ALEXA CIERA ADDERLEY

Administrative Director/Instructor

Like her marvelous sisters before her, Alexa also found her love for the Theatre at a very young age. By age 11, Alexa was cast as Annie in her middle school's production of Annie, and the rest is history. After a few pre-college, collegiate, and professional training programs -- at drama schools like The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and CAP21-- Alexa graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts with Honors, and a BFA in Drama. 

In 2016, Alexa was cast in the CBS Drama Diversity Casting Initiative. Over 10,000 actors around the country auditioned, and CBS chose 12. Since the initiative, Alexa has landed several TV roles, including a Guest Lead on NBC's Chicago PD, guest stars on ABC's Quantico and CBS's Bull, and a leading role on a comedy short called Blank Meets Blank on TruTV--all while still doing Theatre as much as she can.

Alexa is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA, and is repped by Jill Kaplan at Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

LAUREL PETTI

Administrative Consultant

Laurel has been teaching children for the past 10 years and couldn’t think of a better job! She graduated with her BFA in Musical Theater from California State University, Fullerton. She has taught in the LA, Orange County, and Seattle area. She is incredibly passionate about providing a nurturing and educational environment for students. She believes theater skills influence life skills and loves to watch all children transform into happy, respectful, creative, confident young adults!

KELSEY TARANTINO

Instructor

Kelsey Tarantino is a trained singer, dancer and actor and has her BFA in Theater at Carnegie Mellon University. She recently moved to Los Angeles after living in New York the last three years. Since the age of 14, she has worked closely with children of all ages, and has had the pleasure to choreograph/direct children's theater such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Bugsy Malone and Little Women. She is also an experienced dance instructor and her favorite style to teach/perform is tap! Working with children is a strong passion of hers, and what better way to do so than through the love and magic of musical theater! 

MICHAELEEN CHRISTAKOS

Instructor

Michaeleen Christakos is a classically trained actor singer and dancer who has been educated and mentored by at CAP 21 Conservatory NYC and Chicago College of the Performing Arts where she graduated with her BFA. A Chicago native, Michaeleen has worked as a vocal and acting coach to working professionals, broadway actors and children of all ages. Michaeleen has been teaching and coaching children for almost 14 years, she has had the privilege and honor for choreograph many shows including 42nd Street, Grease, Oklahoma and Music Man. Being a teacher in the performing arts is her passion and she thoroughly enjoys instilling confidence and self-assuredness in her students and gets so much joy from watching them shine!

KRYSTAL von der LIETH

Instructor

Krystal von der Lieth began acting at age 3 and immediately fell in love with being on stage. A classically trained dancer (Ballet By the Sea, Westside School of Ballet, The Edge Performing Arts Center) she always felt more comfortable as the "dancer" in any ensemble.  At age 11 she joined the Adderley School and truly found her love of being a triple threat, performing in shows such as CATS, FOSSE, CHICAGO, A MY NAME IS ALICE and many more. She continued to study and also began teaching her own classes at Adderley in her early teens and loved sharing her passion with the next generation!

She moved to the Bay Area at age 20 and spent 5 years touring as a Performer Educator at Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theater Programs.  She met her now husband and moved to Colorado where she went back to her love of teaching. At Grand Junction Academy of Dance and Absolute Dance she taught ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop with multiple competition dance pieces receiving high awards at NUVO dance conventions, she also began musical theatre programs at both studios.  She continued performing with multiple performance companies in CO such as Encore Productions, High Desert Opera, and The Cabaret Dinner Theatre, THE WOMEN (Sylvia), ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (Columbia), CHICAGO (Velma Kelly).

Now a mom of 3 kiddos, she and her children have worked extensively in the entertainment industry for the past 8 years in commercials and print work for brands such as Apple, Disney, Gap, Doritos, Target and many more.  Krystal is so excited to return to her roots and rejoin the Adderley staff teaching yet ANOTHER generation of kids to love the performing arts!

ISABELLA DE SOUZA MOORE

Instructor

ISABELLA DE SOUZA MOORE is a Southern California native who began performing in musical theatre at the age of 4. She received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University in 2017 and lived in New York City for three years. Isabella has performed regionally in Mary Poppins (Syracuse Stage) and in Annie (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). She was also featured in a co-star role on an episode of Hulu’s “The Path.” As a teacher, Isabella taught at Premier Musical Theatre for three summers during their summer camp series, and has assisted for productions with Kabrillo Kids for Cabrillo Music Theatre (now known as 5-Star Theatricals) and for Westlake Elementary School. Arts education has always been a passion for her and she could not be happier to have joined the teaching staff at The Adderley School!

