NOW SHOWING AT THE STAGE DOOR CANTEEN:

NOW SHOWING AT THE STAGE DOOR CANTEEN:
Tom Hook – Bandleader / Piano / Vocals
Adam Bock – Guitar/Vocals
Tom Hook worked for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company for a large part of his career as a lounge entertainer, band leader, cruise
director, manager, and ultimately director of entertainment. He also spent several years as a staff musician and on-stage performer at
Walt Disney World. He has acted as music director at Main Street Station Casino in Las Vegas, and at Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans.
Tom currently works developing ship board programming for various cruise lines, tours the world regularly as performing musician, and
appears nightly as an entertainer here in New Orleans. He has appeared in numerous productions at The National WWII Museum’s BB’s
Stage Door Canteen both as musical director and as a performer. He recently starred in BB’s Stage Door Canteen’s Big Easy Award-winning
production of Jump, Jive, and Wail: the Music of Louis Prima.
New Orleans native Adam Bock began his musical adventure playing drums in local rock and funk bands. His love of harmony led him to
the guitar, later earning a bachelor’s degree in classical guitar from the University of New Orleans in 2004 and his masters’ degree in jazz
guitar performance from UNO in 2012. He has performed with artists such as Ronnie Kole, John Rankin, Peter Sprague, and Larry Coryell,
and has been teaching on and around the Northshore for more than a decade. Through the Slidell Symphony Society, he conducts clinics
and “informances” in the public school system. He is a member of the Jazz Education Network and Phi Kappa Phi educational fraternity.
Adam can be seen around New Orleans playing weekly solo guitar gigs, with traditional jazz band The Perdido Five, psychedelic funk band
Magnatude, and in the big bands—Swingaroux and the Museum’s own Victory Swing Orchestra. He is delighted to be back Jumpin’, Jivin’,
and Wailin’ with this award-winning cast!
Cristina Perez – Vocalist
Musician, vocalist, and composer Cristina Perez is a fixture on the New Orleans music scene. Featuring all original material, Perez’s latest
album, The Sweetest Thing (2014), showcases her impressive versatility as a musician and vast range as a composer. In addition to
producing two of her own albums, Perez has appeared on other artists’ recordings such as Richard Scott’s Jambalaya Town and the New
Orleans Moonshiners’ two most recent records, including Frenchmen St. Parade, voted Offbeat Magazine’s Best Traditional Jazz Album of
2011. Cristina has enjoyed featured roles in many BB’s Stage Door Canteen productions, including the Victory Belles’ My Way: The Music
of Frank Sinatra, Thanks for the Memories: Bob Hope and His All-Star Pacific Tour, and her favorite leading-lady role in the Big Easy
Award-winning show Jump, Jive, and Wail: The Music of Louis Prima.
Thad Scott – Saxophone/Vocals
Thad grew up in the Houston area. He credits Zoot, the saxophonist for the Muppet Show’s Electric Mayhem, as his inspiration for choosing
his instrument. Thad is a graduate of the world-renowned HSPVA (The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts) in Houston. He then
attended the University of North Texas, majoring in jazz performance. Thad soon moved to Austin where he played with numerous local and
touring bands, most notably the five-time Grammy nominee Marcia Ball, whom he toured with nationally and internationally for over nine
years. He’s had the honor of playing for the President at the White House on two different occasions, but he would tell you that being Aretha
Franklin’s saxophonist in front of a packed house is his favorite musical memory! Thad is new to the cast of Jump, Jive and Wail, but is
certainly no stranger to the music of Louis Prima. He currently plays with Louis’ daughter, Lena Prima, every Friday night at the Hotel
Monteleone’s Carousel Bar.
Jay Hagen – Trumpet/Vocals
Originally from Rochester, New York, trumpeter Jay Hagen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in music education at Nazareth College
and his Master of Music degree in jazz and contemporary media at Eastman School of Music. He has worked as trumpeter and bandleader
for Norwegian and Royal Cruise Lines and was the Principle trumpeter with the New York Repertory Orchestra for 10 years. After 18 years
of teaching instrumental music in New York State public schools, Jay relocated to New Orleans where he currently teaches music at
Delgado Community College. He is also the Musical Director of The National WWII Museum’s Victory Swing Orchestra, as well as bandleader
for original BB’s Stage Door Canteen productions, Thanks for the Memories: Bob Hope’s All-Star Pacific Tour and On The Air I and II.
