Jay Armstrong Johnson
Jay Armstrong Johnson is a native of Fort Worth, Texas who is known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple-threats. He has appeared in the original companies of the revival Hair, Catch Me if You Can, Hands on a Hardbody, the celebrated revival of On the Town, and most recently in The Phantom of the Opera joining the record-breaking phenomenon for its 30th anniversary year. Off Broadway/New York credits: Darling Grenadine, Scotland, PA (Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominee) at Roundabout, A Chorus Line (City Center), CANDIDE directed by Hal Prince (NYCO), Sweeney Todd starring opposite Emma Thompson and Audra McDonald and filmed for PBS (NY Philharmonic), The Most Happy Fella (Encores!), Fire and Air (CSC), WORKING (Prospect Theater Co, Drama Desk Award), Wild Animals You Should Know (MCC), 35mm: A Musical Exhibition. Jay has made concert appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and The Hollywood Bowl. TV/Film: QUANTICO, Sex & the City 2, Law & Order: SVU. Jay wears many artistic hats while producing his annual Halloween show, I Put A Spell On You: The Return of the Sanderson Sisters, a benefit for Broadway Cares Equity fights AIDS. His debut album, Jay Armstrong Johnson — LIVE at Feinstein’s / 54 Below, is available on Spotify, iTunes, and broadwayrecords.com. @Jay_A_Johnson on instagram and twitter.
Mary Michael Patterson
Mary Michael is an Atlanta based performer, director/choreographer, and educator. As a performer she has been seen as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, Liesl in The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall, Meg Giry in the First National Tour of Love Never Dies, Hope in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, Marianne in the World Premiere of Sense and Sensibility at the Denver Center, Kathy Seldon in Singin’ in the Rain at Chicago’s Marriott Theatre, and over a dozen regional productions at the St. Louis MUNY, Pittsburgh CLO, Asolo Rep, Syracuse Stage, Music Theatre of Wichita, and Casa Mañana Theatre. She has been featured in concert work at Lincoln Center, and as a lead vocalist with the American Pops Orchestra in Washington D.C. As a director, her work includes Between the Folds at The Green Room 42, Oklahoma! and Footloose at Pioneer Theatre Guild, Pied Piper, and The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly at Arena Stage, A Very Silly Vaudeville at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts, and as the Assistant to the Supervisor on the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera. Mary Michael holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan, and is a certified Pilates and Restorative Yoga instructor. www.marymichaelpatterson.com
Ahmad Simmons
Ahmad Simmons, a Texas native, is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and creative producer based in New York City. Last seen on Broadway in Ivo Van Hove’s groundbreaking revival of West Side Story. Previous shows include the Original Broadway Cast of Hadestown, and most recent revival casts of Carousel and Cats. Ahmad co-starred alongside Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams as Ben Vereen in the Emmy nominated FX mini-series Fosse/Verdon. Prior to his career on Broadway, Ahmad toured internationally and all across the United States as a dancer with Parsons Dance Company, River North Dance Chicago, and Eisenhower Dance Detroit. He is a recipient of the Julia Deberson Award at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. As Co-Founder and Co-Artistic director of Pursuit Chicago and a ChicagoDancemakers Forum Lab Artist, he has produced and choreographed many original works as well as dance-theater adaptations of plays. He holds a BFA in Dance from the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University. Follow @ahmadsimmons on instagram.