Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Opened November 21, 2024
Death Becomes Her Musicians
Ben Cohn
Conductor/Keyboard 1
Cam Moncur
Associate Conductor/Keyboard 2
Kristy Norter
Reed 1 - Piccolo/Flute/Clarinet/
Soprano Sax/Alto Sax
Steven Lyon
Reed 2 - Flute/Clarinet/Bass Clarinet/Alto Sax
Julie Ferrara
Reed 3 - Oboe/English Horn/
Clarinet/Tenor Sax
Alden Banta
Reed 4 - Flute/Clarinet/
Bassoon/Bari Sax
Nancy Billmann
*French Horn
Liesl Whitaker
Trumpet 1
Brandon Lee
Trumpet 2
Sara Jacovino
Trombone
Chris Olness
Trombone/Bass Trombone
Damien Bassman
Drums
Bill Hayes
Percussion
Dillon Kondor
Guitars
Rob Jost
Bass
Bryan Hernandez-Luch
Concertmaster
Katie von Braun
Violin/Viola
Emily Hope Price
Cello
-
Nick Auer
French Horn
Music Team
Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Music Supervisor
Ben Cohn
Music Director
Cam Moncur
Associate Music Director
Alejandro Senior
Assistant Music Director
Sam Davis
Music Arranger/Dance Arrangements
Doug Besterman
Orchestrator
Kristy Norter
Musical Coordinator
Adam Beskind
Music Assistant
7th Avenue Music Service, Russ Bartmus,
Jacob Fjeldheim, and Nathan Serot
Music Preparation
Musician Bios
Damien Bassman
Drums
Damien Bassman created/performed the drum/percussion books for the Tony and Pulitzer Prize- winning Next To Normal, Death Becomes Her, Jagged Little Pill, The Spongebob Squarepants Musical, Almost Famous, If/Then, The Color Purple (2005), The Addams Family, High Fidelity, Superhero, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Carrie, and Mario Cantone’s Laugh Whore, and developed/orchestrated/arranged the drum books for American Idiot, The Visitor, Big Fish, Bring It On!, The Lonely Few, Empire Records, Superhero, and Newsies.
As principle percussionist of Kristjan Jarvi’s Absolute Ensemble, he’s toured the globe and recorded with fusion legend Joe Zawinul and artists such as Paquito Di Rivera, Mike Keneally, Marcel Khalife, Sarah Chang, and Gregor Bregovich. As a featured soloist, Damien has performed with orchestras throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Australia. TV appearances include BBC’s Live from the Proms, PBS’s Great Performances, David Letterman, The View, Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and the Tony Awards, as well as German, Korean, Austrian, New Zealand, Italian, and Australian TV.
Damien teaches an originally conceived, rhythm-focused class on embodying the inherent kinetics of music and musicality (Rhythmic Training) at Marymount Manhattan College where he’s been faculty since 2004. He has also taught this at NYU, for professional & training orchestras throughout Europe, and at Suzuki and music conferences nationally and internationally.
Damien has composed many works for dance, most recently for Paul Taylor’s 2025 season and a 2020 commission for Robert Battle & Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. A dance accompanist for over 25 years he loves performing live with companies such as Parson’s Dance Company, Cunningham, Martha Graham, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater & Battleworks, two companies for which he served as Music Director and Conductor.
Damien drums for many NYC-based singers and bands including Kristin Chenoweth, Brian D’Arcy James, Jarrod Spector, Martha Plimpton, The Tom Kitt Band, Lauren Patten, Aaron Tveit, Josh Tepper, and has drummed for Sir Elton John, Barry Manilow, Ben Folds, John Cameron Mitchell, and Marilu Henner.
Katie von Braun
Violin / Viola
Originally from Burlington, MA, violinist/violist Katie von Braun has worked in New York City since 2016. She has held positions at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and Water for Elephants on Broadway, and was interim violinist at Some Like It Hot. She has also subbed at Broadway shows The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Dear Evan Hansen (and National Tour), and with American Ballet Theatre and American Symphony Orchestra. Katie has performed as flying violinist with Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular, concertmaster at Westchester Broadway Theatre, on the Today Show with Jenna & Friends, Broadway Backwards, Christmas Time in the City at St Paul the Apostle Church, and galas for Transport Group and Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Katie has recorded albums for documentary film composers Brian Keane and Peter Nashel, American Symphony Orchestra, Parlando, and two Broadway cast albums.
Katie graduated with a Bachelors and Masters in Music from University of Michigan School of Music and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She was concertmaster of the SFCM orchestra and one of the founding members of the Amaranth String Quartet. Katie has been on violin faculty at the 92nd Street Y, Opus 118 Harlem School of Music, Harmony Program, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and Hamilton Park Montessori School. She has also done teaching residencies at French Woods Performing Arts Camp and three Haiti summer music camps through Blume Haiti.
In her free time, Katie enjoys drawing (@natureandnurtureart), training jiu jitsu and birdwatching!
katievonbraunviolin.com
@kveebee