After a 15-year career on and off the stage in New York City, Michael relocated to Southern California in 2000. As an actor Michael has appeared in 7 Broadway National tours including 2 productions of The Phantom of the Opera (Piangi), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Baker), The 50th Anniversary production of The Wizard of Oz (Cowardly Lion) and the 25 Anniversary tour of Evita. He has appeared in over 80 professional stage productions and in all 48 of the contiguous United States. Stage appearances in Southern California include the Bearded Lady in the Los Angeles premiere of Side Show (Ovation/Garland awards; his one-man “stand-up” musical comedy I’m $elling Out! at the Hudson Theater in L.A. and recent appearances at the Camino Real Playhouse in Grease (Teen Angel), Greater Tuna (Thurston), The Rocky Horror Show LIVE! (Frank-n-Furter) and Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast at The Star Theater.

As a stage director, Michael has directed over 70 shows. Recently he was the Resident Artistic Director for the Star Theater in Oceanside where he directed Beauty and the Beast. Hello Dolly, Pirates of Penzance and Guys and Dolls. He has also directed critically acclaimed productions of Into the Woods, the World Premiere of The Bed, Grease, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Vanities, and Little Shop of Horrors for the Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano. He was their resident Artistic Director for 3 years and also produced an annual fundraiser Broadway under the Stars, which starred performers direct from Broadway including Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Liz Callaway (Baby/Cats) and former Miss America Kate Shindle (Legally Blonde). Other directing credits include the Broadway All-Star Benefit for the Red Cross starring Andrea McArdle (in New York City); the critically acclaimed revival of The Mikado at the Chance Theatre in Anaheim; and The Miss Los Angeles/America Pageant. Michael received a 2004 OC Weekly Award nomination for “Best Musical” for The Mikado (Chance Theater) and he is a member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab West. In 2010 he will direct the new musical TS ELIOT off-Broadway in New York City.

Michael’s work with children spans 15 years with various children’s theater productions on the East Coast. He starred in the American Family Theater national tours of A Christmas Carol (Fred) and Wizard of Oz (Lion. and directed Snow White, The Sword in the Stone, and Cinderella for Shawnee Playhouse’s professional Children’s Theater Company. In California he worked with the renowned Chamberlain’s Fine Art Academy in Beverly Hills for 2 seasons directing productions of The Wizard of Oz and Little Mary Sunshine. Both shows featured a cast of over 100 students and performed at the beautiful state-of-the-art Smothers Theater at Pepperdine University. Michael is also a director with Christian Youth Theater in San Diego County where he directed a multi- award-winning production of HONK and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  

Shaun Leslie Thomas is originally from Florida.  His love for theater and the arts started at the young age of 7 years old where he played the dying cowboy in the summer camp production of Cowboys and Indians.  He continued his training of dance, voice and acting through high school.  During his college years, Shaun went on to teach at the Orlando Youth Theater Company from 1999 – 2003 where he directed numerous children’s productions such as Honk, Annie, Kiss Me Kate and Joseph to name a few.   He developed a passion for teaching and directing youth theater.  He then went on to create and participate in child educational programs for Seaworld of Orlando,  Central Florida Zoo, Nickelodeon and Gatorland where he was also a gator wrestler.

He later moved to Utah where he performed and traveled with Comedy Sportz Provo.  Not only did Shaun perform with the company he also taught classes and workshops for incoming performers.  After years of intense improv study he moved to California where he immediately became a part of a children’s touring company, Fantastikids.   The company traveled to elementary schools from Southern California to Oregon and addressed such topics as drugs, violence, bullying and nutrition through acting, song and dance.   It was a great way to positively impact children's lives.  In 2009 a position opened up for Imagination Machine, an improvisational  theater group that takes submitted children’s creative writing stories and performs them at school assemblies.  This was an amazing opportunity.  Shaun still currently works for them and loves the chance to inspire children and build up their confidence.

Shaun continues to perform and direct all over California.  Shaun was most recently seen in The Fantastiks as Mortimer at The Welk Resort Theater in Escondido.  Some of his favorite roles include: Southern California Premiere of The Drowsy Chaperone as Robert Martin, Bobby Strong (Urinetown), Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors),  Gaston (Beauty and Beast), The Baker (Into the Woods), Felix (The Odd Couple), Emcee (Cabaret), Jesus (Godspell), Anthony (Sweeny Todd),  The Pharoah (Joseph) and many more.  In his spare time Shaun co owns Fringe Photography of San Clemente.
Shaun is so pleased for the opportunity to work for Broadway Bound.  He enjoys positively influencing and shaping kids lives through the art of theater.

Love of musical theater came at a very young age for Karen.  As early as she could talk she was either singing, dancing or acting out her favorite drama. Karen performed in numerous musicals throughout high school including her role as the voice of Martha Cratchit in a nationwide radio production of “A Christmas Carol.” Karen’s love of musical theatre also includes dancing and choreography.  While in college she performed with the Brigham Young University Competition Ballroom and Latin dance teams and in her “spare time” performed in a professional traveling acapella group.  She continues her love of acapella music performing with “The Yuletide Carolers OC” during the holiday season all around South Orange County.

