Fine Arts Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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Julie Beckman is a freelance theater director, adapter and educator based in Seattle.  Recent directing credits include the world premieres of Mrs. Loman is Leaving at ACT Theatre Seattle, and her original adaptation of Aphra Behn’s The Lucky Chance with Island Shakespeare Festival on Whidbey Island.  Also in Seattle: Animals Out of Paper and Letters of Suresh with ReAct Theatre in Seattle, OR, with Theatre22 at Seattle Public Theater, A Christmas Carol (2021) at ACT Seattle as well as the west coast premieres of Theresa Rebeck’s plays Downstairs (People’s Choice Award) and The Bells (three Seattle Times Footlights Awards).  Other Seattle directing credits include Water by the Spoonful (Seattle Times Footlight Award, three Gypsy Rose Lee Awards, Gregory Award), The Happiest Song Plays Last, The Revolutionists (Gypsy Rose Lee Award), Annapurna (People's Choice Award), A Small Fire (four Gypsy Rose Lee Awards),

4 Dogs and a Bone (Footlights Award), The Elephant Man (four Gregory Award nominations), and Fifth of July, Trevor, 26 Miles, Fellow Passengers and Bernie's Apt.

Julie is also known for a handful of adaptations of novels including Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (which has been performed across the country and in Canada), Charles Dickens’ Hard Times and Great Expectations, Jonathan Raban’s Waxwings, Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Edith Wharton’s The Bunner Sisters.

Prior to Seattle, Julie directed six productions for ArtReach Theatre in Cincinnati which performed for children across the Midwest, and guest directed at Xavier University and Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati.  In Chicago, she received an MFA in Directing from Northwestern University where she also taught, acted and directed.  Prior to Chicago, she received a BA from Georgetown University and went on to live and direct in Washington D.C. while serving as the Drama teacher and directing fifteen productions at St. Agnes/ St. Stephens School in Alexandria, VA.

At Theatre Xavier, Julie acted in all three of Michael Sparough’s productions:  Cyrano (as a freshman), JC and Other Resurrection Stories, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as a sophomore).  The following two years she acted in Charley’s Aunt, The Crucible, The Fantasticks, A Man For All Seasons, and she co-directed the final show of her senior year: The Hungry Ones.  She went on from there to co-found Midsummer Theater with Tim Reilly, where she directed the inaugural production - She Stoops to Conquer, and acted the following two summers, first in The Madwoman of Chaillot where she played the title role, then in The Skin of Our Teeth.  In addition to initiating her life in Theatre, Theatre Xavier provided the occasion for Julie to meet her soul mate Paul Lippert and they have been together ever since. Together Julie and Paul launched a co-production which has lasted over 50 years, included three daughters and two grandchildren, and will hopefully be running for many years to come.

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Jessica Hendy is a critically acclaimed actress and playwright. In 2023, she created, wrote, and starred in the autobiographical, one-woman musical, Walking With Bubbles, which opened Off-Broadway in New York City. Walking With Bubbles was met with rave reviews and she was nominated for a 2023 DRAMA DESK AWARD for outstanding solo performance, as well as nominated and won the OFF-BROADWAY ALLIANCE AWARD for outstanding solo performance. Considered one of the best singers and belters on Broadway, Jessica was
nominated for a 2024 Grammy award for her work on the Sondheim Unplugged Vol 3 album.

Appearing in four Broadway shows, with her most recent Broadway credit in the 2016 revival of CATS, Jessica is the only person in history with the unique distinction of being in the Broadway revival of CATS, as well as in the final cast of the original Broadway production at the Winter Garden Theatre, where she played and made her Broadway debut as “Grizabella.” Her other Broadway credits include AIDA (Amneris) and AMOUR. She made her Radio City Music Hall debut in The New York Spring Spectacular alongside The world-famous Rockettes. Jessica has toured Nationally and in Canada with CATS (Grizabella) and Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator). While in New York, she received rave reviews for her one woman Cabaret, A Life To Call Your Own, and a Bistro Award for the review Get Your Tickets Now. NYC pre-broadway workshops include Dance of the Vampires, AIDA, and The Molly Maguires. She can be heard on many demo recording of new musicals and compilation CD’s. She is regular guest singer at the world famous Feinstein’s 54 Below in New York, which is a premier Supper Club housed in the old Studio 54.

