NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation

Frances Bordlee arrived in Manhattan twenty days ago, so it's safe to say she's ecstatic to be a part of NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation! Previously, she could be found singing and dancing among chicken n' ribs and oversized mice in two Walt Disney World productions: Hoop Dee Doo Revue and Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas. Regional theatre credits include "Mary Jane" in Big River (Mill Mountain Theatre) and "Luisa" in The Fantasticks (New Stage Theatre). Frances is a Lake Charles, Louisiana native, an Emerson College graduate, the proud daughter of Bruce and Mary Frances, and a really happy Equity member!

www.francesbordlee.com

Joe Enderson is psyched to be back singing again. Have been biding my time (nice theatre reference, huh?) as a web designer for the past 11 years. From Virginia to Chicago and home to NYC, I have done a bit of work. Some of my faves are: Sweeney Todd in "Sweeney Todd", Jamie Lockhart/Bandit in "The Robber Bridegroom", Archibald Craven in "The Secret Garden", Snowball in "Animal Farm", Molokov in "Chess", Jack in "Boy's Life" and Cinderella's Prince in "Into the Woods". Want to say hey to my friends, HEY! And most importantly...thank you Lulu, I love you. You're so cool.

Shawna M. Hamic first appeared with NYMF in The Screams of Kitty Genovese as Betty, & has been a HUGE fan of the festival since. So it is with great pride and extreme excitement that Shawna finds herself a part of NYMF's Next Broadway Sensation! Shawna has lived in NYC for the last 7 years. During that time she has been seen in such shows here in NYC as The Molly Maguires, Genesis, Metropolis (with Joe Brooks), Church (@ the Public) & Lbs.- The Musical. Shawna has also toured with the Walt Disney Company & was honored to represent American Musical Theater as General Cartwright in the award winning production of Guys & Dolls in Macao, China. Shawna's dream has always been to step on to a Broadway stage, feel the spotlight hit her face and sing. This competition feels like a huge leap towards taking that step and she would like to thank her friends and family for always believing in her (no matter what) and of course sincere thanks to those here at NYMF.

www.shawnahamic.com

Mike Harrison is ecstatic to be competing in this year's NYMF Broadway Sensation Competition. You may have seen him perform as a featured soloist in such prestigious events as 'Amateur Night at The Apollo', 'Monday Night, New Voices' or 'A Christmas Celebration at Carnegie Hall', but Harrison is best known for his gritty portrayal of Lt. Joe Cable in Longwood High School's 1999 production of 'South Pacific'. The Longwood High School Gazette reviewed the performance as 'A triumph! Not since Joey Bellino's 1997 tour de force performance as a prepubescent Tevye, has the stage shone so bright from such a rising star.' Enjoy the show!

Omar Lopez-Cepero is thrilled to be a part of this year's contest!! Don't let his blue eyes and All-American looks fool you! Raised outside of Atlanta, GA; he may be the only full-blooded Puerto Rican to have played the role of Tony in West Side Story! A graduate of the University of Miami Frost School of Music, he has lived the typical nomadic life-style of an aspiring artist and has sung everything from Opera to Country. After performing in 47 states, Canada, and the high seas, he is happy to finally call NYC his home and hopes this experience can help him get closer to realizing his dream of performing on a Broadway stage. Favorite Credits: TOUR: EVITA (Che); REGIONAL: EVITA (Che); GREASE (Danny); WEST SIDE STORY (Tony); SWEENEY TODD (Anthony Hope); and numerous revues and concerts. UPCOMING: LES MISERABLES (Marius).

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Barbi McCulloch took a risk and enrolled as a voice major in college with no formal training whatsoever. Since then, her risk has paid off; she has sung all over the world and never regretted one moment. Barbi learned early that having only classical training doesn't mean you have to sing classically; now she applies her training to everything from classical to country. Barbi has sung many roles, including Queen of the Night in Mozart's Magic Flute, Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's Candide, Princess Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress, Magnolia in Show Boat, and opened for Britney Spears and other major label artists. She's also sailed halfway around the world as a soprano for Celebrity Cruises. Prior to living in New York City, she appeared as a soprano soloist at Carnegie Hall, sang with numerous orchestras, and worked in Nashville, Tennessee as a session and backup singer for established country singers. She's most proud, however, of teaching younger voices that you can sing everything you want with the right technique! Barbi lives on the Upper East Side with her roommate, Carmen, and her sweet dog Rosie, and is thrilled to be living in the greatest musical city in the world.

Hailing from the Shangri-la that is San Francisco, where she was a professional opera singer by night and a burlesque/sketch-comedienne by verylate night, ARIELA MORGENSTERN decided to fly the coop last May and return to her beloved Musical Theatre Geek roots in New York City.

Some highlights from her past year in the Big Apple have included...making her Off-Broadway debut in the (decidedly un-musical) musical ADD1NG MACH1NE at the Minetta Lane Theatre, being given the honor of winning 2nd place in the 2008 Kurt Weil Foundation's International Lotte Lenya Competition after spending years specializing in and loving the works of Kurt Weill and his contemporaries, and becoming a Producing Artist with the phenomenal New York-based theatre company, Studio 42.

She is currently starring as Sally Kaplan, and her comic book alter-ego, Pia The Pig-Faced Lady (yes, you read that right!) in the NYMF production of CYCLONE & THE PIG-FACED LADY, and is thrilled to be playing such a juicy role with such a fantastic team.

www.arielamorgenstern.com

Jennifer Sánchez is mostly from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her father was in the Air Force, so they moved around a lot, but it was ok because her saint of a mother got her lessons wherever they went! It was Japanese dance in Okinawa, Baton Twirling in Alamogordo, Sweatin’ to the Oldies in El Paso summer camp (we got there late--options were few). She studied musical theatre at Oklahoma City University. She's enjoyed fun gigs, touring with FOREVER SWING and has played fun parts, like Mayzie in SEUSSICAL, Lily in ANNIE, Maria Elena in THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY and Anita in WEST SIDE STORY. Here in NY, she's danced in SEESAW and played Tehura in GAUGIN. She really loves living in NY with her son, Jared. They have bunk beds and communicate primarily by walkie-talkie. She hopes he is behaving for the babysitter and that you enjoy the show!

Originally from Tampa, Florida, Nesha Ward has been performing in the Sunshine State since she was a kid. Working with a small production company she performed in such pieces as Guys and Dolls, Nunsense, and the world premiere of Maxwell. A world premiere musical written by Joe Popp. Since moving to New York, this charismatic entertainer has been working on recording her first album and performing in open mikes in the city. She recently just competed in the MetroStar Talent Challenge at the famous Metropolitan Room where she was awarded second runner up!

Jamaal Wilson was born in Brooklyn, New York where he dreamt of being an elementary school teacher. He moved out to Bay Shore, Long Island where those dreams were tossed out when he performed in his first musical Bye, Bye Birdie. He's been seen as the title characters in Sundiata: The Lion King of Mali and Olympic Spirit: The Jesse Owens Story. Other credits include Junie B. Jones, A Thousand Cranes, Once on this Island, Where's Charley?, Dreamgirls and many more. As a featured soloist he has performed for Hillary Rodham Clinton, NAACP, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He is a founding member of the singing group The Dreams, who has performed in numerous venues around New York.

www.myspace.com/jamwilson