Here are some of the movers and shakers involved in our upcoming shows:
Rick Batalla
Rick Batalla (Writer – CHiPS THE MUSICAL) Rick grew up with the cop shows of the ‘70’s, and since his only other friend at that time was his harpsichord, the pairing of music and cop shows seemed natural to him. Some of the other cop musicals Rick has done are Barnaby Jones is Jed!, Telly Like It Is, and the Robert Blake musical entitled Blake…Da Musical, which won the Ovation Award for Best Musical. Rick studied and performed at The Second City, and founded Upfront Comedy in Santa Monica. He has been a writer for TBS, NBC, and CBS.
Henry Phillips (Writer – CHiPS THE MUSICAL) has been seen performing his twisted songs and stories on Comedy Central, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and NBC’s Late Friday. His nationally released CDs, fusing mellow folk-rock ballads with psychopathic lyrics have earned him mention in Billboard magazine’s ‘Critic’s Choice’, as well as acclaim from such notable artists as Moby, who referred to Phillips’ songs as “disconcertingly funny”. His first collaboration with Rick Batalla, the acclaimed Blake…Da Musical earned the Ovation Award for Best New Musical.
Matt Walker (Director – CHiPS THE MUSICAL) has trained with Second City Improvisation, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The San Francisco Mime Troupe, Master Clown Bill Irwin, and is a graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College. After a short stint as a circus clown with The Greatest Show on Earth, Matt returned to Los Angeles and resumed his post as Artistic Director for Troubadour Theater Company. Matt serves as an adjutant professor of Commedia dell’arte and clowning for the University Southern California, and has written and directed shows for Universal Studios Theme Parks, The Getty Villa, and most recently collaborated as a writer on Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day.
Matt Walker
Troubadour Theater Company is celebrating its fifteenth year of laughs. Los Angeles’ renowned ensemble of actors, comedians and musicians has performed throughout southern California since 1995. Their fast-paced, laugh-filled “adaptations” of classic plays, as well as their original works and hilarious sketch material, make Troubadour a unique and exciting experience for theater-goers of any age. The company is a Not-for-Profit organization and has performed charitably for many causes including animal conservation, adult rehabilitation, AIDS awareness, California Literacy Night for LAUSD, Children with Autism and other youth programs. Past productions at the Falcon Theatre include: Oedipus the King, Mama!; Frosty the Snow Manilow; As U2 Like It; A Charlie James Brown Christmas; JACKson FROST; Much Adoobie Brothers About Nothing; Little Drummer Bowie; Hamlet, the Artist Formerly Known as Prince of Denmark; Santa Claus is Comin’ to Motown; It’s a Stevie Wonderful Life; OthE.L.O. and Alice in One-Hit-Wonderland 1 & 2. In addition to the Falcon, Troubadour has performed at the Getty Villa, Hollywood’s Ford Amphitheatre and Matrix Theatre, Santa Monica’s Miles Playhouse, LA Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts, Garden Grove Theater Center, the Long Beach Carpenter Center, the Ojai Shakespeare Festival, the San Francisco Fringe Festival, the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Australia) and in Hailey, Idaho, in conjunction with Company of Fools at the Liberty Theatre. The Troubies were recently honored with 12 Ovation Award nominations for their productions of Alice in One-Hit-Wonderland 2: Through the Looking Glass, As U2 Like It and It’s a Stevie Wonderful Life, walking away with three awards for Best Director of a Musical, Best Costume Design and Best Season.
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