Artist Bio: Michael Ingersoll

ABOUT THE ARTIST

MICHAEL INGERSOLL

Chicago Sun-Times declares, “He’s got star written all over him." All-around entertainer Michael Ingersoll presents concerts nationwide as Executive Producer of Artists Lounge Live, co-founded with wife Angela Ingersoll. He won acclaim starring as Nick Massi of The Four Seasons in Jersey Boys, originating the Broadway tour casts in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago, as well as performing the role on The Emmy Awards, The Tonight Show, PBS' Capitol Fourth, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Additionally, he directed multiple productions of Jersey Boys for regional theatre and appears on the album Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas produced by Bob Gaudio. Ingersoll also created the PBS retro-rock vocal group sensation Under the Streetlamp, seen in millions of homes nationwide. As a member of the original quartet, he starred in four PBS concert specials, recorded five albums, and toured extensively, headlining historic venues across the US and abroad. Other television: Access Hollywood, Chicago Fire, The Beast, co-producing three Streetlamp concert specials, and executive producing the Emmy-nominated Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland. Film: Walk the Line (Donzil). Other theatre: tick, tick...BOOM! (Jonathan Larson, Jeff nomination), Of Mice and Men (George, Ostrander nomination), Floyd Collins (Floyd, Ostrander nomination), and Bat Boy: The Musical (Bat Boy, Ostrander nomination). He appears in concert nationwide with Artists Lounge Live in Southern Nights: Michael Ingersoll Sings Glen Campbell, Lean On Me: The Brotherhood of Roll 'n Roll, Jingle Bell Rock, and Hooked on a Feeling: Michael and Angela Ingersoll in Concert. artistsloungelive.com

Born in Kettering, OH, Ingersoll is an alum of Muse Machine (Dayton, OH) and earned a BFA in Acting from of Miami University. He spent his early professional years as a Young Company Member of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and a Company Member of Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN). As a professional artist, entrpreneur, producer, and business owner he engages students by conducting guest artist workshops and appeared as a Professional Development Speaker for OAPN (Ohio Arts Professionals Network). He is a proud union member, AEA and SAG/AFTRA. Ingersoll also fundraises for various organizations as an emcee/auctioneer, combining his entertainment experience with a deep-seated passion for service.

Artist Bio: Angela Ingersoll

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ANGELA INGERSOLL

Los Angeles Times cheers, “Ingersoll has incandescent star power.” Angela Ingersoll is an Emmy Award-nominated and multi-award-winning actor, singer, director, and writer. She headlines stages nationwide in Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland, receiving an Emmy nomination for her performance in the concert's television broadcast on PBS. She also won acclaim starring as Judy Garland in several productions of End of the Rainbow, receiving Chicago's Jeff Award, a BroadwayWorld Award, and Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year in Theatre. Attracting the attention of Garland’s family, Ingersoll collaborated onstage with Joey Luft, with critics dubbing her "heiress apparent to the Garland legacy." Other theatre highlights: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Hedy, Jeff nomination), South Pacific (Nellie), Carousel (Julie), The Mistress Cycle (Anais Nin, Jeff nomination), The Secret Garden (Martha, Jeff nomination), Jekyll and Hyde (Lucy, Ostrander Award), Man of La Mancha (Aldonza, Ostrander nomination), Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Belle, Ostrander Award), The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy), Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit, Ostrander nomination), Macbeth (Lady Macbeth, Ostrander Award), Much Ado About Nothing (Beatrice), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mistress Quickly), Richard III (Lady Anne), The 39 Steps, as well as work with The Second City in Chicago and Hollywood. She studied Improv with The Groundlings and received a BFA in Acting from Ithaca College. Other television: Chicago PD. Other concerts include The 12 Dames of Christmas with Angela Ingersoll, as well as appearing alongside her husband in Hooked on a Feeling: Michael and Angela Ingersoll in Concert. Together the couple founded Artists Lounge Live, a Chicago-based production company presenting concerts nationwide. She is the Artistic Director of Artists Lounge Live, writing and directing many of their offerings. artistsloungelive.com, angelaingersoll.com IG: @angela_ingersoll

Born in Indianapolis, IN, Ingersoll began performing at age five. As a teen she attended performing arts junior and high schools, Madame Walker Youth in Arts Program, Northwestern University's National High Institute Cherub Program in Theatre, received Honorable Mentions in Theatre and Music from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, a Prelude Award for Acting, was a National Shakespeare Competition finalist, and frequently sang the National Anthem for the NBA and NCAA. She is a graduate of Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY), accepted in Opera Performance and earning a BFA in Acting. She spent her early professional years as a Young Company Member of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and a Company Member of Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN). As a professional artist and business owner, she engages students by conducting young artist enrichment workshops. She is a proud union member, AEA and SAG/AFTRA.

