MEET OUR FOUNDERS

BROADWAY, FILM & TV VETERANS

PASSING IT ON….

  • Co-Artistic & Executive Director

    Chryssie is originally from South Carolina and has worked for over 25 years in the entertainment industry. Chryssie began her career as a dancer for the Rockettes right out of high school and has had an accomplished career in film, television and Broadway as actress, dancer and singer. She went to school for musical theatre at AMDA College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in NYC and landed her Broadway debut in the revival of A Chorus Line as Kristine. Her additional Broadway credits include: Kitty/Velma US in Chicago (understudy, performed) and Kathy in Company (Lincoln Center with Neal Patrick Harris). Her favorite regional roles: Bombalurina in Cats, Lola in Damn Yankees and Cassie in A Chorus Line.

    Favorite film and television work include: West Side Story (Steven Speilberg), Grey's Anatomy, Switched at Birth, Castle, The Mentalist, Warehouse 13, Private Practice, Grimm and the romantic comedy with Raven Simone, Revenge of the Bridesmaids. She has joyfully crossed over to the creative side, directing and/or choreographing professionally, as well as educational productions of Chicago, A Chorus Line, Rent, All Shook Up, Into the Woods, Shrek, Grease, How 2 $ in Business and Beauty and the Beast. She currently directs showcases and teaches on the musical theatre faculty at AMDA College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in NYC, along with the dance faculty at Molloy University, Broadway Dance Center and Steps. Chryssie is the co-founder with Alexis, established in 2017 of the performing arts mentoring & coaching company, www.BroadwayArtsCommunity.com She has toured with her self-published, autobiographical play centered around mental health In My Own Little Corner and recently filmed it to increase access to audiences worldwide.

    More at www.chryssiewhitehead.com

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  • I am a Latina woman, born and raised in Tampa, Florida. I have Spanish, Argentine, and Cuban blood on both sides of my family. Emotion, opinions, passionate discussions, and raised voices, with everyone speaking at once, were a normal part of my childhood. NOTHING was private—we were all an open book.

    From as early as I can remember, music and dance were a part of my heritage. My mom says I actually danced before I walked! During summers I studied dance in programs throughout the country: Alvin Ailey, Princeton Ballet, Nutmeg Ballet, Broadway Dance Center NYC, and LA’s Edge Performing Arts Center.

    I danced a lot and studied a lot! I went to a rigorous academic school in Tampa where I learned how to study, be disciplined, and to love musical theatre. My drama and music teachers at Berkeley still support and guide me. Somehow I managed to land at Yale University, where I graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Theatre Studies. Being at Yale was a spectacular experience intellectually, artistically, and emotionally.

    While at Yale, I took a leave of absence during my Junior Year to tour the world with the First National Broadway Company of Ann Reinking’s Tony Award-winning musical Fosse. That experience confirmed what I already knew – dance and theatre were essential to my future! Following graduation I was off to NYC where I performed in several Broadway shows, including, Wicked, Sweet Charity, Fame on 42nd Street, and The Pirate Queen.

    Currently getting an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at Point Park University. More on Alexis’s work!

It started with a friendship in theatre.

We’re Chryssie Whitehead and Alexis Carra—best friends, performers, educators and creative partners who met on the First National Tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Fosse in 2001 and have been doing life and the arts together ever since. In 2017, we founded Broadway Arts Community, bringing our professional experience on Broadway (Wicked, A Chorus Line, Chicago) together to train and mentor artists pursuing careers in the performing arts. Along the way, we realized something bigger: what we were teaching wasn’t just for performers. The arts built confidence, deeper connections, ownership of voices and belonging—tools every young person deserves.

So we created Broader Than Broadway: Performing Arts for All—bringing accessible performing arts programs into elementary, middle and high schools, rooted in our whole-child-first, show-second approach. Through singing, storytelling and movement, we help children grow onstage and beyond it. Through BTB Teacher Trainings, we’re expanding that approach—grounded in Connect, Communicate & Commit and the belief that Process, Practice & Presence help both students and teachers grow in the arts and in life.

The arts gave us our sisterhood—and 25 years later, that sisterhood led us here. Now, we want every young person to have the chance to discover what the arts can give them. Because it was never just about the performance…


We are Broader Than Broadway.

