Andrew Wiseman
Dance Workshop Instructor
Andrew is no stranger to performing and has been following the spotlight since a young age. Starting figure skating at 9 years old, Andrew progressed quickly as both a singles skater, and competitive ice dancer. At 15 years old, they competed at the Skate Canada Tomorrow’s Champions National Competition, placing sixth behind gold medalists, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
High school is where they discovered their love for musical theatre and dance through studying with Linda Jameson and participating in three productions: Oliver!, South Pacific, and Fiddler on the Roof. The following year, they did their first audition with the Orpheus Musical Theatre Society, which lead to
participating in 12 of their shows including being cast as ‘Action’ in West Side Story,
Apprentice Choreographer for their production of Oliver!, and as Assistant Stage manager for Meet Me in St. Louis.
Additionally, Andrew audition for Canadian Idol three times, each time making it closer to the celebrity judges. In 2007, they auditioned for CBC’s Triple Sensation. Out of 12,000 auditions across the country, Andrew made it to the final Top 40 in the Montreal call backs.
Andrew’s first full on-stage show as choreographer was Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2008 with Orpheus Musical Theatre, and has since added to his credits teaching Beginner and Advanced Musical Theatre Dance
Classes with the Pat Picard School of Dance (Timmins, Ontario), choreographing LBMT’s Andrew Lloyd Webber Cabaret: Music of the Night, and performance coached with Lily Roussakis for A Quarantunes Cabaret: Pride Edition (which they also stage managed and lighting designed).
David MacAdam
Vocal Coach
Tenor David MacAdam has been praised by critics as both being “both singer and performing artist”. He has performed with opera companies including NY City Opera in their summer home at Artpark, Greater Buffalo Opera, Syracuse Opera, OperaLyra Ottawa, Nickel City Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Théâtre lyrique de Gatineau, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Opera Breva, Opera Sacra, and others in both Canada and the United States, with distinguished conductors including Christopher Keene, Gustav Meier, David Efron, Anton Coppola and Mario Bernardi, and with Stage Directors including among others Ken Cazan, Nicholas Muni, Herbert Kellner, and Charles Nelson Reilly. David performs often in opera, recital & concert, has been heard in live broadcasts including CBC Radio & the WBFO Opus Classics Live series in the U.S., and in numerous performances and premiers of “New Music”, most recently the world premiere of Persis Vehar’s major opera “SHOT!” in June of 2016. An alumnus University of Buffalo, he holds BFA and MM degrees in Vocal Performance, both with honors. His education includes training in all areas pertaining to the lyric stage: vocal performance, dance, acting, directing, stage management, and technical areas, and he participated in master classes conducted by such luminaries as Gérard Souzay, Elly Ameling, Dalton Baldwin, Margaret Harshaw, Heinz Rehfuss, and Maureen Forrester, among others, with extensive focus on lieder & mélodie.
As a Stage Director, David has led many productions and worked with prominent international casts, including critically acclaimed Nickel City Opera (Buffalo) productions of The Barber of Seville (2009, NCO’s début opera) and Rigoletto (2010). An Associate Performance Instructor in Voice at Carleton University, David also maintains an extensive private vocal studio, and truly enjoys and is committed to working with aspiring young artists. Students of David’s have won numerous awards, with a significant number advancing into successful performing careers in Classical Music, Musical Theatre, and Popular Music.
David is a member of both the Canadian Actors Equity Association and the American Guild Of Musical Artists, and is represented by Gregory Sheppard Artist Management in New York. On the other side of the stage, David was co founder of the Greater Buffalo Opera Company, Operations Manager at Syracuse Opera, was instrumental in the establishment of Nickel City Opera, and has extensive experience in the management end of the performing arts with a number of other companies, including Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opera Lyra Ottawa and El Paso Opera. He is currently Associate Artistic Director of Nickel City Opera in Buffalo, NY, and General & Artistic Director (and founder) of Ottawa Pocket Opera in Canada.
