Raye Lynn Mercer

Director

Founder of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, Raye Lynn Mercer received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Middlebury College and attended the Vienna International Music Center in Vienna, Austria, where she studied with Maria-Regina Seidlhofer of the Academy of Music. Her teachers included Guiseppe deLellis, Diana Fanning, Gabriel Chodos and Yoriko Takahashi. Pianist, director and choreographer, Raye Lynn has presented 34 seasons of musicals, plays, concerts and dance productions with FSPA and the community-based Franklin Performing Arts Company, established in 1991. Raye Lynn serves as Administrator of the school, oversees the FSPA musical theater program and directs the international touring ensemble Electric Youth. Her school’s student résumés include Broadway’s Matilda and Wicked, Lincoln Center, national Broadway tours, regional companies, European concert tours, Fox-TV’s American Idol, annual performances at Walt Disney World, and placement in top college and conservatory arts programs. Combining profession and hobby, Raye Lynn has directed Symphony of Horses productions across the country. Internationally, she has developed Electric Youth’s professional concert tours in Europe and taught musical theater workshops in Austria and Hong Kong. President and Executive Director of the Franklin Performing Arts Company, Raye Lynn is the visionary behind THE BLACK BOX, a performance and event venue located behind FSPA in the heart of downtown Franklin.    

Nick Paone

FSPA Drama Director, Instructor of Acting and Improvisation

Nick Paone holds a BA in Theater from Occidental College. A former Equity performer, Nick traveled all over the US performing with TheaterWorks, USA. His regional performing credits include Cabaret, Macbeth, The Wedding Singer, Little Shop of Horrors, Pirates of Penzance and The Tempest. Nick has written, conceived and directed for the Franklin Performing Arts Company since 2001. In 2007 he created FPAC’s Whatever Theater Festival, a week-long festival of one-act plays, Shakespeare on the Common and musical entertainment. Nick joined the FSPA Drama Faculty in 2001.    

Kim Frigon

Instructor of Musical Theater, Acting, and Improvisation

Kimberly Palson Frigon has been working as a theater educator and actor for over 20 years. She earned an MA in Theater Education from Emerson College and a dual BA in Elementary Education/Theater from St. Michael's College. Kimberly has previously held positions at Holliston High School (Fine and Performing Arts) and Dean College (School of the Arts) and has taught at several area theater companies (Mass Music and Arts Society; Orpheum Theater, Medfield High School, JCC, Newton; The Footlight Club, and PALS Children's Chorus). An EMACT award winner, past favorite roles include: Adelaide, Guys and Dolls; Anytime Annie, 42nd Street; Diana, Lend Me A Tenor; and Marta, Company. Kimberly joined the FSPA Drama Faculty in 2021. kfrigon@fspaonline.com

Johanna Stipetic

Instructor of Voice, Children's Dance, and Musical Theater

Johanna Stipetic is a professional performer, director/choreographer, and theatre educator who holds a BFA in Drama with Minors in Music and Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Select regional credits include Legally Blonde (Elle Woods), Something Rotten! (Portia), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Helena), Hello, Dolly! (Ermengarde / Dance Captain), TARZAN (Ensemble), etc. Johanna is the Director of Theatre Education at the Cape Playhouse as well as the primary Musical Theatre instructor at the Arts Edge Dance Company. Along with performing and choreographing all throughout New England, she actively serves in Music Ministry as a soloist across multiple churches all over Cape Cod, and has her own private studio where she works 1-on-1 with students on voice, dance, acting, and college audition preparation. @johanna.stipetic

Ben Cameron

Broadway Faculty - Voice and Acting

Ben Cameron is your Broadway Buddy! Ben is a Broadway veteran having appeared in Footloose (original cast), Aida, and a little show called Wicked (original cast, if you listen to track #2 of the Wicked cast album you can hear Ben drop the plot pivotal line, "Glinda, is it true you were her friend?" He has toured the US and Europe in productions of Footloose, Fame, The Who's Tommy, State Fair, and Sweet Charity (playing opposite Molly Ringwald). He has enjoyed 2 sold out runs of his 1 man show "Different is Good" in 2005 and 2010. He continues to write, direct, and choreograph intimate shows for Broadway and cabaret stars at some of NYC's most notable venues. Ben has served on the faculties of NYU's CAP21 studio and Wagner College and as creative consultant for Mapinspired:The Storytellers' Dance Company. Ben continues to teach dance and theatre workshops and choreograph around the world.   Ben is the creator of Broadway Sessions. Sessions has been running for over 8 years and brings Broadway's brightest together at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Since creating Sessions, Ben has become one of the theatre community’s most beloved hosts and personalities. Ben has also produced web series My Broadway Bar, Dance Captain Dance Attack, and Broadway ObSessions.

Sara Jean Ford

Broadway Faculty - Voice and Acting

Sara Jean Ford is best known for starring as Christine Daaé on Broadway and in the National Tour of the worldwide sensation The Phantom of the Opera. Also on Broadway: CATS (Jellylorum), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Smitty), A Little Night Music (Mrs Anderssen, Anne/Petra cover), and Finian's Rainbow (Arlene, Sharon cover). Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks (Luisa, Revival Cast Recording). Broadway in Chicago: WICKED (Glinda/Nessa Rose cover). Regional: The Music Man (Marian), Into the Woods (Cinderella), Sunday in the Park With George (Dot), Candide (Cunegonde), Carousel (Carrie), and originated the role of Nellie Oleson in Little House on the Prairie. Concerts: Dream of Now Dream of Then, Anyone Can Whistle at City Center Encores!, Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whittacre at Lincoln Center, Paradise Lost at Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Sara is the proud mama of Annie.

