software companies that create products for live event production including Stage Research and Richmond Sound Design.
Lighting Designer
Annie Garrett-Larsen is a lighting designer based in New York City. She is thrilled to be returning to Playhouse Square to design her third Dazzle Awards. Her other Cleveland design work has been seen at Cleveland Play House (CWRU/CPH MFA Program, The New Ground Theatre Festival, & CPH Academy). Select designs have been seen at Chautauqua Theater Company, Detroit Public Theater, Ars Nova, HERE Arts Center, Judson Memorial Church, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Tank, The Wild Project, and many additional venues in and around New York City. Education: Bard College, B.A. in Theater & Performance. She is currently pursuing her MFA at NYU Tisch. anniegarrett-larsen.com
Stage Manager
Jack-Anthony Ina is a director, designer, and stage/production manager with over 300 production credits. His work has recently been seen in Atlanta, New York City, and throughout Northeast Ohio. Jack graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre: Stage Management and Arts Management & Entrepreneurship in 2020. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and is currently working as the Production Manager for Baldwin Wallace University's Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Jack also continues to work as a freelance director and designer.
Recent Credits: Ordinary Days (Production Stage Manager), Ride the Cyclone (Production Stage Manager, Video Designer), A Soulful Christmas (Lighting Designer), Motown (Production Manager and Lighting Designer), Sister Act (Lighting Designer), Ghost the Musical (Production Stage Manager), The Wild Party (Production Stage Manager), Sweeney Todd (Choreographer, Lighting Designer), The Lightning Thief (Scenic/Lighting/Props Designer, Production Coordinator), The Color Purple (Lighting Designer), Kinky Boots (Lighting/Video Designer), Disney’s Newsies (Director, Music Director/Conductor), Secrets at 54 Below (Director).
IG: @jackanthonyina jackanthonyina.com
Assistant Stage Manager
Julie received her Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre degree from Siena Heights University in 2011. Back to reprise her role as ASM for the Dazzle Awards, other stage management credits include The River Bride, Breakout Session & The Outstretched Hand (Cleveland Public Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire and Bright Ideas (The Brecksville Theatre), Bloody, Little Pieces (Blank Canvas Theatre), Disney Musicals in Schools Student Share (Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square 2016-18) and others. Julie has also most recently returned to the stage with appearances in Lakeland Theatre’s If/Then (u/s Kate) and Blank Canvas Theatre’s productions of We Will Rock You (ensemble). Favorite roles include Hannah in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, Nancy D. in A New Brain, and Lavinia in the two-part production of Mourning Becomes Electra. She has been seen on the Croswell Opera House stage in multiple productions, including A Chorus Line (u/s Kristine, Connie) and Titanic. Julie is currently employed full-time for the Education Department at Playhouse Square.
Production Assistant/Props Master
Whitney Miller is a Cleveland-based, freelance Stage Manager and a full-time Project Manager, with a background in technical design. She is thrilled to be a part of the Dazzle Awards team. Whitney attended Case Western Reserve University for Chemical Engineering and Film Studies where she spent most of her time with the CWRU Footlighters. Some of her favorite past shows include Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Blank Canvas Theatre), Evil Dead the Musical (Blank Canvas Theatre), The Last Five Years (Players' Theatre Group), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Blank Canvas Theatre), and her most recent work in Head Over Heels (Near West Theatre). She's happiest in the theatre, writing, or taking photos with Shiny Penny Studios. You're all very talented!