Creators

JOE DIPIETRO - Book & Lyrics
Joe was born and raised off Exit 166 in New Jersey and thus has been a Toxic Avenger fan for the last twenty years. He wrote the book & lyrics to “I LoveYou, You’re Perfect, Now Change” which is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary off-Broadway. The show is the longest running musical revue in New York history and has had hundreds of productions across the country and around the world. His Broadway musical, “All Shook Up,” will embark on a national tour starting in the fall.

He also wrote the book and lyrics to the award-winning musical, “The Thing About Men,” which has played internationally. With David Bryan, he wrote the musical “Memphis,”which has had two major developmental productions and is currently being readied for its future life in New York and around the country.

His play include the Edgar Award-winning mystery, “The Art of Murder,” as well as the long-running hit comedy “Over the River and through the Woods,” which has had over a hundred productions around the world and is currently being developed into a feature film. He lives in Manhattan and Connecticut, but his heart will always be in New Jersey.

DAVID BRYAN - Music & Lyrics
Keyboard Player and Founding Member, Bon Jovi Singer/Songwriter Composer, Lyricist and Programmer

David Bryan lives near Exit 109 off the Garden State Parkway. He was conceived, born and raised in New Jersey. As a young man, he saw The Toxic Avenger at a midnight showing in Newark, and from that day on, he dreamed of writing a musical about the first mutant superhero from his home state. This show is a fulfillment of that dream.

David has accomplished some other stuff, too. He is the keyboard player, songwriter and a founding member of Bon Jovi one of the most successful bands in music history. They’ve sold over 100 million albums and played live for millions of people in 50 countries. They’ve survived and thrived the rock and roll years, the grunge years, the rap years and everything in between. On the band’s current CD Have A Nice Day, David and Jon wrote the song Last Cigarette.

David has also written and released a solo record, Lunar Eclipse (Rounder/Universal) an instrumental collection with a single vocal bonus track highlighting all of the aspects of his training and influences blues, classical, jazz and of course, rock & roll.

In his time off from recording and touring with Jon, Richie and Tico, David began a career as a composer and lyricist of musicals. The song, Memphis Lives In Me, which he performs on Bon Jovi’s recent box set, is actually from his musical, MEMPHIS — the story of the first DJ in the South to play race music. MEMPHIS played to critical and popular acclaim at North Shore Music Theatre outside of Boston and at Theatreworks in Palo Alto, CA, and it’s currently being readied for further productions.

In addition to his musical theatre compositions and writing with bandmates Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, with whom he co-wrote the band’s hit, “In These Arms,” David continues to write with and for other artists. The most successful cover of a Bryan song may be Curtis Steiger’s rendition of “This Time,” which was a major International hit for him.

David has also dedicated his time to become a National Spokesperson for VH1’s Save The Music Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of music education in America’s schools.
For more on David, visit www.DavidBryan.com

LLOYD KAUFMAN - Creator of the Toxic Avenger
“Without Lloyd Kaufman,” writes film critic Michael H. Klienschrodt in the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper, “there probably never would have been There’s Something About Mary, or Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo.” Whether or not he would accept the credit (or blame) for these raunchy, mainstream blockbusters, there can be no doubt that what Kaufman has achieved is enormous. In 30 years, Kaufman, along with partner Michael Herz, has built Troma Studios up to legendary status as a bastion of true independence, the world’s greatest concentration of camp.

In the late 1960s, Kaufman was enrolled at Yale University, diligently working on a respectable degree in Chinese Studies. When he was placed in a dormitory room with two film fanatics, however, Kaufman was infected with a love of movies from which he never recovered. In 1971, Kaufman met his future partner Michael Herz. The Troma Universe was born in 1974 with a series of highly original, sexy comedies such as Squeeze Play!, Waitress!, and other titles ending with an exclamation point. These movies, independent precursors to such later smash hits as National Lampoon’s Animal House and Porky’s, did well financially, although Kaufman continued to work on such outside productions as Rocky and Saturday Night Fever. Kaufman’s relationship with mainstream Hollywood would not last long.

Kaufman achieved new levels of success with his 1984 breakthrough movie, The Toxic Avenger. The Toxic Avenger led to an animated spin-off series, Toxic Crusaders, several different comic book titles (published by Marvel and, most recently, Troma’s own independent comic book imprint), and three sequels. Its success was followed by a string of commercial and artistic triumphs that blended fantasy, heavy action, comedy, and eroticism in a style that the Cinemateque Francais described as “Tromatic,” including the Class of Nuke-Em High trilogy, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, and Troma’s War. These films created an entire generation of young fans who rejected the pandering, commercial films of the mid-to-late 80s, some of whom, such as Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Mike Judge, Peter Jackson, and Trey Parker, went on to become filmmakers themselves. Thanks to these admirers, Kaufman has been asked to make cameo appearances in films like Trey Parker’s Orgazmo and Richard Martini’s Cannes Man.