Jim Hogan

Broadway Faculty - Voice and Acting

Jim Hogan is making his Broadway debut in the original Broadway cast of Kimberly Akimbo!  He has also been seen in the national tours of Waitress, The Phantom of the Opera, and Spring Awakening. His regional credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Broadway at Music Circus), The Circus in Winter (Goodspeed), and Ragtime (Arden Theatre Co.) Jim appeared in The Seagull (dir. Michael Mayer). Workshop credits include The 12 (dir. John Doyle). Jim received his BFA in Musical Theater from Penn State University. He appears as a soloist with Symphony Orchestras across the country and is a member of the viral sensation #T3 whom recently appeared on AGT! @jimhogan220 and @t.3official 

Tyrick Wiltez Jones

Broadway Faculty: Dance and Acting

Tyrick Wiltez Jones has been in the entertainment business since he was 16 years old and has been fortunate to work as a performer, choreographer, and director. He was last seen on stage playing Jagwire in the US Tour of Bat Out of Hell. He is currently playing the role of Kent in Stick Fly at Michigan's Meadow Brook theatre, a production for which he is also  assistant director. Broadway credits include: Howard in Finian’s Rainbow, Hairspray (for almost 4 years). Broadway National Touring credits include: Miss Saigon, Seussical, Fosse, and Show Boat. Regional credits include: Johnny Manhattan, Mom’s Gift w/Cindy Williams, Higher Education, The Wiz, Once On This Island, Witness Uganda, From My Hometown (WILDE Award), A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Chicago, and many others. Other credits include: 60th Annual Grammy Awards 'Sam Smith Performance' (background singer), New York City Center ‘ENCORES!’: Finian’s Rainbow (Henry). Concert: PHISH 2011 New Year’s Eve concert at Madison Square Garden (featured singer/dancer), Mary Wilson of the Supremes Motown/Rock and Roll North America Tour (featured background singer), and US Premiere of Sacred Ellington starring Jessye Norman with the Carnegie Hall ‘HONOR’ Series. Tyrick has been featured in many readings/workshops in NYC and has made numerous film and television appearances throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Some Film Credits include: Back to Me (Independent Short), Joyful Noise with Queen Latifah & Dolly Parton as the Assistant Choreographer and Nickelodeon’s Shimmer and Shine. Tyrick’s voice was heard singing background off-Broadway and around the world on Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships in John Tartaglia’s Imaginocean.  Although Tyrick’s passion is Acting, he particularly enjoys working with young, up-and-coming performers.

Emily Koch

Broadway Faculty - Voice and Acting

Emily Koch just finished a year and half long run with the Broadway Company and the First National Tour of Waitress. She was also seen on Broadway and on tour as Elphaba in Wicked from 2015-2017. Regional: Little Women (Palo Alto TheatreWorks), ValueVille (NYMF), In The Bones (APAC, World Premiere, and New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play). Workshops: iLLA! A Hip Hop Musical (O’Neil Center), The Tale of Despereaux (Universal Pictures/The Old Globe). Readings: Housewarming (NYMF), Luna (World Premiere), All The Walls (World Premiere), and Luna and the Gold River Docks. Carnegie Mellon Musical Theatre Class of 2013, youngARTS Finalist, and Interlochen Arts Camp and Academy alum.

Kara Lindsay

Broadway Faculty - Voice and Acting

Kara Lindsay has a BFA from Carnegie Mellon. Her Broadway credits include Wicked (Glinda), Newsies (Katherine, Original Cast and Fathom Events Film), and Beautiful (Cynthia Weil). National Tour credits include Wicked (Glinda) and Little House on the Prairie (Laura). Regional credits include Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse, Little House on the Prairie at The Guthrie, Mary Poppins at North Carolina Theatre, Cinderella at Kansas City Starlight, Cabaret at Kansas City Rep, and Lone Star Love at The 5th Avenue Theatre among others.

Kevin Massey

Broadway Faculty - Voice and Acting

Kevin Massey graduated from UNC Chapel Hill as a Music Major on the Pre-Med track. When a friend convinced him to move to NYC for one crazy year before going off to med school for 8-12 more years, he found himself on the European tour of GREASE! playing Doody and began to imagine a life in the theater. After making his Broadway debut in the Tony Nominated Sign Language Rival of Big River, he decided perhaps this is where his path should go for now. Since then, Kevin’s been in 3 more broadway shows, understudying and playing the leads in the original cast of TARZAN (Tarzan), Memphis (Huey), and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (Monty). He re-created Monty for the 1st National Tour of Gentleman's Guide, toured with Big River, and played Tarzan in german in the Hamburg production of TARZAN.
Kevin has originated lead roles in Bonnie and Clyde (Ted, Asolo Rep), Little House on the Prairie (Almanzo, Guthrie, Paper Mill, 1st National Tour), Three Musketeers (D’Artagnan, Chicago Shakespeare), Bella (Bonny Johnny/Snaggletooth, Playwrights Horizons), Grumpy Old Men (Jacob, Ogunquit), and The Rivals (Jack Absolute, Bristol Riverside Theater).  Check out his resume for a more complete list at www.kevinmassey.com