WHO'S WHO IN THE CAST

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Kimberly Eilian
Producer / Director / Teacher

Kim is delighted to be opening our second branch of Little Barn in NYC after 4 years of developing the program in the Hamptons. Kim's specialty is her style and philosophy of teaching dance that is accessible and fun for the very young to teen age students. Starting at the young age of four, Kim has followed a lifelong pursuit of performing arts and theatre. After first visiting NYC with her theatre troupe from University of California Irvine, Kim was smitten with the big city and never left (her first thought upon arriving in an NYC taxi cab from JFK: “Wow, this is just like the TV show Taxi!”). After college and two musical theatre Bus and Truck Tours across the Midwest and countless dance, singing and acting classes in NYC, Kim decided it was time to settle down into a teaching career, specifically teaching children. Her first teaching job was in a little dance cabin at a sleep away camp in the Adirondacks, which she now recognizes as the beginning inspiration for Little Barn and now our beautiful studio in NYC. Kim’s notable teaching jobs include “Darien Dance Center,” “The Dance School” (her own studio), and summer camp/after school programs at “Children’s Aid Society'' in Harlem and after school program at Cademon School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where she perfected her strictly musical theatre teaching style and method. Kim would like to thank her husband, Kevin, and two boys, Jerome and Lewie, for their continued support, love and inspiration. She would also like to thank her other true love and muse: the happy, beautiful children that come alive in class and on stage doing classical musical theatre. She hopes that Little Barn will inspire her own kids and the children of New York City and Hamptons to pursue performance, become artists, and find joyful encouragement through the magic of musical theatre.

Hal Miers

Hal is excited to be returning for his fifth season at Little Barn in the Hamptons and now NYC!

Hal teaches dance, acting and voice coaching and the children love him!

At only 6 years old, Hal performed in a production of “Miracle on 34th Street'' and has been singing and dancing ever since.

He is a proud member of Actors Equity and Screen Actors Guild and a graduate with an MFA in Acting from Columbia University.

Hal also enjoys writing (particularly with his left hand) and enjoys doing stand-up comedy. Some of his favorite theatre credits include: Frankenstein (Off-Broadway), A Little More Alive, His Girl Friday (Barrington Stage Company), The Sound of Music (National Tour), Chicago, Pride and Prejudice (Hangar Theatre), Fiddler On The Roof (PA Shakespeare Festival), and Grease (La Commedia Dinner Theatre). Television credits include “As The World Turns” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Hal would like to thank Kim for this wonderful opportunity in the Hamptons and now NYC!

Violet Tzu-Hsuan Wang

Violet is delighted to return to Little Barn for her fourth season and very excited about the NYC opening.

Her special talent with teaching children is her ability to follow the kids and turn anything into a charming musical theatre arrangement, as well as introducing kids to more sophisticated musical theatre songs in a playful way.

Born and raised in Taiwan, Violet began her training in classical music at the age of 4, starting with piano.

She later approached the cello, which became her inseparable companion. She received her BFA in Music from the National Taiwan Normal University with a major in cello and a minor in piano.

She also studied composition and percussion for a couple years amongst her time there.

During her freshman year, a musical theatre workshop held in Taipei majorly sparked her curiosity for acting, ultimately leading her to move to the Big Apple to explore the wonder of the theatre.

After two years of expert training at Circle in the Square Theatre School’s Musical Theatre program, Violet is now professionally performing and teaching in New York City. She also has a great passion for classical drama, including Shakespeare, as well as exploring accents and dialects of speech. Violet is currently an Artist-In-Residence at the Titan Theatre Company with credits including “An Iliad” and “Radio Play Series: The Thin Man” as well as being a concert cellist for The Chelsea Symphony.

Some of Violet’s other favorite credits include “Twelfth Night: The Musical Adaptation” (Feste, Clocktower Players), Oscar Wilde’s “An Ideal Husband” (Mrs. Cheveley), and “Romeo and Juliet” (Lady Capulet, Titan Theatre Company). Notable stages include Joe’s Pub, Irvington Town Hall, 54 Below, Circle in the Square Theatre, and The Triad.

Jo Armstrong

Jo is thrilled to be coming back after her second season in the Hamptons and joining us in our NYC Studio.

Originally from Kansas, Jo first discovered her love of theatre, at age 12, while playing a Pink Lady in Grease. She spent many summers performing at regional theatres before moving to New York to pursue her dreams! Jo recently graduated from Manhattan School of Music with a degree in Musical Theatre and is now working professionally as a singer and actress in the city. Some of her favorite credits include Saraghina (Nine), Morticia (The Addams Family), Spiker (James and the Giant Peach), and Casey (First Date). Notable stages include Carnegie Hall, Kauffman Performing Arts Center, Starlight Theatre, and Riverside Theatre.

