John has had a career immersed in musical theatre storytelling, working as a professional Director, Choreographer, Writer and Educator. This includes a 17-year relationship with Radio City Entertainment, where he was the Director/ Choreographer for the world-famous Rockettes, for Rockette Special Events, as well as for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. John choreographed works for the Rockettes that were performed at events that include the Presidential Inauguration, the Today Show, The Macy’s Parade, and on the stage at Radio City. Featured performers included Michael Bublé and Liza Minnelli.

Other work includes hundreds of shows in a vast range of entertainment genres: from television to Off-Broadway & regional theatre, from industrial shows to ice shows. This includes National and International tours of The Wizard of Oz, Singin’ in the Rain, and Beauty & the Beast. John has directed and written for Walt Disney Entertainment, having directed & choreographed 7 editions of ABC Daytime salutes Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. He has a long relationship with Dolly Parton & Dollywood Entertainment, having created and worked on dozens of productions, more recently writing, directing and choreographing From the Heart: The Life & Music of Dolly Parton, named Newsweek Magazine’s 2025 #1 Live Theme Park Show in the country. John was the creative director for Niles Creative Group, a film production company specializing in large scale theatrically based film and video productions worldwide. This included clients such as the New York Stock Exchange, The George W. Bush Presidential Library, and Comcast.

John wrote the book & lyrics for the musical Things As They Are, based on the life of documentary photographer Dorothea Lange. It was a Next Link selection for the New York Musical Theatre Festival and received the “Best of Fest” Award for most popular show. It was also twice nominated for the prestigious Fred Ebb Award. Only Anne, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, written with composer Will Buck, received development at the Rhinebeck Writer’s Retreat, was produced at the Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, and had selections from the show performed by the Chelsea Symphony and orchestrated by the legendary Bill Brohn. Lautrec At The St. James with composer Julianne Wick Davis was selected to be presented and produced at the 2019 NAMT conference and chosen for the inaugural Applause Concert Series at the Olney Theatre Center in 2022, performed with a 12-piece orchestra. Other shows in development are I, Me, A Beautiful Man-Alone. The Nureyev Project, with composer Will Buck and a new adaptation of The Gift Of The Magi, with composer Julianne Wick Davis.

John teaches for PlayPen/Dramatists Guild Institute, NYU Tisch Open Arts, and the NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.  He received his MFA from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, in Musical Theatre Writing, and his MA from New York University Gallatin School in Musical Theatre Structure & Directing Theory. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin.  He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

RADIO CITY ENTERTAINMENT (17 years)
Director / Choreographer /Writer
Conceptual development of production numbers, special events (theatrical / television), and full-scale shows for the Radio City Rockettes, Rockette Special Events and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. This included scripting, music development, scenic/lighting direction, costume design direction, staging, choreography. 

DOLLY PARTON / DOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT (Current)
Director / Writer / Choreographer 
Dolly Parton / Dollywood Entertainment (28 years): Conceptual development, script writing, stage direction/choreography for over 70 Live Entertainment events/productions. Productions include: From the Heart: The Life & Music of Dolly Parton – Named Newsweek’s #1 Live Theme Park Show 2025, Golden Ticket Awards Best New Show 2024

Choreographer - Dolly Parton’s Smokey Mountain Christmas Carol. Dicken’s A Christmas Carol set in 1930’s Appalachia. Music & Lyrics by Dolly Parton, Book by David Bell. Premiere 2019 – Colonial Theater, Boston.

NILES CREATIVE GROUP (10 years)
Creative Producer / Director / Choreographer 
Conceptual development for large-scale film projects, attractions, and Theatrical events. This includes research, project management, concept outlines, conceptual scripts, final editing, and co-directing of all projects.

NOTED PROJECTS INCLUDE:
THE COMCAST EXPERIENCE, Philadelphia – Public Art installation on the world’s highest resolution LED screen.

“UNDER THE SAME ROOF”, CHINA PAVILION, SHANGHAI EXPO 2010 – Three-minute film attraction.

GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY – 360-degree film presentation located in main entry, Freedom Hall, Dallas, TX.

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER – Film Art Installation, Main Lobby.

ADDITIONAL CLIENTS:The New York Stock Exchange, the City Center Media Gateway in Washington DC, OUE Tower Los Angeles, BAIN Capital Headquarters Boston.

BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS (7 years)
Director / Choreographer / Writer

ABC DAYTIME SALUTES BROADWAY CARES
Conceptual development, script writing, direction, and choreography for annual high-profile event involving cast members from current Broadway and ABC Daytime shows. 

WALT DISNEY ENTERTAINMENT (4 years)
Director / Writer 
Creative development and direction of Live Entertainment productions for Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo, Japan. Also included hiring of talent for the entire park (800 employees), rehearsal management, and scheduling.

DISNEY ON ICE – The Little Mermaid, Director

SELECTED PRODUCTION CREDITS
Director and/or Choreographer (Additional credits upon request)

MACK & MABEL in Concert, NY Philharmonic, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, National Tour

THE WIZARD OF OZ, National Tour. Korean Tour

BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Coons/Sivak), National Tour

NBC Gala Re-Opening of Radio City Music Hall

A&E Television: GERSHWIN ON ICE starring Dorothy Hamill

MACK & MABEL, Goodspeed Opera House

NATIONAL PEPSI-COLA INDUSTRIAL – Las Vegas

FEDERATED DEPARTMENT STORES INDUSTRIAL – Las Vegas

ONE WORLD JAM – CBS Television Special, Radio City Music Hall

2000 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION 

WRITING CREDITS (Book Writer / Lyricist)
See: Shows - Writer tab

ACADEMIC/TEACHING
NYU Tisch Drama/Open Arts: The History of the American Musical (Current)

NYU Graduate Musical Theatre Writing: Dance as a Storytelling Device for Writers (Current)

NYU Tisch Drama: Musical Theatre Dance (Current)

PlayPenn/Dramatists Guild Institute: The Architecture of Musicals / Word Crazy: Lyricists & Lyric Writing / Plays in Progress (Current)

Marymount College of Manhattan – Musical Theatre Performance 

EDUCATION / DIPLOMA
Master of Fine Arts – New York University – Tisch School of the Arts
Graduate Musical Theatre Writing

Master of Arts – New York University – Gallatin School
Directing & Performance Theory/Musical Theatre Structure

University of Wisconsin - Bachelor of Music 
Voice/Choral Education, Theatre Minor