NYFA
Faculty Directory

Faculty Directory

Jonathan Appell

Sound instructor Jonathan Appell has had an unusually diverse career. His work can be heard on TV shows like Ed and The Dana Carvey Show; movies like First Wives Club and Coyote Ugly; recordings by legendary artists like Carole King, Bette Midler, Billy Porter, and Grover Washington, Jr.; anime cartoons like The Gokusen and Shura No Toki; and literally hundreds of television and radio commercials – including several for which he also provided the voiceover (we said he’s diverse!).

In addition to his ongoing freelance audio work, Jonathan has also been teaching for the last 15 years. Beyond his impressive resume, his credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Audio Technology Instruction from SUNY Empire State College, an AVID Certified Pro Tools Instructor, a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), and an active member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES).

Jacqueline Babek

Jacqueline is a native New Yorker and is a professional actor/dancer. She is trained in both commercial dance as well as ballroom. She was most recently seen in the ballroom comedy “False Steps” a NYC off-Broadway. She has appeared in many regional productions, as well as national commercials (most recently for Crunch Fitness as principal hip-hop dancer/actor) She is a ballroom competitor for the NDCA, and has traveled the USA competing with her students. She is also faculty at STEPS and Broadway Dance Center.
She cannot wait to dance with you!

Charissa Bertels

CHARISSA BERTELS is a Broadway actress and champion of new musicals. Charissa recently toured the country in the first national tour of If/Then, starring Idina Menzel, La Chanze and Anthony Rapp. She made her Broadway debut in the original Broadway cast of Pasek & Paul’s Tony-nominated musical A Christmas Story, and later reprised her role at Madison Square Garden. As part of the singing ensemble for New York City Center Encores’ productions of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Lady Be Good, her work can be heard on the subsequent cast recordings, featuring Megan Hilty and the legendary Tommy Tune.

Charissa starred to rave reviews in her original one-woman musical, My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend, at Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT), for which she received an IRNE award for Best Solo Performance. Her newest collaboration, The Uncivil Ones (Finalist: Rhinebeck, NextFest @ Latte Da, Live & In Color; Semi-Finalist: NAMT, O’Neill), features unheard female, trans and non-binary voices from the Civil War and garnered the 2019 Special Mention for the Women in Arts & Media Coalition Collaboration Award.

She can be seen in two of NYFA’s original musical films: “Gingerbread House” and “It Is What It Is”.

www.charissa.nyc

Sarah Bierstock

Sarah is the Owner and Creator of Pass the Salt Productions. She is well known for her work as an actor on both stage and television and as a prolific playwright- where she’s been honored to receive multiple awards, commissions, and nominations. She serves as an adjunct professor of Theater at Marymount Manhattan College and is proud to be a part of the New York Film Academy faculty.

Kyle Branzel

KYLE BRANZEL is a highly sought-after musical theatre coach, trusted by some of Broadway’s most thrilling performers. Drawing from a wide variety of theatrical experience as Director, Music Director, Actor, and Pianist, Kyle empowers actors in NYC and around the world to develop their artistry holistically and navigate their careers with integrity. His innovative approach to physical acting training and physiological vocal coaching have helped many clients and students book roles in films, TV shows, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, national tours, regional productions, and cruise ships. Current teaching appointments: Musical Theatre Instructor at New York Film Academy, Musical Theatre and Movement Instructor at Jen Waldman Studio, Guest Lecturer of Musical Theatre at Western Illinois University, Head of Acting at Omaha Conservatory of Music’s SoundWaves Summer Institute. Previous: Hartt School of Music, Roosevelt University. Founder: Rock U, a comprehensive and dynamic approach to performing popular music. Member: Actors’ Equity Association. BFA Musical Theatre: Roosevelt University. kylebranzel.com

Todd Buonopane

Todd Buonopane is an award winning actor, singer, director and story-teller. On Broadway, he starred as Jean-Michel in Cinderella, Amos in Chicago, Roger in Grease, and many characters in …Spelling Bee. He appeared Off-Broadway in The Butter & Egg Man, Henry & Mudge, and The New Yorkers at Encores! Touring audiences have seen him in The Play That Goes Wrong, Godspell, & Chicago (which he also performed in Tokyo, Seoul and Dubai.) Regionally, he has performed at the Alliance, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep, MUNY, Signature, Pasadena Playhouse, 5th Avenue, Ordway, Papermill Playhouse, Goodspeed, Maine State, the Argyle, North Shore and Barrington.TV credits include “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Braindead”, “Law & Order:CI”, and “30 Rock” (as Weinerslav). Todd is also a director, having directed productions of The Prom, Urinetown, Legally Blonde and Spelling Bee. toddbuonopane.com

Andrea Marie Bush

Andrea Marie Bush (she/her) is a multi-faceted teaching artist and performer based in New York City. She holds a BM and MM in Vocal Performance as well as an advanced certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from NYU Steinhardt, where she also served as Adjunct Instructor of Voice for three semesters. She is a graduate of the Summer Vocology Institute at The University of Utah.

