
a musical based on the life of Barbara Follett
Meet The Team

Kay Cole
Director
Director: In a Booth at Chasen’s, I Only have Eyes for You, Firecracker, Cover of Life, The Dining Room, Dull Pain, Firecracker, Poison, Desperate Writers, and Washington Affair.
Director/Choreographer: High Heels on Wheels, Adam and Eve and Steve, Reunion, Ecstasy, The Flunky, Rose Bowl Queens, No Strings, Bark!, The World Goes ‘Round, American Tales, Nuncrackers, Judy’s Scary Little Christmas, A Year with Frog and Toad, A Chorus Line, I’m Getting My Act Together, Grass Harp, Robber Bridegroom, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Sing, Wild Women Blues & Sony Pictures Broadway, Oliver, Phantom of the Opera, The Addams Family.
Her inventive choreography and staging credits include: Hunger, It’s the Housewives, Great Expectations, Assassins, Pirates Of Penzance, Cabaret, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, South Pacific, Triumph of Love, Actor, Lawyer, Indian Chief, Dancing at Lughnasa, Take Me Along, The Baker’s Wife.
Broadway: Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (Choreographer). Off Broadway: Desperate Writers (Director). Reprise! Broadway: Three Penny Opera, Fiorello, City of Angels, Company, On the 20th Century, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Most Happy Fella. London West End: The Fantasticks , Snoopy, Blockheads. Pasadena Playhouse: Under One Umbrella, 110 in the Shade, Do I Hear A Waltz. Hollywood Bowl: Sound of Music, Bernsteins’ Mass, Mame, My Fair Lady, Music Man, Camelot. Geffen Playhouse: Nightmare Alley, Atlanta, Paint Your Wagon, Six Dances in Six Weeks. Hudson Theatre: Grave White Way. Kirk Douglas Theatre: Gaytino, Dogeaters. Falcon Theatre: Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. Antaeus Theatre: Tonight at 8:30. Playwrights Arena: The Next Step, Songs For A New World. Shakespeare Center LA: As You Like It, Comedy of Errors. Film & Television: Directing: Country Rules, THQ, Waiting in Line; Choreographing: Guidepost Junction, Ella, Jekyll, Disney’s Santa Clause 3, Awakening of Spring and Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.
Kay has taught Acting for Film & Television at Emerson College Los Angeles, UCLA Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory. She is the proud recipient of the 2006 Playwrights Arena Award for her outstanding contribution to Los Angeles Theatre. In 2009, she received a nomination for best choreography from the NAACP Theatre
Awards for her work on Atlanta at the Geffen Playhouse. Visit: www.kaycole.net

Stephen Gifford
Scenic Designer
Stephen is a designer for plays, musicals, operas, immersive events and themed interiors. Originally from Missouri, where he spent many years working with companies like The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and The MUNY. Stephen’s work has been seen internationally and on both coasts from New York City where he received his MFA in Scenic Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, to Alaska, where he designed for Juneau’s Civic Light Opera. A resident of Los Angeles, Stephen has close relationships with La Mirada Performing Arts Center/McCoy Rigby Entertainment, 3-D Theatricals, Laguna Playhouse, Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, and many more within the Los Angeles area. His designs have been seen on stages across the country and internationally including: The Grand Ole Opry, 5th Avenue Theatre, Bass Hall, Chicago Theatre, Madison Square Garden, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and Alandaleeb, Kawkab Elsharq, and Studio 1 Theaters (Riyadh, Saudi Arabria). Gifford’s work has given him the opportunity to work with people like Jason Alexander, Melanie Griffith, Laura Bell Bundy, Pink, Ellen Degeneres, Barbara Cook, Manny Paquiao, soccer teams F.C. Barcelona and Inter Milan and Directors Kathleen Marshall, Stafford Arima, Sheldon Epps, Ken Page, Matt August, Glenn Casale, Michael Matthews, and many more. He has garnered many awards and nominations for his work including eight Ovation Award nominations, three LA Weekly/Stage Raw nominations (one win), three LA Drama Critics Circle nominations (one win), was awarded The Bob Z Award for career achievement in set design by the Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle, 2014 & 2015 Sage Award, has been awarded the Scenie Award for LA Scenic Designer of the Year every year since 2008, and was awarded Scenic Design of the Decade for CABARET by Broadwayworld.com. Stephen is also a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829. IG - @swgifford1, www.stephengifforddesign.com

Jennifer Lynn Deck
Costume Designer
Jennifer Lynn Deck Is a costume and fashion designer originally from St. Louis, Missouri, now based on the West Coast, she is thrilled to be joining this creative team for the upcoming musical Perfect World. Some of her more recent design credits include; Am I Roxie (Upcoming) at the Geffen Playhouse, Pericles at New Swan Shakespeare, Reefer Madness the 25th
Anniversary Revival at the Whitney (Hair Designer & Asst. Costumes), The Amish Project at Playmakers Repertory; As You Like It, Untitled Russian Project, Jump, The Amish Project at Chautauqua Theater Company; The Book of Will, The Refugee Hotel, American Idiot at the Claire Trevor Theater; Shrek: The Musical at Carousel Theater; and Lucky Stiff, Little Shop of Horrors, The Butler Did It…Singing, Titanic: The Musical, Our American Cousin, Honk! The Musical, I Love You, Because, Forbidden Broadway, I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change at KP&R Theater. Touring: Backhaus Dance Concerts 2022-2025. Film Design: Blocked. Jennifer also works as a commercial stylist with brands such as, Mattel, Paul Mitchell, Shark/Ninja, CA Walnuts, The House of Florals, and more. Thank you and love you to my husband and goon squad. Instagram: @jennylynndeck , jenniferclarkdesign.com

