Music Theatre Performance Faculty

Mr. Karr was the Music Director for 15 seasons at the Huron Country Playhouse. Other credits include conducting, music direction and accompaniment at Persephone Theatre, Muskoka Festival, Smile Company, Solar Stage, Expo 86 Ontario Pavilion, Gilbert and Sullivan Societies of Kitchener/Waterloo and Toronto, Shaw Festival, Leah Posluns Theatre, Theatre Collingwood, Drayton Festival Theatre and Rainbow Theatre. He began teaching in 1981 while continuing his professional engagements and is formerly a faculty member at Sheridan College (Music Theatre Performance), University of Toronto (Theatre and Drama Studies, Erindale) and St. Clair College (Music Theatre Performance). Other teaching credits include the Royal Conservatory of Music, Humber College, York University, Equity Showcase, Leah Posluns Theatre School and the Third Street Music School Settlement in New York City. Mr. Karr holds a Bachelor of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Western Ontario with post-graduate studies in Paris at Cours de Perfectionnement et Interpretation with Denise Riviere and at the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned a Masters of Music, Vocal and Instrumental Accompaniment.

Melissa Williams is one of the most innovative choreographers working in the entertainment industry today -- recently you have seen Melissa’s work on the acclaimed first season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Seasoned in creating and staging dance sequences in many genres, Melissa has worked with some of the most established artists, actors and directors in the industry including Prince, George Michael, Bryan Adams, The Smashing Pumpkins, Michael Caine, Randy Quaid, Carmen Electra, David LaChapelle, McG, Paul Verhoeven and Joseph Kahn. Melissa found her love for live theater after spending months at Paisley Park studios choreographing, rehearsing and helping to develop the New Power Generation Dance Company. Her company DM Creative has choreographed and musically staged live productions around the world including Grease-the musical, HAIR-the musical, STORM, Generations, Bon Voyage, Piano Man and Undercover. Ms. Williams has choreographed and performed in television and feature films including Hairspray, American Pie, Batman & Robin, That Thing You Do, Showgirls, Farmclub.com, and The Tonight Show.

A lifelong resident of Windsor, Michael currently works as an accompanist, music director and instructor of Music Theory and Ear Training for St. Clair College's department of Music Theatre Performance. His MD credits for the College include Grease, Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, most recently Christmas in Vegas. Right now he is in rehearsals for the upcoming production of Jesus Christ Superstar. A jazz pianist in both Windsor and Detroit, much in demand, Michael performs and records frequently with The Speakeasy Quartet, and has performed and recorded with many of Detroit's jazz greats including Marcus Belgrave, George Benson, Russ Miller, Chris Collins and Ron Kischuk. He has both performed and had original compositions premiered at the Detroit Jazz Festival, Michigan Jazz Festival, Birmingham Jazz Festival, Boblo Island Jazz Festival, Jazz on the River Festival in Trenton and Big Tony's Jazz Festival. Michael performs regularly with Il Divo, Steve Lippia's Tribute to Frank Sinatra and with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra. Other recent theatre credits include accompaniment for The Fantasticks (Rochester Community College), Legally Blonde (WLMT) The Wizard of OZ (WLMT), The Drowsy Chaperone (WLMT) as well as Music Director for My Little Butterball (Windsor Feminist Theatre). In addition to teaching at St. Clair College, Michael has served on the faculty at Wayne State University.

Kristyn is a dancer, actor and choreographer who has toured the US and Europe with many musical productions (Cats, Grease). While residing in New York she performed as a Radio City Rockette for three seasons at the iconic Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her original training took her to Los Angeles where she danced on several popular television series including All McBeal. In addition to cruise ship experience Kristyn also danced with the Mark Goodman Tap Company. She is now back in her home town of Windsor Ontario and has been active within the city, most recently directing and choreographing The Nutcracker Ballet for Edmunds Towers School of Dance.

Ms. Dwyer is a much in demand soprano, a frequent guest artist with the Juno award-winning Windsor Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with the Detroit Symphony Chamber Orchestra, the Niagara Symphony, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She appeared as Marina in Toronto's Opera in Concert Canadian premiere of Marina (Arietta), as the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute with Opera Lyra, at the National Arts Center in Ottawa, Ontario. Peggy is equally at home with Music Theatre repertoire, most notably as Lily, in The Secret Garden (Simon), and as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Lerner and Loewe). Her performances include Handel's “Messiah”, various Mozart and Bach oratorio, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana", and she was featured in the documentary "Cleary Symphony" performing Richard Strauss' "Vier Letze Lieder" with the WSO. Ms. Dwyer is featured on the Windsor Symphony's 1999 CD release performing Mozart's "Vorrei Spiegarvi".

Nicholas Morvay is a musician from Windsor Ontario. He graduated from the University of Windsor with degrees in music and education and most recently earned a Master's degree in music composition from the University of Saskatchewan. In addition to his work with St. Clair college, Nick works with Windsor Light Theatre, The Windsor Essex Youth Choir, and is the organist and choir director at Emanuel United church in Windsor.

Ms. Marentette has appeared as a guest soloist for a number of venues and has had the pleasure of working with Al Martino, Frank Gorshin, Syd Caesar, Time Tim and Jan Rubes. She attended the University of Windsor, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. She has been heard on numerous CBC radio and television programmes.

