BLACK PEARL CABARET serves as the heartbeat of regional New York’s burgeoning musical theatre community. Here, actors, artisans, and artists come together to produce professional productions and form bonds that resonate long after the final bow. We are more than performers; we are storytellers, craftspeople, choreographers, and composers, united in our mission to transport audiences from the ordinary to the spectacular. Together, we give voice to characters, design enchanting sets and costumes, and choreograph captivating dances that inspire and elevate the spirit. In our home away from home, creativity takes center stage, and the spotlight shines bright on the boundless possibilities of musical theatre.

Mission: To produce, stage, and present all-original musical comedies inspired by literature, folklore, and social challenges.

In addition to our commitment to crafting original musical comedies, we also strive to provide a platform for emerging talents to develop and showcase their creative visions. Through our workshops, we offer a nurturing environment where artists can refine their craft, experiment with new ideas, and collaborate with like-minded individuals. Our dedication to producing high-quality performances ensures that our audiences are treated to captivating experiences that resonate long after the final curtain falls.

Vision: To create educational, inspirational, and professional opportunities as a way to build and strengthen our community.

While our primary focus is on creating entertaining and thought-provoking musical comedies, we recognize the broader impact our work can have on the community. By offering educational programs, workshops, and outreach initiatives, we aim to inspire and empower individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Our vision extends beyond the stage, envisioning a future where the transformative power of the arts serves as a catalyst for positive change in our society. Through collaborative partnerships and a commitment to excellence, we strive to build a more inclusive and vibrant community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Core Values: We do not discriminate against anyone because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression.

At the heart of our organization are the core values of inclusivity, equality, and respect for all individuals. We firmly believe that diversity is our greatest strength and that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and fairness. By fostering a culture of acceptance and understanding, we create a welcoming environment where individuals can freely express themselves and participate in the creative process without fear of judgment or prejudice. Our commitment to upholding these values ensures that everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their unique talents and perspectives to our artistic community.

STAFF

R. O’Donnell (Founder and Producing Artistic Director)

R. O’Donnell (he/him) is a three-time A.S.C.A.P. (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) award winner, which he shares with Dianne Adams McDowell. He has authored the book, composed the music, and written the lyrics for over a dozen musicals. Among his recent creations are Mr. Scrooge, Alice Isn’t All There, Kreepy Hollow, Twist, and Orchard of Hide & Seek, all of which graced the stage at the 900-seat OFA Theatre in Ogdensburg, New York. His adaptation of A Christmas Carol, titled Mr. Scrooge, enjoyed a five-season run and earned the esteemed title of an “Annual Ogdensburg Holiday Tradition” by the Ogdensburg Journal.

At the age of fourteen, he embarked on a journey with the Sells and Grey traveling tent circus. Although his adventure was short-lived, it set the stage for his remarkable journey in the arts. He later earned a full scholarship to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts at Bucknell University, where he honed his theatrical skills under the tutelage of Broadway luminary Dr. Glory Van Scott.

O’Donnell co-authored the book, music, and lyrics for the award-winning off-Broadway musical comedy One & One. His Broadway credits include co-writing Radio City Music Hall’s critically acclaimed Manhattan Showboat. Additionally, he made his mark as a choreographer, co-staging the off-off-Broadway production of Dick Hyman‘s Joan and the Devil and the off-Broadway production of Walter/McDowell’s Rapunzel and the Dragons at revered Greenwich Village venues, 13th Street Repertory Company and Actors’ Playhouse respectively.

Also in New York City, he had the privilege to workshop with multiple Tony Award-winning choreographers and directors such as Michael Bennett, Ron Field, and Tommy Tune. Billed as The Double R comedy duo, in collaboration with Richard LaGravenese, O’Donnell co-wrote and starred in several Off-Off-Broadway comedy reviews including Spare Parts, Blood-brothers, and Entrees at the 78th Street Theatre Lab, the Lion Theatre, and West Bank Cafe. The Double R were regular guests on the Linda Lichtman Comedy Hour, WNBC Radio, 30 Rockefeller Plaza. On the college circuit, they opened for Leon Redbone and further developed their work in stand-up comedy clubs such as Manhattan’s famed Comedy Cellar and Yuk Yuk‘s in Toronto.