Regionally, she played “Diana Goodman” in the regional premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next To Normal at The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, which earned her an Acclaim Award. This past Fall, she reprised her role in Next To Normal to open the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati’s 40th anniversary season. Other selected regional productions include Pittsburgh CLO and North Shore Music Theatre in Miss Saigon (Ellen) and the Helen Hayes Perf Arts Center in Songs For A New World with Jason Robert Brown. She also played “Donna” in the Terrence Mann-directed production of Mamma Mia at Connecticut Rep. NYC pre-broadway
workshops include Poupelle of Chimneytown, Dance of the Vampires, AIDA, and The Molly
Maguires. Jessica travels to countless symphonies and orchestras in North America, headlining their POPS
concerts. She has had the honor to travel with composer, Stephen Schwartz for concerts of his music to sing. “Defying Gravity,” from his mega-hit musical WICKED. A native of Cincinnati Ohio, Jessica attended the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati for musical theatre. She currently lives in New York City with her son, Beckett. www.JessicaHendy.com @jesshendy

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Spanish-American conductor François López-Ferrer has carved an impressive path in the world of classical music, distinguished by his dynamic artistry and compelling performances. Recipient of the prestigious 2024 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, his international career has been marked by recent debuts with esteemed orchestras and opera houses worldwide, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) at the Hollywood Bowl, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Opéra national de Paris, Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini at the Rossini Opera Festival, Houston, Detroit, and Utah Symphony Orchestras, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orquesta
Sinfónica Radio Televisión Española, Verbier Festival Orchestra, Ensemble intercontemporain, Opéra de Lausanne, and George Enescu Philharmonic.

Upcoming engagements include debuts with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid at the Teatro Real de Madrid in a production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Symphonieorchester der Volksoper Wien, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, Biel Solothurn Symphony Orchestra, and Opera San Antonio leading Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, as well as returns to the Basque National Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Symphony San Jose, and the Orchestre internationale de Genève.

His journey began as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony (CSO) and May Festival, where he made a significant impact on audiences and critics alike. In January 2022 he seamlessly stepped in for Louis Langrée with the CSO for the US premiere of Mark Simpson’s Violin Concerto, featuring Nicola Benedetti. López- Ferrer’s artistry was further refined during his tenure as a 2021-22 Dudamel Fellow with the LA Phil, as well as Resident Conductor of the Opéra de Paris's Académie. He was a featured conductor in the 2022 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview alongside the Louisiana Philharmonic.

López-Ferrer’s early career includes roles as Associate Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile and Principal Conductor of the Ballet Nacional Chileno, winner of the inaugural 2015 Neeme Järvi Prize at the Menuhin-Gstaad Festival and former member of the Deutsche Dirigentenforum. Born in Switzerland and raised in the United States, he brings together Cuban and Spanish heritage and speaks six languages fluently.

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From his first solo in The Music Man as an eighth grader, his path to the stage was set. What began with “The Wells Fargo Wagon” quickly grew into a passion that shaped his life and career. Throughout high school, he performed in numerous productions at Ursuline Academy and Theatre Xavier, taking on standout roles such as Enjolras in Les Misérables, the Engineer in Miss Saigon, Anthony in Sweeney Todd, and Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. A four-time Cappies nominee, he won Best Actor in a Musical his senior year. He was also a proud member of the original X-Men chorus at St. Xavier High School, later joining Something Blue and earning the school’s Vocal Music Award for the Class of 2007. Summers were spent performing with Cincinnati Young People’s Theatre in productions including Footloose, Hello, Dolly!, and Anything Goes.

He went on to earn his BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he immersed himself in rigorous vocal, dance, and acting training. While at CCM, he performed in productions such as Assassins, Hair, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, earning a The Cincinnati Enquirer Acclaim Award for his performance in Good News. His professional career began in summer stock, including performances at La Comedia Dinner Theatre and The John W. Engeman Theater.

After graduating, he moved to New York City and spent a decade building a thriving career in regional theater and touring productions. In 2012, he joined the final national tour of Mary Poppins — a dream show and a full-circle moment after previously working at the New Amsterdam Theatre while the Broadway production was running. He toured nationally again in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, performed in the Las Vegas production of Mamma Mia!, and appeared internationally with Royal Caribbean.

When the pandemic paused the industry, he pivoted toward education, becoming an adjunct professor of Musical Theatre and Dance at Marymount Manhattan College in 2021.

In 2022, he achieved a lifelong dream when he was cast in the original Broadway company of & Juliet. As an ensemble member and understudy for William, he performed in more than 750 shows and celebrated numerous milestones: his Broadway debut, his first Original Broadway Cast Album, appearances on national television, the Tony Awards, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

He followed that achievement with his second Broadway credit in The Heart of Rock and Roll, serving as a swing and understudy for multiple principal roles, including the lead. The experience propelled him toward pursuing leading roles full time.