Jo has always loved working with children and feels most inspired around young, creative minds! She is trained in music education and childhood development and is passionate about the importance of music and storytelling in children’s lives.

Rebecca Carroll

Rebecca is SO excited that Little Barn is opening in NYC after her first amazing summer in the Hamptons.

Rebecca is a New York City based actress, singer, and dancer originally from Lenexa, KS. Her love for performing was fostered from the age of 2.5 when she began taking dance lessons as a reward for potty training. She sang the ever-fitting, “Born to Entertain,” in her first musical audition at age 12 and the rest was history. She went on to earn her BFA in Musical Theatre from Texas Christian University. Since graduating, she has signed with Dave Secor at the Daniel Hoff agency and performed professionally in numerous regional and touring productions.

Rebecca also has a passion for working with children! She has taught dance/theatre classes and camps in Fort Worth, TX as well as New York, NY and nannies for some incredible families when she is not auditioning.

She knows how important it is to support and encourage self-expression from a very young age and looks forward to aiding the next generation in their journey.

Selected performance credits include Peggy in 42nd Street (Theatre TCU), Universal Swing for A Charlie Brown Christmas (Gershwin Entertainment), Maggie in A Chorus Line (Ponte Vedra Concert Hall), Chava in Fiddler on the Roof (Theatre TCU), and Janet in The Rocky Horror Show (Maine State Music Theatre.)

Elizabeth Wyld

Elizabeth Wyld is a Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, actress and teaching artist.

She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory and continues her training now with Joan Rosenfels and Matt Farnsworth, two of the most sought after teachers worldwide.

Wyld has a strong passion for the voice and specifically its connection to the body as an instrument. She and is currently working toward a master’s degree in speech language pathology.

As a singer and songwriter her music has been featured in Forbes, Broadway World, and The Advocate. Her sophomore album Delicate Creatures was released in October 2023.

Wyld has a deep love for children and her experience as a Little Barn teaching artist over the past few years has been tremendously rewarding. She also grew up attending Musical Theatre camps and after-school program that left her with cherished memories she’ll never forget. She hopes to impart this love for music, theatre, and movement into every student she works with.

Alex Schecter

Alex is a NYC based singer, actor, and writer from Long Island, and is so very excited to be joining the team in NYC, after his first summer in the Hamptons!

At 8 years old, Alex discovered a love for music and theatre in an elementary school play and went on to perform and study the arts throughout middle and high school. Having developed his love for music and theatre at an early age through education, Alex believes training in, and exposure to, the arts is essential for growing minds.

Alex graduated from Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music with a degree in Vocal Musical Arts, and has been performing professionally in NYC since! Some favorite credits include The Office Musical (Off Broadway, Jerry Orbach Theatre), Anne Frank (Off Broadway, Actors Temple Theatre), and The Little Mermaid (Bellmore Theatre). Recent television credits include The Time Traveler’s Wife (HBO) and Final Moments (Oxygen). Additionally, Alex is currently in post-production for Sunny Achers, a television sitcom pilot he co-wrote and stars in!

Jason Belanger

Jason (he/him) is an NYC-based music director, pianist, and arranger originally from Fayetteville, NY. He has worked and lived in dozens of cities, states, and countries over the years, and he is so excited to be joining the Little Barn NYC team!

Ever since he started playing piano and singing at age 5, Jason knew he loved music and wanted to make it a part of his life. After singing in choir, performing in musicals, and honing his skills at the piano, he spent his high school years performing with a professional theater in Syracuse, NY, before pursuing a Drama degree at Hofstra University.

After graduating and taking jobs everywhere from California to NYC, he eventually made his way to Scotland where he recently graduated with a Masters in Music Direction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. His favorite credits include Little Women (MD/Conductor; Edinburgh Fringe), The Muny’s 101st Season (music intern), Spamalot (Keys 2/Assoc. Conductor; 6th National Tour), and Into the Woods (MD/Pianist; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland).

Outside of his music work, Jason loves working with kids of all ages as a private tutor, working on academic support, test prep, and executive functioning skills in a fun and positive environment. Jason loves the excitement and joy that kids bring to everything they do and looks forward to helping them grow artistically at Little Barn!

The teachers are wonderful role models for my kids. My son and daughter always learn so much. This is truly their favorite class!

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