About Us
CenterStage offers performing arts classes for children of all ages in New York City throughout the Fall, Winter, Spring AND Summer. All classes are taught by distinguished professionals in the music, dance and acting fields. Each class will culminate in an end-of-semester performance in a beautiful theater, filled with song and dance combinations from Broadway hits (old and new), for the children's biggest fans!
CenterStage Teachers
Our teachers are committed to CenterStage's mission to inspire and teach children through the performing arts!
Samantha Jeffreys
Founder/Artistic Director & Teacher
Samantha Jeffreys, native New Yorker, has been hailed for her “beautiful, easy high register, balanced by a firm and substantial low voice” and her “stunning” stage presence, by the New York Concert Review. A classically trained soprano, Samantha has performed on stages nationwide, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center's New York State Theater. She attended the renowned LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and Performing Arts and then went on to receive a Bachelor of Music degree from the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase and a Masters of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music. Samantha's accolades include awards and recognition from the Metropolitan Opera's National Council, Artists International Competition, the Connecticut Opera Guild, Florida Grand Opera and the National Opera Association. As a member of numerous opera companies' Young Artist Programs, Samantha was given the opportunity to reach thousands of children across the country through their educational outreach programs. She is currently a teacher at the Acorn School and a teaching artist/consultant for the New York City Public Schools, including her alma mater, LaGuardia High School. Samantha is thrilled to combine her passions for education and the performing arts by founding CenterStage! Samantha also offers private voice lessons and audition coaching/ preparation for children of all ages.
www.samanthajeffreys.com
Sara Fanucchi
Early Childhood Program (Debut) Director / Head Teacher
Mezzo-Soprano Sara Fanucchi is a singer, teaching artist, and educator in New York City and is thrilled to be a part of the CenterStage community! Described by Opera News as a “vibrant, eye-catching presence whenever she was onstage” and as “refreshingly uncaricatured …attractive in sound and person,” she has performed extensively in opera and concert with organizations including the Minnesota Orchestra and Chorale, Source Song Festival, Minnesota Fringe Festival, and Bronx Opera among others. As a teaching artist and educator, Sara has been involved in opera outreach and education programs with Minnesota Opera, Mill City Summer Opera, and Opera New Jersey. Passionate about early education, Sara has also been teaching early childhood and preschool music and movement for more than 10 years. Sara holds a Master of Music degree in voice from Manhattan School of Music, a dual Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin and has completed Orff Level 1 certification in music education.
Saskia Lane
Early Childhood Program (Debut) Head Teacher
Brooklyn-based Saskia Lane is a Juilliard-trained bassist, composer, performer, puppet maker and educator. In addition to her life as a performer, she dedicates much of her time working in early childhood. Through teaching music, art and movement, she strives to build a lifelong love of learning and connection for each family she works with. For over a decade she has worked as a Teaching Artist for the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, most notably as a lead artist with the Lullaby Project, where she collaborates with families in shelters, hospitals and correctional facilities writing original songs for their children. To date, Saskia has written three immersive music theater works for the very young, commissioned by Carnegie Hall. Her most recent, Camille’s Rainbow, will be presented at Carnegie this coming fall and in the spring of 2024. Currently, Saskia leads the Early Childhood Program at Brotherhood Synagogue.
Caitlin McNeilage
Director of Spotlight Program / Head Teacher / Voice Teacher
Caitlin McNeilage is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she received her BFA in Drama. Right after graduation, she moved to San Francisco to perform in San Francisco Shakespeare Festival's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream where she understudied and eventually took over the role of Helena. Right after that, her hometown of Panama City, FL was devastated by Hurricane Michael so she put all of her efforts into producing and performing in a benefit concert at Feinstein's 54 Below starring Broadway performers from Hamilton, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, and more. Caitlin is so excited to share her love of theater with these amazing children!
