From Initial Idea to First Audience:Jo – The Little Women Musical in Concert

You can read the biographies of the creative team behind Jo – The Little Women Musical in Concert here.

Dan Redfeld
Award-winning composer, conductor, orchestrator, pianist and producer Dan Redfeld has had his music and arrangements performed internationally from the concert hall to the musical theatre stage to the recording studio.

Redfeld received his training at Boston’s New England Conservatory before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where he graduated with a degree in composition with an emphasis in conducting.

In June 2016, A Hopeful Place – A Song Cycle for Soprano & Chamber Orchestra, was released on Navona Records/ PARMA Recordings. With music by Redfeld and text by John Gabriel Koladziej, A Hopeful Place was written for soprano Kristi Holden (Christine – Phantom: The Vegas Spectacular & Phantom of the Opera World Tour) and premiered in Los Angeles in 2010. The recording features Holden and the Hollywood Studio Symphony under the baton of the composer.

In May 2015, Redfeld’s Arioso for Oboe, Percussion and Strings premiered with the Santa Barbara Symphony under the direction of Maestro Nir Kabaretti and oboe soloist Lara Wickes.

Recent works include January 15, 1947 – An Impromptu for Solo Harp (Third Place in the American Harp Society Los Angeles Chapter Composition Competition), Fantasy for Violin & Piano (written for Elizabeth Hedman and Robert Thies), Travels for Piano Quartet (commissioned by Central4), Dance Sketches and Vineyards for Octet.

Among Redfeld’s twenty-five film scores are the AFI-produced Clinic E and film noir Moustache, along with music for more than twenty silent classic films including new scores for the restored Mary Pickford classics, Sparrows and Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall.

Redfeld’s arranging and producing credits include the critically acclaimed compilations Across the Stars: The Film Music of John Williams for Solo Piano, Braveheart: The Film Music of James Horner for Solo Piano, Music from the Twilight Saga, Schindler’s List: The Film Music of John Williams, and Titanic: An Epic Musical Voyage, an album commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster and the rerelease of James Cameron’s Academy Award winning film.

For the stage, Mr. Redfeld orchestrated Beaches – A New Musical, the national tour & CTG production of A Christmas Story (adapted from Larry Blank’s original orchestrations), two songs for the Jerry Herman Memorial (Broadway), the Broadway Medley for the Los Angeles Music Center’s 50th Anniversary Gala in 2014, various orchestrations for the Ahmanson 50th Anniversary (where he also served as associate conductor), arrangements for Center Theatre Group’s 2019 Gala (including a new orchestration of “Broadway Baby” for Lea Michele and Darren Criss) as well as live work with Shirley Jones, Patrick Cassidy, Susan Egan, Seth MacFarlane, Barrett Foa, Clint Holmes, and so on, plus shows in the West End and continental United States. Recent work includes arrangements for the Pasadena and Santa Barbara Symphonies.

As music director and pianist, Mr. Redfeld has worked on forty-plus musicals including The Secret Garden (CTG/Ahmanson), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (with Susan Egan), The Who’s Tommy (with Alice Ripley), Chess – the London Version (with Susan Egan and Matt Morrison), My Fair Lady (with Jonathan Pryce and Laura Michelle Kelly), Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney’s & Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Peter Pan (Broadway World winner, best musical direction), Addams Family, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Shrek!, Mamma Mia!, Miss Saigon, Triumph of Love, The Spitfire Grill, and West Side Story.

As a concert conductor, Mr. Redfeld has given the west coast premier of John Williams’ “Gloria” from the film Monsignor and tackled major choral/orchestral pieces such as Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Copland’s Old American Songs, Mozart’s Requiem (Maunder edition), and so on.

In early 2018, Mr. Redfeld conducted the New West Symphony in The Music of the Night: Love Changes Everything, a celebration of the music of Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber featuring Susan Egan, Anthony Crivello and Kristi Holden.

Mr. Redfeld has been the conductor of Los Angeles Opera’s Secondary In-School-Opera since 2003 and made his debut with Montana Lyric Opera in 2010 conducting Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

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Christina Harding
Christina Harding is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, performer, and choreographer. Ms. Harding is a protégé of the renowned dancer and choreographer Dean Barlow. Shows and credits include Anything Goes, Shrek the Musical, The Who’s Tommy, Chess, and The Billboard Music Awards. Her short film Moustache, a nod to film noir, has screened internationally and won numerous awards. Christina is also working on a new project with cowriter John Koladziej and composer Dan Redfeld.