A year after her undergraduate studies, Andrea was selected by Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher to join the 1st National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof as a principal and ensemble swing (500+ performances). Additional performing credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti), Brigadoon (Fiona MacLaren), Titanic (Caroline Neville), and other featured roles. Film and TV work include SNL (NBC), The Night Agent (Netflix), Dexter: Resurrection (Paramount+), and The Devil Wears Prada 2 (20th Century Studios).

A self-proclaimed “voice nerd”, evidence-based vocal pedagogy is at the core of Andrea’s education and teaching style; she has been fortunate to learn directly from leading voice scientists in the field of vocology, including Dr. Ingo Titze, Dr. Marco Guzman, Dr. Kittie Verdolini Abbott, Lynn Helding, Dr. Ana Flavia Zuim, Dr. Aaron Johnson (NYU), and many others. She was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Voice and Speech Review for her book review on philosophical practices in the private voice studio. Andrea is a proud member of NATS and MTEA, both organizations in which she continues to pursue opportunities to further her education as a teaching artist.

Kristy Cates Chair of Performing Arts

Kristy Cates began her Broadway career in the original cast of Wicked, performing in the ensemble and understudying the role of Elphaba, originated by Idina Menzel. She later went on to perform the role on Broadway, on the First National Tour, and in the Chicago production. Her additional Broadway credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Grandma Josephine) and Finding Neverland (Ms. Bassett).

Kristy has appeared at renowned venues including The White House, Radio City Musical Hall, the Palace of Versailles, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, and has headlined Off-Broadway and regional productions. Her international work includes performances in Milan, Paris, and Budapest.

On screen, she guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and is featured in an upcoming video game. As a voiceover artist, her voice has been heard in national campaigns for brands including Skyrizi, Almay, and Subway.

Kristy holds a BFA, magna cum laude, from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (Alumni of the Year 2019) and was the first recipient of the Laurie Beechman Scholarship. A founding faculty member of the Musical Theatre program at the New York Film Academy, she has been with the institution since 2009 and currently serves as Chair of Performing Arts, overseeing both Musical Theatre and Acting for Film.

She is a proud mother to her daughter, Gracie, and is based in New York City.

Christine de Frece

Christine has been teaching vocal technique for 19 years. Her students can be seen performing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, cruise ships, and in regional theaters across the United States, Canada and internationally. She is currently a voice specialist at New York Film Academy and former Chair of Vocal performance at Circle in the Square Theatre School. As a Musical Director, Christine has directed productions of Cabaret, Urinetown, The Music Man, Gypsy, Meet Me in St. Louis and A Funny Thing Happened on The Way To The Forum. Christine is a graduate of the University of Lethbridge (BMus Vocal Performance) and Circle in the Square Theatre (Professional Musical Theatre Workshop). As an actress, Christine has been seen in productions such as Titanic, It Shoulda Been You, Ragtime, Rumors (Carbonelle Award Winner), A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, Follies, And The World Goes ‘Round, Cinderella, and many more.

Cayli Dobbs Performing Arts Department Manager

Lincoln Center: Golden Night Concert (Soloist). Carnegie Hall: Berlin in the Battery (Soloist), Sabor y Pasión (Soloist). Regional: Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Dance Captain), Footloose, A Chorus Line, Mamma Mia, Sound of Music, Rocky Horror, Mary Poppins. International: Tap in Rio (Rio de Janeiro). Digital: Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies’ “Formation” Music Video.

Rose Van Dyne

Rose Van Dyne is a multifaceted artist and educator in New York City. Rose has worked as both a performer and a pianist on Broadway, off-Broadway, regionally, and on national and international tours. Selected credits include 1776, Waitress, Beau, The Lonely Few, Interstate, Cambodian Rock Band, and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth in Concert. She is the co-founder of @BroadwayCooks, an organization that provides fresh food for houseless and hungry community members in Times Square and the five boroughs. Rose earned her MFA in Musical Theatre Vocal Pedagogy at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, as well as dual degrees of BA Musical Theatre and BA Piano from the University of Northern Colorado. Rose’s research centers on the intersection between race and identity in the musical theatre vocal studio. Rose currently teaches in NYC at Pace University, Marymount Manhattan College, New York Film Academy, and with BroadwayVox Studios