Artist Bio: Brandon Bennett

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BRANDON BENNETT

Brandon Bennett is an internationally touring musician and renown Elvis tribute artist. His uncanny performances have earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” title bestowed by Elvis Presley Enterprises at Graceland. Bennett starred as Elvis Presley in the Chicago company of Million Dollar Quartet, and also won acclaim starring in the Montreal company of The Elvis Story. He headlines his powerful act Elvis My Way around the world for concerts, festivals, fairs, cruises, casinos, and corporate events. Featured television appearances include The Late Show with David Letterman, NBC Nightly News, and American Hot Rod. He also appears at professional sporting events for Chicago’s Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, and Bears, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the San Francisco Giants. A native son of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Brandon’s southern roots, God-given talent, and natural resemblance to The King of Rock 'n Roll allow him to uniquely evoke the unmistakable essence of Elvis onstage. He has been honored to work alongside music legends such as DJ Fontana, The Jordanaires, and The Sweet Inspirations, as well as open for Diamond Rio, Ronnie Millsap, and Chuck Berry. Follow Brandon on Facebook or visit elvismyway.com.

Artist Bio: Erich Bergen

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ERICH BERGEN

The Los Angeles Times raves, “with his lanky good looks and vibrant intensity, Bergen’s charisma feeds off the spotlight.” Erich Bergen is an American television, film, and stage actor raised in New York City. He co-stared on CBS's Madam Secretary opposite Tea Leoni, and starred as Bob Gaudio in the Clint Eastwood-directed feature film Jersey Boys. Bergen played that role on stage for more than 1,000 performances in the Grammy- and Tony-winning Best Musical of the same name. Bergen made his Broadway debut starring as Dr Pomatter in Waitress. He also appeared in Roundabout Theatre Company National Tour's production of Anything Goes as Billy Crocker. Other television credits include Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Franklin and Bash, Person of Interest, The Tonight Show, and America’s Got Talent. When not acting on screen, Bergen performs live shows as a solo singer and pianist, modeling his shows off the romantically old school feel of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. His self titled debut album and his original solo EP Never Give Up are available on iTunes. @erichbergen

Artist Bio: Jared Bradshaw

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JARED BRADSHAW

Sound and Town cheers, “Bradshaw delivers an electrifying performance.” Jared Bradshaw is a Broadway veteran turned Disney World resident. He headlines Artists Lounge Live concerts nationwide in Swinging On A Star: Jared Bradshaw Sings Bing Crosby and A Bing Crosby Christmas. Bradshaw starred as Willy Wonka (US/perf) in the original Broadway cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, also performing the role for the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. He appeared in Jersey Boys for an eight year run, swinging several roles in the Broadway, Off-Broadway, Chicago, and First National Tour casts. Off-Broadway, he hilariously spoofed celebrities in Forbidden Broadway, including Hugh Jackman, Harry Connick Jr, and John Travolta. Other credits nationwde include the world premiere musical Dave (Pre-Broadway), The Music Man (Harold Hill), Singing in the Rain (Don Lockwood), Guys and Dolls (Nathan Detroit), Parade (Leo Frank), Jekyll and Hyde (Jekyll/Hyde), West Side Story (Riff), Cabaret (Cliff), The Last Five Years (Jamie), and numerous productions of Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Additionally, he entertained audiences around the world aboard Disney Cruise Ships. Currently, Bradshaw performs for Walt Disney Entertainment in Finding Nemo: The Big, Blue, and Beyond as the actor/puppeteer for Great White Shark Bruce at Disney's Animal Kingdom. He is married to Broadway actress Lindsay Northen. jaredbradshaw.com, @bwaymjjared

Artist Bio: Katie Deal

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KATIE DEAL

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel cheers, "Deal shines when she sings." Katie Deal is an award-winning singer-songwriter and actress known for her authentic country sound. Deal is the recipient of a Georgia Country Artist of the Year Award, Atlanta Society of Entertainers Recording Artist of the Year Award, and an honored member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame. She has performed with country icon Loretta Lynn and appears as a frequent guest vocalist with Atlanta Pops Orchestra. As a recording artist and singer-songwriter, Katie has written and/or performed with top Nashville songwriters including Bruce Burch (Reba McEntire), Amanda Colleen Williams (Garth Brooks), Brandon Bush (Sugarland), and John Driskell Hopkins (Zac Brown Band). As an actress, Deal won acclaim starring in National Tours and numerous productions of A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and Always…Patsy Cline. Other theatre credits nationwide include 9 to 5 (Doralee), Ring of Fire (June Carter), Back Home Again: On the Road with John Denver, Keep on the Sunny Side (Sara Carter), and The Spitfire Grill (Percy, Ostrander Award nomination). Film credits include Let’s Be Cops and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk. Concerts include I Will Always Love You: Katie Deal Sings Dolly Parton, Country Sunshine: The Legendary Ladies of Nashville, Wildflowers: The Women of Country Music, Classic Nashville Roadshow, Today, Tomorrow & Forever: A Tribute to Patsy Cline, and Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams of You. katiedeal.com

