About Our Authors
Allison Allen
After graduating as an Andrew Carnegie Scholar from the prestigious acting program at Carnegie Mellon University, Allison landed on Broadway in the revival of “Grease” and stayed there for almost two years. Following her tenure of 650 performances with the show, the hand-jive from Rydell High still returns to grace her dreams.
A gifted actress (stage and film) author and playwright, Allison, along with her long-time friend and collaborator, writer, actor, producer, director, Joshua Childs have collaborated on several plays and musicals which have been produced in the Nashville area. She is also in demand as a conference speaker encouraging women with fascinating personal stories and sharp insight into human nature from her book Shine – Stepping Into the Role You Were Made For.
Musical: Christmas Blue
Christy Stutzman
Christy Stutzman is a wife, mother, writer, teacher and musician. She has been a featured soloist and events and stage performances for the past 20 years, but her passion for musical composition remains her first love.
Christy grew up in a performing arts family, making her stage debut as well as composing her first published song when she was five years old. She traveled extensively with drama groups across the U.S. from age 13-19, and began to hone her skills in musical composition at the age of fifteen. At the age of 22, she began writing and directing her own productions.
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In 1995 she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Voice, studying under well-known tenor, Raymond Gibbs, formerly the leading tenor at the Metropolitan Opera. After college, Christy went on to study voice with Miss Sarah Reese, soprano, formerly of the Chicago and Boston Lyric Operas.
She co-founded Legacy Theater Group in 2018 and is excited to be a partner in producing exciting new scripts as well as music for solo, choir, ensemble and musical theater productions.
Musicals: A Musical Christmas Carol, When Calls the Heart
David Huntsinger
David Huntsinger has worked as a professional musician since the late 1970s. His piano contributions can be heard on recordings by Dolly Parton, Michael Crawford, Vanessa Williams, Shirley Jones, Amy Grant, Sandi Patti and many other artists. He has recorded in Nashville, Los Angeles, Dublin, Prague and London, where he played on the soundtrack at Abbey Road Studios for the film An Unfinished Life. He has toured with Vince Gill and Amy Grant and appeared on stage with Paul Shaffer, Joe Walsh, Brian May, The Nashville Symphony and Donna Summer.
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In additional to his work as a pianist, David has been an active composer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He arranged for the West Point Glee Club in the Trace Adkins hit ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired. He contributed arrangements to the Denzel Washington movie The Great Debaters. He arranged and contributed songs to the the multi-platinum A Child’s Gift of Lullabies. He co-produced and arranged Andy Griffith’s 1996 Grammy-garnering hymns album I Love to Tell the Story. As an artist he recorded four projects with the Brentwood Jazz Quartet. His albums as a solo artist include Autumn in New England and Piano Winterlude.
David has written children’s songs and musicals with his wife, Bonnie Huntsinger, an avid musical lover who introduced him to the joy of classic musicals by way of cast recordings. In recent years he has collaborated with noted writer Janet McMahan on several musicals, including Much Ado About Nothing–The Musical, written for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
David is a BMI writer-publisher and member of the American Federations of Musicians and The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, SAG-AFTRA.
He is “daddy” to three cats who appreciate kitty treats while hearing Broadway cast albums.
Musical: Much Ado About Nothing – The Musical, The Greatest Gift of All
Don Marsh
Don Marsh is an award-winning arranger, orchestrator, songwriter, and producer with over forty years of experience as a free-lance arranger in the Christian Music field. He has arranged, orchestrated, and produced over 300 albums of choral music, solo artists, and various productions for such publishing companies as Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press, Word Music, Brentwood/Benson/Sony Publishing, and Gaither Music. Marsh has had national publications of over 2,500 individual arrangements in his career and worked with such artists as Bill Gaither, Sandi Patti and Larnelle Harris (More Than Wonderful), Steve Green, World Help Children’s Choir, and Todd Agnew.