He co-founded the New Variety Cabaret and the professional theater company New Age Vaudeville in Chicago. Under NAV, O’Donnell penned two of its most beloved productions: An Evening With Elmore & Gwendolyn Putts –The Neighbors Next Door, and The TV Dinner Hour (featuring improv luminary Del Close).

O’Donnell’s contributions to television include serving as the Executive Producer and host of the variety/comedy show R. Rated on Fox TV, Chicago. Praised as “a brilliant slice of the Chicago comedy scene” by the Chicago Reader, R. Rated featured acclaimed comedians such as Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live), Mick Napier (Annoyance Theater), and Stephnie Weir (MADtv). Additionally, he produced and directed comedy segments featuring Matt Besser (Upright Citizens Brigade) for Fox, Chicago’s variety special Twisted. He also directed a series of improvised commercials (featuring Besser in a stylistic homage to Ernie Kovacs) for prominent brands including McDonald’s, Toyota, Jiffy Lube, and Ameritech. Moreover, O’Donnell’s stand-up comedy work has seen him featuring for celebrated comics Chris Rock, Bill Maher, and the late great Bill Hicks.

Wikipedia Biography

Amy Mckenzie (Actor, Director, Producer)

Amy McKenzie is an original member of the BPC ensemble, having associate produced their first smash-hit, An Evening With The Kreep. She returned as Associate Producer for “Kreepmas.”   She has worked and lived in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago where she has produced and performed for the stage and television. McKenzie co-founded the New Age Vaudeville theater company as well as co-producing and directing their biggest cult hits An Evening with Elmore and Gwendolyn Putts and The TV Dinner Hour. Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune hailed both productions as “Among the most polished and clever productions of the season, a pair of devilishly inventive shows that won over critics and audiences alike. She has directed and acted in numerous productions at the Peninsula Players, America’s oldest residential summer theater, as well as founding and producing their fall season in the early 1980s. McKenzie was on the board of directors for the Peninsula Players (before, during, and after its restoration) for over a decade, and was Artistic Founding Director of the Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay, WI whereby she helped to convert an old movie house into a state-of-the-art performing arts theater.

DARREN GINN (Executive Musical Director and Principal Arranger)

Darren Ginn (he/him) embarked on his professional career at the age of 15, a journey that has spanned over 50 years and thousands of performances, establishing an exceptional track record in the music industry.

Throughout his career, Darren has excelled as a soloist, group performer, music director, and teacher specializing in piano, voice, theory, and composition. His roles have extended to conducting and arranging, and he has garnered international recognition as a recording artist.

Notable highlights in Darren’s career include serving as conductor and pianist for the esteemed Mickey Rooney, conducting piano clinics alongside renowned guitarist Tommy Tedesco, and being the Jazz pianist for the Woodruff Arts Center, the third-largest arts center in the United States.

Darren has collaborated with a diverse array of luminaries, including actress and singer Susan Anton, R&B star Archie Bell, jazz and classical guitarist Charlie Byrd, and comedian Rodney Dangerfield. His engagements have also included performances with acclaimed musicians such as Earl Klugh, members of The Shirelles, and Broadway sensation Susan Stroman, among many others.

Darren is a dedicated global advocate and activist for positive change, championing respect for our planet and all its inhabitants. He utilizes the arts as a powerful tool to inspire a decisive transformation for humanity, our planet, and all those we share it with.

J. Bartholomew (Director of Communications/Associate Producer)

J. Bartholomew (she/her), finds her greatest joy and purpose in serving others, believing that service is the key to happiness and fulfillment. As Director of Communications for the Home Theatre Troupe, she is dedicated to ensuring our mission and vision resonate with our community and beyond. With a passion for storytelling and a commitment to clear, compelling messaging, she leads our efforts to communicate the essence of our troupe’s purpose, values, and goals to diverse audiences. She helps amplify our visibility and engagement within the arts community by leveraging strategic communication strategies and fostering meaningful partnerships. Her dedication to effective outreach and relationship-building ensures that our troupe’s impact is recognized and supported, contributing to our ongoing success and connection with our audience.

J. is excited about the role of Associate Producer, too, viewing it as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to creative projects. She passionately supports the Executive Producer and the entire team, expressing her love for life and creativity through enthusiastic participation and dedication to the collaborative process.

