Author Archives: mccauleyn

Tired of Flushing Money Down the Drain? Residents of URINETOWN Feel the Same in College of Charleston Musical Production

College of Charleston Theatre and Dance closes its 2018-2019 season with the hilarious, Tony Award-winning comedy Urinetown directed by artist-in-residence Bret Shuford with musical direction by Laura Turner. While the show is lighthearted in nature, it shares with audiences a glimpse of serious issues tied to the season’s theme of social justice in support of the College’s sustainability literacy initiative.

A 20-year drought has caused a water shortage and has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. Citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission. A hero decides that he has had enough, and plans a revolution. Winner of three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards and two Obie Awards, Urinetown by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis is a satire on capitalism, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, politics, greed and the musical theater!

The show will run April 11-16, 2019 in the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Phillip St. A talkback with actors will take place after the opening night performance. TICKETS CAN BE PURSHASED ONLINE, by calling (843) 953 -6306 or at the door two hours prior to curtain. Admission is $20 general; $12 College of Charleston students; $15 College of Charleston employees, Senior Citizens, non-College of Charleston students. 

Director and choreographer Bret Shuford is spending the 2018-2019 academic year working directly with students in the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance, which is being funded by the Quattlebaum Artists-in-Residence Endowment. Last fall, Shuford conducted lectures, workshops and masterclasses on various acting and arts management skills. This semester, in addition to directing Urinetown, Shuford will give a free presentation titled “Business of Broadway” on April 18 at 5:00 p.m. in the Emmett Robinson Theatre. With its origin dating back to 1985, the College’s Quattlebaum Artists-in-Residence Endowment has helped connect students and the community to renowned artists, such as visual artist Christo, pianist Leon Fleisher, photographer Duane Michaels, former NEA Chairman and actor Jane Alexander, and visual artist Htein Lin, among many others.

Shuford’s Broadway credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour, Amazing Grace, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. Other N.Y. credits include Actors Fund Benefit performances of A Wonderful Life, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, On the Twentieth Century, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Shuford’s credits outside of New York City include the National Tour of Lincoln Center’s South Pacific and Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden in Next to Normal at the Adirondack Theatre Festival. He originated the role of Vernon Castle in Castlewalk, a new musical presented as part of the New York Music Theatre Festival. He has sung with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and the Fort Worth Symphony. Shuford also has been seen on TV and Web series including Law and Order SVU, Alpha House, Submissions Only and My Dirty Little Secret. His film credits include Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Bedfellows, and Uncle Melvin’s Apartment.

Music Director Laura Manning Turner received her B.F.A. in Dramatic Writing and an M.F.A. in composition for Music Theater concurrently from New York University. Since 1994 she has been Associate Professor of Theatre at the College of Charleston where she began the Theatre for Youth program and the M.A.T. in the Performing Arts Program which prepares theatre and music teachers for the K-12 school setting. She also teaches musical theatre coursework in the department. She is a playwright and composer of many musicals for family audiences in collaboration with her husband. Some of their original works include: MarsQuest, awarded grants by N.A.S.A.; The Redcoats and Glow: The Story of Marie Curie, commissioned by The Charleston Museum; The Wizard of Wartville, sponsored by Keep America Beautiful; and WorldSong, which won a national playwriting competition and toured the Midwest. In addition, her musical, Finding Joy, was published by Eldridge Publishing Company with performances in churches nationally each year. Her musical score for A Boy and His Piano was published by Dramatic Publishing Company after premiering with Charleston Stage Company. She also was a finalist for the national Aurand Harris Playwriting Fellowship sponsored by the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America.

CofC Opera to Perform ‘Dialogues of the Carmelites,’ a Story of Martyrdom

The College of Charleston Opera will present a production of Francis Poulenc’s only full-length opera, “Dialogues of the Carmelites.” It tells a fictional account of the actual events of the Martyrs of Compiègne — the Carmelite nuns who in 1794 refused to renounce their faith during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. As a result, they were guillotined in Paris.

The performances will take place at 7:00 p.m., with pre-show talk at 6:15 p.m., on Friday, March 1 and Sunday, March 3, at the Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $15 for College of Charleston students and 18 and under, available online or at the door (cash and check only).

