Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Matt Kunkel, named one of Newsday’s Rising Stars of Tomorrow, is a freelance NYC based Producer, Director, and General Manager. Matt currently serves as a General Manager for Work Light Productions managing the National Tours of Mrs. Doubtfire, Mamma Mia, and Clue. He directed and co-conceived the St. Louis Muny’s critically acclaimed 100th anniversary production entitled An Evening with the Stars, which starred Broadway Legends Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune, along with Heather Headley and Matthew Morrison, as well as The Sound of Music for their 2021 Season. He also directed The Sound of Music and Camelot for The Muny, as well as the first ever collaboration for The Muny and the St. Louis Symphony entitled A Celebration of Muny 100 and Directed the Couples Segments for the Muny’s 2020 Summer Variety Hour. Other recent directing credits include The Sound of Music for the Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Opera (with Maestro Rob Fisher), Tale As Old As Time (Co-Written, Directed by Christian Borle) and Follow the Fellow Who Follows A Dream for the Lyrics and Lyricists Series @ the 92nd St Y, White Christmas, Sunset Boulevard, and Elf the Musical at the John W. Engeman Theatre at Northport, Considering Matthew Shepard for the University of Michigan and Detroit PBS, and he directed the first reading of Dick Scanlan’s opera libretto Fallingwater for The Metropolitan Opera. He is also the Producer of the 92Y’s acclaimed Lyrics and Lyricists Series which is now in it’s 50th Season. Associate Directing credits include the National Tour of An Officer and a Gentleman, Candide at Carnegie Hall (starring John Lithgow), The Music Man (staring Jessie Mueller, Norm Lewis, and Rosie O’Donnell), Tommy, and Footloose (The Kennedy Center), Carmel Dean and Dick Scanlan’s new musical Renascence with the Transport Theatre Group, the Actors Fund Reunion Concert of Thoroughly Modern Millie (starring Sutton Foster), and the first ever regional production of the landmark musical Jerome Robbins’ Broadway (The Muny). He has also worked at the St. Louis Muny for over 6 years as an Associate and Assistant Director on over 25 productions, working with such directors as Marc Bruni, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Gary Griffin, John Tartaglia, Denis Jones, Kathleen Marshall, Christian Borle, Gordon Greenberg, and Dan Knecthges. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Long Island High School for the Arts, and is a Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He continues to teach masterclasses throughout the country and coach privately.
General Manager for Work Light Productions managing the National Tours of: • MRS DOUBTFIRE 1st National Tour (Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey Kirkpatrick, Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell, Directed by Jerry Zaks, Starring Rob McClure) o https://mrsdoubtfirebroadway.com/tour/ • MAMMA MIA 25th Anniversary Tour (Music & Lyric by Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus, Book by Catherine Johnson) o https://mammamiathetour.com/ • CLUE 1st National Tour (Based on the Screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, Book by Sandy Rustin, Directed by Casey Hushion) o https://clueliveonstage.com/
Co-Producer along with Stephanie Alvarado Prugh for the famed Lyrics and Lyricists Series at the 92nd Street Y, New York New York. 52nd Season (2023-2024) • Tale As Old As Time: The Songs Of Howard Ashman (Matt Kunkel, Artistic Director and Co-Writer, Directed by Christian Borle, October 2023) • In The Key Of Life: The Genius Of Stevie Wonder (Darius de Haas, Artistic Director, December 2023) • Soul Picnic: The Songs And Legacy Of Laura Nyro (Judy Kuhn, Artistic Director, March 2024) • An Evening With Jason Robert Brown - A One-Night-Only Lyrics And Lyricists Special Event (Jason Robert Brown, Artistic Director, May 2024) • Wonder Of Wonders: Celebrating Sheldon Harnick (Ted Sperling, Artistic Director, June 2024) 51st Season (2022-2023) • California Dreamin’: Jessica Vosk Sings the Songwriters of Laurel Canyon (Jessica Vosk, Star and Artistic Director, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Music Director and Arranger, November 2022) • MISS: Broadway’s Women Songwriters (Kate Baldwin and Georgia Stitt, Co-Artistic Directors, December 2022) • What’s Going On?: Songs of Social Change (Warren Adams, Artistic Director, Michael O. Mitchell, Music Director and Arranger, March 2023) • Judy on TV!: Celebrating The Judy Garland Show (Billy Stritch, Artistic Director, May 2023) 50th Anniversary Season (2022): • David Loud: Facing the Music (David Loud, Artistic Director, March 2022) • You Send Me: The Songs and Soul of Sam Cooke (Darius de Haas, Artistic Director, April 2022) • Isn't It Bliss?: Sondheim on Love (Ted Sperling, Artistic Director, June 2022)