Artist Bio: Sara Jean Ford

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SARA JEAN FORD

Sara Jean Ford is an actor, singer, and writer. She made her Broadway debut starring as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. Also on Broadway: Cats (Jellylorum), How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Smitty), A Little Night Music (Petra), and Finian’s Rainbow (Arlene). Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks (Luisa, Original Revival Cast), Anyone Can Whistle (June) at Encores!, and Eric Whitacre’s Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings (Pieta) at both Carnegie Hall and Disney Hall. National Tours: Wicked (Glinda/Nessarose cover) and The Phantom of the Opera (Christine Daaé). Regional highlights include Sunday in the Park With George (Dot), 9 to 5 (Judy), Sousatzka (Jenny, World Premiere), Candide (Cunegonde), and Little House on the Prairie (Nellie Oleson, World Premiere). She co-wrote and starred in The Aging Ingenue, a web-series now streaming on BroadwayWorld.com. She authored and produced an adaptation of Calamity Jane at NYC's 54 Below, and performs her solo concert Dream: The High Notes & Hijinx of a Broadway Soprano in playhouses nationwide. Raised in the recording studios of Los Angeles, Sara started singing professionally at the age of ten, providing background vocals for Michael Jackson’s HIStory album, Addams Family Values, Animaniacs, Lamb Chop’s Play-Along, and Harry Connick Jr. and Mötley Crüe’s Christmas albums. Ford also teaches Voice and Acting, serving on the faculty for Broadway Dreams Foundation and The Institute for American Musical Theatre. She graduated with a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University’s prestigious Drama program. sarajeanford.com

Artist Bio: Jess Godwin

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JESS GODWIN

Jess Godwin, aka J, is an audiovisual artist based in Brooklyn, NY. She’s a prolific singer-songwriter who likes to make things. She writes, records, produces, designs, films, and edits her own music and videos. Albums and EPs include People Pleaser, Dear Finch, Comfortable, Klutz, and Be, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Her repertoire of audiovisual collections, including Muses, Colorpop, Anthology, and The Major Lift, can be found on Youtube as well as her website redletterj.com. Her music has been licensed on several international TV shows, her voice featured in multiple national commercial jingles, and her music videos have been viewed by millions. She also appears alongside her partner in the musical duo Sinfolk. Her original pop single “Fool Me Once” was featured on Lifetime’s Dance Moms (danced by Maddie Zielger of Sia’s “Chandelier.”) Other television credits include Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Composing for the stage, Godwin’s original production Dear Finch premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She is currently developing a one-woman musical narrative album and production, Prodigal Daughter. As an actress, credits include: Sunday in the Park With George (Dot), Gypsy (Louise), The Wild Party (Queenie), tick, tick…BOOM! (Susan), Pippin (Catherine), Company (April), Shining Lives (Frances), A Wonderful Life (Mary), Snapshots (Susan), and Carousel. Godwin has performed in professional music and theatre venues across the country. Learn more about her innovative work at redletterj.com.

Artist Bio: Chester Gregory

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CHESTER GREGORY

Chester Gregory is an award-winning Broadway veteran and recording artist. The New York Times calls him, "jaw dropping...over-flowingly charismatic," stating “Gregory has the audience eating out of the palm of his hand.” He starred as Motown Records founder Berry Gordy in Motown: The Musical both on Brodaway and National Tour, and as Seaweed in Hairspray on Broadway as well as performing the role on The Tony Awards. Other Broadway credits include Sister Act (Eddie), Tarzan (Terk, Original Cast), and Cry-Baby (Dupree, Original Cast). Other National Tours include Sister Act (Eddie) and Dreamgirls (James “Thunder” Early). Mr Gregory's breakthrough role came with his outstanding portrayal of Jackie Wilson in The Jackie Wilson Story, launched at Chicago's Black Ensemble Theatre and culminated at New York's renown Apollo Theatre. Regional theatre credits include Shrek (Donkey), Fences (Lyons), and Two Trains Running (Sterling). Television appearances include performances on The Daily Show, The View and The Tony Awards. As a recording artist, Gregory, also known as CHΞSS, has collaborated with industry greats including Phil Collins, Marc Shaiman, Ledisi, and Chance The Rapper. Studio recordings include multiple singles, Original Broadway Cast recordings, and his album In Search of High Love. He is the recipient of Chicago’s Jeff Award, the NAACP Theatre Award, the key to the city of his hometown of Gary, Indiana, as well as an honorary Doctorate Degree from Columbia College Chicago. Concerts include Higher and Higher with Artists Lounge Live and his original concert The Eve of Jackie. chestergregory.com

