BIOS

NAOMI EMMERSON (Actor/Producer/Designer/Director)  As an actor, Ms Emmerson has been working steadily in theatre and television for the past 19 years.  Born in Montreal and an art/music graduate of Concordia University (BFA), she began her singing career performing simultaneously with punk/pop band “Sons of the Desert” and studying bel canto style voice with Carmen Mehta and Barbara Lewis. She also sang in the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Ewan Edwards and Charles Dutoit. In theater, she has played lead roles in both drama, comedy, musicals and straight plays.  She originated the role of Joan of Arc in Jeanne: The Joan of Arc Musical Drama (Saidye Bronfman Centre), she played opposite Renee Lee in Nunsense II at The Centaur Theatre and toured with Robert Marien in Broadway Montreal. She has appeared in lead roles in theaters all over Ontario. Highlights include: The Crimson Veil (The Factory Theater), Snow White and the Group of Seven with Alen Frew and Sean Cullen (Elgin Theatre), Colors In The Storm (Theatre Aquarius, Orangeville Theatre), Dads!: The Musical (Lighthouse, Victoria Playhouse-Petrolia), Cowgirls (Georgian Theatre Festival, Victoria Playhouse-Petrolia), Nunsense (Ontario Tour), Cheatin’ Hearts (Lighthouse Theatre, Victoria Playhouse-Petrolia). While living in Toronto for 10 years, she took part in performance workshops for both The Mirvishes (Peggy Sue Got Married) and CanStage (Moll by Leslie Arden). She appeared with Matthew Broderick in Walt Disney's TV movie The Music Man where she also sang on the cast recording. Other film and TV credits include: The Tuxedo, Blizzard, The Man Who Saved Christmas, Monk and St. Ralph. She has appeared in many commercials, and has added her voice to Sailor Moon and other animation and commercial projects.  Ms. Emmerson’s directorial debut (outside of Piaf) was recently for Smile Theatre for Leslie Arden’s The Happy Prince. Ms. Emmerson lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, Jazz recording artist, Jake Langley. Together they own Tone Poet Productions LLC (www.tonepoetproductions.com) a multi-disciplinary creative company involved in Music, Theatre and Film production.  www.naomiemmerson.com

ROGER PEACE    (playwright) Has been a Producer, director, writer, choreographer, actor, lecturer for the past 45 years.  He has served on several board of directors including the Quebec Drama Federation, Youth Theatre as well as charitable community organizations.  He has lectured at Concordia University, Quebec Drama Festival, The Acting Circle in such subjects as audition and musical theatre. He owns and operates Roger Peace Enterprises/ Allstar Talent Management, a production company/ talent agency, which has produced theatre in Canada and the US, doing all aspects of touring, booking, payroll, etc. He has written and directed Geraldine Doucet in Red Hot Mama: Songs and Stories of Sophie Tucker, Patsy Galant and Naomi Emmerson in Piaf: Love Conquers All, and Renee Lee in White Gardenia: The New Billie Holiday Musical.  He also directed Jeanne: The Joan of Arc Musical at the Saidye Bronfman Center.

ADAM BLANSHAY  (Associate Director)  has been involved with Piaf: Love Conquers All since its  award-winning run at New York's International Fringe Festival in 2007, and is thrilled to be bringing the show to Canada's West Coast. His directing credits include- off-Broadway: Piaf: Love Conquers All (SoHo Playhouse),The Black Monk (Theatre Row/Beckett Theatre), The Second Tosca (45th Street Theatre), Clean (Urban Stages), A Woman of Will (Daryl Roth Theatre); Opera: La Bohème, Tosca (Regina Opera, Brooklyn NY), Le Nozze di Figaro (Modus Opera, NYC), Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Le Médecin Malgré Lui (IVAI, Tel Aviv). Adam also directed the most recent Montreal revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita (Moyse Hall, McGill). His producing credits include Scott Nevins' hit off-Broadway comedy show One Night Stand, and RECE$$IONI$TA, which is currently touring North America. Adam just finished producing Daniel MacIvor's His Greatness at the 2009 New York International Fringe Festival. He is a graduate of McGill University.