Eric Shorey
Eric is thrilled to return to MHT for his 3rd season. He is delighted for audiences to experience the incredible talents of the entire company. His music direction at MHT include Urinetown, Next To Normal, Footloose, Godspell, and last season’s smash hit Jersey Boys. He also proudly music directed the Berkshire Theatre Award Winning A Call To Places starring Gabe Belyeu. Elsewhere, Eric has music directed productions of My Way, Scrooge, A Man of No Importance, and numerous concerts and cabarets. As an actor, Eric has been seen across the country and internationally in productions of Cats, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Disney On Classic in Japan, to name a few. Eric would like to thank John, James, and the entire MHT family for their constant support. For Eric and Henry.
Matt Levinstein
Matt Levinstein (Associate Music Director) is a New York/Boston based MD, Conductor, Multi-Instrumentalist, Orchestrator, Keyboard Programmer, Copyist, and Educator. He is a recent Berklee College of Music Alumni (FA 23′) as a Piano Principal. He graduated with a BM in Professional Music, with concentrations in Musical Theatre Conducting, Arranging, and Music Education. Favorite show credits include Music Director for Berklee’s Broadway Band and Curtain Up (Berklee), Falsettos and You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Emerson College), CUT! (Green Room 42), Matilda the Musical (Open Fields Theatre), and Associate Music Director for Beautiful and RENT (Theatre Aspen). He is thrilled to be making his Mac-Haydn Theatre debut this summer as the Associate Music Director! Read more at mattlevinstein.com, and follow @mattlevinstein on instagram for updates!
Themba Pieterse
Themba is very excited to be back playing Trumpet for the Mac-Haydn Theatre. A rising junior at the Manhattan School of Music, Themba studies classical trumpet under the tutelage of Ethan Bensdorf who is a current trumpet player In the New York Philharmonic. An avid pit musician, Themba has played a wide range of shows such as Cabaret, Something Rotten and Hairspray, his favorite one being The Prom which he performed in December. He can’t wait for everyone to come and hear the opening show of the Mac Haydn season, 42nd Street!
Hannah Burke
Hannah Burke is so excited to be back at the Mac-Haydn Theatre for her second season! Her previous musical theater credits include Xanadu (Mac-Haydn), Waitress (National Tour), as well as various new works in the NYC area. When she is not playing guitar for this season’s awesome shows, Hannah enjoys exploring all the Hudson Valley has to offer – hikes, great dining spots, and farm stands. (She is always open to recommendations!) Back at her home in Jersey City, she works in environmental education while gigging as a guitarist and cellist. To keep up with her balancing these endeavors while making some music of her own, follow her on Instagram at @hannnnahburke. Enjoy the show!
Emily Davies
Hailing from the Kansas City area with Nashville as her adopted home for two decades, New York City based artist Emily Davies’ style has been fueled by KC’s jazz, Nashville’s Country / Americana, and the deep roots of NYC’s Harlem Renaissance jazz scene. In Nashville, Emily performed with a diverse group of musicians, from rock band Audra and the Antidote to Americana sensation Runaway Home. She also performed with various ensembles at the Nashville Jazz Workshop and with a revolving door of Music City’s singer-songwriters. Emily graduated with a B.M. in Bass Guitar from Belmont University and also holds an M.M. in Jazz Performance / Bass from NYU Steinhardt. Emily has been an adjunct electric bass instructor at NYU and was recently in the Northern Stage production of Spring Awakening. She continues to perform at NYC venues such as 54 Below and Green Room 42. www.emilydaviesbass.com
Peter Isaac
Peter Charles Isaac is a consument purveyor of musical styles on Trombone & Bass Trombone. A Rochester NY native, (BM – SUNY Fredonia, MA – Purchase Conservatory) Peter has played in many theater houses and jazz clubs across the world. In New York – Minton’s, Carnegie Hall, Swing 46 – to New Orleans – Royal Frenchman, Spotted Cat, Bourbon ‘O’ bar, but he currently lives in Chicago, where you can catch him singing and playing around the city. A two-time International touring theater musician (“Charlie & The Chocolate Factory”, “Elf”) Peter has had his fair share of the theater scene, and is looking forward to playing trombone in 42nd St. at Mac-Haydn this season. Peter is excited to be in beautiful Upstate NY this summer !!
