about van hill entertainment

Coming soon: Rooms (directed by Scott Schwartz) will be receiving its World Premiere as a co-production between MetroStage (just outside of Washington D.C.) and Geva Theatre Center (of Rochester, NY). Beginning in July 2008, Rooms will run for a total of 12 weeks in anticipation of a New York run. Saint Heaven will receive its West Coast Premiere at the Village Theatre in Issaquah, WA (just outside Seattle) when it opens their 2008/2009 season in September.

Co-founded by Van Dean and Hillary Cutter, most recently presented a all-star benefit concert of Paul Scott Goodman's, Alive in the World featuring Adam Pascal, Lea Michele, Melissa Errico, Daniel Reichard, Toby Lightman and Greg Naughton and directed by Kurt Deutsch. Previously, Van Hill presented a NY preview of Rooms (directed by Scott Schwartz and featuring Natascia Diaz and Jeremy Kushnier) at The Zipper Theatre (Off-Broadway). In September of 2006, Van Hill produced three shows in the 3rd annual New York Musical Theatre Festival: a showcase production of Paul Scott Goodman’s Alive in the World (dir. Kurt Deutsch) featuring two time Tony® Award nominee Kelli O’Hara, Aaron Lohr, Marcy Harriell, Greg Naughton; a special reading presentation of Saint Heaven (Winner of the 2006 NMTN Directors’ Choice Award) featuring Nancy Anderson, Montego Glover, Kingsley Leggs, Darren Ritchie, Roz Ryan and Patrick Ryan Sullivan; and a reading of Marshall Pailet and A.D. Penedo ’s The Chocolate Tree (dir. Sheryl Kaller).

Van Hill's World Premiere production of Saint Heaven in June of 2006 was recently named one of the top theatrical events of 2006 by THE NORWALK HOUR and Frank Rizzo (THE HARTFORD COURANT and critic for VARIETY) named Montego Glover's portrayal of Eshie Willington in Saint Heaven as one of the great performances of 2006. This production of Saint Heaven (dir. Matt Lenz) at the SCA Rich Forum in Stamford, CT featured Tony® Award Winner Chuck Cooper, Deborah Gibson, Cheryl Alexander, Montego Glover, Darren Ritchie and Patrick Ryan Sullivan.

In February 2006, Van Hill co-produced The NY Musical Theatre Festival: The Best of Fest Bash! (dir. Joe Calarco) at Dodger Stages (now New World Stages). The one-night only performance showcased a star-studded roster of Broadway talent including John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys), Josh Strickland and Jenn Gambatese (Tarzan), Gary Beach (The Producers, Beauty and the Beast), Mary Faber (Avenue Q), Amy Spanger (The Wedding Singer), Anna Harada (Avenue Q), David Burnham (The Light in the Piazza), Karen Ziemba (Curtains, Contact), and Kerry Butler (Little Shop of Horrors, Xanadu ), among others. Van Hill Entertainment also co-produced a sold out run of The Mistress Cycle at the 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival and received rave reviews from VARIETY, BACK STAGE and BROADWAY WORLD.

Cutter's other theatrical production credits include the Obie Award Winning play Gone Missing (The Civilians: The Belt Theater NYC, The Gate Theatre London); Nobody's Lunch (PS 122); Question Love (2004 Fringe Festival) and with WET (Women's Expressive Theater), St. Scarlet (Ontological Theater) and Scab (Greenwich Street Theater).

Hillary Cutter (www.hillarycutter.com) is also the owner of Cutter Productions, an independent producer of film, TV, and commercials. Recent film and TV credits include a one-hour Court TV special, "Major Misbehavior"; the NYC scenes of Hans Canosa’s feature film "Conversations With Other Women"; Amos Lees "Arms of a Woman" music video; "Kiss My Asphalt" (dir. Sera Rockagi), which features the Gotham Girls roller derby league and was a selection at the 2006 Los Angeles International Shorts Festival. The short film "Lucky" (Dir. Melissa Berman), which Cutter Associate Produced, won Fest Favorite at Hypefest and Audience Favorite at DC shorts. She has produced films and music videos for some of today's hottest directors, featuring many acclaimed actors (Aaron Eckhart, Helena Bonham Carter and Kathleen Turner) and artists (DMC of the seminal rap group, Run-DMC). Cutter's various theatrical productions have earned her numerous awards and the opportunity to work with people like Billy Crudup, Ally Sheedy, Paul Rudd and the late Adrienne Shelly.

Van Dean has written the book, music and lyrics for A Rose in Winter, the lyrics for True Love is a Work of Art and is currently working on The Eyes Of Midnight. In 1995, he wrote new lyrics and arrangements of the Rodgers and Hart song, "Dear Old Syracuse" for Syracuse University's 125th Anniversary Celebration hosted by Dick Clark at the Carrier Dome stadium. Other past projects include composing the quintet "Stolen Youth" and contributing a song to Tada! Theater's musical review Everything About School (Almost). Dean has taught lyric writing and music composition.

Dean and Cutter served on the selection committee for the 6th Annual TRU Voices musical reading series. Van and Hillary are both graduates of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.