Most recently, he joined the national tour of Shucked in his first principal role in a major musical. In a meaningful homecoming, he brings the production to Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center for the Arts — the very stage where he once sat as a high school student dreaming of a life in the theatre.

Along the way, life offstage has flourished as well. He married his husband Aaron, purchased a home in Hoboken, New Jersey, and proudly embraces life as a dog dad and uncle.

From a middle school solo to Broadway and beyond, his journey reflects perseverance, gratitude, and a deep love of storytelling — with the hope of inspiring the next generation of performers to chase their dreams just as he once did.

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Jay Moriarty, Comedy Writer-Producer-Author

Jay Moriarty has written and produced half-hour comedies including The Jeffersons, All in the Family, Good Times, Maude, What’s Happening Now!!, Dear John, The Royal Family, Here and Now, Cosby, Los Beltran; developed and written pilots for networks and studios including CBS, NBC, ABC, Warner Bros., Columbia, Paramount; and served as an Adjunct Professor in the Writing Division of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (film school) for eleven years.

Jay’s recent memoir, HONKY IN THE HOUSE, Writing & Producing The Jeffersons, sneaks the reader behind the scenes of this classic series for a close-up look at how sitcom sausage is made. Jay and writing partner Mike Milligan sold their first freelance script to Norman Lear’s Good Times and were hired on staff of The Jeffersons where they began movin’ on up from Writers to Producers to Showrunners.

Jay’s most recent book titled DEADEYE is a cowboy comedy with heart offering a tip of the Stetson to Don Quixote. SOON T0 BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE. (As soon as a Major Director decides to make it.)

Jay is also the author/creator of the classic Sherlock Holmes board game 221 B Baker Street which has sold over 3 million games in nine different countries.

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DIRECTOR/MOVEMENT DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER

Ann trained at Boston Conservatory of Music, Harvard Summer Dance Center, and Ohio State University.

As Director, her work includes: Turandot (Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House); Otherland (Almeida Theatre, London) 2025 nominee for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize; The Human Body (co-director, Donmar Warehouse, London); Rusalka (Royal Opera House, London); As You Like It (Dallas Theater Center), HoT (Goodspeed New Works), Perpetual Sunshine and the Ghost Girls (NAMT).

As Choreographer/Movement Director:

Theatre and Opera include: Monkey King (San Francisco Opera); Don Giovanni (Aix-en-Provence Festival); Life After (Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto); We Live in Cairo (New York Theatre Workshop) nominated for a Lucille Lortel award for Outstanding Musical ; An American Soldier (Perelman Performing Arts Center, New York); Carmen (The Metropolitan Opera, NYC); Next to Normal (Donmar Warehouse and Wyndhams Theatre West End); Rusalka (Royal Opera House); The Seven Deadly Sins, Bluebeard’s Castle (Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires); South Pacific (Chichester Festival Theatre and Sadler’s Wells) nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival; Caroline or Change (Chichester Festival Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, West End, Broadway) nominated for both an Olivier and a Tony award for Best Musical Revival; Life After (Goodman Theater, Chicago); Blindness with Juliet Stevenson (Theatre Carre, Amsterdam); La Boheme (The Goteborg Opera); As You Like It (Dallas Theater Center); Oklahoma (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); The American Clock (Old Vic); War Requiem (English National Opera); Sunday in the Park With George (Hudson Theatre, Broadway); The Taming of the Shrew (Public Theatre in the Park, NY); Queen Anne (RSC); Mackie Messer (Salzburg Festival); Shakespeare Trilogy - Henry IV; Julius Caesar; The Tempest (Donmar Warehouse & St. Ann’s Warehouse, NY); Ah, Wilderness! (Young Vic); Mr Burns (Almeida); Birdland, Oxford Street (Royal Court); Urinetown (St. James/Apollo); Blurred Lines, She Stoops to Conquer, The Comedy of Errors (NT); The Commitments (Palace); Wozzeck (English National Opera); The Color Purple, Torch Song

Trilogy (Menier Chocolate Factory); The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic); After Miss Julie (Young Vic); Titus Andronicus, A Soldier in Every Son (RSC); God of Soho (Globe); King Lear (RSC/Roundhouse/NY); The Secret Garden, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Birmingham Rep/West Yorkshire Playhouse); Ingerland (Operashots/Royal Opera House); Dance Radio, Mates (Latitude Festival/Drywrite); Woyzeck (NY/Gate)

Film includes, A Bigger Splash directed by Luca Gudagnino (StudioCanal/Frenesy Film Co) & PPE: Off the Page (Royal Court short).