TODD ALLAN (Book, Lyrics, Producer, and Co-Director of ROSE’S WAR’s Rave Theater Festival Performances).
THEATER: “Disruption” (Co-Producer of world premier in London of Andrew Stein’s drama about AI. Astaire Awards (Consulting Producer), “Women on Fire” (Director of 6 videos for Royal Family Theatre)
TELEVISION: Writer, Producer, Director for comedy series developed with Fox TV Studios, Sony Television, ICA Tahiti, & Columbia Television. Assistant Director for ABC Television/Lucasfilm Ltd on “Ewoks, The Battle for Endor”. Associate Producer for CBS Television on “Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton’s Christmas Special”.
FEATURES: Columbia Pictures’ “Alien Toybox” (developed as Producer with Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich.); NJB Productions Toyko “Norma Jean” (Writer); “Deep in the Heart” (Co-writer, Co-producer developed with Franklin Schafffner & Barry Spikings)
COMMERCIALS: Over a hundred as Director, clients from Japan, Germany, Italy, England, Canada & U.S. Addie Awards, Andy Awards, Clios, Mobius Awards, Lions from the Cannes, and London International Advertising Awards. Producer and/or Assistant Director on over 50 commercials.
MUSIC VIDEOS: Producer and Assistant Director on projects for Lionel Ritchie, Jermaine Jackson, Julio Iglesias and Diana Ross.
FRANCESCA HARPER (Executive Producer, Choreographer and Story Consultant. And, Co-Director of ROSE’S WAR’s Rave Theater Performances).
CURRENTLY - Artistic Director of ALVIN AILEY II COMPANY. … Executive Producer for Sony Television and Hulu on NEGROLAND, a limited series for television.
DANCER - After being named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and performing at the White House, Francesca attended Columbia University to study philosophy and computer programming, but her passion for dance moved her to the Dance Theater of Harlem where she eventually did soloist roles. Next she went to William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt where she eventually performed as a soloist. She performed in fashion shows for Issey Miyake and Gianni Versace in Paris and Milan, and in the film, Dancing Pleats, a 30-year retrospective of Issey Myake’s design in Japan.
SONGWRITER - She was also spotted singing on the Frankfurt stage and subsequently invited to record her first single, Slow Groove. She self-produced her own album, Modo Fusion, currently available on iTunes.
THEATER - As an Actor/Dancer she performed in Fosse, The Producers, All Shook Up, The Frogs, and The Color Purple (understudy for the roles of Shug Avery and Squeak.) Her first principal Broadway Roles were Helene in Sweet Charity and Judith in Sophisticated Ladies. … With Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Margo Jefferson, and Paul Miller a.k.a DJ Spooky, she co-created her first play, 50 Minutes with Harriet and Phillis, which appeared at The Cherry Lane Theater in New York; it was produced by Anna Deavere Smith.… For Punchdrunk’s interactive show Sleep No More at The McKittrick Hotel in New York City, Francesca developed a new character. … Francesca’s one woman show, The Look of Feeling, based on the life of her mother, Denise Jefferson, who served as director of The Alvin Ailey School for over 26 years, premiered Off-Broadway in The Spring of 2014. Broadway.com described it as “a piece rich in truth and authenticity.” It had its international debut, in Vienna, Austria, at the Impulstanz Festival in July, 2014. In 2016, the show made appearances around New York City debuting two new chapters featuring live music and the dancers of The Francesca Harper Project. … Francesca was nominated for Best Performance in a Musical in 2019 by Broadway.com for playing Billy Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. … And, Francesca co-directed with Todd Allan, the musical ROSE’S WAR, at The Rave Theater Festival (NYC-2019) while also serving as choreographer and story consultant.
CHOREOGRAPHY/COMMISSIONS - While still a member of Ballet Frankfurt she was commissioned by The Holland Dance Festival to choreograph her first work, Dark Violet Light Stone. She went on to choreograph for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem, Richmond Ballet, Ailey II, Tanz Graz, Hubbard Street II, The New York Choral Society, The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Black Dance Theater, and her own company, The Francesca Harper Project, which was founded in 2005.
THE FRANCESCA HARPER PROJECT - This company has become the platform for Harper’s own artistic vision: classical dance forms deconstructed and fused with cutting-edge text, music, film and video. The company has toured nationally and internationally at venues including the Holland Dance Festival, Venice Biennale, NJPAC, Impulstanz, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Joyce Theater.
TELEVISION - Boardwalk Empire (actor, dancer and choreographer), David Letterman, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
BALLET CONSULTANT - The feature film, Black Swan, by Darren Aronofsky, and starring Natalie Portman, who won an Oscar for her role in the film.
OPERA - Featured performer in the world tour of Zinnias – The Life of Clementine Hunter directed by Robert Wilson.
AWARDS - A Living History Award during Black history month from Long Island University. An Innovation and Technology Award for her choreography for Fashion Week with designer Louis Vuitton.
TEACHER - Professor at The Juilliard School. Associate professor at Barnard College, New York University, and The Ailey School, Fordham University’s BFA Program, and the Susan Batson Studio.
SUSAN BATSON STUDIO - SBS is led by acting guru and Obie award-winner Susan Batson, who serves as Acting Coach for Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, Juliette Binoche, Tom Cruise, Liv Tyler, Usher, Lee Daniels, Sean Combs, and many more. Batson and Harper also founded a production company together that produced a reading of “Lyrical,” featuring Phylicia Rashad, which won best screenplay at the Tribeca Film Festival. Batson also served as the directorial consultant for The Look of Feeling.