Artist Bio: Christopher Kale Jones

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CHRISTOPHER KALE JONES

Theatre Mania raves, “Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain.” Christopher Kale Jones starred as Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons in Jersey Boys, originating the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and First National Tour casts, as well as performing the role on The Tonight Show. Jones was an original member of the retro-rock vocal-group sensation Under the Streetlamp, seen in millions of homes nationwide on PBS. He recorded and toured extensively with Streetlamp, headlining historic venues across America and abroad. Regional credits include reprising his role as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys (St Louis Theater Circle Award), starring as Seymour in multiple productions of Little Shop of Horrors (including opposite wife Jenna Coker-Jones), the world premiere musical It Came From Outer Space (John Putnam), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph, Kevin Kline nomination), Olympus On My Mind (Barrymore nomination), and The Sound Of Music (Captain von Trapp). Other television appearances include Chicago Med, Extra!, and Access Hollywood. Jones appears in concert nationwide with Artists Lounge Live in Beyond the Sea: Christopher Kale Jones Sings Bobby Darin, Lean On Me: The Brotherhood of Rock 'n Roll, and Jingle Bell Rock. Recordings include Darin: Live at the Mercury, and four albums with Under the Streetlamp. He is a graduate of Northwestern University. christopherkalejones.com / Twitter: @ChrisKaleJones / Insta: @chriskalejones

Artist Bio: Heidi Kettenring

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HEIDI KETTENRING

Award-winning actress Heidi Kettenring starred as Nessarose in the Broadway in Chicago company of Wicked, and as Belle in the National Tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Theatre credits nationwide include The King and I (Anna, Jeff Award, Broadway World Award), Oliver! (Nancy, Jeff nomination), Hello, Dolly! (Dolly Levi), Cats (Grizabella), Annie Get Your Gun (Annie Oakley), Les Miserables (Fantine), My Fair Lady (Eliza), Hairspray (Penny, Jeff nomination), Funny Girl (Fanny Brice, Jeff nomination), Little Women (Jo, Jeff nomination), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Milly), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mistress Ford), Hero (Jane, World Premiere), She Loves Me (Ilona), and Guys and Dolls (Adelaide, After Dark Award). Film: Man of Steel. Television: Chicago Fire (NBC) and Cupid (ABC). Concerts: We’ve Only Just Begun and Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring Sings Karen Carpenter; also Ravinia Festival, Millenium Park, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Pensacola Symphony. Additionally, she voices Disney Princess audiobooks. Kettenring is the recipient of a Jeff Award, eight Jeff Award nominations, two Broadway World Awards, an After Dark Award, the Richard Kneeland Award, and the Sarah Siddons Leading Lady Award. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and married to actor David Girolmo.

Artist Bio: Alexis J Roston

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ALEXIS J ROSTON

Time Out Chicago calls her “phenomenal,” and Showbiz Chicago raves “Roston holds the audience in the palm of her hand.” Actress, director, and playwright Alexis J Roston earned acclaim for her mesmerizing portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, including Chicago’s Jeff Award, a Black Theatre Alliance Award, and the Black Excellence Award. Other credits nationwide include starring in Don’t Make Me Over - A Tribute to Dionne Warwick (Jeff Nomination, Black Theatre Alliance Award Nomination), Sister Act (Deloris, Jeff nomination), Ghost the Musical (Oda Mae Brown), Porgy and Bess (Bess), Ragtime (Sarah), Shrek: The Musical (Dragon), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Charlaine), The Wiz (Addaperle), For Colored Girls... (Lady in Orange), The Piano Lesson (Grace), Crowns (Jeanette), Company (Sarah), Godspell (Joanne), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Brenda), Jesus Christ Superstar, The Color Purple, Hair, Hairspray, and work with The Second City. Concerts include First Lady of Song: Alexis J Roston Sings Ella Fitzgerald which tours nationally with Artists Lounge Live. An ensemble member of Congo Square Theatre, Roston served as director and playwright of A Nativity Story: More Than A Miracle. Television: Chicago PD, Chicago Code, and The Chi. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Howard University.