Randy Leslie (Artistic Managing Director/Young Performance Company)

Named Kelowna's Best Teacher in 2013, Randy is the Artistic Managing Director of Kelowna Actors Studio, teaching and mentoring performers of all ages. Many of his students have attended Sheridan College, the Randolph Academy in Toronto, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in L.A. & NYC, New York University, Guildford School of Acting in London amongst others.

 

With almost 200 directorial/production credits in Toronto, Ottawa and Kelowna,  he was also the Director of Programming and Marketing for the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto and held several positions on cultural boards. His passions include musical theatre, production, choreography, lighting/set design and performing.

 

Randy was the recipient of the first ever Okanagan Angel Award for his contribution to the local arts scene and received the Civic Award -  Honour in the Arts - City of Kelowna in 2009. Best Teacher/Professor & Kelowna Citizen that Deserves Recognition - Male (2017) . His home theatre group in Toronto, Ontario has an award named in his honour. 

 

Randy has an incredible rapport working with both children and adults and is known for getting people to perform to their highest level.  He is the central force behind the implementation of our creative and challenging drama and music programs for all ages.

 

In Kelowna he has directed such productions Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Billy Elliot - The Musical,  Evil Dead-The Musical, Into The Woods, It's A Wonderful Life, Chicago, A Streetcar Named Desire, the 39 Steps and many more. He has also performed on our stage with favourite credits including Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and ZaZa/Albin in La Cage Aux Folles.

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Roslyn Frantz (Musical Director/Instructor, Emeritus)

Ros is well known and loved in Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley as a distinguished pianist, vocal coach and music director who has participated in the 'musical' fabric of the valley for over 20 years. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Ms. Frantz, the piano soloist, concert artist, vocal coach and accompanist has earned accolades in music since she was twelve. She began her career playing the Mozart concerto no. 21 (Elvira Madigan) with the Portland Junior Symphony. In following appearances, at the ages of 16 and 17, she played the Schumann concerto and the Rachmaninoff third with the Portland Symphony.

 

 In 1979 her reputation as an interpreter of German Lieder was affirmed when she was awarded the coveted prize for distinguished achievement as an accompanist by the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden, near Vienna, Austria. That talent continued to flourish, and she added to her accomplishments playing for Master classes with Lotte Lehman in Santa Barbara, California where she received an artist's certificate for further piano studies with Gyorgy Sandor.

Ms. Frantz received a Master of Music from The University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts from Mills College in Oakland, Calif. She holds certificates from Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif, Franz Schubert Institut in Baden bei Wien, Austria, the coveted KADAC Honour in the Arts Award from the City of Kelowna in 2005 and is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by Okanagan Arts in 2011. 

 

Roslyn’s masterful musicianship, knowledge and innate ability to connect with her students has imparted upon them the art of music, the appreciation of music, the respect of music as well as the love of music.  She has gained much admiration and love from performers with whom she has worked and performed as well as her students as she has a special gift of empathy for one and all.

 

The Kelowna Actors Studio is honoured to be gifted with her immense talent and expertise as their resident music director.  Her dedication, leadership and excellence in the performing arts continues to benefit her students and the community at large.  We are so fortunate to have someone of her calibre in the Okanagan.

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Spencer Bach (Resident Music Director & Young Performance Company)

Spencer is a leader in music education in British Columbia.   As an accomplished pianist and conductor, he has been leading internationally award-winning ensembles and soloists for over 22 years.  His bands and choirs have successfully represented Canada on 17 national and international tours including earning a Gold medal at the Millennium of Music Festival in Florence, Italy, a Silver medal at the Pacific Basin Music Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii, and 13 consecutive Gold awards at our local Whistler Music Festival.

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Kate Hammer, (Education Co ordinator, Instructor) Kate is currently a student at UBCO studying in a Bachelors of Education. She recently spent time living in Hawaii and Nepal doing mercy ministry, studying, learning about the cultures and helping in orphanages. 

Kelowna Actors Studio has been like a second home to Kate! She has been a part of numerous kids’ classes and shows in the past 13 years. 
Previous credits include: Strawberry in Freckleface Strawberry, Jane in Mary Poppins, Anne in Anne of Green Gables, and most recently, a Mersister in The Little Mermaid. 

Kate loves sharing her passion of the arts to new performers! Watching them grow and learn in class is such a privilege. It continues to be a joy to teach, sharing in the excitement it is to put a show together. 
Over the past 3 years Kate has taught: Bye Bye Birdie Jr., Suessical the Musical Kids, The Little Mermaid Jr., Freaky Friday Jr., The Jungle Book Kids, TV & Film, Theatrical Potpourri and Improv classes!   