Premiering in 1957 at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, “Dialogues of the Carmelites” was one of the most successful operas of the later decades of the 20th century. Directed by the new Head of Opera at the College, Saundra DeAthos-Meers, and assisted by Amanda Castellone, College of Charleston Opera will perform the music in English. DeAthos-Meers shares, “This opera is exceedingly beautiful and dramatic and was chosen specifically with our students in mind. When choosing repertoire, I keep in mind what the opera will both challenge the students and serve their development. “Dialogues of the Carmelites” is a poignant story about the brave women who were sent to the guillotine for their beliefs. I am proud of these students and how they have accepted and conquered the challenge of this dramatic piece.”  

“We chose to do this opera in English even though it was originally composed in French. It was important to me to adhere to the composer’s desire that the work be performed in the vernacular of the audience.”

This cast will feature College of Charleston students, a reduced orchestra that is comprised of both professionals and College of Charleston students, with faculty member Rob Taylor at the helm.

Watch an interview clip with Director DeAthos-Meers on Lowcountry Live.

The College of Charleston Opera is a program in the Department of Music in the College’s School of the Arts.

CofC Faculty Jazz Ensemble to Perform

Students, alumni and the public love to see our jazz professors take stage. Toes tapping, heads nodding to the beat – at the end of the concert you’ll leave with melodic arrangements still on your mind.

The 2nd Monday Series at the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present the CofC Faculty Jazz Ensemble:  Robert Lewis (saxophones), David Heywood (flute), Tyler Ross (guitar), Gerald Gregory (piano), Quentin Baxter (drums) and Frank Duvall (bass). The group will perform jazz standards, arrangements and originals. Directed by Robert Lewis, Jazz Studies in the College’s Department of Music is one of the most prominent music programs in the area and includes instruction by some of the best jazz performers of the South.

Monday, March 11, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. 

Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. 

$15 general / $10 students. Purchase tickets online or at the door. More information is available at music.cofc.edu/concerts/2nd-Monday-series. This concert is popular among the Charleston musical community; early arrival is advised, as seating is on a first-come, first-served.

Student Dance Work to Be Staged in ‘Chapel Moves’

The Department of Theatre and Dance in the College of Charleston School of the Arts will present the dance concert, “Chapel Moves.” The annual concert features original dances by some of the department’s most talented students. These future professional choreographers and aspiring dance artists will showcase pieces selected for inclusion in the American College Dance Association’s southeastern regional conference.

Exploring themes of human connection, science and technology, and self-reflection in relation to the world around us, the choreographers have created an evening of dance showcasing the diversity and strength of the dance students. Many choreographers have challenged their casts with technical movement phrases, intricate musicality, and partner work, pushing the performance of the dance pieces both  physically and emotionally.

Performances will take place March 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m., March 9 at 2:00 p.m. and March 10 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The venue is the Chapel Theatre, 172 Calhoun St. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for senior citizens and College of Charleston students and employees. Tickets can be purchased online, by emailing oleksiakm@cofc.edu, or by calling (843) 953-6306. More info at theatre.cofc.edu.

Orion Weiss to Perform for International Piano Series

ACCLAIMED PIANIST ORION WEISS TO PERFORM FOR COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON PIANO SERIES

One of the most sought-after soloists in his generation of young American musicians

Praised for his “powerful technique and voluptuous tone” (The Washington Post) and playing that is “at once sensitive and technically dazzling” (Daily Camera), Orion Weiss is one of the most sought-after soloists in his generation of young American musicians. Weiss has already performed with the top American Orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic. Weiss will perform the third concert in the International Piano Series 29th season at the College of Charleston School of the Arts, with a dynamic program of works by Maurice Ravel, Dmitri Shostakovich and Johannes Brahms.

The concert will take place on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., in the Emmett Robinson Theatre, 54 St. Philip Street. General admission is $20 and free for students and faculty/staff and kids under 18. Tickets may be purchased online, at the door, by emailing concerts@cofc.edu, or by calling (843) 953-6315.

Weiss will also offer a master class, free and open to the public on Wednesday, March 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the Cato Center for the Arts, room 237. Students from the Music Department at the College of Charleston will perform.

[Listen to clips of Weiss in performance.]

Weiss began his 2018-2019 season with the Lucerne Festival and will end with the Minnesota Orchestra, with performances for the Denver Friends of Chamber Music, the University of Iowa, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Albany Symphony, the Kennedy Center’s Fortas Series, the 92nd Street Y, and the Broad Stage in between. In 2017-18 Weiss performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, toured with James Ehnes, and soloed with 12 orchestras around the United States. Other highlights of recent seasons include his third performance with the Chicago Symphony, a North American tour with the world-famous Salzburg Marionette Theater in a performance of Debussy’s “La Boîte à Joujoux,” the release of his recording of Christopher Rouse’s “Seeing,” and recordings of the complete Gershwin works for piano and orchestra with his longtime collaborators the Buffalo Philharmonic and JoAnn Falletta.

