Imperial Theatre
Opened March 21, 2019
Closed January 16, 2022
Ain't Too Proud Orchestra
Kenny Seymour
Conductor/Keyboard 1
Rick Hip-Flores
Keyboard 2
Seth Farber
Keyboard 3
Mark Gross
Reeds - Flute/Alto Sax/
Tenor Sax/Bari Sax
Shawn Edmonds
Trumpet/Flugelhorn
Dan Levine
Trombone
Clayton Craddock
Drums
Roger Squitero
Percussion
Javier Diaz
Percussion
Keith Robinson
Guitar
Larry Saltzman
Guitar
George Farmer
Bass
Orlando Wells
Concertmaster
Eddie Venegas
Violin
Melissa Tong
Violin
Rieko Kawabata
Violin/Viola
Andrew Griffin
Viola
Caryl Paisner
Cello
Music Team
John Miller
Musical Coordinator
Kenny Seymour
Musical Arranger
Harold Wheeler
Orchestrator
Steven M. Alper
Music Preparation
Kenny Seymour
Conductor / Keyboard 1
Kenny Seymour has developed a reputation as a consummate professional for his creativity, talent, versatility, exquisite musicianship, and his ability to navigate a wide variety of musical styles and genres with authenticity and integrity. He has worked with many of Broadway’s top producers, composers, playwrights, choreographers, and directors, a wide variety of artists in the recording industry, as well as many up and coming directors of film and television.
Currently the music director-music supervisor and arranger of Tony Award Winning hit Broadway Musical Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of the Temptations, some of his other credits include: music director for the Tony Award winning Best Musical Memphis, orchestrator for Broadway’s Amazing Grace, music supervisor-arranger-orchestrator for MARLEY: A Premiere Musical, music director-supervisor-orchestrator for Carnegie Hall’s A Time Like This: Music For Change, as well as dance arranger-electronic music producer for Half-Time: The Musical, music director-arranger-incidental music for The Tallest Tree In The Forest, and music supervisor-orchestrator for Big Maybelle: Soul of the Blues.
As a composer Kenny has had his work performed by the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, received a Global Music Award for Best Original Score of the independent film Talking with the Taxman About Poetry, and composed and orchestrated music for the popular international children’s language program English Egg. Kenny has arranged and orchestrated music for shows on Fox, BET, and NBC as well as the Inaugural Ball for President Barack Obama. He has performed on stages around the world, from the legendary Apollo Theatre and Carnegie Hall, to the Montreux Jazz Festival, working with a wide variety of the industry’s top recording artists.
Kenny owes his start in the music industry to his late grandmother, entertainer Wilhelmina C. Pappy, his mother, Broadway actress Mary Seymour of Hair (original Broadway cast) and Raisin: The Musical, and his late father, Kenny W. Seymour formerly of the music group Little Anthony and the Imperials.
Kenny attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, Manhattan School of Music, and Berklee College of Music. For more information, visit KennySeymour.com.
Shawn Edmonds
Trumpet / Flugelhorn
After graduating the Eastman School of Music, Shawn Edmonds moved to New York City to tour with the Count Basie Orchestra. While not touring with the Basie Band, he subbed on such shows as After Midnight, Annie, Chicago, Bullets over Broadway, Motown, Memphis, Anything Goes, The King and I, and also subbed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Last fall he was lead trumpet for the Emmy Award winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert on NBC featuring Alice Cooper and John Legend. He is active as a New York City classical freelancer as well, subbing in the Queens Symphony and the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also subbed in the Memphis Opera Orchestra and the Beirut Philharmonic Pops Orchestra.
Shawn is currently the trumpet player on Ain’t Too Proud and is also finishing up a doctorate at Rutgers University.
Dan Levine
Trombone
Brooklyn-born Dan Levine grew up in a very musical family. He plays trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, and tuba in studios and on stages throughout the U.S. and the world. Dan is a student of Charles Levine, Donald Yaxley, Buddy Baker, Roy Main, and Ralph Sauer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Shortly after graduating from the University Of Northern Colorado, he headed off on a world tour as Lead Trombonist for the great Ray Charles.
Upon returning to New York, Dan has recorded and toured with artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen, Blood Sweat and Tears, Frank Sinatra, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, Jay-Z, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Liza Minnelli, Linda Eder, Darlene Love, Rufus Wainwright, David Byrne, They Might Be Giants, Björk, Natalie Merchant, Miss Velvet and The Blue Wolf, and Tori Amos. His TV and radio appearances include performances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, Brave New World, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The View, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Daily Show, The Larry Sanders Show, The Essence Awards, NASCAR Cup Series Awards, Craig Kilborn, Studio 360, WNYC's New Sounds, A Prairie Home Companion and This American Life.
As a composer, arranger, and producer, Dan’s work can be heard in Disney’s Meet the Robinsons, Malcolm in the Middle, NPR’s All Things Considered, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street, and David Byrne's Here Lies Love CD as well as on A&E, Court TV, HBO, BBC, National Geographic, and PBS Kids.
Broadway shows include The Producers, Hello Dolly!, Newsies, Cry-Baby, Grand Hotel, Show Boat, My Fair Lady and Liza's at the Palace, and Ragtime. He can be heard on many TV commercials, TV themes, and film scores including The Producers, Philip Glass' Naqoyqatsi, American Psycho, Cremaster 3, and Drawing Restraint 9.
Dan performs annually for the Rainforest Foundation Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall with Sting, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Lady Gaga, and Billy Joel.
Clayton Craddock
Drums
Clayton has worked with music legends Chuck Berry, The Stylistics, Denise Williams, The Delfonics and Ben E. King. Cast albums include: "Tick, Tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, the 2010 Tony Award winning Memphis the Musical, and Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill with Audra McDonald, currently a feature film on HBO.
Andrew Griffin
Viola
Currently the viola chair for the Broadway musical Ain't Too Proud, Andrew Griffin is an award winning violist, composer, and orchestrator. He has performed in such diverse settings as Saturday Night Live, Radio City Music Hall, and in the viola section of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. Andrew was also a semifinalist at the 2012 Washington International Competition for Strings.
As an active copyist and editor, his credits include: Kidding (Showtime); Ride the Cyclone (Off-Broadway); Planet Earth 2 (BBC); Lempicka (Williamstown Theater); Witness Uganda/Invisible Thread (Off-Broadway) and many more. His arrangements and orchestrations have also been performed by notable groups such as the Sphinx Virtuosi, the Queens College orchestra, and Alkali.
Andrew received his bachelor’s degree with honors from Carnegie Mellon University under Toby Appel, and a master’s degree from Rice University under Ivo-jan Van Der Werff.