Meet the Team
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![Craig Cassils]()
Craig Cassils
BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS
Craig Cassils is a Canadian composer, originally from rural Manitoba, now living in Winnipeg. A Brandon University graduate, he taught music in Manitoba schools for 30 years, directing numerous musical theatre productions and choirs. Craig is an active composer and arranger with published choral works, musicals, and educational song collections. He is known internationally for Child of the Universe and the award-winning musical Clowns. His Broadway-style musical Neighbours premiered in Toronto, and Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town received its inaugural concert presentation in Orillia, Ontario.
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![Close-up portrait of an older man with light skin, gray hair, and a mustache, wearing a black shirt, with a warm brown background.]()
Robin Richardson
BOOK
Robin Richardson is a retired high school classroom and resource teacher with 35 years of experience. Raised in Winnipeg and a graduate of the University of Winnipeg, he later made his home in Gladstone, Manitoba, where he met Craig Cassils and collaborated on many school and community musical projects. A lifelong theatre enthusiast, Robin has directed community theatre productions and remains active in civic life through a local justice committee and community foundation. As book writer, he has collaborated with Craig on 2000 Together, Neighbours, and Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town.
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![Close-up photograph of a middle-aged man with gray hair, a beard, and a black shirt, smiling slightly with a brown background.]()
Jeff Christmas
ORCHESTRATION
Jeff Christmas is a Canadian composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor whose work spans classical, contemporary, film, television, and musical theatre. His orchestrations and arrangements have been performed internationally by symphony orchestras and ensembles, and he is known for bringing clarity, colour, and dramatic shape to a wide range of musical settings. For Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, Jeff’s orchestration helps bring Stephen Leacock’s world of Mariposa to life, supporting the humour, warmth, and character of the story. He is principal pops conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.
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![Geoffery Taylor]()
Geoffery Taylor
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Geoffrey Tyler spent over 30 years as a professional actor, singer, dancer, and musician in Canada and abroad. Involved in musical theatre since age 10, Geoffrey never missed a beat when it came to his career path. He went on to study at Sheridan College, and from there, performed in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. His career has taken him from Mirvish productions in Toronto, to London England’s West End, and to many of Canada’s premiere regional and provincial theatres. As well, he has done stints in film, television, and commercials over the years. He currently lives in the Niagara, Ontario with his wife Laura, where they own a small hobby farm, Three Acres Family Farm.