Karen’s experience extends beyond the stage to TV and film with over 30 commercials and infomercials on local and national TV.  Some of her favorite work includes commercials for Disneyland, Nissan, Hertz, Johnson & Johnson and Coppertone.
Though Karen has loved working in film and TV, her first  love has always been musical theater.  Some of her theater credits include Music Man, Once Upon A Mattress, Guys and Dolls, Footloose, Hello Dolly, Quilters and Oliver, which was nominated for a Drama-Logue award at the Laguna Playhouse.

This lifelong love affair with the theater has inspired Karen to teach children for over 20 years.  Karen developed and taught a unique music program for the past five years at Tijeras Creek Elementary School for 1st through 3rd grades, receiving rave reviews from teachers and parents alike.  She also created the school’s first performance choir that has sung in many venues in South Orange County.  Karen has also directed major children’s theater productions with casts of over 100 children in Beauty and the Beast, Enchanted Sleeping Beauty, and Peter Pan, and was the musical director for The Little Mermaid.  Working with the talented staff at “Broadway Bound OC” is the perfect environment for Karen’s long career and love of teaching children.  She loves to see children achieve their greatest creative potential through the performing arts while having fun all at the same time!

From the moment she spoke Katie Nicol has been singing. Born and raised in Orange County, Katie is no stranger to the stage. Her first brush with fame was when her parents entered her into a beauty pageant at the age of four in which she won trophies for "best personality" and "talent". However, her passion for musical theatre began when her parents took her to see a touring production of CATS in Los Angeles for her 8th birthday. The incredible costumes, amazing make-up and tremendous stunts are what attracted Katie to the stage at such an early age.

Throughout high school she participated in several choirs and played roles in shows such as Maria in The Sound of Music, Cinderella in Into the Woods, and Polly Peachum in The Three Penny Opera as well as A Chorus Line, Oklahoma, and Bye Bye Birdie. As one of “Plaid Halibut’s” frontmen, Katie enjoyed performing all over Orange County including venues such as The Whiskey in Los Angeles, The Galaxy in Costa Mesa, and The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. Three years ago Katie was introduced to The Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano. It was there she met founder of Center Stage Studios-San Clemente, Michael Wallot. It was at CRP where she debuted as Sleeping Beauty and Lucinda in Into The Woods. Some favorite roles include, Marty in Grease!, Lucy Van Pelt in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown and Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. Other recent rolls include Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the historic Star Theater in Oceanside.

Katie works as a teacher which consists of keeping 214 eighth graders entertained EVERY DAY by teaching them English at Don Juan Avila Middle School in Aliso Viejo. Her motto is “Teaching is a work of HEART,” and believes she can bring plenty of heart, humor and happiness to kids of all ages while having tons of fun. 

Kirsti McCleary
(Musical Theater Coach)

Kirsti McCleary
(Musical Theater Coach)

Kirsti McCleary began her theatre career at the age of 8 playing Oliver in the musical Oliver.  She has been hooked ever since.  As an actor, she has been involved with musical theater all over Los Angeles and Orange County and some of her favorite roles with include Marian in Music Man, Nancy in Oliver, Maria in the Sound of Music, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Hodel in Fiddler on the roof, Edith in Pirates of Penzance, and Sandy in Grease. 

 Behind the scenes, Kirsti loves to sing and has studied and taught voice for over 10 years. She has a background in piano and studied piano for 10 years during her childhood. She has musically directed several shows including Grease, Scrooge, Best Christmas pageant ever, and Charlie Brown, but her passion is working with children.  Kirsti LOVES children and has been working in the children’s theatre since 1997.  She began teaching children’s voice and musical theatre classes at Vibe Performing Arts studio in Valencia, CA.   When she moved to Orange County in 2002, she immediately got involved with a children’s theatre group in Oceanside called Coast Kids theatre where she has musically directed several shows including Oliver, Once Upon a Mattress, Music Man, Grease and the Sound of Music.  She also co-directed School House Rock.  She was THRILLED to be involved with founding the Young Performers Academy with Michael Wallot in San Juan Capistrano and was musical director for their productions of Wizard of Oz and Annie.  Kirsti is mom to three young children, Cassidy, Carlie, and Christian who have caught the acting/singing bug already!!! She understands how rewarding, confidence-building and FUN children’s theater is and looks forward to working with each of your children and hopes that Broadway Bound Orange County will make a positive impact in their lives.

Our super energetic dance teacher Julie has been onstage dancing and appearing in major competitions since she was just a little girl of two years old.  All her childhood studies paid off when she had the great honor to appear on national television as a contestant on Star Search in the Group Dance Category in 1991. Since her college years, she taught in a dance studio for 8 years and choreographed various competition routines for students in all styles of dance. Recently Julie created dance steps for Sound of Music for the San Clemente Stake, Little Shop of Horrors at The Camino Real Playhouse and The Pirates of Penzance at the Star Theater in Oceanside. She also created the fantastic choreography for  our YPA productions of The Wizard of Oz and Annie. When asked what her philosophy on teaching dance was, she responded “the more fun we're having the better!” She is excited to join the Broadway Bound OC family!