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Chad Abrahmson (Instructor, All Classes)

Returning from a Music Degree and travels abroad, Chad is happy to be back in the very town that seeded his love for musical theatre. He began his journey at Grace Lutheran in Westbank playing in an original musical at age 11 and has been growing with it ever since. Chad earned his Bachelors in Music at the University of Manitoba and has studied classical music and musical theatre, with a sprinkle of composition and conducting on the side. There he joined multiple choir groups that covered Monteverdi to Early Lutheran reformation to contemporary music, and had the pleasure of returning home every so often to play Frank Abignail Jr. in Catch Me If You Can or Quasimodo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Now back for good, Chad is ready to hit the ground running and show others what the power of music and theatre can do.

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Norene Morrow (Music Director, Youth Classes)

Norene is a singer, actor, choral director, and teacher of singing and speech arts. Over the years, she has taught voice and music theory and directed choirs at various universities and colleges, including the Universities of Manitoba (Winnipeg) and Arizona (Tucson), Algoma University College and Conservatory (Sault Ste, Marie), Mennonite Brethren Bible College (Winnipeg), Steinbach Bible College, and community music schools in Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon. She has worked at Kelowna Actors Studio as a performer, teacher and music director, and was head of the set decor department for over 4 seasons. She is also a teacher of speech arts at Penticton Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and has a private studio.

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Julia Chambers (Instructor, Special Projects)

Julia is currently studying musical theatre at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts’ New Studio on Broadway in New York City, but she made her start at 16-years-old on the Kelowna Actors Studio Stage playing Maria in “West Side Story”. Due to COVID-19, Julia is taking a year off from school abroad and is thrilled to teach and perform once again at KAS – her second home.

Some of her previous credits include: Diana Barry in “Anne of Green Gables”, Sally Bowles in “Cabaret”, and Esmeralda in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”.

Julia is incredibly passionate about the arts and believes strongly that taking part in past classes and productions at KAS shaped her and helped her to grow immensely as a young performer and individual. She feels privileged to share her gained knowledge through experience with new young performers finding their own way, and to continue learning herself through their personal breakthroughs.

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Jerome Laroche (Instructor Lake Country, Assistant Instructor Ellis St.)

Jerome is no stranger to the stage having been involved in every aspect of the performing arts at Kelowna Actors Studio including teaching, administration, box office, production, acting, singing and dance. He graduated from the Kelowna Actors Studio Academy and since then has not looked back. 

 

He has taught our popular Full Day March Break Camps and has worked backstage and 'on' stage in such productions as Mamma Mia, Camelot, Elf, Young Frankenstein, The Hunchback of Notre Dame & Billy Elliot to name but a few, with lead roles in Evil Dead - The Musical and Spring Awakening. He is known for his unending energy and nurturing nature and loves bringing the magic of theatre to his students!

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Amber Anderson (Music Director, Lake Country) Amber has been singing in various choirs and participating in various theatre groups for 18 years.   She was the music teacher for Grades K-7 for three years and conducted the Apprentice Choir with the Powell River Academy of Music.

She recently moved to Lake Country and has been looking for an opportunity to get back to teaching children in music.  She has her Special Education certificate and loves working with children of all ages and abilities.  She has worked on Mary Poppins Jr., and is excited to begin The Wizard of Oz.

Nathan Flavel (Executive Producer KAS) 

Nate is the recipient of the Young Entrepreneur award with Kelowna Chamber of Commerce for his work with KAS, Nate is also the recipient of the 2012 Okanagan Arts Award for Theatre and the 2011 City of Kelowna Civic Award for the Honour in the Arts.

Nathan has served on the Tourism Kelowna Board for Arts and Culture and on the Heart Of Gold Committee for the KGH Foundation. Nathan has a full time career as a realtor/broker with Southeby's International, maintains his role as Executive Producer at KAS, and has directed and choreographed numerous productions.

 

He has performed in over 30 productions for KAS totalling over 500 performances over the past 18 years.  He is known for his tenor voice, tap dance and comic characters.  Notable performances include Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid, Buddy in Elf, Bert in Mary Poppins, Franknfurter in The Rocky Horror Show, Donkey in Shrek the Musical, Bobby in Company, Don Lockwood in Singing in the Rain, Jesus in Godspell, and the title role in Joseph and Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.