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Additionally, he wrote several arrangements for National Public Television productions featuring opera diva, Kathleen Battle: SPIRITUALS IN CONCERT (w/ Jessye Norman; James Levine conductor), and A CARNEGIE HALL CHRISTMAS CONCERT (w/ Frederica von Stade, Wynton Marsalis; André Previn, conductor).
Don’s awards include:
- 3 Emmy Awards for arrangements on TV in Southern California
- 13 Dove award nominations
- Dove Award (Musical-Come Celebrate Jesus for Word Music)
- Angel Award – Excellence In Media (Once Upon An Orchestra/Symphonyville, Brentwood/Provident Records)
- Gold Record for over 500,000 sales of America’s 25 Favorite Praise and Worship Songs (Brentwood/Provident Records)
Musicals: Jingle in the City, Overnight Christmas, Yes Virginia, One Bethlehem Night
Ed Kee
Ed Kee has been a highly visible creative force for more than 30 years on the Nashville music scene, where his musical career has found him in such roles as studio singer, arranger, orchestrator, producer, record label executive, music publisher and, most recently, musical director and orchestra conductor for the Portraits of White Christmas show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
A multiple Dove Award nominee, Ed has been the recipient of one platinum and two gold records, four platinum and six gold videos for his creative work in multiple musical genres, including symphonic, jazz, choral, bluegrass and children’s music.
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As a lyricist and composer, Ed has written more than 300 songs, and 25 musicals, which have been performed throughout the United States and Canada. He has worked extensively with the Nashville String Machine, Nashville’s premiere recording orchestra, as well as with the London Symphony Orchestra.
He currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee, where, as the founder and president of CMI Shows, he is actively involved in developing and licensing Broadway-style musicals.
Musicals: The Gift, One Bethlehem Night, A Perfect Christmas, The Homecoming, Once Upon a Time Shop, The Amazing Jerusalem Makeover
Janet McMahan
Janet has been working as a professional pianist since the age of sixteen. She has also worked as a writer, performing artist and producer of music, audio books and dramatic works.
As a musician and singer, Janet has performed on the Grand Ole Opry, toured the United States and abroad as Roy Orbison’s keyboard player. She has worked in the studio as a keyboard player, vocalist and vocal contractor on recordings for numerous artists including Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Steve Winwood, Shirley Jones, John Denver, Sandy Patti, Michael Crawford and others.
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She has performed on jingles for McDonald’s, Target, General Tire and numerous other regional and local commercials and has written and produced for Simon and Schuster, LifeWay, McGraw-Hill, Word, Gibson Publishing, Thomas Nelson, Sparrow, Brentwood/Benson and Sesame Street Records. She is the featured narrator on numerous books for Audible.com.
Janet has written over 1,500 songs published and in print, over 75 published children’s musicals for schools and churches which she has written in whole or in part, as well as several dramatic musical works (words, music and book) considered “Off Off Broadway.” With her collaborator, David Huntsinger, she wrote the musical adaptation of “MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING” for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Their “ONCE UPON A TREE” was a finalist in the Pressure Cooker original works competition at the Boiler Room Theater in Nashville. Their work, “SCHEHERAZADE AND HER 1,001 NIGHT STANDS” premiered at Nashville State Community College and after several subsequent performances is scheduled to be released by CMI Shows in late 2023.
Her songs have been featured on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power, and the Billy Graham Crusade, and have been recorded by artists including Big Bird, Sonny James and Lynn Anderson. She has been a recipient of the ASCAP Award for twenty-one years. Janet has acted in movies, radio and television commercials as well as numerous live theatrical performances. She is a member of the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the Dramatists Guild of America.
Musicals: Much Ado About Nothing, Scheherezade and Her 1,001 Night Stands (Currently in production with CMI Shows.)
John Lemonis
Originally from Greenville, Mississippi, John Lemonis grew up steeped in the music and stories of the Mississippi Delta. After moving to Nashville, John became a multi-Dove Award, SGMA, and Diamond Award-nominated songwriter, arranger, and artist. His songs have been recorded by Joy Williams (the Civil Wars), Point of Grace, Michael W. Smith, Cherie Adams (Avalon), Danny Gokey, Jaime Jamgochian, Kingdom Heirs, and numerous others in Gospel, Christian, Country, Pop, Print/Choral, and Children’s music. His Broadway-style musicals, written with co-writer Ed Kee have been performed throughout the U.S. and Canada.
