AVA GAUDET
The following is used with permission from Ava Gaudet and www.avagaudet.com (added February 26, 2007)
Ava was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. The daughter of a jazz musician/composer and an actress, it seemed in her blood to be a performer. She began dancing at age three, and then continued diligent and dedicated study of ballet, tap, jazz, theater dance and hip-hop until adulthood. As a teenager, she began acting in local theaters and was a lead actress in her high school's musicals. Until this time, dance still dominated her time and her training, but acting had sparked her interest enough to be her major in college. She was accepted into the BFA acting program at New York's Marymount Manhattan College.
After two successful years at Marymount, Ava became passionate about a lifelong interest: songwriting and recording. It wasn't long before Ava followed in her brother and father's footsteps by enrolling at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston full-time. There she was a voice principal, building her vocal chops and honing her songwriting and performance skills. She wrote and released her first EP, "Supergirl" and performed with her band throughout Providence, Boston and New York garnering local notoriety and regional attention.
She never gave up her love for acting and dancing throughout this time and stayed involved in theater and film projects. After graduation, she moved back to New York to hit the industry on all fronts. She released her second EP of original music and paid the bills by singing in upscale event bands. She then landed the role of "Maureen" in the National Tour of RENT. Soon after the tour closed she made her Broadway debut when she took over the role of "Maureen" in RENT and became the first actress in the show's history to be a permanent principal actress and also understudy the role of "Mimi". Her last performance was September 29, 2006.
Ava continues to work with some of New York and LA's best agencies to expand her Theatre, TV and Film career. She can currently be seen in a recurring role on "Ugly Betty" and in the upcoming movie "Evil Angel" (www.EvilAngelMovie.com). Ava was also recently cast as a series regular on a new pilot for ABC television called "See Jayne Run." She is also collaborating with songwriters/producers to compile new original material to suit her eclectic musical tastes. For more information on purchasing Ava's CD's, visit www.avagaudet.com/store
BLAKE GINTHER
The following is used with permission from Blake Ginther (added March 17, 2007)
Blake is currently making his Broadway debut as Feuilly in Les Miserables.
Blake appeared in the National Tour of Mamma Mia! His New York credits include readings of Baby and 110 in the Shade. Regional credits include Footloose at the Westchester Broadway and appearances at Kansas City Starlight and MUNY in St. Louis.
Blake attended the University of Cincinnati were he earned a Bachelor's degree in Musical Theatre.
MANDY GONZALEZ
The following is used with permission from Mandy Gonzalez and www.mandygonzalez.net (added February 17, 2007)
Mandy is currently starring alongside Priscilla Lopez and Karen Olivo in In The Heights, a new musical, at Off-Broadway's 37 Arts (450 West 37th Street).
Mandy made her Broadway debut as Princess Amneris in the Tim Rice/Elton John musical Aida. She also appeared on Broadway in the musical Lennon, based on the life of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and she starred opposite Michael Crawford as Sarah in Dance of the Vampires. She is perhaps best known for her OBIE Award-winning performance in the Off-Broadway production of Eli's Comin', the musical based on the lyrics and music of songwriter Laura Nyro.
Mandy appeared in the Korean tour of Jekyll and Hyde: The Concert. Workshops include In the Heights dir. Tommy Kail, Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater's The Nightingale, Wicked dir. Joe Mantello, The Color Purple dir. Gary Griffin, Best Little Whorehose in Texas dir. Joe Mantello, Beehive on Broadway dir. Debbie Allen, When You Wish dir. Tina Landau and Warm dir. Scott Schwartz. Mandy can be seen in Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, In God's Hands, NBC's Third Watch, and Guiding Light. She can be heard on the film soundtracks of Mulan 2 and Urban Legend.
Mandy is a proud member of the Broadway Inspirational Voices.
CHESTER GREGORY
The following is used with permission from Chester Gregory, www.chestergregory.com
Singer/Songwriter Chester Gregory is carving his own niche in the R&B male vocalist category. For his new CD titled, "In Search of High Love," he has teamed up with some of the newest and hottest producers in the industry such as Dave Tozer (John Legend), David Cook (American Idol Tour) and Dave Liang (Carl Thomas).
He is currently receiving rave reviews for his CD as well has his portrayal of "Terk" in Disney’s hit Broadway Musical "Tarzan." He was able to work first hand with PHIL COLLINS, who wrote all of the music for "Tarzan," including the hit, "Who Better Than Me," which was written especially for Chester two weeks before the world premiere.
Previous credits include the eight Tony Award winning Broadway hit musical, "Hairspray" (where he played "Seaweed") and the title role in "The Jackie Wilson Story." During the 3 year sold out run, Chester’s portrayal of this musical legend garnered him numerous accolades, and as a result he is a sought after performer who regularly appears before sold-out audiences.
Chester has a 5 octave range. His lyrics have been described as poetically poignant, provocatively thoughtful, and captivating. Chester holds his own and fills a gap in today’s recording industry. He is described as a cross between John Legend and Usher, with influence from Prince, Donny Hathaway and the great Jackie Wilson himself. He gives meaningful, heartfelt songs that present profound messages without being preachy, and at the same time provides a high, uncompromising performance level.
Enjoy his single, "High Love" from his upcoming album "In Search of High Love." His single is currently available on ITUNES.
