Kris Stewart:

Magnormos credits: 'Life's A Circus', 'OzMade Musicals 2008'.    

Kris Stewart is the founding director of the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), the world's largest annual musical theatre event. Through his production company Red Sand Media Partners, Kris is one the producers of the Obie and Drama Desk award winning [TITLE OF SHOW], which opened on Broadway July 17th, 2008 at the Lyceum Theater, and the feature film RED HOOK, a teen thriller shot in NYC in 2007 for ‘08 release. He currently serves as Resident Director of the musical WICKED in Australia for the Gordon/Frost Organization.

Prior to NYMF, Kris was Executive Director of the National Music Theatre Network and consulting director for the Theatre for the American Musical. He held senior positions at many Australian companies, including acting as Associate Director for The Kevin Jacobsen Corporation (Australia), where he was Resident Director on shows that included SISTERELLA, GAEL FORCE DANCE, DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, CHESS, and JEKYLL AND HYDE. He directed HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING for The Production Company at Melbourne's State Theatre, TREEMONISHA (State Opera of South Australia), SKYLIGHT for Melbourne Theatre Company and was Resident Director for A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (MTC and International Management Group). Among the 30+ other shows Kris has directed include the new musicals PRODIGAL and VIRGIN WARS (for the Next Wave Festival), THE JOURNEY GIRL, and the workshops of THE JACKAL and ROOFTOP at Playbox and CARVED IN AIR for Handspan Visual Theatre, as well as RAGS, THREE GUYS NAKED FROM THE WAIST DOWN, INTO THE WOODS, PAL JOEY, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, EXTREMITIES, THE SHRINKING LEDGE, Kander and Ebb’s AND THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND, THE FANTASTICKS and GUYS AND DOLLS.

Experienced in the particular demands of major event and festival production, Kris’ work on NYMF is an extension from his experience with other major events, including the Australian Ballet’s BALLET IN THE PARK, Madison Square Garden/Radio City Entertainment’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL, the Lygon Street Festa (over 300,000 attendees), the Myer Music Bowl Millennium Concert, the Waterfront Festival, the Williamstown Festival, The LIVE Youth Festival, the VIVA Multicultural Festival and numerous outdoor concerts and events. In 2000, Kris founded The Festa Group, which became one of Australia's largest Festival-focussed production companies, and was a consultant on Cultural Development for the City of Melbourne.

Kris has also had experience of university teaching and leading master classes and was head of the MSA Performing Arts Department and Artistic Director of Student Theatre Activities for Monash University. This was an extension of Kris’ previous teaching experience, which had included being a staff teacher (for ages 12 – 22) with the National Theatre, creating the syllabus for the West Australian Children’s Drama Company and freelancing as a lecturer at the Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts, the Children’s Performing Company of Australia and Queensland University.