Anastacia McCleskey is an award-winning actor, singer, writer, speaker, educator, creative facilitator, and multidisciplinary artist whose career has spanned Broadway, television, film, concert stages, classrooms, and communities for more than two decades.

A nine-time Broadway performer, Anastacia most recently appeared as Medda Larkin in The Muny’s production of Newsies. She originated the role of Carol Evans in BOOP! The Musical and as pioneering activist Mary Church Terrell in the Tony Award-winning musical SUFFS. Her extensive Broadway credits also include Waitress, where she brought her signature humor to Nurse Norma; the acclaimed revival of Caroline, or Change as Dottie; Priscilla Queen of the Desert as an Original Diva; Abraham Lincoln in Hair; The Book of Mormon; Violet; and Disney’s Tarzan. She also starred in the West End production of Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined.

Across the country, Anastacia has built a reputation as a fearless, versatile performer who moves effortlessly between powerhouse vocals, comedy, drama, and deeply human storytelling. Favorite stage credits include Izora Rhodes in Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical, where she also served as choreographer; Joanne in RENT and Celie in The Color Purple at The Muny, earning the St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Best Performer in a Musical; Thalia, the Muse, in Disney’s Hercules at Paper Mill Playhouse; May in the world premiere of The Secret Life of Bees at Atlantic Theater Company; Trixie/Eddie in The Tattooed Ladies; Jo in Afterwords at The 5th Avenue Theatre; and the critically acclaimed, New York Times Critics’ Pick production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Barrington Stage Company. She also appeared in NBC’s Annie Live! as Sophie, Mrs. Greer, and Perkins.

On screen, Anastacia has had recurring roles as Dr. Phylicia Elder on NBC’s New Amsterdam and Opal on The Good Fight. Additional television and film credits include Daredevil, Public Morals, Madam Secretary, Release, and Sex and the City 2. Her work has been recognized with nominations for the Helen Hayes Award, AUDELCO Award, and Alliance Award, among other honors.

Beyond the stage and screen, Anastacia is deeply committed to creating spaces where artists and communities can reconnect to their bodies, voices, stories, creativity, and sense of belonging. She is the creator and founder of Hello Beautiful Spirits LLC, a creative and transformational platform offering workshops, retreats, educational experiences, speaking engagements, and embodied artistic practices for artists, students, educators, organizations, and companies. At the heart of this work is her signature framework, The Remembering Method™, an embodied practice rooted in breath, movement, play, storytelling, acting technique, reflection, creativity, and community—designed to help people return to their most authentic selves beneath expectation, perfection, performance, and conformity.

Anastacia is also a Co-Founder and board member of Black Artist Network, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to connection, advocacy, visibility, opportunity, and community for Black artists across disciplines. She is also the co-creator of the THEM 3 Podcast, continuing her lifelong commitment to conversation, storytelling, culture, identity, and the power of being fully seen.

As an educator and teaching artist, Anastacia has worked with young people, emerging artists, professionals, schools, universities, and arts organizations for many years, teaching acting, voice, movement, storytelling, creativity, and performance. Her work is grounded in a simple belief: belonging comes before achievement, presence comes before performance, and every person carries a story worth remembering. Whether she is standing under Broadway lights, leading a room through breath and movement, writing a new story, speaking to a community, mentoring an artist, or building platforms for collective transformation, Anastacia’s work continues to center joy, truth, curiosity, connection, liberation, and the radical possibility of becoming more fully ourselves.

In 1974, when a shy, innocent teenager enrolled at Rust College in Holly Springs, MS, her ambition in life was to, “Just be someone ordinary, like a school teacher or Psychologist.” That was two platinum records, a gold album and Grammy Award nomination ago.

“RING MY BELL,” was one of Anita Ward’s most successful hits. For the better part of 1979, her soaring voice would be heard on every radio station in the country as well as internationally. This song swept the disco scene and kept other upcoming songs at bay. It was the number one record in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America and Israel. By the early 1980’s this record had sold over 10 million copies. It is still popular and selling as of today. The record was number one on the R&B charts for five weeks, and number one on the pop charts for two weeks.

“It was unbelievable, Anita recalled. Overnight I was suddenly a household name. I was treated like I was someone special. People would come up to me and ask if they could touch me.”

Anita Ward was born in Memphis, TN the eldest of five children. She was interested in music, since her early days as a child. On her very first trip she was able to keep a whole train entertained with her singing when she was only two years old. She hasn’t stopped singing since. She sang in high school productions, in church, and while a student at Rust College she sang with the Rust College A Cappella Choir on an album with Metropolitan Opera star Leontyne Price. She also put out another album with her own gospel quartet, which is also being played on gospel radio stations today.

