Meet the Artists
Click here to download Journeys to a Song, the individual stories that brought each singer to The Philhallmonic Society.
Phil Hall (Musical Director) The better part of Phil's career has been spent as a conductor and musical director. On Broadway, he conducted Play Me A Country Song and was associate conductor for the Broadway revival of Mame, which starred Angela Lansbury. He conducted the third national tour of Cats. He musical directed Side By Side By Sondheim at Michigan Opera Theatre. He conducted the Yeston/Kopit Phantom at Atlanta's Theatre of the Stars. He conducted Sayonara at Houston's Theatre Under the Stars, Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre, and Kansas City Starlight's Indoor Season. He conducted The Wizard Of Oz which starred Phyllis Diller as the Wicked Witch at both St. Louis' MUNY and Indianapolis' Starlight Theatre. He conducted The Merry Widow, which starred Ron Raines of Guiding Light fame at Houston's Theatre Under the Stars. He conducted the premiere of a new musical, The Prince Of Central Park, which starred Nanette Fabray. Other musical directing credits include Some Enchanted Evening at Kennedy Center; the premiere production of Sleeping Beauty at St. Louis' MUNY; The Desert Song, 42nd Street, and the premiere of Rhythm Ranch (with Tony Award-winning choreographer, Susan Stroman) — all at Paper Mill Playhouse; and the premiere of Great Expectations at Pennsylvania Stage Company. He has conducted summer tours of Me And My Girl and Jesus Christ Superstar. He musical directed (in 1993 and 1994) the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's A Yuletide Celebration — shows for which he also did extensive musical and choral arranging. He appeared on stage in Paper Mill's 1989 spring production of Show Boat, which aired on PBS' Great Performances series, playing the role of Jake accompanies Julie for the song "Bill." He appeared in the Mira Sorvino-produced film, Lisa Picard Is Famous as a vocal coach/pianist.
Phil composed the score for a new musical, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which was produced at Paper Mill Playhouse in November and December of 1998. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has also been presented at Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera, Kansas City Starlight Theatre and North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts. He wrote and arranged music for the American premiere of Christopher Sergel's adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird at Paper Mill Playhouse. He vocally arranged Sophisticated Ellington, a concert of Duke Ellington's music, which was presented at Carnegie Hall by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in March of 1999. He arranged a Thanksgiving Festival Overture, orchestrated by Michael Gibson, for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He was also one of the vocal arrangers for Some Enchanted Evening — a revue of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs now published by Samuel French. He is the principal vocal arranger for Bravo Broadway symphonic concerts. His gospel arrangements of "Nearer, My God, to Thee" and "More About Jesus" have been published by Warner Brothers' Music, and his arrangement of "Into the Woods My Master Went" is published by Brentwood-Benson Music. He vocally arranged and musical directed Another Day in Paradise. His playing and/or arranging are featured on CDs released by artists Catherine Hickland, Byron Nease, Valerie Lemon, Suzanne Ishee and Mark Hardy, Laurie Sondermeyer, Karen Arlington and passage. Phil's first play with music, Matthew Passion, was produced at the American Theatre of Actors' Chernuchin Theatre in NYC during the Easter season, 2007.
As a voice teacher and vocal coach, Phil taught master classes in musical theatre auditioning techniques at Tanz Gesang Studio in Vienna, Austria for one month in each of three consecutive years. The Tanz Gesang Studio was a performing arts school where each student was on full scholarship. He maintains a considerable teaching/vocal coaching studio on the upper west side of Manhattan.
He has had the good fortune to work with such celebrities (in addition to those already mentioned) as Bernadette Peters, Catherine Hickland, Lily Tomlin, Tommy Tune, Alice Ripley, Martin Short, Madeline Kahn, Faith Prince, Petula Clark, Sally Ann Howes, Judy Kaye, Spiro Malas, Donna McKechnie, Andrea McArdle, John Raitt, Raquel Welch, Bea Arthur, Gregory Hines, David Canary, Julia Barr, Nancy Dussault, Teri Hatcher, Charles Shaugnessy, Laurie Beechman, Karen Arlington and Linda Sue Moshier.