Jessica Ruano
Acting Workshop Instructor
Theatre has always been a part of Jessica Ruano’s life in one way or another. She was in her first play at the age of 9, and she started taking drama classes at the Ottawa School of Theatre (formerly Orleans Young Players) and the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama (OSSD) soon afterwards. She attended the drama program at Canterbury High School, where she discovered her love for directing theatre, and later studied at the University of Ottawa (BA English and Theatre, MA Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy).
Jessica’s directorial debut in 2005 was Québécité, a multicultural, bilingual, spoken word romance with a libretto be Governor General Award winner George Elliott Clarke. When she lived in England, she directed the London premiere of Jane Montgomery Griffith’s Sappho…in 9 fragments, a queer love story spanning millennia, that toured Canada and played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2013. She also directed a post-apocalyptic adaptation of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It at the Rose Playhouse.
Most recently, Jessica created and produced The Ghomeshi Effect, a documentary dance-theatre performance on sexual violence and the legal system in Canada. Following its 2017 premiere in Ottawa, the production toured universities and communities across Ontario and Alberta, and its artists participated in a number of thematically-related workshops, presentations, conferences, fundraisers, and livestreams. While writing the script for The Ghomeshi Effect, she was a member of The Great Canadian Theatre Company’s Playwrights Network, and she later received an Ottawa International Woman’s Day Feminist Award for her work on the production.
Joy Mwandemange
Program Coordinator and Artistic Director
Joy Mwandemange is a queer artist from Malawi, and she has always been a performer. Her love for the performing arts began in elementary school where she discovered her love for music after learning the recorder. She quickly moved on to play the Eb Tenor Horn, the flute, and joined groups like the drum line, school choir, jazz band, and the Bongo Bang Boom Drum Band where the students played a variety of African drums.
In high school, Joy’s love of performing arts led her to take part in a Musical Theatre Focus Program at Sir Robert Borden High School which led her to start taking the art form more seriously. She went on to graduate from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Musical Theatre Vocal Performance. Joy was a part of the Black Theatre Workshops Artist Mentorship Program and has also taken part in an Afro-Caribbean dance apprenticeship through MASC (Multicultural Arts for Schools and Communities) where she assisted in creating and teaching dance workshops for 2 classes (grades 4 – 6).
Joy has been a part of Lost Baggage since their first season, where she was the director, musical director, and choreographer of ‘A Little Lin Music’, a cabaret focusing on the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda and a production of his short musical, 21 Chump Street. Joy has since worked on many of LBMT’s productions in various roles. She is a board member of LBMT and also serves as the company’s HR Director. She also recently joined the board of TotoToo Theatre (Ottawa’s LGBTQ theatre company) and co-directed I’m Not That Cabaret, their successful return to productions after a 3- year hiatus.
Joy is also a working actress who uses her talents in various ways. She works with a company called 6am Productions where she improvises as various colourful characters in a number of virtual murder mysteries. She also performs and serves in Oh Canada Eh!?, a Canadian dinner musical, as well as working with Diversity and Beyond – a company that uses specially tailored role play simulations to train companies in diversity and inclusion training.
She has a passion for creating and participating in theatre and art that speaks to her experiences, culture, and principles and so she gravitates to art that portrays and celebrates the black experience in all its forms. She is also a singer and rapper and creates music under the name Thandizo.
Laura Walker
Stage Manager
Mathieu Charlebois
Program Coordinator and Music Director
Mathieu Charlebois first became involved with music at the age of four, when he began taking piano lessons with Music for Young Children. At ten years old, he started accompanying choirs in church services and playing for soloists. He attended Carleton University, where he received a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Vocal Performance, and the University of Ottawa, where he received a Bachelor of Education. He continues his music practice by teaching, acting, and accompanying local musical theatre productions and choirs.