After graduation, Anita got a job as a substitute teacher in the Memphis City School System. Although she liked teaching, she still longed for a music career. Finally, through her manager, she met singer-songwriter Frederick Knight who was a former artist of the Stax Records hit producing machine. Stax Records was having financial difficulties and was going out of business. Knight left the company and decided to form his own label, Juana Records, and was in search of new talent.

Knight agreed to do a three-song session with Anita. Basic tracks were completed, but after they were played back Knight became so impressed by her singing ability that he decided to complete an album on Anita. According to some sources, the song, “Ring My Bell,” was originally written for Stacy Latisaw, but she had signed with another production company. And the song was re-written for Anita’s sweet and sexy soprano style. Because of her gospel roots, Anita did not want to sing the song, but Knight was able to convince her to sing the song because the album needed another up-tempo tune.

With the success of “Ring My Bell,” Anita went on an extensive tour in the United States and Europe, which included Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany. She also toured Central and South America, Mexico and Brazil. The Midnight Special, The Merv Griffin Show, American Bandstand, and Top Of The Pops in England were among several television appearances made during the reign of her hit record. The record stayed on the charts for more than five months.

After the success of “Ring My Bell,” Anita went back to teaching and was only singing occasionally at school functions. In 1995 fellow artist, Jimmy “Bo” Horne who lived in Miami called her and asked Anita if she could perform at an AID’S Benefit Show for the poor and homeless in Paris, France. Anita was reluctant at first to perform, but after discussing this with her husband Stephen, she decided to do just this one show. This wasn’t to be the case. After this show, agents and promoters started calling her from all over the world requesting her to appear in their shows. Eventually Anita had to give up her teaching career because of numerous offers, and began performing again. She has a job now which gives her more flexibility in continuing her music career.

Anita has performed on stage with Grace Jones, The Village People, Gloria Gaynor, Thelma Houston, Chic, Martha Wash, and many other talented stars. She just recently in August, 2003 completed a tour called “Get Up And Dance” with stars such as K C & The Sunshine Band, The Trammps, Maxine Nightingale and many others. The concert tour included cities in the United States and Canada.

Although she’s now a full-time wife, Associate Manager, and mother, the music in her will never die. Now that the Sounds of the 70’s is celebrating its rebirth, Anita is resurging as well. “Today when I sing…., I’m going out there with a lot more fire and determination, because now I’ve truly lived the songs I sing,” said Anita. She added, “I’m not cocky, just confident.”

Club Nouveau is an R&B-pop band that was formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club. The group was signed by Warner Bros. Records, on which Club Nouveau released its first three albums.

From its debut album, Life, Love, and Pain, which was released in 1986, the group scored four consecutive hits: “Jealousy” (essentially an answer song responding to Timex Social Club’s hit “Rumors”), “Situation #9,” a cover of Bill Withers’s “Lean on Me,” and “Why You Treat Me So Bad.” The latter was interpolated by the Luniz on that group’s hit single “I Got Five on It” and subsequently by Puff Daddy on “Satisfy You.” The latter two both made it to #2 on the Billboard R&B chart the next year, with “Lean on Me” becoming a big Billboard Hot 100 hit. “Jealousy” also made an appearance on the soundtrack of the film Modern Girls.

The group’s next albums—beginning with 1988 Listen To The Message "Its A Cold, Cold World, For The Love Of Francis & Envious were the singles released from that project. There next projects include a dancehall-influenced version of the gospel classic “Oh, Happy Day” from the 1992 album A New Beginning, “Let It Go” from the 1995 Everything Is Black album, “You Ain’t No Friend Of Mine” from the 1989 Under A Nouveau Groove album and “What Kind Of Love” from the 1998 Collection Volume I album.

Club Nouveau was nominated for two Grammy’s (song of the year – Lean On Me & best new act). Club Nouveau’s version of “Lean on Me” won a Grammy award, and was nominated for two American music awards, nominated and won a Bammy award, nominated and won a BRE Drummer award, Nominated and won two Narm awards, nominated and won a Bay Area Star award. Lean On Me was Club Nouveau’s Biggest Hit going #1 on the U.S Pop Dance charts, #5 in Australia, #22 in Austria, #1 in Canada, #9 in Germany, #5 in Ireland, #4 in Netherlands, #1 in New Zealand, #7 in Switzerland & #3 in the U.K

As of 2022, the current Club Nouveau roster consists of Jay King, Antrice Young, and J Ali and this trio is now in the studio, working on new material, in between their current tour schedule. Their latest single "It's Alright" released in February of 2024 rose to #27 on the billboard urban charts. Club Nouveau is set to release its next single in the first part of 2025.