Maddy Stillman
Head Teacher / Musical Director / Voice Teacher
Maddy is an NYC based performer/musician, playwright, director and educator. She is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, with a BFA in Musical Theatre from the New Studio on Broadway and a minor in Education. Most recently, she wrote, directed and starred in a new play, “Can I Just Say Something?” which was presented Off-Broadway at SoHo Playhouse and at the New York Theater Festival. She has been teaching musical theater and private voice since 2017 and loves sharing her passion for theater and music with the next generation. She has directed and music directed many shows for children ages 4-18 such as Tuck Everlasting, Dear Edwina JR., Frozen Kids, Willy Wonka JR and more. Originally from Jupiter, FL, Maddy feels very thankful to be able to teach music in the greatest city in the world and to be welcomed into this community with open arms.
Jennie Hughes
Head Teacher / Choreographer
Jennie Hughes (she/her) is an NYC based director, choreographer, performer and the founding director of Forager Theatre Company. After receiving her training from Wichita State University (BFA in Musical Theatre) she moved to NYC to study with the Open Jar Institute Residency program under Jeff Whiting, Stacia Fernandez, and James Gray. Jennie prioritizes work that is women led and tells stories that are often overlooked in commercial theatre. Her most recent credits include: Spring Awakening (director/choreographer) with Forager Theatre Company, The Flying Dutchman Boards the Staten Island Ferry at SOOP to Nuts Theatre Festival (2nd place winner), Judy Moody and Stink (director/choreographer) at ArtsPower National Touring Theatre, and The Story of Oh! (director) at The Player's Theatre. Www.Jenniehughes.weebly.com
Theresa Alexander
Head Teacher / Choreographer
Graduate of Cornish College of the Arts (2017, Seattle WA) with a BFA in Dance Performance, Theresa is currently a New York based actor, dancer, and educator.
She finds so much joy in sharing her love, knowledge, and undying passion for theater and dance with young artists! When she’s not teaching, Theresa is actively performing and creating work.
Recent theatre credits include: Arizona Broadway Theater's production of Flashdance (2022), Curtains, at the Mac-Haydn Theater as the Associate choreographer (2019), and most recently was the swing/ fight captain for the new musical Ladies Lady (The Vino Theater, January 2023.)
Guilherme Andreas
Musical Director / Pianist
Guilherme Andreas is a classical flutist, educator, singer, music director-arranger and bubble tea lover. One of his first musical memories was showing up at choir rehearsals conducted by his father, where he learned the soprano and alto parts on his own, and according to his mother, sang louder than everyone else.
At age 22, he won the principal flute position with the Brazilian Marines Wind Symphony in Rio de Janeiro – his first professional music job, where he performed throughout South America.
Andreas received 1st Prize in multiple competitions as both soloist and chamber musician. One competition led him to receive a scholarship to attend James Madison University in Virginia. During his graduate studies, he performed the Reinecke Flute Concerto with the University's Orchestra.
Andreas continued his graduate studies at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. A highpoint of his time at Peabody was his performance of the Nielsen Flute Concerto with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra.
Andreas has been an active performer throughout the U-S, and is currently based in New York, where he dedicates his time to music directing, teaching, and spreading the word about his most recent album Beyond Bossa Nova.
For more information, please visit www.guilhermeanderas.com.
Sean Jones
Piano, Voice, Ukulele & Guitar Teacher
Sean is a singer/dancer/actor/musician. He is a graduate from The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theater and returned to NYC earlier this year after spending 3 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. There, he performed in Guys and Dolls, Twelfth Night, the world premiere of Head Over Heels, The Count of Monte Cristo, Timon of Athens, The Merry Wives of Windsor and the world premiere play Hannah and the Dread Gazebo. He was a part of a band called The Dreggs and performed frequently in the community.
Teresa Attridge
Head Teacher / CenterStage Debut & Voice Teacher
Teresa Attridge (she/her) is an actor, dramaturg, puppeteer, and proud AEA member. Favorite roles include: Medium Alison (Fun Home), Marta (Company), and Yitzhak (Hedwig and the Angry Inch). In addition to performing, Teresa is also currently the dramaturg on Little Miss Perfect: The Musical. She has extensive experience working with children as a nanny, camp counselor, and private tutor, and loves having to opportunity to help make art both accessible and inclusive for all her students.