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John has been featured in workshops for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) as a panelist and for GMA (the Gospel Music Association) to critique songs of aspiring songwriters.
He has also sung on dozens of national and regional jingles for GMC Trucks, Chevrolet, the New Orleans Saints, Coca-Cola, and others.
Musicals: One Bethlehem Night, Once Upon a Time Shop, The Amazing Jerusalem Makeover
Joshua Childs
Actor, Writer, Director, Producer Joshua Childs is known for the films The Nothing (2011), Squat (2021) and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). In 2015 he won the Best Actor Award for his role in the film Father, Son and Holy Moses! As a playwright, he has co-written (with Allison Allen) several plays and musicals which have been produced in the Nashville area.
Musical: Christmas Blue
Paul Jacobson
Multi-talented composer, arranger, producer Paul Jacobson has directed performing organizations of all levels and sizes, from full professional orchestras and massed choirs playing to audiences of thousands to small beginning school bands. Paul has produced independent recordings and composed and orchestrated underscores and accompaniment scores for musical theatre, film & television with full virtual and live orchestras. As a composer, his music has been published nationally and he has written for broadcast, including KNBC in Los Angeles, Disney’s Buena Vista TV, WBNetwork, Scorekeepers and Studio 51 Music Libraries, and Pacifica Music. He also performs and records as an independent solo artist.
Scrooge – The Carol with an Attitude
Tony Guerrero
Guerrero’s resume reads like a who’s who of contemporary music. He’s worked with a diverse roster of artists, including jazz legends Freddie Hubbard, Arturo Sandoval, Tom Scott and Joe Sample, rock icons Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney, Slash and Billy Idol, pop sensations Chance the Rapper, The Jonas Bros and the quadruple-platinum soundtrack to Disney’s High School Musical, as well as Hollywood icons Dick Van Dyke, Jane Lynch, Merv Griffin and more.
In 2010, Guerrero was asked to arrange two albums worth of big band songs for pianist/vocalist John Tesh. This would lead to several years of touring, first with Tesh as part of a scaled-down big band and later with a small horn section.
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Since his first solo release in 1988, Tony Guerrero has established himself in a variety of areas. His work as a contemporary jazz flugelhornist, trumpeter, composer, and producer has garnered him both critical success and a worldwide audience. He has toured the United States and much of the world as a headliner in major jazz festivals, concert halls, and clubs and has enjoyed commercial radio success not only with his own releases but with music he’s written for other artists.
As a composer and musician Guerrero can be heard frequently on both movie and television soundtracks. He has written, performed and/or recorded music for 59th Annual Grammys, Thelma & Louise, PBS, The Today Show, 48 Hours, The Disney Channel, Full House, E! News, TBS, The Hallmark Channel and many more.
In 2015, Guerrero was invited to serve as the music director for Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress/singer Jane Lynch (“Glee”) for her traveling cabaret show, “See Jane Sing”. The show featured The Tony Guerrero Quintet along with actress Kate Flannery (“The Office”) and vocalist Tim Davis (“Boy Band”) and toured the U.S. appearing at noted venues such as The Kennedy Center (DC), The Lyric Opera House (Chicago, IL) and more.
Musical: The Journey
T.W. Hale
Long time Nashville songwriter, T.W. Hale has had songs recorded by artists Reba McEntire (Why Haven’t I Heard From You), George Jones (Smack Dab In The Middle of Love), Billy Ray Cyrus (Back To Memphis), Gene Watson (Snake In The House), Joe Diffie (A Night To Remember), Randy Travis (I’ll Be Right Here Loving You), Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Rhett Akins, Jeffrey Steele and bluegrass artists Del McCoury and David Parmley among others.
Musical: The Homecoming