Jeremiah Ginn

Jeremiah Ginn is a multifaceted actor, singer, dancer, pianist, music director, and coach based in New York City, most recently nominated by the St. Louis Theater Circle for Outstanding Performer and Music Director in Stages St. Louis’ production of “Murder for Two”. Jeremiah’s New York City credits include “The Big Gay Jamboree” and “A Sign of the Times” (where he served as Dance Captain for both), “The Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show”, “Murder for Two”, and “Anything Goes”. On the road, Jeremiah was seen both onstage and in the orchestra pit of the First National Tour of “Anastasia”, and performed in tours of both “Murder for Two” and “A Chorus Line” (directed and choreographed by original company member Baayork Lee). His extensive regional credits include Arena Stage, Goodspeed Opera House, Ogunquit Playhouse, The Muny, Cape Playhouse, NSMT, Gulfshore Playhouse, Stages St. Louis, and many more. Jeremiah is a California native and proud uncle to four nieces who are way cuter than yours.

Taylor Gordon

Taylor Gordon, an international dancer, creator, and educator based in NYC since 2005 and teaching at NYFA since 2023. Performance credits include: Metropolitan Opera Ballet (Lincoln Center), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (4 seasons), Angelina Ballerina (off-Broadway/US tour), Kennedy Center, & Carnegie Hall, NY City Center Encores! pre pro, Exit12 Dance Company, Black Iris Project. Choreography credits include: Princeton University, STEPS Beyond Foundation, Dixon Place, “Juliette’s Miracle” film, Jazz Choreography Enterprises, Uptown Rising, Asian-American Film Awards, Women in Motion, Queens Outdoor Dance Festival, DanceAction Garden Series, Nacre Dance Group, T2 Dance Company, LILA Dance Festival. Teaching: NY Film Academy, United Nations Ballet Club, BDC, India, Japan, Indonesia, Peridance, Gibney Dance, Ailey Extension. Featured in NYTimes, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX5, The Times of India, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, & Dance Teacher Magazine. She’s been a Resident Director for Dublin Worldwide Productions since 2019. Taylor recently attended Dance Lab NY’s Broadway Choreography Intensive under Josh Prince & has assisted several Broadway choreographers as a Show Supervisor for RWS Global, including Sara Edwards, Chip Abbott, John Scufka, and JoAnn Hunter.

Drew Hirshfield

As an actor Drew Hirshfield has appeared in new and old plays around the country (at places such as Magic Theatre in San Francisco, Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York, and many others). Other credits include a first Broadway National Tour, network TV, and independent film. He’s been nominated for a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award and he once played a lemur, professionally. Drew has trained with, and completed a pedagogical teacher-training program under, clown and physical acting master teacher Christopher Bayes and has studied with the renowned clown Aitor Basauri of Spymonkey. He is a trained practitioner of the Michael Chekhov Technique. Drew is a an alum of the National Alliance of Acting Teacher’s Teacher Development Program.

Gerrard James

Gerrard James is a New York-based teaching artist and received his M.A from The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art on a Fulbright Scholarship. He also received his M.F.A from Pace University and B.A from Morehouse College. He currently teaches acting at The New York Film Academy. Recent credits include: CEO in the Off-Broadway production of This is About Us directed by Doron JePaul Mitchell (Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre), Malcolm in Macbeth directed by Brian B. Crowe (The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), James in Coping Mechanism directed by Tramane Harris (Off-Broadway), Troy in Brief Exchanges directed by Ashley Versher (Little Black Girl From The Bay Productions), and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing directed by Chris Coleman (Denver Center). You can also see him in “Pillow Talk” on BET+.

Bob Kale, CSA

Representative Casting credits: Broadway—Souvenir, King Hedley II, An Inspector Calls, A Tale of Two Cities, Little Women-The Musical, The Who’s Tommy, Titanic-The Musical, The Life, Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Off Broadway—Bedbugs!! The Musical (APA and ArcLight), I Forgive You Ronald Reagan, Frank McGuinness’ Gates of Gold, Rounding Third, Dietrich & Chevalier, Over the River and Through the Woods, Noel Coward in Two Keys, Avow, Tails, The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, Tap Dogs, Worm Day, the Melting Pot Theatre production of Tintypes. Tours include—The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Ann-Margret, Barry Manilow’s Copacabana, Nunsense (25th Anniversary Tour), Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk starring Savion Glover; Television includes—Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays!, PBS Sesame Street, As the World Turns, Sally Hemmings (NY Casting). Feature Film includes—NY Casting for Jack & Jill, You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Looney Tunes: Back in Action. He was a professional actor for 19 years before becoming a Casting Director and Teacher.

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