Kristen Lazzinnaro (Plot & Story Development/Associate Producer)

Kristen Lazzinnaro (She/her), a Creative Writing undergraduate at SUNY Potsdam, hails from Queens, NY, where her lifelong passion for the arts began. With a particular fondness for the horror genre, she finds inspiration in the works of Wes Craven, John Carpenter, and Guillermo Del Toro. Kristen delights in the chilling narratives of Team Silent’s (a development team within Konami Computer Entertainment) Silent Hill games, the eerie tales of Japanese horror manga artist Junji Ito, and the stirring storytelling of Mike Flanagan’s Haunting of Hill House TV Mini-Series, which aired on Netflix in 2018.

Driven by her desire to immerse herself in the creative world of production design and musical theatre writing, Kristen aspires to join the Home Theatre Troupe to gain valuable experience. Ultimately, she dreams of leveraging these skills to craft her own musical. Among her favorites on Broadway, Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony Award-winning sung-through musical Hadestown holds a special place in her heart.

Original Members

Ares Altamirano

Jason (Ares) Altamirano is an original member of the BPC ensemble, having originated the role of Jack Frost in their highly successful premiere of An Evening With The Kreep. He returned in BPC’s second offering Kreepmas as the narrator and 300-year-old Krypt Keeper Albert T. Krumb. Jason was seen at Key City Public Theatre in the acclaimed production of 12th night. Additional Shakespeare-In-The-Park performances with KCPT include The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors and As You Like It. A Port Townsend resident, Jason’s local school career included performances in Post Mortem, Bat Boy, The Foreigner, Oliver! The Musical, The Music Man, Peter Pan and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Jason studied acting, playwriting, and monologue work over the past four years in the theatre’s TeenLab and Summer Professional Training Camp programs. In addition, Jason played the main role in an independent, locally written and filmed short film, The Prisoner. He has also worked backstage at KCPT serving as run crew for Scrooge: The Musical.

Misha Cassella-blackburn

Misha is a member of the Black pearl cabaret having originated the role of The Ghost of Kreepmas Presents  Matilda Phift as well as performing as half of the Twipple Twins, Twinkle. She has been acting since she was 11 years old. Her début was in the BHMS production of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s Grease where she played Sandy Dumbrowski. She went on to play Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Peter in Peter Rabbit. Misha has also been seen in productions of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Leslie Bricusse’s Scrooge the musical, Phina and Sophie Pipia’s Cowboy Love Song After Watching a Western, Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis’s Urinetown and her latest work was appearing in the Key City Public Theatre’s production of Expectations and F-451. She has also done a number of Improv shows and is a member of the Chairs Improv Troupe. In Misha’s spare time she enjoys racing mountain bikes and riding horses.

Aidan McClave

Aidan McClave is an original member of the BPC ensemble, having originated the role of cellist Kreepy H. Krumb in their wildly successful Halloween show An Evening With The Kreep. Aidan not only acted and played the cello, but served as the show’s musical arranger. Aidan returned in Kreepmas as a cellist (and arranger) Kreepy H. Krumb in BPC’s spoof of the Dicken’s classic “A Christmas Carol.” He currently plays with the Tacoma youth symphony where he is starting his 4th year there. In addition to sitting first chair in his high school orchestra, Aidan has played with the PT community orchestra and the Port Angeles Symphony. Aidan plans on a career in music performance after University and may also go into composing symphony music and alternative music with his cello. This past summer Aidan played with the Kairos Lyceum chamber groups at Central Washington University and played his 3rd year at the Evergreen music festival. Aidan enjoys everything about performing and is happy to add the Black Pearl cabaret to his repertoire. This year he will be working on writing his own musical piece for a quartet, duo, or symphony for his senior project at Port Townsend High school. Aidan also teaches private cello lessons.

Joey Ripley

Joey is a member of the BPC, having originated the role of The Ghost of Been There Done That, Thaddeus Plum in their holiday offering “Kreepmas” as well as performing as half of the Twipple Twins, Dinkle. Ripley has been seen in several PT High School productions including The musical satirical comedy by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis Urinetown, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: ABRIDGED, and most recently featured in Brendan Behan’s The Hostage. He was also seen this past summer in the Key City Public Theatre’s Will They Get Produced: F-451. His biggest passion is musical theatre as demonstrated with a stellar performance as Joseph in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Marla Overman

Marla has acted in “Odyssey of the Mind,” “Stage Door”, and Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” dramatized by Brainerd Duffield. She was a member of the Nameless Improv group and is an accomplished musician playing the bass clarinet and baritone sax for the Jazz, Symphonic, and Pep Band 1995-1999 in Chimacum, Washington and in Kalispell, Montana. Marla recently returned to college which she accredits to the influence of the kids at the Boiler Room. In 2009 she married her high-school sweetheart (and fellow cast member!) Thomas Overman.