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John Gabriel Koladziej
John Gabriel Koladziej is a New York-based writer. A Hopeful Place marks John’s second collaboration with composer Dan Redfeld after co-writing the lyrics for Jo – The Little Women Musical (with lyricist Christina Harding).  He is currently writing the libretto for Shoot the Moon.  John is also currently working on a new musical piece with Redfeld and Harding, soon to be announced.

John trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York City and holds a BFA in Drama and an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing, both from New York University.

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Brian Purcell
Brian is thrilled to be working on Jo – The Little Women Musical with this remarkable creative team. He is the founder of 4 Times Entertainment, Inc., a full-service booking and production company based in Burbank, California, established in 2011. 4 Times Entertainment prides itself on delivering the highest level of entertainment while remaining cost-effective, flexible, and responsive to client needs. No event is too big or too small; the company secures entertainment across all markets and venues, from dance bands to A-list talent.

Currently, Purcell has two concert productions touring internationally: The Soul of Broadway, starring Terron Brooks, and THE COMPANY MEN, an internationally recognized pop vocal group he created and produced.

Prior to forming The Company Men, Purcell served as president of Flicker House Productions, a company dedicated to bringing high-quality stories and compelling characters to the stage. During his tenure, he produced and directed numerous projects, including An Evening with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber; Chess: The Musical, benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; and a workshop of the new musical Too Many Blondes, starring multi-AVN Award winner Stormy Daniels. He also launched the critically acclaimed production of The Who’s Tommy at the Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood. In 2008, this production marked a theatrical first: audiences experienced the show in high-definition 3D audio presented by EXP3D while wearing Bose headphones. Additional producing credits include The Question, an indie rock ballet.

As a performer, Purcell appeared in the Broadway National Tours of Jesus Christ Superstar, Footloose, Ragtime, and Evita. As a director, he has worked with an impressive roster of artists, including AMA and GRAMMY Award Nominee Brian McKnight, Tony Winner Laura Benanti, 2x Tony Winner Christine Ebersole, Tony Winner Stephanie J Block, Tony Award winner Alice Ripley; Tony nominee Susan Egan; Emmy and Tony nominee Matthew Morrison; Ty Taylor; and Grammy nominee Nona Hendryx.

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Rob O'Neill
Rob O’Neill stands at the intersection of television, theater, and the larger arts community as one of the industry’s most versatile and accomplished executives.

As Senior Vice President of Content & Acquisitions at MTV Entertainment & Showtime Studios (Paramount Global), he orchestrates an impressive portfolio of cultural touchstones including Yellowstone and the Taylor Sheridan Universe, The Daily Show, and South Park, while steering strategic acquisitions of beloved series such as The OPice, Seinfeld, and Family Guy.

O’Neill’s journey began in front of the camera before he emerged as a transformative force in media, starting at ICM in Los Angeles. His ability to identify and nurture breakthrough content became evident during his thirteen-year tenure at The Walt Disney Company, where he played a role in revolutionizing Disney Channel from a premium subscription service into a basic cable powerhouse, launching cultural phenomena including Hannah Montana, Even Stevens, That’s So Raven and High School Musical.

He joined Warner Brothers/Discovery, where he drove unprecedented growth for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang.

He joined Paramount in 2013.

Beyond television, O’Neill has established himself as a formidable presence in live theater and the arts. His theatrical accomplishments include co-producing the West End production of Burlesque, the Australian tour of Broadway’s Moulin Rouge and The Secret Garden at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre.

A passionate advocate for the arts, O’Neill’s influence extends to cultural leadership. As a former Co-Chair of the Leadership Council of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and current member of the Creative Coalition’s Advisory Board, he continues to shape the national arts conversation. His recent co-chairmanship of The National Summit of The Arts at Red Rocks underscores his commitment to advancing the creative agenda.

Most recently, Rob was the winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical for Broadway’s The Outsiders.

The Los Angeles Times called Rob “…an essential participant in driving the arts conversation across our nation”.