Play On! - Broadway Creative Team

James Leonard Joy was born and raised in Michigan, where he graduated Salutatorian in a class of more than 900 at Bentley High School before earning Phi Beta Kappa honors at the University of Michigan. He then completed an MFA in Set Design at Carnegie Mellen University and taught briefly at Skidmore College before launching his very successful career in set design in New York City. Mercedes Ellington is a tap dancer, choreographer, director, and producer. She is the granddaughter of Duke Ellington. Todd Edward Ivins designs dance, opera, plays, musicals, television, & corporate events. Favorites: Circus 1903 (International Tour), Mirror Mirror (sets & costumes, Milwaukee Ballet), Othello MC (sets & costumes, Milwaukee Rep), Les Miserables (Walnut Street Theatre), Into the Woods (Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre), Bright Lights, Big City (Prince Music Theatre), Five Presidents (Arizona Theatre Company). Todd is an Associate Artist at the Milwaukee Rep.  Love to my muses, Agatha and Abigail. www.ivinsart.com Winner of three Tony Awards and London’s Olivier Award, producer Hal Luftig has worked on and Off-Broadway for the past 25 years. Broadway: Evita, Catch Me If You Can, Come Fly Away, West Side Story, All My Sons, Legally Blonde, The Times They Are A-Changin’, Whoopi, Movin’ Out, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie Get Your Gun, High Society, The Diary of Anne Frank, Play On!, The King and I, Moon Over Buffalo, Angels in America, Jelly’s Last Jam, Death and the Maiden, The Secret Garden. Hal has an M.F.A. from Columbia University/ McCorkle Casting, Ltd. has handled hundreds of projects in film, television and theater. Founded in 1979 by Pat McCorkle, the company has earned a reputation for energy, creativity, and the keen ability to translate a director's vision into reality. Having cast everything from Hollywood mega-productions to small regional theaters, McCorkle and her staff have developed a vast talent network extending from working stage actors to superstars. The company has also developed a name for bold and unexpected ideas and for the discovery of new talent. Several of McCorkle cast members have garnered SAG, ACE, Tony, and Emmy awards/nominations. A ... read more Eric Nederlander is a theatrical producer known for his work on Broadway and other stage productions. His producing credits include Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride, which opened Aug. 18, 2025, and Play On!, which opened March 20, 1997.