Katie Mecher-Williams is currently the Artistic Associate Director and dancer for HNM Dance Company in Windsor. Katie graduated with a diploma in Theatre Dance from Ryerson University in Toronto. She has also studied at the Minsk Choreographic School in Russia; with Toronto Dance Theatre, with Ottawa’s Le Groupe de la Place Royale, and with Dance Theatre David Earle. Katie has worked extensively with Windsor’s Gina Lori Riley Dance Enterprises, both touring nationally and participating in educational programming. She has toured Michigan in the state-funded performance, “Dance in America” and has performed with both Michigan based dance companies, Dance Nonce and Detroit Dance Collective. She has choreographed a number of works for the Windsor Light Opera Company and HNM Dance Company. Katie brings over 20 years of professional performing experience to the Music Theatre Programme.

A native Albertan, Lorretta has performed in major theatres across the country and traveled as far as the Middle East entertaining the troops. She is the recipient of several Dora nominations (Toronto Theatre awards) for her stage work including her portrayal of Eponine in Les Miserable at the Royal Alex, Cinderella in Into the Woods at Canadian Stage, and Liza in Outrageous at Canadian Stage. She won a Stirling (Edmonton theatre awards) for Cecilia in Simpatico and garnered a Stirling nomination for Maria in Sound of Music at the Citadel. Favorite credits include Mary in Saltwater Moon, Barbara in Major Barbara (Neptune Theatre), Zhaboonigan in The Rez sisters and Joni Mitchell: River (Playhouse in Vancouver). She is an honours graduate of the B.F.A programme at the University of Alberta.

Originally from Quebec, Mrs. Pilon-Gerdun has studied dance and drama in Montreal, Toronto and Paris. She graduated from Canada's National Ballet School Teacher's Training Program in 1985 and also studied acting at the Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto. She holds her Licentiate Teaching Certificate with the Cecchetti Society of Canada and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (London, England). She taught at various studios in Toronto and then relocated to Windsor in 1991 in order to teach at the Dance Studio of Academie Ste-Cecile and at the University of Windsor where she taught for the Musical Theatre and the Acting Program. She was appointed Supervisor of the Dance Studio of Academie Ste-Cecile in 1992, where she is the principal ballet teacher as well of being in charge of the Ballet Teacher's Training Program. She now teaches part-time for the St. Clair College Music Theatre department. On many occasions, she has collaborated with Susan Haig and other conductors of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra to produce special choreographies to be performed as part of the Windsor Symphony concerts.

Susan studied acting at the University of Alberta. Through apprenticeships, Susan studied directing. Memorable directing projects include: An Ideal Husband (Watermark Theatre), Intimate Apparel, Other Desert Cities, Pride and Prejudice, Elf, Wizard of Oz (Grand Theatre), My Fair Lady (Drayton Entertainment), A Woman of No Importance (Shaw Festival), Stone Angel (Alberta Theatre Projects), Romeo and Juliet, Dancing in Poppies, Misalliance, Twelfth Night (Globe Theatre). Over 15 years Susan directed a range of exciting productions with teens as part of Grand Theatre’s High School Project that included: Les Miserables, Hello Dolly, The Addams Family, Legally Blonde and Fiddler on the Roof.

She was Artistic Director of Globe Theatre (Regina) and Grand Theatre (London). She has directed/taught in actor training programs across the country – University of Alberta, National Theatre School, Banff Centre School of Fine Arts, Studio 58 (Vancouver) and University of Regina.

She recently returned from London England where she spent an invigorating year studying Actor Training and Coaching through a unique program at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

As Director. key Canadian credits include: At The Grand Theatre, London, ON: Colours in the Storm, Ring of Fire: the music of Johnny Cash, Cinderella, Footloose, Anything Goes, Macbeth (McManus), Playwrights Cabaret (2010-2012, 2015), The Little Prince (TYA, McManus), , (Persephone, Saskatoon, SK).

In the U.K.: At the Royal Shakespeare Company: Stratford Talking, The Witch, Desire Under the Elms. Babes in Arms, (Bernie Grant Arts Centre, London), The Native/Suicide Brunette (Old Red Lion, London); Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s Saints and Sinners and The Taming of the Shrew (Creation Theatre, Oxford); Plunder (Watermill Theatre/Greenwich Theatre, London); Copenhagen, Neville’s Island (Watermill, Newbury); Montagues and Capulets (RSC/Capital Centre/London); Poor Mrs. Pepys (New Vic Theatre); A New Vision of Life (Royal Albert Hall); Party Pieces (The Swan, Stratford-upon-Avon); Bring Me Sunshine, (by Simon Stephens, Edinburgh). Other: Educating Rita, Laughing Wild, Blithe Spirit (English Theatre, Frankfurt, Germany); Medea (PAC, Richmond, Virginia), two seasons as resident director with the Royal Shakespeare Company including, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Love in a Wood and the Jacobethan Season (Olivier Award winner- Outstanding Achievement, in London’s West End).

Upcoming: Judith: memories of a Lady Pig Farmer adapted from the award-winning Canadian novel, Judith, by Aritha Van Herk, will premiere at the Blyth Festival this June.