Named the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year in September 2010, in the summer of 2011 Weiss made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood as a last-minute replacement for Leon Fleisher. In recent seasons, he has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and in duo summer concerts with the New York Philharmonic at both Lincoln Center and the Bravo! Vail Valley Festival. In 2005, he toured Israel with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman.

Also known for his affinity and enthusiasm for chamber music, Weiss performs regularly with violinists Augustin Hadelich, William Hagen, Benjamin Beilman, James Ehnes, and Arnaud Sussman; pianist Shai Wosner; and cellist Julie Albers; and the Ariel, Parker, and Pacifica Quartets. As a recitalist and chamber musician, Weiss has appeared across the nation at venues and festivals including Lincoln Center, the Ravinia Festival, Sheldon Concert Hall, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society SummerFest, Chamber Music Northwest, the Bard Music Festival, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, the Kennedy Center and Spivey Hall. He won the 2005 William Petschek Recital Award at Juilliard, and made his New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall that April. Also in 2005 he made his European debut in a recital at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. He was a member of the Chamber Music Society Two program of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center from 2002-2004, which included his appearance in the opening concert of the Society’s 2002-2003 season at Alice Tully Hall performing Ravel’s “La Valse” with Shai Wosner.

Weiss’s impressive list of awards includes the Gilmore Young Artist Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Gina Bachauer Scholarship at the Juilliard School and the Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship. A native of Lyndhurst, OH, Weiss attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Paul Schenly, Daniel Shapiro, Sergei Babayan, Kathryn Brown, and Edith Reed. In February of 1999, Weiss made his Cleveland Orchestra debut performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. In March 1999, with less than 24 hours’ notice, Weiss stepped in to replace André Watts for a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He was immediately invited to return to the Orchestra for a performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in October 1999. In 2004, he graduated from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Emanuel Ax.

Housed within the College of Charleston School of the Arts, the International Piano Series (IPS) is Charleston’s longest running, year-round program with a pure focus on piano. Consistent with the School’s mission, IPS plays a distinctive role in the lives of students and the community by implementing excellence in the arts and education and cultivating piano music appreciation. The final concert of the International Piano Series’ season will feature AyşeDeniz Gökçin on April 2, 2019. For more information about the 2018-19 season, visit go.cofc.edu/ips.  

Apocalyptic, Coming of Age Story MARISOL directed by PURE Theatre’s Sharon Graci

Despite her achievements and rise to white-collar status, a young Puerto-Rican woman, Marisol, lives in a world that is both apocalyptic and eerily possible.

An apocalyptic world comes alive in the 1993 Obie Award-winning “Marisol” by José Rivera. “‘Marisol’ tells a different kind of coming of age story. Our eponymous heroine finds herself living in an angelic war zone in an end-days New York City, as she embarks on a quest to determine what, if anything, is worth fighting for,” says director Sharon Graci. “We have a front row seat as she embraces her hero’s journey, choosing not just to endure her life, but to live it gloriously and fully.”

The College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Marisol” as a part of the department’s 2018-19 “year of social justice,” with support from the College’s Sustainability Literacy Institute. The urban fantasy encompasses themes of homelessness and environmental destruction as it begs society to wake up and restore compassion in order to save the world.

The College welcomes PURE Theatre Artistic Director and Founder, Sharon Graci, as the director of “Marisol.“ Graci says, “I am thrilled to be directing ‘Marisol’ and to be working again with the students and faculty in the College of Charleston’s Department of Theatre and Dance. ‘Marisol’ is José Rivera’s much lauded tale of an epic, fantastic journey to the self.”

Go behind-the-scenes of “Marisol.”

Thursday, February 21 through Monday, February 25.

7:30 p.m., except Sunday, February 24 at 2:00 p.m. only

Emmett Robinson Theatre in the Simons Center for the Arts

$20 general public; $15 senior citizens, College of Charleston employees, and non-College of Charleston students; and $12 for College of Charleston students.

Tickets online at theatre.cofc.edu or by calling (843) 953-6306.

This show contains mature thematic material.

