Artists
Director
RICHARD M. PARISON, JR. (Director) is proud to be reunited with this entire creative team to remount The Big Bang for the 4th time together since 2004! Richard is currently the Executive Director/CEO of Richmond CenterStage, the premiere performing arts center in Richmond, Virginia. Before moving south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Richard was most recently the Producing Director of Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires. He spent over a decade in Philadelphia as the Associate Artistic Director at the award-winning Prince Music Theater and most proudly as Assistant to Producing Artistic Director, Bernard Havard at the internationally recognized Walnut Street Theatre. Richard is a two-time Barrymore Award nominee for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Dreamgirls at the Prince and the original production of The Big Bang at Act II Playhouse which later inaugurated the Chicago Theater’s Second Stage. Representative regional directing credits include Dessa Rose at the Firehouse Theater Project, The Laramie Project at Barrington Stage Company, HAIR, Ain’t Misbehavin, Annie Get Your Gun and Striking 12 at the Prince and Pump Boys and Dinettes, The Lake, Collected Stories and Suite in Two Keys for the Walnut Street Theatre. Richard is a proud member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers.
Music Director
SONNY LEO (Albert/Musical Director) has an extensive background in musical theater. His professional performing career includes the National Tour of Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies starring Freda Payne and Chaplin starring Anthony Newley. His most current credits are Judas in Godspell and many roles at the prestigious Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia including Oscar in 42nd Street starring Mark Jacoby, a Fairtone in State Fair with Dee Hoty, Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits, Oliver as well as Give My Regards To Broadway, which was seen here at Innovation Studio. Sonny most recently was music director for The Full Monty at The New Candlelight Theater in Arden, DE. Mr. Leo is also the resident music director and choreographer at St. Joseph’s Prep School with Tony Braithwaite, director of the Cape and Sword Drama Society.
Choreographer
KAREN GETZ (Choreographer) is a three-time Barrymore Award winning Philadelphia-based theater artist. She’s delighted to be back with the Big Bang team of creative lunatics. Her most recent choreography credits include; Little Women (Bristol Riverside Theater), A Passing Wind, (PIFA-World Premiere) and Club California (Arcadia University-World Premiere). Her most recent performance credits include: Lady M at The 2011 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival (World Premiere) and Cecily and Gwendolyn’s Fantastical Capital Balloon Ride at The 2011 Capital Fringe. Her original works include the comic-actors’ ballets; Suburban Love Songs and Disco Descending and AWAKE (formerly-The A.I. Project), a piece about sentience, motherhood, A.I. Robots and trash. Karen is a proud member of the Union of Stage Directors and Choreographers. You can check out her current work and activities at KarenGetz.com and CecilyAndGwendolyn.com.
Cast
TONY BRAITHWAITE (Boyd) won the 2005 Barrymore Award for this performance (Best Actor in a Musical), and has been with this particular version of The Big Bang since the beginning: at Act 2 Playhouse in Ambler (2004), here at The Kimmel Center (2005) and at The Chicago Theatre in Illinois (2006). Tony works regularly with Montgomery Theatre, 1812 Productions and Arden Theatre Company, among others. Next up: Laughing All the Way (in December), and Let's Pretend We're Married (in January, with Jen Childs), both at Act 2 Playhouse, where he Tony will also portray Prof. Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady in April. Tony is a 12-time Barrymore nominee, a 4-time Barrymore M.C., and a 3-time Barrymore winner. For 17 years, Tony has also been the Director of Dramatics at his beloved alma mater St. Joe's Prep where he is currently directing his 35th show, A Few Good Men, opening November 11th. TonyBraithwaite.com
BEN DIBBLE (Jed) is an award-winning actor, singer, and educator who has called Philadelphia his professional home for over a decade. Ben has appeared in over 50 productions on such stages as the Arden, the Wilma, the Walnut, the Lantern, Act II Playhouse, Prince Music Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, People’s Light, 1812 Productions, Lenape R.P.A.C., Boarshead(Michigan), Chicago Theatre (Chicago), Roundhouse (D.C. area), and Kimmel Center with Philadelphia Orchestra. Career highlights include Leo Bloom in The Producers, Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Balladeer/Oswald in Assassins, Chris in Miss Saigon, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Toad in A Year with Frog and Toad, and the title roles in Candide and Bat Boy: The Musical. Ben has appeared in seven world premiere musicals in the Philadelphia area, and has performed his solo cabarets in such venues as Plays and Players, Act II Playhouse, Odett’s in New Hope, Westminster Chapel in Princeton, and the Kimmel Center. As an educator, Ben has taught music theatre and private voice to elementary students with the Arden, high school students with Westminster Choir College, and is an adjunct professor of Musical Theatre at West Chester University, Temple University, and The University of the Arts. Ben was the recipient of the 2006 F. Otto Haas Emerging Artist Barrymore Award. Ben holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of the Arts.
Design
BRADLEY HELM (Set Designer) Recent designs include Haunted Poe and 24 hour Bald Soprano with Brat Productions, Spirit of Praise with Proof Productions at the Liacourous Center, Little Shop of Horrors, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, The Odd Couple, and Nunsence at the Devon Theater. He has designed for many of Philly's theaters and received a Barrymore Award for Best Set Design for 1812's Daughters of Genius. He is a MFA graduate of Temple University.