Russell Ramirez – Trombone/Vocals
Russell Ramirez, a South Carolina native, has been playing trombone since the age of 12. Russell began his musical career in Columbia,
SC where he studied jazz at the University of South Carolina. During this time he was active in local big bands, led a trio of his own,
performed at the Jazz Education Network conference, played live at Sirius Radio headquarters, rocked out at Hangout Festival, and sailed
on a pair of cruise ship voyages as part of the featured band. Weeks after earning his degree, he drove a car full of stuff and his cat to
his aunt’s house in New Orleans. He recently returned from a two-week tour of Alaska with The Roamin’ Jasmine, which is headed to the
UK in December. After they return, Russell will be releasing his first album with guitarist Georgi Petrov. Russell is excited to being make
his acting debut here at BB’s Stage Door Canteen.
Pete Rozé – Bass/Vocals
Making the rounds in the swing scene in New York City from 1988-1996, Pete Rozé had the opportunity to perform with jazz veterans of
the famous Big Apple big bands such as Eddie Barefield (with Count Basie, Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald), Doc Cheatham (with Cab
Calloway and Ma Rainey), Jess Stacey (with Benny Goodman) and others. National tours of Broadway musicals include Big River, Ring of
Fire, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, and Hank and My Honky-Tonk Heroes. Pete moved to New Orleans in 2012 and was lucky enough to begin
playing with the first round of Jump, Jive, and Wail along with other shows here at BB’s Stage Door Canteen. Other performances include
Houston’s, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, Fritzel’s, Columns Hotel, Palm Court Cafe, Bombay Club, Three Muses, and other places. He is
glad to participate in yet another round of this crazy, high-energy show!
Ricky Sebastian – Drums/Vocals
Ricky has recorded and performed with Harry Belafonte, Dianne Reeves, Tania Maria, John Scofield, Herbie Mann, Jaco Pastorius, Dr. John,
and many others. Originally from south Louisiana, Ricky spent six years in New Orleans after attending Berklee College of Music, after
which he moved to New York City. Ricky spent the next 16 years developing a career as a performer in the jazz and Latin worlds and
recording with many major artists on more than 300 records. He was also an instructor at Drummers Collective. Returning to New Orleans
in 1998, Ricky went on to become a leader and released his first CD, The Spirit Within. Since that time, he has become a force in music
education at the University of New Orleans, The Don Jamison School of Music, Isidore Newman School, and he also teaches many private
students from his studio uptown. He is the author of Independence on the Drum Set, and is a clinician for Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals,
Remo heads, and Pro-Mark drum sticks.
Chance Bushman – Choreographer/Dancer
Chance is happy to be dancing once again at BB’s Stage Door Canteen. A Dancer, choreographer, singer, teacher, and owner of Nola Jitterbugs
and the Rhythmic Arts Center on St. Claude Avenue, Chance performs and teaches weekly in the Crescent City. Visit the website for more info:
www.nolajitterbugs.com
Lisa Casper – Dancer
Lisa Casper was born in western Massachusetts, where she first learned the fine art of ballroom dance. She graduated with a bachelor’s
degree in theater arts from Stony Brook University. After school, she moved to New York City where she began dancing with The Big Apple
Lindy Hoppers and the Syncopated Sweethearts, performing vernacular jazz dances all over the East Coast. After her move to New Orleans
in 2010, she began performing with fellow cast member Chance Bushmen. Together, they have performed at Jazz Fest with The Preservation
Hall Jazz band, were featured singing and dancing at French Quarter Fest with their band, The Speakeasy Trio, and have danced across
Europe where they won first place in Italy’s international swing dance festival, Swing Crash. Here, with the Jump, Jive and Wail cast, she
is again paired with Bushman. Look out for some fancy footwork and aerial lifts from this swingin’ pair! Lisa is excited to be working with
such wonderful performers at BB’s Stage Door Canteen.
Artistic Staff:
Concept: Tom Hook/Victoria Reed Script: Victoria Reed Director: Victoria Reed Musical Director: Tom Hook Arrangements: Tom Hook, Jay Hagen, Thad Scott
Costumes: Victoria Reed, Judy Claverie Production Assistant: Katie Bandy Set Design: Victoria Reed Technical Director: Bret Bohnet Lighting Design: Alexander Quinby
Lighting Engineer: Chris Hornung Sound Design: Joseph Olivier Audio Engineers: Theodore Fogleman, Joseph Olivier, Rianna Medico Spot Operator: Katie Bandy
Special Thanks: Lena Prima, Gia Prima, Joe Segreto, Stan Irwin, Bruce Raeburn, Nathalie Gomes Adams