Lately, Kaufman and the Troma Team have begun to win respect from even their harshest critics. Tromeo and Juliet became a surprise theatrical and critical hit, earning the grand prize at the Fanta Festival in Rome. Kaufman’s opus, Terror Firmer, inspired by the book All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned From the Toxic Avenger, played for six months in Los Angeles alone. In addition, Kaufman has been an honored guest at various international film festivals and Troma retrospectives around the world. The San Sebastian Film Festival, the British Film Institute, the Cinematheque Francaise, the American Cinemetheque, the Chicago International Film Festival, the UCLA Film Archives, the Tokyo Film Festival, and the Shanghai International Film Festival are just a few of the venues to have showered Kaufman with praise, lifetime achievement awards, and lots of free booze.

In January 2000, Kaufman founded the TromaDance Film Festival, which gives filmmakers and audiences alike the opportunity to enjoy a broad spectrum of independent films for free. He has released a feature length documentary about the Cannes Film Festival, entitled All the Love You Cannes: An Indie’s Guide to the Cannes Film Festival. His second book, Make Your Own Damn Movie, is in its second printing and has inspired him to teach a series of filmmaking Master Classes at colleges and institutions across the country. He is also the co-author of the The Toxic Avenger novel, published in June 2006. Kaufman most recently went behind the camera again for a chicken-zombie filled satire about the fast-food industry called Poultrygeist.

JOHN RANDO - Director

John is the Tony Award-winning director of Urinetown. Other Broadway credits include The Wedding Singer (nominated best musical), Neil Simon’s The Dinner Party and A Thousand Clowns. In 2005, he directed the Canadian premiere of Urinetown (winner of six Dora Awards, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction). For City Center Encores! he directed Strike Up the Band, Do Re Mi, The Pajama Game and Of Thee I Sing. In 2004, Rando directed the inaugural presentation of The Downtown Plays for Tribeca Theatre Festival. Other Off-Broadway credits include Bright Ideas (MCC), Polish Joke (MTC), Mere Mortals (Primary Stages), Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight (Promenade), Comedy of Errors (Acting Company), Venetian Twins (Pearl Theatre) and Pig Farm (Roundabout Theatre Company). He has directed regionally at the Alley Theatre, Old Globe Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Cleveland Play House and Philadelphia Theatre Company, among others.


Christopher Jahnke (Orchestrations) orchestrated the Broadway productions of Legally Blonde, Les Miserables (2006 Revival), Grease (2007 Revival), Cry Baby. Other Orchestrations: A Man of No Importance, Dessa Rose (Flaherty/Ahrens - Lincoln Center Theater), Tom Jones (George Stiles/Paul Leigh), Just So (George Stiles/Anthony Drewe), Chasing Nicolette, Rufus Wainwright at Carnegie Hall. Symphonic Arrangements for The Broadway Tenors, Laura Osnes/NY Pops. Dance Music Arranger: The Witches of Eastwick (London/West End). Music Producer/Supervisor for Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan: Memphis and The Toxic Avenger Musical. Conductor: Aida (Broadway). Assistant to Orchestrator William David Brohn: Ragtime, Sweet Smell of Success, The Three Musketeers, Mary Poppins and Wicked.

Wendy Seyb (Choreographer) Off-Broadway: Walmartopia (Minetta Lane Theatre). Workshop: Cheer! (Richard Frankel Productions). Regional: Harry Connick Jr.’s The Happy Elf (Todd Wehr Theater, WI), The Toxic Avenger (George Street Playhouse, NJ), The World Goes ‘Round (The Prince Music Theatre, PA). New York Theater: Such Good Friends (Julia Miles Theatre), But I’m a Cheerleader (Theatre at St. Clements), School Daze A New Dance Comedy (37 Arts), Die Hard: The Puppet Musical (45th Street Theatre). Dance Comedy: Dra Gala hosted by Bill T. Jones, Dance Theater Workshop, Here, Joyce Soho, Zipper Theatre. Winner of The Golden Nose Award, Big “E” Award and Innovation Theatre Award nominee. www.wendyseyb.com.

Beowulf Boritt (Set Designer) designed The Toxic Avenger for George Street Playhouse. Broadway: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , Lovemusik, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only. Off- Broadway: More than 50 shows including The Last Five Years, Rock of Ages, Saint Lucy’s Eyes, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Miss Julie, MTC, 2nd Stage, MCC, New Group, Keen Co., 2007 & 2008 Ringling Brothers Circus. Awards: Obie, Audelco, Barrymore, 3 Drama Desk Noms.

David C. Woolard (Costume Design) Broadway Credits include West Side Story, Dividing the Estate, The Farnsworth Invention, Old Acquaintances, Ring of Fire, All Shook Up, 700 Sundays, The Smell of the Kill, The Rocky Horror Show (2001 Tony Award Nomination), Voices in the Dark, The Who’s Tommy (1993 Tony and Olivier nominations), Bells are Ringing, Marlene, Wait Until Dark, Horton Foote’s The Young Man from Atlanta, Damn Yankees, A Few Good Men. Recent Credits include The Savannah Disputation and To Kill a Mockingbird at Hartford Stage.

Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design) On Broadway, he has designed over 30 plays and musicals,including: The Coast of Utopia—Shipwreck (2007 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); Wicked, Hairspray, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Tom Sawyer (Tony nominations), The Homecoming, Legally Blonde, 2007 revival of Grease, The Odd Couple, Glengarry Glen Ross,Little Women, The Frogs, Imaginary Friends, Swing!, Charlie Brown, The Goat, Uncle Vanya, Side Man, Little Me. Off-Broadway: The Wild Party, The Play About the Baby, tick, tick….BOOM!, The Waverly Gallery, Pride’s Crossing, As Bee’s in Honey Drown, Cowgirls, and The Food Chain. Recipient of the 2000 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design.

Kurt Eric Fischer (Sound Designer) Credits: Paul Taylor Dance Company, Romantic Poetry, (Power House Theater), Carnival (Kennedy Center), Infinitas (Magnifique Productions), Pippin, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady ( 5th Avenue Theater), Marty (Huntington Theater Company), Tell Me On A Sunday (Kennedy Center), Dorian (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), Blue (Roundabout - Audelco Award), Linda Eder Debut at Carnegie Hall (Carnegie Hall), Finian's Rainbow (Coconut Grove Playhouse/Cleveland Playhouse), Macbeth (New York Shakespeare Festival), RENT (Broadway/First National Company), and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber (National Tour). Kurt is married to Shawn McNesby Fischer and has two sons, Scott and Pascal.

John Dods (Prosthetics and special effects designer) Described by CNN as "one of the world's foremost masters of disguise,” John Dods has created makeup ranging from the AIDS victims of the film Longtime Companion to the aliens, vampires, and zombies of the TV series "Monsters,” to Broadway's Beast in Beauty and the Beast (1993-2007) and the Frankenstein Monster in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. Since 1994, he has produced over 52,000 prosthetic pieces for productions of B&B worldwide. Dods' other Broadway credits include The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and also The Wizard of Oz and A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. Dods’ creations have appeared on the Tony Awards, the Academy Awards and on the covers of film and theatre magazines 24 times.

Mark Adam Rampmeyer (Hair and Make-Up Design) Mark is thrilled to be part of the TOXIC team here in NY. His designs can currently be seen in the exciting Broadway revival of West Side Story. Some favorite productions include The Farnsworth Invention starring Hank Azaria, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore with Olympia Dukakis at Hartford Stage Company and The Importance of Being Earnest with Lynn Redgrave at Paper Mill Playhouse. He is the resident designer for the John W. Engeman Theater on Long Island. Mark would like to thank all who continue to support him on this journey. *peep*

Rick Sordelet (Fight Director & Illusions) 44 Broadway shows, including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and The Addams Family, 45 first class productions all over the world. Cyrano the opera starring Placido Domingo at the Met, The Royal Opera House, and La Scala in Milan. Film and TV include The Game Plan starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dan in Real Life and Hamlet starring Campbell Scott, Rick is head stunt coordinator for “Guiding Light.” He received the 2007 Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence by the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Board member for the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, company member of the Drama Dept. in NYC. Currently teaches at Yale School of Drama, The New School University, and The Neighborhood Playhouse.

David Debesse (Fight Director) Fight direction credits include Sakharam Binder (The Play Company), Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Second Stage), Wonder of the World (MTC), Pericles (Red Bull Theatre), Lovers and Executioners (Arena Stage). David has often assisted Rick Sordelet, including on The Scarlet Pimpernel and Campbell Scott’s film version of Hamlet. He is also a stunt coordinator for “Guiding Light.”

Doug Katsaros (Musical Director) has recorded with Frank Sinatra, Rod Stewart, Gloria Estefan, Sinéad O'Connor, Kiss, Bon Jovi, Marlo Thomas (Grammy), Donny Osmond, Elton John, Todd Rundgren and others. He’s written for Ringling Brothers, Macy's 4th of July and Thanksgiving celebrations, and has conducted the Boston Pops. He’s composed several film and TV scores and his New York credits include Footloose (Conductor), Rocky Horror (Orchestrator), The Life (arranger) Laughing Room Only (Composer), Hair (Star), A...Alice (Composer), Altar Boyz (Orchestrator) and Just So (Composer). He lives with composer Elise Morris, his teenage daughters, and yes, he’s the guy who wrote "By Mennen!" www.themusicofyourdreams.com


Jean Cheever (Producer) was previously represented on Broadway as a co-producer of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Tony nominated Best Musical) and All Shook Up (where she had the good fortune to meet Joe DiPietro and Christopher Ashley). With Tom Polum, she is co-producing Ashley’s musical documentary Last Call, about piano bars in New York City, and developing a slate of “small budget, huge fun” musical comedies. Jean is not from New Jersey but has great respect for the state and its superheroes.

Tom Polum (Producer) was a co-producer of the first national tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. In addition to the slate of “huge fun” musicals (see above!), Jean and Tom are developing several films and plays. They own and manage Broadway Live Island, a popular online destination for theatre lovers worldwide, in the virtual Internet world called Second Life. Tom also works as a director, a writer (Heloise and Abelard, Finding Frida Kahlo) and can be heard on the cast recording of Phantom (Kopit/Yeston). Although not from New Jersey, he adamantly supports the motto: Jersey rocks!