Tampa

Join us for an afternoon of music and a “behind the curtain” conversation featuring cast members and professionals from the National Tour of Wicked and Walt Disney Creative Entertainment. High school students from the area will also perform. 

Tickets are $15 and include an after-performance reception. You can reserve seats online through Seat Yourself until Saturday, January 19 or purchase tickets at the door on the day of the show from 2:45-3:45 p.m. 

Making Magic, Defying Gravity will also showcase a question and answer session led by J. Jason Daunter, production stage manager of Wicked, and Matt Conover, vice president, creative entertainment and Disney Parks talent casting. Mr. Daunter and Mr. Conover are alumni of EdTA’s middle school and high school student honorary organization ‑- the International Thespian Society. They, along with Gai Jones, serve on the Educational Theatre Association’s board of directors. Along with the Wicked cast, they will recount how their high school dreams led them to their professional lives.

Performers include Matt Conover, Jason Daunter, Gai Jones, Michael Mahany, Carla Stickler, and P. Jason Yarcho.

About EdTA

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), is a professional organization with approximately 90,000 members nationwide. EdTA’s mission is shaping lives through theatre education: honoring student achievement in theatre and enriching their theatre education experience; supporting teachers by providing professional development, networking opportunities, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills. EdTA operates the International Thespian Society (ITS), an honorary organization that has inducted more than two million theatre students since its founding in 1929. EdTA also publishes Dramatics, a monthly magazine for high school theatre students, and Teaching Theatre, a quarterly journal for theatre education professionals.

Bios 

Matt Conover joined the Disney Entertainment family in 1989 as a stage technician at Epcot and, in 1992, joined the Disneyland-Paris grand opening team as a production manager. In the mid-1990s at Walt Disney World, Matt produced the Toy Story Parade and the Hunchback of Notre Dame stage show‑both at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In 1996, he joined Disney Cruise Line where he was responsible for producing the Walt Disney Theatre and the original three new musicals for the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. Beginning in 1999, Matt served in several Entertainment Executive roles at Walt Disney World, including General Manager-Entertainment at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Director-Planning & Production for Walt Disney Entertainment, before transitioning to lead the Disneyland Entertainment team and recently his current role based in Glendale, CA.

Matt is a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate of the SUNY, College at Purchase, with a degree in Theatre Design & Technology as well as an alumnus of Thespian troupe 335 at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland.

J. Jason Daunter is thrilled to be back in OZ as the Production Stage Manager for the National Tour of Wicked after spending several years with the show on Broadway, where he has also worked on Glory Days and Cyrano de Bergerac (starring Kevin Kline). National tours: Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Regional: Stages St. Louis (five seasons), the world premiere of Up in the Air by Bill Russell and Henry Krieger at the Kennedy Center. Film: The Extra Man, The Conspirator, and Queen to Play, all with Kevin Kline. Mr. Daunter serves on the board of directors for the Educational Theatre Association.

Jason is thrilled to be collaborating with Gai Jones and Matt Conover on this event.
www.jasondaunter.com

Gai Jones, founder of California Youth in Theatre, entered educational theatre by way of a small liberal arts college for women in Oklahoma which offered a specialized bachelor of arts degree in speech and drama. While teaching eighth grade speech and drama in Fullerton, California, she was the first woman to complete a master of arts degree in theatre at California State University, Fullerton, in 1968. She taught theatre at El Dorado High School for thirty-four years. Upon her retirement, the Black Box Theater was named The Gai Jones Theater.

She has served on the boards of the Southern California Educational Theatre Association, Theatre Association, and she is a past resident of the Educational Theatre Association Board of Directors. and currently serves as a board director.

She has also been inducted into the following Halls of Fame: Outstanding Arts Educator for Orange County, CETA Outstanding Educator, California State Thespians, and the EdTA Hall of Fame. She has been granted a Theatre In Our Schools Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education.

Michael Mahany understudies Fiyero in the National Tour of Wicked. Michael was inducted into the International Thespian Society in 1998. He is proud to be involved with Making Magic, Defying Gravity and the Educational Theatre Association.

New York/Tours: Spring Awakening (ATC), Disney’s High School Musical (1st Nat.).
Film: Sex and the City 2.
Education: The Boston Conservatory, Bachelor of Fine Arts (cum laude).

Thanks to Jason, Jason, Matt, and Gai.  Love and thanks to Mom, Dad, Jana, Sara, DBA, AEA.
www.michaelmahany.com

Carla Stickler is currently the standby for the role of Elphaba with the National Tour of Wicked. She is proud to be an original team member of Making Magic, Defying Gravity and is so humbled by the work that we do. Recently, Carla was inducted as an Honorary Thespian Member in the State of Utah.

Touring: Mamma Mia! (Sophie u/s), Asia tour The Sound of Music (Liesl).
Education: Interlochen Arts Academy, New York University-Tisch School of the Arts

A million thanks to Telsey + Co., The Mine, my friends and my family for their love and support!
www.carlastickler.com

P. Jason Yarcho (Musical Supervisor/Arranger/Accompanist). Recently concluded four years as the musical director and conductor of the National Tour of Wicked. Musical director of more than sixty productions, including Little Women, The Full Monty and Follies. Other credits: The Little Theatre on the Square, MUNY.  Jason is happy to serve as MMDG Music Supervisor and work with the talented local students across the country as well as his MMDG Colleagues.

Education: University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music, master of music in orchestral conducting.

Thanks Mom and Dad!