Connor Holland
Born in Sicily, raised in Jacksonville, FL, Connor Holland is a trumpet player and educator moving to New York City. Self taught flautist, pianist, and harmonica player, Connor is a versatile performer frequently playing trumpet in orchestras and jazz ensembles. In 2020, he made his solo debut performing the (Mac) Haydn Trumpet Concerto as winner of the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Currently most active as a chamber musician, he is a member of Amo Brass, which was awarded 1st place for Brass Quintet at both the Plowman and Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions this spring. Most recently serving as the Morse Post-Graduate Fellow for the Yale Music in Schools Initiative, he also completed two masters degrees at the Yale School of Music (MM ’21/MMA ’22).
Alex Lemma
Alex is a freelance woodwind doubler based in the New York City area. Shortly after completing his Master’s Degree in multiple woodwind performance from Montclair State University, he began performing in regional, as well as several Broadway productions. Some recent credits include the orchestras for Hercules, Wicked and Kimberly Akimbo. He spent the last holiday season touring the country as a member of the orchestra for the Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas tour. In addition to musical theater productions he has also performed more classical works with ensembles including the Princeton Symphony and the American Repertory Orchestra. This is his second season at the Mac and is very excited to be back working with this great company!
Sarah Tompkins
Sarah is very excited to be joining Mac Haydn for this summer season! She is fluent in a variety of styles including rock, jazz, r&b/hip-hop, Afro-Cuban/Brazilian and Classical. For the last couple of years Sarah has performed as a theatre musician on the Norwegian Breakaway for The Broadway musicals Six and Burn The Floor. She has performed as a percussion sub for the North American Tour of the Lion King Musical. You can also find her playing at various cabarets at the Green Room 42 and 54 Below in New York City. Sarah has done shows with Astoria Performing Arts Center and many other regional theatres in the LA and New York/New Jersey areas. She has recorded with artists such as Morgan James, Derek Klena, Taylor Louderman, Constantine Maroulis, and more. She would like to thank God and her incredible family and friends for their constant love and support.
Peter Issac
Max Caserta
Max Caserta is a professional guitarist based out of Bridgeport, CT. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Western Connecticut State University in 2020 with a B.S. in Music Education. Max is well versed in many styles including jazz, funk, rock, rnb, soul, gospel and theater. He has been performing as a professional for 10 years locally, nationally and internationally. These performances have been with international cruise line Holland America, off-Broadway musicals, nationally touring drum corps, and various music venues around CT, NY and NJ. This will be Max’s second year in a row working at the MacHaydn theater. It was a great experience last year and he is excited to be back again this year!
Megan Trach
Megan Trach is thrilled to join the Mac-Haydn this summer! They played the Reed 1 book for the national tour of Fiddler on the Roof from April 2022-May 2023. Playing for theater is one of their great joys in life and they hope to continue to play in pit orchestras for years to come. Megan received their MM in flute performance from the New England Conservatory in 2022 and their BA from Barnard College of Columbia University in 2020, where they majored in music and minored in environmental science. At NEC, they won the Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition on piccolo; they are also a YoungArts winner for classical piccolo. When they’re not practicing or performing, you can find them playing word games, listening to showtunes, or doing overly-complicated nail art. Enjoy the show!
Malachi Brown
Malachi Brown (he/him) is a cellist and composer born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. He has studied music composition and cello performance at Old Dominion University and Ithaca College. Malachi has composed for the concert stage, animation, and film thus far in his career. He incorporates many combinations of styles in his music but is always rooted in a type of neo-romantic sound.
