Check out this recording of our webinar conversation with Casey Nicholaw hosted on Zoom in March 2025. This conversation focused on Casey’s expansive career. Topics of discussion included his approach to the craft, serving as both director and choreographer on many productions, and his work on the development of new musicals. A short Q & A followed the conversation. This interview was conducted by Dani Barlow.

Bio:

Casey Nicholaw is a two-time Tony Award winning director and choreographer of theatre, film and television.

Nicholaw was awarded the 2011 Tony Award for co-directing THE BOOK OF MORMON, and the 2023 Tony Award for Best Choreography for SOME LIKE IT HOT. He received additional Tony nominations for ALADDIN (Best Choreography), THE PROM (Best Direction), MEAN GIRLS (Best Direction & Choreography), SOMETHING ROTTEN! (Best Direction & Choreography), THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (Best (Best Direction & Choreography), THE BOOK OF MORMON (Best Choreography), SOME LIKE IT HOT (Best Direction), and MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT (Best Choreography).

Other Broadway credits include TUCK EVERLASTING and ELF: THE MUSICAL. He’s currently represented in the West End with THE BOOK OF MORMON (Olivier Award winner for Best Choreography), and MEAN GIRLS. Other notable West End Credits include DREAMGIRLS, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, and ALADDIN.

Upcoming, Nicholaw will direct and choreograph the UK premiere of Disney’s HERCULES. His production is currently running in Hamburg, Germany.

His film and television credits include THE PROM (choreographer), TROLLS (choreographer) and SMASH (director).

Nicholaw started his career as a performer. His credits include CRAZY FOR YOU, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE GOES PUBLIC, VICTOR/VICTORIA, STEEL PEER, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, SEUSSICAL, and THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE. He can be heard on the cast album of most of these musicals.

Check out this podcast of our one on one conversation with Rachel Chavkin that we hosted at Sunlight Studios in January 2025. This conversation was focused on Rachel's expansive career as an artist and approach to her craft. There was a focus on her work as founding artistic director of Brooklyn-based experimental collective the TEAM and how her work with the ensemble interacts and influences her work as a freelancer in the non-profit and commercial spaces. This interview was conducted by Annie Tippe.

The Video production for this public program was by the Maria Torres Emerging Artists Foundation (MTEAF) Film Media Department, in partnership with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF).
• Video Supervisor: Javan Zapata
• Videographer: Mike Weir
• Social Media: Tatiana Montes

Rachel Chavkin's headshot by Erik Tanner & Annie Tippe's headshot by JJ Geiger.

We are excited to bring you this new episode in our podcast series, The Art of Collaboration, with Brandon Stirling Baker and Justin Peck. This series focuses on directors and choreographers in conversation with some of their collaborators. The series explores the ins and outs of these processes, both finer details as well as overarching ideas about what goes into a productive collaboration on a show. In this episode you will hear a conversation with Brandon (Lighting Designer) and Justin (Director, Choreographer, co-Book Writer) about their work on Illinoise including how they collaborate, the value of incorporating team members early in the production process, and the role of lighting in theatrical storytelling. They also discuss the different iterations of the production as it moved from venue to venue.

Bios:

Brandon Stirling Baker is a Tony Award-Nominated lighting designer working internationally. His work can be seen on stages throughout the United States and abroad including Broadway, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Australian Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Park Avenue Armory, American Repertory Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dutch National Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, and many others. Baker received a Tony Award Nomination for his lighting of ILLINOISE on Broadway and is a recipient of the Knight of Illumination Award for his work in dance. Baker has designed over 30 premieres worldwide for director and choreographer Justin Peck, and works frequently with William Forsythe, Jamar Roberts, and Pam Tanowitz among others. He is the Resident Lighting Designer of Boston Ballet and a Lecturer of Design at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. www.stirlingbaker.com

Brandon's headshot by Vincent Tullo

Justin Peck is a three-time Tony Award winning choreographer, director, filmmaker, and dancer based in New York City. He is currently the acting Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet. Peck has created and developed over 50 dance and theater works for stages around the world, including work for Broadway, the Palais Garnier, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, & Brooklyn Academy of Music. He has created extensively for film, most notably choreographing Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (2021). In 2024, Peck directed and choreographed the original Broadway musical Illinoise. Honors include the Tony Award for Best Choreography for Carousel (2018) and Illinoise (2024), the National Arts Award (2018), the Golden Plate Honor from the Academy of Achievement (2019), the Bessie Award for Rodeo (2015), and the World Choreography Award for the film West Side Story (2021).