A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, José Rivera grew up in New York City. He is a recipient of two Obie Awards for playwriting for “Marisol” and “References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot,” which were both produced by The Public Theater in New York. His screenplay for “The Motorcycle Diaries” was nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar in 2005. His screenplay based on Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and was distributed nationally in the winter of 2013. His film “Trade” was the first film to premiere at the United Nations. Television projects in the works include an untitled HBO pilot, co-written and produced by Tom Hanks, as well as a 10-hour series for HBO tentatively known as “Latino Roots.” “Celestina,” based on his play “Cloud Tectonics,” will mark his debut as a feature film director.

IN THE MIX Returns with New Host and EPIC Women

The College of Charleston Arts Management Program is excited to announce that world renowned drummer, percussionist, and two-time Grammy nominee Quentin Baxter has joined its faculty and will serve as the new host of the IN THE MIX speaker series, replacing Artist in Residence Emeritus Mark Bryan who has returned to recording and touring with Hootie and the Blowfish. The first installment of IN THE MIX will be held on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 St. Philip St. The event, “EPIC WOMEN: INDUSTRY JOURNEYS OF TWO EXECUTIVES AT EPIC RECORDS,” will feature a live video conference with Traci Adams and Leah Bekele of Epic Records to discuss their career paths and their experiences as women in the music industry. This event is free and open to students and the public.

Traci Adams is the Executive Vice President of Promotion for Epic Records. She was featured in the September issue of Billboard as one of the 2018 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players, recognized in Variety’s 2018 Hitmakers list, as well as Billboard’s Women in Music edition. Among her many accomplishments with Epic Records, Adams has contributed to the success of Future, Yo Gotti, DJ Khaled and French Montana; delivered 18 number one singles; was one of two executives chosen from Epic for Sony’s Fast Forward Leadership Program; was a panelist for Project Next Up, an organization that reflects Women’s Empowerment in the Entertainment Industry at Berklee Valencia; was the commencement speaker for her Alma Mater, Savannah State University; and was chosen by Billboard as “5 Executives to Watch.”

Leah Bekele is the Field National Director of Promotion and Lifestyle for Epic Records. Previously at Epic, she served as the National Director of Promotion and Lifestyle and as the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Promotions Manager. Before joining Epic Records, she planned special events for Atlantic Records, Def Jam, Interscope, Warner Music Group, and Lawless ENT and worked as the Operations Director and Events Coordinator of One Off Entertainment in Chicago.

Quentin Baxter has taught at the College of Charleston as an adjunct professor of jazz percussion since 1997. In his expanded role with the Arts Management Program, he will be able to share the full breadth of his music industry knowledge and experience with a greater student population as well as the Charleston community as a whole. Baxter is the CEO of his own music production company, Baxter Music Enterprises, LLC, as well as an active performing, and recording artist. He currently tours worldwide with several acts including award-winning vocalist and composer René Marie, Grammy-nominated vocalist Freddy Cole, and Ranky Tanky – the jazz-infused Gullah music ensemble which he co-founded in 2017. Baxter received the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2017, South Carolina’s highest award given in the arts.

Since 2014, IN THE MIX has explored timely and engaging topics impacting the musical landscape on both a local and national level, all while exposing audience members to industry insiders with real world experience and insight. Recent sessions have examined songwriting compensation, the music streaming business model, and the emergent Charleston music scene, while former guest speakers include Darius Rucker, Cary Ann Hearst, and Jeff McClusky. A full list of previous and upcoming sessions can be found here.

The College’s Arts Management major offers students who are musicians or interested in working in the music industry the opportunity to pursue a Music Industry Concentration, with courses like History of the Recording Industry, Music in the Marketplace, Legal Aspects of the Entertainment Industry, and more. For information, visit artsmgmt.cofc.edu or call (843) 953-6301.

Cello-Piano Duo to Perform for Charleston Music Fest

Charleston Music Fest presents intimate chamber music concerts featuring College of Charleston faculty, and local and international artists. On Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, graduates of the prestigious Moscow Conservatory, faculty duo Natalia Khoma (cello) and Volodymyr Vynnytsky (piano) will present a versatile concert of works by J.S. Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Carlo Alfredo Piatti and Myroslav Skoryk, plus the beloved Rococo variations for Cello by Peter Tchaikovsky.

The Monday, February 11 performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. General admission is $15 and $10 for all students. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling (843) 953-6315, or at the door. 

Natalia Khoma – Volodymyr Vynnytsky Duo is the unique team of two virtuoso soloists from the same city and with a similar background. Both were born in Lviv, Ukraine, studied at the prestigious Moscow Conservatory, are International Competitions winners. Each has a distinguished career as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, and has appeared individually and as a duo with major orchestras and premier chamber music series through the United States and Europe. With performances which have been hailed around the world as “most excellent,” “perfectly controlled and beautifully expressive,” “magical…deeply touching,” “with virtuosity and admirable feeling,” “passion, profundity and poignancy,” “cellist pianist solo soulmates,” the Duo is one of the most electrifying musical partnerships.

