About Brian Cimmet

Brian Cimmet teaches courses in musical theater performance, literature, history, and audition technique. His recent Department of Drama credits include direction and musical direction for Avenue Q and music direction for Parade and Spring Awakening. Other Syracuse credits include Merrily We Roll Along, Seussical, Hairspray, Violet, Like You Like It, White Christmas, Cradle Will Rock, Rent, and Cabaret. Beyond the confines of Syracuse, Cimmet’s credits include the Broadway companies of The Drowsy Chaperone, Mary Poppins, and Grease; the original Off-Broadway productions of I Love You Because (also the cast album); and The Tin Pan Alley Rag, as well as too much regional and stock theater to remember. He has composed scores to Absolutely Anything, The Spirit of Reindeer, A Christmas Carol, Burn This, Stop Kiss, Let’s Play Two, and No Poop!, and his songs have been nominated for three MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs). In an entirely unrelated walk of life, Cimmet is a two-time award winner at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, co-creator and co-host of Lollapuzzoola (his own summertime crossword tournament, www.bemoresmarter.com), and contributor to several puzzle books, some of which are available at Barnes & Noble.

About Jessica Chen

Jessica Chen is an American dancer, choreographer, and director based in New York City known for creating "visceral ...emotionally charged movements and choreography." - Sarah Draugelis, HuffPost. Her work has graced prestigious platforms like New York Fashion Week at MoMA, Lincoln Center, and MACY's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Chen has choreographed for productions Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella at Geva Theater and Jersey Boys at Weathervane Theater, and Spring Awakening for Montclair State University, where she is currently an adjunct professor teaching Jazz. Chen assisted Director William Hayes in the World Premiere of The Messenger by Jenny Connell Davis for Palm Beach Dramaworks.Internationally, she has been featured at the World Expo-USA Pavilion in Shanghai and in a special showcase by Google Arts & Culture. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of J CHEN PROJECT, a 501c3 nonprofit contemporary dance company with a mission to create dance works that emphasize identity, cultural diversity, and belonging. J CHEN PROJECT is thrilled to enjoy an open-ended run of AAPI HEROES in NYC beginning June 2024.Chen's accolades include being a 2021 GALLIM Moving Women Artist-in-Residence, a 2021 Dance Lab New York Choreographer, and a 2023 Bessie Award nominee for Outstanding Choreographer/Creator. Her current theater projects include AAPI HEROES, Cabaret, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Jessica is a Proud Member of SDC.