CREATIVE TEAM
Anthony Fedorov
Creator/Music & Lyrics
Born in Yalta, Crimea (former USSR), Anthony immigrated to the United States with his parents and older brother at 9-years old. Due to a birth defect in his windpipe, he underwent a tracheotomy (breathing through a tube from 4 months old to age 4) from which a scar is now visible. Doctors predicted he would never be able to speak.
He went on to compete and finish as 4th place Finalist on American Idol Season Four.
As a songwriter, Anthony’s song placements include Hulu’s Future Man, The Ellen Degeneres Wildlife Fund, “Tet’Emcombo” (King of Kings) co-written with producing partner and Grammy Winner Jeeve Ducornet (Todrick Hall, Bruno Mars) in the short film “The German King,” “I Begin Again” co-written with Grammy Winning songwriter Bill Grainer and recorded by Britain’s Got Talent Winner Jai McDowall (hit #1 on iTunes Music).
As an actor, Anthony has appeared off-Broadway in The Fantasticks, (Matt) and RENT revival (Roger). Regional: “Prince” in Cinderella with Nashville Symphony for Steven Curtis Champman's Show Hope Foundation, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, (Broadway Asia - Tokyo, Ordway Center, 5th Avenue Theatre), Les Miserables, (McCoy/Rigby Entertainment), The Sound of Music (Paper Mill Playhouse) and the world premiere of The 12 a rock musical written by Pulitzer and Tony Award winner Robert Schenkkan (HBO’s All The Way) and music by Neil Berg.
Anthony has campaigned with the ERA alongside Kamala Lopez (Equal Means Equal Documentary, 2015), Moms Demand Action, NextGen America, and Need to Impeach.
Anthony’s concept album “Calling On You” (co-produced with Jeeve Ducornet) was successfully funded from a 2016 Kickstarter campaign.
This concept album has served as the beginning ideas for a new musical experience, Hash(tag) America, a docu-musical.
Kyle Carter
Co-Lyricist
Kyle Carter is a Singer/Actor/Writer from Woodbridge, VA. University of Notre Dame (Studio Art and Design). – “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
National Tour: Lion King (Vocal Swing/Mufasa u/s), In The Heights (Benny) Regional: In The Heights (Benny), Rent (Benny), Pajama Game (Prez), Cubamor (Renato), Grease (Teen Angel), Paint Your Wagon (Wesley), How To Succeed…, Jasper In Deadland Off-Broadway: Storyville (Butch “Cobra” Brown), NYC Readings/Showcase: Illa (Gary), The Wild Party (Eddie), Sweetie (Cat Jones), 21 (Roberto Clemente), Sweethearts of Swing (Willy). IG - @bigkrcarter, www.kyle-r-carter.com
Nik Walker
Bookwriter
Nik Walker is a theater artist, cinefile, theme park nerd and collector of talented frenemies. At the start of 2020, he took over leading the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud (after 3 years as Aaron Burr in the Broadway and touring companies of Hamilton). Before that, he was seen in Motown the Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, on TV in Law and Order SVU, and regionally at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe and The Denver Center, to name a few. As a playwright, he is the co-writer of Company One’s ARTiculation, and the creator of the The Bloody Boston Trilogy; his movie podcast, Little Justice, is streaming with the Broadway Podcast Network. @nikkywalks
David Armstrong
Producer
David Armstrong is an American stage director, writer, producer, lecturer, and choreographer. He is best known for his work at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle where from 2000 to 2018 he served as the Producing Artistic Director and later as the Executive Producer and Artistic Director, and where he is currently the Artistic Director Emeritus. He also currently serves on the faculty of the University of Washington School Of Drama where he teaches a course entitled: “The Broadway Musical -How Immigrants, Jews, Queers and African-Americans Invented America's Signature Art Form.”
On Broadway he directed the musical Scandalous!: The Life And Trials Of Aimee Semple McPherson starring Carolee Carmello who received a Tony nomination for her performance. He also directed this show’s pre-Broadway production at The 5th Avenue Theatre under the title Saving Aimee.
Under his leadership The 5th Avenue grew to become one of the nation’s leading musical theater companies, especially with regards to the development and production of new work. During his tenure The 5th produced full productions of 19 new musicals, nine of which subsequently transferred to Broadway, and two of which received the TONY Award for Best Musical (Hairspray and Memphis).
He currently hosts the newly launched podcast BROADWAY NATION on the Broadway Podcast Network, “a lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.”
Nava Ghalili
Producer
Emmy-nominated Nava Ghalili, a youth empowerment activist since the age of 13, was one of the youngest news anchors in the history of American television. She had also created, produced and hosted an Emmy-nominated series at 24 years of age. She is an actress, producer, voiceover artist as well as a social impact advisor for filmmakers focused on creating films aimed at Millenials and Generation Z's. As an expert in youth extremism and conflict sought out for advisory roles in the government, and an activist for education and women's rights, she has been an international motivational speaker on topics related to her theories on social transformation and youth empowerment since her teenage years.
Of Iranian heritage, Nava was born in America and also raised in Australia. She has advocated for issues ranging from moral education to gender equality and is currently developing educational curricula aimed at empowering youth called “Purify My Heart”. In addition to formal training in acting, dance and vocals, Nava’s education includes Commerce (Curtin University) in Australia and Journalism (Harvard University) and a Masters in Comparative Politics and Middle East Conflict (London School of Economics and Political Science).