Debbie Gibson is a singer, songwriter, producer, musician, actress, and entertainment icon whose groundbreaking career spans four decades. Bursting onto the music scene at just 16 with her self-penned debut hit “Only in My Dreams,” Gibson made history at 17 as the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Foolish Beat,” a record she still holds as the youngest female artist to date. Debbie is in an elite group of female songwriters along with Dolly Parton and Gloria Estefan, as the sole writer of two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, when she added “Lost in Your Eyes” to her remarkable legacy. With more than 16 million albums sold worldwide, over 2 billion streams, multiple platinum and gold records, and 11 studio albums, Gibson continues to influence generations of artists and fans.

Michael James Scott currently stars as “Nurse Francois Dubois” in the hit revival of the iconic television series Scrubs on ABC and Hulu. He premiered his debut pop single, “Brighter,” on Good Morning America. The highenergy anthem, co-written and produced by Grammy-nominated hitmaker Sean Douglas, is inspired by his hometown of Orlando. He hosts the weekly podcast, HypeFriend!, with fellow theater kid, childhood friend, and the voice of "Ahsoka" in Star Wars, Ashley Eckstein—a feel-good hang where they’ve started a friendship revolution in the age of disconnection.

He is best known for his record-breaking run as The Genie in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway and around the world, appearing in more than 4,000 performances across four companies on three continents, originating the role in Sydney and winning Australia’s prestigious Helpmann Award. It is a milestone reached by only a select few, among them Yul Brynner in The King and I and Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly!

He began his career as a standby for the legendary Ben Vereen in the international tour of Fosse, eventually taking over the role. His theater and concert performances have taken him to stages across the globe, from New York’s Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House to Paris’s Théâtre du Châtelet and the Tokyo International Forum. On Broadway, he originated the role of “The Minstrel” in Something Rotten! From Kerry & Wayne Kirkpatrick and directed by Casey Nicholaw as well as “Dr. Gotswana” (aka “The Guy With The Maggots Problem”) in the Tony-winning phenomenon The Book of Mormon, from South Park’s Trey Parker & Matt Stone and Robert Lopez.

Additional Broadway credits include Mamma Mia!, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf, and Hair, for which he also served as associate choreographer and performed on London’s West End. Off-Broadway, he costarred in Here’s to the Public opposite Donna McKechnie and was part of the concert cast of Jerry Springer: The Opera. He also originated the role of "Barry Belson" in the original Las Vegas company of Jersey Boys. Regional credits include La Cage Aux Folles, Shrek, Aida, Ragtime, South Pacific, Cinderella, and Little Shop of Horrors. His television and film credits include Black Monday (Showtime), Central Park (Apple TV+), South Park (Comedy Central), The Carrie Diaries (The CW), and Independent Woman (Feature Film). He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (NBC), The View (ABC), The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC), and The Tony Awards (CBS).

Michael is the voice of Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish, singing his powerhouse rendition of “A Dream Is A Wish” in their national campaign, and in his inspirational symphonic show, A Dream Is A Wish: Michael James Scott’s Broadway. He was a member of the Grammy-nominated Broadway Inspirational Voices and the critically acclaimed Broadway Boys. He can be heard on their album Lullaby of Broadway, on many original Broadway cast recordings, including Something Rotten! and The Book of Mormon, and on his own holiday album, A Fierce Christmas.

Raquel is a dynamic vocalist with a diverse performance background. She has appeared in the traveling Broadway production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat," provided background vocals for Tyler Perry's "I Don't Want to Do Wrong," and was featured in Tyler Perry's "Love Thy Neighborhood" on the OWN Network. Raquel has also been a featured artist in the Philadelphia Independence Day and Thanksgiving Day parades for many years and has performed alongside acclaimed artists such as Vickie Winans, Bishop Paul S. Morton, and Vanessa Bell Armstrong. In 2018, Raquel released her debut single, "I Do Worship," and continues to be a featured vocalist on various recordings. Her vocal style is characterized by its versatility and emotional depth. With a passion for connecting with audiences through music, Raquel is poised to leave an indelible mark on the contemporary music scene. She is committed to using her talent to inspire and uplift listeners.