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Return to Altar Boyz
Cast and Creative Team
 Richard Hopkins (Director) Artistic Director of Florida Studio Theatre since 1980, Richard Hopkins has guided the company from a small touring group to a professional regional theatre. Mr. Hopkins began his professional theatre career as a resident actor with Asolo State Theatre in Sarasota, Florida. In 1974 he founded the Palisades Theatre Company in Washington, DC, which subsequently moved to St. Petersburg to become American Stage. He served as its Producing Director from 1974-1980. Additional experiences include: President of the Florida Professional Theatres Association (1983-1985), Panelist for Theatre Program of Florida Arts Council, and Director/Instructor for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus’ Clown College (1981). His many directing credits include: Metamorphoses, The Bully Pulpit, God’s Man in Texas, Hysteria, Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde, 2: Goering at Nuremberg, Six Degrees of Separation, Execution of Justice, Death by Misadventure, Hi-Hat-Hattie, Invictus, Agnes of God, Beyond Therapy, True West, La Ronde, and Betrayal and numerous other plays and Cabaret projects including Sophie Tucker, Inspired Lunacy, and Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, Over the Rainbow.
 Kevin Del Aguila (Author - Book) Kevin has directed and performed in several productions of his own works, including his much celebrated comedy 6 Story Building, which took top honors as "Best Overall Production" of the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival, and Number One: A Pollock Painting (Synchronicity Space, NY), excerpts of which have been published in the book Such Desperate Joy: Imagining Jackson Pollock. Other plays include Crime and Crime Again, Last Call in Metrotham, The Greekest of Tragedies, and A Touch of Rigor Mortis, which he also directed for the 2002 NY Fringe Festival. Kevin was a writer for the HBO comedy special Sketch Pad, the NBC pilot Live on Tape, and collaborator on several film and television projects including Band Dorks, The Vuzz and the aptly named Untitled Short. As an actor, Del Aguila has made guest appearances on television (Law & Order: SVU) and performed in many off-Broadway shows including the 2006 revival of Jacques Brel is Alive & Well..., The Big Bang, Around the World in 80 Days and Rocket to the Moon, as well as countless regional theatre productions across the country including No Way to Treat a Lady at Florida Studio Theatre. Kevin holds a BFA from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an MFA from Temple University in Philadelphia. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and Actors' Equity. Read more about Kevin at his website: www.delaguila.info
 Gary Adler (Author - Music and Lyrics) The offspring of a big band singer and a trombonist, Gary developed a passion for music at the age of three when he discovered that he could play "Lean on Me" by utilizing the top four white keys of the piano. At age ten, he was bitten by the theatre bug after seeing his older brother star as Curly in a community theatre production of Oklahoma! Sometime during college he put the two together, and has been working as a musical director (Avenue Q, The Fantasticks, Chicago City Limits, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Detroit and L.A.), conductor (Urinetown, Nunsense, Tick, Tick Boom!), and Pianist (Fosse, Hairspray, Victor/Victoria) for theatre ever since. He has also tourd with Annie and Jekyll & Hyde. Gary composed the incidental music for Avenue Q, and contributed one song to Martin Charmin's The Next-to-the-last Revue. Gary Adler is the musical dierctor and a composer for Disney Channel's new Playhouse Disney series, Johnny and the Sprites. Adler hails from Huntington Woods, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan where he studied both music composition and piano performance. He curretnly resides in New York City.
 Michael Patrick Walker (Author - Music and Lyrics) Altar Boyz marked Michael Patrick Walker's composing debut. Michael was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards for Altar Boyz (of the show's seven total) for both Music and Lyrics, and for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical. In NYC, he has been seen (or at least heard) in the pit orchestras for Avenue Q (Conductor); Wicked; Thoroughly Modern Millie; La Boheme; The Lion King; tick, tick...Boom! (Conductor); Jekyll and Hyde; Cats; and The Fantasticks (Conductor).
CAST
 John Ashley Brown (Luke) is proud to be making his debut at FST! John was last seen in the World Premiere Musical Dream A Little Dream, The story of the Mamas and Papas playing the late Denny Doherty in Phoenix, AZ. Other credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar (CA and FL); National Tour: Grease; NYC: Sure Thing, EmeraldMan. TV: All My Children. Lead Male vocalist for Jean Ann Ryan Productions. www.JohnAshley.biz
 Casey Gensler (Matthew) is thrilled to return to Florida Studio Theatre where he performed last season in British Invasion. He has been seen in regional theaters as Jack in Into the Woods, Matt in The Fantasticks, Hero in Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Jackson in Pump Boys & Dinettes. A few years back, Casey performed at the Van Wezel with the national touring company of Kiss Me Kate.
 Andrew Grosshandler (Mark) is thrilled to join the FST Boyz, having first performed this role in the Regional Premiere of Altar Boyz at Mason Street Warehouse in Saugatuck, Michigan. Other credits include Bat Boy (title role), Titanic and Cats. A native of Baltimore, Maryland and a graduate of Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Proud Member of Actors’ Equity.
 JP Moraga (Juan) a Philippine native, is proud to be making his FST debut with a fierce cast in Altar Boyz. NY credits include: Home of the Brave (The Pearl Theatre Company), Aguinaldo: Mark Twain in Purgatory (NAATF). Regional credits include: The King and I (The Weston Playhouse), My Fair Lady (Actor's Theatre Of Louisville/Cleveland Playhouse), Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes (Carousel Dinner Theatre), South Pacific and Young Abe Lincoln (Lincoln Amphitheatre). An alumni of Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music. Proud AEA member.
 James Larosa (Abraham) a proud member of AEA, James originated the role of Freddie Fernandez in the critically acclaimed It’s Karate Kid! The musical!. A graduate of NYU’s CAP 21 and the High School for Performing Arts. James has been seen in such shows as The Scarlet Pimpernel, Gypsy, WSS, Still Life, Parade, Singin’ In The Rain, and Songs for a New World. He is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful cast and crew.
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