Mandy Gonzalez

Brian Loeffler

This semester, PTW presents a revolutionary pairing: Song Interpretation featuring Broadway veteran and devoted educator Brian Loeffler alongside an exclusive PTW masterclass featuring Hamilton star Mandy Gonzalez.*

Students who enroll in Mandy’s masterclass Your Voice, Your Story: Bonding vocal technique and dramatic interpretation to create truthful performance, will have the opportunity to prepare select songs from Mandy’s Broadway performances during Brian’s song interpretation semester class.

This first-of-its-kind course pairing offers students a three-dimensional understanding of different ways their voices and lived experiences might emerge across a range of repertoire from Broadway smash-hits that have featured Mandy’s critically-acclaimed vocal performances, including Wicked, Aida, Hamilton and In the Heights.

*Students will explore Mandy’s Broadway performance repertoire during the first half of the semester, and a new master TBD during the second half.

Course at a glance

Students attending Brian’s song interpretation semester class will first observe and absorbed Mandy’s performances, as well as pivotal performances from select masters of stage and screen, then choose specific songs they’d like to prepare for their own performance during Mandy’s masterclass session.

With one-on-one instruction from Brian, they’ll dig into a close reading of the lyric, explore their own phrasing tendencies related to vocal technique and artistic expression; receive personalized feedback on their dramatic choices emerging from skill and intuition; and hone a performance- ready song with a sharp focus on truthful storytelling. As they work together with Brian and their fellow students to achieve their next-level performance of a selection from Mandy’s extensive Broadway performance repertoire, they’ll adopt new skills for showcase and critical response from Mandy herself during her masterclass slated for Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020.

We will explore the distinctions among inspiration, emulation and imitation, and how each acts as a tool for emerging professionals to find their own voice. Each student will establish and refine their own interpretation of their semester songs, one that’s unique to their personality, style and artistic vision.

Meet Brian

For more than 25 years, Brian Loeffler has served the PTW faculty as a director, choreographer and instructor of acting, song interpretation, character study and audition technique. He currently serves as Chair of the Musical Theatre Department. His commitment to professional preparation, individualized instruction, and creating a non- competitive learning environment positions him as a leading expert in trusted, meaningful performing arts education. more

Brian's long list of credits include the Broadway production of Grease! (starring Rosie O’Donnell) where he served as Dance Captain, and national/international tours including Bye, Bye, Birdie (starring Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking), West Side Story (Riff) and Oklahoma! (Will Parker – 50th Anniversary Production). His regional directing and/or choreographing productions include Jerry Springer – The Opera, Urinetown:The Musical (Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award and After Dark Award for Choreography), Pirates of Penzance, Grease!, Disney’s Aladdin, A Chorus Line, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Anything Goes, Damn Yankees, The Wizard of Oz, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Wit and Wisdom of Will’s Women: A Shakespeare Celebration (which he conceived and co-created) and Big River including appearances at the Mercury Theater in Chicago, Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Carousel Dinner Theatre in Ohio, Seaside Shakespeare Festival in Nantucket and Milford Theatre in Pennsylvania. Brian is a member of both The Actors’ Equity Association and The Screen Actors Guild and most recently performed in The Taming of the Shrew at the New York Fringe Festival. Brian is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and resides in

Participant Information

Exploring the Masters meets Saturdays during the PTW fall semester. Song Interp classes group by age and level; each class is limited to 12 students. All those performing in Mandy’s masterclass or participating in Brian’s course must audition or receive recommendation from PTW Executive Artistic Director Dean Kravitz.

PTW strongly recommends taking Studying The Masters semester class and Engaging with the Masters in tandem, to optimize critical performance enrichment and personal development, but both courses are also available separately.

Course tuition for Studying with the Masters

Song Interpretation Semester Class:
$515 for 10 classes, 75 minutes per class
Saturdays: Sep 26, Oct 3,10, 17, 24, Nov 14, 21, Dec 5, 12, 19.
Class times based on student age and level.

Tuition for Engaging with the Masters:
$395 for Mandy Gonzalez masterclass
November 15, 2020, 1:00-3:30pm
Register Online

One-on-one with Dean

PTW Executive Artistic Director Dean Kravitz will observe students’ individual performances and synthesizing of expert feedback from Brian and Mandy throughout the semester. He’ll meet individually with each student who enrolls in both offerings (and their parent, if parent wishes to participate) to ensure they contextualize their growth and set new goals for upcoming semesters. Additionally, he’ll clearly communicate student breakthroughs to their PTW private instructors for performance enrichment and future development of their craft.

