Jim Tornatore Jim has produced and directed musicals with performers of all ages for over 25 years. Trained as an opera singer at Manhattan School of Music, he has sung in many opera and musical theater productions. Working as a music educator in New York and Connecticut since 1985, Jim finds it particularly gratifying to work with young performers and is currently teaching music and directing theater in the Ridgefield Public Schools. As a composer and songwriter, Jim wrote a musical, “Sonshine” about the modern re-telling of the life of Christ that was performed by two companies on Long Island and met with critical acclaim.
Cynthia Servetas
Cynthia is a graduate of The Manhattan School of Music with a degree in Vocal Performance. She has appeared throughout the country in opera, oratorio and concert music, and toured with The New York Vocal Arts Ensemble in concerts of opera and song. Cynthia also enjoyed great success touring Sweden with the Jenny Lind Festival, where her performances met with enthusiastic acclaim by critics and audiences alike. Currently she teaches voice in her private studios in Manhasset, NY and Southbury…but her favorite job of all is being “Mom”! : )
OUR MISSION:
Newbury Musical Theatre Company is dedicated to promoting the arts in Southbury and the surrounding communities.
NMTC encourages and develops area talent in a nurturing and supportive environment, resulting in large scale, high production value musicals featuring a full orchestra. Our educational programs are designed to develop performance skills, foster artistic camaraderie
and inspire personal confidence in one’s abilities.
We believe that in offering an opportunity for creative people -- both young and adult -- to collaborate with the guidance of experienced instruction, we instill the passion of performing in our members and bring enjoyable and affordable family entertainment to our audience.
Meet the Artistic Directors . . .
Meet the staff . . .
Meet the NMTC Board . . .
When times are dark and sad,
we need to embrace the light
and all things good.
Embrace the little children.
Our hearts are with our neighbors
in Newtown and in so many other communities who have
suffered such tragedy.
Embrace the people who teach them,
nurture their spirits; their creativity
and care for them every day.
Embrace the light. Embrace love.
Embrace peace!
Cynthia Gillette As an art director, painter and graphic designer, Cynthia has lent her talents to Newbury’s recent productions in set design and production; “Sound of Music”, “Oklahoma” “Anything Goes” and “The Wizard of OZ”. She has also designed and painted for Nonnewaug High’s musicals “Guys and Dolls” and “Nine To Five”.
Other client work includes Lauren Keiser Music Publishing, Woodbury Pewter, Prudential CT Realty, J. Salvatore & Sons, Inc., Town of Middlebury, and various logos, pamphlets and portrait work on commission in watercolor, pen and ink, and oils.
Past exhibits have been at the Woodbury Library, CT, Westover Schumacher Gallery, Middlebury, CT (2011), and The Gloria Cachion Gallery, Southbury Public Library, (2012).
Lizabeth Skalski Liz is the Associate Director at Main Street Ballet in Woodbury, CT since 1999. Her guest teaching credits include: The Hartford Conservatory; School for Creative and Performing Arts - Cincinnati, OH; Covenant Dance Studio Brooklyn, NY; as well as schools in Canada, Taiwan and China. Heralded by critics of the New York Times, Dance Magazine and New York Newsday, Liz created over twenty-five original contemporary ballets and original choreography for New York’s New American Ballet Ensemble, Ballet Santa Barbara and in showcases throughout New York, Connecticut and in Canada including productions of “Oklahoma”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Three Penny Opera” and “Oliver” and for Newbury Musical Theater; “Oklahoma” and “Anything Goes”. As a dancer, she performed in New York City, across the United States and in Asia and Europe.