Cristina Noya
Director of Operations / Head Teacher / Acting Teacher
Cristina's acting journey started when she was 15 years old and became a member of the first generation of students at ActuandoAndo. The institute soon gained recognition after being selected to be part of the National Theater Festival in Venezuela with two of their plays, having her in the cast of both productions. In 2014, while she was studying at Kaplan Colleges in New York, the production of the musical "Tony El Vaquero Valiente", invited her to be one of the female voices of their original cast recording. A few months later, Cristina went back to Venezuela and joined the cast to work on the songs from the show. At only 19, Cristina moved to the United States and began her training in the Two Year Conservatory Program at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute. She worked on her craft and trained with some of the greatest method acting, voice and dance teachers in New York, such as: Lorca Peress, Marcel Simoneau, Robert Ellermann, Geoffrey Horne, Tim Crouse, George Loros, Bruce Baumer, Jeffery Ferguson, Madeline Jaye, among others. As soon as she graduated from Strasberg, she started working in different film and theater productions in both English and Spanish. These projects led her to participate in theater festivals where she received several nominations. Including a Best Actress win in 2017 for her role in the play "El Último Apóstol".
Although Cristina's writing journey started from a young age, it wasn't until later that she started doing it professionally. It happened a few weeks before her graduation from the acting program she was enrolled at, when she was invited to join the writing department of their theater company. In 2014, she made her debut as an independent writer with her play "Los Romanov", based on the Russian royals. When the production closed its sold-out run, it was announced it had been selected to be part of the National Theater Festival. Even when Cristina moved to the States in 2015 and was completely focused on finishing her acting conservatory, she made herself write during her limited free time. Which came to fruition in 2021 when she published her first novel "INTERNUM". The romantic thriller she started writing back when she was 14. The book can be found now on Amazon in its different formats: paperback/hardcover/ebook.
Dylan Kaufman
Dylan (he/they) is a NYC based actor, music director, photographer, and educator. They are a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where they received a BFA in Drama (Musical Theatre) through the New Studio on Broadway, as well as a double minor in Music and Education. They’ve worked extensively as a vocal arranger (mostly recently on musical-film Meatball Town), orchestrator (most recently for new musical Sweet Mother of Christ), composer (ranging from adaptations of Shakespeare to original musicals), and multi-instrumentalist. As a pianist, they work at venues across the greater NYC/NJ area, such as Paper Mill Playhouse and Sandbox Theatre. Favorite credits include: Jonah (Soon, written by Nick Blaemire), Emcee (Cabaret), Music Director (Heathers, Assassins). They have nearly a decade of experience teaching artists of all ages, and they’re thrilled to continue this passion with such a supportive and kind community. www.dylkaufman.com
Bianca Williams
Head Teacher / Choreographer / Set Designer
Bianca is a dance instructor from New York who is passionate about performing arts. She has worked with kids and adults of all ages teaching lyrical, liturgical, ballet, hip hop, mime, African, and flag dance. She found her passion for dance after performing in the Nutcracker at BMS (Brooklyn Music School) where she trained ballet for 3 years. She was then inspired to create her own dance group “Dewitt Dance ministry” teaching liturgical dance. In efforts to give back to her community she began to offer ballet lessons to youth who were seeking more performing arts. She then later continued to train with the company “Dance for Joy Ministries” led by Iris Cloud, former dancer of the Dance Theater of Harlem. She is currently a teacher at The Acorn School where creativity and kids are always at the forefront. She is always ready for a new adventure and is very happy to be a part of the CenterStage team.
Sarah Crane
Choreographer / Head Teacher
Sarah Crane is a performer, choreographer and teaching artist from Miami, FL. She received her BFA in Musical Theatre from The Boston Conservatory. Was most recently seen in the Broadway First National Tour’s of Mean Girls and The Prom. She loves teaching all ages and styles and hopes to bring joy and confidence into each of the students.
Grace Konstanty
Head Teacher
Grace Konstanty is a recent graduate of NYU Steinhardt where she received her BS in Educational Theatre. She is a teacher, director, and performer who is passionate about the joy and community of theatre. Grace started performing at the age of three, and is so excited to foster that same creativity with the young performers of CenterStage. Her recent credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (teaching artist) and Hedda Gabler (director) with NYU.