Mathieu is one of the founding members of Lost Baggage Musical Theatre and continues to hold the position of President and Administrator of the company. He is LBMT’s main producer, having produced over twelve of their productions and has written and performed in two related musicals for the 2018 and 2021 Ottawa Fringe Festivals: The Drunk Text and Something About New York. Currently, he is co-writing a mini-musical with Joy Mwandemange, which is set to premiere this fall through Take-Off, LBMT’s new Performance Development Program.
Additionally, Mathieu is the founder and administrator of the Riverview School of Music, which provides private piano, voice, ukulele, guitar, and violin lessons in the Alta-Vista area. He is also a certified teacher and works with elementary students in one of the local school boards.
Roxanne Goodman
Masterclass Instructor
Roxanne Goodman is the Founder and President of Confidence Booster Inc. She is the published author of the book, Confidence Booster “Rising Higher (2015). An accomplished composer, singer-songwriter, arranger, and producer, she is at home singing jazz, gospel, blues, and pop.
Roxanne received a Baccalaureate in Music (Concordia University) and she is currently affiliated with the Carleton University Music Program, Ottawa.
Roxanne believes that by living confidently, every human being can develop and share their gifts and talents with others. She believes in community and her objective is to share songs of hope, love, and peace to promote a sense of joy and empowerment.
Roxanne is an insightful and dedicated author, musical artist and performer, choir director, music producer, teacher, and speaker, who is fully committed to empowering people and bringing out their true voice.
Roxanne has been providing professional musical coaching services to people for over 20 years through her company Confidence Booster Inc. Her vision to help people discover and develop their true voice, along with her mission to unlock their ability to be confident, happy, and free.
Private students and business clients learn how to manage performance anxiety, build self-esteem, and develop the confidence to truly be themselves. They learn how to comfortably express themselves through song or the spoken word, to better reach an audience with their message. Services are delivered using various approaches and settings such as private lessons, group workshop, business seminars, motivational speaking.
Past Choir and Artistic Director to Ottawa’s largest community choir, Big Soul Project (BSP), Until recently Roxanne’s was the choir and artistic director for 12 years. Under her leadership, the Big Soul Project, with house band Deep Groove, has grown to over 150 members. They now happily find themselves in demand to perform at numerous events, festivals, and fundraisers.
Roxanne coached and orchestrated the The Sunset Singers, a small group of senior singers who come together to make music for their own satisfaction and pleasure to others. She supported their goal to fulfil their mandate to “continue to sing until the sun goes down”, and to promote a healthy lifestyle and sense of community among seniors
Teaching Director with OrKidstra, a social development program that empowers kids from under served communities by teaching life through music. She helped to empower children through musical accomplishments and interactions with others, to build a stronger community through music.
Roxanne believes that every human being on this earth is here to make this world a better place by fully developing who they are and making their contribution.
Shawne Elizabeth
Masterclass Instructor
Shawne Elizabeth has taught Classical Voice (Bel Canto Method) and Musical Theatre for the School for Studies in Art and Culture (Music) at Carleton University since 2009. She holds an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Education from Ottawa University and a Diploma in Music Studies from Carleton University. Shawne continues the line of prominent Canadian voice teachers combining approaches from Quebec’s Fernande Chiocchio, Vancouver’s Philip Watts and Central Canada’s Victor Martens. Her students have won honors and accolades at the NATS Ottawa, Ottawa Kiwanis and Ontario Provincial Music festivals.
She has been guest artist with Opera Lyra Ottawa, Ottawa Pocket Opera, Opera in Piazza, Ottawa Savoy Society, Opera Breva, Théâtre Lyrique de Hull, Brahms Choir, Choeur Classique de l’Outaouais, Carleton University Choir and Blackburn Chorus. Shawne created four topical shows and three children’s operas for Fusion Opera Company Ooh Lah Lah. She toured Czech Republic as Gilda in Rigoletto as part of an all Verdi Festival.