Thomas Overman

Thomas is a seasoned performer having begun acting in high school with such productions as “Stage Door,” a season of One Act plays including John Blais’ “Emil, You’re Gonna Be a Dog” and “The Lottery,” which is based on the story by Shirley Jackson and dramatized by Brainerd Duffield. He continued acting in college appearing in Ann-Marie MacDonald’s comedic play “Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet).” Thomas is also a choral, jazz, and ensemble vocalist (tenor/baritone) and was a member of the All-State Choir in 1999. He is currently a proud member of the Board for the youth-oriented non-for-profit Boiler Room as well as being Husband to “the most beautiful and enchanting woman I’ve had the good fortune to meet,” fellow cast member Marla Overman.

Production Crew

Karen Fischbeck (Producer, Executive Costume and Makeup Designer)

Karen has been the costumer and makeup designer for Kreepy Hollow, Orchard of Hide and Seek, Twist, Alice Isn’t All There, The New Variety Radio Show, and Mr. Scrooge.

Heron Hetzler (Senior Costumer)

Heron is a recent graduate of St. Lawrence University with a degree in studio art. During the course of her studies, she worked in the theater department, designing and constructing costumes for plays and dance recitals. Heron enjoys making art from many different materials and combining them in new and interesting ways. Her passion for the wearable arts has led her to create such varied pieces as gloves, jewelry, hats, and masks.

Amy Mckenzie
Associate Producer

Amy McKenzie is an original member of the BPC ensemble, having associate produced their first smash-hit, An Evening With The Kreep. She returned as Associate Producer for “Kreepmas.”   She has worked and lived in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago where she has produced and performed for the stage and television. McKenzie co-founded the New Age Vaudeville theater company as well as co-producing and directing their biggest cult hits An Evening with Elmore and Gwendolyn Putts and The TV Dinner Hour. Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune hailed both productions as “Among the most polished and clever productions of the season, a pair of devilishly inventive shows that won over critics and audiences alike. She has directed and acted in numerous productions at the Peninsula Players, America’s oldest residential summer theater, as well as founding and producing their fall season in the early 1980s. McKenzie was on the board of directors for the Peninsula Players (before, during, and after its restoration) for over a decade, and was Artistic Founding Director of the Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay, WI whereby she helped to convert an old movie house into a state-of-the-art performing arts theater.

Laurie Kavanaugh McClave
Associate Producer

Laurie McClave has been drawing and painting obsessively since she was a young child. Growing up in California in the 60s and 70s her extended family was full of artists, free-thinking Mad magazine readers and a sprinkling of Catholic comedians. She dabbled in Drama, Clothing design, illustration and sculpture in the 70s and 80s before deciding to really get down and Paint. She decided to put herself back into school and was accepted into The San Francisco Art Institute and while there earned an honors studio spot. Laurie concentrated on figure drawing, painting, and printmaking, and received her BFA in Painting in 1994. Laurie Has developed her own voice and unmistakable style which she spends hours and hours perfecting. Her pantheon of goddesses are at once untouchable and approachable, with a come hither glance and steely resolve.. they seem to be on a mission to draw the viewer into their story. “It’s the eyes” is the phrase most often heard when a viewer is describing the subject. ‘The eyes draw you in”. Website

Naiomi Chorneau
Photographer

Naiomi is a 17-year old with an eye for photography, “Port Townsend has been a beautiful place to explore, cultivate and refine this desire to one day become a professional photographer. Between the beautiful architecture, and the amazing people who inhabit it, as well as the numerous festivals that happen year round, I feel as though this is the perfect place to pursue my dream.”

DJ Adams
Stage Manager/Assistant Director

DJ is an original member of the BPC ensemble, having Stage Managed their highly successful An Evening With The Kreep. She went on to Stage Manage and assistant Direct for their holiday show “Kreepmas.” DJ has worked in every area of theatre having directed the one-woman stage show written by Jane Wagner Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, acting as The Storyteller in the play adaptation of Descent of Inanna, Lighting Designer for the musical comedy by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz entitled You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Stage Managing the musical by Jerry Bock,  Heldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein Fiddler on the Roof. She is happy to be working again with the wonderful folks of Black Pearl Cabaret.