She is a Board Advisor and United Nations representative for the Mona Foundation, which is a GuideStar platinum star-rated non-profit that works with schools around the world to provide opportunities for the education of girls and gender equality.
She is currently working on and for films related to youth and human rights while serving as a social impact private advisor to public figures in the entertainment industry, corporations and organizations wishing to bring activism to the forefront of work previously unrelated to social development.
Jennifer paz
Producer/Co-conceiver
Jennifer is a theatre artist and producer who’s credits include Miss Saigon (“Kim,” 1st National Broadway Tour, various regional), Les Miserables (Broadway, joined 10th Anniversary Cast), David Henry Hwang’s Flower Drum Song (Mark Taper Forum). She’s been a featured soloist in Boublil/Schonberg’s DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING Dream Concert Tour. Selected regional: The 5th Avenue Theatre, Village Theatre, Ordway Center, North Shore Music Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Ogunquit Playhouse, East West Players, and has worked with Singapore Repertory Theatre and Broadway Asia (Tokyo).
Jennifer has received a total of 3-LA Ovation nominations and is a recipient of the 2008 LA Ovation Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Miss Saigon, South Bay CLO). She made her producing debut with Playwrights Arena for which she received her 1st LA Ovation nomination in 2003 for Best Musical as Producer for small theatre for Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for A New World (LA premiere, directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera and co-produced with Ted Benito). She received her 3rd LA Ovation nomination in 2009 for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for The Last Five Years (East West Players).
Jennifer is the voice of Lapis Lazuli (BTVA Award Winner) on the ground-breaking Peabody Award, GLAAD Media Award, and Emmy Award Winning animated series Steven Universe on Cartoon Network, and is also featured in STEVEN UNIVERSE the Movie (2020 GLAAD Media Award nomination), as well as the Steven Universe Future epilogue series.
She is co-founder of The VFC Project (Voices for Change) with Anthony Fedorov, a grassroots community of artists serving to inspire empathetic conversations about our nation’s fractured identity. The VFC Project has worked with Mom Demands Action Los Angeles Chapter on their #WearOrange National Gun Violence Awareness Campaign featuring original song “Enough is Enough” (written by Jeff Vincent and Anthony Fedorov).
Panney Wei
Producer
Panney Wei is an award-winning Motivational Speaker and Certified Hypnotherapist, specializing in the power of the mind to reach their potential and empowering people to achieve their personal and professional dreams. An activist and community leader, Panney serves as a National Senior Advisor for the National Association of Asian American Professionals where she launched the national women’s leadership program, Women in NAAAP (recognized in Forbes Women), a board member for Kollaboration, a member of the PBS SoCal API Community Council, the organizing committee for the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience at Sundance, and is on the Advisory Board for the National Asian Artist Project. She was also elected as the State Secretary for the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of the CA Democratic Party and served 5 terms.
Panney is the CEO of See the Way Consulting, empowering individuals to achieve their fullest potential through hypnotherapy, coaching, keynotes and workshops. She is the recipient of the Silver Award for the LA Business Journals Asian Business Awards and a nominee for the Women in Business Awards, the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business award from the Asian American Business Development Center, and the NAAMBA (now ASCEND) Top 40 Under 40 Global Emerging Leaders Award.
Ms. Wei’s producing credits include an upcoming video with artist Ruby Ibarra and an all-star cast to dispel negative perceptions of Asians and immigrants during the current pandemic crisis. She wrote and produced the show, Memoirs of a Almost Geisha and produced the rock opera, Repo! The Genetic Opera, (Lionsgate), and was a member of the Ovation-award winning theater group, Imagination Workshop.
Ms. Wei was also a part of the team that produced the documentary film, Linsanity about NBA basketball player, Jeremy Lin and is currently working on her first book. She now hosts her weekly podcast "See the Way with Panney Wei", featuring life lessons and wisdom from herself and top thought leaders and luminaries in various fields. Her previous radio show/podcast, “Positive Changes with Panney Wei'' on KCAA 1050 AM, NBC News radio, and Contact Talk Radio reached over a million listeners worldwide.
Louis Hobson
Associate Producer
Co-founded Indie Theatrical to create new business models for entertainment around IP based acquisition of entertainment properties and distribution through domestic and International channels.
Current relationships extend to every part of the U.S., Canada, Asia, Europe and South America.
Responsible for identifying entertainment opportunities, acquisition, contract negotiations, budgeting, line item producing, creative development, casting, and production.
Current offerings is the successful Tenors of Rock Las Vegas, currently presenting at Harrah's famed showroom in Las Vegas.
Rick Hip-Flores
Music Supervisor / Musical Director
Rick Hip-Flores currently associate musical director of Ain’t Too Proud. Previously was the musical director of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 on Broadway, and music supervisor of In Transit, Broadway’s first a cappella musical. Additionally he has conducted seven other Broadway shows including Fun Home, Come From Away, Bronx Tale, Groundhog Day, Beautiful, Rocky, and the Radio City Rockettes. Musical director of We Will Rock You (first National tour), Jacques Brel (Zipper Theater), Last Days of Summer (world premiere). As sub keyboardist: Aladdin, School of Rock, Billy Elliot, Wonderland. Rick’s arrangements and orchestrations have been performed by the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and on television: So You Think You Can Dance, and Dance Moms. Most recently, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Musical Theater Award for his work on Daddy Issues, written with Ted Malawar.