Hector Guerrero
Associate Choreographer
Hector Guerrero has traveled throughout the world as a Director, Choreographer, Performer and Master Teacher working extensively in film, television, theatre and opera. Hector is one of the few approved by the Robbins Rights Trust to reproduce WEST SIDE STORY which he has set throughout the United States, China and for the Shakespeare Festival. In New York City, he choreographed GIMME A BREAK! (Transport Group) and CONCERT OF EXCELLENCE (Lincoln Center). At the Hollywood Bowl, he was the Assistant Choreographer for their production of A CHORUS LINE.
Other Director/Choreographer credits include International: BIG FISH (China Premiere), CHICAGO, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, HAIR. Regional: A CHORUS LINE, BYE BYE BIRDIE, EVITA, 42ND STREET, IN THE HEIGHTS, MY FAIR LADY, OLIVER, SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, WHITE CHRISTMAS. Television: LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY. Commercials: SCOPE (with Ryan Seacrest). Opera: CARMEN. As a performer, Hector’s credits include Broadway/Tours: Hal Prince’s EVITA, Gower Champion’s 42ND STREET, Chino in Jerome Robbins’ WEST SIDE STORY. Regional: Carl in BELLS ARE RINGING, A CHORUS LINE (Paul, Mark, Larry with Bebe Neuwirth), MAME (with Jo Anne Worley), NO NO NANETTE (with Susan Egan). Concerts/Reviews: BROADWAY BARES (with Jane Krakowski), GYPSY AWARDS (with Donna McKechnie), LOVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS (with Christina Applegate), REVELATIONS (with Jasmine Guy). Film: COOL AS ICE. Television: BACKSTREET BOYS IN CONCERT, ÉTOILE, LITTLE AMERICA, PENNY DREADFUL, PHYSICAL. Commercials: Crest. Videos: Björk, Foo Fighters, Ice-T. Opera: WONDERFUL TOWN (with Faith Prince and Nikki M James).
He is also a Professor at UCLA. You may visit his website at www.hectorguerrerodance.com and follow him at Instagram @hectorguerrerodance for more information.

Conwell Worthington
Supervising Producer
Conwell S. Worthington, II has worked as a producer since the notable 1977 Broadway Revival of The King and I starring Yul Brynner and Constance Towers that extensively toured North America. He staged a second national tour with Mitch Lee that returned to Broadway at the Broadway Theatre. A highlight was celebrating Yul Brynner’s 4,000th performance in the role with Richard Rodgers and Billie Hammerstein in attendance in Los Angeles. Conwell worked on the first Broadway revival of The Music Man starring Dick Van Dyke and Dirty Dancing. Following he was one of the three producers of the original production team of Disney’s Beauty on the Beast on Broadway and then the Los Angeles production at the Shubert Theatre. He also produced international productions of Beauty and the Beast in Austria, Germany, Australia and Japan. Conwell will be producing a revival of Hair, the musical comedy Adam Eve & Steve, and new musicals An Extra Penny and with the Andrews Sisters estate, The Swing Sisters based on their life and times. www.jbtheatricalproductionsllc.com

Alan Edmunds
Librettist & Co-Lyricist
Alan Edmunds’ first exposure to musicals was the 1969 movie "Paint Your Wagon". With no access to theatre-produced musicals, he grew up on his parents’ cast recordings. From the mid-eighties to 2001 he performed in, produced, wrote and directed many shows. Playing Orin Scrivello and the other required roles in "Little Shop of Horrors" was a highlight, as were several shows in which both his daughters were also cast. In 1997 and 1998 he wrote and directed extensive musical revues with large casts, but he had a real job and his itch to write more had to wait. "Perfect World" emerged when he was researching Barbara Follett by day, and seeing NYC Broadway shows by night. "Perfect World" was literally sketched out on his knee on the subway on his way to see "Memphis". Ever since, he’s been consumed by Barbara’s intriguing and compelling story.

Richard Winzeler
Composer & Co-Lyricist
Richard Winzeler started his association with musical theatre performing in a regional summer stock production of "The King and I" at the ripe age of 5 in Peoria, Illinois (yes, it played in Peoria!) and he went on to enjoy performing through high school and college, often jumping from the orchestra pit to the stage. He went on to study music and theater at the University of Miami FL, and the Dick Grove School of Music in Los Angeles. His first professional gigs were working as a rehearsal pianist for a variety of television specials before moving on to arranging and conducting in Vegas, Tahoe and Atlantic City for such performers as Suzanne Somers and Cathy Rigby. As a songwriter, Richard has had a Billboard Top 10 R&B single, and had songs recorded by Diane Schuur, Lou Rawls, Michael Johnson, Terry Steele, Gladys Knight, and Phil Perry. He also worked as a SAG actor for many years. His first musical as a composer was “Great Expectations,” initially produced in Los Angeles, and world premiered at the Tony award winning Utah Shakespearean Festival in 2010. He is grateful to be able to use not only his songwriting and composing skills, but also his acting experience, in service to each creative project, with the ultimate goal of serving others.