Her repertoire includes light coloratura repertoire, French and German Art Song and she starred in over a dozen operettas by Offenbach, Sullivan, Lehar, Johan Strauss II, and Le Coq. Sacred performances include the standard works Schubert Mass in G, Vivaldi Gloria, Haydn’s Harmony Mass and The Creation, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart Requiem and Mass in C, and the Rutter and Fauré Requiems.
Shawne has appeared with the National Art Centre Orchestra, Gatineau Symphony, Virtuosi Orchestra, The Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, The Karlovy Vary Orchestra, Thirteen Strings and the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra.
She was 12 years conductor and music director for Lakeside Players, and currently teaches and conducts with the Chinese Canadian Children’s Choir of Canada. In addition she conducts vocal workshops, adjudicates vocal festivals and has a private studio in her home.
Susan Blyth-Schofield
Vocal Instructor
Susan Blyth-Schofield began her varied career as a performer in opera, operetta, and musical theatre across Canada and in Europe with such companies as The Canadian Opera Company, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Comus Music Theatre, Toronto Operetta Theatre, and Festival Estival. Chamber opera has always had a special appeal for Susan, and she is proud to have had the opportunity to create three roles in that genre: Baby (Baby), The Judge (Space Opera), and Sally (Killing Time). No stranger to the concert stage, she has performed numerous recitals in Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., London, Brussels, and other Canadian and European cities. Closer to home she has performed at The National Arts Centre, as a soloist with the Musica Viva Singers, in Opera Gelato, in the Opera in Piazza concerts during Italian Week, with the Ceremonial Band of The Governor General’s Foot Guards, at Rideau Hall, and in recital at the residence of the British High Commissioner. A number of her performances have been heard on CBC Radio and seen on Belgian and Canadian television.
Susan is passionate about teaching and has maintained a private vocal studio for over thirty years in Ottawa, Toronto, Brussels, Geneva, and London. Her students range from professional (classical and musical theatre singers, actors, and dancers), to aspiring high school students, to amateur performers. She joined Carleton Music as a performance instructor in 2002, and now also lectures in the History of Musical Theatre and is the director of the University’s Musical Theatre Ensemble. She holds a Master’s in Performance Studies from City University and the Guild Hall (London, England), a Bachelor of Music in Performance from The University of Toronto, and is an Associate of The Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. Susan is a member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing (currently serving as both the Quebec District Governor and the President of the National Capital Region Chapter), The Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association, Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, and The Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists. In addition to her one-on-one teaching, Susan is also a sought-after vocal adjudicator and gives frequent workshops and masterclasses on acting for singers, interpretation, and performance anxiety.
Behind the scenes, Susan has worked most often as a stage director of opera and musical theatre, although she has been known to turn her hand to stage management from time to time. Her directing credits include work for Carleton’s Musical Theatre Ensemble, Theatrical Adventures Ottawa, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Ooh La La Opera, The Ottawa School of Speech and Drama, Music Unlimited (Brussels), The Queen Elizabeth Dinner Theatre (Toronto) and Between Friends Music Theatre, Kitchener/Waterloo.
Theresa Ramsurup
Dance Workshop Instructor
Theresa believes dance is a way to express. Theresa has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Her journey began with Ballet, Tap, Jazz & Hip hop. She progressed through her examinations in Ballet, Tap & Jazz. Theresa advanced all the way to her Advance Jazz and Tap and finishing her Grades with the Royal Academy of Dance with Distinction. After graduating, Theresa began teaching, loving the feeling of achievement her students always brought her. Through the summer months, she sought out more adventure in dance and traveled to LA to work with amazing pop stars like Jennifer Lopez, Flo Rida, Brandy & Chris Brown. Theresa has since graduated from Carleton University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication. Theresa moved to San Antonio, Texas and furthered her education acquiring a Masters in Business. Now living in Ottawa again, she owns her own Hair & Make Up company, works in Healthcare and continues to teach dance to eager students itching to learn and enjoy the expressiveness dance has to offer!
Lost Baggage Musical Theatre 