is a Cuban-American director of musical theater. He has directed several world premieres including Letters to the President (Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals, The Great Hall at Cooper Union) and the off-Broadway and Los Angeles productions of We Are The Tigers (cast album available on Broadway Records). Additionally his work has been seen at Paper Mill Playhouse, Theatre Aspen, and been recognized by LA’s Ovation Awards, Boston’s IRNE Awards, and the NY Innovative Theater Awards. As an Associate Director he has worked alongside Tony winner Des McAnuff on The Who’s Tommy (Broadway revival), Jersey Boys (UK/US tours, Off-Broadway, and upcoming live capture starring Nick Jonas), and The Donna Summer Musical (Broadway, La Jolla Playhouse, 1st national tour). BFA Emerson College. www.MichaelBello.com
Letters to the President
A Multi-composer Song Cycle
Since George Washington took office in 1783, writing letters to the President has provided citizens of all ages, races, political parties, and backgrounds an outlet to express their most personal concerns, hopes, and dreams. Letters to the President offers a powerful look at the American dream by setting the White House’s most memorable mail to song. Opening with the letter written to Washington on April 16th, 1789 informing him of his election and closing with Obama’s letter to the incoming President on Inauguration Day 2017, the piece features letters that range from short to long, articulate to frenetic, angry to celebratory, and funny to somber. They are written by explorers, queens, astronauts, pilots, rabbis, children, and activists. They span topics from Western Expansion, World Wars and space exploration, to the Civil Rights Movement and Marriage Equality. Our project reimagines this historic canon of letters as a song cycle with each composition inspired by an individual letter and written by a roster of the most exciting emerging theater composers of this generation.
Featuring Songs by Ari Afsar & Candace Quarrels, Preston Max Allen, Simone Allen, Dawn Avery, Nick Blaemire, Emily Xu Hall, Elliah Heifetz, Anna K. Jacobs, Madeline Myers, Naomi Matlow & Teresa Lotz, Ronvé O’Daniel & Jevares Myrick, Rona Siddiqui, Mark Sonnenblick, Will Van Dyke & Jeff Talbott, Ben Wexler, and Zack Zadek
The COMPOSERS and LYRICISTS of Letters to the President are 19 of musical theater’s most accomplished emerging writers. Combined they have received 5 Jonathan Larson Grants, 3 Billie Burke Ziegfield Awards, and been nominated for Grammy, Emmy, Drama Desk, and Obie Awards. Their work has been produced across the country at such theaters as Playwrights Horizons, MCC, The Kennedy Center, York Theater Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Kansas City Rep, Barrington Stage, Yale Repertory Theater, Goodspeed Musicals, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Bay Street, and many more.
Artists
is a Cuban-American director of musical theater. He has directed several world premieres including Letters to the President (Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals, The Great Hall at Cooper Union) and the off-Broadway and Los Angeles productions of We Are The Tigers (cast album available on Broadway Records). Additionally his work has been seen at Paper Mill Playhouse, Theatre Aspen, and been recognized by LA’s Ovation Awards, Boston’s IRNE Awards, and the NY Innovative Theater Awards. As an Associate Director he has worked alongside Tony winner Des McAnuff on The Who’s Tommy (Broadway revival), Jersey Boys (UK/US tours, Off-Broadway, and upcoming live capture starring Nick Jonas), and The Donna Summer Musical (Broadway, La Jolla Playhouse, 1st national tour). BFA Emerson College. www.MichaelBello.com
is a writer, producer, and researcher for theatre and TV. Theatre projects include Wild Fire (World Premiere: Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Z Space), The Vermont Farm Project (Northern Stage, 2025 World Premiere) Agent 355 (New York Stage and Film), The Death of Desert Rose (under commercial option), In Her Bones (Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 2025 World Premiere), Wild Home: An American Odyssey (Notch Theatre Company, NEA ArtWorks Grant), and Nia (World Premiere: UNC Chapel Hill). She is currently under commission by Broadway Licensing and the Alley Theatre. In TV, she has worked as an Associate Producer, Writer, and Researcher for series and films at CNN, Netflix, Discovery, and Max Originals. Selected Awards: National Archives Foundation’s Cokie Roberts Women’s History Fellowship, Marion International Fellowship in the Performing Arts, Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellowship. BA: Northwestern. www.jessicakahkoska.com
is a writer, producer, and researcher for theatre and TV. Theatre projects include Wild Fire (World Premiere: Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Z Space), The Vermont Farm Project (Northern Stage, 2025 World Premiere) Agent 355 (New York Stage and Film), The Death of Desert Rose (under commercial option), In Her Bones (Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 2025 World Premiere), Wild Home: An American Odyssey (Notch Theatre Company, NEA ArtWorks Grant), and Nia (World Premiere: UNC Chapel Hill). She is currently under commission by Broadway Licensing and the Alley Theatre. In TV, she has worked as an Associate Producer, Writer, and Researcher for series and films at CNN, Netflix, Discovery, and Max Originals. Selected Awards: National Archives Foundation’s Cokie Roberts Women’s History Fellowship, Marion International Fellowship in the Performing Arts, Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellowship. BA: Northwestern. www.jessicakahkoska.com
is a New York-based music director, arranger, and orchestrator who serves as the conductor and music director of Teeth Off-Broadway. His New York music direction credits include Pretty Woman (Broadway), Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway), We Are The Tigers, Letters to the President (Cooper Union), and Gigantic (Vineyard). Regional: Double Helix (Bay Street), Fly (La Jolla Playhouse), Peter and the Starcatcher (1st National Tour, Cincinnati Playhouse, St. Louis Rep). Broadway orchestras: Once Upon a Mattress, & Juliet, Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, Kinky Boots, Anastasia, Gigi. He is the arranger and orchestrator of Alice in Wonderland, Jr. and Dare to Dream, Jr. for Disney Theatrical. @patricksulken
is a New York-based music director, arranger, and orchestrator who serves as the conductor and music director of Teeth Off-Broadway. His New York music direction credits include Pretty Woman (Broadway), Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway), We Are The Tigers, Letters to the President (Cooper Union), and Gigantic (Vineyard). Regional: Double Helix (Bay Street), Fly (La Jolla Playhouse), Peter and the Starcatcher (1st National Tour, Cincinnati Playhouse, St. Louis Rep). Broadway orchestras: Once Upon a Mattress, & Juliet, Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, Kinky Boots, Anastasia, Gigi. He is the arranger and orchestrator of Alice in Wonderland, Jr. and Dare to Dream, Jr. for Disney Theatrical. @patricksulken
