Contact Us:
Phone: 612.874.1100
Email: info@thatwonderboy.com
Mailing Address:
12800 Industrial Park Blvd Ste 252
Minneapolis, MN 55441
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Our Team:
Artistic Personnel |
Producers |
| Bob Stromberg (Author, Actor) | Dennis Babcock (Producer) |
| Risa Brainin (Director) | Rosalie Miller (Associate Producer) |
| Tracy Woodward (Assistant Director) | |
| Nayna Ramey (Scenic, Projection & Costume Design) | |
| Michael Klaers (Lighting Design) | |
| Michael Pearce Donley (Music & Soundscape) | |
| John Markiewicz (Technical Sound Design) | |
| Benjamin Netzley (Stage Manager) |
Bob Stromberg (Author, Actor)
Bob Stromberg grew up in the beautiful and culturally deprived Allegheny Mountains of rural Pennsylvania. Throughout his early school years, his deepest desire was to be recognized “class clown,” but as the sensitive son of a school administrator and a teacher he found his aspirations unattainable.
Receiving an art degree from North Park College in Chicago, he continued his studies for two years with legendary mime teacher Tony Montanaro at Celebration Theatre in Maine. It was there he met mask maker extraordinaire Michael Cooper. For over ten years they clowned throughout New England, cutting their performing teeth in over 4,000 school and community shows. In 1989 Bob “went solo” with his unique blend of story, standup and shtick.
In 1995 he joined his friends, masterful comic magician Bill Arnold and musical genius Michael Pearce Donley, to co-author the comedy, Triple Espresso —a highly caffeinated comedy. The play opened at the Music Box Theater on April 27, 1996 and closed in 2008…twelve years later, to the day. Since its beginning, the “little play that could” has opened in dozens of cities from San Diego to London to Munich and still runs during holiday season in the Twin Cities. In his signature role as Bobby Bean, the Chicago Sun Times called Bob “…a mesmerizing physical comedian” and the London Times, “…a genuinely funny man.”
Bob lives in Minnesota with his wife Judy, occasionally still performs with Triple Espresso, and tours extensively as a featured comedian and speaker. Throughout his career, it has been his joy to advocate for impoverished children through the transformational work of Compassion International, releasing children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty. Visit www.compassion.com to learn more and please visit Bob at www.bobstromberg.com.
Bob wishes to dedicate That Wonder Boy to his bottle packing, joyfully suffering, artist grandfather Albin Nelson, who never tired of telling stories.
Risa Brainin (Director)
Tracy Woodward (Assistant Director)
Tracy Woodward graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a double major in Theater and Psychology. Tracy has a particular interest in the development of new plays and would like to thank Risa and Dennis for providing him with the tremendous opportunity to work on this show.
Nayna Ramey (Scenic Design, Projections Design, Costume Design)
Nayna Ramey’s regional work includes Triple Espresso—a highly caffeinated comedy; The Diary of Anne Frank at the Intiman Theatre; Liliom, Indian Ink, Morningstar at Kansas City Repertory Theatre; Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors at Shakespeare Santa Cruz; Othello, Amadeus at Texas Shakespeare Festival; eleven seasons at American Players Theatre with designs including Ah Wilderness, The Play’s the Thing, Romeo & Juliet, Cymbeline, Othello, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, and Uncle Vanya; Jewtopia, The Miamians, His Eye is on the Sparrow, Golda’s Balcony at Florida Studio Theatre; My Way, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown at the McKnight Theatre; Grease and Hair at the Historic Pantages Theatre; Tuesdays with Morrie, Noises Off and Pygmalion at Indiana Repertory Theatre; Snapshots, Hiding in the Open and Main Street at the History Theatre and over 60 productions at Chanhassen Theatres including 42nd Street, Easter Parade, Grease, West Side Story, Midlife: the Crisis Musical, Anything Goes, Annie, Cats, Big Bang, My Fair Lady and Singing in the Rain.
Michael Klaers (Lighting Design)
Michael Klaers is delighted to be involved with Mr. Wonder Boy. His work has also been seen at Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Portland Stage Company, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Missouri Repertory Theatre, the Guthrie Theater, Madison Repertory Theatre, The Cricket Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, among others. He is also the Lighting Designer for the very funny Triple Espresso—a highly caffeinated comedy.