Since 2020, Malachi has composed for four films, and has won multiple awards for And Don’t Forget I Love You which has premiered at five film festivals. Malachi is working on two films projected to release in early 2024, including an animated short. In addition to composing and cello, Malachi acts in theatre and film. He has also discovered scriptwriting, accompanying his blossoming skill in filmmaking. He currently resides in New York City.
Alex Arlotta
Alex couldn’t be more excited to join the MacHaydn on short notice! One moment he’s at Target buying Tide Pods (not sponsored), the next, he’s transported back to the 60’s. In addition to being a MD and keyboardists, Alex just graduated from BerkleeNYC’s masters program in Writing and Design For Musical Theatre. In addition to the student debt, Alex is releasing his first album in a few weeks titled “Gotta Start Somewhere”; available wherever you stream music come Aug-Sept 2023.
Thank you to Ben Weiss for the recommendation, and to Eric, James, Tori, John and everyone for welcoming him into the MacHaydn family. It’s been such an honor, and I hope to return! Also, shoutout to my incredible partner, Taylor! I love you!
If you think I’m cool, feel free to follow me around at: alexarlotta.com, or on Instagram: @alex.arlotta. Let’s get rockin’!
Luis Jacome
Luis Jacome is a Drummer/Percussionist with 15 years of experience in theatre, orchestra, band, and jazz. He also has multiple years of work in audio technology, production, and instruction. During his time as a musician, he has enjoyed performing at Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Tanglewood, Beijing Concert Hall, Suntory Hall, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, 54 Below, The DiMenna Center, Symphony Space, Fukuoka Symphony Hall, The World Expo in Yeosu, and now Mac-Haydn! Luis has had the pleasure of performing with Josh Groban, Raul Esparza, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Glenn Kotche, Montego Glover, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Sō Percussion, Tom Hewitt, Paris Barclay, Laurence O’Keefe, Renée Neufville, Bobby Previte, and more.
Luis has toured the U.S, Scotland, China, South Korea, and Japan, enjoying each unique culture and connecting through music and food.
Jason Meusel
Jason Meusel is a bassist in his final year of studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He is very excited to be a part of the Mac-Haydn Theatre team! He has studied both the double bass and the electric bass for 12 years. Despite most of his training being classical, Jason has found his passion playing in pit orchestras. He has performed around the East Coast and parts of the Midwest. Some of his favorite pit projects include The Scottsboro Boys, Once On This Island, and a performance of the works of Steven Flaherty at Carnegie Hall. This is Jason’s first time at the Mac-Haydn Theatre, and he is looking forward to this season!
Ian Weidmann
Ian Weidmann is currently pursuing his master’s degree in jazz saxophone performance at the Manhattan School of Music. In his undergrad, he spent two years as the lead alto player for the One O’ Clock Lab Band at the University of North Texas and has performed extensively on flutes, clarinets, and saxophones in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In his time at North Texas, he backed world-class musicians across styles, such as Kurt Elling, Chris Potter, Allison Miller, Ignacio Berroa, Arturo Sandoval, and many others. In his free time, Ian enjoys working out, spending time with friends, and seeing shows. His previous teachers include Brad Leali, Tim McWright, Jaleel Shaw, Seok Hee Jang, and Hyunsu Yoon.
Derek Wolfe
Derek Wolfe is a trumpet player based in the Capital District of New York. He is proficient in many styles of music including classical, jazz, afro-cuban, and pop. He performed as principal and lead trumpet in his undergraduate (Crane School of Music) and graduate school (Mead Witter School of Music) classical, jazz, and latin ensembles. Derek has subbed as principal and section trumpet with orchestras from the east coast to the midwest, including subbing as principal trumpet with The Madison Symphony under the direction of John DeMain. Derek is currently the lead trumpet in The Trojan Horns brass band which is frequently seen playing bars and music festivals in and around New York state and teaches privately in the Capital District.