Classes taught include: Industry Showcase Series – Guide actors in performances leading towards showcase culmination for agents. Resident Director Series – Coach on the materials for specific shows (Wicked, Mean Girls, and Hamilton) so they feel prepared before meeting the Associate Director and Music Director in class. Audition Technique – Tips and tricks for when entering an audition room Rep Book Revamp – Help performers revamp their audition repertoire books with material from Operetta to Contemporary. Self Tape Series – Guide actors in successful ways to create self tapes. LINK Series • Teach a variety of classes including Self Tape Series, Resident Director Series, Audition Technique, Rep Book Revamp, and Agent Gamechanger. • Work with college students and adults on performance skills to master the audition. • For Resident Director Series, coach students on the materials for specific shows like Wicked, Mean Girls, and Hamilton so they feel prepared before meeting the Associate Director and Music Director for a specific show
Working as a Freelance Theatre Director and Associate Director. Worked on a variety of projects including: • THE SOUND OF MUSIC - Director - Virginia Opera/Arts Festival • CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD - Director - University of Michigan / Detroit PBS • WHITE CHRISTMAS - Director - John W. Engeman Theatre • SUNSET BOULEVARD - Director/Choreographer - John W. Engeman Theatre • ELF THE MUSICAL - Director - John W. Engeman Theatre • FALLINGWATER - Director - The Metropolitan Opera • AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN - Associate Director - Work Light Productions 1st National Tour (Dir. Dick Scanlan) • ELF THE MUSICAL - Assistant Director - NetWorks and Madison Square Garden • CANDIDE (Starring John Lithgow) Associate Director - Carnegie Hall (Dir. Gary Griffin) • JERRY HERMAN MEMORIAL CONCERT - Associate Director - The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (Dir. Marc Bruni) • THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE - Associate Director - Actors Fund Reunion Concert (Dir. Dick Scanlan) • JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY - Associate Director - Theatre Under the Stars (Dir. Cynthia Onrubia) • LENNY’S LYRICISTS - Associate Director - Lyrics & Lyricists/92nd St Y (Dir. Gary Griffin) • ANDREA MCARDLE & DONNA MCKECHNIE CELEBRATE SONDHEIM & HAMLISCH - Associate Director - Feinstein’s 54 Below (Dir. Marcia Milgrom Dodge) • THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX - Associate Director - The Old Globe (Dir. Marc Bruni) • GLIMPSES OF THE MOON - Associate Director - The Players Club (Dir. Marc Bruni) • 17 AGAIN - Associate Director - NAMT (Dir. Gary Griffin) • UNTITLED MUSICAL - Associate Director- New York Stage & Film (Dir. Dick Scanlan) • RENASCENCE - Associate Director - Transport Theatre Group (Dir. Dick Scanlan & Jack Cummings III) • ONE HIT WONDER - Assistant Director - ABC Television/Araca Group (Dir. Hunter Foster) • MAIZE AND BLUE ON BROADWAY - Assistant Director - August Wilson Theatre (Dir. Gavin Creel & Linda Goodrich)
Masterclass in Audition Technique • Masterclass was set up as a Mock Audition • Students prepared 2 songs and 2 monologues and performed them. • Gave students adjustments in the room and performed their material again • Individually critiqued each student and had 1 on 1 sessions with each of them to Explain the critiques and help them improve for their next audition. Acting 1: Scene Study and Technique • Introductory acting class to the basic concepts and principles of acting. • Incorporated voice and movement exercises into acting and scene work in pieces ranging from Shakespeare to Contemporary.