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Artist Statement

ARtIST StATement

Shortly after finishing school, I found myself in this weird "'tween space". That's that space 'tween looking young enough and looking old enough, 'tween being too fat or too thin; that space 'tween being too short and too tall (I'm rarely ever "too tall", but you get the point). I wasn't willing to give up performing just because I wasn't getting cast, so I did what my friends called "pulling a Tootsie".

 

I developed a character and began performing - and even auditioning - as Ivana Dü, who quickly became known for her spot-on impersonations of various celebrities and pop icons; most notably Karen Walker (Will & Grace), Miss Swan (MadTV), and Ursula The Sea Witch (The Little Mermaid) all for which I provided live vocals. As Ivana, I earned attention from promoters, producers, and directors, landing a job as spokesperson for OUTinFla.com, performing in solo cabarets, headlining Vegas-style productions, working alongside celebrities including Alec Mapa, Lady Gaga, Lady Bunny, RuPaul, and Jimmy James, and serving at the world-famous Lips Restaurant & Cabaret.

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But after eight years in Ivana's heels (and incredible muscle definition in my calves), I longed to be back in shoes - and roles - that were made for men.  I hung up the wig, put on my big boy britches, and equipped with a reputation for being "one hell of a character," I was finally getting offers for roles in which Christopher - not Ivana - could finally shine.

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"Am i my Resumé...?"

Christopher currently serves as Resident Director of

IndieWorks Theatre Company & Bite-Sized Broadway

References Available:

Upon Request

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THEATRE

THE GIANT HOAX  (NYC Premiere at Theatre Row)

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

CASPER, THE NOT-SO-FRIENDLY GHOST

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

EMPTY FRAMES  (World Premiere)

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

THE WEDDING WARRIOR

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

TWO COUSINS & A PIZZA  (World Premiere)

Director - New York Winterfest

THE COMMUTERS OR A CAUTIONARY TALE ABOUT

THE PORT AUTHORITY * (World Premiere at the Theatre at St. Clements)

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS   (Starring Latrice Royale)

Director - Muchadu Productions/Broward House, FL

OKLAHOMA!

Director/Lighting Design - Osceola High School, FL

LITTLE THINGS  (World Premiere)

Director - St. Petersburg Little Theatre, FL

CLOSER THAN EVER

Director - Pinellas County Center for the Arts, FL

INTO THE WOODS, JR.

Director - Largo Cultural Arts Center, FL

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE KID'S SOUL  (World Premiere)

Director - John Hopkins Center for the Arts, FL

TWO BOYS IN A BED ON A COLD WINTER'S NIGHT

Asst. Director/Set Design - Rising Action Theatre, FL

YOSEF: AN EPIC NEW MUSICAL

Asst. Director - Born Entertainment, NY

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW

Asst. Director - Rodeph Shalom Middle School, NYC

FILM/MEDIA

VALLEY HIGH  (Based on the song by Drew Gasparini)

Director - Calendar Boys Productions/Jeremy Terry Productions

THE GIRLS IN BLUE

Director - Calendar Boys Productions, NYC

BITE-SIZED BROADWAY  (Monthly Podcast of Mini-Musicals)

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

READINGS

THE GIANT HOAX

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company/Gallery Players, NYC

VANITIES

Director - Karen Kohlhaas' Summer Directing Program, NYC

FAIRY TALE CITY

Director - Mariolio Productions, NYC

EVANGELINE: A CURIOUS JOURNEY

Asst. Director - Davenport Theatricals, NYC

CABARETS/CONCERTS

SAXE AND THE CITY: THE MUSIC & LYRICS OF PETER SAXE

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

SONGS FROM A HAT

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

DIRTY LITTLE DITTIES

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

KIT GOLDSTEIN GRANT & FRIENDS!

