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About New Musicals Chicago (NMC)

Rachel Elise Meegan (Johnson)

Producer

Rachel is a producer, director, and performer. The former Executive Director of Underscore Theatre Company. Rachel was the producer for the Chicago Musical Theater Festival and co-producer of the Tiny Storefront Concerts. Directing credits: co-directed The Last Five Years (JPAC) and Carrie 2: The Rage (Underscore) with Isaac Loomer. In her time in Chicago she acted in several plays and musicals throughout the Chicago-land area, including her roles as the Sour Kangaroo in Seussical (Big Noise Theater Company) and Diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (JPAC). Rachel lives in Chicago and is a math professor at Harry S Truman College and DePaul University.

Chris Causer

Director

Chris is currently directing Amadeus for Parker Players Theater in Barrington, IL. Past Credits: Merry-Go-Round Playhouse (Man of La Mancha), Astoria Performing Arts Center (The Human Comedy), We the People (TheatreWorksUSA), Virtually Me! (Matt Murphy Productions). Chris directed Keepers: A Broadway Benefit at Studio 54 in support of Spence-Chapin Adoption Services, hosted by Marilyn Sokol and is the Co-Founder of Moving Bench Theatre.

Heidi Joosten

Music Director & Accompanist

Heidi is a Jeff-Award winning music director, composer, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, and teacher. Since 2014, she has collaborated on over 125 new theatrical, comedic, and concert productions in the Chicagoland area. Previous and upcoming Chicago credits include Assassins (Theo Ubique, Jeff Award), American Psycho (Kokandy Productions, Jeff nomination), Beauty and the Beast (Chicago Shakes), Don't Quit Your Daydream (The Second City 111th Mainstage Revue), Grease (Drury Lane), Children of Eden (Broadway in Chicago), and Alice by Heart (Kokandy Productions, upcoming).

         National credits include Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse (assoc. conductor, 1st National Tour), Avatar: The Last Airbender (assoc. conductor, 1st National Tour), Barbie: Live in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl (score supervisor). Notable theatrical writing credits include The Bone Harp (with Laura Stratford), Queer Eye: The Musical Parody (with Evan Mills), Micro (with Adam Qutaishat), and Saint Hildegard (with Elizabeth Swanson, Davyd Reddyk, and Ethan Krupp).

         Heidi holds degrees in composition from UW-Eau Claire and CCPA. She is a proud member of ASCAP, the Dramatists Guild, and the Chicago Federation of Musicians. www.heidijoosten.com / @heidijoosten

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Sophie Goddard

Stage Manager

Sophie Goddard (they/them) is very excited to be working on this project! They are a freelance stage manager based on Chicago and have worked with theatres such as Writer's, Black Ensemble, First Folio, Remy Bumppo, and many others. Sophie would like to thank Liz for her constant support and love!

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Lawrence Adelson

Founder

Lawrence is an award-winning book and lyric writer. Mr. Adelson is writing a musical adaptation of The New Science of the Enchanted Universe (by Marshall Sahlins with the assistance of Fredrick B. Henry, Jr.).

NMC supports new works of musical theater. NMC is a member of the League of Chicago Theatres. It is a not for profit corporation and contributions are tax deductible under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

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