Lori Alan

Pro-Track Meets the Growing Need for Voice Talent 

Elite performers are adapting to remote opportunities using one unique and versatile asset:  their voice. Voiceover work is thriving. Talented young performers are benefiting. PTW has taken note. Our students are already receiving callbacks for voice roles. PTW’s elite training amps up their chances of not only landing the audition but booking the gig.

This semester, we’re preparing serious students to command the evolving voice over landscape —  from their own living rooms — with critical guidance from expert PTW faculty and guest presenters who specialize in booking voiceovers.

Pro-Track Voiceover Intensive Series

Through a five-part Voiceover Intensive Masterclass Series within PTW’s constructive and nurturing  environment, Voiceover (VO) experts will ensure students adopt skills and strategies they need for booking  the gig. **The series includes a tech prep ahead of the first session, so each student can work  one-on-one with PTW’s online tech crew and everyone feels prepared and pumped.**

Course at a glance

Did you know you already have everything — and everyone — you need swimming around inside you to create characters that are original, dynamic and authentic? Together with Lori, you’ll unlock your imagination and engage your improv skills to create and develop your cast of one-of-a-kind characters. Her tips, strategies and experiential wisdom will help you feel confident whether you’re auditioning or on the job.

Meet Lori

Actor, writer and producer Lori Alan started talking as soon as she fell out of the womb, and hasn't stopped. A DC-area native, she made her TV debut starring in a Shakey's Pizza commercial. After graduating from NYU's Tisch, she cut her comedic teeth as a longtime member of New York's Gotham City Improv (Groundlings East). Recently honored by her peers at the First Annual Voice Arts Awards (the Academy Awards for Voice-Overs), Lori placed first in Outstanding Body Of Work and Outstanding National Television Commercial. She starred as Diane Simmons on Family Guy; Pearl the Whale on SpongeBob SquarePants; Sue Richards, The Invisible Woman on Marvel Comics’ The Fantastic Four; and The Boss in the Metal Gear Solid video game trilogy. She's proud to be a part of the Pixar Family, voicing iconic characters in Wall-e, Monsters University, Toy Story 3 & 4, Despicable Me, Minions and Inside Out.

Lori has firm roots in theatre, where she's thrived for more three decades. She mounted a smash solo show, Lori Alan: The Musical, and Backstage West proclaimed, “Lori Alan might give Carol Burnett pause!” Noted on-screen TV roles include appearances on Ray Donovan, Comedy Central’s Workaholics and Desperate Housewives, as well as Bones, Southland, CSI, 90210, Grey's Anatomy and Law and Order.

Lori is a celebrity supporter of the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) a national nonprofit organization working to end the use of animals for food through public education and grassroots activism. Her other hobbies include singing in the shower — or anywhere for that matter — discovering new gluten-free cookies and trying to switch to decaf.

Voiceover Intensive Series 
Session 1: Lori Alan
Sunday, October 4, 2020

Voice over talent: Pearl Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants, 
Toy Story 3 & 4, Inside Out

The Many Voices of Lori:
Pearl  —  SpongeBob SquarePants
Diane  — Family Guy
Bonnie’s Mom — Toy Story 3 & 4
Sue Richards — Fantastic Four
Get Those Voices Out of Your Head and Into the Microphone

Daisy Hobbs
Voiceover Commercials/Upright Citizens Brigade

Pro-Track Meets the Growing Need for Voice Talent

Elite performers are adapting to remote opportunities using one unique and versatile asset: their voice. Voiceover work is thriving. Talented young performers are benefiting. PTW has taken note. Our students are receiving callbacks for voice roles and booking gigs! PTW’s elite training amps up the chances of not only landing the audition but booking the gig.

This semester, we’re preparing serious students to command the evolving voiceover landscape — from their own living rooms — with critical guidance from expert PTW faculty and guest presenters who specialize in booking voiceovers.

Pro-Track Voiceover Intensive Series

Through a five-part Voiceover Intensive Masterclass Series within PTW’s constructive and nurturing environment, Voiceover (VO) experts will ensure students adopt skills and strategies they need for booking the gig. **The series includes a tech prep ahead of the first session, so each student can work one-on-one with PTW’s online tech crew and everyone feels prepared and pumped.**

Course at a glance

While on-camera casting is on the back burner now, demand for VO talent is soaring. You’ve got the goods. You need the skills, knowledge and technique to compete in today’s voiceover landscape. Join professional VO actor and Broadway veteran Daisy Hobbs who’ll provide industry tools, tips and proven strategies to get you talking and booking across today’s broadcasting, streaming, gaming and audible-ing scene.