GRANTS AND FELLOWSHIPS - The Center for Ballet and the Arts @ NYU, Urban Bush Women Choreographic Center Institute Fellowship, Capacity Building Grant - Pentacle Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts (Finalist), and New Music USA.
MOVEMENT AND CASTING DIRECTOR - The Bessie Award winning, “The Let Go,” commissioned by the Park Avenue Armory. … Zendaya and Tommy Hilfiger’s Apollo Theater production for Fashion Week in 2019.
NEW WORKS - A creation for Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director of The New York City Ballet and world-renowned poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph. “Unapologetic Body, an autobiographical work, supported by Urban Bush Women’s CCI. During the pandemic Harper founded the FHP Collective, a New York-based company, FHP ED, a virtual children’s program.
PETER B. ALLEN (Composer, Lyricist & Producer)
Peter B. Allen is a composer and pianist fluent in both classical and jazz idioms. His music can be heard on his six recordings: Christmas Present (SF Opera); Onward (Warsaw Philharmonic); Solitary Freedom (solo piano); Pilgrim On Earth (piano and orchestra); The Greatest Thing in the World (soprano and orchestra); Still with Thee (voice and piano). Peter’s hymns appear in the 2008 Christian Science Hymnal. His opera "The Message of Gabriel" was performed in 2010.
DOUG KATSAROS (Composer & Orchestrator)
Doug is an Emmy-winning composer whose work on and off Broadway includes Footloose, The Life, Rocky Horror, Altar Boyz, The Toxic Avenger, A...My Name is Alice, Laughing Room Only and Gettin’ The Band Back Together. He has written several TV and film scores including "The Tick," “The Jim Henson Hour” and “Mancuso FBI.” He has dozens of gold and platinum CDs for his work with artists such as Kiss, Sinéad O'Connor, Gloria Estefan, Frank Sinatra, Todd Rundgren, Rod Stewart, Judy Collins, B. B. King, Marlo Thomas, Donny Osmond, Richie Havens, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Cher, Michael Bolton, and Peter Paul & Mary, among others. He writes special material for Ringling Brothers and Macy's 4th of July Fireworks and Thanksgiving Day Parades and lives in New York with his wife, composer/keyboardist Elise Morris, and yes, he is the guy who wrote "By Mennen."
MATHAYU WARREN-LANE (Lyricist)
Television: PBS' "Arthur" (varying musical episodes); Fox's "On the Lot" - Dough the Musical; NBC's "Amnesia" promotional interstitial - Throw Me a Line; Civic Events: Burbank Holiday Calendar - The Holly Trolley; Santa Monica, Fairmont Miramar "Meet Me Under the Fig Tree" - Ol' Papa Santa, Lovely Lady Sugar Plum, Merry Christmas Here and Now; Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn and Spa "Sing-Along" - Slaphappy Fool; Projects in Development: "Kromosomes" (a library of fully lyricized tracks for commercial use on broadcast series); The Hebrew Hammer Musical (varying titles); "Four Turtledoves" (a service and library offering personalized lullabies for newborns and toddlers)
RICK FELDMAN (Co-producer)
After 45 years in the AD/TV business in New York and LA,, Rick “retired” in 2015. Now he serves on the board of the WENDE museum of the Cold War in LA and Ars Nova in NYC. He is a member of the New York Angels investment group, and on the Finance Committee of J Street. In addition he has been investing in the theater and is happy to currently enjoy the success of “Come from Away’, “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Hadestown”. He wishes the same success for “Roses War”
LEGAL COUNSEL
Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, P.C. has almost 50 years of experience representing clients in the entertainment industry with a diverse practice ranging from the core entertainment areas of theater, film, television, music, and literary publishing, to cutting edge developments in branded entertainment and digital media. The firm provides its clients with innovative approaches and solutions based on a broad industry perspective, attention to value and efficiency, and an understanding of new developments in law and business. Further information can be found at http://www.fwrv.com/ .
DANIEL WASSER (Lawyer)
Daniel M. Wasser has been a partner of Franklin, Weinrib for over twenty five years and combines extensive entertainment law experience with a background in corporate and securities law. This enable Dan to counsel clients not only regarding the exploitation and protection of intellectual property rights, but also acquisitions, joint ventures, loans, private placements, and other corporate transactions. Dan has a particular focus on theater law, representing producers as well as playwrights, underlying rightsholders, and financiers. Among the many Broadway productions for which Dan has served as production counsel are "Matilda," "Evita (revival)" "Alan Cumming's Macbeth," "Godspell (revival)," "Legally Blonde," "Young Frankenstein," and "The Producers." In addition to being recognized as a "Super Lawyer" in the field of Entertainment and Sports, Dan also has been selected by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell as a Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment in recognition of his representation of numerous senior executives in the entertainment and media industries. Dan was admitted to the New York bar in 1980 and also is a member of the bars of New Jersey and Florida. He received his A.B. degree from Brown University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and his law degree is from New York University.
JACK DEPALMA (Creative Consultant)
In London in 2023 Jack has just produced Andrew Stein’s world premier of DISRUPTION, a drama about AI. From 2012 to 2022 has been a creative consultant for musicals and plays as a packager, dramaturge, and developer. From 2008 - 2011 he was Play Development Director at The Old Globe Theater in San Diego, California. From 1997 - 2008 he was Creative Director for NAMCO (Barry and Fran Weissler’s theater production company - Chicago, Annie Get Your Gun, Seussical, Wonderful Town, Sweet Charity and This is Our Youth).