CATRIONA FRAY

Instructor

Graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, has traveled across the country opening for Grammy award winning Pentatonix, singing with recording artist Jojo in a national commercial, and with UCLA a cappella group ScatterTones at the White House. She performed in Mamma Mia at the Hollywood Bowl and Sweet Charity (Rosie) with three-time Tony award winning director Kathleen Marshall. In NYC, she performed at the Town Hall, Feinstein’s/54 Below, (Le) Poisson Rouge, and worked alongside Broadway producers/creatives on new works. During the pandemic, she directed/choreographed/music directed a musical revue for a children's theater (socially distanced and masked), and taught musical theater classes. She also got her Trauma-informed Yoga for Youth certification and teaches yoga for Mental Health non-profit organizations. Having just moved back to LA, she is so thrilled to work with the performers at Adderley this summer season! @catrionafray www.catrionafray.com.

OLIVIA ATWOOD

Instructor

Olivia Atwood is a comedienne, matchmaker, writer & fitness instructor who splits her time between Los Angeles and the Los Angeles of the East (New York). A SAG-eligible and EMC actress, Olivia has been called “riotous” by Time Out New York and her comedic duo has been hailed as a “modern-day Lucy and Ethel” by StageBuddy. Her first two-woman show toured to five major US cities and got picked up for a New York City run at the People’s Improv Theater while she was still in college. Since then, she has developed two full-length shows that have received rave reviews from New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Huffington Post, DC Theatre Scene and Stagebuddy, to name a few. On screen, Olivia can also be found in the Starz hit TV show, Sweetbitter, though they make her look like a bald man in almost all of her scenes, so don’t worry if you don’t recognize her. Liv spent summer 2019 at Williamstown Theater Festival where she performed in a variety of shows while in residence. She recently made her Los Angeles debut with “Liv, Live,” her one-woman storytelling show, at the Howard Fine Theater in Hollywood. In February 2023, she performed at the Miss Manhattan Non-Fiction reading series, reading her acclaimed piece “Good With Kids.” When not performing, writing or matchmaking, Liv is teaching fitness to the people of Los Angeles an arguably absurd amount of hours.

PEYTON CALHOON

Instructor

Peyton is an Austin Native. She attended Shenandoah Conservatory in 2017-2018 before moving to New York City. Shortly after that, she became a soloist dancer in the Las Vegas Production of “Purple Reign: The Prince Tribute Show” alongside her boyfriend, Donelvan Thigpen, who headlined as the role of Prince. In November 2020, they welcomed their baby girl, Aliyah! Peyton has always had a love for children and taught dance and musical theater classes since she was in high school. She currently works at Summer Stock Austin as an Associate Producer and Head Marketing Manager. Peyton Calhoon has a deep love for the arts and takes pride in helping to spread the power of creativity and share the impact that the arts have had on her life.

EMMA WALLACE

Instructor

Emma Wallace (she/her), is a rising second year acting student at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in England. This year, she made her LIPA stage debut as Thea Elvsted in Hedda Gabler and won the Audience Choice Award for her rendition of “Too Late To Turn Back Now” from Bonnie & Clyde for LIPA Live. Her most memorable stage performances include: Flaemmchen in Grand Hotel(MacTheatre), Nellie / Dance Captain in Jekyll & Hyde (MacTheatre), Lanie inWaiting Room (original new musical for MacTheatre) and Pepper in Annie (Zach Theatre). A graduate of McCallum Fine Arts Academy and Zach’s Pre-professional Company, Emma has trained in musical theatre for over six years. Over this time, she complemented her training with intensive summer programs in London, North Carolina, and Boston. Later this summer, Emma will be the female understudy with Night Owl Productions at the Edinburg Fringe Festival.

Kristen Ashley Ragusa

Instructor

Kristen Ashley Ragusa is an actor, dancer, singer, and playwright living in Connecticut.  She received her BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Miami with a dance scholarship. Kristen has been previously seen touring the Northeast in Hercules and the Heroes and Aladdin.   Other credits include:  The Wild Party (Mae),  Chicago (Choreographer), In the Heights (Carla), James and the Giant Peach NY tour (Aunt Spiker/Choreographer), and I, Survived where she got to work with the one and only Dascha Polanco.  Great theater instructors are what inspired her to be in the industry.  She loves teaching theater to children and watching them get the acting bug like she did.  She is so grateful for the opportunity to do so in such a welcoming and kind environment! When she is not teaching she is running her new works company, The Citadel of Playwrights- thecitadelofplaywrights.com. For more information about Kristen visit kristenashleyragusa.com !

MONIQUE ALTAMIRANO

Choreographer

Monique joined the Adderley Family in 2011! A Boston Conservatory graduate & National Award Winning Choreographer. Most recently choreographed, "Celebrating The Music Footloose!" with Kenny Loggins at The  Adderley School in Santa Barbara.