Meet Daisy

Daisy Hobbs is a New York-based writer, performer, comedian and versatile voice actor. She is the creator and star of the popular musical web series “Outcast” and is the first African-America woman to write, direct, produce, compose and star in a musical digital series. In addition to voice work, Daisy specializes in music video parody writing, comedy songwriting and topical jokes. She is a classically-trained actor who enjoys writing & playing a wide range of characters. As a voice over artist, Daisy has booked numerous, currently running national commercials. She appears in the new SyFy channel animated series “Magical Girl Friendship Squad” starring Christine Baranski. As a comic performer, Daisy performs at the world famous Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (co-founded by Amy Poehler of “SNL” and “Parks & Recreation”) and transfers many of her comedic skills and strategies to booking multi-platform voice work. Her theatre credits include prominent roles in the original cast of Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway and the first national tour of Memphis, among many other professional and regional productions.

Inside the Series

Each Voiceover Intensive session offers Pro-Track students unique structure, skillset and insight into the world of contemporary voice work. Proper understanding and synthesizing of VO best practices positions emerging performers to become seasoned pros faster than you can binge the new season of “Stranger Things.” PTW’s Voiceover Intensive provides Pro-Track students critical skills and strategies for becoming a VO powerhouse in the streaming age.

Allie Silber
Rachel Reiss

Pro-Track Meets the Growing Need for Voice Talent

Elite performers are adapting to remote opportunities using one unique and versatile asset: their voice. Voiceover work is thriving. Talented young performers are benefiting. PTW has taken note. Our students are receiving callbacks for voice roles and booking gigs! PTW’s elite training amps up the chances of not only landing the audition but booking the gig.

This semester, we’re preparing serious students to command the evolving voiceover landscape — from their own living rooms — with critical guidance from expert PTW faculty and guest presenters who specialize in booking voiceovers.

Pro-Track Voiceover Intensive Series

Through a five-part Voiceover Intensive Masterclass Series within PTW’s constructive and nurturing environment, Voiceover (VO) experts will ensure students adopt skills and strategies they need for booking the gig. **The series includes a tech prep ahead of the first session, so each student can work one-on-one with PTW’s online tech crew and everyone feels prepared and pumped.**

Course at a glance

Allie and Rachel will share tips on how to best approach a role from the script to the audition, how to deliver what the project needs whether it is a commercial or animation, and some tech tips. By the end of this class, students will know what to expect from live virtual auditions, self-recorded auditions, and will get feedback on practice performances. *Please keep in mind that this masterclass is purely educational and should not be considered an audition or promise of employment.

Meet Allie

Allie graduated from Boston University with a major in Film and Television and a minor in Public Relations. She started her career out in the Children’s and Young Adults Division at Abrams Artists Agency as an Executive Assistant to the Head of the Children's Division in July 2017. She was quickly promoted to Agent-in-Training, and then shortly after, to Agent within her short time at Abrams. She represented kids for On-Camera Commercials, Endorsements, Voiceover and Print. Since September 2019, she has been with the Voiceover Division at DDO Artists Agency, where she now represents both kids and adults for all things Voiceover - including Animation, Commercials, Radio, Podcasts, and Audiobooks to name a few categories. Allie works with high-profile casting directors from all over the country, including Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Disney, 20th Century Animation and much more!

Meet Rachel

Rachel Reiss is a Senior Casting Director at Liz Lewis Casting Partners where she casts film, TV, voice overs, and commercials nationwide. She has cast talent for youth outlets including Nickelodeon's digital channel, American Girl, Universal Kids, Dreamworks, Madison Square Garden, GoNoodle and more. Projects that Rachel has cast have been awarded Cannes Lion and Clio Awards, received nominations for Creative Emmys, and have been featured in numerous Film and New Media festivals. Rachel is also the winner of the 2019 Heller Award for Best Northeast Commercial and VO Casting and is on the New York Board of Governors for the Casting Society of America. Rachel teaches at NYU, SAG Foundation, American Theater Wing, New York Women in Film and other educational establishments. She is a graduate of Boston University.

Jeff Howell

Pro-Track Meets the Growing Need for Voice Talent

Elite performers are adapting to remote opportunities using one unique and versatile asset: their voice. Voiceover work is thriving. Talented young performers are benefiting. PTW has taken note. Our students are already receiving callbacks for voice roles. PTW’s elite training amps up the chances of not only landing the audition but booking the gig.

This semester, we’re preparing serious students to command the evolving voiceover landscape — from their own living rooms — with critical guidance from expert PTW faculty and guest presenters who specialize in booking voiceovers.