MEET OUR TEAM

  • Sara Rodriguez is a performing artist and social justice advocate based in New York City. Performance credits include: Russian demi soloist in George Balanchine’s Serenade (Utah Ballet), small swans in Swan Lake (Utah Ballet), Finger Fairy and Little Red in The Sleeping Beauty (New York State Ballet) and various ensemble roles with Tracie Stanfield’s SynthesisDANCE, Janice Rosario and Company and other contemporary and jazz choreographers across the country. She also has extensive experience building external relations and communications programs for political campaigns and nonprofits at the national, state, and local levels.

    Having first met and worked with Alexis and Chryssie as mentors through Broadway Arts Community, Sara is thrilled to join them in building Broader than Broadway, combining her love for the performing arts with her experience in building and scaling external relations programs.

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  • Martinez Program Coordinator/ Vocals & Storytelling Faculty

    Meredith Renuart is an educator, vocal instructor, arts advocate, and dedicated volunteer with a bachelor's degree in Vocal Music. After nearly a decade teaching elementary school and performing classically in local venues, she stepped away from full-time teaching to raise her three children while continuing to share her passion for music through private voice instruction.

    A lifelong theatre enthusiast, Meredith performed in leading and supporting roles in college and community productions before focusing on mentoring the next generation of performers. She currently serves as Chorus Booster President and Vice President of Theatre at Steinbrenner High School, where she supports students and strengthens performing arts programs.

    Meredith also served as Children's Music Director for Peter Pan, costume coordinator for Finding Nemo and Seussical, and founded Mane Stage at Martinez Middle School after the school's choral program was discontinued.

    Whether teaching, mentoring young performers, or leading volunteers, Meredith is passionate about fostering creativity, service, and a lifelong love of the arts.

  • Music/Vocals & Accompanist Faculty

    Kristen Gaus is a Tampa Bay–based singer, vocal coach, music director, and collaborative pianist. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Vocal Performance, Kristen has spent her career performing, teaching, music directing, and building community through music.

    As a military spouse, Kristen lived and worked across the U.S. and in Japan, embracing the philosophy to “bloom where you’re planted” by creating musical opportunities and fostering connection wherever her family landed. Her extensive music direction and performance credits include Into the Woods, Cinderella, Sister Act, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Something Rotten, Seussical, and The Lightning Thief.

    Since moving to Tampa in 2025, Kristen has worked with numerous area schools and arts organizations as a music director, vocal coach, and collaborative pianist. She is thrilled to join Broader than Broadway and share her love of music while helping young people build confidence, connection, and community through the performing arts.

OUR BOARD

  • CJ has nearly 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. He currently serves as a Clinical Manager for Experience Camps, a national nonprofit that provides year-round no-cost programming to support grieving children and families. Prior to joining Experience Camps, CJ worked in a variety of programmatic and partnership-focused roles for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the Food Network South Beach & New York City Wine & Food Festivals, and the hit Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen.” CJ graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in English and received subsequent degrees from Florida International University (MBA) and Columbia University (MSW). A Tampa native and lifelong performing arts advocate, he has previously served on the junior boards of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and Stageworks Theatre.

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  • Kayla Jones (LCMHC, M.S., NCC) is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, National Board Certified Counselor, and Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider, currently residing in Saint Petersburg, FL. She is licensed to practice in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. With a strong foundation in both psychology and mental health counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Kayla has cultivated expertise in addressing a wide range of mental health challenges including multicultural exploration, gender identity, life transitions, body image, and mood disorders.

    Kayla’s therapeutic approach blends Interpersonal and Developmental Psychotherapy, focusing on the interconnected influences on her clients' behaviors, and fostering a brave space where they can explore their authentic selves. Her mission is to increase clients’ self-awareness, confidence, and sense of worth through personalized, compassionate care.

    A multi-talented musician, Kayla has played drums, guitar, and sung professionally. To support her graduate studies, she traveled up and down the east coast as the lead singer in a wedding and corporate band. Her artistic background extends to her time in marching band, choir, and theater during high school, and in an a cappella group in college. These experiences fuel her passion for integrating the performing arts into her mental health practice, allowing clients to tap into reflections and feelings that may, otherwise, be hard to express with traditional talk-therapy.

    Kayla is a recognized mental health expert, having contributed to various panels, podcasts, and local news networks, where she shares her insights on mental health topics ranging from trauma to wellness practices. She remains committed to fostering diversity, creativity, and connection in both her professional and personal life.