Director - IndieWorks Theatre Company, NYC

SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: VOLUME 1

Director - Playlight Theatre Company, NYC

SONGWRITER SHOWCASE: VOLUME 2

Director - Playlight Theatre Company, NYC

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS

Director - Calendar Boys Productions/Jeremy Terry Productions

EDUCATION & TRAINING

PINELLAS COUNTY CENTER FOR THE ARTS  (2000-2003)

Majored in Musical Theatre; Minored in Playwriting

ACTING

Howard Thomas, Ron DeBeck, Keven Renken, Dave Alan Thomas, Michael Leeds, Kimberly Vaughn

DIRECTING

Karen Kohlhaas, Kimberly Senior

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Karen Kohlhaas' Summer Directing Program 2018

Primary Stage's Articulating Your Vision with Kimberly Senior 2018

TRU's Writer/Director Communication Lab 2019

Jackson Gay & Sheri Wilner's Playwright/Director Workshop 2020

SPECIAL SKILLS & TALENTS

PERSONAILTY

Ambitious, Collaborative, Communicative, Confident, Curious, Detail-Oriented, Driven, Focused, Leadership-Oriented,

Open-minded, Organized, Punctual, Service Oriented,

Visual Storyteller

RELATED SKILLS

Writing, Music Composition, Lyric Writing, Editing, Casting, Producing, Stage Management, Graphic Design/Publicity, Sound Design, Lighting Design, Makeup Design/Artistry

SOFTWARE & EQUIPMENT

Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point; Google Suite;

Adobe Photoshop; Audacity; Final Draft Pro; iMovie; Zoom;

Good working knowledge of Finale Music; QLab

*The Commuters or A Cautionary Tale About The Port Authority was voted Audience Favorite and was nominated for five awards including Best Musical, Best Actor, and Best Costume Design and won the awards for Best Director and Best Actress in the Riant Theatre's 2016 Strawberry Theatre Festival in NYC.

Directing Resume
PRODUCTIONS

PRODUCTIONS

THEATRE

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CASPER, THE

NOT-SO-FRIENDLY GHOST

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FILM & OTHER MEDIA

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CABARETS & CONCERTS

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SONGS FROM A HAT

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Press

"WHAT'S THE BUZZ...?"

THE BOYS IN THE BAND

"Michaels' effeminate Emory is the gay-man-as-fireball, a screaming comet of wicked glee. I would be perfectly pleased to never hear another gay man call his fellows 'Mary so long as I live, but the way Michaels does it makes me want to join a sorority."

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"Each actor gets a moment, or many, to shine... For example, Emory (the very funny Christopher Michaels) is flamboyantly campy as he refers to the other guests as 'she' or 'Mary'."  

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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

"...there’s great support from Christopher Michaels as LeFou who, in both sight and sound, is a dead-ringer for his animated counterpart!"

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"Christopher Michaels is equally as hilarious as Gaston's comical sidekick LeFou... Michaels doesn't overplay LeFou broadly, which is a huge plus."

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THRILL ME​

"Michaels admirably goes back and forth from the lower-voiced, mature man of 53 at the 1958 parole hearing to the youthful 19-year-old Leopold of 1924. Michaels gives a wonderful performance riding Leopold's emotional roller coaster throughout the show. His need for Loeb is raw, his romantic fervor for him made palpable by the longing and injured looks cast at Bryan C. Ortega's Loeb."

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"Michaels' Leopold is flat-out addicted to Loeb. Nothing else, not even murder, matters to him... And there is a twist just after the two 'superior' killers are caught, one that Michaels handles with just the right amount of relish."  

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"Michaels as Leopold inhabits his character, giving a strong performance, both dramatically and vocally. This is the more demanding role of the two as the script calls for his character to frequently change moods ― from young, lovestruck college boy to a 53-year old prisoner facing a parole board 34 years later. Michaels handles the task with skill and the transition is never choppy. His Leopold is immature, nervous and nerdy, but also likable."

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TOP GUN: THE MUSICAL

"Christopher Michaels is a Mario Cantone clone who steals the show!"

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"Michaels is a pleasure to watch. His performance injects his character with some personality and back-story, transcending the Iceman role to show the actor playing the character as a world-weary theatre gypsy who’s seen many big breaks fall through. He’s especially funny when he’s trying to introduce a little homoerotic bromance into the storyline. Ironically, Michaels stepped in for an ailing actor, and only had six hours of rehearsal before opening night. He’s going to be replaced after opening weekend by another actor, who has a pretty big flight suit to fill."

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THE NOSE

"But what truly makes this production enjoyable, more than anything else, is its cast of characters, brought to life by an ensemble of five compelling actors. Christopher Michaels delivers a highly delightful performance in the role of the comically blustering Police Chief!"

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