Liz holds a MFA in dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Sylvia Davidowitz - Sylvia teaches primary ballet, pointe/variations, and serves as principal coach at Main Street Ballet in Woodbury. Sylvia began her studies at L Ecole Superieure des Grands Ballets Canadiens at age five, and has studied under some of the world's most outstanding teachers. She was awarded a Canadian grant to study with Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France, at American Ballet Theatre, and with the noted teachers, David Howard, Larry Rhodes, Haynes Owens and Maggie Black. At age 16, she was awarded the silver medal at the VIII th International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. In 1978, she was recognized as an Outstanding Artist of Canada, bestowed to her by HRH Queen Elizabeth of England. She toured the world as a principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and the Cleveland Ballet as well as with Martine Van Hamel's American Ballet Stars, and with principal dancers from American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet. Sylvia has worked with many noted choreographers and has performed principal roles in Romeo and Juliet; Le Corsaire; The Nutcracker; Les Sylphides; Coppelia; Raymonda; Don Quixote; Sleeping Beauty; Swan Lake; and Balanchine's Serenade, among others.
Stephanie Sheets has helped NMTC with their marketing efforts since 2012. As an advertising executive, she’s worked with clients in diverse industries like financial services, tourism, home furnishings, manufacturing and healthcare.
Past advertising agencies include Ketchum Advertising and Grey Advertising in New York, MRP in Stamford and Mesa Integrated in Litchfield. She is currently the Director of Marketing at IDOC in Norwalk.
Attorney Therese FitzMaurice (Taffy), has served on the board of NMTC since 2010. The Managing Partner of her own practice in Southbury, Taffy serves the legal needs of small and mid-sized corporate clients, specializing in the areas of employment law, contracting and general business law. She has held previous positions at Kleban & Samor, Southport; Schatz & Schatz, Ribicoff & Kotkin, Hartford; and Sotheby’s, New York. A member of the Connecticut and American Bar Associations, Taffy has served on numerous local boards to benefit area youth and seniors including NMTC, Main Street Ballet Company, PHS GradNite and Pomperaug Woods. She is also Co-Facilitator of Sacred Heart Church J-Walking Program, and has been named Volunteer of the Year at Memorial Middle School.
Sibley Morosco founder of Main Street Ballet and Main Street Theater, has been a longtime supporter of NMTC. For years, Sibley has trained area dancers in the finest tradition of the renowned American ballet masters under whom she studied and has brought classic ballets to her students and the community. To date, she has produced and presented the full-length productions of “Sleeping Beauty”, “Giselle”, “Coppelia”, “Swan Lake”, “Don Quixote”,“Pas de Quatre”, as well as excerpts from “Raymonda” and “Nutcracker”. Over the past 25 years she has guided Main Street Ballet from a one-room studio with 3 students to its present full-facility location with a student body of over 100 young dancers and six faculty members. In 1992, she founded Main Street Theater fostering young actors with a specialty in producing Shakespeare, mysteries and musical theater.
Stephanie Tornatore has a Masters Degree in Music Performance from the University of Delaware, and has competed in Spain and France with the University of Delaware Chorale. She has studied conducting with Dr. Brian Stone and Dr. Paul Head. An accomplished musician and oboist, Stephanie recently played with the New World Symphony, One World Symphony and the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra while living in Manhattan.
Stephanie has been the musical director of NMTC since its inception and loves working with both the Junior Players and Main Stage Players. For the Main Stage production, she conducts the 18 piece pit orchestra, many of which are professional musicians. Stephanie currently lives in Southbury, teaches private lessons and continues to play professionally.
REGISTRATION POLICY: All registration fees are non-refundable after the program start date, however, in extreme circumstances, requests will be reviewed by the board. The decision by the board will be final.
NEW TO OUR BOARD: (to be updated soon!)
Donna Shaw
Cristin Gordon Cristin teaches musical theater, hip-hop, jazz fusion at Main Street Ballet in Woodbury. Her ballet training extended to jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, and musical theatre styles of dance. Cristin earned a BA in Theatre Arts from Gordon College in MA. Following graduation, Cristin began her career as a Production Stage Manager, landing gigs in Boston and New York City. She has managed productions Off-Broadway for HERE Arts Center, The People’s Improv Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, and the New York Musical Festival, to name a few. Cristin has had the pleasure of working with incredible NYC artists including Jennifer Jancuska (resident choreographer for Hamilton) and Daniel Goldstein (director of Broadway’s revival of Godspell).
