Team
Sam Carner & Derek Gregor
SAM CARNER and DEREK GREGOR have been listed as Playbill.com’s “Twelve Contemporary Musical Theatre Songwriters You Should Know.” They won the Richard Rogers Award and the John Wallowitch Award for songwriters under 40.
Their musical Island Song, which boasts seven MAC-nominated songs, was produced at the Adirondack Theatre Festival (“tuneful, lyrically smart, and full of heart... an uncountable number of bright, funny lyrics... superb” – Albany Times Union), the Bloomington Playwrights Project (“mesmerizing... vibrant, supercharged” – Herald Times), London’s Rose Bruford College, Oakland University, and London’s Hidden Theatre. Other works include Toast, Love, Splat, and Flash Priest. Sam and Derek have contributed original songs to Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York, an adaptation of Emma McLaughlin’s and Nicola Kraus’s New York Times best seller “Dedication,” Unsung Musicals’ The Passing Show, the popular web series My Gay Roommate, and Redheads Anonymous. They also created the “Barely Legal Showtune Extravaganza” series, which brought some of the country’s most talented college performers to New York for summer performances.
Their musical UNLOCK’D received a rapturously-received production in 2018 at Houston’s Queensbury Theatre, and the show was produced by Prospect Theatre Company at the Duke Theater in the summer of 2013 (“gorgeous” – NYTimes Festival in 2007, where it won the “Best of the Fest” audience prize and “Astounding, enveloping” –Talkin’ Broadway). Previously, UNLOCK’D was produced at the New York Musical Theatre and received Talkin’ Broadway citations for “Outstanding New Musical” and “Outstanding Original Theatrical Score.”
Learn more at www.carnerandgregor.com.
Michael Barnard - Director
MICHAEL BARNARD is entering his 27th season as The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Producing Artistic Director. He recently directed Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of Seussical and is proud to have opened ¡Americano! Off Broadway in 2022 as both co-writer and director. Formerly the Director of Theatre for the City of Phoenix and Associate Producer of Musical Theatre of Arizona, Michael has directed over 560 productions from New York to Los Angeles. He has devoted much of his career to developing original works that amplify powerful, untold stories, including Unbeatable, Lucky Star, Gun Metal Blues, All the More to Love, Onward and Upward, TAILS, and more. Michael also conceived The Phoenix Theatre Company outreach program Partners That Heal, now in its 14th year of training actors to use improvisational theatre to bring laughter and comfort to children and their families in hospitals across Arizona.
He has received countless awards for his work including the 2011 National Arts and Letters Award, the 2012 Leadership in Arts Award from the YWCA, the 2015 Arts Leader Award from Phoenix Boys Choir, and the prestigious 2018 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Michael, along with Vincent VanVleet, received the Champion of Compassion Award from CASA. Michael is co-author of Unstoppable Me, a children’s musical based on the Wayne Dyer book, and has written a children’s book entitled The Red Ornament.
Michael received his Master’s in Theatre with an emphasis in directing at Northwestern University. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Arizona State University. Native born, Michael grew up in Glendale and returned to Phoenix after receiving his degree.
Judy Loseff - Producer
JUDY LOSEFF is a romantic-comedy lover who believes mixing humor with love makes magic. In 2013, she launched her producing career with the award-winning musical comedy UNLOCK’D, which The New York Times called “surprisingly lovely...very amusing...gorgeous.”
Judy has also been involved with Water for Elephants (Broadway), The Who’s Tommy (Broadway), The King’s Speech (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Half Time (Paper Mill Playhouse, Broadway in Chicago), Othello: The Remix (Off-Broadway), Can-Can (Paper Mill Playhouse), Handle With Care (Off-Broadway), and Island Song (in development), An American in Paris (Broadway, London, U.S. Tour), and The 39 Steps (Off-Broadway). Judy is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theater (NAMT).
A native Chicagoan, Judt was also a journalist employed by The Chicago Sun Times and other publications. She authored the book, “Special Kids Need Special Parents: A Resource for Parents of Children with Special Needs” (Berkeley Publishing) and has worked to help families of children with special needs.
Judy has a Masters degree in Social Work and has appeared on television, radio, and in print across the United States as well as internationally, advocating for special families.