CREATIVE TEAM BIOS

SANDY BOREN-BARRETT (Artistic Director and Director)

Sandy Boren-Barrett has been with Stages Theatre Company (STC) since 1990, allowing her to pursue her passion for theatre production and education, along with community building theatre serving young audiences. During her time in leadership STC has been awarded National recognition with the 2017 Harold Oaks Award for Innovative Contributions to the Field of Theatre for Young Audiences, as well as the 2018 – 50/50 Applause Award for promoting gender equity with playwrights. STC’s 2019-2020 season selection was highlighted in TYA Today Magazine as an example of “a promising increase in representation specifically in works that feature the stories of contemporary young people of color”. Sandy led an international performance tour and artistic exchange with “the egg Theatre, the Young Peoples Theatre of Theatre Royal” in Bath England. Collaboration is at the core of her work, and as an accomplished director has directed over 75 productions at STC which include many new works, dance-inspired productions, and world premieres. She directed the local premier, mainstage production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the musical which remains the highest attended production at Stages Theatre Company. Sandy remains on the Executive Committee, as former chair of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts (MCA) and last spring worked with Racially Conscious Collaboration (RCC) to gain her certification in racial equity organizational leadership.

KRYSTI WIITA PHILLIPS (Choreographer)

Krysti is the Program & Events Manager and Development Associate for Alive & Kickin and has been a part of the A&K family for 5 years. She has also done 4 productions at Stages Theatre Company: Peace 4 the Ages, Elf the Musical, Jr., Disney And Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins Jr, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jr. Krysti has worked on many theatrical productions throughout the Twin Cities at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, GREAT Theatre, Duluth Playhouse, Theatre Latte Da, and Artistry.

KIMBERLY WILLOW (Music Director)

Kim is excited to be back at Stages for this wonderful holiday show! Kimberly Willow is a singer, actor and dancer that also enjoys time behind the scenes as music director and choreographer. Since graduating from Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a BFA in Musical Theatre, Kim has performed professionally in national tours and regional theatre all over the country. Her time at Stages has included the music direction of Elf, Mary Poppins, Rudolph, Frederick the Musical, and choreography for Rudolph, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Llama Llama Holiday Drama. Favorite performance credits include: Cosette (Les Miserables), Peggy Sawyer (42nd Street), Lily St. Regis (Annie) and Cinderella (Into the Woods).

THOMAS MEEHAN (BOOK)

Thomas Meehan received the Tony Award for co-writing the book for The Producers in 2001 and in 2003 for co-writing the book for Hairspray. He received his first Tony Award in 1977 for writing the book of Annie, which was his first Broadway show, and has written the books for the musicals Rocky, Elf the Musical, Cry-Baby, Young Frankenstein, Chaplin, Bombay Dreams, I Remember Mama, Ain’t Broadway Grand and Annie Warbucks. In addition, he was a long-time contributor of humor to The New Yorker, an Emmy-Award winning writer of television comedy, and a collaborator on a number of screenplays, including Mel Brooks' Spaceballs and To Be Or Not To Be. Mr. Meehan was also a member of the Council of the Dramatists Guild. He and his wife, Carolyn, divided their time between a home in Nantucket and an apartment in Greenwich Village, near which, on Hudson Street, she owned and presided over the long-running and near-legendary children's store Peanut Butter & Jane.

BOB MARTIN (BOOK)

BOB MARTIN has been working as an actor and writer in Canadian theatre, film and television for over 3 decades. He has had a long association with the Toronto Second City, where he co-wrote and performed in four Second City revues, directed three, and had a stint as Artistic Director. He is a co-creator of The Drowsy Chaperone, and has performed in many of its incarnations including Ahmanson Theatre (Los Angeles), Marquis Theatre (Broadway), Novello (London). Bob has won a number of awards for his work including an LA Drama Critics Circle Award, an L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award. He is also co-creator of the critically acclaimed dramatic series Slings & Arrows. Recent TV projects include Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays I & II (CBC), Sensitive Skin I & II (HBO), and Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas (NBC). Recent theatre projects include Elf (Broadway), Minsky's (Ahmanson LA), and in dev., Gotta Dance, The Sting, and Millions. Bob reunited with Elf collaborators Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin to create the new musical The Prom, now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre and nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

MATTHEW SKLAR (MUSIC)

Matthew Sklar is a Tony®, Emmy®, and Drama Desk Award-nominated composer. His works include the Broadway musicals Elf and The Wedding Singer (Tony Award Nomination for Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Music). He also wrote the music for The Rhythm Club (Signature Theatre), Judas & Me, and Wicked City (American Stage Company). Matthew reunited with Elf collaborators Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin to create the new musical The Prom, now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre and nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Matthew received a 2015 Primetime Emmy® Award Nomination for Outstanding Music Direction for the critically-acclaimed NBC stop-motion animated TV special "Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas", starring Jim Parsons. He adapted and arranged the music of Marvin Hamlisch for the Emmy Award-winning documentary film Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love, seen on PBS/American Masters. Matthew has contributed original songs/music to Sesame Street, Wonder Pets!, and the NBC Broadcast of The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. As a freshman at New York University, Matthew began playing keyboards for the Broadway production of Les Miserables, eventually conducting the show at 21. He has also been a keyboardist, conductor, and/or arranger for many Broadway productions including Shrek, Caroline, or Change, Nine, Oklahoma, 42nd Street, Putting It Together, Annie Get Your Gun, On the Town, Titanic, Guys and Dolls, Sunset Boulevard, and Miss Saigon. Matthew also appeared onstage as Oscar in the Broadway revival of 42nd Street. Awards include the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Theatre Award, and the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award. He is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild, ASCAP, and the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802. His music is published by Warner/Chappell Music. Matthew was educated at The Juilliard School of Music (Pre-College Division), the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and New York University.

CHAD BEGUELIN (LYRICS)

is a four-time Tony Nominee whose works include Disney's Aladdin (Tony Award Nomination for Best Book and Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Lyrics and Best Book) and The Wedding Singer (Tony Award Nomination for Best Book and Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Lyrics). He also wrote the lyrics for the Broadway musical Elf, which broke several box office records at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. His play HARBOR premiered off-Broadway at Primary Stages. Chad also wrote the book and lyrics for Judas & Me (NYMF Award for Excellence in Lyric Writing), The Rhythm Club (Signature Theater) and Wicked City(American Stage Company). Chad reunited with Elf collaborators Matthew Sklar and Bob Martin to create the new musical The Prom, now playing on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre and nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. He is the recipient of the Edward Kleban Award for Outstanding Lyric Writing, the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award, the Gilman & Gonzalez-Falla Musical Theater Award and the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. Chad is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Dramatic Writing Program.