Pro-Track Voiceover Intensive Series

Through a five-part Voiceover Intensive Masterclass Series within PTW’s constructive and nurturing environment, Voiceover (VO) experts will ensure students adopt skills and strategies they need for booking the gig. **The series includes a tech prep ahead of the first session, so each student can work one-on-one with PTW’s online tech crew and everyone feels prepared and pumped.**

Course at a glance

You’re smart. You’re talented. You’re driven. So why haven’t you booked VO? Many gifted performers remain clueless over what casting directors expect from voice actors — even unknown terms can throw you off in the middle of an audition. Like — What’s copy? What’s a conversation read? What direction did I just receive???

Deep breath. In this course, you’ll learn to speak voiceover. Together, we’ll refine your talent and you’ll adopt new skills for synthesizing commercial and promo copy; approaching audition copy with a strong, relevant concept across specific media formats; and reading conversationally when the copy’s not written conversationally — among many other strategies you never knew existed. We’ll also tackle agency representation, management, union/non-union gigs, online presence and secrets of the demo reel.

Meet Jeff

Jeff launched his VO industry career as a voiceover agent at Abrams-Rubaloff & Lawrence, then crossed over to Casting Director and Radio Producer at Bert Berdis & Company, before becoming VP of Production at World Wide Wadio. He has produced radio commercials for hundreds of national accounts (Chevy, Bud Light, VISA, American Express, Starbucks) and radio/TV promos (CBS, FOX, Comedy Central, Food Network, A & E, NatGeo). Jeff worked as post-production supervisor and director for numerous sci-fi audio novels produced by Leonard Nimoy. He has directed narration for Fox Searchlight, Travel Channel, DIY, Food Network and The Smithsonian.

Currently, Jeff is producing and directing all things voiceover including animation, commercials, promos, narration, dubbing and IVR. Recent projects include directing the Emmy Award-winning animated program “Wally’s Opening Day,” and he recently cast and directed the dubbing for numerous international Netflix films including: “I Am Not An Easy Man,” “Jefe,” “Nothing to Hide,” “Who Would You Take to a Deserted Island,” “A Fortunate Man,” “Naked Director” and “Bordertown 3.” He directed voiceover for the Emmy Award-winning 2018 Nike TV campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. Jeff teaches in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and London.

Jennifer Trujillo

Pro-Track Meets the Growing Need for Voice Talent

Elite performers are adapting to remote opportunities using one unique and versatile asset: their voice. Voiceover work is thriving. Talented young performers are benefiting. PTW has taken note. Our students are receiving callbacks for voice roles and booking gigs! PTW’s elite training amps up the chances of not only landing the audition but booking the gig.

This semester, we’re preparing serious students to command the evolving voiceover landscape — from their own living rooms — with critical guidance from expert PTW faculty and guest presenters who specialize in booking voiceovers.

Pro-Track Voiceover Intensive Series

Through a five-part Voiceover Intensive Masterclass Series within PTW’s constructive and nurturing environment, Voiceover (VO) experts will ensure students adopt skills and strategies they need for booking the gig. **The series includes a tech prep ahead of the first session, so each student can work one-on-one with PTW’s online tech crew and everyone feels prepared and pumped.**

Course at a glance

Unleash your inner Disney Princess! Your latent Prince Charming! Your adorable woodland creature with inexplicable comedic timing! But seriously folks, join Disney Casting Manager Jennifer Trujillo for a unique opportunity to hone your VO performance skills using actual character sides from the past decade of pilots and series at Disney TV Animation. Through individualized feedback, you’ll learn proven strategies to create animated characters with your voice, enhance your future auditions and get noticed. And don’t miss our Q&A with Jennifer where she’ll share secrets of the audition and recording process at Disney TVA.

Meet Jennifer

Jennifer Trujillo joined Walt Disney Television Animation in 2010 as a casting coordinator, cutting her teeth on series like “Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil,” “Motorcity” and “Tron: Uprising.” She has since risen to her current role as Manager of Casting and Talent Relations, where she handles creative casting and talent booking for multiple series on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and the Disney+ streaming platform, including “Elena of Avalor,” “Mickey Mouse Shorts,” “Amphibia” and “Vampirina.” Jennifer has won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work.

Inside the Series

Each Voiceover Intensive session offers Pro-Track students unique structure, skillset and insight into the world of contemporary voice work. Proper understanding and synthesizing of VO best practices positions emerging performers to become seasoned pros faster than you can binge the new season of “Stranger Things.” PTW’s Voiceover Intensive provides Pro-Track students critical skills and strategies for becoming a VO powerhouse in the streaming age.