Artists’ Profiles

Benjamin Manis

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Conductor

Conductor Benjamin Manis will join the Utah Symphony as Associate Conductor in September 2022. Manis just completed his third season as Resident Conductor of the Houston Grand Opera (HGO), and returns to Houston to conduct Tosca and El Milagro del Recuerdo in the 2022–23 season. He made his HGO debut with Verdi’s Rigoletto, and this season conducted Carmen, Roméo et Juliette, and The Snowy Day.

Manis was winner of the 2019 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award, as well as the Richard S. Weinert Award from Concert Artists Guild. He has served as cover conductor for the St. Louis, Dallas, and National Symphonies, working with conductors David Robertson, Stéphane Denève, and Gianandrea Noseda. After three years in the Aspen Conducting Academy, Manis returned to Aspen in the summer of 2021 as Assistant Conductor, where he conducted two programs with the Aspen Chamber Symphony.

Benjamin Manis studied cello and conducting at the Colburn School, and in 2019 he completed his Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Stephanie Burkett Gerson

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Vocalist

Stephanie Burkett Gerson has a wide range of credits to her name, from theater and theme parks to cruise ships and a favorite national anthem vocalist. As a proud member of Actor's Equity, Gerson has been seen as a lead vocalist and Mrs. Claus in the Rockette's Radio City Christmas Spectacular National Tour and appeared in I Love A Piano as Ginger at Moonlight Stage Productions in Vista California. Regional Theatre credits: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), Smokey Joe's Café (Delee), Nine (Carla), Cats (Jellylorum), Beauty and the Beast (Babette), The Full Monty (Estelle), The Buddy Holly Story (Vi, Mary Lou), Meet Me in St. Louis (Lucille), Sweeny Todd, and Richard Sherman's Pazzazz. Other theatre credits include: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Lucy), Grease (Sandy), and The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy). Gerson is an active member of New York City's most well known gospel choir, Michael McElroy's Broadway Inspirational Voices. She also regularly lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families with the USO Show Troupe.

Payson Lewis

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Vocalist

Payson Lewis is originally from outside Philadelphia and currently resides in the entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood, CA. His unique blend of artistic talents has lent itself to his equally diverse career as a performer. His acting credits include TV shows like S.W.A.T. (CBS), Jane The Virgin (CW), American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX), Revenge (ABC), and How I Met Your Mother (CBS), among many others. As an award-winning theatrical performer, he has starred in shows in Las Vegas, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and was a part of the star-studded cast of Mamma Mia! at the world famous Hollywood Bowl. However, it's in music that his career started and it remains his true passion. As a singer he appeared on the soundtracks of major motion pictures including The Lego Movie 2 and Superintelligence, has toured the world as a soloist with numerous world-class orchestras, and is an independent recording artist and songwriter with well over a million streams to his name. You can follow him on all social media platforms @paysonlewis.

Lisa Livesay

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Vocalist

Lisa Livesay is thrilled to travel the world with Disney in Concert, singing the beloved music of her childhood! Career highlights include playing Glinda in Wicked on Broadway, and appearing in the film Monday Nights at Seven with Oscar winner Edward James Olmos. She is featured in audiobook musicals such as Puss in Boots and Spin!, for which she won Audie awards. Livesay resides in Los Angeles, where she contributes to soundtracks for film and TV. In her spare time she is earning her degree in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the City College of New York. Boundless love and gratitude to her biggest fans—her family.

Aaron Phillips

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Vocalist

Aaron Phillips is very excited to be part of this wonderful production. Phillips is an Ovation Award nominated actor/singer, proud member of Actors' Equity, and can frequently be seen on film and TV. Past theatre credits include: Jekyll and Hyde (John Utterson), Batboy: The Musical (Batboy/Edgar), Songs for a New World, and Les Misérables (Foreman/Combeferre). Opera credits include: La bohème with the Greensboro Opera Company conducted by Valery Ryvkin, The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate King), and Lakmé (Frédéric) by Delibes. Phillips recently appeared in a staged reading of The Bone Wars (O'Conner) with the prestigious New York playwright group, Youngbloods. You may have seen Phillips as Carl, half of the duo that is the face of Lipton Iced Tea. He is also an accomplished voice-over talent and can be heard in video games such as World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption, and The Lord of the Rings. He is a man of many voices forcommercials, cartoons, and music sessions everywhere. Phillips has been a Disney fan his entire life, and is happy to help bring this music to fans of all ages.