Production Team

Neil Fickes – FOH Sound Engineer
Neil Fickes has been working in theatre and live entertainment for 11 years. He started his theatre career as a stagehand before transitioning to audio 5 years ago. Neil has worked all over the tri-state area with acts ranging from local bar bands to 70 piece orchestras. Some of Neil’s favorite acts to mix audio for have been Michelle Branch, American IdolJason Castro, and Bill Cosby.

Matthew V. Gotwalt – Company Show Manager
Matthew was born and raised not far from here in Spring Grove, PA. Growing up his interests included the arts, both visual and performing. Upon graduating from high school, Matthew attended Kutztown University graduating with a BFA in Communication Design and a minor in Theater. With his first professional theatre job, Matthew found his direction. He first worked as Stage Manager for The Commander Resorts in Ocean City, MD and from there he continued on to do a 6 month contract for Jean Ann Ryan Productions as a technician aboard the S.S.Norway.

Returning home from the high seas, Matthew worked for Rainbow Dinner theatre as Stage Manager. He was approached in early 1996 about an exciting opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new theater opening in Lancaster. Since then, Matthew has been Company Show Manager for every original in-house show (43 and counting) produced by AMT. Some AMT shows you will also see him collaborating on the Costume Design as well as Show Managing. He continues to be thankful and considers himself very blessed to be doing what he loves.

James Hall – Video Designer/Engineer
James has worked at AMT since The 2003 Christmas Show. He was born in Lancaster and graduated from Conestoga Valley High School. James moved to Florida in 2001 to attend Full Sail and graduated with a degree in 3D animation. He spent a year in Florida working in the video game industry until he moved back to Lancaster and started to work for American Music Theatre, right around the corner from where he grew up.

Vanessa Leuck – Costume Designer
Vanessa is a New York City based designer with over ten years experience designing costumes for regional and Off-Broadway theaters, dance concerts, universities, and touring productions. Some favorite designs include: Annie (Sierra Repertory Theatre), Little House on the Ferry (Off-Broadway), Woyzceck (Manhattan Theater Source) and Disney On Ice: Let’s Celebrate! (International tour). Ms. Leuck also enjoys volunteering her time to design costumes for benefits produced by Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids. In addition to design work she has assisted on several large-scale productions including: Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Broadway), Ringling Brothers Circus (5 touring productions), Disney Live! and with the Florida Grand and Santa Fe Opera companies. She holds an MFA in Costume Design from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Andrea McCormick ­- Artistic Director
Andrea is honored to reside as Artistic Director at American Music Theatre. As the creator of the Original Show season, Andrea writes, directs, choreographs and designs dynamic, large scale musical productions for audiences throughout the year. This season will mark 12 Original Shows she has created for AMT. Past shows include: Rocketmen – The Music of Billy Joel and Elton John, Broadway’s Best: The Music, Nashville City Limits, California Soul, Abbey Road – Beatles Tribute, Music of the Night – the Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber, The 2011 Christmas Show – Winter Wonderland, Country Classics and her most recent, American Icons – The Greatest Hit Makers of All Time. Andrea is proud to include local youth in her productions when possible and is passionate about creating an educational platform for young performers. She recently founded Broadway Studio Lancaster which provides a fun, safe atmosphere for youth to train in singing, acting and dancing at the highest professional level.

Prior to her work at AMT, Andrea held an Artistic Director position at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, NH where she developed and directed the largest youth program in the state. During her stay, Andrea mounted 2 full seasons of their professional Broadway series along with Artistic Director Carl Rajotte and founded the Palace Professional Theatre Camp for teens through a partnership with Chester College allowing teens to train while earning college credit.

Andrea is proud to have had the opportunity to spend most of her life on the stage. She has performed on and off Broadway as well as across the country with numerous productions after receiving her BFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Broadway and 1^st National Tour credits include The Wizard of Oz starring Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt (Grammy nominated recording) and Footloose (directed by Walter Bobbie) in which she originated the new role of Urleen on the 1^st National Tour. A career favorite for Andrea was working with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriting team Gamble and Huff, Lou Rawls and friend Anika Noni Rose on Me and Mrs. Jones, directed by Charles Randolph Wright. She made her Carnegie Hall debut as a featured soloist in Bernstein’s MASS and has had the privilege of performing alongside such legends as Mickey Rooney, Eartha Kitt, Melanie Griffith, Judith Light, Sandy Duncan and many more.

Along the way, Andrea produced several solo CDs including her acclaimed BROADWAY album which received rave reviews by New York theatre and music critics and has sold both nationally and internationally.

Andrea is proud to work with the talented team at American Music Theatre and is grateful for the opportunity to share her work with thousands of audience members throughout the year.