SABRINA HARPER

Choreographer

Sabrina is excited to be sharing her dance and choreography experience with the students at The Adderley School. After graduating from the School of the Stuttgart Ballet with a Diploma in Classical Dance, her first contract straight out of school was with the Vienna Volksoper. Sabrina spent two years performing at the Opera house before she left to perform as Meg Giry in The Phantom of the Opera. She spent 16 years performing in Europe in Productions of, among others, CHICAGO, 42nd Street, The Producers, The Wild Party, A Chorus Line, and Romeo & Juliet. Sabrina made her Broadway debut in the revival of PIPPIN, performed at the Tony Awards, and then toured the USA and Internationally as Fastrada. Over the course of her three year run with PIPPIN, she is proud to say she has performed every single female role and ensemble position in the company. Sabrina was last seen performing as Velma Kelly in CHICAGO, and on the first national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In between performing, she teaches Dance and Musical Theatre Workshops and Choreographs regularly for No Square Theatre. She choreographed Beauty and The Beast, School of Rock, The Addams Family (Quarantine Version) and most recently, a production of the Musical Cry Baby.

BEN GINSBERG

Musical Director

Ben has worked with the Adderley School for the Performing Arts and Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theatre since 2013, including their 2014 production of Les Misérables, numerous other smaller shows, as well as two performances for Ms. Oprah Winfrey. He is an LA-based pianist and composer who has music directed and/or accompanied over 125 musical theatre productions across Southern California, Seattle and New York City, for many theatre companies, including 5 Star Theatricals (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Center Theatre Group (Los Angeles), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (Beverly Hills), and the AfterWorks Theatre Project (NYC). He is associate accompanist for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. In 2013 he was nominated for a BroadwayWorld Award for Best Musical Direction for the Southern California premiere of Carrie at Out of the Box Theatre (Santa Barbara). His song "Heaven" premiered on American Idol Season 17. He earned his B.F.A. in Piano from CalArts — where he gave the Wild Beast Music Pavilion concerto premiere with Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 — and his M.A. (with distinction) in Music Industry Administration from California State University, Northridge. His 15-minute musical, A View From The Moon, premiered in August 2020 at the Academy for New Musicals. He is currently pursuing his M.F.A. in Musical Theatre Songwriting at NYU Tisch School for the Arts.

AUSTIN KIMBLE

Music Director/Pianist

Austin is a B. Iden Payne and Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Award nominee and a two-time recipient of the BroadwayWorld Austin Award for "Best Musical Direction". Music direction credits include Ghost Quartet (Penfold Theatre); Nunsense and Ruthless (City Theatre); Evita, Rock of Ages, Man of La Mancha, Shrek, My Fair Lady, A Christmas Carol, Spamalot, Smokey Joe’s Café, Damn Yankees, and Tarzan (Georgetown Palace Theatre); and numerous youth productions throughout the Austin metroplex. Mr. Kimble has traveled across the country with The Adderley School, rehearsing and performing with their productions of A... My Name is Alice, Pippin, Oliver, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He holds a bachelor’s of music degree in jazz piano performance from the University of Texas at Austin and has performed worldwide. In 2022, Mr. Kimble accepted a position as Lecturer and Associate Music Director for Texas State University's Department of Theatre & Dance. He also teaches a studio of private students in the areas of piano, trumpet, voice, music theory, improvisation, and audition technique.

MATTHEW LOWY

Pianist

Matthew Lowy is an NYC-based composer, music director, arranger, and pianist. He spent several years touring with musicals nationally and internationally, including An American in Paris (music supervision, orchestrations), A Chorus Line (U.S., Japan, and Shanghai; music director/conductor/orchestrations), and 42nd Street (U.S.; music director/conductor). Matt also worked as a keyboard sub at Beetlejuice on Broadway, and as a rehearsal pianist for the 2018 production of A Chorus Line at City Center. Matt has been working on the New Voices summer conservatory at the Paper Mill Playhouse in NJ for eleven years, as a music director, conductor, arranger, and accompanist. He is currently a composer in the Advanced BMI Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theater Workshop, where he received the First Year Jerry Harrigan Musical Theatre Award in 2019. His original musicals have been performed at the New York International Fringe Festival (Fallen Skies, Overall Excellence Award in Music Composition), NYTF Winterfest (These Walls; winner, best short), and Sound Bites. Matt holds a B.M. in Music Composition from The Boston Conservatory. matthewlowy.com

ERIK TELFORD

Orchestrator

Erik Telford is an award-winner composer and trumpeter based in Austin, TX and a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He has performed as a leader or sideman on four continents with artists such as Bill Berry, George Bohannan, Maria Schneider, Joshua Redman, James Williams, Elias Haslanger, Jon Faddis, Wynton Marsalis, and Louie Bellson. He has been an artist at the Monterey, Montreux, North Sea, Melbourne, and Yokohama Honmoku jazz festivals.

Erik has been working with Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theatre and THE ADDERLEY SCHOOL for over 5 years.