2022- I Wish My Life Were Like a Musical

Meet the Cast

Woman #1

Susan Brownfield is an Honors Graduate of the University of Oregon School of Music (USA) where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree. She later completed her Master’s degree at Boston’s New England Conservatory (USA). Susan began her career when she joined the Broadway tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I working with entertainment veterans Hayley Mills and Marie Osmond. Susan spent two seasons with Utah Festival Opera (USA) where she performed the role of Liat in South Pacific and Isabelle/Madeline in Mollicone’s The Face on the Barroom Floor. She spent three seasons at The Saco River Theatre Company in Maine, USA, performing the roles of Claire in David Auburn’s Proof, Betty Lou Spence in The IT Girl, and Woman #3 in And, The World Goes ‘Round. In addition to theatre, Susan has also appeared in film and television.

Read more about Lea Oxley here.

Woman #2

Luke Champion graduated from Rolle College with a BA in Theatre and Performance. Thereafter he worked with Empty Space Theatre on a range of workshops for Arts festivals in South West England. He went to the Edinburgh fringe with Lusty Juventus' Ceremonial Kisses and worked as a performer, writer and producer for Moving Parts Theatre Company in Madrid and toured around Spain. Luke has worked widely in schools doing Theatre in Education projects and undertook his Masters based on this work. He then taught at the Manchester Metropolitan University where he developed a range of pedagogical approaches based on the work of Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed.

Man #1

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Daniel Steiner studied dancing with various teachers at schools in Switzerland, Europe and the USA (David Howard/New York, Damara Bennett/San Francisco, Yvette Bernasconi/Zug, René Fürstenfeld/Zurich, etc.) and singing at various teachers in Switzerland (Gabriela Tanner at Academy of Contemporary Music Zurich, classical voice with Anneliese Fackler and Andreas Baumberger. Daniel appeared in various Dance Performances as dancer and choreographer and in a number of musicals. He played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, the Wolf in lnto the Woods, Bill Sikes in Oliver!, different parts in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!, Charles J. Guiteau in Assassins, Anatoly Sergievsky in CHESS, Max Detweiler and Captain Georg von Trapp in The Sound of Music, the cat in Honk, Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden and more. He performs as a soloist with various groups and bands, and gives concerts accompanied by pianists in various styles (classical, jazz, musical and chanson).

Man #2

Meet the Team

Director

Richard Brown is the president of the Basel English Panto and has produced and directed numerous musicals and plays spanning decades. Some of the productions include RENT, Beauty and the Beast, Young Arthur, Shadow Box and Harold Pinter's Night, Top Girls, Jerry Springer is God and Zoo Story just to name a few. With Grassroot's Theatre, Richard produced Side by Side by Sondheim. In addition to directing and producing, Richard has appeared in numerous plays as an actor. No stranger to stage management, Richard has also worked behind the scenes for the Yardbird Theatre, the Semi-Circle, and for the Vagina Monologues. A man capable of wearing many hats, Richard also plays the bass guitar in several bands in the Basel area.

Update: Richard Brown passed away suddenly on July 3rd, 2022. The director's role has been taken over by Susan Brownfield.

Musical Director

Nikos Ibarra Mante discovered acting and theatre at an early age when he was cast in several children's theatre productions. He later went on to perform in operas and zarzuelas in his home country of the Philippines. He worked as a rehearsal pianist and orchestra musician for a Manila production of The Sound of Music. He earned his Master's Degree in Music and Choral Conducting with a Concentration in Piano at the University of the Philippines College of Music. During his university years, he played with the Philippine Youth Orchestra and the University Chamber Orchestra, as well as the University Choir. Before moving to Basel in 2012, Nikos was a high school music teacher. Currently, he serves as a choir conductor for three choirs in the Dreiländer region. In addition to his choral conducting, Nikos plays in a band. He is very excited to be involved in this production.

Guitarist

Italian musician and composer Cesare Di Leo studied classical guitar in Messina and played for many years in several bands known for their versatility in playing different musical styles. The bands became well-known in the local music scene. While in Italy, Cesare wrote music for several school plays and became a member of S.I.A.E. (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) working as a lyricist and music composer. In 1996, an original composition written by Cesare was selected for the final phase of the “VOCI NUOVE” national contest in Castrocaro Terme. The composition won 1st prize at a national contest in Genova and was included in a compilation distributed in Italy and abroad by NV Records. From 2006 to 2012, Cesare lived in Warsaw, working as musician and composer for several bands and projects. Some of these projects included working as a musician in comedy shows and vocal classes, playing on National TV (promotional video for Cannes Film Festival and Theme songs for TV programs), and for Insurance and Pharmaceutical companies (promotional/recreational videos). Cesare has been active since 2012 in the Basel music scene with various projects, interacting with musicians, and playing cover in addition to original songs in concerts and events.

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Choreographer

Amparo Uhlmann has been an actress, singer, and choreographer for many years. She hails from Basel but calls Spain home, as well. Amparo trained at the Balletschule Theater Basel and also Basel Dance Academy. Recent productions include El Rey Leon-El Tributuo with OnBeat Productions in Spain. She has also worked locally with Armando Braswell here in Basel, Switzerland. In addition to her work in Spain, she was recently seen in several productions in Hamburg, Germany.

Technical Director

Ash Chumber received his education at Loughborough University in design engineering. He has designed and constructed numerous stage productions throughout the years. While in the UK, he worked at Film 4 on the technical design team for the film After the Coronation. In addition to film, Ash worked on various theatre productions which included, Archangels Don't Play Pinball, Female Transport, Safe Safe Sponsored by Durex, Birdland, and Cabaret. After moving to Basel, Ash began working with the Basel English Panto Group as a set designer and construction manager. Some notable productions include Cinderella, Treasure Island, and Young Arthur.

Stage Manager

Scott Holland has been performing since he was a young boy. Originally from the Boston area in the US, Scott graduated with a degree in theatre at the University of Washington, Seattle. He went on to work in the vibrant Seattle Fringe theatre scene and start a small theatre company with his friends there until he moved back to Boston, Massachusetts in 2002. Scott has been involved in almost every Basel English Panto ever since moving to Switzerland in 2007, from performing in principal roles to assistant directing. He has also assistant stage managed the premiere of the original rock opera Test for Happyville Productions in 2016. Scott was last seen acting onstage in Edward Albee's Zoo Story (2016) as well as in the production of True Colors as Socrates Woody Allen's My Apology in 2015 (both produced by the Semi-Circle English theatre club here in Basel).

Scott teaches drama and acting classes for young people. He hopes to write and direct his own play and produce it locally in Basel.