Musical Director/Vocal Coach Spotlight Theatre School

Kathy has been the Vocal Coach/ Musical Director for Spotlight Theatre School since September 2000 and is Spotlight’s VIP Children’s Festival and Volunteer Coordinator. She has musically directed over fifty musical productions, some of which have included Sweeney Todd, Urinetown The Musical, Aida, Les Miserables (three different times), Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical, West Side Story, Footloose, Seussical and Godspell. Kathy has overseen many Spotlight musical performances at various events across Ontario and in the United States. Since 1989, her private students have successfully competed in various music festivals and have completed their Royal Conservatory of Music vocal examinations. Kathy is the Director and Co-founder of both The Rhythmics Youth Choir and Harmony Express. Her choirs have performed across the GTA and taken part in two CD recordings including a recording of a New Millennium Anthem. Kathy is the Director of Creative Minds & Music, a preschool music arts and crafts program at Griffin Gymnastics and teaches vocal/musical theatre at various schools throughout the GTA.

Kyla Dover began as a student at Spotlight Theatre School at the age of 12 and over the years continued on in a new role as a teacher and director. Kyla has performed in numerous productions and various stages and has performed at the Toronto and London Fringe Festivals. She is a graduate of the arts York Drama program at Unionville High School and studied theatre at Guelph University. Kyla is looking forward to her return to Spotlight and working with all the talented actors and teachers.

Stacey Campbell has been a member of the Spotlight family for over ten years. During that time she has worn the shoes of performer, director, instructor, writer and adaptor. She studied Musical Theatre and Vocal Performance at Acadia University (Paula Rockwell, Nova Scotia) and was a member of the prestigious Acadia Vocal Ensemble (Dr. David Buley, Nova Scotia) which toured Eastern Canada and New York City performing Classical and Chamber music. Stacey has also studied Voice and Piano with Kathy Solluch, Music Theory with Dale Scaife and Dance with Merlene Samuel-Cephas. Notable roles include Penelope Pennywise (Urinetown, Spotlight Theatre School), Mrs. Barry in Anne of Green Gables (Stephen Leacock Theatre), featured Vocalist and Dancer (Missa Gaia, Acadia University), as well as a second place, platinum standing at the 2008 Access Broadway Competition in Pennsylvania.

Currently Stacey is studying Early Childhood Education at Seneca College and working as a nanny in Aurora. She is also studying several genres of dance with Merlene Samuel-Cephas as well as instructing at Spotlight Theatre School.

Emily is thrilled to be part of the Spotlight team once again, after her debut with the school in December 2008 where she directed The Phantom of the Opera – The Play. She looks forward to working with new students this year, and seeing what challenges and excitements this term will bring.

Emily began her love of theatre at a very young age, but her professional career started at the age of 12 as an Assistant Stage Manager for Pea Green Productions in Toronto. While doing that job she met and signed on with her first agent, and went on to do various commercials and educational videos.

Emily went to high school at the Etobicoke School of the Arts, where she majored in Drama, and minored in Music Theatre. She was very active in all productions the school put on, and was in everything from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to full-scale Broadway musicals such as Les Miserables, and Into the Woods. She was also able to participate in many Kiwanis Festivals, and recorded a Christmas album with the Elmer Isler Singers.

During her high school career, Emily had two major life-changing experiences. Her first was performing with her music theatre troupe in New York City for the Manhattan Music Festival, where they won a gold medal – the highest honour given to any high school performance at the festival in 11 years. Her second was being chosen by her drama teacher to direct a play for the Sears Drama Festival – even though she had never directed before. Her play went on to the Nationals that year, and won both Emily, and her cast, many awards – including Best Director and Best Play.

Emily has studied voice privately with Kristina Marie Guiguet, and was also a member of various choirs and vocal ensembles with the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, under the direction of Linda Eyman. She has also studied many types of dance – the most recent being Celtic Stepdancing, which she performs in various venues around Toronto with her husband’s band, Steeped in Tradition.

Emily currently resides in Newmarket with her husband, and two beautiful children, Leah and Riley – who are her two best productions by far.

Karen received an Honours B.A. from Guelph University specializing in Drama. She also earned her Bachelor of Education from York University and is an accredited member of the Ontario College of Teachers.

Karen has worked extensively in Children’s Theatre as a performer (touring with Ottawa's Lakeside Theatre for many years), technician, director and agent. During her twenty years at Spotlight Theatre School's History Karen's students have received numerous awards at the Peel and Orillia Drama Festivals in drama, Musical Theatre and Improvisation. Awards include the Peel Festivals highest award and scholarship and performance in the Festival of Stars.

She has directed Three plays for The Toronto and London Fringe Theatre Festivals, and numerous musicals including Les Miserables, The Seussical, Godspell, Rock Nativity, Little Shop of Horrors, Grease, Fame, Guys and Dolls, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables, Bye Bye Birdie, The Music Man, wrote and directed a stage adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Working with the Voice Impact Project she has adapted many children’s stories for the stage and has also directed and performed in several productions for the York Region Children's Festival. Karen has also directed Anne of Green Gables for the Queensville Players.

Karen presently teaches Special Education for the York District Catholic School board and is proud to be working with Spotlight theatre School for the past 20 years.