Daniel Radlbeck – Stage Manager
Daniel Radlbeck has been doing theatre for over 27 years in Lancaster County. He started his run in theatre with Fulton Opera House as an Usher at the Age of 13 and then that same year went to work back stage in the lighting department. He has worked as a Stage Manager for the various theatres, Co-Motion Theatre, EPAC, Theatre of The Seventh Sister, and Rainbow Dinner Theatre. Recently Dan served as the Production Stage Manager at Sight & Sound Theatre for 10 years.

In addition to Stage Managing he has designed sets and lighting for Rainbow Dinner Theatre and Co-Motion. He has also been in shows with Actors Company of Pennsylvania, EPAC, Co-Motion, and Rainbow Dinner Theatre. Dan has been on crew for Fulton Opera House, Actors Company of Pennsylvania, Co-Motion, Theatre of the Seventh Sister as well as Lancaster Opera Company.

Andy Roberts – Music Director/Arranger
Andy arrived at his approach to music and composition thru the absorption of musical styles from disparate eras. His influences range from jazz greats Fats Waller, Bud Powell, and Chick Corea to rockers like Professor Longhair and Rick Wakeman.

He grew up in Lebanon Pennsylvania and began playing professional gigs around the age of 14. Inspired by the challenges of jazz, Roberts attended Berklee College of Music, Boston Mass. graduating in 1989. He has since pursued a wide array of musical careers as a performer, arranger and music director.

Currently, Andy Roberts is the music-director for the American Music Theater in Lancaster Pa. and the Timbers Dinner Theater in Mt. Gretna Pa.

He also enjoys a career of gigging in various clubs around Central Pa and Philadelphia with some of PA’s finest musicians.

As a band leader, Roberts has lead and co-lead several different projects as vehicles for original music and arrangements. Current bands include The Four Piece Quartet and New World Parade.

He has been music-leader for Soul.Com a contemporary worship service at The Church of the Good Shepherd since 2000.

As an educator, Roberts teaches jazz-studies at Lebanon Valley College in Annville Pa. and works with the Music in the Schools program which presents introductory jazz and improvisation programs to Berks County schools.www.antigravmusic.com

Michael Smith – Visual Designer and Coordinator
Michael’s enthusiasm for visual arts began here at the American Music Theatre in 1998. Entering the company as a stage technician, Michael was presented new and varied opportunities to explore his passion for live entertainment, from scenic construction to video design. Michael earned a degree in Show Production from Full Sail University in Orlando FL. Soon after, he cofounded his own multimedia production company and has employed his skills in scores of theatrical productions, live concert events, private functions and a national tour. American Icons is Michael’s ninth AMT Original Show as Visual Designer. His most recent work was seen in Music of the Night, The 2011 AMT Christmas Show – Winter Wonderland and this season’s Country Classics. Michael is honored to be part of the highly creative and forward thinking production team at the American Music Theatre.

Sean Williams – Lighting Programmer/Board Operator
Sean is thrilled to join the AMT team as Light Board Programmer/Operator. Born and raised in Suffolk Virginia, Sean has been involved in theatre since childhood. After graduating high school, he attended Catawba College in Salisbury North Carolina, where he decided to pursue a career in lighting design and production. While in college Sean interned at New Dominion Pictures Studio in Suffolk Virginia, where he worked on television shows such as The FBI Files and A Haunting. Sean also spent three summers working at the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama in Manteo North Carolina, where he was promoted to the position of Master Electrician in his third summer. His design credits include Into the Woods with the Asheville Performing Arts Center, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama, as well as Urinetown! The Musical, Wind in the Willows, and A Christmas Carol at Catawba College. After earning his B.A. in Theatre Arts, Sean continued to work for his Alma Mata as a technician and designer, working with groups such as Billy Dean, The Glen Miller Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, and Corey Smith. Sean would like to thank his family for their continued and unconditional support as he pursues his dream of working in theatre and live entertainment.

Char Wilson – Scenic Artist
Char Wilson grew up in the great state of Texas. As a youth, she developed an interest in the arts–painting, sculpture, film, and theatre. Fortunately, while in high school, she became acquainted with a teacher who wanted to start a drama department. This was a life-changing event, as Ms. Wilson went on to study theatre craft, as well as fine art, and ultimately, graduated with a BFA in Theatre from UNLV.

While completing her studies at the university level, she had already begun working as a scenic artist for Rainbow Children’s Theater, New West Stage Company, and as a Dresser, Costumer, and Wardrobe Manager for IATSE Local 720, all in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nearly thirty years later, Ms. Wilson has worked as a performer, teacher, Scenic Artist, Costume Designer, Seamstress, Dresser, and Wardrobe Assistant for university and professional theatres, ballet companies, and opera companies all over the United States, as well as a vintage textile consultant for a Civil War museums in both Kansas and Missouri.

Ms. Wilson recently relocated to Lancaster, with her youngest daughter, Frances Louise.