BOOK & LYRICS

ROGER ALLERS is the director of one of the most successful films of all time, “The Lion King”. Following that he wrote the Tony-nominated book for the Broadway adaption of his film. During his 16 years at Disney, Roger developed story for such films as “Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”. He has also directed the feature films “Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet” as well as “Open Season” for Sony. Roger earned an Academy Award nomination for his direction of the Disney short “The Little Match Girl”. He returns to Broadway as lyricist and writer with his original musical “The Grasshopper”.

MUSIC

GENARO PEREIRA is a concert pianist and composer, born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. As a young man he performed for President Nelson Mandela and simultaneously set the “Guinness Book of Records” record for the world’s highest piano performance atop Cathkin Peak. He composes in various styles for films such as those in the “Re:voir” catalogue and as an inter-disciplinary artist also for his own films that were shown at the “Cannes Film Festival” Shorts Corner. During his 15 years in Paris he worked at among other places the prestigious “Schola Cantorum” and also created and performed in various original theatre pieces such as at the “Avignon Theatre Festival”. As a soloist he performs the virtuoso piano repertoire regularly on three continents, although he has the special privilege of sharing his music with Zimbabwe. He is based in Los Angeles and Lisbon and is cross-fertilizing his Baroque music influences with his dramatic and lyrical sensibilities to create a new sound for the Broadway stage in “The Grasshopper”.

DIRECTOR

SCOTT SCHWARTZ is an internationally acclaimed director whose work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in major theaters across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. He directed Broadway’s Golda’s Balcony and Jane Eyre (co-directed with John Caird), and helmed Off-Broadway productions including Bat Boy: The Musical, tick, tick…BOOM!, Murder for Two, and Kafka’s The Castle, earning multiple Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk nominations. He directed the U.S. premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame at La Jolla and Paper Mill Playhouse, later restaged in Japan, Germany, and Austria. In London, his credits include The Prince of Egypt on the West End and tick… BOOM! at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Internationally, he directed The Ghost and the Lady and The Bells of Notre Dame for Japan’s Shiki Theatre Company, and a newly revised Big Fish at the Seoul Arts Center in Korea. His recent world premieres include Double Helix (Bay Street Theater), The Prince of Egypt (Silicon Valley and Denmark), and Séance on a Wet Afternoon at New York City Opera. He has also directed at leading U.S. regional theaters including the Old Globe, Geffen, Goodman, Signature, and Denver Center. A Harvard graduate, Schwartz is Artistic Director of Bay Street Theater and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

COSTUME & PUPPET DESIGN

MICHAEL CURRY is helming The Grasshopper’s unique and innovative production design. Curry is a leader in entertainment and attractions worldwide, renowned for creating some of the most iconic forms of puppetry, set design, and spectacle. The company's in-house design and production teams consist of over 50 highly specialized artists, designers, technical consultants, and fabricators. Michael Curry Design is celebrated for its innovative and spectacular staging and design on Broadway, particularly for "The Lion King" and "Frozen," which earned Michael two Tony Awards. Additionally, he has designed for other Broadway shows including "Beetlejuice," "The Grinch," "Young Frankenstein," and "Spamalot." Continuously innovating, the company integrates new technologies with traditional theatrical techniques to craft the world’s most exemplary entertainment experiences.

PRODUCING PARTNER

ANTHONY TRINGALI is a producer specializing in development of film and theater. As an independent producer, Tringali is helming feature film adaptations of major IPs “Bendy & the Ink Machine” and “Geronimo Stilton,” and a stage adaptation of “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” Tringali was formerly Head of Development for industry icon Ted Field, and a Founding Member of the Walt Disney Family Foundation. He graduated with honors from the prestigious School of Cinematic Arts at USC.