Creative Team Bios

Ruth R. Owens (writer/composer/producer)

Ruth has been writing and producing original musicals for over 25 years. Her first foray into the genre was “Three and Me,” which she wrote for Deterding Elementary School – an original musical exploring the challenges children face in overcoming their fears. Next was “Sherlock,” produced locally by Chautauqua Playhouse and at the Pegasus Playhouse in Chicago. The lyrics were co-written with her brother, Paul Raskin. In 1988, Ruth workshopped “Something in the Valley” at Chautauqua and went on to secure a grant from Sacramento County to produce a large-scale, outdoor version of the show during the summer of 1989. “Something In the Valley” moved on to enjoy a full rendering in Old Sacramento in the summer of 1991 as part of Sacramento’s Sesquicentennial Celebration under the auspices of The Sacramento Valley Production Theatre Company. In the years between 1992 and 2005 Ruth wrote, directed and produced several shows as fundraising benefits for the Sacramento Community. During those years “The Broccoli Club” was in the works and is finally being realized with the input of some of Sacramento’s most talented artists.

Steve Minow (Associate Producer)

Steve has a 25 year history of theatrical collaboration with The Broccoli Club's composer/playwright, Ruth R. Owens. Steve returned to Sacramento, his hometown, in March 2007 from New York City where he produced, directed, publicized, and acted in 10 new plays. Along with four of his closest theatrical colleagues he formed Firsthand Theatre Project - a not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to cultivating the work of young and emerging theatre artists. Mr. Minow is a graduate of the CSUS Theatre Department, as well as the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he received his MFA in acting/directing.

Michael C. Cross (Director / Choreographer)

Michael is an Elly Award winning choreographer for the Ruth Owens' musical, Something in the Valley. Other directing and choreography credits include: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Music Man, Brigadoon, Mame, Westside Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Over Here, and the Ruth Owens' review Purimspiel Tonight. Performing credits include: Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar & Godspell, Jean Michelle in La Cage aux Folles, Michael in A Cole Summer Evening, and numerous roles at the Sacramento Music Circus. Michael considers himself lucky to have traveled the U.S. and Canada extensively for five years with Sesame Street Live, playing his favorite character, The Cookie Monster.

Jim Croghan (Musical Arranger)

James Croghan - James has been involved in local theatre for the past 20 years as an actor, pianist and musical director. This is his second collaboration with Ruth Owens - having worked with her on Something In The Valley. Other productions have included Broadway at Sierra, Best of Broadway, Pirates of Penzance, A Little Night Music, The Mikado and Brigadoon. James would like to thank his daughters, Bethany, Alyssa and Lauren for their continued love and support.

Kat Bahry (co-choregrapher)

Kat has been teaching, choreographing and performing throughout the community for over twenty-five years. She has been associated with Best of Broadway since 1982, as a cast member, adult/children’s choreographer and an original board member. She has also performed professionally for Great America, Music Circus and Kings Productions. Kat has also been seen modeling on the catwalk as well as in commercials. Her television credits include “Scramble,” a children’s game show for CBS where she was co-host with NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham. Kat had the pleasure of dancing with Dale Scholl’s Dance/Art and was an original member of Dance Theatre West. The first student to sign up at Broadway Academy in 1983, Kat has directed the dance companies, created her own dance program in many schools and has students performing all over the world. Currently, Kat is choreographing throughout the community and working with Dance 10 and Studio 18. She is a criminal justice and education graduate student at CSUS, while working as a teacher for the Folsom-Cordova School District. As “Teacher of the Year” at Cordova Lane Elementary School, she teaches a 4th-6th grade class for students with behavioral challenges.

Graham Sobelman (Music Direction)

Graham has music directed Elegies: A Song Cycle (Makeshift Productions), The Last Five Years (HighWire), Gilligan’s Island: The Musical (Black Rabbit Productions), Once Upon a Mattress (Woodland Opera House), I Love You, You’re Perfect, … Now Change (Delta King/Capital Stage), Sci-Fi Hotel: ver 2.0 (BPP), Godspell (ARC), Honk! (CSUS in the BVI), My Castle’s Rockin’ (Lambda Players) and has accompanied for shows at CSUS, UC Davis and cabaret acts in NY (Matt Sigl) and SF (Leanne Borghesi). Graham served as music director of Music Circus’s summer camps from 2000-2006; he holds an MA (Spanish) and BA (Anthropology) from CSUS and spends his free time playing soccer and performing with his band Ain’t Betty. www.grahamsobelman.com

Christopher Tulysewski (Set Designer)

Christopher spent the past two years working with Fox Theatricals in New York City, where he helped develop the Broadway production of Legally Blonde the Musical. He is now living in Los Angeles where, amongst many other projects, he is the resident designer for Sierra Canyon School's theatre department. Having designed sets and costumes for an early staged-reading of The Broccoli Club a decade or so ago, he is happy to be back with so many of the original creative team to mount the world premiere production.

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