The Grace Cabaret Experience Cast

LYNN MENZER is a Vietnam Veteran of the United States Army. Before serving in the military, this actor/singer’s humble beginnings emerged in his high school Drama Club and extended to training with the Salt City Playhouse and Performing Arts Venue in upstate New York. Lynn has performed in numerous Christian productions, readings and voice overs in the Houston area for the past 20 years. Favorite acting and reading credits: Restoration, The Great Exchange, It is Finished, The House that Alton Built & Simon of Cyrene. Lynn is a member of the Green House International Church under the leadership and guidance of Pastor EA Decker. Lynn loves and thanks the Lord for all the blessings He has bestowed upon him, and for the support and encouragement he receives from his beautiful wife Michelle of 37 years, and two sons, Wilbur and Randy. Psalm 150:1-6.

JASON OBY has performed as a soloist in opera, oratorio, and recital at venues throughout the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia. As a member of the acclaimed cast of Three Mo’ Tenors, he sang a wide variety of musical genres including opera, Broadway, jazz, and Motown. Known for sensitivity and intelligence of interpretation as a singer of art song, he has been called on to coach, plan and direct multi- disciplinary performances at museums, universities and arts presenting organizations around the U.S. He is Professor of Music, Chairman of the Department of Music and Interim Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences at Texas Southern University. He earned degrees (B.M., M.M.) from the Manhattan School of Music and the Doctor of Music degree from Florida State University. Of his singing, the Washington Post wrote: “Special praise is in order for Jason Oby’s golden toned solo work. His voice is accurate, flexible and true… a real pleasure to listen to.” As Artistic Director of HEOG, he conceives, plans, and oversees all issues related to the artistic content of the Guild’s entire season of both choral and operatic content. He continues to work professionally as a lecturer, singer and conductor and serves on several local and national Boards and committees concerned with granting, philanthropy, and the arts.

Ukrainian-American soprano, KATYA GRUZGLINA has built a diverse career as a musician and educator over the past decade. An alumna of The Juilliard School and Rice University, Katya has been a soloist at festivals such as the Banff Opera Theatre Center, Aspen Music Festival, has sung with groups such as the Los Angeles Master Chorale and De Angelis Vocal Ensemble, and was an adjunct professor teaching vocal technique and diction courses at Fullerton College. Most recently, Katya was seen as Soprano 2 soloist with Cal Poly’s Bach Week in San Luis Obispo, California. Currently, Katya is on staff at Grace Episcopal Church under the direction of Paul English, maintains a private voice studio, and is working on finishing her masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from University of Houston-Clear Lake.

SUMMER SONG is a voice faculty member at Houston Baptist University (HBU). Prior to joining HBU in 2017, Ms. Song taught voice and music classes at Texas Southern University (TSU) for 5 years. She also served as the Artistic Director for the Summer Vocal Program at Peiwen School of Peking University, China. Ms. Song was a summer program Studio Artist of L’Arte Del Bel Canto in Milan, Italy, soon after she received her Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Washington State University. Ms. Song is an active performer in the Greater Houston area. Her very recent performances include a HBU faculty voice recital and a collaborative concert with Houston Symphony musicians, as well as several performances for community outreach concerts, such as Texan-French Alliance for the Arts. Summer has also been a featured soloist associated with a variety of organizations throughout the United States, England, Singapore, Italy, China, and others. Many of Ms. Song’s voice students are winners and finalists in local and nationwide singing competitions. Many have also been accepted for both Master and Bachelor music programs, such as Berklee College of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Yale University and Harvard University.

Dancer, BRENT L. SMITH, has performed and been featured all across the U.S and overseas as a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer. As a dancer he has had opportunities to dance in live musicals, concerts, videos and tv/film. Brent has also served as a choreographer for live musicals. Credits include: Dreamgirls, The Lion King, Aida, In The Heights, The Wiz and Chicago. He is currently the Creative Director of Groundwork Dance and Burlesque Houston. Brent has a strong passion for the arts and loves to give it back to the world.

BELLE ALEXANDER was born and raised in Louisiana where she began dancing at a young age. She has had the opportunity to train in several genres of dance including modern, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, musical theater, and liturgical. Belle received her Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Louisiana Monroe. During her time at ULM, she danced in the Repertory Dance Ensemble, Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Guys and Dolls Musical and football halftime shows with the Sound of Today marching band. After moving to Texas in 2014, Belle danced as a community dancer for Urban Souls Dance Company which gave light to her new life as a professional dancer. While in Houston, Belle has also been a company member of Sonkissd Dance Theater and Groundwork Studios. She, along with 3 other colleagues, co-direct “The Collective Four” which is a performance troupe in Houston. She also dances for Houston’s own Tobe Nwigwe and recently completed her first tour as a Black Angel dancer in 2021. While dancing professionally calls for a busy schedule, she still finds time to teach at a local studio, choreograph, host group dance parties and make solo/group appearances around Houston.

Cellist, DAVID DIETZ, has performed across the US and Europe and is experienced in a variety of settings as both a performer and a teacher. He has enjoyed performing in many orchestras across the US and giving recitals as both a soloist and chamber musician. His teaching involves a wide range of students including beginners, aspiring professionals and amateurs of all ages. Currently residing in Houston, Texas, David is pursuing a Master's degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music with Desmond Hoebig. David received his Bachelor’s Degree and Performer Diploma at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Eric Kim and the Pacifica Quartet. During his time in Indiana David performed with many orchestras throughout the midwest including the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, the Paducah Symphony, and as principal cello of the Owensboro Symphony during their 2018-2019 season. David participated in the Kent/Blossom Music Festival in 2015 and 2017 and was a fellow of the Aspen Music Festival in 2018. He performed with the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida during the 2018-2019 season and this summer will be participating in the Aspen Music Festival’s center for orchestral leadership, filling leadership positions within Aspen’s orchestras and working alongside guest conductors and artist-faculty of the festival. David was raised by two public school music educators, so teaching has always been an important part of his life. In 2016 David served as assistant instructor to Susan Moses at the Indiana University Summer String Academy. Also, during his fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival in 2018, he served as a mentor in the festival’s community music school, the P.A.L.S. program. David has held a diverse private cello studio for the past 10 years and has had experience teaching everyone from young children to aspiring professionals to amateur adult students. David has participated in solo and chamber masterclasses with Johannes Moser, Joshua Bell, Martin Beaver, Inbal Segev, Ani Kavafian, Brinton Smith, Joella Jones, and Jennifer Koh.

CONNOR CHAIKOWSKY is pursuing his Bachelor of Violin Performance at the Rice Shepherd School of Music with Paul Kantor, where he has a Jack and Linda Gill Scholarship. Originally a native of Baltimore, Maryland, he was a member of the Peabody Preparatory. He has worked closely with Violaine Melançon, Andréa Picard Boecker, and Midori. He has been a member of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, YoungArts Miami Program, and Verbier Festival where he won the Prix de APCAV. His “Le Boeuf En Concert” multimedia online recital was featured in the Houston Chronicle, and he is a member of the Dorrington Quartet, which actively and regularly performs around Houston.