CAP21 Names Sean Cercone as Producing Director/Chief Operations Officer

CAP21, recognized nationally for creating new work and developing new talent as America's Musical Theatre Conservatory and Theatre Company, today announces that Sean Cercone has been named its Producing Director/Chief Operations Officer.

From 2009 to 2011, Cercone was hired as the Producer/Executive Director of Theater Building Chicago and headed up the strategic planning process, market evaluation and financial analysis that resulted in the newly named Chicago Music Theater. He previously served as the Producing Artistic Director of The Carousel (2003-2009), where he lead the organization to unprecedented growth with over 1.2 million tickets sold during his tenure.

Cercone has produced over 40 musicals regionally and has guided presentations in the NAMT Festival of New Musicals and the New York Music Theater Festival, and has had the honor of serving as a Musical Theater Specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts.

"We are thrilled to have Sean join us," says CAP21 Executive Artistic Director Frank Ventura. "During this time of amazing growth for CAP21-- with a new theater, new floor and expanding programs -- Sean brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to move us forward."

"I am extremely honored and excited to work with the fine team at CAP21," remarks Cercone. "Their passion for developing new musicals, new talent and new audiences, lead by Founders Frank and Eliza Ventura, radiates through the entire organization creating a vibrant and palpable energy that is shared by all."

Cercone is also a Co-Founder of Pack The House Productions, Producing Artistic Director of The West Virginia Shakespeare Festival and has served as a Board Member for the National Alliance of Musical Theater and as Board President of the Cleveland Theater Collective. He was awarded as one of Crain's Business Top 40 Professionals Under 40 and is a holds degrees in Theater from Frostburg State University and West Virginia University.

CAP21 Theatre Company's next production is NEXT THING YOU KNOW, a new musical by Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham, creators of the Off-Broadway hit I LOVE YOU BECAUSE. Directed by Terry Berliner, NEXT THING YOU KNOW is set to run June 7-25 at CAP21's new Black Box
Theatre, starring Lauren Molina, Adam Kantor, Heath Calvert and Lauren Blackman.

CAP21: America's Musical Theatre Conservatory & Theatre Company was founded by Frank Ventura and Eliza Ventura in 1993. For nearly twenty years, The CAP21 Theatre Company has developed and produced new plays and musicals by emerging and established theatre writers. CAP21 develops at least 20 new musicals and new plays a year, engaging over 200 theatre artists. Many of the works developed at the CAP21 Theatre Company have moved on to subsequent productions around the country. The CAP21 Conservatory provides an in-depth actor training program specializing in musical theatre performance. The renowned school is now an internationally recognized musical theatre conservatory. Through its various programs, the Conservatory annually trains over 400 emerging performers who come from all over the United States and the world.

For more information about CAP21 please visit: www.cap21.org