Music of Stravinsky and Lukas Foss at Magnetic South

Magnetic South, a collaborative project between the College of Charleston Department of Music and the Charleston Symphony, will present a contemporary classical music concert featuring two iconic 20th century works: Stravinsky’s masterpiece “A Soldier’s Tale” in its complete staged version, with College of Charleston faculty members Robert Taylor as narrator and Evan Parry as the devil, along with Lukas Foss’ beautiful setting of Wallace Stevens’ “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” featuring soprano Kayleen Sanchez.

The podium will be shared by College of Charleston faculty member and Magnetic South’s Artistic Director Yiorgos Vassilandonakis, and Music Director of the Charleston Symphony Ken Lam.

The concert on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall at the Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door, by calling (843) 723-7528, ext. 110, or online at charlestonsymphony.org.

Magnetic South is an innovative partnership between the College of Charleston Department of Music and the Charleston Symphony. It combines the resources of the two institutions to present contemporary classical music in Charleston in an informative context. The goal of the Magnetic South partnership is to bring to the audiences of the Lowcountry, including students at the College, masterworks of the 20th and 21st centuries along with important new works by living composers. The concerts, performed by Charleston Symphony musicians and conducted by College of Charleston faculty member Yiorgos Vassilandonakis and Charleston Symphony’s Music Director, Ken Lam, feature carefully selected works from a variety of aesthetic directions and styles to represent the panorama of the music of our time. Magnetic South was co-founded in 2012 by Vassilandonakis; fellow faculty member Edward Hart; and Charleston Symphony concertmaster and Principal Pops conductor, Yuriy Bekker. Learn more at go.cofc.edu/mas.

Broadway’s Bret Shuford is Charming, A Tale of an American Prince

Why should the princesses get all the glory? In CHARMING: A TALE OF AN AMERICAN PRINCE, Bret Shuford tells the tale of one prince’s trek from the faraway Kingdom of Texas to a castle in The East Village. Shuford’s quest is highlighted by the music of Sondheim, Lutvak, Prince and more, with a little Disney magic thrown in for good measure. Friendship bracelets, giants and perhaps even a furry woodland creature help guide this prince along the way. Will he get his “Happily Ever After”?

With musical direction by Tracy Stark and direction by Lennie Watts, the solo cabaret show written by Shuford and Watts is hosted by the College of Charleston Department of Theatre and Dance. Shuford was bitten by the theatre bug at a very young age and has spent the last 20 years working in New York City. In addition to working as a Broadway actor, he found a passion for being a content creator, director, choreographer, producer and collaborator with other artists.

CHARMING: A TALE OF AN AMERICAN PRINCE will take place on Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Simons Center for the Arts, 54 Saint Philip St. Admission is $20 general / $10 students. Tickets can be purchased online at theatre.cofc.edu, by calling (843) 953-6306 or at the door.

Funded by the Quattlebaum Artists-in-Residence Endowment, Shuford is spending the 2018-2019 academic year working directly with students in the College’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Last fall, he conducted lectures, workshops and masterclasses on various acting and arts management skills. This semester, in addition to his cabaret show, he will direct the musical URINETOWN, (April 11-16) part of the College’s current theatre and dance season. Also, on April 18, Shuford will give a free presentation titled “Business of Broadway.” With its origin dating back to 1985, the College’s Quattlebaum Artists-in-Residence Endowment has helped connect students and the community to renowned artists, such as visual artist Christo, pianist Leon Fleisher, photographer Duane Michaels, former NEA Chairman and actor Jane Alexander, and visual artist Htein Lin, among many others.

Shuford’s Broadway credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour, Amazing Grace, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid. Other N.Y. credits include Actors Fund Benefit performances of A Wonderful Life, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, On the Twentieth Century, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Shuford’s credits outside of New York City include the National Tour of Lincoln Center’s South Pacific and Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden in Next to Normal at the Adirondack Theatre Festival. He originated the role of Vernon Castle in Castlewalk, a new musical presented as part of the New York Music Theatre Festival. He has sung with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and the Fort Worth Symphony. Shuford also has been seen on TV and Web series including Law and Order SVU, Alpha House, Submissions Only, and My Dirty Little Secret. His film credits include Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, Bedfellows, and Uncle Melvin’s Apartment.