Michael Pearce Donley (Music & Soundscape Design)
Michael Pearce Donley is a songwriter, concert artist, music director and actor. He’s worked with Park Square Theatre (2 Pianos, 4 Hands), Ten Thousand Things (Man of La Mancha, Once On This Island), Nautilus Music Theater (Alice Unwrapped), Hey City Stage (Forever Plaid) and Plymouth Playhouse (Pump Boys and Dinettes). Currently he works as a media producer at Eagle Brook Church, Twin Cities, and he’s often seen in TV and internet commercials and heard in radio ads. His original music has been featured in the popular children’s recording GT and the Halo Express. He was the musical director for the national live radio program Sunday Nite. Mike’s married to theater director Joy Donley, and they have 2 kids. For the latest news, visit michaelpearcedonley.com
John Markiewicz (Technical Sound Design)
John Markiewicz has twenty five years experience in performance audio, live broadcast, recording and installations. He is the owner of Audio Logic Systems, located in Bloomington, MN, an installation and full service production company providing audio, video and lighting services, as well as planning and consultation.
Benjamin Netzley (Stage Manager)
Benjamin Netzley has been stage managing across the country since 2003. Work on Daniel Group projects includes That Wonder Boy, To Begin With, and Triple Espresso—a highly caffeinated comedy. Other work includes The Andrews Sisters Music and Memories, Defending the Caveman, Warm Beer Cold Women: A Celebration of Tom Waits, and the operas Cosí fan Tutte, and Don Pasquale. He is also a Display Operator and Manager for Hollywood Pyrotechnics, setting up and setting off professional fireworks displays and special effects for festivals, celebrations, film, and stage.
Dennis Babcock (Producer)
Dennis Babcock is President/CEO of The Daniel Group, which produces Triple Espresso, To Begin With and That Wonder Boy. His career is a story bursting with fascinating characters he’s had the opportunity to meet or work with, from a princess of Monaco, to the Queen of England, to the family of Charles Dickens, to a TV icon with pointy ears.
He began as an actor at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, but soon turned to the producing side of the business, becoming the Special Events Producer, and later, after a stint as Managing Director of the Pittsburgh Public Theater, returning to the Guthrie as General Manager. In 1986 he formed PalmTree Productions, Inc. which produced Vincent, with Leonard Nimoy and Grandma Moses—An American Primitive, with Cloris Leachman. He then served as President/CEO of Christmas Carol, Inc., producing Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in theaters across America, with various celebrities in the role of Scrooge. Since 1996, Dennis has produced Triple Espresso in 50 plus cities in the United States and six foreign countries (including translations into German and Flemish). He encouraged Bob Stromberg to write the award-winning That Wonder Boy, and he commissioned Jeffrey Hatcher to write To Begin With, inspired by a little-known work of Charles Dickens.
Dennis has served on the Boards of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Media Fellowship International, a Christian ministry serving professionals in the media and entertainment industries. He loves to teach students at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul about producing and regale them with stories from the “real” world.
Rosalie Miller (Associate Producer)
Rosalie Miller came to theater by way of radio, where she worked for eight years on the original production of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. While working with Mr. Keillor, she produced the recording Prairie Home Comedy and the Grammy-nominated More News From Lake Wobegon. In 1990, she began producing the award-winning regional cable television variety show, The Cedar Social, and in 1991 she joined the staff of the Dale Warland Singers, serving as Personnel Coordinator and Road Manager, and later as Interim Executive Director. Rosalie began working with Mr. Babcock in 1994, when she became Group Sales and Merchandising Manager for Christmas Carol, Inc.’s production of A Christmas Carol. She later authored A Christmas Carol Study Guide and toured with the show as Company Manager. Then along came Triple Espresso — a highly caffeinated comedy. From the expectation of “a fun project for a few months,” it grew into well over a decade of nonstop, whirlwind action, as the show became a hit in city after city around the country and the world. Rosalie continues as Associate Producer of Triple Espresso — but hey, there’s no need to limit once-in-a-lifetime experiences to only one at a time — so she’s delighted to also be a part of Mr. Wonder Boy and can’t wait to see what’s in its future!