SHELLEY HICKLIN (Lighting Designer) is excited to be designing The Big Bang once again. Recent credits: Sylvia and Blithe Spirit (Delaware Theatre Company) Born Yesterday and The Ugly One (Walnut Street Theatre), This Is The Week That Is and Why I’m Scared of Dance (1812 Productions), Rooms and The Great American Trailer Park Musical (11th Hour Theatre Company), Steelworks and The Striped Hat (BalletX), HAIR and It’s a Wonderful Life (Prince Music Theatre). She won the Barrymore Award for her work in the Walnut Street Theatre’s Of Mice and Men.
BRITT PLUNKETT (Set Construction) Britt Plunkett/Campbell Studios have been professionally involved with several theatre companies, both locally and internationally, since 1996. Credits include Interact Theatre Co, Pig Iron Theatre, Gas and Electric Arts, Living Arts Theatre, Gravity Works Theatre, Contemporary Stage Company, The Delaware Theatre Company, Act 2 Playhouse, 1812 Productions, Flashpoint Theatre and Entertainment Events. He also is co-artistic director of Insperado, an initiative based theatre company dedicated to producing multi-media, multi-medium works that push the audience to experience theatre in new and exciting ways.
JENNIFER SLOBOTKIN (Press Agent) practices public relations at a full service agency in Center City. She's always had a passion for theater as well, most recently taking part in Philadelphia Theatre Workshop's 4th Annual Playshop Festival starring in A Woman, A Man, A Ravenous Ghost and Thespian Smackdown! Jennifer is excited to combine her love of theater and public relations for The Big Bang.
DANIELLE COLOMBO (Production Stage Manager) graduated with her degree in performing arts from Oakland University in Michigan, where she owned a theater company and taught private and group lessons for over 10 years. She has performed in Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding across the US and currently manages productions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Danielle worked on Parenting 101, The Fantasticks, Give My Regards To Broadway, The Irish... and How They Got That Way, The Odd Couple and The Philly Fan in Philadelphia. Danielle speaks nationally for Monster’s Making It Count program helping high school and college students make the most out of their education and career.
SHANNON HEFFREN (Creative Consultant) graduated from Bucks County Community College with her Associate’s in Cinema/Video Production, then received her Bachelor’s Degree in Film and Media Arts from Temple University’s School of Communications and Theatre. She has worked with Howard Perloff for over 10 years now, assisting productions of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Los Angeles; Howard Perloff’s originals: Star Spangled Rhythm, Bernie’s Bar Mitzvah, and Give My Regards To Broadway; as well as the Philadelphia productions of The Fantasticks, The Odd Couple, The Philly Fan, Parenting 101 and her personal favorite, Frank McCourt’s The Irish and How They Got That Way.
BERNE SIERGIEJ and ANNE DUNNINGTON (Producers) are husband and wife who have a genuine respect for good theater, especially locally in the Philadelphia area. Berne is an Estate Lawyer by profession in Montgomery County. For the past six years, he has been on the Board of Directors of the award-winning ACT II Playhouse in Ambler, PA. Anne is a Marketing Executive with her own title insurance agency, Metes & Bounds, Inc. They have both been investors in several plays on Broadway, including Nine to Five, Burn The Floor, La Bete, and Time Stands Still. However, they wanted to do something personal and closer to home. So, together they formed THE BERNANN COMPANY specifically for the purpose of producing several shows at the Kimmel Center. In 2009, they worked closely with Howard Perloff of Venice H.P. Inc., with whom they co-produced a trilogy of plays at the Kimmel Center’s Innovation Studio - Give My Regards to Broadway, as well as The Odd Couple, starring Tony Braithwaite and Pete Pryor, and then Frank McCourt’s The Irish - and How They Got That Way! In 2010, Berne and Anne were the primary producers of Bruce Graham’s widely acclaimed lament of Philly sports fans, The Philly Fan, starring Tom McCarthy. Now, they are wildly enthusiastic to be working with Ben Dibble and Tony Braithwaite once again in their production of their all-time favorite Musical Comedy, THE BIG BANG!! Who knows, they just might be as optimistic as Jed and Boyd, and actually take this show to the Big Apple! What a Blast - THE BIG BANG - on Broadway!?!?
HOWARD PERLOFF (Producer) resides in Carversville, PA and is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music. He was the owner of the Southampton Cabaret Theatre in Southampton Long Island and produced Irma La Douce starring Chita Rivera and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Dick Shawn. Howard was Associate Producer of Torch Song Trilogy starring Harvey Fierstein which won a Tony Award for Best Play. He also Co-Produced Legs Diamond on Broadway starring Peter Allen. Howard created and produced Bernie’s Bar Mitzvah Off-Broadway in New York, Star Spangled Rhythm at the Society Hill Playhouse and has produced Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Atlantic City and in Philadelphia for 22 years. Howard also produced The Big Bang, The Fantasticks, The Odd Couple, Parenting 101, The Irish..and How They Got That Way, Give My Regards To Broadway and The Philly Fan at the Kimmel Center. Howard is the Artistic Director of The Center for the Performing Arts of Bucks County. The Center hopes to buy the Bucks County Playhouse and have a full presentation of theatrical productions as well as theatre, dance and acting classes for children of all ages.