Musical Director

Sam is a music director and pianist whose work spans professional musical theater, cruise ship entertainment, and concert productions. His experience includes leading vocal ensembles and live orchestras, preparing complex scores, and integrating musical and technical elements into cohesive productions. His theater credits include Hairspray, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, Chess in Concert, and other productions, with upcoming engagements including Grease and South Pacific.

​

From 2024–2026, Sam worked with Royal Caribbean aboard Symphony of the Seas, serving as Musical Director for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray. During his tenure, the ship was awarded Best Entertainment at Sea, recognizing the quality and consistency of its live productions.

​

As Musical Director of Hairspray, Sam was responsible for the musical integrity of the production, overseeing both vocals and orchestra for a cast of 24 performers and a live 10-piece orchestra. He led vocal warmups, ran vocal and orchestra rehearsals, and conducted regular notes sessions to maintain performance standards across an intensive production schedule. Sam also worked closely with sound and technical teams to ensure optimal balance, clarity, and consistency in each performance, including assisting with reblocking and soundboard programming adjustments.

​

In addition to Hairspray, Sam served as Musical Director and Vocal Supervisor for Flight: Dare to Dream, an original Royal Caribbean production. He maintained vocal health and consistency across the cast while leading daily warmups and musical maintenance rehearsals. His responsibilities extended beyond performance, encompassing cast onboarding, vocal coaching for new performers, and long-term maintenance of vocal and musical integrity.

​

Sam’s approach to musical direction combines rigorous score study with a deep respect for the composer's artistic intentions and the dramatic demands of the work. In Into the Woods, his work encompassed the intricate musical and dramatic architecture of Stephen Sondheim's score, with attention to the relationships between recurring musical themes, text, and character. He prioritizes preserving the integrity of the score while communicating its demands clearly and thoughtfully, meeting performers where they are and helping them deliver compelling, cohesive performances. He also programmed the production in QLab and served as sound designer, integrating its musical and technical elements in support of the storytelling.

​ 

Alongside his music direction, Sam maintains an active career as a pianist, including Little Shop of Horrors and Chess in Concert, where he performed Keys 1 with a 25-piece orchestra at Payne & Mencias Palladium. He is currently working as rehearsal pianist for Sweeney Todd at Taylor University and serves as a collaborative pianist at Anderson University and Taylor University, working extensively with singers across classical and musical theater repertoire. His upcoming engagements include Keys 2 for Grease and Music Director for South Pacific at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre (Indianapolis, IN).