Schune Fu
Piano Teacher
Schune Fu is a Chinese-American pianist, composer, and playwright from New York. His work has been produced at the Tank, 54 Below, and UCB. He is a graduate of New York University’s Music Theory and Composition program. As a composer, he has worked with Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde), Devin Ilaw (Miss Saigon), and Alf Bishai (The Ear). As a pianist, he has performed at Carnegie Hall four times.
Tehya Merritt
Tehya Merritt is a New York based performer, playwright, and proud graduate of Howard University where she received a BFA in Musical Theatre. Most recently, her original play “It’s a New Age, Mammy!” was produced by Theater Alliance in Washington, D.C., and she is currently a co-writer for the audio theatre company, How We Manage Stuff. Tehya is deeply passionate about intertwining the arts into youth education, and has worked extensively on the west coast as a teaching artist at Idyllwild Arts Summer Academy, as well as a master class instructor for the Florida State Thespian Festival in Central Florida. She is thrilled to be able to bring her love for arts education to CenterStage!
Erin O'Connor
Director of Dance / Head Choreographer
Erin O’Connor is very excited to join the incredible team at CenterStage! She is an actor, singer, and dancer based in New York City. Erin began her love of musical theatre at the age of 4 in a program just like CenterStage in her hometown of Irvine, California, where she begged her teacher to play the role of the dog so she wouldn’t have to sing. Now her entire resume is musical theatre! Previously, Erin worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for three years performing in My Fair Lady, The Cocoanuts, Guys & Dolls, The Count of Monte Cristo, and the world-premiere of the new musical Head Over Heels. She has a BFA in Acting from Southern Oregon University with a minor is Musical Theatre. She also teaches for Broadway Classroom and has been on two School Visit Programs with OSF.
Andrea Nwoke
Consultant
Andrea offers a dynamic and personable coaching style highly effective at enhancing self-awareness, increasing emotional intelligence, and developing admirable leadership styles. Using competency-based best practices, she supports teams and individuals to overcome momentum blockers, take charge of their professional development, and skillfully manage difficult situations. She empowers clients to find their Full Voice with intention, to grow with definitive action, and to celebrate every accomplishment. She has experience working within a broad range of industries and across multiple levels and functions within an organization.
An accomplished classical singer, Andrea's devotion to language, nuance, and precision translated beautifully to her 12+ years in the corporate world where she was an indispensable presence in the C-suites of multiple global companies. Her work includes training individuals to communicate and lead within various corporate cultures and geographies inclusive of Fortune 500 executives. Her experience in career management consulting brings a knowledgeable approach to working with professionals in career and role transition. Honoring her artistic passions, Andrea serves on the Advisory Board of Directors for the Seagle Festival. She is a frequent guest speaker, moderator, facilitator, and panelist for various arts organizations and DEI initiatives.
James LaRosa
Masterclass Teacher / Consultant
James LaRosa is honored to be part of the CenterStage family along side his longtime friend and colleague, Samantha Jeffreys. As a professional actor and singer, James has been a member of Actors Equity Association for over 10 years, having appeared in such productions as Saturday Night Fever, Rent, Next to Normal and Singin' in the Rain. As a voiceover artist, he can be heard on Nickelodeon, Rockstar Games, MTV and as the singing example that accompanies Singing Exercises for Dummies. In addition to his private voice studio, James is currently on the voice faculty of the New York Film Academy, and has previously taught voice for CAP21, Front & Center for Performing Arts, and A Class Act NY. A proud graduate of NYU Tisch and the High School for Performing Arts, he is happy to share his craft and passion for singing with the young performers at CenterStage. For more info about James, check out www.thejameslarosa.com.
Jocelyne O'Toole
Guest Teacher
Jocelyne O’Toole is a vivacious presence emerging in film, television and the New York theater scene, with great roots in opera and contemporary music. Critically acclaimed for her “perfectly balanced” and “convincing” operatic portrayals, Jocelyne has sung at Carnegie Hall and various American music festivals and has performed in children's educational outreach tours around the country. She has been featured in national commercial campaigns for Time Warner and Manchester Ever Last Candles. Jocelyne is a graduate of Hartt School of Music and Manhattan School of Music, and is passionate about children's theater, song writing, yoga, and her faithful pup, Winnie Cooper.