Sumayya Ali is has an impressive career in opera, musical theater, dance and pop. This past year, Ms. Ali had her broadway debut in Ragtime as a featured soloist and joined the cast of Master Class at the Kennedy Center starring Tyne Daly where she covered Sharon and Sophie. Sumayya was a featured dancer and vocal soloist in the National and Asian tours of Step Afrika! In addition, Sumayya was one of the top 100 in the Hollywood week of Season six of American Idol. Ms. Ali has sung roles with many opera companies including Berkshire Opera, Central City Opera, Sarasota Opera and Brooklyn Opera. Her roles include Susannah, Susannah; Mother, Amahl and the Night Visitors; Aida, Aida; Donna Anna, Don Giovanni; and Madama Butterfly, Madama Butterfly. Sumayya is a product of the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington, DC. Ms. Ali also holds a BA in music from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA as well as a master's in music from The New England Conservatory.
Karen Arlington, who moonlights as a motivational speaker and award-winning author, is a lyric soprano with a penchant for the Great American Songbook. She studied music at Lamont Conservatory (University of Denver) and at Frankfurt Conservatory in Germany. She debuted her solo Harold Arlen show, I've Got The World On A String at The Triad Theater, NYC in 2005, where critics described her as “a carrot-top songbird who is not trying to be a sound-alike… she takes her numbers to heart and makes them her own.” Karen is a proud member of The Philhallmonic Society Foundation where she gets to sing great gems from operetta.
Mary Lou Barber's National tour credits include Grizabella/ Jellylorum/Jennyanydots in Cats; Cassie in A Chorus Line; Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street; and the Teri Klausner role in Sophisticated Ladies. Regionally, she played Sally Smith in Me And My Girl with Gary Griffin, director; Jessie Bond in Sullivan And Gilbert with George Grizzard, and Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes (both with Marcia Milgrom Dodge, director); Grace Kleehorn/Swing in Paper Moon at Ford's Theater (D.C.); Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street, and was featured in Side By Side By Sondheim (Karin Baker, director). Recordings: Library of Congress, Girl Crazy and Strike Up The Band.
Dolly-Ellen Friedman, aka Dosh Wallach, wrote and performed her first one-woman cabaret show, The Disc Jockey Was A Lady at Don't Tell Mama in June of this year. It was the story of what it was like to be a kid during WWII with most of the men and boys away. She’s busy writing her next show about two composers she dearly loves—Kurt Weill and Noel Coward.
Lenore Fuerstman is thrilled to be a recent addition to The Phillhallmonic Society after taking a brief hiatus from show biz to raise two daughters in NYC while completing Voice Degree at Hunter College. She currently teaches “Acting While Singing/Singing While Acting” at the Witcover Studio and coaches actors and singers privately. NY credits include: Catherine in Suddenly Last Summer, Woman Two in Closer than Ever, Eliante in The Misanthrope, Soloist with the NY Gay Men’s Chorus. Regional: Desiree in A Little Night Music, Salome in Robber Bridegroom, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof. She studied with Uta Hagen, David Craig, David Friedman and Walt Witcover.
