Staff

Suzie Hepker is a Teaching Artist living in New York City. Originally from Las Vegas, she attended the University of Northern Colorado where she received a BA in Musical Theatre. After college, she hit the road and saw the country, working with both PBS and Nickelodeon on national tours of Dora the Explorer Live! and Go, Diego, Go Live! Currently she is a Teaching Artist with Disney Theatrical Group, a resident Director/Choreographer/Performer for Oasis USA marketing working with national brands including Peppa Pig, Thomas The Tank Engine and Sesame Street and spends her summers as Drama/Activities Director at Camp Skylemar, in Naples, Maine. She has made it her mission to inspire the next generation musical theatre lovers and performers alike.

Angela DeCicco discovered singing and a love for theatre at a very young age. She has served the Westchester community as a voice teacher following a career that includes performing in Broadway’s “Les Miserables”. She has performed Off-Broadway, National Tours and with many Regional theatres. In addition, Angela was a soloist with symphonies in both the US and Europe. Ms. DeCicco has been honored to sing back up for artists such as Hugh Jackman, Mariah Carey, Barry Manilow, Harry Connick, Jr., Vanessa Williams, Gloria Estefan, Stephanie Mills and Broadway stars such as Patti LuPone, Billy Porter, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Liz Callaway, Keala Settle, Kristen Chenoweth, Renee Elise Goldsberry and more! She has also been a member of Broadway Inspirational Voices Gospel choir for over 20 years. Angela is a graduate of SUNY Purchase where she studied opera and majored in Voice and received a BA in Music.

Her desire to teach was influenced by her own extraordinary teachers: Jessie Landsberg, Marianne Challis, and Beverly Myers. Angela focuses on vocal health for all styles of singing including Musical Theatre, Opera, R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz and Gospel. She works with her students on song interpretation, acting, and performance. She is dedicated to helping singers, dancers and actors of all ages and levels to achieve their individual needs and goals by de- mystifying the act of singing; from basic technique-building for local community and school productions to meeting the challenging demands of an 8-show week and rigorous rehearsal and touring schedules.

Voice lessons help vocalists to increase vocal range, build vocal strength, blend smoothly between head voice and chest voice, achieve mixed voice and belt coordinations, master multiple musical and vocal styles, sing high notes with ease, and most importantly, gain confidence for live, online and video performances.

Angela strives to bring the best out of each student and encourage enjoyment at all levels of singing-from the novice to the professional!

Gina Noto has directed and choreographed with KJK Productions since 2000 both at camp and in various schools throughout Westchester. As a performer she has appeared in productions throughout Westchester with KJK Productions, White Plains Performing Arts Center and The Hope for Change Foundation, an organization that raises money for breast cancer research through theatrical productions. Some favorite credits include Disney's on the Record, Party Worth Crashing, Songs for a New World, Edges, Company, Little Shop of Horrors, High School Musical and Les Miserables. While performing will always be her first love, she currently spends her days working as a school psychologist in a local High School!

Gabrielle Giacomo (she/her) is a teaching artist, director, and choreographer based in NYC. Her love of the performing arts began at a young age with the opportunity to train at the School of American Ballet. As a student, she was able to perform alongside the New York City Ballet in ballets including The Nutcracker, Firebird, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She went on to receive her BFA in Dramatic Literature and Film & Television Production from NYU Tisch, and for the past eight years has had the absolute joy of sharing what she’s learned with students in elementary, middle, and high school. Currently, she works as a Teaching Artist with Treasure Trunk Theatre and spends her summers as the Head Theatre Specialist at Camp Echo Lake. In addition to her work as a teaching artist, she is also a professional stage manager and has had the opportunity to work on productions at The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Public Theater. She is constantly inspired by the creativity and imagination of young artists, and believes that all children deserve access to a quality arts education.

Melissa Ford (she/her) is overjoyed to be working with KJK Productions! Melissa is a performer, director and choreographer who has worked in theatres and schools in over 30 states throughout the US sharing stories, creating works of art, teaching young artists and more. Hailing from the yellow brick road, Melissa got her BFA in Musical Theatre at Wichita State University and most recently worked as the Director of Education at the C.L. Hoover Opera House and built a youth theatre, music and dance academy from the ground up in Junction City, KS. Theatre and art is more important than ever and she's excited to work with all the amazing kids in Westchester County!

Thea Odice is so excited to be a part of the KJK Productions staff team! She recently graduated from Dean College with a BA in Musical Theatre. Thea is a performer, dancer, and director and has loved the arts from a young age. She is passionate about inspiring young artists and teaching them the joy of theater while also educating. Some of her favorite credits include Leading Player (Pippin), Dogberry (Much Ado About Nothing) and dance captain for Beauty and the Beast. Although she loves being in the spotlight, she is equally interested in pursuing a career of directing and performing, and is so excited for this opportunity to learn more about the creative process from the educational and directorial side here at KJK.

Griffin Wilkins (he/him) is a Boston-raised actor, singer, dancer, and teacher now based in NYC! His performance career began as an Irish dancer at the Harney Academy of Irish Dance in Walpole, MA. After five years of many national and international competitions, he turned his attention to musical theatre and attended the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, where he took classes in voice, dance, acting, and performed in countless productions. He went on to receive his BFA in Musical Theatre from Florida State University, where he began teaching at the Sharon Davis School of Dance and fell in love with teaching. Ever since, he has taught classes in acting and dance, as well as traveled around the country performing! 

James Brandfonbrener is a musician, composer, and teacher based in NYC. He is a Westchester native and graduated from Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School before completing a Bachelor’s degree in music composition at Yale University. Having never been in a play before, his first time music directing was at age 13 for a production of Fame, Jr. It did not go well, but since then he has music directed 25+ musicals that have been much better. As an undergrad, he served as music director for the premieres of three musicals that have gone on to professional performances. Outside of KJK and musical theater, James regularly plays classical/jazz/pop piano and trumpet at venues around the tristate area, recently appearing at Carnegie Hall, Regina Opera Company, The Delancey, and NYPL for the performing arts, among others.

Mark Ceppetelli is a theater music director, pianist, music educator, composer, and arranger, based in New York. He started his music career as a composition student at the Hartt School of Music, Dance, and Theatre of the University of Hartford. He has worked as music director since 2015, with venues ranging from community and educational theaters through professional regional theaters. As a pianist, he collaborated with Hartford Opera Theater in their “New In November” annual performance, championing new operas. As a composer, he has written incidental music for plays, electronic music in collaboration with dancers, and premiered numerous chamber pieces.