Brooke Rutkowski is a tri-state area based teaching artist, arts administrator, director, and actor. Her passion lies in utilizing theatre education to help students find their voices and self-confidence while building effective communication and collaboration skills. She attended Montclair State University where she graduated with an honors Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting and Rowan University where she obtained her Master of Arts in Arts Administration. Additionally, she holds her teaching license in the state of New Jersey, and is certified in youth mental health. She has taught, performed, and directed throughout the east and west coasts with Montclair State University, George Street Playhouse, McCarter Theatre Center, Marin Shakespeare Company, Equalogy, Aspire Performing Arts, Noteworthy Academy of Music, and White Plains Performing Arts Company. She extends a heartfelt thank you to the remarkable Aspire PAC team, the families of the performers for encouraging their artistic endeavors, and her family and friends for their constant love and support.
K. Leigh Weinman (Music Director) is pleased to add her musical talent to this production. In addition to her years of experience as an accompanist and music director, she has been teaching piano privately in Morris County for more than 25 years. Miss Leigh, as she is known by her students, enjoys nothing more than sharing her love of all forms of music, and she is especially passionate about collaborating with burgeoning young performers as they discover the thrill of musical theater while they develop and engage their talents. Leigh started her own journey in the theater during her high school years, which included a memorable opportunity to perform in the pit ensemble for a summer theater production of Pippin. It was this experience that instilled her longstanding love of the art, and the joy of the kinship that musical theater inspires. She also performs regularly as both a sole accompanist and as part of a pit ensemble for full scale local high school and community theater productions. Previously, Leigh musically directed Aspire's productions of Disney's Moana Jr., Disney's The Lion King Jr., 13 The Musical, Something Rotten, Shrek JR., The Prom, Mean Girls High School Version, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory JR., and Urinetown, and also played in the pit orchestra for Aspire's Big Fish, and conducted from the keys for Something Rotten and Mean Girls. Leigh would like to thank her fellow production team members, our talented cast and crew, and her family for managing without her while she’s off doing what she loves.
Melanie Della Peruti (Choreographer) is so excited to be choreographing her 11th show with Aspire Performing Arts Company! She previously choreographed Aspire's productions of Newsies Jr., Into the Woods, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory JR., Dare to Dream, The Prom, The Addams Family, Shrek the Musical JR., 13, Legally Blonde, and Disney's Moana JR. Melanie is a graduate of Montclair State... (...continued on next page)