Jani Gerard performed the role of Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, was a Lady-In-Waiting in The Magic Flute and appeared with the ensembles of Mame, The Mikado, and Brigadoon. Her dramatic stage roles have included Barbara Allen in Dark of the Moon, and Josephine March in Little Women. Her television appearances include Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Jani performs her own cabaret show in New York City. Jani plays the guitar and the piano. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
SHARON HALLEY (Choreographer) began her career at the world-renowned St. Louis MUNY as a dancer. Turning to choreography, she staged the original New York production of Jerry’s Girls and the national tour with Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams and Andrea McArdle. Other New York credits include The New Moon, The Desert Song, The Merry Widow (all at New York City Opera) and Elizabeth and Essex, starring Estelle Parsons. She choreographed the National Tour of Carousel (with Rex Smith) and has staged numerous productions at some of the country’s finest theatres, including Paper Mill Playhouse, Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento, Kansas City Starlight, Theatre Under the Stars, Fifth Avenue Theatre, the McCarter, and the Walnut Street Theater. Sharon also staged the world premiere of the Rick Hawkins’ musical Lunch. PBS filmed her productions of Show Boat, The Merry Widow and The New Moon for Great Performances, and she was resident choreographer for the Robert Preston, Rosemary Harris miniseries, “Chisholm.” She has been a Guest Artist for the Canadian Government in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Theatre Des Westins in Berlin, Germany. At Music Theatre of Wichita, Sharon’s many credits include Oklahoma!, Where's Charley?, Paint Your Wagon, The Desert Song, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Cinderella, Carousel, and the 1993 Phantom. She choreographed Olympus on my Mind for Bristol Theatre in Pennsylvania, and is teaching movement at Mannes College in New York. Ms. Halley is the proud mother of Christopher, Gretchen, Amanda and Ebony.
Valerie Lemon has performed across the United States as a concert soloist for Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch. Their twelve–year association resulted in Mr. Hamlisch writing a solo act for her that has been performed around the globe. She recently performed the act at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency in New York City, with Marvin Hamlisch as her special guest performer. Valerie is a four year veteran (2003-2007) of The Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention. Valerie debuted Valerie Lemon Sings Music by Marvin Hamlisch at the Metropolitan Room November, 2008 to wonderful reviews.
Robin Manning New York credits include Alice B. Toklas/Mabel in In Circles (dir. John Sowle); Wallenberg (NYMF); Dr. Dolittle (reading with Sutton Foster) and I Married an Angel (Town Hall). She was in the National Tour of the original production of La Cage aux Folles (dir. Arthur Laurents) and the 15th Anniversary Tour of Annie. Regional roles include those in A Tale of Two Cities; The Sound of Music; Teddy and Alice; Victor/Victoria; and Annie. She was a Producer of Auntie Mame (starring Charles Busch) to benefit BC/EFA.
Linda Sue Moshier performed with the USO throughout France, England, Germany, Guam, Japan; opened the D-Day Museum and WWII Memorial; headlined at the Army Ball, Pentagon, Library of Congress, Kennedy Library, historic moving of the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty rededication and opened for Nancy Sinatra, Jessica Simpson, Larry Gatlin, Connie Stevens. Mrs. Claus - Radio City Christmas Spectacular, musicals, Walmart and McDonald’s commercials, Comedy Central, PBS, Good Morning America. Ongoing concerts in Budapest, vocalist for Bateaux NY cruises.
Rachael Robbins, in the show, Pieces . . . (of ass), conquered off-Broadway in NYC (New World Stages), Los Angeles (The Stuff Magazine Theater), and Vegas (The Joint at the Hard Rock). She performed two of her own cabaret shows at Don't Tell Mama, De-Licious and Screen Sirens. She performed in an all-girl sketch comedy show, Fine, Funny & Female (45 Bleeker Theater). She also does stand-up at Gotham Comedy Club.
Amanda Serra sang the roles of Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Angelina in La Cenerentola, Nicklausse in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Siebel in Faust and Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, then happily switched to musical theatre where some of her favorite roles include: The Ghost of Christmas Past in A Musical Christmas Carol with PCLO, Lady Battersby in Me And My Girl with Sutton Foster, Mrs. Rose in Hello, Dolly! with Victoria Clark, and Maude Dunlap in The Music Man with Jeff Goldblum.
Diana Silva has managed to integrate her Portuguese and American roots by performing Portuguese fado and folklore at several summer festivals at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, as well as at performances sponsored by Columbia University’s Live at Lerner Festival, the Newark Arts Council, the Newark Public Library, and Essex County College. She has also performed for the Portuguese television station, SIC International-RTP. Diana is currrently working on a CD which blends her Portuguese and American ancestry.
