Stephen Sondheim Theatre
Opened November 17, 2022
& Juliet Musicians
Dominic Fallacaro
Conductor/Keyboard 1
Haley Bennett
Keyboard 2/Associate Conductor
Sam Merrick
Drums
Mike Bono
Guitars
Brian Holtz
*Bass/Synth Bass
Mary Jo Stilp
Concertmaster
Chelsea Starbuck Smith
*Violin
Ina Paris
Viola
Michael Haas
*Cello
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Alexandra Eckhardt
Bass/Synth Bass
Maria Im
Violin
Adele Stein
Cello
Music Team
Bill Sherman
Musical Supervisor/Orchestrator/Arranger
Dominic Fallacaro
Musical Director/Additional orchestrations/Additional Arrangements
Haley Bennett
Associate Music Director
Michael Aarons
MUSICAL COORDINATOR
Emily Grishman
Music Preparation
Musician Bios
Haley Bennett
Keyboard 2 / Associate Conductor
Recently named one of Broadway's Women to Watch, HALEY BENNETT is an NYC-based Music Supervisor, Conductor, Arranger, & Coordinator. She is currently the Associate Music Supervisor for all North American productions of & Juliet, as well as the Associate Music Director and Conductor for the Broadway company. Additional Broadway credits include: Redwood, Diana: The Musical, Come From Away, Once on This Island (Tony Award for Best Musical Revival), Escape to Margaritaville, Dear Evan Hansen (Tony Award for Best Musical), Anastasia, Bandstand, Paramour, Finding Neverland, Pippin, & The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. International/National Tours include: Once On This Island (Associate Music Supervisor, Additional Arrangements & Orchestrations), Aladdin, Come From Away, Hamilton, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and Prince of Broadway.
Haley also works as a Music Supervisor and Coordinator for various NBCUniversal projects, including the annual Upfront presentation at Radio City Music Hall. There, she has supervised performances featuring several top-tier artists including Kelly Clarkson, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Bublé, Seth McFarlane, and Little Big Town. She served as the Music Coordinator for the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon!, as well as the Associate Music Coordinator for NBC’s broadcast of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, worked on Peter Pan Live!, and as a Music Coordinator for the annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular’s 37-piece orchestra for eight years. She has also served as the Music Contractor for the Ogunquit Playhouse since 2021.
As an Album & Recording Coordinator/Supervisor, Haley has overseen many original Broadway cast recordings, including the Grammy-nominated MJ: The Musical, Diana: The Musical, Once On This Island, Anastasia, Escape to Margaritaville, and the Grammy Award-winning Dear Evan Hansen. In 2022, Haley collaborated with Jimmy Buffett and Frank Marshall to supervise, arrange, and orchestrate Tales from Margaritaville, the inaugural show for Jimmy Buffett's Margaritavillle at Sea cruise line.
Haley holds a BA in Psychology (Cum Laude with High Honors) from Harvard University, as well as a Certificate in Music Production from Berklee College of Music. She provided curriculum design and compositions for Duolingo’s new music education program, and serves as a volunteer crisis counselor with the Crisis Text Line, a 24/7, free, confidential text line providing mental health support across the country.
Sam Merrick
Drums
Sam is a NYC - Nashville based drummer, currently holding the drum set chair at & Juliet on Broadway at the Sondheim Theater in New York City. Previously, Sam spent nearly five years and played over 1200 performances with the national tour of Hamilton: An American Musical.
Sam has had the distinct pleasure of recording and/or performing with:
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Lizzy McApline, Jalen Ngonda, Czarface, MF DOOM, Celisse, Rachel Zegler, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, Toots and the Maytals, Anais Mitchell, Darren Criss, Saun & Starr (Daptone Records), Wilsn, The Denver Symphony, Jordan Fisher, Charlie Wilson (The Gap Band), That Handsome Devil (Rockband 2, Guitar Hero), People's Champs, Kendra Morris (Colemine Records), and many more.
Mike Bono
Guitars
Mike Bono is a New York City–based guitarist and a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he made history as the first guitarist to receive the institution’s prestigious Presidential Scholarship. Throughout his career, he has performed and recorded with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including Cynthia Erivo, Sara Bareilles, Norah Jones, Sutton Foster, Peter Cincotti, Erykah Badu, Andra Day, Julian Lage, and Martin Taylor, among others.
In addition to his work as a live performer, Mike has established himself as a sought-after recording artist, contributing to major productions such as Sesame Street, Donkey Hodie, and the revival of The Muppets Show on ABC, starring Sabrina Carpenter. A seasoned Broadway musician, he has subbed on numerous productions over the past decade and currently holds the guitar chair for the hit musical & Juliet, where he also recorded the original cast album alongside renowned producer Max Martin.
As a bandleader and composer, Mike has released several albums of original music, with his three most recent projects released on the label La Reserve.
Albums: Breaking Sound, TINO CAMINO
Chelsea Starbuck Smith
Violin
Acclaimed for her “compelling presence, fearless attack, and technical aplomb and bravado” (The Day), violinist Chelsea Starbuck Smith has performed at major venues across the U.S. and internationally, including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Elbphilharmonie, Musikverein Wien, and Palais de Fontainebleau.
Equally at home in classical, theatrical, and crossover settings, Chelsea has collaborated with Diana Ross, Baz Luhrmann at the Met Gala, Chris Thile, The Eagles, Kelly Clarkson, Debbie Harry & Blondie, The Knights Chamber Orchestra, and Joshua Bell's Chamber Orchestra of America. A seasoned Broadway musician, she has performed in over ten Broadway productions, including her current engagement at &Juliet. As one half of the crossover duo Les Deux, Chelsea has been recognized for her “keen ear for arranging” (New York Examiner). She has appeared as a soloist with the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, Southern Finger Lakes Orchestra, and Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, where her performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto was called a “show-stopper.” Her television appearances include Glee, The Today Show, and a featured role in a national NYU Langone commercial filmed in Grand Central Station.
A graduate of The Juilliard School, Chelsea holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, studying with esteemed teachers Sally Thomas, David Chan, and Laurie Smukler. She is the recipient of the Norman Benzaquen Career Advancement Grant. A third-generation educator, she has taught as a teaching artist with the New York Philharmonic and currently serves on the faculty at Temple Emanu-El and the Charles Ives Music Festival. Chelsea loves sharing her passion for music and is proud to teach an inspiring group of students, ages 3–21, helping each cultivate their unique voice and artistic path.
Her recordings include her debut album with Les Deux and an EP with pianist Adam Rothenberg, featuring the Corigliano Sonata. She performs on a 2004 Kurt Widenhouse violin.
Offstage, Chelsea shares the spotlight with her Scottish Fold, Leonard “Lenny” Bernstein, whose charisma rivals that of his famous namesake.