Wendy Bramlett (Director)
Wendy has enjoyed being in and directing theatre for the last 25+ years. She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University in Denton, where she worked in the theatre, music and dance departments, graduating with a B.A. in Acting. Since then she has had the opportunity to work extensively in the area. Ms. Bramlett is the 2013 winner of the North Texas Drama Teacher of the Year Award and the director of the Betty Buckley Nominated South Pacific, the Betty Buckley and DSMHSMTA nominated Thoroughly Modern Millie for which BNHS took home the award for Best Direction, the DSMHSMTA nominated Addams Family and the Betty Buckley nominated The Drowsy Chaperone. She would like to give a special thank you to all of the student crew heads and student directors for their hard work and dedication and to her fellow directors, she appreciates you making her crazy visions come to life! She would like to dedicate this performance to her support system of family and friends; she would be lost without you.
John Sikon (Music Director)
John Sikon is enjoying his twelfth year of directing choirs and musicals at Byron Nelson High School. “Godpell” was Mr. Sikon’s first experience directing musicals many years ago at Ranchview High School. He is especially excited to revisit this amazing music sixteen years later with his students here at Byron Nelson High School. Conducting the annual musical is one of his favorite times of the school year. Mr. Sikon’s choirs consistently earn Superior ratings at UIL Concert and Sight-Reading Contest. Aside from teaching, Mr. Sikon also performs as a soloist and a section leader for the sanctuary choir at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas. Mr. Sikon would like to thank his Byron Nelson fine arts colleagues and students for their dedication to this huge collaborative project. He would also like to thank all of the “Godspell” musicians for allowing him the opportunity to sit in front of them and conduct this wonderful music.
Lyndsey Rawls (Vocal Director)
Lyndsey Rawls is the Assistant Choir Director at Byron Nelson High School. This is her first year of teaching and first production with BNHS! During her collegiate career, Ms.Rawls was involved with many musical and opera productions with the A&M Commerce Music Department. She is excited to finally be a part of the Director’s crew as the Vocal Director for Godspell! Ms. Rawls is so thankful to get to share her first musical production as a director with the wonderfully talented musicians and actors in this show. She would also like to thank her fine arts colleagues for allowing her to help teach music to the cast. Break a leg, Godspellers!
James Hammer (Technical Director)
What show is best suited for a global pandemic? Seems a silly question, when you think about all that we’ve experienced in the last year, but when you look at creating something for “such a time as this,” there’s a great deal of thought that goes into that process. Every year (every normal year) we create so freely and invest so much time and energy in what we do… endless hours after school, little concern for our proximity to one another, no barriers between us. We find ourselves in such very different circumstances, that every aspect of our process has transformed. Godspell seemed such a good fit because it is light and fun, with a message of love and hope for a world in the grip of the most significant health crisis in a century. We have never needed a message like this more than we do now. I’m always amazed and thankful for my students’ passion and commitment, even more so in 2021. I’m thankful for my colleagues and the collaborative spirit we’ve nurtured over these years of working together. Mostly, I’m thankful for my wife, Christy, and for her patience and support through twenty years of this high school theatre experience.
McKenzie Graham (Assistant Technical Director)
McKenzie Graham is a Stephen F. Austin Alumni in their second year of teaching at Byron Nelson and Medlin. They have worked in costumes, hair and makeup ever since middle school and has had the pleasure of working costume crew for two touring Broadway shows coming through East Texas. Graham is very excited to be a part of Godspell as they have a history with the show and love every chance they get to be a part of it. Working with such talented kids is both inspiring and humbling and Graham wouldn't trade it for the world.
Samantha Howard (Choreographer)
Sam Howard is twenty-one years old and is attending Grand Canyon University to become an educator, and has been working with BNHS and NISD for about 4 years. Sam has been the choreographer for four NISD middle school musicals including Beauty and the Beast Jr., Mary Poppins Jr., Frozen Jr., and Shrek Jr. She has choreographed Byron Nelson High School’s production of Beauty and the Beast, The Drowsy Chaperone, and co-choreographed The Addams Family her senior year of high school alongside Vincent Donato, to which she was nominated for Best Choreography at the DSMHSMTA. She would like to thank her family, co-directors, and students for inspiring her and giving her the best opportunities and experiences she could ever hope for.
