SHERYL BERK
Sheryl Berk is a New York Times bestselling author eight times over and a highly sought-after celebrity ghostwriter who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears and Wendy Williams to Farrah Fawcett and Derek Hough. The founding editor-in-chief of Life & Style Weekly, she has spent more than 30 years covering Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and Broadway. She began her career at Theater Week/InTheatre Magazine before serving as the senior entertainment editor for both McCall’s Magazine and A&E Biography.
An established playwright and screenwriter, member of ASCAP, Maestras, NAMFT, as well as The Drama League and Dramatists Guild, she has penned an award-winning production for NYMF and has several works licensed with Concord Theatrical. Her number one bestseller Soul Surfer was adapted into a hit motion picture starring Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid and AnnaSophia Robb. www.sherylberk.com
Book & Lyrics
BILLY RECCE
Music & Lyrics
Billy Recce is a Billboard-charting songwriter, performer and playwright as well as one of the most prolific young musical theater writers of his generation. Billy’s career began with the award-winning Balloon Boy: The Musical. He was the youngest writer (17) ever selected for NYMF. He penned the music and lyrics to the long-running Off-Broadway musical, A Musical About Star Wars, which transferred to St. Luke’s Theatre for a year-long run (cast album on Broadway Records).
In 2021, Broadway Records released the All-Star Concept Recording of his Theatrical Rock Concert about the life of Heidi Fleiss,
Little Black Book, featuring Alice Ripley, Lillias White, Jessica Vosk, Orfeh, Mandy Gonzalez and more. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard Charts and #6 on the Apple Music charts. In the summer of 2023, Billy had three musicals simultaneously running Off-Broadway. In 2024, he opened FIVE: The Musical Parody Off-Broadway. His original musical, Fowl Play recently completed a developmental showcase at
Off-Broadway's AMT Theater in NYC. He is a proud member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. www.billyrecce.com
SHAWN GOUGH
Arranger
Shawn is an acclaimed arranger, music director and conductor whose recent work includes leading the world premiere of Little Dancer in Washington D.C., Seattle, and London. On Broadway, his conducting credits feature Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Big Fish, and Nice Work If You Can Get It. He was Resident Music Director and Conductor of the 10-time Tony Award-winning Billy Elliot for its entire Broadway run. Shawn’s extensive Broadway résumé includes Aladdin, Annie Get Your Gun, Chicago, The Coast of Utopia, The Color Purple, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Drowsy Chaperone, Evita, The Frogs, Harmony, Into the Woods, Jesus Christ Superstar, Kiss Me, Kate, Les Misérables, The Light in the Piazza, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Sunday in the Park with George, and Something Rotten. Off-Broadway: A Man of No Importance, tick...tick...BOOM!, Little Fish, Carmen Jones, Shockheaded Peter, and Happy Days. Shawn has also contributed as a music director for NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! and The Kennedy Center Honors. He has guest conducted with prestigious ensembles including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Portland Symphony, and served as Principal Conductor for The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
DAVID RUTURRA
Director
Over the past 15 years, David’s celebrated productions have been seen across the United States and around the world. Most recently, David helmed Broadway’s The Great Gatsby in Seoul, South Korea at the GS Arts Center. David earned his mettle as an Associate/Resident Director on 11 Broadway shows including Moulin Rouge, Beautiful, Network, School of Rock, Spider-man and Follies. He has also worked on several national tours in the same capacity, including Moulin Rouge, Beautiful, School of Rock and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as the European Arena tour of Ben Hur Live! and 12 companies of White Christmas nationwide. He’s had the distinct pleasure of being associated with several Encores! productions including Hey, Look Me Over, The Wiz and Fanny, in addition to projects at the Kennedy Center, LaJolla Playhouse, Philadelphia Theater Company, Papermill Playhouse, New York City Opera, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and The Big Apple Circus. https://davidruttura.com
JILL JAYSEN
Co-Producer
Jill is an award-winning playwright, director, producer and a passionate advocate for new musical theater. She served as the Founding Producer for the New York Musical Festival (NYMF), where she directed and produced numerous groundbreaking shows. Her accolades include the prestigious Jujamcyn Award, the Drama Desk Award for Creating and Nurturing New Musical Theatre, and the NYMF Gala Award for Extraordinary Dedication to Musical Theater. As the Founder of the Center Stage Theatre Company, Jill produced, wrote, and directed both original works and Broadway-licensed productions. She has earned four NETC Awards (New England Tony Awards) and the Moss Hart Memorial Award for Best Musical. Jill’s diverse career spans both the professional and artistic worlds. She is a public-speaking and corporate coach, a certified Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, and the founder of Jaysen Communications. In addition to her work behind the scenes, Jill is also a TV actor and a former stockbroker. Her expertise and accomplishments have been featured in New York Magazine, Backstage, Village Voice, and Hollywood Weekly Magazine. She was also Tony-nominated for Best Theater Educator.