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  • Lauren is a Local Sales Manager for WFLA (NBC) and WTTA-TV (CW) in Tampa, FL.  She oversees the sales efforts for a team of 8 local Account Executives, in addition to managing top revenue initiatives including the Olympics and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lauren grew up in Tampa and graduated from Florida State University in 2005 with a B.A. in Communication.  She started her career in media in 2006 selling digital advertising, eventually ranking among the top 3 Account Executives in the company for digital revenue in 2011.  Lauren got into media sales Management in 2013, which allowed her the opportunity to grow her relationships and replicate her past success in a leadership role.  Since 2014, Lauren has worked with the sales team to onboard new products, initiatives and processes, effectively increasing advertising revenue by over 150%.  Lauren has been involved with several local community organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, Junior League of Tampa and The Tampa Connection.  When she’s not working or volunteering in the community, Lauren enjoys the arts and spending time with her family including her husband, John and her two children, Luke and Isabel.

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  • Legna Cedillo is an actor, singer/songwriter, and voice-over artist. Her recent theater credits include  Adriana in Espejos: Clean at Studio Theatre, Ceci Lopez in the Off-Broadway premiere of ¡Americano! The Musical at New World Stages, and Belle in A Christmas Carol at McCarter Theatre. Television credits include CBS shows Elsbeth and The Equalizer. Legna is also a recording artist and voiceover actor. Her recent credits include voiceover for McDonald’s, Nickelodeon, MLS, Hasbro, Disney, Warner Bros, Nissan, MTV, and others. She has performed with her pop-soul duo band, Lumos, at various venues in NYC and Boston including Rockwood Music Hall and Bowery Electric. Lumos’ music can be found on all listening platforms.

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  • Anant Das (“un-nunth”) (He/Him) is a Drama Desk Award winning and two-time Tony Nominated theatre and film creative producer and CEO of Broadway Boxed Up, the longest-running theatre-themed subscription box with a focus on elevating BIPOC, Deaf, and disabled theatrical voices, connecting fans with the Broadway world, and reimagining theatregoers’ relationship with merchandise. He is a Co-Executive Producer of “Summoning the Spirit”, a horror film released in 2023. Currently, Anant is the Executive Producer and General Manager of Chryssie Whitehead’s show, IN MY OWN LITTLE CORNER: MY MOODS, MY MOM, & ME. He is a co-producer of various Broadway and touring productions, including THE WIZ, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL, HERE LIES LOVE, HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, THE PIANO LESSON, and NEW YORK, NEW YORK, as well as KINKY BOOTS Off-Broadway. He was an Associate Producer of WINDFALL Off-West End. In addition, Anant has experience as an investor with JOB the Play, A STRANGE LOOP (Tony Award Winner for Best Musical), FAIRYCAKES, the Museum of Broadway, and the UK Tour of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING…EARNEST?. With a background in financial valuation, computer science, and as a consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Anant is passionate about the intersection of theatre, tech, and finance, as well as energized to increase access to both theatrical opportunities and theatre education. Recognized as one of the “Class of 2019’s Best & Brightest” by Poets&Quants, Anant’s interest in exploring how innovation can disrupt the arts began when he attended the top ranked public high school in the US. He is a 2022 member of both the TEDxBroadway Young Professionals cohort and the Theatre Producers of Color and serves as a Board Member of the New York Theatre Workshop’s 4th Street Bar Association, The University of Virginia McIntire Young Alumni Council, and President of the University of Virginia’s Young Alumni Council.

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  • CFRE (ret.)

    Steve Glavan has more than twenty years as a nonprofit professional, with experience in all aspects of fund raising and development, as well as director level, consulting and board service. He has worked for national and local organizations, including Livermore Valley Performing Arts, United Way, Humane Society and Joni and Friends, and previously served on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Silicon Valley Chapter and the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance. He is the owner of Sapience Nonprofit Solutions, an independent consulting company serving nonprofit organizations. Steve holds the coveted Certified Fund Raising Executive credential from CFRE International and is a member of the Inland Northwest Development Council. His performing arts background includes acting in community theater productions, teaching acting classes for Christian Youth Theater in the San Francisco Bay Area, and over thirty years directing adult, youth and children’s choirs. He has directed plays at the local level and written and performed several parodies in the style of Forbidden Broadway. He is the producer and host of a weekly video podcast, Coffee Brakes With Steve, that streams on YouTube and Facebook. A native of Oregon, Steve and his wife Caryl currently live in Spokane, Washington. They have three children and five grandchildren.

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